Thursday, July 23, 2015

Flowers, critters, an upcoming ‘event’

 

Hello Friends ~ It’s a little after 5 p.m. EST. Supper is heating up, the wind is picking up and T-storms are predicted in about an hour.  They’ve been predicted several times this week and we’ve gotten zilcho, nada. I was out hand watering this morning, and the sweat was just beading up as it was in the high 80’s and with the humidity felt like it was in the low 100’s. I worked outside the last three mornings a total of 9 1/2 hours. There is still more to do, but this morning I just didn’t feel like it. I moved potted plants to the main garden so that I can take care of them better.

The before pictures were taken the 19th of last month, so the overgrowth was even worse when I went in and weedwacked and trimmed this week.

Before

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After

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Before

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After

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There were a couple other paths too. I want to lay roll-roofing down again for the paths, just haven’t bought it yet. It lasted 7-8 years. Did it so I wouldn’t have to weed wack the paths.

Lots of butterflies are visiting. Flowers are blooming. The spider is keeping his web strung across the driveway, a bit higher than my van. Smile

Love this pink hibiscus.

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Love the shadow on the petals.

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All three of these roses are unknowns to me, the bottom two are miniatures.

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07-23-unkn3

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Here are the two sweet canine critters I’ll be visiting/babysitting for 36 days. When I first met these two, I was intimidated because they are BIG dogs and Bella has a LOUD bark. The owner of these two said they were harmless, but he was surprised when old Max came up to where I was sitting and wanted to be petted.  He said he doesn’t do that normally to strangers, so, they accepted me. Dogs have scared me, especially big ones since I was young.

My husband and I had dogs, Pup, a little terrier, and Blub, a blue tick hound. I was afraid of Blub when we first got him, because he was big and black, but he was a real sweetheart.

Bella ~ look how she’s looking right at me.

07-22-bella

Max ~ was shy, but I’ll try to get some better pics when I’m with them this next month.

07-22-max

On the property where they and their owners live, is a huge star fruit tree. It is loaded with fruit. I plan to pick as many as I can to give away and to eat myself.  When you cut crosswise into the fruit, the shape is a star.  I’ll show you in a later post. I once made a star fruit and green grape pie, good and different.  The star fruit was from this very tree.

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07-22-ep-starfruit

Here we have sapodilla. Oh my gosh, I’d never had this before. The owner gave me one that was ripe and told me to eat it. WOW, it tasted of buttery, brown sugar and was absolutely wonderful.  You can read about the health benefits here. I’m going to see about getting my own little sapodilla tree.

07-22-sapodilla

This morning I got a phone call from the owner, left a message, as I was outside working, saying he had two tickets for he and his wife to see VAREKAI BY CIRQUE DU SOLEIL in August , but they will be in Finland. Would I want the tickets free of charge? Oh my goodness, yes! I emailed my sis-in-law to see if she would want to go and she emailed back yes. I am excited and nervous, as this is out of my comfort zone.  I am a home body, but I’ve seen bits and pieces of this circus and they are wonderfully amazing. I can hardly wait.

https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/varekai/media/official-video.aspx

Well, we had a nasty thunderstorm with strong winds and heavy rains blow over a little while ago. I hate to admit it, but storms FREAK me out, always have. In this little wooden house with metal awnings it sounds pretty loud and intense at times. I prayed, read from a spiritually uplifting book and ate my supper and before I knew it the storm had passed. A relief!

Here’s the heart with the beaded butterfly on it, soon to be uploaded into my Etsy shop. The little silver piece says BELIEVE.

07-23-believe-butterfly-heart

07-23-believe-butterfly-heart2

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That’s it from Plum Cottage.

Thank you all for visiting.

Have a nice weekend ~ FlowerLady

35 comments:

Deb said...

Wow you sure did a lot of work trimming those paths, we had a few storms blow through here and while we need the rain it sure does make the weeds grow not to mention everything else and before you know we are back out wacking the weeds and overgrown plants. The heart turned out beautiful. The Star fruit tree is full of yummy fruits wow. How nice to have those tickets I think you will have a fantastic time.

My Grama's Soul said...

Hi Lorraine.....thanks for stopping by....Looks like you have been busy as of late and are even going to be busier taking care of those dogs. You should enjoy the Cirque show....we saw one years ago and it was marvelous. I love it that you are still blogging and keeping yourself so busy since the loss of your loved one. You are an inspiration to those of us who will experience this in the future.

xo

Jo

Morning's Minion said...

It surely doesn't take long working in heat and humidity to feel light-headed and limp. I think the uncommon amount of rain we are experiencing in KY has made weeds and vines grow at an almost tropical pace.
It is a relief to come inside, shower and do as little as possible for awhile.
As always, I am so impressed with the delicacy and sheer prettiness of your needlework!

Jean Campbell said...

Exquisite hand work that you do, Rainey. Patience and caring show.

I think of the circus where you are going as 'sophisticated' as compared to Barnum and Bailey. I know you'll enjoy it. I have a hard time at the circus because when the lights go down low I'm trying to see the mechanics of how the different acts get their equipment in place.

Ruth Hiebert said...

The Hibiscus is gorgeous. I always marvel at the growth around your place.

Joy Junktion said...

Love your gorgeous hibiscus! Your needle work is so delicate and pretty. I keep my heart on my inspiration board and see it's beauty every day (smile)! Those are big dogs but I bet they are sweet and you will enjoy spending time with them. Have a great time at the circus show, it should be great!!! Blessings, Cindy

Janice said...

I love all your ferns! The pink hibiscus is beautiful also, some hibiscus colors can be quite garish.

Glad to see you're getting on with the pups.

Have a good weekend. Hope you get some good rain, without the storm.

Terra said...

Plum Cottage is bustling with garden activity, and I like the sound of those rare fruits you will harvest when you dog sit.
And the show with your SIL will be a nice adventure.

Janneke said...

Nice reading. Bella looks so friendly, must be a lovely dog to take care of and Max, shy on the picture and old but it must be nice to take care of him.
I was surprised to see the star fruit on the tree. Just before Christmas we have them here in the shops, imported probably from the USA. The other fruit was even a bigger surprise, the sapodilla. Never heard of it and seen that before, really exciting.
Such a beautiful heart.......

RockWhisperer said...

I think most people do feel uneasy during storms. For me it's the lightning. Lightning hit our house and burned it down, about 12 years ago. It was rebuilt and lived in for five years before we bought it. They say lightning never strikes in the same place twice but I think lightning strikes wherever it dang well wants to.

It's hard to keep up with things when it's hot and there has been rain. We are overwhelmed sometimes.

Carol- Beads and Birds said...

I love everything about this post. We have had too much rain and not enough sunny days in Northern Indiana. My solar lights haven't worked much of the summer. Our weeds are like a jungle!! Your flower pictures are always so vivid. I love seeing them. It must be marvelous to live in an area where you can just pick fruit from the trees. I just know you are going to have a great time at the show. I've heard that it's marvelous.

Have a great weekend Rainey. Hope the storms stay away.
xx, Carol

Jessica Jarrell said...

We are having the same weather. Storms, more storms, and a little sun. It hasn't been the best for my garden, grrr. Those puppies are cute, and they don't look like they'd hurt anyone :) I'm a little jealous of that start fruit tree, I would die to have one of those! With all that fruit on it! Yum :) Have a great weekend!

Sallysmom said...

I am so glad to hear that you are going to Cirque du Soleil. I am a homebody to now that I am retired. But I think it is too easy to stay home too much and not get out and interact with people. As for dog sitting, maybe you need to go visit with the dogs some more. It would help you be more comfortable and the dogs as well.

Mary said...

Hi Rainey,
Please tell Bella and Max their Aunt Mary in CA loves them ;-3. How sweet they knew they could trust you.
What a lovely pink hibiscus. I've not heard of sapodilla before - it sounds amazing. How exotic to have a starfruit/green grape pie ;). Your stitched heart is beautiful! I love it.
Enjoy your Cirque adventure!

Celestina Marie said...

Hi Lorraine, I have so enjoyed visiting with you and your gorgeous gardens.
You have certainly been very busy. Your pink Hibiscus is stunning. Love the little shadow too. Enjoy the dog sitting. These darlings look so sweet. Love your beautiful beaded heart. Your designs are beautiful.
Have a nice weekend and hope you get the rain you need and stay cool.
Hugs, cm

Lemon Verbena Lady said...

The Herbal Husband got outside in the front garden today and cleared a path back to the front while I made jam and jelly all day! Love your two canine pals and your needlework. Got to keep working at getting time to stitch. I miss it! Sending love and positive energy your way and enjoy those tickets to Cirque du Soleil! xo

GRACE PETERSON said...

I'm not very fond of storms either. They make me uneasy. You know how Jesus calmed the storm for the disciples? I wish he would do that for us. But instead He lets the storms rage and promises not to abandon us. That is a pretty awesome promise.

That first dog, Bella, looks like a real sweetheart. You are brave and very kind to take them in for a month.

Your yard work is instant gratification, isn't it? Don't you love that? When things get unruly and judicious pruning makes everything happy again? It's so gratifying and one of the reasons I love gardening.

Your flowers are lovely and your bead work is just exquisite.

Marti said...

Keeping up with yard work when it is so hot and humid is such a chore! I decided last year that "maintenance free yards" are a myth, and only look maintenance free with regular maintenance. Last year the jungle started taking over my yard and I have been trying to take it back this year.

I thought of buying roll roofing for my paths too. Right now I have old asphalt shingles under the mulch, but they tend to shift a little. Enjoy your star fruit and the dogs too.

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

Your garden is beautiful especially considering the heat and thunderstorms. I'm a bit afraid of thunderstorms too, a trait handed down from mother to daughter. I love your pink hibiscus. We had some pink hibiscus planted in our front yard last year and they ended up a bit more dark pink that I wanted. I would have much preferred yours. Have a happy summer and stay dry between the storms.
Sam

Leslie Kimel said...

The sapodilla sounds so delicious. I definitely think you should plant one! How wonderful it would be to have a yard full of tropical fruit!

Of course, I love your new heart. The beaded butterfly is so neat!

I hope you have fun dog-sitting. The dogs do look really sweet.

Deb @ Frugal Little Bungalow said...

From the before and after photos I can certainly see that you had quite a bit of work. I did a little jungle taming at my place the last few mornings too. The sopadilla is something I'd not heard of before ! : ) Lovely garden and flower shots and your beautiful beadwork is just amazing.

Unknown said...

Your paths are looking wonderful - but then, I thought they were also looking wonderful before you weedwhacked! I always joke I need a machete to get through my backyard, although that's not far from the truth! :) The doggies look so sweet! And I'm in love with that pretty pink hibiscus. Happy weekend!

jerilanders said...

My post today was on garden paths and I see here you have cleared yours off, they look good! I doggy-sat a friends terrier a few weeks ago, he was so needy and lazy, unlike my own dogs.After a week of frolicking with my dogs, he was a new person! I think you will enjoy the "circus", it's good to get out and about sometimes.

gld said...

The before and after pictures always are so impressive. Unfortunately most of my pictures these days all qualify as 'before' ones.

The hibiscus is beautiful. The two fruits are something very new to me. Most tropical plants are so I really enjoy hearing about them from you and Jean.

Have a wonderful week with those dogs!

M.K. said...

I saw a p.r. video about Cirque du Soleil years ago -- in an Imax theater, and it was incredible! I'm so glad you get to go see them in person. That's just wonderful -- what a blessing.

We also have a horrific thunder/lightning storm the other night. I've never seen lightning last so long before. There was almost no break of flashes in the sky for about 30-45 minutes. Glad you're okay. Your blooms and trimming looks very good. What gorgeous ferns you have!

Jane said...

Don't know how you manage, Rainey. We've had heat and humidity here for the last couple of weeks and the weeds went crazy. Ran and I both weeded for over eight hours on Wednesday. I took several days for my hands to stop aching. That sapodilla sounds like my kind of fruit! Hope you have a nice time babysitting the dogs. They look friendly.

Hugs
Jane

One Woman's Journey - a journal being written from Woodhaven - her cottage in the woods. said...

Everything
always so beautiful,
your flowers and handwork.
I am moving many plants closer to cottage
easier to take care of...

Rue said...

That little brown heart is absolutely wonderful!

I hope you get some rest after all that weed whacking. I know what a pain it is. The Garden looks good though.

Have fun at the show!

xo,
rue

Deborah Montgomery said...

You've been busy! Weed whacking in the heat isn't for sissies! Love the hibiscus, and I've never seen a star fruit tree. didn't even know they grew in the U.S. So kind of you to watch the dogs, and I'm glad they've taken to you already. The little beaded butterfly you've made on your heart is gorgeous! xo Deborah

Melanie said...

Wow, you sure have done a lot of work in your yard! I'm impressed. It's so cool for me to see a star fruit tree...living in the Midwest, I've only seen this fruit in grocery stores. I've never even heard of sapodilla, but it sounds delicious. I would love to find local jobs pet-sitting like you do, but around here, it's all licensed people doing that sort of thing. I've only done cat-sitting for friends. Your beaded work is so beautiful.

Susan said...

The dogs you're sitting look very kind and soft-hearted. The sapodilla sounded yummy. I wonder if you could root one. How nice of your friends to offer the tickets to you. You will love seeing it! It is amazing. Glad you got some rain.

BeachGypsy said...

Hi Lorraine, I am a new reader and new follower and just wanted to say a quick "howdy" and letcha know I'd been here...and introduce myself! I've been enjoying reading your pretty blog so much...and all the pictures....love your nice garden! We just got back from Florida and enjoyed it so much!

tina said...

There's so much going on with you! Wow on the fresh fruits and tickets! Lucky you! Glad you faired well during the storm. We've had a few here this summer but all in all, a good summer with rains so far. I love big dogs. They are sometimes the best, big bark and all.

June said...

Your newly stitched heart is BEAUTIFUL Lorraine! I love all of the beading you have done on this piece. I also loved the photos from your own garden and the trees of your friends. I have never heard of either of the fruits you shared. How interesting that because of our climates and that we live nearly as far away from each other as anyone in the US can, that there are actually things I have never even seen at my grocers :)))
Good luck with your dog-sitting duties my dear, it should be fun.

I'm a thunderstorm lover so I wish I could've been there when your storm hit.
sending hugs....

Dewena said...

I had to come back and see who Bella and Max were. I feel so bad, I've missed some of your lovely posts, took two one-week periods off from blogging and then missed catching up with some dear blog friends. And then got too busy for an old lady like me and somehow missed visiting the nice flower lady. I won't let that happen again.
Dewena