Saying Goodbye to Summer

It's the last weekend of the summer of 2015...sigh...days are getting shorter, blooms are spent, and fall is calling loudly.

My hubby and I decided to embrace the last few days of summer...a picnic lunch on the Delaware for starters.

 Bob and I chose a picnic table that faced a river view and enjoyed the scene as we munched on our tasty tidbits.  The air enveloped us in a cozy warmth.  The songs of ducks and birds provided running background music as we chatted and lazily enjoyed the scene. The river was gorgeous with a glimpse of the bridge between New Jersey and Pennsylvania in the distance...

and kayakers floating by...

After lunch, a leisurely walk across the bridge....

The river views from the bridge were simply lovely...

A quick visit to the PA side...

And a picture perfect day is complete.

Enjoy the last two days of summer!!!  Get out there and soak up some of the outdoors.

Quack Me Up!

Today I spent a few hours soaking up the last gorgeous days of summer by strolling along the footpath along the Delaware River in Frenchtown, NJ.  It was a glorious morning with fewer people (kids are back in school!!!) and quieter surroundings.  I breathed in deeply the fresh warm air and thought how lucky I was to be able to spend free relaxing moments like this.

On my way to Frenchtown, I had passed a local business that sells seasonal plants and produce and thought I would stop by on my way back home and pick up some mums, as I had noticed  they were advertising a fall plant sale.

So, on my way home, I pulled in the driveway and started to peruse the many varieties of flowers.  The garden's owner is a lovely Korean-American lady.  She greeted me with a welcoming smile, we chatted briefly, and then she helped me put the chosen mums in my car.  As I was paying the bill, out waddles the most adorable group of black ducklings. I was speechless for a few moments as I took in the scene.

The cute little fuzzies had followed their owner out from the office onto the driveway as she brought me my change from my purchase.  I couldn't prevent my laughter. They followed her just like toddlers follow their mommy.

The owner told me they were Cayuga ducklings, and they were her pets! She had been keeping them in a pen in her house, but they had been making such a mess, she had decided to bring them to work with her today.  She is trying to socialize them so they will be pleasant around people. These four little lovelies are brothers and sisters each born a day apart from each other. The smallest one's name is "Baby". She's the one in the front of the pack here in the above picture.

The duckies' "Mommy" told me their father's name is Winston and that he has a beautiful green sheen to his feathers. Didn't get a look at him, but he probably looks something like this:

What a fun way to end a perfect waning summer morning.  Have you encountered any fun surprises lately?

Travels With Bob

Good Morning Dear Readers,

Have you ever read the book Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck?  It's not one of his most well-known works, but it is charming.  Steinbeck loved America and decided to see it up close and personal way back in 1960.  He packed up his pick-up truck, Rocinante, that had been equipped with a camper, and took to the road with his French poodle, Charley, to learn about the people and land he loved. I couldn't help but think of this book when I was out on the bike paths of the Delaware again the other day with my husband Bob.  Now that we are both retired we do a lot of exploring together.  He's John Steinbeck, of course, easily chatting with every stranger we meet, and I'm his Charley, just happy to be along for the ride.  I have seen little towns and hamlets I never knew existed so close to my own hometown.  We go in search of antique shops (my passion) and eateries (his passion; he's a true foodie) and the end result is we discover lovely places and lovely people (most of the time).  We've discovered so many things, from an antique shop whose barn once stabled George Washington's horses, to an historic tavern that hosts phenomenal jazz sessions on open-mic Wednesdays.

Once my daughter's wedding is over, we should have more time to branch out in our explorations, but for now we are enjoying getting to know the lovely things Central Jersey has to offer.  I took a few snapshots of our recent bike excursion along the Deleware in Frenchtown which I share below.  I love this little town, so many cute shops, like my favorite, Thistle,  and of course quaint eating places like The Bridge Cafe, where you can get the best spinach cakes in the world and the more refined Frenchtown Inn that offers exquisite French cuisine.  Both boast al fresco dining with delightful views of the river.

This time we sought refreshment in a brand new coffee shop that Bob had read about in the Hunterdon Democrat.  After our 6-mile bike ride we stopped at the Eary Bird for some espresso to recharge!  Great place...hope it does well.

The bike ride was delightful, Spring was in full bloom.  The path was lined with feathery Queen Ann's Lace and a beautiful flower( I don't know the name of ) that appeared in  multitude shades of purple .

I even spied some buttercups.  I always think back to idyllic, childhood summer days when I see buttercups.  My friends and I would test each other's love for butter by placing the flower under your chin.  If your chin showed yellow... you were a butter lover!!!

I was amazed at how much the landcape had changed in just one week.  The trees were lush with leaves, the grasses tall and green and flowers, flowers everywhere.  The river views from this section of the path were different too from the Stockton- Lambertville stretch...but just as scenic.

If you get a chance, visit Frenchtown, NJ... another quaint river town along the Delaware.  Who knows where my "travels with Bob" will take me next.

Spring Inside and Out

Hello Dear Readers

I know Spring is well underway, and I assure you I have welcomed it into my home.  I just haven't had time to share with you what spring touches I have added to bring spring into my world.  So I did a quick photoshoot around the house, inside and out, and will simply share with you now, some of the quick things I did to celebrate the season.  After such a cold and long winter, I was delighted to decorate the house with new life!

family room mantle gets dressed in spring blooms

I have a grove of lilly of the valley blooming under a kwanzan cherry tree in the back yard.  Every spring, I look forward to their reappearance.  It also reminds me of my grandmother who was born in May, since lily of the valley is May's flower. I gave them a place of honor and put a few blooms inside some vintage jars.  I also added a few branches of the spirea bush that is putting on quite a show in the side yard! Here's a closer look at the blooms.

My kitchen needed a little spring too, so I added a new Scrabble message next to my birdie that sits on the window sill my my kitchen sink. Now I can look at birds inside and out  

Birds and nests and eggs are such symbols of spring.  I decided to use these symbols in my spring decorating. My dining room is inundated with wedding preparations, but I managed to carve out a little space on the dining table to display a vintage silver tray filled with espresso and tea cups that I made into bird nests with moss and shredded raffia (PS - the center tea cup is from my grandmother's set...I will do a whole post on that later...they are one of my favorite things)

Front entry also needed a touch of spring...eggs for the vintage egg basket.  Scored the simple white eggs at Walmart at Easter time.

Outside is welcoming the season too. Pansies at the front door...

Hope you have brought spring into your home too!

Perfect Day

What could be a more perfect activity for a retired couple than a leisurely bike ride along the scenic Deleware River?  Nothing! Yesterday, Bob and I took our first bike ride of the season.  We unloaded the bikes in the parking lot in Stockton, NJ, only one block from the historic Stockton Inn and rode the canal path all the way to  Lambertville.

The weather was perfect, too, sunny and cool. The trees were all in bloom, especially the dogwoods, so pretty dressed in their delicate white blossoms edged in pink. The wildlife was bursting all around us.  We spotted mounds of turtles sunning themselves on rocks that burst forth from the slow-rolling waters of the river. Mallards and other ducky birds floated by dipping their heads beneath the clear water to capture a mid-morning snack.

And then there were the geese!  I had to laugh at the adorable family of geese who had commadeered the canal path to escort their brood of goslings to a safe patch to feed.  One adult led the five little fledglings, and the other adult stood guard at the rear, its head erect and ready to peck if you got too close to the brood of young ones.  We had to carefully pass by in order to avoid upsetting the parade. Who could ask for better entertainment?

The ride was blissful.  Quiet, serene, fragrant...simple.  I felt like Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables who adored and wrote about the simple beauty of Prince Edwards Island.  I felt blessed to live in an area that offers similar beauty.  There is something peaceful, healing and yet exhilarating about the beauty of nature. It offers the perfect antidote to the stresses of living in the 21st Century. And bikeriding among its beauty is the perfect retirement activity! I am looking forward to more days of exploring the rich beauty and rich history (more about this later) of my home state.  Retirement surely does have its advantages.  I don't understand those who say they fear they will get bored if they retire.  There is so much to do and see!  Stay tuned for what Bob and I discover next.