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.

Creating A Thing of Beauty

John Keats said A thing of beauty is a joy forever. I think he might be right. The beauty may not last forever, but it sure might help bring a bit more joy into the world while it does last. I believe we must all strive to bring a bit more beauty into our lives. Why not?  It sure beats the heck out of dwelling on the ugly things that bombard us every day.

So, as I sat on my garden bench drinking a cup of coffee the other morning, watching all the lovely little birdies flitting about, my eye was drawn to a branch not far above, that held the tiniest bird I'd ever seen. As I stared in wonder, it suddenly took to flight and I realized it was a hummingbird.  You don't often see them at rest, so that is what puzzled me for a moment.  I realized the bright orange blooms of the nearby trumpet vine were what had attracted the teeny bird, and I decided I needed to do more to coax my hummingbirds out into the open so I could enjoy their beauty more often.  I thought I might turn my bench spot (now plain and simple) to a hummingbird room that would be more inviting to the small birdies and maybe butterflies too.  Here's what I did. I scoured my garage, house and shed for things I already had to furnish my room.

A vintage crocheted throw I snatched from a guest room, would provide a nice cushion for the bench seat

I took a stained vintage linen towel and turned it into a pillow.  Just stitched up two sides, inserted the pillows, and tied with a burlap ribbon.  Needed a decoration, so I stenciled a French design in grey. The pillow will make a nice support for your back while waiting for the birds.

I thought you might like a place to rest your feet or a cup of coffee or glass of tea, so I dragged out an old green bench from the garage.  It use to belong to Bob's dad who was quite handy with a saw and hunk of lumber and used the bench for cutting or sitting at his workbench.  Unfortunately, his son did not inherit that skill, so the bench really was just a place to collect junk.  I think it looks better in my hummingbird room!

As you can see the bench has some paint stains, but I don't mind; I think they add character.  I also added a ceramic watering can planter and an iron bird platter that I found hanging out in the garage.  The bench needed some greenery, so I stole an urn of thyme from the patio and added it to the vignette.  The sun helps release the herbie aroma...lovely! Beauty for all the senses.

Next, I took an old crate that was wasting away on the side of the house by the garbage cans and turned it into an end table next to the bench.  It made a great resting spot for a plant (more on plants in a bit) and just had to add the cute red ladybug lawn ornament from a planter on my patio to join us in the hummingbird room.  Thought she might feel more at home here.

 The trees needed a little bling too.  A lovely green birdhouse that was looking pretty in my sunroom would be better in the branches of the bower in front of my bench providing a nesting spot for some wrens.

And two solar mason jars from the front door area will vie with the fireflies at night, lighting up the hummingbird retreat.

So...now that I furnished the room where I would be able to spy those busy birds, I needed to attract the hummers and butterflies to the area.  The trumpet vines only ten feet away were a start, but I knew hummingbirds would love a few sweet red flowers too.  A quick trip to The Garden Gate.  I scored big with half-price sales!!! I snagged a hanging basket filled with red verbena and petunias (you can see it in the above picture hanging in the branches of the hedges that shade the bench). I also snatched up a large pot of red verbena, and that I placed on the crate end table next to bench.  Things were shaping up.

Still needed a few more things to tease out the shy, wee birds.

I hung a hummingbird feeder that was gathering dust in the garage in a branch close to where I saw the bird in the morning.  I whipped up some hummingbird syrup ( 4 parts water, 1 part sugar, heat until sugar melts, cool) and put it in the feeder.  I know this will need to be changed frequently, so I only made a 2 -cup batch.

I also set up a special snack for birds and butterflies. After some brief research I learned these winged critters like jam and water. I took the pedestal base of a broken birdbath and set a plant saucer on top, then set a mason jar cap filled with raspberry preserves, and a small glass bowl of water in the saucer.  Hope they like the special treat.

So, I'm ready now to do some serious bird watching....and even if they don't show up in droves, I'll be able to enjoy some lovely things of beauty all around

It brings joy to also share the beauty with beautiful family and friends...

What things of beauty do you see in your life?  What beauty might you create?

Doot, Doot, Doot Lookin' Out My Back Door (with apologies to CCR)

I LOOOOOOOVE July!  Every morning as I sip my coffee at the little round table in my sunroom, and my husband feeds me tidbits from the morning newspaper, I get to gaze out my back door to the scene above. Lush green bushes and grasses, bursting buds of flowers, and flittering bees, birds and butterflies entertain me and fill me with a peaceful joy.  I can even hear the gentle babble of the fountain as it is the closest thing to our open door.  

The bricked patio is indeed in need of an overhaul.  We have been wanting to fix it up for the past few years, but the economy and my daughter's wedding have put that on hold for at least another year.  And yet, as I scan the scene this morning, there is something sweet about the weathered, moss-covered bricks.  They've held up for nearly 35 years.  The richness of their colors is not to be scoffed at; I hate to think of the sterile Belgian blocks that might replace them (my husband's preference).  The bricks allow me to imagine a colonial cobbled street in my own backyard.

 The rains that plagued the spring have continued into the summer and have created a growth spurt in all the vegetation.  Check out some of the beauties that are thriving in my yard.

Morning Glories starting to bloom!

Day Lilies and Black-eyed Susans...

Faded Queen Anne's Lace makes way for Suzie!

One of my favorites in the garden is the bee balm.  It flowers early July and lasts the rest of the summer.  It's full and thick with flowers and the best thing is that it attracts so many flying critters! Bees, insects, butterflies and HUMMINGBIRDS!!! Wish I was a better photographer so I could capture some of the visitors to the bee balm.

Another hummingbird attraction is the trumpet vine that grows up the side and over the roof of our shed.  Its bright orange blossoms are like flashing neon signs to the fast little birds that drink their nectar.  Also the thicket created by the plentiful vines provides shelter for every type of bird imaginable. It's like an airport some days, watching flights take off and land.  You may notice the color scheme of my shed.  I painted the shutters, window and fencing to match the colors of the trumpet vine and a purple sage bush (not blooming yet) that stand guard at the corner of the shed. (apologies for the cloudy picture; I've not mastered lighting yet).

So, that's what I see out my back door...how about you? What do your scenes look like?