Humming Bird

I made a new, large flower garden in my yard the last two days. Since it's so new and not 100% finished (I have a space set aside for a smokebush) I'm not sharing any photos yet. I did finally get a shot of my little ruby throated hummingbird but he is so darn fast and the sun was quickly setting so it's not that good. I'll have to work on getting a better one! Nothing excites me more that catching a glimpse of one of these guys. It's like seeing a fairy or something magical in the garden!'

Well, I am off to the beach for the next 6 days. hope to get some photos of the wild ponies on Assateague Island! See you on Friday...


I'm up to my eyeballs in lilies. I don't even like red flowers but these are just beautiful:)



So happy my lupine finally bloomed.



My quick little friend takes a rest for a split second to get a drink.

Summer at Longwood

Took the day off on Monday for a trip to Longwood Gardens. Thought I would share a few pictures...




Got an old stump? I think this is a great idea for a birdbath. Seemed well received by the Longwood bird residents too!



My favorite of Longwood's summer displays are the water lilies - hands down. So many gorgeous dragonflies to look at too.



One of my favorite new flowers (new to me that is) - Throatwort. I think that I am not in the right zone to grow this though. Maybe as an annual?



Another favorite I hadn't heard of before, Showy Hebe. I just adore purples and blues in the garden...





Flowers... are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty outvalues all the utilities of the world. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

EHAG Gorey Tribute Challenge

I was lucky enough in April to see a wonderful exhibit of Edward Gorey's artwork at the Brandywine River Museum. So you can imagine when EHAG, the Halloween art group I belong to, came up with a Gorey Tribute Challenge for June, I was ready to hop on board. Today I finished my piece and I just had to use the Headless Horseman as my subject. I don't believe Gorey ever drew him, but I think he should have!
My painting is listed currently listed on Ebay. Please search Ebay for other amazing Halloween artwork by EHAG artists. We're also on Facebook if you'd like to become a fan!





"The chief part of the stories, however, turned upon the favorite spectre of Sleepy Hollow, the Headless Horseman, who had been heard several times of late, patrolling the country; and, it was said, tethered his horse nightly among the graves in the churchyard." ~ Washington Irving

Wild Ride

Just finished this fun new Halloween tray with a witch out for a midnight ride. I was inspired by this little poem. The author is unknown so I'm thinking it was on an old postcard or something...

When witches go riding,

and black cats are seen,

the moon laughs and whispers,

‘tis near Halloween.



Also finished a new Gypsy Vanner welcome sign. I did the lettering in a Celtic font and added some wildflowers and butterflies. Both pieces are on Ebay!
Thanks for looking :)

Halloween Spirit

I suppose my three most recent Sleepy Hollow pieces have put me in the Halloween spirit! I just finished a very cool little mirror with a black cat and witch. Thought I would share - it's currently on Ebay for a 3 day auction.




I'm happy to report that my little wren has convinced (I hope, fingers crossed) his lady friend to nest in my white birdhouse. Here he is peeping out...



I'm also currently in love with all the gorgeous lilies blooming all around the yard! They seem to have come back bigger and better than last year.



And I've relocated one of the baby groundhogs. I hope she caught up with her mother in the park!
Until next time...

Sleepy Hollow Sunday

I finally have some work to share with you! I've been working on this whimsical Headless Horseman painting for a few days now and finally have him varnished and listed on Ebay. I love his jack o' lantern head and the little mouse in his pocket!



My groundhog babies are pretty tame - there are 3 now! I put up some chicken wire fencing and they go right under. Guess I'll have to bury it. I did see the most amazing ruby throated humming bird this morning. I was standing near their feeder looking at the wren and it flew right up to me. I could have reached out my hand and grabbed him! His throat looked just like Dorothy's shimmering slippers! I hope I can get a photo someday soon.

Happy Sunday!

Funny, very funny!

Mother Nature laughed at me today. She made me pull her finger. She lifted up her great green skirt and mooned me. She is a tricky one and quite the prankster.
I was really busy today setting up for our garage sale so I didn't get a chance to walk around my gardens much. When I was sitting in my dining room trying to relax after a very long day of hard work, I looked out the window and saw not one but TWO BABY GROUNDHOGS completely helping themselves to my garden's bounty. They didn't even have the nerve to run and hide when I took their picture.

This is what it looks like when Mother Nature laughs at you...






But of course she delights me on a daily basis with all she has given me. Singing wrens, pretty blue borage flowers, dainty Scottish Harebells and delicate mushrooms that appeared as if by magic over night. I should feel blessed with all the beauty in my garden. Perhaps I should just adopt these two rascally, orphaned ground squirrels. What do you think, time to get a fence for my veggies?




We cannot command Nature except by obeying her. ~Francis Bacon






To live a pure unselfish life, one must count nothing as one's own in the midst of abundance. ~Buddha

My friend the wren...

I have the cutest little wren in my garden singing his heart out all day. I just learned that they make a bunch of nests to woo their female and she gets to choose which one she wants. This little guy has been filling this white birdhouse up for the last 2 springs but his lady friend never chooses it to have her babies. I was happy I was able to get a few photos of him today - one in flight, one with a bug and one singing. I learned that wrens aren't very interested in feeders but they are really good to have in your yard because they love to catch insects.





Also saw this gorgeous black dragonfly/damsel fly type critter. So glad I was able to take a photo!



And I know you would enjoy seeing that I captured my most recent nemesis - groundhog #2. This one was much smaller than the last, must be the female. She moved in two weeks after I caught the last one and has since eaten two bachelor's buttons, sugar baby watermelon plant, gladiolas, several lettuce plants, a hot pepper plant, 3 broccoli plants, a baby blueberry bush and the tops all almost all my zinnias. Of course the rabbit in the last post may have been her partner in crime. We shall see!

Silent Sunday

Coming along nicely...

My new garden is coming along nicely. Everything seems to be growing and happy. I'm constantly surprised at the changes that take place seemingly overnight. I have the hole made in my tea pot and noticed a chickadee that was out apartment shopping the other day. Still have to find an old porch post to mount it to. I bought a neat Wilbur chocolate tin to mount mid post that I will plant a flower in. Can't wait to put this all together.



In the veggie garden I have brocolli and sugar snap peas that are looking yummy. I pulled up some beets for dinner but didn't know they would take so long to cook and I ended up forgeting about them and burning them:(
I'm up to my eyeballs in lettuce so if you're in the area, come by and I'll hook you up!



My husband has 4 more days left of teaching and after that I will have a babysitter for the whole summer! Yipee, I can't wait to get painting! Yesterday I completed a Sleepy Hollow box but it sold within hours of putting it on Ebay.



Today I finished a large Headless Horseman painting on a sign board. It's very folksy and whimsical and I'm totally smitten with him. As soon as I varnish it I'll add it to my blog to show him off.

Lastly I thought I would share some Friesian horse photos from Devon last Friday...







Have a wonderful weekend!