Thank you friends!!

for all the nice comments on my last post. I appreciate you all so much...I really do!

Oh my! Is it hot and humid where you are? 

You know, last winter I waited and hoped and wished for spring and summer...telling myself, "I will not gripe and complain about the heat, not this summer". I craved the feel of warm sunshine on my bare arms and the healing powers of the sun for my aching body. 

Have to admit, I have complained just a wee bit this month of July.  It's so hot and humid!!

The sweet little canary yellow bird cage hangs empty at the playhouse...

Poppy did the painting and that's about as far as we got...

I am too ashamed to show you the teeny tiny garden. We have had thunderstorms, lots of rain, and high winds which can wreak havoc on garden plants. However...

tomatoes are plentiful and some are kind of big...

and these Pablano peppers...

Back when the garden was just starting, our soon to be new neighbors, Steve and Loye stopped by and gave us four Pablano pepper plants. 

I've Gooled and found a simple recipe for Rajas; Pablano peppers sauteed with onions and garlic, that looks good. 

Well, we have been walking the dogs a little earlier these days because of the heat. Our boy Eli was sick yesterday...

Poppy asking him if he felt up to a walk this morning...can you believe our sweet Eli is almost eight years old now?

Eli did want to go. We had planned to be at the vet's office at eight this morning but whatever it was that made Eli sick, seemed to be gone. Obviously, he had eaten something that didn't agree with that big tummy of his. Vet told us to watch him today and bring him in if he gets sick again. 

Always ready for a walk...

Ellie says she has been ready!

looks like Smokey had a busy night...said he would just soon stay home and catch a nap...

Guess that's about it for now. Thank you for visiting. Be back soon, I hope!

Love, Henny

Little treasures from Poppy

Dear friends, I sat here for about two hours last night putting together a post. Got it finished, hit publish, then thinking I was deleting a draft, deleted my newly published post. Grrrrr!!!

My post was titled "Little treasures from Poppy". Here's why...

Did you notice the painted box turtle on the table? Well, Poppy found the empty shell in the woods. It was old, so old in fact, the outer layer had peeled off leaving a solid white shell. I asked Poppy if he would paint it for me.

First, I Googled the Eastern Box Turtle and was surprised at their many color variations, then borrowed this picture from the Internet...

Funny, yesterday walking Eli and Ellie, we came upon this...

A young box turtle. Doesn't he look like the little one in the picture? I sat him on the rock and asked if I could take a picture...he disappeared into his shell. Sort of reminded me of myself. 

So after getting his picture I gently sat him back in the grass and headed him in the direction he was going in the first place. 

and another treasure...

Poppy found this old bird cage at the trash dump. Said he thought I might like it...and I do!

The little door still slides up and down. Think I will paint it Canary yellow :) and maybe hang it from a small chain somewhere at the playhouse. Maybe put a plant inside? Any suggestions?  I'm not good at decorating things like this. Wonder if people still keep Canaries in pretty bird cages ?

Anyhow, these are only two of my many treasures from the woods or trash dump...He has brought me tiles, old windows, old dishes to use in the greenhouse and garden, bird's nests...I could go on and on. 

Oh friends, the wild shrubberies are in bloom up and down the dirt road and their scent is heavenly. Heavenly!

My ex Mother-in-law called these, "wild shrubs". The sweet scent of these tiny white flowers takes me back to somewhere in my childhood maybe, or something like that. I just can't explain it. I could stand for hours under these blossoms and breath in their fragrance.

Well, what else? Oh, in my last post...a couple of you asked if I actually use the rocking chair in the playhouse. Well, I do. It's the perfect place to sit for a minute and wipe the sweat from my face after working in the garden. 

and Mari, I think you're right about the Iris being Siberian Iris. Thank you.

So in closing, if you don't mind, I will show you how the little garden has grown this week...

Thank you for looking in. Okay, I'm going to try and hit "publish" now and not "delete". :)

Love, Henny