-
Coastal Trip to Cedar Point
As large swaths of the U.S. were engulfed in a heat wave in the middle of July, we were at the NC coast doing our best to stay cool and have a little fun. Back in March, I found a house on White Oak River that boasted easy river access, proximity to downtown Swansboro and a short drive to the beach. I was sold on the cottage by the screened in deck with a hammock, shed with kayaks and shiplap…
-
My wallet was stolen out of my car at a kids’ sporting event, and my bank gave the thieves my new account number
How many times have you left your valuables in a locked car, on the floor of the back seat? I don’t usually leave my purse in the car, but we were running late for our kids’ swim meet at a city pool, and I was rushing to grab the chairs and cooler out of the back and failed to grab it. As we were finishing up our Kona Ice at the end of the meet, some coaches walked over to…
-
Garden Imprints
Thanks to the heat and mosquitoes, working in the garage at the wheel in the summer can be pretty uncomfortable, so I’ve transitioned into the house, hand building at the breakfast table. I remembered that one of my favorite finished products over the years has been little footed dishes with imprints, so I picked a fern and a few flower heads from the dill plants and made a dozen of these little tripod dishes. Several summers ago I made a…
-
A Successful Bluebird Hatch!
Two years ago, we hung a couple bluebird boxes that year as part of a New Year’s Resolution to create a more hospitable yard. One was hung in the front yard on an Elm tree, and one was hung in the back yard on the blackberry trellis. I documented the efforts of a bluebird pair which ultimately ended in the death of all the babies. After the failed attempt by the bluebirds, a family of House Wrens succeeded in the…
-
Volunteers and Transplants
I love the term plant “volunteers”. It refers to plants that were not intentionally grown in place by a gardener but grew by chance, from seeds in bird droppings or carried by the wind. The word choice makes it sound as if brave young seedlings are saying, “pick me to go an colonize that space!” The reality is, given the right conditions, plants reproduce. Living in Raleigh, also known to locals as the City of Oaks, our yard is never…
-
Garden Pics
Here’s a quick walk-through of the garden, pictures of veggies and flowers growing strong. We still aren’t seeing many monarch butterflies around here. I’m hoping having several varieties of milkweed will attract them. There are usually a lot of swallowtails, but I haven’t seen those yet either. There are plenty of bees!
