Some Details Around the Yard

This nest of house sparrow eggs is in a bush right outside my studio window. I love their colors. If the nest was still not being used I was going to borrow it long enough to draw it…then saw this!

Also in the front yard are the two blue aspen cedars. One tall next to the house…base detail here.

The new growth is stunning in that yellowy green that turns blue. And my ball-shaped rocks from the glacier turns that formed them in Michigan nestle at the base. And the weeping blue aspen cedar detail. Not much growth last year after we planted it but this year it is really taking off.

It was shaped at the nursery in a serpentine climb upwards.

In the tallish white pots along the entryway to the front door are ferns that can survive shade only along with a nice happy little ground cover that blooms purple all season.

I place smooth rocks everywhere…something about holding them as I pick them up.

Then there is this succulent out the back door that has seeded itself all through the small stones. Yesterday I pulled them all up to stick in these pots that were sitting empty in the back and needed a purpose…so now they sit on each side of the door off the sunroom.

And finally one of the two pine trees that my yardman gave me to put on each side of the gas tank. I am proud of how well they are doing under my care.

I am going to take my hummingbird feeder down. At my old place they stayed around all through the summer and had lots of babies. I forgot that here there are no tall trees for nesting, so they only stop by during migrations south to north and north to south. I will put it back up later this year.

Marla is due here in another hour or so. Scotch for both of us. A nice smoky one for her and a Balvenie for me. She will only stay a couple days or so before heading back home. Hopefully she will help me clean up the last little bit of the garage so Patrick can hang my punching bag next month. I also want to donate lots of art supplies to her for her art groups. They really like my teaching samples books and there is one I found for classes that has ways to build in hidden spaces when making books. It was so much fun watching students see new ways to hide text and imagery. And I have SO MUCH paper that I thought I would surely use, but no, it needs to be passed on. I will keep what I need for the board game, but that’s enough.

Just talked to Marla and she is an hour and a half out driving through the last of the hills in Tennessee.

I delivered all the invitations to the open house here on the 13th June. Most of the food will be catered because I don’t want to bother, nor do I want my neighbors bothering.

Not much else new….more next week after the open house here.

Til then…