July Garden

 It's end of July and my garden is in it's glory! The mint is riotous, the roses are prolific and the hydrangeas are a blue symphony. I watched a hummingbird aflutter around my feeder. It went from yellow feeding tube to yellow feeding tube, and I realized it thought they were actual flowers with nectar. I was glad I had taken the trouble to keep the feeder filled and clean so that "hummy" could lunch outside my window.

The sunsets over the lake are heartbreaking and we sit and enjoy them bathed in the golden light.

Hydrangeas for my vases.

The boats rest idle by the dock after a hard day's paddle.

Blooms spilling over onto the lawn

 

Enjoy the summers of your life, winter is around the corner

 

Maria

Dinner on the Lake

The Women's Club at my lake just had a progressive dinner. All it means is that the appetizer course takes place in one house, the main course takes place in another and dessert in another.

The very special thing about this progressive dinner is that all the homes are on the lake. The Women's Club members ferry themselves across the lake to the various locations. The hosts set up outdoors and welcome the boaters for the meal.

The meals are pot luck, where each person brings either an appetizer, a main course or a dessert to share with the group.

Eighteen women crisscrossed the lake on a beautiful night two weeks ago.

Ladies disembarking

Our able captain Coleen navigating the lake with flair!

 

Enjoy the views!

 

Maria

Swans and Signets and the Secret Garden

Did you know that the baby swans are called signets? I didn't until I came to the lake and saw the swan families and heard people referring to the babies as signets! Real cute little things that bob along the water always close to mama and papa swan for protection. There's lots of dangers out there for the little signets. Turtles, dogs, hawks, eagles.

But today we see the happy family crisscrossing the lake for food and education for the young.

Our vegetable garden is looking good!

Roses and Peonies by the lake

 

Entrance to the Secret Garden

Taking the long View!

Relax!

 

Maria

Home is where the lake is

What does a writer do when faced with a blank page? Evade, evade, evade... for the most part. Speaking of evading, on one of those occasions I fled to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It's always been a place of meditation and inspiration for me. Check out the African Wall art made entirely of bottle caps. Takes recycling to a whole other level!

 

 

 

This morning was wonderful at home, oatmeal and berries for breakfast. It's such a simple but delish way to start the day.

Trader Joe's Organic Whole Oats,
one part oats,
2 parts water
bring to boil in a small saucepan.
Turn down heat to gentle simmer, cover and let cook for 5-6 minutes.
Place in bowl and top with sliced banana, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries(love all those colorful berries!) and a spoonful of walnuts or whatever nuts you like.
Add milk and enjoy!

The lake, an ever changing tableau,today is hosting  migratory ducks  on their way up North(too early guys?), their white breasts contrasting with their black feather uppers and giving me a show as they bob and dunk at the lake. Before you know it they've moved along to another part of the lake.