I could use a a morning on the beach. How about you? Mondays are always considered rough but when you go into the kitchen and discover you've had a visitor on your countertop who has left you little presents, it's like oh crap (actually crap). So a job I didn't plan on, taking everything off the countertops and disinfecting and putting out traps. I'd rather be back at the beach. 

A sweet visitor added some
extra color to the garden yesterday afternoon.
 

Still on the lookout for the
first monarch of the season. 

Any monarch sightings
 in your neck of the woods?

and just like that...

And just like that, it's the middle of July.
The middle of summer.
Spending a bit if time this morning, porch sitting,
thinking how quickly this season is passing. 
Do you remember, when you were a child,
summer days seemed so long?
My mother once told me the older you are,
the quicker time seems to pass. How true is that? 
Wishing you all a lazy, long, summer Saturday.

things don't always go as planned...

I thought first day of a new year...
great time to start blogging again. 
Life around here got so crazy that something
had to go and it was posting on this blog. 

So only a couple of days late...here I am.  I started with a terrible cold on New Year's Eve and am still coughing, sneezing and nursing a sore throat.

I spent today in my jammies, in front of the fire,
watching old movies and drinking hot tea..

Lou, seems to be one day behind me
with the same thing...
He slept in a bit this morning but needed to
wrap some sign orders today
and took them to the Post Office.

So where did we pick up this stinkin' bug?
Pick a child, any child.

So many runny noses and coughs and sneezes
on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
It could have come from any one of
these adorable Littles.

We are suppose to get snow tonight and it has
been bitterly cold here in Maryland this past week.
The extremely cold temps will be
continuing through the weekend.

Are you ready for spring yet?

Spring may finally be showing up...

We have had some crazy winter into spring
weather this year in Maryland.

Several warm days in a row and
then temps dropping into the 20's.

Makes a gardener a bit crazy.
Covering up the tenders like hydrangeas
so that there may just be
some flowers this summer.

The forsythia, a sure sign of spring,
had the flowers freeze
on one of those freezing temperature nights
as did the bridal veil bush.

Appears though, that spring is finally showing up.
Lou, Lucy and I took a stroll through 

Cromwell Valley Park yesterday
and the signs are there.

Tadpoles in several of the ponds
are there in the thousands.

A green glow is beginning to show.

And weed or wildflower?
Doesn't matter does it?
Spring is finally Springing.

Deep Freeze...

 Warming up on the inside before
walking to the Workshop on this

beautifully clear
but frigid Maryland morning.

 We've had such a mild winter so far
but over the past two days frigid air
dropped right on top of us.
Snowstorm prediction for Friday-Saturday.
Time to pull out the boots!

 The Country Workshop

 

Good Morning Sunshine...

We had beautiful sunrise this morning.
Cold and clear. 

Yesterday I had heard
we may get some snow tonight,
but now it seems we won't.  

We haven't even had flurries. 
It's been a no snow show winter so far.

I'm thinking one good snowstorm
and then spring can just slide in.

As lovely as the sky was earlier,

the color gray is now creeping in...

Strollin'

 Walk at the Loch Raven Reservoir yesterday evening.
Our old girl loved the stroll on a warm,
autumn end of the day.

 

  
Beautiful fall colors...

I've been cooped up for days in the shop
and this change of scene was just what I needed.

www.countryworkshop.net

America's Coolest Small Town....

 Today we strolled through America's
Coolest Small Town, Berlin, Maryland.
Wonderful shops and restaurants and
lots of vintage goodies. http://www.berlinmainstreet.com/

Ocean Pines Craft Show

 We went to the beach this weekend to participate in
the Ocean Pines Craft Show
which is held every year on the first Saturday in August.
We were lucky with the timing...
we were able to see the Blue Moon rise up
over the Atlantic.

  We arrived at White Horse Park around 5:30 am
to set up our tents and display.

 We had beautiful weather...a bit on the hot side
but the humidity was low.

 The show is run by a wonderful group of ladies
and has been going for 38 years.

Below is their Facebook page.
Ocean Pines Pine'eer Craft Club

After doing the craft show yesterday,
Lucy and I  relaxed  on the porch this morning. 
I had my coffee and Lucy is sniffed the local smells
and caught a few winks. The old man slept in. 
Thinking all three of us are feeling our age
after setting up and breaking down for the show.

www.countryworkshop.net

Spring has Sprung...

and Lucy is a bit confused.

 I quoted her the little poem ...
Spring has sprung.
the grass has rize.
I wonder where the birdies is?

 We can't see the grass on this
first day of Spring in Maryland

 

  But we do have the Birdies...

Happy Spring Everyone

The Country Workshop

It Was Quite The Sky Day...

 The morning started out with this amazing sunrise...

 

 that changed minute by minute.

 Then this evening the rising of the Snow Moon.

In the morning and in the evening
Mother Nature certainly put on a show.

Soaring with the Eagles...

 As I work in the shop behind our home, sometimes
I don't leave the yard for a number of days. 
Sunday morning, my dear husband decided I had been
"home bound" a bit too long. 
We went out for breakfast and then
to Conowingo Dam to see if we could
get a glimpse of the eagles.

We weren't disappointed...

 

I do wish the photos were a bit brighter but it was a cold, gray day. 
I want to visit another time when the sun is shining.

The Country Workshop