Here we are...Mom and Dads

Here we are...

Mom and Dads driveway.

We have been here a little over a week now.

Jeff and I have been busy cleaning up...weeding gardens, moving dirt, seeding the lawn and planting flowers.

I will mulch the flower beds sometime this week. Then perhaps some pruning and more weeding.

The vegetable garden was over run by wild violets. I weeded the garden and added newspaper as weed control.

I will dig some holes and plant a few veggies and HOPEFULLY I won't have to weed this garden again.

Here is our current view from our living room and dining room windows.

Mom and Dads Rhododendron bushes.

The shrubs are taller than our Homey...about 14 feet high!

Homey blocks mom and dads view of these flowers so... they have to visit in order to see them...we get full time enjoyment. :)

The Peonies just started to bloom.

These are my favorites!

Aren't they gorgeous?

I love the delicate petals and the big ball of yellow in the center.

Jeff and I plan on being here a few more weeks before heading to Massachusetts to visit Jeff's side of the family.

Until then.....I must go finish making some egg and tuna salad for tommorows visitors...our daughter and granddaughter will be here for the day!

Can't wait!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Biggest Week~ Red Admiral Greetings

 We stopped to bird when we first entered the boardwalk on the last evening of The Biggest Week in American Birding.

 It was nice to be on the boardwalk in the evening.

Many birders had left for the day and others were filtering out.

A few of us came in to catch some evening birding.

I noticed a butterfly on the railing.

It was a Red Admiral. 

It perched several times and flitted around..

There were others doing the same.

It flitted around several times and as we were speaking to friends one landed on our friends head.

 We didn't think much of it ..but it happened again when another friend stopped to say hello to us.

It would flutter about and if someone was still enough land on their head...

 

It would sit for a while then flutter off again...landing on the railing for a bit...

 This was fun...as friends filtered out of the boardwalk and we chatted..

The Red Admiral landed again and again on their head.

 I then went to the opposite side of the boardwalk where the Red Admiral seemed to like to find its perch from.

One landed on my shoulder..

and stayed for quite a while.

 It moved to the front of my shoulder

Then to my head...

 Jeff gave it a try..

I have no idea why they were doing this..

but we enjoyed the 

awesome

Red Admiral Greeting.

Its all just part of the magic that happens at

The Biggest Week in American Birding

Saying Goodbye…part 2- Adele and Craigies

We have been saying hello and goodbye to family as we travel the past 14 years...you would think it gets easier but it never does.

This past month we have enjoyed staying at Sicksta Adele and Craigys home nestled into the side yard between two hickory nut trees.

Nice and lush..

 

This was the home eleven years ago.

Sand for lawn.

Adele works at Big Bloomers Flower farm..

She brought in earth and used reclaimed rain water to get her garden started.

 

This year it looks like this!

 

 

 

Jackie boy wants to go outside..

 

Inside the front garden

 

 

 

 

View of the home from the circular drive.

As you can see Sicksta Adele hates gardening..

One year Sicksta Adele made this patio using a concrete mixture and forming it into the shapes of rocks or pavers.

There are no rocks here in the Sand hills of NC.

Here is the view from her circular drive looking east..

 

And here we look west…

 

Back in the yard again looking at the house and Homey and garden patio in between.

 

 

We set out chairs to relax and look at the bird feeders.

Lets walk around the other side of the house..

And into the back yard..

 

Past the old shed that will probably collapse in a few more years..

Termites got to it..

Looking from the back yard toward the house..

There is an above ground pool that you cant see in my photos.

 

 

Now we are back in the front side yard..Lets check out what's blooming

 

Ole Blue truck is still around…

I found two four leaved clovers

The field next to the house..

Its for sale.

 

 

 

 

Fairly Garden on the porch.

 

Yep…it’s a lovely magical place isn't it?

Here we are with out slides in…ready to head north.

Yeah…

Its always hard saying goodbye..