A Bit of Excitement in the House!

Last night, around 9:30, H saw something run under the love seat with Sluggo in hot pursuit



We spent the next hour or so trying to corner and catch a baby flying squirrel that had somehow gotten into the house. He got up into the half moon window and then came crashing down with one of the blue wine bottles.

It being well past our bedtime and still no luck catching the critter, we left the "boys" in charge and went to bed.

Sluggo kept a night long vigil........

but I suspect Spike had little interest in losing sleep over something he probably thought wouldn't taste good anyway. The next morning, we found him stretched out and snoozing instead of earning his keep.

In the end, with the help of a fish net, we corralled the little fella and set him free. We're still trying to figure out how he got in the house in the first place!

On a culinary note, yesterday, we had our first "mess o' green beans" fresh from the garden. The pole beans are beginning to produce prodigiously and I foresee lots of yummy meals.

With this first batch, I made a one pot dish of beans, potatoes and smoked sausage. It was a satisfying meal of food for the soul from my youth.

I'm happy to report that one of the BOB houses now has a "NO VACANCY" sign! The condos in the green house have all been occupied. This photo shows what I think is some kind of pollinating wasp checking things out. So far, the other houses have not seen any interest.

And, on a final note, it seems that all that fog and rain earlier in the spring and summer have produced some beautiful Annabelle Hydrangea blooms. I sat next to the bush to show how huge they are.

The weather here has turned hot (ok, maybe not HOT HOT) and the humidity is up so the watering chores have begun in earnest and H has begun spreading watersealer on the deck and we are schlepping plants and furniture back and forth, so I guess I'd better get busy and get the chores done while it's still relatively cool.

Life is Good!

Hugs, Giddy

This and That

Just catching up after a couple of hectic weeks! The sun finally came out and I had to get busy in the garden in between rainy, foggy days. It was so heartening to see the clear, blue skies and we did take off for a quick trip to Canada's Kingsbrae Garden in St. Stephen by the Sea. It was my birthday treat and it turned out to be a spectacular day for a road trip!

I had recalled that one of my blogger friends had mentioned never having seen Hens and Chicks in bloom and I happened to see some at the garden

The sun has finally won out over the ever present ocean fog and the bright skies have really made my own garden colors begin to pop.

The Annabelle Hydrangea with the pink Astilbe nestled against her look sweet together...

and the little antique wheelbarrow which was a gift from a dear friend is filled with many of the geraniums and dahlias I over wintered.

Hansi, the fountain gnome is enjoying the dappled shade provided by the Japanese Maple. I'm so glad I transplanted it this year as I don't think it could stand another winter of having tons of snow plowed on top of it!

Speaking of gnomes, yet another one arrived in our mailbox last week. He's a little bookworm whom we have named "Basil" after our favorite herb and of course, our favorite "Fawlty Towers" character played by John Cleese.


The veggie garden is limping along, but the green bean towers have finally begun producing prodigious amounts of beans. By next week, I think we'll be up to our eyebrows in haricot vert! I can foresee a green bean, potato and smoked sausage dish in our future.

Our neighbors are building a new garage and had to take down several cedar trees which they offered to us. Never being ones to turn down anything free, we of course headed right over to collect what we could. We usually cut it up into kindling and I think we have a few years worth here!


Of course, we have learned over our lifetime that nothing is truly free. H has had his eye on a small, electric log splitter and all this wood gave him the perfect excuse to finally purchase one.

This bit of "free" firewood has cost us $300!

We've had quite a bit of activity in the cove this week as mussel draggers have been harvesting a wealth of mussels. Out in the bay, the sailboats have been sailing back and forth from here to Bar Harbor.


Spike obviously has not heard the old saying about curiosity killing the cat. He almost got mailed to Grandma and Grandpa's house the other day!

And, so ends yet another couple of fun filled weeks in Downeast, Maine!

May all our remaining summer days be filled with sunshine and flowers.

Life is Good!

Hugs, Giddy