Today's Simple Pleasures

~Simple Pleasures~

*Birds chirping outside my window
*A little cool mist brought in by coastal marine air

*A craft studio/office to call my own
*Small strides made in getting organized
*A cold glass of iced tea

Waiting

Last summer I bought one of the yellow plastic yellowjacket traps, baited it and watched it fill up with victims (sorry...giggle). This year I rebaited, hung it out and even bought another one similar to hang nearby the first one. The second one was supposed to also trap wasps, which we have more of this year. No customers in either, yet I see the critters flying all around. So I decided with those not working, I finally had my excuse to buy one of the beautiful glass ones I've always wanted. They are so much more pretty hanging on the porch. I put sugar water in it (afterall, they love the sugar water in the hummingbird feeders), but STILL no customers! I think I am being outsmarted this year, by these flying, stinging critters! Hmmmmmmm......

Summer Sip & Supper

I bought some bing cherries today at the grocery store.
After making a jar of lemonade (in an antique milk bottle), I dropped a few cherries in to make cherry lemonade. I made a little slice or two on each cherry to help the juices come out.

In the fridge to chill and blend.

Into a glass with a slight pink tint and cherry flavor. Yum!

On the grill: chicken breasts, sliced zucchini and yellow summer squash (smothered in garlic butter), and corn on the cob wrapped in foil.

Ready to eat! Complimenting food off the grill is garlic bread and baked beans. Yum again!

Little Bits of July

A pair of Goldfinch in the driveway.
A female Rufous hummingbird at the feeder.

"Moose", our huge bullfrog in the pond. The photo simply does not justify his size. It would take about three hands to hold him!

My ducks. Wild mallards, raised by a local lady who runs a rescue for various fowl.
My dh named them 'Huey, Louie, Dewey and Donald'. I feed them at the pond every evening, but this day they got a bit anxious and came up to the yard!

Blue dragonfly at the pond.

A view of our little vegetable garden. We put things close together due to space. It's fun watering, weeding and checking on things each day. Tomatoes are green and growing and I've already picked one green bean! :o)

Singing in the shower!

This evening I gave my palm plant a nice cool shower. It's so hot and dry lately and it looked like it needed a 'pick-me-up'. I set it in the bathtub, trimmed off dead leaves, watered it until it overflowed out of the pot tray, then gave it a fine mist shower for a couple of minutes. I'm just sure I could hear it singing. :o) Don't forget to give your houseplants some extra TLC during the summer months.