Our New Squirrel Feeder

 Bruce and  and I (CC) collaborated on a new Squirrel Feeding Station

CC)  created the design and and templates for the cat and hte signs

 Bruce but the cat and signs shape  out of a  cedar fence plank 

CC sanded and painted the cat and signs

We puchased a open 12" X 12" feeder box from wild wings

Bruce assembled the cat and box 

and hung the feeder on the back fence

well away from the other bird feeders

 We are  hoping  it  will draw the squirrels away from the 

Bird Feeding Station

(So far it seems to be working.) 

Bruce's Snowman: 12 ' 19

Bruce's latest wood-working creation is an advent calendar. He set it up on the front porch so we can  easily change the days to Christmas count-down carrot.

Pumpkin Patch: 11 ' 19

Last week ( Nov. 4) , I made mention of moving Scarecrows from the back yard to the front.   To clarify, I've  stored away the Halloween ghosts (see Oct. 10 post for photo of the Halloween Pumpkin Patch)   but kept all the other scarecrows that were in the pumpkin patch garden I put up in the at the beginning of September.

I've  also moved some of the small pepper plants into this garden in hopes that they will reseed themselves next year ( and maybe keep some of the raccoons away from the bird feeders).

I am not certain how much longer we'll keep these scarecrows on display, but they'll  certainly remain here until after the Thanksgiving holiday is over.

Butterfly Migration underway? 8 '19

I had been thinking about  scaling back some of the taller growing zinnias in our front yard today,  but when I went out with my cutters I found there was a pollinator on almost every blossom.  Every sunflower had a bee harvesting its pollen, and

the zinnias were aflutter with admirals, monarchs, painted ladies, sulfurs, and swallowtail butterflies.

I don't remember the butterfly migration  season ever starting so early in the year,

 but it certainly looks like it is in full swing in my yard this year.

Tidying up the front flower beds will have to wait. I can't mess with the butterfly buffet during their  peak migration.

HOA Deck Repair 8 '19

New deck floorboards ready to be installed.

Our HOA has decided to redo the weatherproofing and wood on all of our condo units'upstairs decks. Today, the workers began ripping out the deck wood and railings from the unit next to ours.

Neighbor's deck with new waterproof sealant.

That is a pretty good indicator that our unit's deck will be all torn up next week. We have a lot of patio decor and a gazillion potted herbs that will have to be cleared off of our deck before construction can begin on our unit.

Patio furniture stored in  BJs office

Bruce moved all of our patio furnishings indoors,
while I moved all of the potted plants from our deck to other locations  downstairs where they would be safe from the construction.

Small pots of cukes, peppers, tomatoes, basil, thyme etc. crowd  the back porch

Day 4 Road Trip: East Jersey Olde Towne

Bruce and his sister, Pam.

Today was another perfect summer day for being out for doors. After a lite breakfast, Pam suggested we do some site seeing. Pam did all the driving for the next couple of days which reduced the stress of trying to navigate an unfamiliar area. After reviewing at the options, we settled on visiting East Jersey Old Town Villiage which is a living history museum of what life in Middlesex county was like in the 18th Century. It proved to be a perfect choice. The buildings were air-conditioned and most offered elevators so there were no worries about bruce getting overheated or falling on the shallow eighteenth-century stairs. and there was something for everyone on the grounds. docents dressed in costume explained how clothing was mad, stones were cut, and what it was like to be a blacksmith in the middle of summer. there were scientific, paleontologic, and agricultural exhibits. As well as fully restored buildings representing all aspects of Colonial life. CC's favorite was the Colonial herb and kitchen gardens (although Pam and I did have to move on quickly before Bruce got the urge to weed them).

'Yes, Bruce, it is a weed.' and 'No, you cannot pull it.'

Upon returning to Pam's house after dinner Bruce and Pam continued talking about family history, while I made a new Best Friend.

CC and her new BFF "Sophie'.

Day Two Road Trip: Richmond VA to Piscataway, NJ: 8 '19

Richmond to Piscataway: 310 miles, 5 hours

Driving through yesterday's thunderstorm left us really tired, so we made sure we got a full night's sleep, ate a good breakfast and drank a lot of coffee this morning. Before hitting the road today, we made sure we had food and drink close at hand, had funds in our easy pass account, and double-checked the routes we would be taking so there would not be guessing which direction to go when we came to a fork in the road. That kind of preparedness kept our blood sugar level even and reduced a lot of directional guesswork.

Fortunately, even though Bruce and I had started out apprehensive about whether we would remember our rush-hour freeway traffic skills, we have not. While we did encounter very heavy traffic on Richmond's, Baltimore's, and Piscataway's turnpikes, we made it without incident from Richmond to Piscataway.

Bruce's sister Pam wasn't home yet when we arrived.  We let ourselves in with the house key she had sent us, carted our luggage into the guest room, and spent the next hour sipping a refreshing glass of cool water on Pam's Patio and enjoying the fresh air and her beautiful garden.

We were both happy to arrive at our destination and get out of the car.

Neighborhood Holiday Decor Competition 12 18

Time's are a changing.

This year has seen several new people move onto the street. AND, one of the HOA Board member's has her family spending Christmas with here in South Carolina.  The visiting relatives brought with them early Christmas gifts of lighted  yard ornaments.

As soon as the board members lights went up, the newbies began decorating their front and back yards  as well.

There are now 6' snowmen  street side

along with  golfing pink flamingos

  and with life size alligators 

swallowing Santa by the golf course.

Bruce calls it the Christmas decorating competition. That may be true, but I love it. It feels like a fresh breeze has swept through this rather stodgy neighborhood leaving a most welcome bit of whimsy and fun in its place.

Hanukah Holiday Decor 12 '18

 Throughout all of the years we have lived here, most of our neighbors  were away visiting their relatives in other states at Christmas. The few who remained, did little to decorate the exterior of their units other than hanging a wreath on their front door and stringing a few lights around their doorway.

Our front yard has what Bruce calls our Hanukkah Holiday theme.  Other than maybe a blue six-sided star in the upstairs windows, and a menorah in the kitchen window, there isn't any decorations to be seen from the exterior of the house.

Zinnias post Florence: 9 '18

  

Zinnias 9 ' 17' 18

Remember how we came home after evacuating from Florence to find my Zinnias had been beaten to the ground by the rain?

The plants were still blooming,

And every blossom had a butterfly on it, and 

all the hummingbirds were feeding on the zinnia nectars.

As near as I could tell,  my flower bed zinnia bed had been, and until my neighbors returned would be the sole source of food for the neighborhood's entire population of pollinators. 

 Zinnia bed 9-18-2018

So I  temporarily staked the sturdiest plants back up as best I could,

Former Zinnia bed 9-20-2018

Now that my neighbors returned, replanted their flowerbeds, and put out their hummingbird feeders,  I feel less guilty about removing the remaining zinnias and cleaning up the flowerbed.  I will miss their vibrant colors, and all the wildlife they supported.

The Joy of Gardening: 8 ' 18

  

With all the rain we have had this summer my Zinnias are going crazy.

  The whole front yard is  aglow with their  brilliant colors.

One of the cactus- flowering  plants thinks it is a dahlia and keeps producing dinner plate size blooms.  Yesterday one of the flowers was over my head. I have to keep cutting back the plant so that it doesn't collapse under its own weight.

  

By mid morning, the flowerbed has become a nectar buffet bar feeding  hundreds of butterflies.  I can't wait to see the area next October when the butterfly migration is in full swing.

Mom's Day at the Zoo: 5'18

To  celebrate Mother's Day  we took a short road trip to the Riverbanks Zoo and Gardens in Columbia, South Carolina.

The Riverbanks Zoo has the usual collection of  exotic animals 

both large  and small.

Out personal favorites were the birds  all of which looked healthy and happy.

The flamingos were so pink  and perfect they looked like animated statues,

and their King Vultures were so pleased with their habitat

that they posed for photos for their fans

But the attractions didn't stop at the wildlife exhibits.

There is really something for everyone here

For the little one there is a demonstration farm complete with a barn where the little ones can pet baby farm animals or take a pony ride 

For the middle school the is a rock climbing wall 

and a water park

And for seriously athletic big kids there is a tree high jungle gym ,

or a hiking trail that takes you across the Saluda River,

complete with historical markers posted along the way.

For  the culturally minded there is a  grassy slope which is perfect to picnic while listening to  an open air concert. 

CC's  personal favorite part of the Riverbanks Park is the Botanical Gardens

To get there you take a short tram ride a through a lush ravine along the Saluda River.  The main garden is divided into two portions:

On the right as you enter is a  cottage garden  filled with antique roses,

beautiful cut flowers,

And lots of nooks to sit back and enjoy the setting.

On the left  is a formal garden set out in a pattern of geometric plots

filled with colorful exotics.

We arrived at a time between seasons.   To keep the portions of the garden  visually interesting, while  waiting for the summer foliage to fill in, the staff utilizes a lot of colorful garden crafts,

and  lots and lots of bold foliage potted plants

In fact, art and craft  is used throughout the entire grounds of both the  zoo and gardens  to enhance  otherwise utilitarian  objects, like: 

 directional maps, and  signage,

 and as barriers to keep people from walking of the official path.

Arts, crafts, lots of exotic plants and animals.... it was CC's idea of the perfect  place to spend Mother's Day!