Open windows and my office buddy...

No more having to sleep in the sink to stay cool...

Nope. The muggies are gone and the window is open in the studio/office...

...and my little friend and I are happy as can be!

But I think if I'm going to get any painting done...

... I'm going to have to work around a certain someone.

Baby and I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Donna

The White Stuff = Hunkering Down... and a Big Thank You

Well, although the blizzard arrived and it's still snowing, blowing, and drifting...
(click any photos to enlarge)

...it could have been a LOT worse! The first thing I did this morning (after taking this photo) was to push the snow off the top of the bird feeder and fill it with lots of seed for our feathered friends!


Remember the welcome bunny I showed you in yesterday's post, taken after our December 22nd mini-snowfall?

Here he is this morning! The bunny and poinsettias are hardly recognizable under the blanket of white!
The following photos were taken from about the same vantage point as the photos in yesterday's blogpost, but there's a lot more snow today!

I haven't ventured outside yet this morning, so this photo was taken with me hanging out the dining room window, but it's the back garden gate and arbor that you saw yesterday. I can still make out the gate's "heart" in the center of the wreath... I love this old gate!


In yesterday's photo, the whole picket fence in front of the shed was showing. Now just the tippety top of the pickets are peekng through the snow! Oh, and the birdbath that is attached to the deck railing on the left? I highly recommend a heated birdbath to anyone who lives in a New England-like climate. The birds LOVE it! As you can see, the snow has melted into the middle of it, and the birds and squirrels use this all winter long, when all other sources of water are frozen solid. The mourning doves also use it as a steam bath. Flocks of them like to gather around it and warm themselves... too cute!

And right before Christmas I made one last dash to the Post Office, and just look at the beautiful surprise that was waiting for me!! (I was so anxious to open it when I got home that I forgot to take photos of how beautifully it was wrapped!)

My beautiful friend Claudia, from Mockingbird Hill Cottage, sent me one of her handmade fabric hearts, made with two coordinating red and cream fabrics! I LOVE it! It is just so beautiful, Claudia, thank you! And look at how classy her Moo Minicards are! Add to that the handwritten note stamped with the bird and mhc... It was all so very special, and such a sweet surprise!!! You know what else it was?....................................Baby-proof!!!!

There's nothing like hunkering down when a blizzard is wreaking havoc outside your home, and who knows better how to hunker down than a kitty?


Sleeping Beauty was the perfect backdrop to show off my beautiful new heart!

Baby and I thank you, Claudia! And to anyone living through c-o-l-d winter weather, I'm wishing you cozy winter days!................ Donna

To Susan who asked about where to purchase heated bird baths... I purchased mine years ago at a local Wild Birds Unlimited (or similar) bird store. If you can't find a heated bird bath locally, there's a wide variety on-line to choose from:

If you don't have an outlet to plug in a heated bird bath, here are some that are solar powered:

http://www.google.com/#q=solar+heated+bird+bath&hl=en&prmd=ivns&source=univ&tbs=shop:1&tbo=u&ei=SDcZTcGvEIP7lwePjoW_Cw&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CD8QrQQwAA&biw=1348&bih=699&fp=c5de9f7a219740fb

Here are some you can purchase on-line from Wild Birds Unlimited:

http://www.shopwbu.com/products/category/567.0.1.1.42047.0.0.0.0

And here are some from CSNStores.com:

http://www.csnstores.com/asp/keyword.asp?keyword=heated+birdbath&command=dosearch&matchtype=3&keywordvalue=heated+birdbath

And just some in general from a Google search:

http://www.google.com/search?q=heated+bird+baths&hl=en&sa=G&prmd=ivns&source=univ&tbs=shop:1&tbo=u&ei=3DgZTcL2JsSBlAet9ezTCw&oi=product_result_group&ct=title&resnum=3&ved=0CFIQrQQwAg

It's that kind of day...

A rainy, balmy, autumn day. Perfect nap weather... A simple pleasure, indeed. I'm linking up to Dayle's Simple Pleasures Wednesday at her beautiful blog, A Collection of This and That. Stop by to add your own simple pleasure and/or to visit the other participating bloggers!

Donna

The end-of-winter blahs....

It's snowing... again... tonight... here in New England (although these photos were taken during the snowstorm 4 nights ago)... I feel like crawling under the covers and hibernating until spring arrives, and it looks like I've got company...

"Ugh.. More snow? Could someone throw another blanket over me?"

"Please... don't wake me till spring..."

Luckily the snow from 4 nights ago was gone by the following afternoon... Hopefully tonight's will be, too.

That's the only upside to late spring snows... they melt away so quickly. Okay, the other upside is that they are beautiful...

But boy, oh boy, I can't wait to look out over the backyard and see green grass and flowers blooming! The kitties and I are getting anxious for some warm spring weather!!

Donna

Can you lend a paw?

Spotty is thinking, "I could just sit and look at this tree for hours... But it really is time for it to come down now..."


"You're right, Spotty. It needs to come down today. So I see you've decided to give me a hand (paw) sorting through these photo ornaments that need to be packed away."


"Hmmm... maybe if I look away and pretend I don't hear her she'll leave me alone..."


Uh oh... The eyes are getting heavy... the head is nodding...

And he's gone... "Sleep tight, sweet Spotty... I'll try to be very quiet packing things away so I don't disturb your cat nap."

Oh, the things we do for the cats who own us...

I finally got around to taking down our tree today. I had intended to do it right after New Year's but I came down with the nastiest cold... So everything had to be put on hold. Yesterday I packed up the few decorations I had put around the house and today I 'undecorated' the tree. It's definitely not as much fun taking the tree down as putting it up, but it is nice having the house back in order... Wishing you all a wonderful week...

Donna