Summer Birthday

 

Happy Birthday to our Twins! 

Turning 12 Today !!

We Love You!!

 

Strawberry Picking Time

 

Strawberries are comin' in! These wild ones are so teeny  ....but soooo tasty!

Bin? What Bin?

What's over there? Naaaaaaaah.Where's a large blue ugly plastic bin? Where? I don't see one. No ghastly blue large plastic bins on my deck...

Nope. Just plants and flowers here...

Oh, you mean this is the bunny home?? Wow, I never would've guessed! I thought it was just a lovely deck with flowers and herbs....not a huge, obnoxious-blue plastic crate with bunnies inside it. So it's a bunny-bin! A sweet little bunny home for a couple of sweet baby bunnies...

Our youngest, Asheley is thrilled....can you tell? Our 3 older ones all got bunnies back in 2006. So Asheley really wanted her very own baby bunny....and I promised we'd find her one for her Birthday this Spring. She named her new little bun-bun Dream.

Of course they're all delighted to have a fresh round of baby bunnies at home. Caitlyn and Heather are sharing this baby bunny for now....and named her Blackberry. Actually, we've had some bunny woes lately. We lost Truffles, Heather's bunny, this winter. Heather was heartbroken. 


Then a couple of weeks ago, the other 2 bunnies, Freckles and Gracie, appeared to be rather sick. It seemed as though they were getting better when suddenly Freckles, Caitlyn's bunny, died last week. We've been nursing Gracie, Andrew's bunny, along....more on those details later....and she is doing much better now. 


This leads up to why some new baby bunnies are really special at the moment. So I suppose I'll just have to deal with the bunny-bin for now! ; )

A Hint: Soft and Fuzzy

Yesterday I told you that I did my first bidding at an auction....and that there were some soft and fuzzy things that we just couldn't resist bringing home with us. What I could show you is the soft and fuzzy western saddle pads that I picked up for $5....or the soft, fuzzy leaves of the big pink geranium I got.....

But those things just aren't as adorably soft and fuzzy as the last soft and fuzzy things we bid on....and 'won' out on.  So here they are....baby black bunnies....now named Blackberry and Dream. What can I say?? They're irresistible!

Auction Day

Great day yesterday for our first auction....that is, first in that we actually sold stuff....and bid on stuff....and of course, bought some stuff, too (but we'll get to that tomorrow!). I'll give ya a hint:  a couple of things we got were soft and fuzzy. That's the only hint you get! Tune in tomorrow! : D

It was more busy than usual, too....not that I would know...but people who acted like they knew said it was busier than usual. The kiddos and I got there a little before 9 a.m. and we didn't leave till they finished which was around 7 p.m. It felt like a long day....fun, but long. And it was the same auctioneer guy all day long with hardly a break. Unbelievable. I have a new found admiration for auctioneer guys.

I liked the auctioneer. How they talk that fast all day long...and keep up with those guys who twitch a finger and that's their bid, I'll never know. Not me....I'm one of those who flashes the card around like I'm waving  down a taxi. That's me. He was quite forgiving with newbies....like me....who I'm sure made an idiot of myself. Kept flashing my card even though it wasn't my turn....just in case he missed me or something. Yep, that was me.

The children couldn't stay out of the barn, naturally, what with all those baby calves, and goats, and pigs....and then two mini-horses showed up and it was all over. Then even I couldn't stay out of the barn. That's when my husband started sweatin' bullets and was scared to leave me unattended at the auction! He had to go in to work...but called later asking how many horses I'd bought. I told  him, "all of 'em." 


A yearling paint horse came in after the miniature horses....and a donkey...oh, and a llama and some adorable spotted lambs were there as well. Now this is small time auction here, so people are milling around all over the place, helping get cows, calves, and goats off trailers and into stalls....the more hands the better, I guess. No one seemed to care who did what. Gotta know I love that....gimme laid back and loose any day, everyday!

Some time mid-afternoon, we took a break and headed up the road north to check out a couple of antiques places. It was a tad bittersweet for me, since these places seem to be pretty proud of their junk....I mean antiques. 

What was even more interesting was that I saw 3-4 people working at  the antiques place that I had just seen at the auction....so I knew how dirt cheap they had gotten stuff!...at least on that particular day I saw a great sign hung up in one booth. It read:  "I buy junk, but I sell antiques".....uh-huh. Yep. Nailed it. At least someone in those places admits it. Ha! Although I shouldn't laugh too much....I'm ready to become one of these junk/antiques sellers myself!

 

So, then it was back to the auction to see if they'd started selling animals yet. Believe it or not, all those boxes and crates there contained chickens, ducks, baby chicks, and bunnies....in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Don't ask me how they got through all these critters in one day! And this is after hours of auctioning off the junk....like furniture, bath tubs, old pots and pans, yard sale stuff, tea cups and dishes, toys, plants....you name it. But I'm tellin' ya, by 7 p.m. everything was g-o-n-e....gone! And I'm very pleased to say that we made out pretty well with what we sold off. Sure beats doing a yard sale. I'm hooked! And tomorrow I'll show you what we couldn't resist bringing home! : D

Picnic! Come Get Stufffed!

Happy Father's Day to all you great Dads out there! Today our Daddy had to work all day...so we have celebrating to look forward to tomorrow. However, we're still enjoying this lovely sunny day on our hands!

So how have the girls been spending these long sunny afternoons now that it's almost officially Summer? Picnics....of course! Come to their picnic and get stuffed...animals, that is....and lots and lots of stuff...and animals! This is the way of girls and set-ups, ya know. I did huge elaborate set-ups when I was a little girl...I remember well....I especially remember the 'picking up' part. But it's all worth it....right?? Well It seems to be...at least at the moment!

Everyone has their own picnic blanket....and their own stuff...

So we just won't think about the 'picking up' part right now. We're havin' way too much fun to worry over such minor details! We'll just let Mommy worry about that stuff. Tea anyone? : D

Decked Out for Spring

This is my front stoop....all dressed up for Spring....almost Summer. C'mon Summer! Time to stop the stalling!

Many of you have never seen our St. Albans house. It really is a cute little house....and looks so fresh and sunny in the Spring time. So I decided to give you a tour...

Once you step into the teeny entry...that also passes as the 'muck room'....you see the main floor of the house. It's an open floor plan with vaulted ceilings and a balcony/loft that encompasses the left (or south) side of the upstairs. The upstairs is where the children are...and is usually in some low, medium, high state of disaster....so I'm sticking with the downstairs....



Glancing back you can see the teeny entry. We're now facing the kitchen....my personal favorite room of this whole house....take a look at my kitchen at dusk. Despite its size, this has been a nice kitchen...



These East facing windows are THE best....even if it does make it a tad warm in the summer. In winter, though, they're heavenly! Any time they're heavenly! I am an unapologetic window freak....



And flowers over the kitchen sink....until I can get some planted in the window box outside. I also like to grow some herbs in that window box. Very handy!

Now out of the kitchen, back into the dining area....and my bedroom is to the left. It's tiny as well but does have it's own charm....including a sewing nook. I did manage to get that window box planted already. It's a must...more on my window box...

And that's my window box...see why it's a must? : D Now turning around, we're back in the living room...

And this is a shot looking down from the stairs....

Next we can take a quick peek into the downstairs bath...that also houses the washer/dryer and small fridge. This is where I used to have a changing table...but my baby just turned 7. So much for the changing table. Anyone need a really large changing table...or have any babies you'd like to give away? Just checkin'. Oh, and we also raised baby chicks under that changing table...betcha never thought of that before! Worked great, I must say. The 'art' work is mine....I'm being generous with the word 'art' here. But I do still LURV that red frame....found it the first year we moved up here to Maine!

OK, so now I'm headed for the screen door there leading onto the deck. The deck is the best part....besides the kitchen. And yeah, we do have a really nice view up here, too....just like we did over on our land. Guess I'm just always meant to have a view....which also means I'm meant to have 90 mph winds. The two just sort seem to go together.

Quick glance over the shoulder....looking back into the kitchen....

The lilliputian table and chair set is where my lilliputian children sit...and lilliputian friends when they come to visit. Now out to the deck....

That's the start of my container garden. We have our cute li'l St. Albans house up for sale now, so I have no idea if we'll be around all summer long....hence my container garden. Believe it or not, I have 2 tomato plants going, cukes, and several herbs. Of course I need more flowers....lots more flowers...but I suppose since I can't actually eat those flowers I should plant some more veggie type things, too.

So that's about it. For those of you who know Babycakes, that's her pasture just beyond the deck there. She gallops and frolics, and begs for treats....in usual Babycakes fashion. Hope you enjoyed the tour! : D