The Funnies

HAPPY ALMOST CHRISTMAS to everyone!!!!   Teddy is so excited that Alison is still struggling with trying to get him to sleep tonight. Who knows what will happen tomorrow night.

Meanwhile, LM is at home and calling me every two minutes. He has been laughing so hard for the last 35 minutes and is so upset that I am not there with him to share Ms G's antics. She has become quite a regular TV viewer, and really likes watching other animals. They will hold her attention for quite a long time. Tonight, though, is the best yet, as LM is watching PBS Nature and it is all about snowy owls.  There has been frantic running around, meowing, and leaps at the TV.  I am hoping some of her antics are being recorded, as the descriptions I am hearing sound to be You Tube worthy.  That girl is so funny.

Most of our holiday plans are in place, and LM will arrive tomorrow afternoon to stay over so he can be here to watch Teddy open his gifts on Christmas Morning.  After that, we will return to LM's house to have a quiet day and work a little on the food prep for our open house on Sunday with our children and other grandchildren.

It is pouring rain here and very warm, with temps near 70 forecast for tomorrow.

Wishing everyone peace and love all around.

4 more days.........

Four more days until I am in Florida!!  So exciting to know I will see my daughter and family, and also my dear friend, Sue.

Most everything is lined up for packing that I will start on Thursday.  I am such a planner and love every minute of the getting ready.  Teddy has been a big help in making some presents to bring, and my daughter and I are having the best time talking about what meals we have to enjoy together, and what delicious things we will cook.

The big hitch in all these plans is knowing I am going without my beloved, LM. He plans to cook a Thanksgiving dinner for his son, John and GF, Vanessa.  There may be others, as well. Sure hope it all works out. We both know, for sure, that we will miss each other very much.  He feels very strongly that I should have this time with my daughter without having to worry about entertaining him, as well.

I've a few shingles lurking about still, and this morning, I had a breakout of a whole new batch.  I don't feel sick, so it is all tolerable.

Daughter, Sara turns 51 on Saturday.  Hard to believe. I'm very proud of her these days, as she is working very hard, along with her husband, to save her marriage, after several years apart, they are gathering up the pieces and working with a therapist to be a family again. I know, Ms Samantha is one happy 8 year old.

In light of world affairs right now, I am doing my little part by sending as much love out in to the world as I can, love to all and may peace radiate throughout your lives.


PS.....Sure loved those cats at the G20 conference. 

Countdown to Florida

 Some random photos on Saturday morning....

 Teddy took this great photo of his parents recently....love the perspective!!

 Alison made this beautiful salad when we visited my brother, Sam and his wife  recently. YUM!

 Sister, Bebo (Susan) with Teddy on her recent visit

 Brother, Ev and I got to cook together on his recent visit!!

Happy Saturday, everyone!!

Finally I have a very positive turnaround in my health, and the shingles are about 2/3 on their way to oblivion and off my neck, head, back and arms. WHEW. Not as bad as it could have been, though.

Yesterday I was invited to attend a vibrational healing session and it was truly life-changing. I am still hearing and feeling the reverberation of the music from the singing bowls.  Feel renewed.

Alison is working today, so I am with Teddy all day instead of with LM.  We will see each other later. It is a beautiful day, and shortly, Teddy and I are headed out to see what sort of fun/mischief we can  get in to. Most likely it will involve a visit to the library, a walk in downtown Falmouth, maybe a visit to the french bakery, and whatever else happens in to our path along the way.  At 6 am today we saw a beautiful sunrise which lit up the sky and highlighted the clear view of the moon sliver and Venus....so brilliant. 

2 weeks from today, LM will be driving me to the airport early Saturday morning, and I will be arriving in Orlando shortly after noon. Daughter, Anne will meet me, and we will then drive north to St. Augustine to see my dear, dear friend, Sue.  We will stay near her at a hotel on the beach, and do a little catching up and some touristy things, of course. After that little visit, we will go to Anne's house in Ocala, where I will stay until the week after Thanksgiving.  What fun to think about Thanksgiving with a part of my family I do not see that often! 

This week, I spent a lot of time getting things ready for the trip, and also catching up with old friends.  Life is happy and fulfilling!! I am so grateful.

Teddy beckons, so it is time for the day's expedition to begin.

Love to all!

Currently.....

I have a serious case of shingles and it is not fun.  The pain is awful, and at times, it is all-consuming.
It started as what I thought was a stiff neck, Thinking it was just from the gym, I kept going and did my very best to enjoy my long awaited visit with my sister and brother.  They came here and we managed to get in some wonderful moments.  The pain in my head, neck and back kept getting worse and by Sunday morning, with sores all over my head and neck, and my ear hurting to the point of tears, I drove myself to the Urgent Care.  Immediately they told me it was shingles.  So here we are a week later, the lovely visits are over, and I am still in awful pain and having new breakouts of lesions. I have finished the 7 days of Valtrex and just waiting for some relief.  With the company we did get to witness firsthand some of the cranberry harvest. It is a fascinating and beautiful process.

I did take myself to LM's for the weekend and got some very peaceful and healing sleep, and was served some delicious healthy meals. Obviously, I need to work on building up  my immune system as much as I can.

That's  my story for now. Teddy was thrilled to have all the company, and he is now so excited about Halloween. He is going to be a tractor trailer truck!!  Pictures after Wednesday when the first event is being held.....although that may be rained out. We shall see.

LM has still been fishing everyday for striped bass. The season is just about at the end.

Ms G has taken up ownership of my heated lap blanket and is spending a lot of time lounging around in between begging for Greenies and chasing neighborhood cats away from the back door by howling, hollering, and throwing herself at the window. It is a tough life she leads!!

Happy Halloween to everyone and I send you peace and love.

Big Time in the Old Town Tonight

It was a full day today, and then the evening was filled with the "Back to School Night" festivities at Teddy's school......great to meet his teacher, see his classroom and hear all the progress he has made
 in the first few weeks of first grade.

We had just returned home and I had come up to my sitting room to relax and check on Facebook, when I saw a post on our Bourne residents page saying that a huge cruise ship was about to pass through the Cape Cod Canal. I went bounding down the stairs (yes, my new knee allows bounding down the stairs!) and scooped up Alison and Teddy and we were off in the car to drive the 1 minute to the Canal banks.  We live near the East end and the ship was visible in the dark, towering above Cape Cod Bay and heading, full steam ahead for the canal. It passed so close to us and was really amazing Teddy was beside himself with excitement.

The moon was so pretty over the water.....

 

 Alison cuddling Teddy to keep him warm as we waited.

 The Bamoral as it entered the Canal heading West.

 Passing right by us in all her splendor!! All the decks were lined with waving passengers.

 As the beautiful ship passed, ever so quickly, this excited 6 year old pronounced this the very best night of his life so far!!

We dashed back to the car and managed to get to the end of our street as it passed by. We watched as the ship passed under the Sagamore Bridge with what seemed like inches to spare.  WHEW!
Just got this information about the cruise itself.  They are on a 35 day round trip cruise out of Southampton, England. Their first port was in Nova Scotia and tonight they are on their way to Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard. They are making their way to the Bahamas before heading back, with lots of ports in between.
That would be my itinerary of choice, and they have the most beautiful weather, as well. 
 

A Special Reunion

I am not always enamored of some forms of social media, but a really wonderful reunion came about through Facebook with three of my classmates from high school, and it was just amazing. Immediately we knew we had to make a plan. Today we met at a lovely waterfront restaurant in Plymouth, and the talk and laughter never stopped for 3 hours!

 Susan and Pat grew up just around the corner from where I was born and we went all through school together. Our parents were close friends, as well, so our history is deep and very meaningful on many levels.  It is amazing to me that we all lost touch right after high school and had to wait 54 years to be re-united. Nonetheless, being together today was so sweet and as our visit went on and on recounting our lives and childhood  memories, I relished closing my eyes and savoring the familiarity of their voices.

 Karen, on my right, didn't live in our neighborhood but our town was so small that we were all friends, so having her with us today was extra special.  

Being retired has brought me the opportunity to reach out and connect with old friends, and it is a treasure!  

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Meanwhile, back at the ranch, it has been a busy, busy time. Teddy is now settling in to first grade, and finding his voice, and a bit too much of it at times.....ahem!!!  Anyway, he is loving first grade and this week he began having homework. So far, so good. Tomorrow night is a school open house and we will meet his teacher and hear some of what goes on in his classroom on a daily basis.

I have lots of other things to share, but not as much time as I would like to spend in front of the little screen.  I am very busy with quilting, and the nearly king-sized piece below is awaiting the handsewing of its binding.

 A wedding gift for a dear former co-worker - View 1

 View 2.......many colors.

 I have a crib quilt (below) almost finished, and have been asked to complete another quilt to be exhibited at a log cabin-themed show in the Spring.   

In the middle of it all, I am still going to fitness classes several days a week, and am about to join a yoga class at the senior center next week.  I have had a huge reduction in pain throughout my body and my endurance has become much better.  Another big help has been the addition of sitting on one of those huge exercise balls while I work at the sewing machine.  It really has helped my balance and posture.

Well, time to get myself to bed.........I hope you are all well and enjoying a beautiful fall, as we are.

Love and peace to all.........

Catching August

Good Morning.....Labor Day weekend is upon us, and I am waking up from the heat wave and my rather busy summer. 

Teddy had a great summer of YMCA day camp, which, despite the heat, he loved, and he grew so much.  Now, with his hair turned beautifully blonde, he has returned to school, and is already loving 1st grade. He's matured a lot in the last several months, and he did a great job keeping a journal about his summer, at the same time, improving writing and sentence formation skills.  We did lots of bird watching, and nature walks, and he has had some fun times learning to fish with his Dad and LM.

Cooking has become his new passion, so we've spent time in the kitchen working on basics.  He's an attentive student and has some very creative ideas, including his attempting scientific experiments with baking supplies.....he's also become a GREAT FAN of Rachel Ray and  Cupcake Wars. 

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In the middle of August Jason, Alison and Teddy went on a camping trip and really had fun with hikes, canoeing, kayaking and fishing.  I think it was a welcome break for them as a family, as their regular  schedules are very full and demanding. 

Meanwhile, I have kept up with my fitness classes, and sewing, as well as my wonderful weekends with LM and Ms G.  All pretty routine now, and I find myself happier and happier in retirement life. There is a little bit of longing for more community, and perhaps a way to market some of my quilts, but I am mulling it and feeling more and more grateful for the wonderful privilege I have of living with my son and family, during this time.

Once in awhile, LM asks me to work with him in his work moving cars for dealers. He travels all over the northeast and LOVES it. Two weeks ago, I went with him on a trip to northern, Maine and we had a great time.  It did rain torrentially for part of the drive, but we managed well and enjoyed some lovely scenery.

 I may or may not have eaten this delectable blueberry filled doughnut along the way. Only in Maine could I have this divine indulgence.

 The home of said doughnuts....Oh, my!!

 A lovely rest stop along the way where we stopped for a little picnic on the way up.....lunch at 10:30 am as we had left home at 4:30 am.

 A little look at my view as we drove along.....we had quite a few hours of rain both coming and going, but the sunshine in between  gave us some relief. It was in the 90's....so hot!

My intrepid driver at the picnic spot.  

After picking up a new GMC SUV at our destination, it was my turn to drive and follow LM all the way home....I am a fairly fearless and calm driver, and that fact was certainly challenged, but we had a very successful journey back with a few side trips off the highways to break-up the stress of Friday afternoon summer driving in ME, NH and MA.  We stopped  on the way back and had a classic Maine dinner of lobster pie, followed by blueberry pie, at The Maine Diner, again in Wells.  That fortified us for the rest of the trip through Friday evening rush hour traffic through Boston, in driving rain and thunder storms.  Amazingly enough, we managed to stay together and make it home to Cape Cod unscathed.  We really did have fun, and I got paid for the day, too!  We  were home and in bed by 11 pm.

Several weeks ago, dear friend, Barbara, commissioned me to make an crib quilt to give a new grandchild coming in January.  She requested it be abstract/organic/sunflower/earthy theme. I invited Barbara to come over, and we went through my fabrics, and she chose all the above to be included, and to have them framed with brown.  The back will be yellow with a tiny paw print design, and the binding will be a repeat of the brown.  The front, as you see, is complete, and now it awaits a trip to the professional quilter.  It was fun to do, and, at the same time, I cut enough squares to make a larger bed quilt with the same design.  

Next up for sewing is to make the "Purple Rain" quilt from Jane Brocket's book, "The Gentle Art of Quiltmaking."  I have been collecting a few purple fabrics through the years and have a special box saved for this project....it will actually be two quilts, as one will be in "cool" shades, and the other, "warm"

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Otherwise these days, I have been spending as much time as I can helping two friends who need a little extra support right now.  My friend, Priscilla, about whom I wrote previously, has decided not to move away to live with her daughter in NH.  She has signed up for senior housing in the next town to me, is hoping to move within a year. She remains compromised as to strength, so I try to help out as much as I can.  She's an inspiration to me in her endurance, patience and conviction to stay in the town she loves as long as possible.  Community has been somewhat elusive during my working years, and something, I am slowly cultivating again!  

Hoping you've all had a wonderful summer!! 

...."Havin' a Heat Wave

We've been having a prolonged stretch of uncomfortable hot and humid days, and I am about at my limit with the coping. They had promised that tomorrow would be the end of it for awhile, and I just heard that we won't have relief until Thursday.  I have a lot, and I mean A LOT of things to do, and everything seems to tax me beyond my patience and physical endurance.   All this is slightly exaggerated, but I am frustrated with trying to sleep, and also the constant hot flashes - 20-30 a day, not to mention the many, many that soak me during the night, disturbing my sleep.  GRRRRRR.

I have numerous sewing projects, particularly a quilt needing to be finished soon, and I can hardly bear to touch the fabric.  Thursday better get here fast, so I can get the borders sewn on and get the project over to the professional quilter for finishing.

Meanwhile, Teddy is going to camp everyday, and loving it, although he does come home very tired.  He's very proud of his canoeing and swimming progress. My birthday was Saturday and when I arrived home on Sunday afternoon, Teddy was in full party-planner gear, and  had my sitting room and the dining room fully decorated, and there was even a lovely bouquet of sunflowers to greet me.  Very sweet.

A very strong thunder storm whipped through our area this morning at about 7:30 and did quite a bit of damage when a microburst touched down. We had no power for about 6 hours.  There were trees, branches and poles down throughout the town and in neighboring areas.  Luckily we had no damage. It was sunny one minute and dark as night the next, and dire warnings to head for the basement, etc. We all stayed calm and it passed very quickly. WHEW.

Tomorrow I am off to meet with some new quilting friends and talk about our favorite subject.  It will be fun to have the input and inspiration.

That's about all the news until I can get myself cooled down and feeling human again. 

Love and peace to all!!

"NANA, QUICK"

At 6:30 this morning, just barely awake, I was in the kitchen preparing my big glass of morning iced tea, when suddenly, Teddy's very loud (outdoor) voice, commanded me to look out the back window to see a HUGE coyote!  What a wonderful sight. We all gathered quietly at the window to watch as he/she sauntered slowly along the high wall, a veritable smorgasbord of chipmunks, woodchucks and other little critters. This was a very healthy coyote specimen.  Teddy's keen observation of nature allowed us this lovely minute of nature. Nice way to start off our week.

 No time for a coyote photo, but this is the wall he covered from one end to the other.

Yesterday, Teddy had been able to observe an osprey in the nest and the mate flying in with a fish.

Often when we are headed out somewhere in the car, he will ask if he can bring an electronic handheld device to play while we drive, and each time we gently tell him no, that we are on a nature observation tour and there is SO MUCH to see in the world. So far he is buying it without much of a fuss!!  He's had some great rewards as nature reveals herself to us in all its amazing ways. May this continue, as, I am loving it, too!

Teddy is about to leave for camp, and I am getting ready to visit my trainer and then come home to do some mending, and get ready to meet a high school classmate for lunch.

Tomorrow will find me on a shopping excursion for school clothes with Sara and Samantha.  Beautiful Samantha is growing faster than we can shop, if you can believe that!

I love my life!!  There is a disclaimer here.....the high humidity has returned and the battle is on, to keep cool and hydrated. 

Happy Monday, and a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY to me dear son, Teddy's Dad, Jason!

A Quick Hello

Today has been the most beautiful day!  The skies have been so clear, the air very dry, and little breezes to cool.

I had a very busy morning taking Teddy to the bus, then enjoying a perfect session with my trainer, before going home to prepare for lunch with a very dear friend on the Plymouth waterfront.  Plymouth is completely packed with tourists as we near peak of summer, but I was in luck and found the perfect parking spot very near where I needed to be.  My friend, Marie and I could have talked all day! We have such a long history, dating back to the baby days of our children.  Instead we had to finally say good-bye, as I was heading back to the Cape to come to LM's house.  Marie and her husband will be taking a Baltic and Scandinavian cruise throughout much of August, so I suspect next time I see her, we will have so much more to talk about.

My love is in Maine, but on the way home.  Meanwhile, after a little nap, I am preparing to go to the Cultural Center of Cape Cod to see a locally made (filmed on Nantucket) movie, "Peter and John."  As I was driving here this afternoon, I was reflecting on how many fun things I can choose to do in my life now.  It is about a year since my retirement and there has been a lot packed in, I feel better than ever, and am very grateful for this time. 

So now, that is just a little glimpse of my day, and shortly, I will give Ms. G a bye-bye pat and be off to meet another friend at the Art Center to enjoy the movie.   When I get home I will receive a royal LM welcome and our weekend will officially begin. 

Love to all!

Beautiful Local Food and a First Pony Ride

Last week was so busy with Teddy home from camp and Alison taking some days off, so the day after our Hydrangea tour, we ventured up to the MA South Shore to visit the Marshfield Farmers Market.  Because I had my hands very full with purchases, etc, and keeping tabs on Teddy, there are no photos, but take my word for it, that the booths were a feast for the eyes. Teddy was pretty tired but he did perk up enough to enjoy a ride on a beautiful black pony named, Belmont.

 Love the look!

The farm booths were filled with corn, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries and some had early peaches and apples.  The greens were plentiful and we found some with multi-colored beans that have been thoroughly enjoyed.  The corn was very sweet and full, too. Other booths had a wides selection of meats, and were making pizza in a portable stone oven.  A great band was playing and added a very festive feel.  In a large barn there were many craft and baked good tables, and Teddy managed to find a gigantic M & M cookie he couldn't live without.

I would definitely go back again, especially as the amount of produce available picks up over the summer. The prices were reasonable all things considered. I just love buying local food and supporting the farms, and the food tastes so much better than anything available in the stores.


Saturday morning it was just Teddy and me....and a big part of our day was to be baking and making a dinner with the farmer's market loot. While the cold ingredients for my Mum's Blueberry Cake were rising to room temp, we hopped in the car for a trip to Bay End Organic Farm in very nearby Bournedale.  Such a wonderful place and Teddy loves all the fun he can find, as well as the cookies.

Fun things for little ones

Beautiful fields of flowers

More fun on the old Farmall

We've made a note to return soon as this flower field is about to burst wide open with sunflowers and other beauties.

Through this door and into the stand,  we were greeted with the smell of cheddar chive sccones, and an array of beautiful produce. We got kale for smoothies and cucumbers for cooling lunches.

Prettiness all around

Zinnias

Home again and time to make some blueberry cakes with the beautiful local berries we got yesterday.

The finished product cooling beside Teddy's painted pet rocks and a bouquet of wild flowers on the kitchen table.

Blueberry Cake – Eleanor Morse
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, Coat  13” x 9”, bundt pan
or 2 smaller pans (best method) with butter or PAM.

Important to have all ingredients at room temperature

Sift together, set aside:
3 cups Flour
½ tsp. Baking Soda
½ tsp  Salt
1 tsp Cream of Tartar

Cream Together, set aside
1/2 cup Softened Butter
2 cups Sugar
Then add
2  beaten Eggs

Add 1 tsp of Vanilla to 1 cup Milk

Add ¼ cup flour to 1 qt of fresh blueberries and toss carefully (flour prevents berries from sinking to bottom of cake)

Add dry ingredients to butter mixture alternately with milk/vanilla mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. With mixer, blend until ingredients are moistened.

Batter will be stiff…....very carefully fold in blueberry/flour mixture with a spatula;  spoon batter into  prepared pans.  Final step…sprinkle batter with sugar.

Baking time varies from 30 min to 50+ minutes. Check with toothpick often.  Cool completely.  Cake freezes very well.
This recipe came from an old Hood Dairy Company cookbook Mum had saved from the early 1940’s…….

A Ms Graysea Check-in

Our namesake is checking in this morning to say she is very happy to have the heatwave over with for a while!!

She's been exhausted by all the effort she's had to expend keeping cool.....She spent an inordinate amount of time on Sunday staring us down, and she was successful in taking over LM's chair where she could really stretch out.  There was plenty of energy left to beg for Greenies, though, and our baked chicken dinner was a big hit, too!   

Our girl is 14 now, in great health and very playful.  She sends love to all her fans!!

Another Retirement Adjustment

I'd forgotten just how nice it was, on the very hot and humid summer days, to step into my delightfully air conditioned office each morning. Having said good-bye to that great place almost a year ago now, my current "office" is my home, complete with a very cute 6 year old boss. He even brings me a bouquet with my newspaper in the morning, along with his charming smile.

 
BUT, there is no A/C and that is giving me some uncomfortable days and sleepless nights. I do have the possibility of AC in my bedroom but the noise (even with ear plugs) is too much.

Oh yes, I know I am protesting way too much, but my constant hot flashes compound this matter to the enth degree! Today the sun is behind clouds so there is the slightest relief, but yesterday, I just cried from frustration.  I did get myself to the gym to workout with my trainer and that saved my sanity to some extent.

Tomorrow, I am scheduled to go to Boston for a long-awaited reunion with my aunts, and sure hope the promised cooler, dryer air arrives by  morning.

From this heat addled doting Nana, I wish you love. peace and coolness!!

Hydrangea Festival Week at Heritage Museum and Gardens

As we launch another week here, and I attempt to survive the very high temperatures and humidity, let me take you back to last Thursday, a most perfect breezy 70 degree day.  One I would clone, given the powers.

Serendipity was in play when  DIL, Alison, decided to take a few days off and keep Teddy home from camp for a week!!  We arranged to have Samantha join us, and this merry band of four set out on a glorious, clear, dry day to explore Heritage Museum and Gardens in Sandwich. We didn't realize, until our arrival, that we had chosen the week when the hydrangeas and day lilies are at their peak. I can only try here, to convey a little of the astounding beauty that we encountered.  Heritage has such broad appeal as a destination, and Teddy has been coming here since he was 18 months, always loving Hidden Hollow, a huge outdoor, interactive with nature, play space. Of course, riding on the 1903 carousel is a huge hit, too. There was nothing like the glee of seeing the cousins rolling down hills on the beautiful lawns, sniffing flowers, sighting birds, and walking in a wooded labyrinth. We walked for hours, with surprises around each corner. We began by touring their famous Round Shaker barn which is filled with amazing antique cars.

As we bought our tickets, Teddy and Samantha posed by the entrance gardens.

Of all the hydrangeas of infinite hues, I still love these huge whites the best. As a child, my grandparents lived next door to us in a very old farm house, set behind a tall privet hedge. As you drove into the drive between the privet, there were huge white hydrangea bushes on either side, as a welcome.

The heritage Gift Shop and ticket office are almost invisible behind a lush welcome garden.

Approaching the round barn

The car collection is displayed on two floors of the barn.

Gary Cooper's Duesenberg

The gleaming front grille and hood ornament are amazing, and those massive headlamps!

My favorite!

Volvo P1800

There is only one of the cars you are allowed to touch, and you can bet you know who made a beeline to get to it....they had a great time, and Samantha did a fine job of telling Teddy how to drive.

This great old firetruck was just in front of the kids.

With Nana in the backseat, I could observe that Teddy didn't trust Samantha to steer on her own.

 This 1950 Ford is similar to one owned by my grandfather.

A wonderful Land Rover and the kids loved seeing photos of this type of car being used on Safari, complete with lions riding on the top.

A great display of old license plates from all the states.

It is probably about time to suggest you pour yourself a nice tall iced tea or coffee, and sit awhile, as this post is really long, but the displays of flowers were truly too beautiful not to capture, or at least try. Heritage was founded by the Lilly family who've had a very long presence on Cape Cod. This estate became home to their world renowned collection of trees, lilies, rhododendrons (at peak in May and June), and now of hydrangeas.  There are frequent exhibits found throughout the park, and this summer there is a fascinating collection of differing shelters, hidden so to be found when you least expect. The kids loved looking for them. Also, another beautiful barn houses an exhibit of work by three Wyeth family members, N.C, Andrew and Jamie.

So, off we go through the beauty!

Daylilies of every kind

The gristmill garden (whoops, no photo of the grist mill)

Red coneflowers, really stood out here.

Teddy, Alison and Samantha in the Gristmill Garden

There were a few lingering rhododendrons and some late azaleas

There were many of these glorious pines and I apologize for not having the name. They gleam in the sun and offer delightful shade.

The main daylily garden you just "visited" above, leads up to this pond-lily garden and waterfall.  There were white, pink, yellow and red pond lilies in full bloom.

As we continued our walk, headed to Hidden Hollow for the kids, and the hydrangea garden for me, a certain someone got a little anxious and couldn't resist picking a beautiful fern frond. He knew the minute he saw my face that he had stepped over the line.....oh, well.

One of the hidden shelters

Walking along a path, near the heather gardens, I looked down and saw this lovely, lacy branch.

Paths to wander on amidst the trees.

They were having such a fun time.....

At last, the hydrangea garden - there were tours everywhere

So many colors

From my seat on a bench...

Still on their way to Hidden Hollow, they found another of the shelters

and I found the Wyeth exhibit!! Alas, no photos.

The 1903 carousel. The kids rode on it 4 times!!

Back to walking and on our way back to the entrance...many more lilies and other hidden gardens

My camera battery gave out just after this photo, and I must say, IT IS MY FAVORITE.  So happy to share this with you all, and I wish you an opportunity to see Heritage someday!  It is only 2 miles or so from us, and we are able to visit often..such a wonderful gift from the Lilly family.