The Beauty of the Rock

We have a large rock outcropping at the front of the island. It is part of the dock and where we stand to swim sometimes. It is really a defining part of being at the cottage. When we see it  from the water we know our cottage is located there and we can stand on it to see out into the rest of  the lake. The moss, lichen and other plants add texture and life to this space and they help to shape the erosion of the land.


The violets in the mountains have broken the rocks. ~Tennessee Williams

The Cottage in May

We opened the cottage yesterday and it is still May! This is probably the earliest that we have made it out to  the the cottage in over a decade.

You know, life changes. When we first got the cottage and our kids were babies we got out there at random times... We only really had to work around Bob's work schedule. Then the days came when I was working too and then the kids were busy with school. Next it was taking time for spring extra curricular events, like Girl Guide Camp and June dance recitals. Then came the time when they had their first jobs which we needed to be accommodate.


Now everyone can kind of come and go and they can do their own thing.


We got the boat launched and all went well. Everything was the same as we left it at the lake cottage except the island dock is really needing some serious  repairs after the winter. We also have to get a new roof  up this year but that is no surprise to us.

Jasper, the dog, was delighted to find himself at the lake once again. He was so excited to put on his lifejacket and he hopped on the boat before we were fully ready to head over to the island.

Once we started to move you could just see how blissed out he was sniffing the breezes coming over the lake!

He was happy to once again run wild around the island and to woof at the Canada Geese that must be nesting somewhere near the beach.

I think we were all thrilled to be back there after the long winter season.

 The sun shines different ways in winter and summer. We shine different ways in the seasons of our lives.

~Terri Guillemets

Sea Grass Placemats

I have a real weakness for dishes. I got a small set of  non-breakable green dishes at the hardware store last year and we use them on the porch, especially when there are only two or three of us dining. I got a few sea grass placemats from IKEA and needed to place with them. The kitchen pass-through is nice to sit at for an evening snack or occasionally  a breakfast for two.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reflections

The water plants grow under the water in the cooler days of early summer and then as summer months pass by, they send out tall stocks with a few flowers.

The reflections of the leaves in the still water are beautiful.

Little Yellow Wildflowers

I was going to figure out what the real name of these flowers is before writing this post but it is summer and I have iced tea.  There is a breeze and there are paperback novels to read.

 It is enough that the fields and edge of the woodlands have 1000s of such lovely yellow jewels,

no matter what they are called.

 

 

This summer my pictures are all being taken with my phone's camera. The quality of image is poorer but my phone is always handy in my pocket and I can upload the pictures so easily!

Clover

To make a prairie it takes a clover and one bee,
One clover, and a bee,
And revery.
The revery alone will do,
If bees are few.
   ~Emily Dickinson, 

The Beauty of a Thistle

 

 

What is a weed?  A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.  

~Ralph Waldo Emerson, Fortune of the Republic, 1878

 

 You think that perhaps you should trim down the weeds a bit. 

Then you see that little tiny glimpse of raspberry red. 

Maybe the weeds are fine just like they are.

Black Eyed Susan

Earth laughs in flowers.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Alicia's Strawberry Salad

Wild Strawberry Plant

Alicia's Summer Strawberry Salad

1 head of Romaine Lettuce
5 large Button Mushrooms
1/4 Green Pepper
7 Strawberries

Clean, trim and chop the vegetables and toss together.

Strawberry Dressing

1 tb vinegar
1 tb honey
2 crushed normal sized strawberries
combine the above 3 ingredients thoroughly

mix in
1 1/2 tb of canola oil


This was an end of the summer treat for us. Alicia was in charge of the veggies for dinner and surprised us with this lovely fresh tasting salad She made it using what she found leftover in the cooler. It was perfect for one of our last dinners out on the porch for this season. We ate is so quickly I didn't even think of taking a picture. I do have a picture of a wild strawberry that was growing in our cottage yard taken by our son, Bob in July. Wild strawberries are tiny tiny things but they have as much flavor in the one tiny morsel as supermarket strawberries have in a giant overgrown berry.

Wildflowers in a Mug

Wildflowers on my Windowsill

Guess What This Is?

I was impressed with this find at the cottage.

Can you identify what you see in the pictures?

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It is a whole miniature little world in a tub!

We use this container of sand each fall when we celebrate a couple of birthdays and the long weekend with a little fireworks show. We just left the tub outside, behind our porch, last year after our celebrations. I didn't give it another thought until this summer.
When I looked in the tub this year I was amazed at the beauty of this tiny world.
We thought the pencil would help give you an idea of the true scale of my lilliputian moss world.

sweet summer

The joys of toddler sized life jackets and wild roses in little baby hands.

The grandkids were at the lake recently.
What a joy to see all the surprises and the treasures of the island through their eyes.