Horsing Around

Song - In Spite of Ourselves - John Prine & Iris DeMent

Now for a little comic relief....

Correct Social Distancing from Horses

My youngest son Tyler dressed in a horse mask in Boonville, California.

I guess he wanted to make friends with some horses?

Tick Tock

Song - Orvieto Clock Tower Bells

Torre del Moro in Orvieto, Italy - 2005

What a charming and whimsical clock tower

Puppies!

Song - Dog Days Are Over - Florence & The Machine

During this SIP order I have to admit that my mind has wandered around and into the possibility of getting a dog.  But then reality hits and I know it wouldn't be fair to get a dog right now.  We hope to travel again and until we are no longer able to do big extended trips....no puppies for now.  

Above are our last two much loved West Highland White Terriers - Mika and Max

Sunday Flowers

Song - One Fine Day - The Chiffons

An abundant field of white daffodil's in dappled sunlight in the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris.

Wishing you a calm and happy Sunday.

Knock Knock

Song - I Hear You Knockin' by Fats Domino

Come in.....

I have a love for windows and doors wondering what might be behind these portals.

And the hardware that goes with them is very interesting as well!

The hinge on the red door above is from the Cluny Museum in Paris and it looks like a dragon spewing out three fires....maybe.

And this pirate looking door knocker was found in Pisa, Italy.

I guess he got knocked one too many times and the owners nailed him shut!

 And the final knocker is a woman's hand on a dark green door in the 

Bouches-du-Rhône, Tarascon, France (home of the Tarasque monster)

Dunster Flowers

Song - Let It Go by James Bay cover by Sierra Eagleson

 This is the little Medieval village of Dunster located in Somerset England.  It was our home base while we traveled to various villages that my dads family came from. The Luttrell Arms Hotel is the three story building on the left and the 17th Century Yarn Market is the round building on the right with the Dunster Castle sitting on top of the hill.

 While Mr. B lugged our suitcases up to the third floor, I went out into the garden to have a glass of wine.  He's pretty thoughtful in things like that!

There were beautiful Columbines growing.... 

And fluffy Clematis under the deck....

Mr. B joined me shortly and we enjoyed the garden view....

...of the rooftops and the castle atop the hill.

As the sun went down, we went inside the cozy pub for a relaxing dinner.

Grasin's Venus

Song - Venus by Frankie Avalon

 A calming statue by Félix Grasin the Garden of Doms, Avignon

Venus Swallows

She looks so peaceful - like she is flowing in the wind

Where Are They?

Song - Fallen Through Time from Outlander

Craigh na Dun

Mr. B and I took an amazing trip to England and Scotland in the Spring of 2017.  I did a lot of family tree research and it was wonderful to see the towns, churches, pubs and shops where my relatives spent time. 

Several of the places we stopped at were related to the books and TV series Outlander. The place above Craigh na Dun is in Scotland and it is the opening scene to the series where the main character Claire travels back in time through a standing stone. It was so tranquil to see and I'm loving it but Mr. B is shrugging his shoulders saying "where are the standing stones?"  Oops - they were just props and I told him that at home but I guess he forgot......

**ladies - if you don't know about Outlander just Google "Sam Heughan"

Pardon Me

Song - Instant Karma! by John Lennon

"Pardon me but you haven't filled the bird feeders today and I'm getting kinda hungry"

 - Zipper the Squirrel

And They Stayed Home....

Song - Here Comes the Sun by Camden Voices

Grace

Song - Amazing Grace by Andrea Bocelli

 Founded in May 1131 Tintern Abbey sits on the Welsh bank of the River Wye. The abbey fell into ruin after the dissolution of the monasteries in the 16th century.

It is breathtaking.....

Blues

Song - Walking Blues featuring Keb' Mo' - Playing for Change - Song Around the World

Blue glass window at the Hotel California in Cabo.

Blue sky in Chinon, France

Blue eggs in a nest in our front yard

Blue Atlantic Ocean in Nantucket

Blue wildflowers near Loch Ness, Scotland

 A proud little Bluebird...

And the blue waters of Fallen Leaf Lake (foreground) and Lake Tahoe

Rosie

Song - Rosie by John Mayer

My rose garden is beginning her bloom.....I am so excited!

It's Going to Be OK

Song - It's Gonna Be OKAY by The Piano Guys

Point Reyes National Seashore in California 

Breathe....and again......breathe in that salty ocean air and relax

Tag Your It

Song - La Mer by Kevin Cline


The other evening I got a wild hair.....I was tired of staying at home....I wanted to see some new sights.....I wanted to eat out.......I was tired of doing dishes....basically I was having a mini-meltdown!  I decided that what I could do (and stay within the SIP order) was to order Mr. B and myself breakfast from a local restaurant to surprise him the following morning. So I did a DoorDash order from Brioche de Paris. 

In the morning it was a warm sunny day on our back deck so I popped open our umbrellas and set the table with a Provencal tablecloth & napkins. I put on some French music to add a touch of joie de vivre.  Our goodies arrived on time and the Brioche eggs, cheese & bacon sandwiches were delightful.  To finish it off I had ordered two Wild Berry Tarts.  We were so full that we split one tart and the other one will go to my mom who lives down the street.

The restaurant was great and even sent Mr. B a piping hot cup of coffee for free!

Another mini-vacation while staying at home.

I told Mr. B that he gets to surprise me with a mini-vay-cay next week - Tag Your It!

The Birds Have Taken Over

Song - Stop! In The Name of Love by The Supremes

The birds seem to be everywhere this Spring!  They are on our patio.....

...on our string lights.....

...in our pool...yuck....

...looking through our windows....

....hanging out on the deck railing.....

...in the bird houses.....

.....overhead......

....on our roof (6:30 am sharp they land with a thump)...

...in our spa...yuck....

...and the trees are full of them looking like colorful Christmas ornaments!

But they come in the name of   L  O  V  E  .....

And nest making on our outdoor speakers!

Here are the happy couple - Marge & Fred Finch

They are the ones building the nest in the speakers

He sings her beautiful love songs while she's tidying up the nest!

Luckily it's right outside my office window so I get to enjoy his joyful tune.