Life at the Lake ~ Autumn Color

This past weekend was the peak of our autumn color at the lake - it seems I was just posting photos of dandelions and early summer nights. Time passes so quickly!

With the maples and oaks aflame, our guestroom positively glows with the reflections of the red, yellow and orange maple leaves right outside the window. A few windy days are blowing loosened leaves and 'the FALL' has begun. I could sweep the deck every hour but have decided to enjoy the colors, the leaf dance in the breeze and the fun of kicking my toes through the little piles...time enough for raking in November...

View from the guest room window

Gorgeous maples against the deep autumn blue sky!

So pretty... and you can see the pile accumulating in the background :).

Our back step about 10 minutes after sweeping.

A lovely bowl of crisp, juicy Cortland apples - my favorites!
Any left at the end of the week will be turned into a crumble!

enjoy!

xo

Life at the Lake - Once in a Blue Moon!

Last night's Blue Moon was a gorgeous finish to a beautiful evening! The sky was clear and the weather was fabulous and after a few games of badminton and a rock skipping championship event, we had some fun photographing the blue moon.

Here are some of the results!

We'll have to wait until January 2018 for the next one!

My Garden Path ~ Early July

 

One red poppy! All my pink ones have disappeared but this little red one is a survivor!

Sweet honeysuckle. 
The pink one in the bed by the garden shed is about to bloom too - it gets a little less sunlight.

 

Delicate old fashioned Columbine

Rose

Daylilies from rescued from my grandmother's garden many years ago.

Blue geranium will bloom in a week or so.

Huge patches of Siberian Iris in purple and lavender.

Lady's Mantle

Climbing Hydrangeas are pure romance!

My peonies are spectacular this year! There are about 12 of them in the garden
and EVERY one of them has bloomed! Shades of pink, white and fuchsia are magnificent
and the fragrances, some sweet and some sort of peppery, are
simply beautiful!

 

 

For the life of me, I can't remember the name of this plant!
But, it is a beauty!

Enjoy!



Life at the Lake ~ Outdoor Shower!

We've FINALLY had a run of beautiful weather and hubs turned on the water to the
outdoor shower - YAY! He built it on our deck overlooking the
lake - crafted the frame from copper pipes, plumbed it all himself
and I found this great copper rain shower head online a couple of years ago. 
It's aged beautifully and is one of my favorite things about
summer at the lake!

He also made this sweet little copper soap dish and drain - it's verdigris is gorgeous!
There is also a copper pipe 'hook' for your towel on the other
side of this post - he thought of everything!

An old knob is a fun addition. 
The water has one heat setting (adjustable from inside only)
so you want to be sure of the temperature before you step under the shower :). 
It's LOVELY!

From My Bench ~ Modelling Photo Shoot and then some ice cream...

 

Yesterday we had a perfect first of summer, school's out afternoon.  My niece and her best friend were hanging out at the lake, mostly at my house :), and they are both beautiful so I asked if they wanted to do some modelling for me.  They agreed - yippee! We wandered around the yard snapping pics of them wearing most of my latest creations. It was a lot of fun and resulted in some great shots!

Thanks ladies!

 

Naturally, little miss Ethel had to make an appearance!

 and then we went for ice cream!!!

(click on any of the photos to see all the stone bracelets available in the shop :)

On My Bookshelf ~ Summer Reading List

My summer reading used to include a much anticipated trip to the bookstore  

where I would emerge with BAGS of new books, excited and

 ready to settle in on the porch or the beach and enjoy.  I would bring them home and stack them on my bedside table, loving the pile of them there, ready and waiting, offering worlds to visit without leaving home.

While I still love the feel of reading an actual book and miss that beautiful stack,
my Kindle is

much easier to carry, travel with and I use it ALOT!
I downloaded my 'library' today (8 new books!) and

here is my list for Summer 2015!

 

 

 

It's a rainy morning, perfect for a cup of tea and curling up

for an hour or two of reading - enjoy!

Life at the Lake ~ June Nights

It was a beautiful evening last night! I wandered our yard and took a few photos - I couldn't resist the soft light of magical early summer.

 

Make a Wish

My favorites!

 

Fresh chives

 

Watching four deer in the field...

Sunset behind our field