Front Yard Retreat

Imagine a warm summer day and friends have come to visit. What could be better than sitting outside under the shade tree drinking your favorite cold drink and catching up on all the news in each others lives? Wouldn't this be the kind of place you'd want to do just that? The arms of the tree branch out and up but yet seem to anchor the space and invite you in to sit, to rest, to enjoy the time spent with friends. All the extra whimsical touches of the matching windsock, the pink metal flamingo beside the pink chair, the daisy stepping stone beside the tree, and the green stone flower pot against the house come together to make an inviting comfortable retreat. I so wish this little vignette was my yard! Actually this little space with its lovely curb appeal was found downtown behind the car wash. :)

Back in May I took the above shot of all the stacked chairs on the front walkway of the local pharmacy. I liked the lines and patterns they formed but didn't know how I would use this image. After finding the little yard scene this afternoon while I was out getting groceries I decided a before and after shot would do the trick.

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Midweek Blues: Yard Art

"If instead of a gem, or even a flower, we should cast the gift of a loving thought into the heart of a friend, that would be giving as the angels give."
~~~~ George MacDonald

This little angel pinwheel spins among the vincas in my Mom's flowerbed.
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Yard Art From My Childhood - Part Two

Last week I reminisced about some of the yard art my Dad put together when I was a young girl. To the right of the area in the photo from last week stands this combination birdhouse/feeder that my Dad made many years ago. I'd say it has been about twenty years that it has stood in my Mom's yard. The wood has aged to a wonderful patina.
Not long after putting it up a couple of bluebirds made it their home and many bluebird couples have used it since.

As luck would have it the day I took the photo of the birdhouse a little bluebird flew upon the electric wire above my head. I think he was telling me not to get too close!

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Yard Art From My Childhood

Memories of Dad

Dear Readers,

Yard Art is indeed a photo meme and you may not have time to sit and read so feel free to look, comment and be on your way. I just have a little story to tell because this Yard Art is special to me. :)
This little vignette has been in the corner of the yard at my childhood home since I was a young girl. It may not be elegant or pretty; but each object is near and dear to our family.
The large bell once hung on my Dad's family farm way up in one of our West Virginia 'hollers' as most folks around here would call it. I guess in the old days it was probably rung to gather everybody to come eat. I don't remember hearing it ring but imagine it did many times. I do remember walking up that hollow to go visit and have dinner. There was no road in to the property. We walked a path along a small stream. All the way up you could smell the wood burning in the stove or fireplace. To this day the right wood burning takes me right back to those long walks with my family. Eventually we could see the barn on the left and the old corn crib on the right and we'd step across the stream about then and the yard widened out in front of the house.

Sometime during my college years the old wooden house burnt down. Everything was gone except that old bell that still hung on a tall post. My Mom told me that she told my Dad ' you ought to have it, I don't suppose you could get it?' He told her he supposed he could. She doesn't remember how he got it off the big old post but he did and brought it home. He made the metal ladder that it's attached to and concreted the whole structure into the ground. It stood until this past spring and after a severe winter and much rust at the base it fell over. My Stepfather gladly repaired it and put it back up.

When we were young my Dad didn't let us play with it but when I had kids Grandpa sure never stopped them from ringing it!! It is one of my daughter's favorite memories.
If you look closely you can see a cow bell and a little sheep bell hanging there as well. My Dad found those in the old barn and brought them home too.
The old plastic bottles and kettles in the background are another story for another post. They too are some of Dad's treasures.

It will have been fourteen years this past week that my Dad left us; but each time I go over home to see my Mom my Dad is still there too.
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Midweek Blues/Yard Art

This little bunny with his old blue patina has been with me for many years. Hubs bought him for me at a discount pottery market and he sat for many years at the end of a downspot at our old home in Virginia. Three years ago when we moved we took him from the back of a pickup truck and sat him in the corner of our daughter's porch so he wouldn't get tossed around and broke while we spent a few days with her before the 500 mile drive north.
As luck would have it we neglected to put him back in the pickup and he sat forgotten and forlorn in that porch corner for three months until Thanksgiving when we went back for a visit. When it was time to depart I made sure he was safely wrapped in cloth and tucked him safely in the Jeep . At last he was on his way home.
For the last three years he has sat beside our little pond and gazed out from around the tree branches happily guarding his territory.
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Everlasting Blooms

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Yard Art On Thursday

These little racoons have been sitting on my Mom's steps for more years than I can count or remember. Each summer she brings them out to welcome visitors to her deck. I have always enjoyed them and their little faces.

(click for a better closeup)

Look who showed up in my yard one morning last week giving me some live yard art to share with you. We've lived here in the country almost three years now and this was our first glimpse of raccoons. It had been a foggy morning and luckily the corn left for the neighborhood turkeys kept these little guys eating until the sun could peek through the clouds long enough for me to get a fairly good picture of them through the sunroom window. They had their feast and scurried off into the woods. We haven't seen them since; but it was an encounter I was happy to have experienced.
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Yard Art On Thursday

Driving through a neighborhood on a recent visit with my daughter I saw this wonderful piece of yard art and knew it was perfect to share after celebrating Memorial Day this past Monday.

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Yard Art In Lily and Lucy's Neighborhood

While driving the nearby neighborhood streets around my daughter's apartment we came upon this unique bench at the side of someone's home. If you look closely you can see that the vinyl records have been attached to a bench. I thought it was a pretty cool piece of yard art.

This my friends is baby Lucy. She is now one year old and loves to crawl through the gate to this free standing barn. Her favorite activity is putting the eggs in the slot below the chicken. When the eggs fall music begins to play. Those are two play eggs she has in her hands. You can tell she knows to smile when Grammy has the camera pointed at her.

This of course is her big sister Lily. Lily was two in December. I just love her sweet smile and her lovely raven colored curls. Every night she would come and give Grammy a kiss and hug goodnight, say nite-nite, and I love you. Perfect ending to every day!

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Grrrr...Let Us Out Of The Cage: Yard Art

After Mary started this meme I am constantly on the lookout for the ever unique piece of Yard Art. In the past two months Hubs and I have passed this building full of the concrete statues one buys, takes home and lovingly places somewhere in their yard or garden. I'm assuming at the present time they must only be open on weekends because so far on our middle of the week trips they have been closed. We stopped anyway a couple of weeks ago so I could get some pictures. It was hard focusing through the cage but I think you can get a good idea of what's available. I love the bear with paws folded in front of him. For some reason he reminds me of a minister greeting you at the front door of the church!

I spy a cow, a frog, a kitty, a bluebird and oh, look - some gnomes for Patti! :)

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*Knee Update and A Blog Hiatus*

I want to thank all of you who have asked or emailed about my knee. After the shot it continues to improve and I'm walking longer each day without a cane for support. I so appreciate your care and concern. Hugs to all of you!

A few of you know I've had a virus problem with my computer. I have anti-virus software and a firewall and yet this is the second time in less than six months that we are having to completely reformat that computer. All of my current photos of the past month are inaccessible. It's frustrating to say the least but it will all come together in due time.

In the meantime and more importantly we are preparing to visit our Grandbabies and celebrate little Lucy's first birthday. It is so hard to believe she is going to be one year old.

So, I'm going to go enjoy myself, put my knee up as much as possible, sit with Grandbabies on my lap and forget all about computers. I won't forget about you my friends but will catch up with you in about ten days or so. Take care of yourselves and here's wishing you "sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows."

Sepia Scenes and Yard Art

A few readers may recognize The Incredible Mr. Limpet who appeared in my Weekend Reflection shot a few weeks ago (here). I took these two shots the same day as the reflection one. We inherited Mr. Limpet when we moved to this new home almost three years ago. He sits and guards the larger of two fish ponds in our yard.

Some of you know I am dealing with a knee injury and still haven't been able to venture far from my own yard so I've had to resort to what's at hand. However, after a shot in my knee today (YES, very painful) I hope to be on the mend much faster as soon as the headache and nausea from the shot goes away. :)

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Happy Easter: Yard Art

This chubby Easter Bunny was cut out of plywood by my Hubby and painted by me many years ago. Each year when we bring him out of storage he always brings a smile to my face.

This year he is guarding the eggs beside our gazebo.

If you have time click on over to my photoblog and see a live yard art bunny.

Have A Happy and Blessed Easter!

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Blue Bottle Tree: Yard Art

The bottle tree reflects an ancient African tradition that can be traced as far back as ninth century Congo where natives hung hand-blown glass on huts and trees to ward off evil. The tradition continued in Africa and eventually became a part of Southern African-American folklore. In the early American South, trees, typically cedar because its branches point toward the heavens, were stripped of foliage and decorated with colorful glass bottles.According to African legend, the bottles attract evil spirits, which are drawn to the bursts of sunlit color. The spirits then become trapped inside the bottles, their voices heard moaning as the wind passes by. Though the legend that the bottles trap evil spirits is widely accepted, some believe that the bottles hold the spirits of their ancestors, while others contend that the bottle tree grants wishes.

("The Campus Chronicle", Savannah College of Art and Design)

This bottle tree isn't mine although I want one! Hubs and I found this along the same highway as the huge concrete cactus I posted a couple of weeks ago.

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Happy St. Patrick's Day Yard Art

My Irish eyes are smiling today. Here's hoping you find lots of smiles in your day.

Wishing you all a Happy St. Patrick's Day!

An Old Irish Blessing

May love and laughter light your days,and warm your heart and home.

May good and faithful friends be yours,wherever you may roam.

May peace and plenty bless your world with joy that long endures.

May all life's passing seasons bring the best to you and yours!

These are decorations in the flowerbed at the end of my driveway and seem perfect for this weeks Yard Art meme.

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Sepia Scenes and Yard Art

I'm combining this week's Sepia Scenes with Mary's new Yard Art on Thursday meme. Last week my dear Hubs had a checkup with his doctor and as he was driving I spotted this 'outhouse' along the way. This was in someones side yard right along the highway. I have seen this done before but not as eloquently as this one. It sits in the center of a large flower bed with lights and plants and small shrubs arranged around the exterior. Hanging plants left from the last growing season adorned one side. I thought the moon and star cutouts the defining touch.
I converted the color image that's below to sepia and added some texture to make the image look like an old postcard.

Last week my yard art was a huge concrete cactus that my good friend Thom thought "why do I think that is so odd in your neck of the woods." I just KNOW he will think this much more appropriate.
However, should anyone think the outhouse is only indicative of American Appalachia the country of Australia for example was largely unsewered until the early 1970s with many suburbs having outhouses or 'dunnys' behind each house. That was a mere 40 years ago.

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Yard Art Thursday

My first entry for Mary's Yard Art Thursday is this huge cactus. Hubs and I have passed this yard a few times in the past couple of years and it always struck me as a funny piece of yard art. It wasn't until Mary mentioned a new meme that I decided it was time to take a photo when we passed it on Monday. It is along a main road with no place to pull off so I took this through the windshield. The cactus itself is made of concrete and surrounded by a landscaped flowerbed made of stone. Even without enlarging the photo you can probably see it is outlined with large Christmas bulbs. We have never been past it in the dark but I imagine it is something to see.
Should you happen to go ahead and enlarge the photo you can see that on one side it is bordered with a chainlink fence that surrounds a cemetery.

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Ruby Tuesday: Yard Art

Got something RED that you've photographed? It can be a little bit of red or a lot of red.

Ruby Tuesday is hosted by Mary/The Teach over at Work of the Poet. Click on the icon to visit those who are playing today or to post your photo and join in the fun too!

Don't you just love this beautiful piece of "yard art." You know - those things people place in their yard for whatever reason. This red wagon sits at the bottom of a neighbors long driveway surrounding by an immaculate landscaped yard and a pond further up. Yes, you can see the hay in this photo I took in the spring when the lawn was being cut for the first time; but trust me it is always very well groomed. The red wagon is an impressive showpiece by any measure and is well placed to highlight the yard and the wagon itself. On the other hand take a look at the next photo of "yard art" I took while out driving with my Mom. We both were left speechless.
If you don't get too distracted you might just notice the red fire hydrant with the little dog there in the middle of the photo. You might also notice the red paper box. IF, you can get past all the other objects in the yard. Just a little bit of an overstatement wouldn't you say!!!