Yesterday...

Yesterday... I woke up at 5:45am, like a crazy woman, to go yard sale-ing.  Country folk start their sales e.a.r.l.y.  Normally I would ignore the temptation to go to sales this early but yard sales out in my neck of the woods are goooOOd pickins.  I have been collecting old bowls.  I found the largest one on the far right, yippee!

 and this cute fluted one too,

 but this was the 'find' that put me over the edge of giddy... yep, giddy overload.  Be still my heart, oh how I love an old baby washtub.

 Cotton approves of my purchase.

Yesterday... when I was done hitting 6 yard sales and it was still only 7:20am... I was on my way home and contemplating climbing back in bed.  I was on our curvy road and saw something in the road.  I could not tell what it was until I straddled it with my tires and saw that it was a turtle.  I just couldn't help myself.  I had to pull over... ps - there are very few places to pull over on our road, safely anyway.  But I went a tad off roading and parked.  Looking both ways like a good pedestrian on a crazy country road... I started jogging back to where I saw the turtle.  I glanced up and saw another gal jogging up our road coming toward me.  We both arrived at the turtle at the same time.  We laughed at ourselves and each other.  Two gals, risking life and limb... to be heros.  You'll be riveted to know that operation turtle rescue was a success.  And after all that excitement and heroism I was no longer tired and just got on with my day.

Yesterday... I mourned the loss of 3 gorgeous Maples that died on our property.  Seriously.  Trees are so hard to dig in... and 4 years later wouldn't you assume they would be well on their way?!  Sad.

To help lift my dead maple funk... I took a stroll at what is doing beautifully this Spring.  My window boxes are well on their way to over-abundance, just the way I like them. 

 Solomon's Seal, Ivy, and hostas are my main stays.  I will eventually add ferns and a few flowering annuals to complete the composition.   My formula for window boxes and large container gardening?  Spiller + Filler + Thriller.  Instant success!

I have 3 dogwood twigs trees at the entrance of our property.  They had full blooms for the first time this year.

 Do you remember this tree from last Spring?  It is called a Dappled Willow.  I found it at Lowe's and it is in my top 5 of ornamental trees.  The leaves are magnificent.  And while it had to grow out a very, VERY, bad haircut prune job from the grower... it now is coming out of its awkward stage.  Like forsythia and spirea... I am a firm believer that this tree is meant to be a tad 'wild' looking.  Love it!

The mottled and almost not there pink tinged leaves make me swoon.

Yesterday... this shot of color called me over for a closer look.

 Warning.... Warning...WARNING...

 Then next few photos are a very underhanded, non-subtle, devious attempt to fuel our neighbors into a terrible case of homesickness.  They are currently living in Germany.  We selfishly want them to come home... which is conveniently closer to us than Germany (its all about us afterall)... AND also has these gorgeous roses, cutey barn, and beautiful horse waiting for them.  I have no shame.

Yesterday... I verified that both our birdhouses that we bought while in Amish country last summer, are packed to full capacity. 

Yesterday... I started a new improved TO DO list for my sweetheart.  This list includes:  completing the tree fort with Ty,

 and building a ramp and stairs to the shed so we can actually start using if for the purpose we bought it for.  PS and by the way... that purpose was not to pile junk on the front porch so it could look like Sanford and Sons owns it, just sayin'.

Yesterday... I dreamed yet again of what I would love to be and be doing in a few short years, aka, an innkeeper of a b&b.  I sat on a newly cleared patch of grass (previously covered in vines, thorns, and overgrowth) and looked at this view...

Shawn cleared a huge cedar from this spot.  This will be the entrance to the back pasture and the Guest Cottage.  There will be a pond.  The front porch to the Cottage will actually be a dock.  Ohhh the dreams I have in my head.  I recently found a pic online that came close to the vision I have for the cottage.  Please forgive the photo of a photo... I wasn't near clever enough to actually save the originally site... that would have been too smart of me.

 Yesterday... I shopped, I rescued, I strolled, I dreamed.  Day well spent.