Sunday Stroll: Abundance

Before the stroll commences, a thorough update. On Friday the 4th graders from the local school had their State House tour. Three of the 4 district reps and our State Senator met them in the Hall of Flags and participated in their educational morning. It concluded in the Executive Council chamber, where the Governor joined us. We learned that in addition to his 5 cats (one is called Harry Potter) he now--at his wife's instigation--has a yellow lab puppy called Katie. The media have not yet picked up this news flash. I thought you should be among the first to know!

In the afternoon I had a cookbook meeting, in the evening the Chap and I attended the Historical Association's program on the early settlement of our town, from 1727 till just before the Revolution. Later in the year comes "the rest of the story." Incredibly well attended by people of all ages, including many we'd never even seen before!

Yesterday was an outing day. I shopped for garden statuary--didn't buy. We "kicked some tires" at a couple of auto dealers (I might be in the market for another car, even though we've already got more cars than drivers. The next one will be AWD. The choices: some version of a Subaru or a Mercedes 4-Matic. Provided I can be convinced to give up my beloved Saab, which would be no easy thing....)

We then visited the Currier Museum for the mind-blowing David Macaulay exhibition. Then to our favourite Mexican restaurant. Scrummy!

On the way home we did a few other shopping errands.

We also instigated Phase 1 of the future Town House project. We have a Country House (the Lodge) and a Lake House (the Cottage.) Being mindful that someday fulltime country living might not be our best or only option, we've started scoping out desirable Capitol City neighbourhoods. If the right property became available, theoretically we might purchase and rent it out until we needed it for ourselves.... There's a lot of inventory right now and prices are low. However, we're in no hurry to commit to anything. This is merely our exploratory phase.

Not far from our favourite area (so far) we found this comfortingly rural scene: a huge and very private secret beaver pond. You wouldn't believe how near it is to civilisation! I certainly couldn't.



On the way back to the Lodge, we stopped at our neighbour's antiques barn. I was looking for a smallish table or desk for the cottage, to go in front of the window where the desktop computer system is now located. I nearly always use my laptop now, at the dining room table, and the Chap uses his, too. We decided to recycle the desktop components and unload the character-less, period-inappropriate computer table.

I found the perfect piece. There was a sale on, so I got it for only $35. It cleaned up beautifully. Can't wait to install it!



Now for the stroll, which I did before church.

The jasmine cutting I took from my mother's plant a few years ago is now a monster.



The flowers smell so wonderful that I bring the plant into our bedroom every night.



My amaryllis, a gift from our previous bishop, has a bud!



The bergenia in the deck garden looks prettier every day.



My delphinium and columbine aren't waiting for me to clear the leaves away. They're fully leafed out now.



Forsythia.




Very big day tomorrow, involving the Big Lake. Can't wait!

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