Too Hot To Work

          Last week was so hot that I didn't put a lot of time into the farmhouse.  Rather, I went to Mindy's reno to hang out and see how she was coming along.  The little, what I call potting shed,was making progress.
 

                      Mindy plans on staging this as a place to take a nap after doing some yoga, a quiet place to take in the surroundings.  I would be turning this into the most awesome potting shed!

                     Love the old fashioned camp windows with the big shutters.

                      The iron bed will be set up with hay bales when staged.

                        I agree with Mindy that the view is calming

This beautiful HEAVY angel was left with the house and will remain where she is.  She got a good cleaning.

      At the farmhouse the first morning glories are appearing. This year I planted "Party Dress".

   Last year I went to Florida and stayed at this wonderful Inn on Amelia Island.  I received an email announcing their newest inn which just happens to be on Lake Lure 20 minutes from Tryon!

    Because of the heat, we skipped doing anything on the weekend and decided to drive out to see the new inn called The Lodge.  They were just opening the restaurant and the bartender invited us in to see the place.

    Love the place.  We have found our new restaurant for our anniversary.  

   I know the cocktails will be good.  The one I had in Florida was amazing.

                               View from the dining room!  

   This view is so much better in person.  I could look at this all day. 

     On a sad note, I lost a good friend last week, another reason I didn't have the energy or motivation to work on the farmhouse.  Peter was a sailor from a very young age.  I met him and his wife through chow rescue, had been to their home in NJ and Peter would just call out of the blue to talk, he was such a sweet guy.  His wife is an attorney, so she and Bob had that in common.  Last week they were sailing in RI.  They stopped for lunch. He sat on a park bench while Norma went to get some drinks and when she came back he had passed.  She said the EMTs did all they could, but Peter had already sailed away.  They were actually planning their fall sails, and one was to the Outer Banks where we were going to meet them.  Last summer he had beat West Nile.  Life isn't fair sometimes.  Miss you Peter.

A Stroll in the Bamboo Forest

While painting, a thunderstorm brewed, the fog rolled in, and then the sun came out.  Perfect time to take a walk in the bamboo forest, a nice break and just take in the beauty!
 

    Taking another break today, a senior chow in a shelter near Columbia, SC needs me!!  A friend in Detroit fell in love with him, so I'll be on the road!

Outdoor Seating Refurbish

               Temporary seating on the back deck while I refinish some rockers and a chaise lounge.  Once finished, these chairs will go down by the stream to sit and relax after a walk through the bamboo forest.
 

   A '60s plastic plaque with mushrooms and frogs which I originally thought I would put in the bathroom as a fun piece, but didn't look quite right.  Out on the deck is where it needs to be!

   I debated for quite sometime whether to put the effort into refinishing these metal rockers and chaise because as hard as I looked, getting replacement cushions that were of good quality so they would last a while was going to cost around $500.  Then one day at a Habitat for Humanity store they had boxes of cushions from Ethan Allen overstock and I got two chair cushions and chaise for $25!!

    Needless to say, I bought them, and with a little sewing work to make them fit just right (I hate sewing!!) they will look fantastic.  Only thing is, they are white! I would never pick white for anything outside, but they are washable canvas, and the other color was navy and that would not work. 

   These were bought decades ago when Martha Stewart first started selling items at now defunct K-Mart when the quality was good.  Aside from rust, these are really good pieces. Bought some cans of Rustoleum "Hammered" in silver, and I have to say they came out pretty darn nice!

   I needed a break from painting, still working in the kitchen, so I spent a day sanding, washing and spray painting, got them finished and will show the end result with the cushions once I sit down to do some altering.

   The rockers will go on the deck, the chaise on the front porch.  Another chore on my list now checked off!

     So Baby my deer and her baby have been up at the main house eating my flowers.  They ate all the sedum that would have bloomed in another month, my blackeyed susans and a gorgeous lily that just bloomed, had more buds to open.  I put a deer block off the deck beyond the gate to keep her occupied and so far so good!

   Keeping her occupied until chased off by this raccoon lol.

    The crocosmia I transplanted from the main house is actually doing better down at the farmhouse, so come fall I will transplant more.

    Mexican Hydrangea still going strong.

   Hummers are coming to the feeder I just placed on the farmhouse porch.

  Back to painting tomorrow, working on the kitchen ceiling and then will move into the living room!  Progress!