Free Hugs in Sondrio, Italy

THANK YOU! Thank you everyone for the kind words and HUGS you left in your comments on my post about our barn burning. I have to admit that I did have some tears as I read what you wrote...who'd have thought that having a blog would connect you with such wonderful caring friends. My husband sent this video from Youtube to me this morning and when I saw it I knew I had to post it. These HUGS are for YOU....you are the best!   Enjoy!   Maura :)

(Please scroll down and stop the music on my player before you start the video)

Our Old Barn Caught Fire

It's been a sad day.

 Today (Wednesday) my husband phoned the fire department and asked for permission to burn our brush pile. It was a pretty calm day so they said for him to go ahead.

I guess a spark from the fire floated up over our metal building and landed on our old barn with the wood shingled roof.  The only one on the property.

By the time he saw it was on fire it was too much for our hose so my hubby told me to call the fire department. We live 7 miles from two towns so it takes a few minutes to get here but they still came mighty fast. In all we had one smaller fire truck, one tanker, one larger fire truck, EMS (for the firemen) two police cars and one police truck along with numerous other pick up trucks of volunteer fire fighters.

It was a teary time for me as I watched it burning.

We had planned on restoring it one day.

But...no one was hurt, nothing of value other than the barn was ruined and as far as I can tell all the chickens are accounted for. The silly critters were behind the barn when all this was going on!

Anyway all is well...we're a little shook up but grateful it wasn't the chicken coop or any of the other buildings we have things in and most especially it wasn't our home.

Yes we have a lot to be grateful for.

I hope your day is a good one

Maura

Country Drive

( You can click on each of the pictures to enlarge)

On Saturday I decided to drive into town and see if there were any garage sales... I haven't been to a garage sale since spring and felt like I needed my 'junkin fix'.

I thought I'd take my camera along and travel the country road just to the north of us.

It's a sweet winding road with typical 'country' scenes of fields, windmills, cows, creeks and old barns.

I had been looking forward to taking pictures of one old barn that I loved with a wonderful cupola on the top. As I was looking for a good shot from the side road I spotted another old barn so pulled over and walked over to the fence to get my shot. Just then the elderly owner came out of the driveway in a 1966 Chevy pickup.

He was such a sweet fellow who was wearing a huge grin as he drove up.

Turns out he also owned the barn I was originally looking for but unfortunately had torn it down a few months earlier. He told me I could just go into his farmyard and take all the pictures I wanted but since he wasn't going to be home I told him I'd come back another time. I was surprised at his offer but that's typical of country folk around here. As I was looking for a spot to turn around I spotted this old building in his yard that I just had to get a picture of right away.

It's the building above...isn't it sweet!

I finally arrived in town and found only one garage sale but it didn't have anything I couldn't live without. I was disappointed but satisfied with the pictures that I had taken.

I really feel bad that I never got a picture of that old barn before it had been torn down as I had been wanting to do that for about a year. It taught me a valuable lesson though...if you see something you'd like to get a picture of...don't wait because it may not be there when YOU'RE finally ready.

I think that's a good lesson for all of us in many ways.

I hope you have a wonderful day.

Maura :)

Garden Memories

I'm looking forward to having a cottage garden again one day.

These are photo's of the garden my Hubby and I  

made when we lived in the city.

This was by far the ugliest house on the block when my husband bought it in 1999. Nearly 4 years later we built on the covered porch, put up the picket fence and arbor and started planting the gardens. Five years later we moved.

Now we live in a little Farm Cottage with no cottage garden.

Yet.

This was a wonderful place to sit and enjoy the garden and the fragrance from the roses. Most were from David Austin and if you are lucky enough to have some of his roses you know what I'm talking about.

These pictures were taken a couple of years before the roses had covered the trellis at the end of the porch.

David Austin roses in the garden were

1) Abraham Darby

2) Sombreuil

3) Zepherine Drouhin

4) Mme Isaac Pereire

5) Anne Boleyn

I am joining Mary at Little Red House for Mosaic Monday.

I hope you will stop over to Mary's and see all the other wonderful Mosaics she has to show you. 

Enjoy your gardens if you have one and if not...I hope you have one in your future.

Have a wonderful week!

Maura :) 

Cottage Bedrooms

Cottage

What is it about the word 'COTTAGE' that we love?

I looked up the meaning of the word 'cottage' and depending on what you are looking for...here are are a few of the definitions.

COTTAGE HOME

A small, single storied house especially in the country.

(check)

COTTAGE STYLE

Exudes charm and comfort

(I think so)

COTTAGE BEDDING

Has comfort and warmth

(comfort yes... warmth...depends on the season!

 I think the word 'cottage' has different meanings for different people.

In my case...I live in a small single storied home in the country. Not everyone lives in such a small home or lives in the country...but yet to them their home is a 'cottage'.

These cottage style bedrooms EXUDE Charm and Comfort

don't you think? 

I'm seeing a pattern here in my choices of photo's.

It seems I really like white or light coloured bedding and light airy rooms!

(Our guest room)

I'm working on our guest bedroom. I haven't done a thing to it other than paint before we moved in, everything is what we had before and it's in here because it needed a place to go if I was going to keep it.

I've got to paint the wicker bench at the end of the bed and I'm trying to decide if I should paint some other things...like the natural pine and green dresser...the wicker and metal chair and the hardest decision to make is whether to paint that little vanity with mirror. It's dark oak. I'm REALLY having trouble with that one.

I WILL spray paint that floor lamp base next to the bed white. 

Anyway...I think I've asked before but I would REALLY like your imput on what you would do if it was YOUR room.

Don't be shy...just say what you think. Give me your ideas.

Here's a few more photo's of the room.

So there you have it.

I hope you've enjoyed looking at those first cottage bedrooms.

I look forward to seeing what your ideas are for our guest room and I hope you have a WONDERFUL Thursday.

Maura :)

HOT HOT HOT!

Big old elm tree on the farm

(You can click on the pictures to enlarge them)

It's been HOT here in Kansas...which makes it difficult to get outside and take pictures. Most times I'll just go out and take a bunch of pictures and then create a post from them.

Well  I just can't seem to drag myself outside to do that. If it weren't for feeding critters checking for eggs watering the garden weeding (which I haven't done much of lately) and picking vegetables...I'd stay put inside!

So today I thought I'd share with you some photo's I had taken within the last month.

They're just random shots of this and that...some around the farm and a few in town.

South pasture

More south pasture

Wild Geranium? I don't know what it is but that's what the leaves look like and it grows in the grass in the pasture and around the farm.

Our lilac lane. It's beautiful when the lilacs are blooming.

Old fencing.

Fresh mowed pasture

Mail box with corn field across the road

Hubby came across this behind our chicken coop

A couple of weeks later. We could only see two babies.

I love the wagon!

These photo's are of a house in town that I took a few pictures of around the 4th of July.

It's a BEAUITUFUL old Victorian with LOTS of fancy details that I would love to photograph.

One day I'll knock on their door and ask permission to take pictures for my blog!

See the shingles on the third floor!

A little closer look at the porch and landscaping.

I hope you enjoyed your little tour of the farm and this beautiful home.

Hopefully the weather will cool off enough to get out and get some good pictures for you.

Enjoy your day...stay cool if it's hot where you are

and be safe.

Maura :)