The Cat Formerly Known as "Sweet Pea"

The fields near the cottage were a tangle of wild sweet peas when a little stray cat appeared at our doorstep. We named her “Sweet Pea”, and she was just as sweet as her name.

We fed her, watched her grow, and made a place for her in our home and in our hearts. Along the way, we shared many adventures ~ sunrises and sunsets, cat naps, nights by the fire, and a memorable trip to the vet for her shots. Imagine our surprise when the doctor announced that we had a very happy and healthy little boy cat. So “Sweet Pea” became just “P”.

The fields of bright Goldenrod flowers announced the end of summer, and time for “P” to leave. Sandy (owner of Swansdown Antiques) has taken him to live in the snugness of her Main Street apartment. Not only does he have a new home, but a new name~”Tux” (short for tuxedo, which Sandy says he looks as if he’s wearing). We are lonely for kitty, but are thankful he will not be spending another cold winter alone at the lake.

But she’ll ~ I mean he’ll always be “Sweet Pea” to me.
Marjorie

Camp or Cottage?

Our lakeside summer home has always been ~ "the Cottage".

When Aunt Margaret married Uncle Bob, and went to live in Vermont, she quickly adopted his way of calling the family cabin in the woods ~ "Camp".

Being an Easterner transported to California, I was thrilled to discover a shop in near-by Carmel Valley devoted to Camp and Cottage Lifestyle.

So, whenever I would get homesick, I would put on pink Minnetonka moccasins, and head out to Carmel Valley for a fix.

An old clunker of a truck was always parked out front of the shop, which consisted of a conplex of red clapboard farm sheds, which contained Molly's eccletic collection of: Adirondack, Twig and Hickory furniture; worn brown leather club chairs; primitive oil paintings;

Beacon and Hudson Bay blankets;

Feedsack pillows with colorful graphics, canoe paddles;

Skookum dolls; rustic lighting; birchbark souvenirs; baskets; vintage turquoise and silver trade pieces;

and other sundry trinkets. Tiny balsam bags with the scent of the forest were a popular take -home item.

The shop and yard are now empty, and a sign is posted which announces that the owner, Molly, has moved South. Come September, I see a road trip in my future.

Savoring my last few sunsets by the lake,

Marjorie

Three Bears Sited in Upstate New York

Once Upon a Time There were Three Bears. I know what you are thinking, that I am going to tell you the story of Goldilocks and her three furry friends. But, this story takes place in the sleepy hamlet of Ovid, New York (down the East side of Seneca Lake).

Here, on a knoll overlooking the village green are The Three Bears. This is the name that the locals have given to the Courthouse complex (Circa 1845 - 1860) ~ four-pillar Greek Revival buildings, built in descending size. In 1976, these architectural treasures were added to the National Register of Historic Places.

There's Papa Bear...

and Mama Bear...

And Here's Baby Bear!

No one was home the day I visited. But unlike Goldilocks, I didn't go in and make myself at home.

Perhaps, I was too early for tea!

That's the End of My Bear Story. I hope you enjoyed it.

Marjorie