Neighbors invited us to their house last month for a Sunday night dinner. They had moved from Maryland in 2002 and into the wife’s childhood home after her remaining parent had passed away. I had known both of her parents as they always signed any petition when I knocked on their door. They use to drive around in a golf cart when they were in their 80s. It was sad to see them pass on. I miss seeing him picking up trash on our road and I would go say hello. He would be proud to know that his daughter and son-in-law continue his tradition of picking up trash as I also do. I keep a long stick next to my mailbox on the opposite side of the road, just to move trash out of poison ivy patches. I think of him every time I do trash duty.
I first met the daughter and her husband shortly after they moved in and had a tag sale in their old tobacco barn.
I was surprised when I realized they were selling the metal horse from the weathervane that use to be on top of the old barn. I believe they wanted $25 and I only had $20 so I had to drive home to get an extra $5. (I know but I didn’t bargain with them because they were new neighbors!) I wanted to save this great piece of neighborhood history.
Anyway, we quickly became friends and have been for 15 years now. I do not know any couple that travels as much as they do from Argentina to Italy (every year) to points all over. They are constantly on the go and are in Mexico right now.
Anyway, the reason this diary even came about is that I was telling estreya about the couple and that when I would go for dinner, I would take photographs of what they do with their empty wine bottles and corks. I actually forgot my camera so these are from my IPhone.
There is a secret garden behind their house that has a private hot tub. While walking there, we passed what they call their flowing creek. (use your imagination :-)
many bottles line the path as edging
more bottles
Corks were used to cover the underside of their bar’s upper cabinets
these beautiful blue wine bottles are used as chimes
a sculpture with bottles
more chimes. they make a beautiful clanking sound when the wind is strong
they live in a beautiful historic 1870 Queen Anne style house, notice the double height bay windows. This is their side porch where they do all their entertaining. I especially like their French cafe lights on the porch that are on every night. Every single historic house in the neighborhood, including mine, has side porches, not front or rear. Being originally from down South, I find that odd as ours all had front porches.
the water fountain is always running when I’m there
These are the neighbors that have the blue berry patch where I pick every year. Some of the bushes are seen in the rear here. The bees are being housed for someone else.
This couple is extremely DIY. I love this planter box made from a pallet that has hanging succulents
She uses her kids’ old ski boots below as planters. On lots of winter weekends, they are skiing in Vermont, sometimes Canada. Summers they are kayaking or canoeing in upstate NY.
they grow grapes below and hops are grown on strings attached to one side of their barn. Every year their harvests are given to others who make wine and beer
The wife said that recently she was going through a box of rocks that her father had in the basement when she ran across this one that she is now using as a bird bath. I’ll trade her the horse weathervane back for this rock! Do you see the large dragonfly that it attracted?
This young lady is their new buddy. She was rescued from down south and lives very nicely now with her three cat housemates. A couple from PA that adopted her brother recently came for a visit so the two of them could have a few play dates.
the wife made guacamole from scratch working with a volcanic rock mortar and pestle. Then she made a salsa.
While she was making these, they served ground cherries!!!!! They were absolutely delicious and came from their own garden. They sent us home with a bag full of them. She said she grew them from seed so I’m on a mission next year
These plants and seed pods look exactly like the Chinese lanterns that I grow. Google let me know that I can eat the fruit from the lanterns also as they are from the same nightshade family. Although, the Chinese lantern’s unripened fruits are poisonous. I think I’ll stick with just ground cherries and grow some next year.
The husband grilled steaks and she made risotto. Add a salad with their own lettuce and tomatoes. Yup, she grows lettuce all season in wheelbarrows that she moves around and under shade trees to keep them from bolting in the hot sun. She had a full fall crop.
What a great meal, so what is left?
Ah, dessert! She was amazed that she could still harvest rhubarb (I was too as I thought it was just a spring crop). This is part of her rhubarb patch with his mother’s statue overlooking it.
fresh rhubarb and strawberry pie in a homemade crust.
she split the remaining pie with us for takeout
and since our good friend LIcenter recently mentioned that it was his favorite pie,
I saved a piece for him
So these are neighbors to my south. I didn’t get a chance to take photos of their vegetable gardens, flower beds or their pine forest where family friends camp. All on two+ acres! You have heard me talk for years about my neighbor, Buddha, who had been born in my house and lives to my north. Sometime I’ll have to share with you my neighbor’s yard across the road. When I first moved into my house, I met her for the first time while she was walking her pet goat, Charlie, on a dog’s leash down our road. She is now 87 and use to be a magazine editor in Manhattan. I live in a very interesting neighborhood.
So what is going on in your garden, neighborhood or world today?