Lazy Girl in Orient - Summer of '24

 The Joys of a Great Niece

"Come in, Aunt Carol," said Zephyr, my great niece, as she explored the Big, Fenced-In Garden at the far end of my Orient cottage yard. The Garden is enclosed in a tall, kind of chicken-wire fencing strung between wood posts to keep the deer out. Zephyr is two and has a wonder of everything. In the garden are black-eyed Susans, Queen Anne's Lace, and blue chicory. It has a kind of blousy look, like a meadow gone wild. There's a raspberry bush in there too. Bunny, who hangs out in the Big Fenced-In Garden, darted out among the black-eyed Susans, trying to escape.

I am in the Big, Fenced-In Garden where Bunny likes to hide.

Zephyr, Sarah (her momma), Jeanne-o and I explored the whole yard. We walked to the Gazebo covered in an old wisteria vine.

There's a Secret Garden on one side of the house paved in brick. We saw white flowers that had fallen to the ground. They looked, to me, like damp tutus abandoned by little ballet dancers. 

A feature of the Secret Garden is milkweed. 

Milkweed attracts monarch butterflies.

I found a tiny apple under the apple tree and told Zephyr that deer like to eat the apples. I gave the apple to Zephyr, and she put it in her pocket. "I have the deer's apple," she said. I reassured her that there were plenty more apples for the deer who did visit that evening to eat a few.

Zephyr in her crocs shows me her treasures. The tiny apple and a sprig of hydrangea.

Tea-Party Time

Zephyr and I had a tea party at Jeanne's house.

We had a cup of tea with milk and sugar.

Polly attended too.

I demonstrated to Zephyr the proper way to hold a pinkie while drinking tea.

Bye-bye for now. Here is my bike in my backyard

with my new bike vase.

Just parking.

I did not shop at the Candyman.

A Bientôt!