Mon Bouquet du Jour

It's raining outside.

 I am happy.

The planned picnic will be inside today. 

We need the rain.

Hansel is standing watch over Gretel who is across the pond sitting on her nest.  

Can you see her, way across the pond?  

My Pheasant Eye Daffodils love the rain. 

And so do I.

Have an extra special weekend my dear Friends. 

Gina

Merry Cristmas Tree

Every year, just before Christmas, we plan a picnic with our Friends, Christine and Steven, and cut our Christmas Trees.

From the quiet forest near our house.

Not until we placed our tree in its usual spot did we notice the many missing  branches.

Not even my largest ornaments will cover the holes.

I'm actually happy that the best trees are still in my mountains.

Only next year we'll pick our tree AFTER the Salty Dogs.

Merry Christmas my dear Blogging Friends.

Gina

P. S. By the way, Christine and Steven have a perfectly beautiful Christmas Tree.

It rained Sunday but we went on a picnic anyway

But first, there were chores to finish

Red Currants needed to be picked

And put up in jars to be served with Game, a European tradition.

 Labels have to be affixed

The owl is still watching over my cherry tree

(hey, look out little fellow)

Still so many cherries to pick.  I canned some of them for winter pies.

Some went into little tartlets for our picnic in the mountains

Three bites and they're gone.

Two Quiches made with Zucchini, Onions, Bacon, Curly Kale, Provolone cheese and eggs from the chicken coop.

All done by 11:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning.

Christine

So we could go to the mountains and have a wonderful and rainy Sunday picnic with our charming friends, Christine and Steven.

We're all under there (minus the photographer Christine) holding up the paper roof with sticks...sharing a happy afternoon.

Gina

https://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Summer is for picnics

A gentle breeze was blowing

It was a perfect afternoon

 We promised our friends a picnic by the pond, under the old elm tree

We decided to surprise our friends

And moved the picnic table into our barn

The chickens wandered by, Stanley our gentleman cat, caught a mouse, which Charlie our big dog promptly stole and Lucy our Brittany sat in the shade watching birds and watching us.

The four of us sat and enjoyed the finest gazpacho, deviled eggs, a fantastic bean salad, chicken barbecued and infused with a wonderful smoky flavor, garlic bread and many bottles of bubbly, chilled to perfection. Every single item thoughtfully and expertly prepared by our friends Christine and Steven.

For dessert we had fresh blueberries topped with creme fraiche and sprinkled with Demerara sugar from the island of Mauritius.

Wishing you a lovely Sunday

Gina