Sunday, July 11, 2010

While I'm Away

I've been house sitting for friends since Thursday while they vacation at the Cape. Staying at their place in a rural town an hour away from home is like a vacation for me, too - new surroundings, the benefit of pets (a friendly dog, a dignified cat, and a noisy bird), and a house with two stories! I never thought I'd miss stairs and walls (and until I'm in a house that has a proliferation of both, I don't).


KK on the pond trail

This place has an enormous back yard that consists of a manicured meadow with mowed paths that meander past patches of raspberries and blueberries and arrive at a small pond covered in lily pads.

 I've seen turtles sunning themselves on a log and a great blue heron who is camera shy.

Closer to the house are several manicured gardens with a maze of bright flowers. Pots of pansy faces smile at me from either side of the gate, hummingbirds buzz over the bee balm, sunny yellow black-eyed susans and clumps of shasta daisies nod in the wind. 




KK the dog and Cooper the cat follow me everywhere (in KK's case, she leads and I follow once she knows where I'm headed). The bird chirps merrily whenever I come back into the house.
Cooper and KK waiting for me to catch up

I always spend some time trying to figure out how I relate to the surroundings I find myself in. The trees here are friendly, the house kept its opinion to itself until I'd been in it a couple of days (it seems to like me well enough now) and the flowers so love to bloom here that they smile constantly.


Yesterday a storm put an end to the oppressive heat; the sky this morning looked like it had had its face washed. Now, at eventide, a golden mist is hovering over the meadow, a train is rumbling past on tracks that border the meadow, and all is well in my little world.




I'll be home in a week. I feel as though I've been gone from home more than I've been there. My gardens will require hours of weeding. The beans should be ready to pick. Perhaps there will be squash ready and a cuke or two. Summer sun, summer bounty, and home. Perfect!

10 comments:

Brian Miller said...

what a wonderful backyard...would have loved the opportunity to explore it...glad the heat broke as well...mid 80s today here...nice.

Tabor said...

House sitting at a little resort. Sounds lovely to me.

molly said...

They say a change is as good as a rest; it sounds like a great place to have a rest.....
You are making marvelous use of that new camera!

Teri said...

I, too, just spent a week away from home house-sitting my daughter's place so I know what you are talking about. It is nice to get away for just a bit, isn't it? Nothing really staring at you that needs to be done immediately and when you get home, unfortunately, there is lots to do.

Pauline said...

Brian - the yard is glorious; full of berries and birds

Tabor - lovely it is, and a delightful place to "vacation"

Molly - ah the camera! I opt most often for automatic focus since I've not taken the time to read the manual!

Teri - thanks for stopping by. I think you've noted the best part of being here - nothing is calling out for me to do! It's a nice change from home that way ;)

Flea said...

Oh my, I want to live at a place like that!!

20th Century Woman said...

What beautiful photos!

Pauline said...

AD, it is indeed beautiful!

Thanks, 20th. I have this new camera and I am a slow learner but auto focus was made for people like me ;)

Sky said...

wow - lucky you! and lucky friends of yours to be able to travel and know their precious pets are lovingly cared for. everybody wins.

Hilary said...

It sounds like the perfect place to be.