Figs are finally here........

I was able to buy two little baskets of fresh figs, first of the season, from my farmer friend at last Saturday's market.
This evening I'm making fig preserves.................and in the morning I'll be spreading some delectable fruit on my English muffin.

Two little baskets only make a week's worth of jam!

My own fig tree, planted two years ago, is still so tiny, maybe 3 feet tall. However, I see a handful of figs ripening and they will be eaten fresh some day soon, alongside mascarpone cheese drizzled with wildflower honey...........if get them before the birds.

There is a huge, perhaps 3o foot tall, fig tree in my neighborhood, a real beauty.......loaded with fruit. Last year while standing and admiring it from the street, the owner came out, we chatted about his gorgeous tree. He said, "wait a minute", headed into the house and came back with a jar of fig preserves made by his wife. It was the most fabulous figgy jam ever.

I sent a polite thank you note full of admiration for his tree, his figs, his wife's cooking skills, his generosity........did he give refills, just kidding!

Should I stand in the road again this year, gazing up at their figs, dangling in huge tempting clusters? Or should I call and ask if they would sell me some figs to make jam? Or will I just pray he'll see me hanging about and come trotting out, jar of golden figgy jam in hand..............that's wishful thinking!

I need to stir the pot.....it's looking good and smells divine.
See you for breakfast!!

Summer goodbyes.......

As Summer wanes the garden takes on a new persona. One is inclined to mourn the fast-fading flowers. The roses surprise with a seemingly last spurt, then wave goodbye. The coleus goes to seed but will flower until the first frost. The baskets brimming over with Boston Ferns look brittle, their green more muted - but the birds still love them and peck busily at what must be mealtime ants.

The flags of Summer will be lowered soon. Recalling our own days on the blue waters of beautiful Northern California Lake Almanor, the liquid pleasures of boating, sailing, paddling, rowing......even just sitting and looking.....provide indelible memories great enough to take us through the coming cool seasons.

Gazing about the garden I am ready to welcome Autumn. I look forward to the beauty it bestows upon us. Here in beautiful North Carolina we are fortunate to have so many trees which change color...................so bring on the gold, red, yellow and orange. I'm ready for a wonderful new season.

Are you a lover of Autumn?

Do you prefer cool weather to hot?

How about dressing for the Fall........do you like donning a cuddly sweater, snuggling into socks and tall boots?

Friendly Farm - Fabulous Family

Driving North from San Francisco the scenery changes with each hot and dusty mile. Heading towards Lake Almanor's deep blue waters surrounded by tall pines and silver mountains, we stopped to see both old and new friends.

Arriving first in the town of Willows, surrounded by orchards and rice fields, we visited Delores Amaro's lovely shop, 'Gathering Better Junque' - shown in my recent posts. How excited we were when she kindly invited us to her charming farmhouse for a cool drink, and more!

All around this amazing farm, and it's quaint outbuildings, were collections of the most wonderful rustic stuff. Fences, bed springs, an entire iron bed just waiting for a tired guest, signs, birdhouses, farm implements, crates, planters.......and the most beautiful flowers. Corey, Tongue in Cheek has often told us on her blog that her mom is the Queen of Junque.........and you better believe it!

Stepping into the spotless, cozy and welcoming farmhouse, we were thrilled to meet not only Sacha, Corey & Yann's delightful son visiting from Provence for the Summer................but six of Delores' younger grandchildren, several of whom you've often seen beautifully photographed on Corey's blog.

Molly, George, Maci, Sacha, Jasmin, Gina

Warren & Kate

Sacha and Jasmin

Delores insisted we try her fresh baked blackberry pie - forgot to photograph it in all the excitement but can tell you it was fabulous!

This was such a wonderful treat, meeting these charming people and being so warmly welcomed. Thank you Delores. Sacha - if you read this, enjoy your remaining Summer days and then safe journey home to France.

Leaving Willows, we headed to Chico.

Here we were thrilled to meet up again with Corey's cousins Judy and Chris. We first met in Aix-en-Provence last October when they were visiting Corey and family, and where we spent a day with them, browsing the market, the brocante, eating lunch, and generally having a fun time. Judy and Chris' beautiful California home was featured in Romantic Homes magazine last year - dressed for Christmas and photographed by Corey Amaro.

Judy and Chris made us so welcome, more cool drinks, and a tour of their charming home with really fabulous collections. The garden was bountiful, brimming over with vegetables and flowers. Our visit was, unfortunately, too short. The hot road called and our friends at Lake Almanor were waiting our arrival. Judy, I long to return and look more closely at everything you have lovingly collected, and spend more time with you both!

We left with a huge box of fresh picked veggies - including the best tasting tomatoes ever. Thanks so much for everything.

What do you miss?

When you are away from home, traveling through the distant corners of your country.................or another land................what do you miss most about your home?

I have been traveling often this year with only brief moments to spend doing the things I love around my little cottage.

Most of all I missed our front porch, the welcoming entry to our cozy home, the one place where I truly feel 'at home'.

Paint is peeling.............................

................blooms are fading..................

..........crystal needs washing..........

.......................and someone moved in while we were gone!

This is one of the feral kitties in the neighborhood - his/her(?) mom is a short haired black cat, dad perhaps the big chunky grey guy with folded ears who lurks in the garden. The animal control officer has tried in vain to catch these kitties, they are smart!

We had to chase this one off for several reasons when we returned last week, mainly because a lot of sweet birds visit our porch!

The new Spring titmouse kids have decided they love hanging about here - they seem to find scrumptious mealtime bugs on our hanging ferns, so no kitties allowed.

Back home, happy, daydreaming. Planning things for cooler Autumn days when it's pleasant to be busy about the house and garden............and I can give the porch a much needed makeover.

"Gathering" Treasures - Part II

Back at Delores and Holly's shop Gathering in Willows, CA we strolled through the shop out into the pretty patio/garden area in back. This space was full of outdoor treasures, planters overflowing with brilliant, trailing greenery, birdhouses and feeders, chairs, old ladders, watering cans and cute painted signs.

Driving to the town of Willows we had passed thousands of green acres. Rolling away from the hot, dusty highway were orchards, miles and miles of them. Fruits we all love, peaches, apricots, nectarines, and almond trees. More dusty green acres of olive trees reminded me of Tuscany and the South of France. The rows went on forever, neat, straight, formal. Then we saw the rice fields............bright green and damp, emitting coolness in the 100 degrees of midday. Knowing the Amaro family grew rice, I knew we were close to town.

Loved the cow mobile!


It was hard to leave this lovely shop. The heart-shaped piece of slate on the old metal chair had special meaning for me..........it proclaimed that this was a little place saturated with much love for the old, rescued and restored pieces of America's heartland. It was tended with loving hands, creative minds, and warm hearts. I hope I can return some day in the not too distant future.

Give a girl a camera...............

All images by Jasmin, age 12.
Words by grandma, age, not telling!!!!

I know I've mentioned before how handing a child a camera can be very exciting. On a long road trip such as our recent one in the West, traveling granddaughter, Jasmin, made good use of her point and shoot digital.

Like all kids today, technology comes easily to her. I spend endless minutes trying to figure out the intricacies of color change, color accent, what have you, and by then the image I longed to catch is ten miles back along the road!

On returning home and editing the hundreds of pics taken, I discovered that Jasmin photographed the long, straight roads, and often sameness of the passing landscape, not only with blurred images of fields and mountains, but also with these...............back seat self portraits!

She may be young and full of fun. Sometimes listening to music and singing. Sometimes she's serious. But give her a camera and she's off and running, capturing amazing images in the blink of an eye..............and you never know what color that eye may be!

Above shows the natural color of Jasmin's pretty eyes.

This reminds me of a layout you might see in Vogue magazine!

I would suggest you give your child, or grandchild, a camera when traveling a long distance by car. Not only will they escape possible boredom, they may surprise you with their creativity........and then agree to share their secrets, and the ins and outs of those hi-tech cameras!

Pink Saturday in Northern California

On my way North to stay with our oldest, dearest friends at their beautiful lakeside Summer home on Lake Almanor, I also visited with other friends. These lovely people are fairly new on my friendship list having met them through blogging!

As I mentioned in my last post, in the small farming town of Willows, on a near 100 degree afternoon, I was thrilled to meet Corey Amaro's lovely mother Delores. Many of you already follow Corey's exciting life in Provence through her well known blog Tongue in Cheek, and you may have have read her articles published in Romantic Homes and other national magazines. I met Corey in France last October. When she knew I would pass through Willows, her home town, she told me about her mom's shop and we planned a quick stop there.

Delightful Delores Amaro outside her fabulous shop,

Gathering Better Junque - Willows, California.

Pink French toile pillows with those lovely wide floppy edges.

The shop was fabulous. Be sure to stop by if you are ever in the vicinity. Delores and her business partner Holly had done a marvelous job decorating and displaying their many treasures. Now I know where Corey's fabulous decorating gene came from, her mom of course!

Lots of pink signs in the pretty outside patio area.

I absolutely fell for this really old, really palest pink, vintage bread box.

I purchased a few treasures to take to my friend for her lake house. The gift I received for myself was Delores' very kind invitation to stop by her adorable farm house and meet her special grandchildren - more later on that!

Hope everyone has a fabulous Pink Saturday. Be sure to visit Beverly, our hostess, at How Sweet The Sound to see more pink from around the world.