morning tea time

Taking a moment... for a cup of morning tea overlooking some of the gardens at the Gardeners Cottage

cabinets

Often I seem obsessed with cups and bowls and plates and dishes of all kinds. How lucky that there are a handful of kitchens here to stock and then re-stock with these lovelies. There is a shifting and sharing this time of year, and such fun in creating new groupings.

So if you arrive at a community kitchen or are staying at one of the cabins and you seem to be missing your favorite tea cup, don't worry, it is still somewhere here On Olive Street. It's just having a visit and being a part of a new adventure in another residence's cabinet.

This very often happens with furniture too, as you might notice.

Simply without the cabinets, of course

self-serve tea

The studio space at the Sugar Tree Cottage will be unavailable until sometime in mid-June, so the tea spot has been moved to the porch at the Perkins House.

It is currently BYOWater - as I can not be relied upon to bring freshies every day at this point, and you should maybe BYOCup too....   so really all I'm providing is some tea and a way to heat water, along with a place to sit; but the flowers should be blooming soon, and the sound of the brook is always amazing, so a sit down will do your soul good. 

Feel free to take your cup of tea across the street and enjoy it on the porch of the Gardener's Cottage instead if you wish.

Just remember, the grounds are under construction still...  be careful where you walk, and be aware that progress related eyesores are present. Just overlook them and find beauty where you may.

the force of water

We, like many others in the area, had downpours of rain yesterday. Hayden Brook filled and swelled and raged past, and for a bit of time flowed ... yes, flowed... under and around the Sugar Tree cottage itself. 

Other than a sprint I took up the small hill to Hayden Street when someone called to say the roof of the Tower House was on fire - it wasn't, but a tree branch had fallen and ignited itself on the powerlines by the neighbor's, and from the individual's perspective it looked as if flames were coming from the TH roof - the strong winds and continuing rain made me think it best to stay sheltered and not venture too far in the dark of night.

The sun risen and the rain ceased, the brook has now returned to the confines of its path, though still quite high; and the banks indeed quite reshaped. 

On this morning's walk I found the heavy metal bridge frame at the Gardeners Cottage bent and twisted, and looking like it fought it's hardest against the water, ice, and tree branches the brook had accumulated along it's way.  

challenge for the bees

 

We've said it before... we love bees. We very much want to invite lots of happy bees to pollinate and buzz around our plants and gardens on Olive Street! And wouldn't it be cool to make our own honey...someday?

Personally, I am allergic to certain bees and wasps (doesn't prevent me from being friendly with them and housing Mason Bees et cetera though!) Well MOFGA is offering a three part webinar on beekeping for beginers starting in January... so here's the dealio: if you apply and are accepted for the 2023 Gardeners Cottage position, an artists residency, or Lakewood housing, and you take this course, we will reimburse you (at the $40 level) for it. If you commit to be a volunteer and complete a minimum of 100 hours by the end of the season, and you take this course, we will reimburse you for it.

Helps our project, helps the bees, helps the planet. A worthy investment for sure!

Read more about the course here

October on Olive Street

October is such a beautiful time of year! It brings with it slowing down and a chance to breathe in the cool air. The bright flowers of summer give way to the muted colors of mums, the squirrels start to get a little more serious with thier gathering. On Olive Street it means the transition from the summer season to the winter and the change of activities.  A tiny flea market in being planned to take place at the Tower House this month, as we let a few things from storage go and offer handmade goods from the Sugar Tree Cottage. [contact me if you would like to set up a table here as well]   We are also still seeking volunteers for Halloween to decorate, dress up, and hand out goodies perhaps.... and if there is enough interest we could do a haunted house! Or two or three even? 

November will see us continuing projects, including the repairs to the bridge for my Sugar Tree Cottage, so we can again be welcoming nordic skiiers in for hot chocolate this winter; and the small studio space will be available. Studio space will also be opened at the Tower House. What comes next after that is shifting the Perkins House on it's axis to set a little further back from the corner, and make way perhaps for planting more apple trees next May. Through the rest of the winter the Brook House will be completed, as well as the new Gardeners Cottage... and maybe another surprise or two. 

Right now we are enjoying the last few opportunities to dine at the Lakewood Inn Restaurant, and looking forward to the actor's awards banquet for Lakewood Theater in a couple of weeks. Though that side of the brook gets sleepy soon, we remain to watch the ice and snow arrive, and melt again. Cozy in our cottages