Category: On The Stump

  • My New Favorite Lunch Spot

    My New Favorite Lunch Spot

    Today I visited my new favorite lunch spot. No, it’s not an eatery, though if I had to choose one it would be Newtown Deli and Catering. The food is great but more than that the folks that work there give a sense of warmth and kindness. I’m a big fan of the Fiesta Salad…

  • Blustery New England Spring

    Blustery New England Spring

    This morning the temperature is in the low 50s and the wind is howling. It feels like the low to mid-40s. Last night was in the mid-30s, just barely above frost. I built a fire to take the chill out of the house. Two days ago we had rain in the morning, overcast in the…

  • Problem Solving.  That’s what I do!

    Problem Solving. That’s what I do!

    I had a meeting with a prospective client yesterday to discuss a design for the front of their home. When I drove up their driveway one thought came to my mind. This the most challenging space I will ever design. I stepped out of my car looked at the landscape and the ideas started to…

  • There’s A Second Bunny!

    There’s A Second Bunny!

    Theo, our Great Pyrenees rescue, barks defiantly into the wickedness of the dark night. Ever vigilant, Theo comes from a long line of guardians, livestock guardians. His breed has been trained for generations to bark at any sign of a threat to the herd. Whether that threat is a pack of wolves, wild dogs, or…

  • What It’s Like to Be a Creative

    What It’s Like to Be a Creative

    I don’t know what the Merriam-Webster definition of being ‘A Creative’ is. I’m going to define it by what my gut tells me because that’s how creative people do things. What is a Creative Being a creative means that you have an artistic side and like to create artistic things. Artistic things can go in…

  • New England Landscape Photography

    New England Landscape Photography

    Some photos I’d like to share with you. No worries if amateur photography isn’t your thing. If it is, I hope you enjoy. Click on the pictures to open at full size. Snowy Morning New England Barn through Icy Window Holzhausen in the Snow New England Winter Sunset Angelic Wings Intimate Angelic Wings

  • Plants are People Too!

    Plants are People Too!

    Today I spotted flowers on a stewartia seedling in the yard. I was beyond ecstatic. I felt the rush only gardeners and adrenaline junkies know. There was something special about those flowers. The flowers were flatter,brighter and more delicate than the parent. A flower on the parent stewartia (Stewartia pseudocamellia). The parent Stewartia growing in…

  • Look Out Any Window

    Look Out Any Window

    I woke today before 6 am and walked around the yard. The alarm didn’t wake me, the sun told me it was time to greet the day. I saw a hummingbird gathering itself on the arbor, as it does every morning at sunrise. The hummingbird wraps its feet around the wire on the top right-hand…

  • First Shade Day 2021

    First Shade Day 2021

    This year First Shade Day landed on May 6, 2021. If you are confused as to what First Shade Day is please read my first post on First Shade Day. I almost pulled the trigger on First Shade Day a week ago but the shade wasn’t quite deep enough. It’s been a very odd year…