Mowing & Cutting

 Last visit to Old Farm, the lawn missed being mowed and was 44" high! Time for the sit down Huskvarna mower & catcher. The champ.

We have not installed a lawn sprinkler system here to remain conservative, which shows when there is little rain. Everything pink, white, red & purple was in bloom. The Summer Wine Ninebark Physocarpus, Peony Festiva Maxima - white with scarlet, and trumpeted red Weigela in the back gardens. 

Cut flowers...

Christian still mows his 7 manicured acres here. Go Christian.

Flowers from a friend's farm....

This week we had 13 more trees cut down at Leif's MCM house, which will give our three houses here plenty of firewood this winter. Most is Ash to burn without sitting a year. The trees are dropped, cut to length and branches chipped for mulch by Ceko Landscaping. A great crew with terrific pricing. We have now felled about 50 trees here. Left; small last tree down.

A Second Bathroom

Soon it will be lovely to have a second bathroom here to share with guests. Both have new windows, floors, high gloss vanities & toilets etc., some matching and mostly white. 

Leif & Bill installed the remaining plumbing & parts. Glass shelves, Grohe hardware & marble accessories will finish the space.

Five light sconce here.

The first bathroom here...

New glass in large; full width window below...

Nantucket & A Fun Fourth!

We spent this 4th of July in Nantucket strolling the fabulous cobblestone streets packed with architectural inspiration for shingled homes like Old Farm. Fast ferries are 10 min. from the house making a day trip fun.

Cliff Rd. which overlooks the harbor is full of lovely homes.

The visit helps fuel our drive to power wash, plant & prune back at the house...

Our deck is built under a huge old oak tree which shades it naturally. I power washed it with a machine bought on fbm while Bill chipped a huge pile of pruned branches for mulch. His garden stone, seats and planters are so lovely here.

We also planted a large Annabel Hydrangea near the back door, which we use most. The combination of Nikko Blue and Annabel Hydrangeas planted together in Nantucket was gorgeous.

Our blue hydrangeas this year are insanely abundant in blooms. Hydrangeas lose and gain 1/3 of their branches new each year unless a severe cold winter kills all blooms, making the 3rd yr. of recovery remarkable - like these.

Replacing Windows

The windows in Leif's Acorn Deck house built in 1972, were original when he bought it and all double paned. This week he is having another group of large windows replaced in renovated rooms, which are beautiful.

Kitchen.

Before...

Side bedroom window for future upgrade & large one of two replaced.

Dining Room with glass all around.

Even the glass transom to the screened porch was replaced; biggest piece of glass in the house...

The living room & dining room glass doors were replaced earlier. This house is all about the glass & views.

New view of the house...

Summer Studio Open House

Update Above: What I bought at the Summer Studio Open House. Nicholas Newcomb planter & Maxwell Mustardo vase. Gorgeous!

A favorite garden stone by Bill.

Recycling A Trellis

We have brought home three trellises removed from the roof at Old Farm in order to replace it. Two were trimmed to 5' x 7.5' closed rectangles to mount on the side of Leif's house - now most obvious with 40 large trees taken down. The large trellis has been cut to 3 pieces to blanket the garden shed.

Originally, I called a Nantucket builder for info to build high quality trellis parts; 1 1/4" ripped #1 grade cedar boards we squared and secured with 1 3/4" stainless nails at every overlap from behind. After power washing, we will paint them a French cream like color in Benjamin Moore Woodluxe solid stain. Nantucket Sconset house & trellises below:

The old big roof trellis...

A Princeton University 50th Reunion

As retired PU Class of '75 Reunion Chairs, we attend this Class 50th Reunion with deep appreciation for the unique traditions and labor involved while helping when possible. The updated banner I created for the 25th, now hangs on Blair Arch facing our Reunions site. A first.

Soon our Class returns wearing the Class fabric I designed for the 25th, although this year, all receive vests for future years of hot weather. 

Vest & shorts I made for our grandson to wear to the "Prade" (black tiger heads up for men).

New silk scarves & pocket squares were made featuring some 25th Reunion artwork as well.

The theme "Roaring Back To Reunions" comes true with over 400 attendees arriving on campus starting 5/22.

Our Class dinner will be held in front of the new art museum where Bill's garden stones will be sold in the store soon!

419 members of the Class attended!

Alex Donner; Best contemporary dance band and name, Class member playing without break!

We couldn't stop dancing, and the Crew joined in.