Rose Cottage Ltd

And some tired campers around the lake. Hot, hot weather this weekend – the lake looks like a “cool” way to spend a little time…

And there is always some extra time for that all-important weekend nap!

…and a friendly reminder…

Warm weather means more people will be getting outdoors and into some great Summer activities like hiking, swimming, skiing, and fishing. If you’ve not been able to get out much over the past few months – now is your chance to get your body moving and healthy.

BUT, please keep in mind that it is also “snake season.”

This guy (I’m guessing here!), is a Northern Water Snake and resides in my lake in North Carolina – and he has a few other relatives living here as well. This snake is NOT poisonous – but some in the water are so be careful – particularly in lakes, ponds, and in some shallow river areas. The Northern Water Snake certainly resembles a Copperhead – which is poisonous – but you won’t find many Copperheads who like water.

I wrote a post on the web site about some other snake run-ins which might prove of interest to those venturing out to “the wilds” of the country this Summer. I try to keep a sense of humor about snakes since I know for the one I saw, there were five others I didn’t.

No reason for paranoia – just be safe and use common sense – particularly if you are visiting an area that is not familiar to you. If you aren’t sure about what snakes live where – ask someone who does know – before you go…

I’m also going to encourage you yet again to get some of this Neem-based spray – it is also available as a gel. This stuff DOES repel chiggers and it works just as well on ticks. I don’t leave the house without it in warm weather and if I DO happen to forget – the chiggers remind me fast enough.

Be safe – and have fun this Memorial Day Weekend!

I never know what I might find around here some days. Yesterday it was this:

I felt a little sorry for this frog. According to my weather station, it hit 99 degrees here yesterday. That glass, though only in filtered sunlight, had to be warm.

Surprisingly, the new goslings are still here as well. The family has been spending a little more time in the lake than on shore. The water here is probably a lot cooler than in the shallow lagoon on the property next door – where they were staying end of last week. The other adult geese seem to give the new family a wide berth as they move around the property.

Wouldn’t you?

And it’s a beauty! Smells better than it looks!

Every once in awhile gardening efforts really pay off – and prove they are always worth it…

After 5 weeks on the nest and a successful “hatching” on May 19th, the new goose family has moved on to the (next door) greener pasture!

After spending some time yesterday studying their surroundings, the new goose arrivals were off with their Mom – and Dad who remains on the other side of the fence – to a lagoon at the back of the property next door. Considering the fact that there are around 22 adult geese on my lake, taking the children to the quiet lagoon is probably a very good idea.

They don’t stay around very long once hatched, and will look entirely different when I see them next, most likely in about 6 weeks, but they sure are cute!

More updates and images when they return – hopefully the new 4 will survive the next two months or so…

…or rather just out – of the egg!

The one little sleepy looking goose in the middle is about 4 hours behind the rest of his siblings in hatching and looks like he’s not sure about being in the world just yet!

He, or she, is actually still sitting in the egg at the moment…

Here is a GREAT purchase, on sale, and you can still get it in time to enjoy over the upcoming Memorial Day weekend!

The Eco-explorer Boat – rugged and inflatable, turns ordinary excursions on lakes, ponds, or calm seas into educational water explorations you’ll never forget.

A saltwater-resistant, 300,000-candlepower submersible light lures water creatures near so you can see them through the boat’s clear-vinyl floor window. When deflated, it packs compactly for travel.

Check out National Geographic’s Gear and Gadget Sale! Save as much as 50%!

I’ve been a big water drinker all my life – even back in the day when water was just for drinking and not a fashion statement. I was fortunate to have grown up in a town that had really good drinking water – some of you might remember – this is water straight from the tap.

Right now I have well water and what I drink also comes through a reverse osmosis filter – just to be on the safe side. Well water does have its own requirements for filtering which I wrote about awhile back. So what’s my point?

I spent a day or two in a city in Virginia earlier this week. I’d driven up – taking several bottles of water from my house with me – and had drained those during the trip from NC. I had the glare headache I always get from driving so I drank a glass of tap water to take two aspirin on arrival – and that water was nasty.

This water source happened to be at my Mom’s house which really annoys me. I have had some periodontal (gum) issues and am very sensitive to chlorine – and this tap water was full of it I guarantee. I don’t want my Mom drinking this stuff. I’m going to encourage her to put a filter – at least for drinking water at the sink – on her list of “musts” this year. I may even buy her a filter for her birthday in June. The unfiltered water she is drinking was that bad.

It is very aggravating to think that so many people are being fed this chemical on a regular basis or that they have to do something extra to avoid it. It also explains the massive explosion in the bottled water industry since I was drinking that clear, clean tap water in the 1970s. I believe we’ve been manipulated yet again.

Take a moment, if you are on a city water system, to think about the chemicals that might be in your drinking water. Get it tested if you can, and at least think about getting a counter filtration system for your home. If you have kids with new teeth and growing bodies, this is even more important.

Brita water filtering units are compact and inexpensive. I’ll write a post soon on what system I have here and also on some other units that may be right for your home. If you’ve found you drink less water than you used to which is not a good thing, there may be a reason – the water at your home’s tap may not be worth drinking.

Sometimes I get tired of shopping just for garden items I really need or for things that have a planned purpose. Once and awhile it is nice to buy something because you want it or just for fun. Here are a few ideas on “fun stuff” items from Plow & Hearth and a savings coupon code as well!

Kissing Fairy On Tree Branch

Small Wheelbarrow Planter
30-1/4″L x 13-1/2″W x 11″H

Eclipse Talavera Wall Plaque

Gold Sun Wall Hanging

6′ Cedar Bridge
6′L x 29″W x 19″H

BirdCam 2.0 with Flash

Notice that the new wisteria is getting to prime-time growth season:

The way this thing is growing, it may be wrapped around the entire house by Fall 2011!