Rose Cottage Ltd

It’s time for your next crab feast from CrabPlace.com.

Maryland crab season is in full swing and fantastic crabs are coming across the docks daily. Now is the perfect time for a crab feast!

+ Maryland Blue Crabs On Sale

But your Summer Seafood Extravaganza doesn’t have to stop there!

+ Buy Rockfish Online
+ Buy Salmon Online
+ Buy Flounder Online
+ Buy Red Snapper Online

Afraid to order steamed crabs online? Don’t be.

Read the review from my first CrabPlace.com order last year and know that there have been several orders since!

As hot and dry as it has been in North Carolina this year, it seems it IS better than 2011 – at least regarding rain. Here’s a comparison shot – 2011 is on the right, 2012 is on the left:

This is actually even better than it first appears. 2010 was the first real “drought” year since I purchased this property in 2001. This was followed by a rough year in 2011 playing “catch-up” on water – which never really did happen. To have more water in the lake this year means less chance of fish-kills and it seems to have slowed the growth of water meal and algae. You can read more about the causes of fish-kills in lakes on the web site.

Thank you Lord, or Mother Nature, for these rain gifts since so many people in the US are experiencing their 4th or 5th drought season. Although it cost me a 10-hour power outage Tuesday into Wednesday, that storm, and the storm last night, have added another 3.5″ of rain to the lake.

Have a great weekend!

I start this rant sometime in July almost every year. By the time you get to (nearly) August, the heat of summer weather has lost its charm and is just withering – sucking the life from almost everything and everyone. The one thing I can say is that summer heat – and humidity – do tend to get me moving faster since I schedule any optional appointments for as early in the day as I can get them!

Below are a few items that look very inviting on these 100+ degree dog-days of Summer!

I don’t know about you, but I can go through 3 or 4 pitchers of tea when it gets hot. I don’t have “official” sweet tea, but I am pretty heavy on fresh lemon – very refreshing and few calories for those who are watching them.

The Authentic Southern Sweet Tea Brewer

Here’s a neat item than may surprise your Summer guests!

This amusing remote-controlled cooler can roll across a patio, rug, or kitchen floor to deliver a well-timed beverage to parched party guests. With room for 12 cans or bottles and ice, the cooler rolls on four sturdy underside wheels up to 40′ from the host at the controls. The remote’s simple controls send the cooler forward, backward, and left or right. With sides of water-resistant insulated vinyl and a secure zippered lid, beverages stay cold for hours.

This is a VERY popular item – currently on back-order. Order yours now for August 20, 2012 shipment!

The Remote Controlled Rolling Beverage Cooler

This soft-serve processor instantly turns frozen fruit and other flavorings into a soft-serve treat.

The unit combines frozen bananas and any additional fruit or chocolate and instantly churns the ingredients to produce a treat with the texture of frozen yogurt or soft-serve ice cream, but without the additional fat, sugar, or preservatives. The chute easily accepts berries, sliced mango, or cantaloupe, and the integrated conical, spinning blade mashes and incorporates the fruit into a silky-smooth confection.

The Frozen Fruit Soft Serve Processor

If you’ve never experienced the positive cooling of one of these fans, now is a great time to try one! Drop ambient heat by over 30 degrees! Great for you and your guests – and BTW – bugs HATE these fans!

Three patented nozzles create microdroplets of mist that feel dry to the touch and evaporate instantly, creating a fan-driven, cooling mist that won’t dampen surfaces. The 16″-diameter fan oscillates up to 90\u00BA and its blades adjust from 930 to 1,220 rpm to cool up to 200′ sq. on a deck or patio. Because flying insects typically avoid wind and moisture, the fan also helps reduce these outdoor nuisances.

The Evaporative Misting Fan

Stay in the shade or A/C as much as you can, stay hydrated, and don’t leave kids and pets in automobiles – even for a minute!

pH stands for “Potential Hydrogen” or, an expression of the acidity of a solution.

This weekend only use the code “JULYSAVINGS” and get 25% off all pHion Balance products!

If you’ve never tested your body pH and haven’t a clue why you should, pHion is a great place to start your own health education.

I can almost guarantee that your acid levels are higher than you think so my advice would be to start with some pHion pH test strips to measure your pH levels, and then plan on doing some rapid detox. Then you can begin to build a healthier body with Phion’s Balance products.

I started with pHion in mid 2011. You can read my first post and have a look at a pH chart here.

Here are some of the products I’m currently using and my pH acid levels ARE dropping!

+ pHion Balance Booster, Boost Your Water, Energy and Health!

+ pHion Balance Green Superfood Capsules, Go Green with Your Body!

+ Organic Minerals from pHion Balance, Neutralizes Acids & A Perfect Blend of Ionic Minerals.

Okay, my bananas aren’t actually melting but the banana PLANT sure looks like it is!

I think we can safely say in Central North Carolina that Summer 2012 has not been particularly pleasant. Highs just over 100 degrees here yesterday will apparently be followed by the same thing today. Oh goody – the electric company will at least be pleased.

Funny thing is that when I first ordered this banana plant I was most concerned about its “cold hardiness” in my planting zone! HA!

Now I just have to hope I can keep it safe through this blistering summer and then worry about the rest later.

The plant has done very well so far though. This is the 3rd container I’ve moved it to – ever-increasing in size, in just the last two months. I was planning to have it Winter-over either inside or in a sheltered area near the house but since I have no real high ceiling rooms, I may have to stick with the sheltered outdoor arrangement!

Make sure you stay hydrated, stay out of the sun as much as possible, and PLEASE keep kids and pets out of vehicles unless they are in A/C and watched over by you.

At the end of last season I decided it was time to retire two rather inexpensive, plastic hummingbird feeders I had on the property and early Fall 2011 I bought a new one. It had a nice glass container and a nice style, but I quickly found out this year that I made a bad choice. Here’s why…

#1. The new container was too large.

In the high heat of summer, hummingbird food needs to be changed at least every 2 days. With its high sugar content, the nectar gets hot and nasty very quickly. Only half-filling the container might be the most obvious solution, but then depending on the design, the “juice” level in a large container may still be low and Hummingbirds are less likely to see the nectar in the feeder as they speed around your property.

#2. An overly “designed” feeder.

The new feeder I bought last Fall also had this pretty metal scroll design that wrapped around the outside of the glass container. It looks great, but it also blocks the view for Hummingbirds. They are looking for that bright red nectar color and obscuring the glass container with anything makes it less visible.

This still doesn’t mean we’re stuck with cheap, plastic containers. Here are a few better choices for Summer 2012. It’s not too late either. Dependent on overall weather and your location, Hummingbirds can still be stopping by for a cold drink as late as early October. Each feeder shown here priced right around $30. A good investment for your tiny, thirsty, summer visitors!

This Violet Meadow Hummingbird Feeder hand painted glass nectar container has a powder coated base cover with four bee resistant flower feeding stations.

The tall glass column has a hand-painted violet with stem and leaves on each of the three sides. Four bee resistant metal feeding flowers adorn the base, and their green and burgundy colors perfectly complement the violet on the column.

The 8 ounce capacity ensures that the nectar is always fresh. For easy filling, just twist the column off the base and fill completely with nectar.

This is the perfect sized container for nectar and the birds are used to seeing their “food” with plants and flowers so this hand-painted design will not deter them. These glass feeders will last for many seasons…

The Floral Hummingbird Lantern is made from imported French bottles; these jewels create a sleek, contemporary look. Especially nice when displayed together near a window. The base and top are made of recycled redwood. The Floral appliqué on clear glass is kiln-fired and includes gold leaf in the design!

Holds One Pint of Nectar.

This inverted bottle will mean the nectar will be easily seen by your local Hummingbird flight team and again, the painted flowers are a nice design, but not a distraction.

This Ultimate Hummingbird Feeder is close to being too large but has a completely clear view for Hummers which should mean a less-than-full fill will not be a problem.

The all glass feeding bottle has six “flower” feeding stations. Standard vacuum design- but guaranteed not to drip in direct sunlight. 30-ounce capacity. Hardened glass feeding bottle. Shatter-proof, NO-DRIP feeding base. 6 Flower Feeding Stations

Made in the USA.
Feed Capacity: 30 Ounce
Dimensions: 10.5″ High x 2.5″

It’s been a long week at Rose Cottage and not a good one. Monday I found out that the resident “dog-in-charge,” CoCo, has inoperable tumors. He will not get better. Tomorrow is his last day.

I think the surprise of it all has been the worst. Coco is just over 10 years old and I felt he was merely slowing down with age. Additional symptoms gradually appeared though and now, this disastrous news. I am devastated.

But, through the haze of trying to figure out what Rose Cottage will be like without CoCo, at least I know I am making the best decision for him. Would it have been easier for me if he just died in his sleep? Probably. But the best thing I can do for my little friend is to make the toughest decision for him to ensure he doesn’t suffer. My suffering is my own problem to deal with later.

It did make me think though about humans in similar situations. How hard must it be to have to decide when a person’s life should end? Some actually have to do this for others. It’s made even more impossible by last wishes not being made clear for friends and or family to follow in the event of catastrophic illness, accident, etc.

As much as I believe this is the only call to make for CoCo, there is still a 5% part of my brain that says there ought to be something else I can try or do that I won’t think of in time – to give him a few more years. What if these thoughts were about my mother or my sister instead of my dog? What if I had no clue what they’d want me to do? Who knows what I’d want done for me – or not?

So while mourning this loss of what is basically my child/dog, I’m going to start thinking about MY final days – and how to make sure someone doesn’t have to guess what I want should time and circumstance force the decision.

I’m amazed at the display this plant keeps producing:

Hibiscus moscheutos Luna Series

Not my greatest photo ever – the sun is just too bright, but these blooms are nearly 6 inches from side-to-side. This one plant has already produced nearly a dozen blooms this size and from the look of things – many more are to come soon! I’m moving it off the dock during the hottest, (100 degree) part of the day but it is otherwise obviously thriving and not particularly “demanding” regarding care and maintenance.

I love it when a “plant” comes together…

It’s hotter today than yesterday – so back to fountains we go!

We looked at a few rather unique fountains in yesterday’s post. Here are more traditional fountains for your consideration, and one with a bit of rustic flair! Click through to find out about free shipping on some of these items…

This Napa Valley 45 inch Fiberglass Fountain Creates a calm atmosphere With three tiers, clean lines, and a stone-like finish – the Napa Valley Fiberglass Fountain has a classic, elegant look.

Multiple streams of water flow from one tier to the next, creating a calm, ambient sound. Blends Wonderfully into Gardens Settings Stone Finish Materials/Poly Resin so Fountain Weighs only 43 Pounds.

Dimensions: 25 In. L x 25 In. W x 45 In. H

The Blenheim Two-Tier Fountain – Solar on Demand is made of lightweight and maintenance free resin with a black iron finish. This fountain creates a relaxing atmosphere on your patio, deck, balcony or garden.

Solar-on-demand allows you to choose when you wish your feature or fountain to work using the included remote control. You can choose to operate your fountain daily, using the battery technology to provide consistent performance even in cloudy conditions, or leave it off in order to charge the batteries for use when you want, even at night. Battery has the capacity to last for over 10 hours and requires between 1 and 2 days to fully charge. There is no wiring required!

Dimensions: 20.5L x 20.5W x 29.5H

This Olive Jar Fountain is a beauty!

Create a stunningly beautiful and outstanding atmosphere with this resort-quality Olive Jar Waterfall. Constructed with Glass fiber Reinforced Concrete, which makes it lighter and more durable than cast stone, this Olive Jar Fountain is sure to be unique to your backyard, deck, patio or landscape.

+ 14 Colors to Choose From
+ 4-6 Week Lead Time
+ Free Shipping!
+ Dimensions: 56″ H x 42″W x 42″ D
+ Cord Length: 12 FT

Here’s a great option for my country home!

The Lazy Days II Rustic Western Fountain creates a calm atmosphere perfect for any country cabin or cottage!

This charming fountain brings to mind the rural landscapes and pioneer towns of the American prairie. Three Water Buckets Gradually Flowing in a Gentle Stream Garden Accent is Designed to Resemble Antique Wood Buckets.

Dimensions: 14 in. L x 14 in. W x 28 in.

Don’t miss these special Independence Day savings!

+ July 4th Savings! 10% off orders of $99 or more. Ends Sunday, 7/8 on Garden.com.

+ July Special – $5 off orders of $50 or more at Garden.com. Use code CJGGREEN at checkout.