rabbit, rabbit!

Happy July 1st...how can that be?! And like I do the first of every month (or at least try to),
I welcomed the day by saying:

"Rabbit, Rabbit!"

No, I didn't see a rabbit, but ages ago I read about an old superstition where if a person says the words "rabbit, rabbit" out loud when they first wake up, it brings them good luck for the rest of that month.

And what if we forget to say it? Well, we're covered there, too! It's said we're in the clear if we say:

"Tibbar, Tibbar" (rabbit spelled backwards)  

Silly? Maybe, but why take chances...I can always use some good luck!

Just like yours, the days here are busy...I think I'm done tinkering outside. Yes, tinkering...maybe it's the design degree, or just how I'm wired, but I can't pop the flower & veggie plants in place in and move on...they always seem to need a little "something."

While cleaning out barns, I've been keeping my eyes open for those little "somethings." What to do with watering cans that leak, old metal rakes, broken dishes, or rusty utensils? Yes, I could recycle them...we have a great company that takes most items, but why not recycle them in my own yard?

Here's a peek: 

A broken rake head helps support a climbing clematis,

and a rusty flour sifter is home to some old-fashioned hens & chicks,

Shame on me...the bottom came out of a heavy box of Fiesta-ware plates and so many were broken, but I couldn't just throw them away. So, into the garden they went, filling in empty spots and adding a pop of color.

My favorite color of blue! this little bucket is filled with mis-matched old silverware, a tiny spring, tart pans, and a little ceramic bird that needed a home.

Freebie chairs seem to be my "thing" lately...remember when I found this wicker chair? Well, this one was alongside the road as a giveaway and I couldn't pass it up! With a hole cut out of the seat, it is just right for holding summer flowers.

These goodies were found in the barn ages ago, and for years I've loved filling the wash tubs with flowers in summer, pumpkins in fall, and then greenery at Chrismas. This year I attached a couple of stakes to the back of the old window frame and tucked it behind the flowers. 

A watering can with a hole in the side still finds a spot,

while a broken rake helps hold up the window in a cold frame. 

That's my little garden tour for today....who knew that "junk" could be so much fun?

And while I'm gardening, like many of you, we're seeing the smoke from Canadian wildfires in our skies. I just read that there are 500 active fires, with 257 classified as "out of control." 

Our thoughts are with all of those affected by the wildfires and hoping that relief will come quickly and that the skies will once again be blue and full of promise.

Wishing you a quiet weekend, filled with dancing butterflies and the flash of a hummingbird...simple pleasures that are ours for the taking.