Vintage Hendryx Brass Birdcage

 Still processing purchases from the flea market on Sunday.

Again, I will have to give my husband credit for spying this find.

 After getting this home,

I found that a maker marks is very important.

Fortunately for me, this brassy beauty

sports a brass "Hendryx" tag.

With this great condition,

and unusual pedestal base -- I am thinking it will do well on ebay.

Antique English Elkington Silverplate Table Lamp

Back to yesterday's flea market finds...

Do you see the lamp in the back of the van?

My husband found it, so I am giving him credit.

Even when I looked at it I was a little unsure.

The seller wanted $25 for it (and I am SO cheap).

But the hallmark stamps sucked me in.

It took me a couple of hours on the net to find

out that it was made by a silverplate company in England

named Elkington.  Probably late 1800s.  

(The "C" tells the exact date, but honestly I was too tired by then to research further.)

I also loved the scrolly initials on the three sides

of the base.  Can't you just imagine someone in 1885

ordering this as a fancy wedding gift for someone in "the states"?

 It has three gorgeous griffons on the base.

I am not going to polish it

(because I am not  the polishing type)

but I know it would look great all shined up.

It has a secret.

Of course it didn't start out as a table lamp

(no electricity then.)

It started life as big 20+ inches

"centerpiece" that held a big fancy bowl on the top.

What a gorge wedding gift that would have been.

Going on ebay.

Bought for $25, sold for $78.

Sunday Flea Finds

Even years ago...

on the way home...

after visiting our son and daughter-in-law

for the weekend....

we would stop at this same Sunday morning flea market.

Who knew....

that years later ....

 we would be living only 20 minutes .....

from the same flea market.

We go nearly every Sunday morning....

early.....

and it never disappoints.

It is about the sum of our junk hunting right now.

I need to document our finds more faithfully

in pictures.

Vintage 1972

\

View Off Of New Bridge

Snoozing On A Perfect Day

Cutie Little Tree Frog

Fieldtrip To Springfield MO Botanical Gardens

 We try to make it to the Springfield Botanical Gardens at

least once a month.  It is free and so well maintained.

And like crack to a druggie....

I am sure that I need the above bush now.

 The rose verbena was in the butterfly caterpillar

garden.  And we definitely want more butterflies, right?

 There is not a picture of the Forest Pansy Redbud tree,

because I had to take a pic of the sign

(so that I could remember the name and somehow find a place to order one).

Trust me, you'd want one too.

 And succulents....don't get me started.

I had to leave behind my succulent nursery when we moved.

So I am trying to get another one established.

The lady working in this area says that these varieties overwinter.

 I don't know if I would put thyme in the herb area

 or succulent area (where these were),

but I definitely need me some of this.

 More succulents....

I took a pic of this at one of the nurseries we stopped by afterwards.

You can't see the "1" under my thumb, this cute little bush was $149.95!

We had picked one up at a flea market last Saturday for $20,

but we didn't know what it was, until today. Score!

Happy Easter

Some purple columbine decided to bloom in time for Easter

Celebrating with family and some new friends.

"Good Friday Lilacs"

Pumpkin Plants

Last fall I purchased a variety of "cute" pumpkins,

both for display and to try to see if I could get them to grow this spring.

At the end of autumn, I chopped each variety up in a separate location,

put some top soil on them, and waited.....

My husband was the first to notice little sprouts this week.

Stay tuned for future pumpkin news.

Oil Painting -- "Spoonful Of Cherry Tomatoes"

Sweet Violets All Over Our Property

Trillium Cuneatum

Oil Painting #22 -- "Amana Orange"

I don't know if I will ever grow tired of painting tomatoes.

This was on an old book cover.

First Box Turtle Of The Year

Brown Recluse Spider Bite -- OUCH!

Yesterday I was putting on a pair of dirty jeans that had been on the floor

(because I was going out to do yard work anyway.)

I thought I felt a sticker, but when I shook out the jeans a little spider fell out.

A little brown recluse spider.

I received some great advice to use a permanent marker to outline original swelling.

And every morning do a new outline.

With any sign of infection you need to see a doctor,

but so far I have just had swelling and itching.

You can bet I won't leave clothes on the floor again.

Calf Barn Visit

 Sunday we met up with our son, daughter-in-law and

gorgeous grandson.  For part of our adventure we visited a calf barn.  

I have to confess, I have been calf-crazy this spring.

There were about ten sweet calves in the barn.....

 and five playful kittens.

They had set up a playstation in the one empty calf stall.

 Our grandson had sensory overload
(or maybe it was just nap time...)

It was a lovely day.

Native Plant Sale

We attended a large native plant sale last Saturday.

Obviously we were not the only ones attending the sale.

They also had "native growing" classes.

It was really fascinating, and we are converts.

So this is a portion of what we came away with.

And what we will need to get planted.

Oil Painting #21 -- "Yellow Beefsteak"

I am totally stuck on tomatoes right now.

Such gorgeous colors.

"More Mossy Rock"

"Baby Prairie Ringneck Snake"

"First Year Forsythia"

"Tools Of A Life"

"Funeral Flowers"