Late August

August 2025

Beautiful weather in Western MA for our last weekend of August! With the sun shining it's great to take a moment or two or three and enjoy the bright colors in gardens. The summer flowers continue to blossom. The Mums that survived the cold winter sprouted up and now have blossoms. It is a pretty time of year! 

August 2025

Wishing you-

a happy and a safe Labor Day Weekend!!

 

Colors on a Late Summer Day!

Appreciating the colors of a late Summer day!

It's a beautiful August day in Massachusetts! The time of year to appreciate the bountiful harvest of colorful flowers in our yard. Soon, it will be time to collect the Zinnia blossoms to dry out and harvest the seeds for next year's vibrant crop. This is a tradition with me from my childhood.

The Black- Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia), Vinca, Zinnias, Dahlias, Roses and Hydrangeas continue to blossom. Before we know it the season will change. Then these colorful flowers will be a wonderful memory. A memory that we hope to repeat next year!

Enjoy!
Happy Gardening!

   

Today-

~August 10, 2022~

 
Enjoying a beautiful August day today! No longer in a heat wave! Yippee!!!

Big smile!
Enjoying being outdoors!

Summer Dinner Salad!

Summer Dinner Salad!

A colorful nutritious dinner in the summer does not get much easier to prepare- when you've enjoyed Grilled Chicken the day before!  The local fresh tomatoes and cucumbers are readily available to use.  Add them to a bed of greens of choice along with a few small chunks of cheese and craisins.  The salad dressing is your fave and dinner is oh, so good!

A slice of Basil Parmesan Toast is a great addition.  It is one of my fave ways to serve bread.

Summer is a great time to enjoy the seasonal views that come only once a year!  This past week a Monarch butterfly stopped in for a visit to our colorful Zinnias!  The plants we grew from saved seeds.  That was a great surprise!

Enjoy the Summer!

August Flowers

Salmon Daylily

Our gardens have been bursting with so many different colors this summer.  Different perennials blossom at different times.  That was the plan!  We wanted to have rotations of flowers and colors.  The annuals add in color where needed and the plan worked!

Our Salmon Daylilies blossomed for 1 month!  Each blossom lasted for 1 day.  There was always another to pop open on the long stem.  This past Saturday the last flower opened!  It's amazing to view and appreciate a close up of the blossom!

Zinnias planted from previously saved seeds!

 

 

It has been a tradition with me from my childhood to save the Zinnia seeds from the current season's gorgeous flowers.  They are dried and then stored to plant the next spring!  Now, the flowers continue to surprise us each day with new buds opening.  There is a great sense of accomplishment when one views the colorful flowers that were grown from saved seeds!

Purple Phlox

 

 

 

This is another beautiful view- out of our kitchen window.  The small purple flowers form pretty clusters of blossoms on the stems.  More of the Phlox is opening!  It's great to view this perennial every year!

So, while I am preparing Freezer Jams and freezing fresh summer fruit, our gardens are adding beautiful colors to our yard!  Summer in New England is beautiful. 

The 4 seasons we have each year bring different scenes of beauty.  They are all appreciated!

Enjoy!

  

Thinking Back!

Today, just remembering an earlier view of our backyard.  It sure does look

                                        R E F R E S H I N G!!!

 

~Zinnias~

This month has brought hot days, rainfall and also vacation.  A garden of Zinnias always welcomes us when we drive up our driveway.  These colorful flowers were planted from seed in May.  It's a beautiful sight!

Enjoy!

  

FREE FUN FRIDAYS- 2017

FREE FUN FRIDAYS
Image courtesy of
Highland Street Foundation

Summer is here!  It's the time of year when vacations & staycations will be/ are happening!  It's time for FREE FUN FRIDAYS!!!  Friday is the day of the week when families, neighbors & friends can visit specific very cool venues in my home state of Massachusetts- without paying a General Admission fee!  This takes place through the generosity of the Highland Street Foundation.

This summer the program began last Friday, June 23rd & will continue until Friday August 25.  Every week on Friday there are 8 or 9 specific museums/ cultural events open to anyone living in, visiting, or traveling through Massachusetts.  The places to visit are located throughout the state!  If this sounds interesting to you, check out the list!

List of dates & cool places to visit with Free General Admission!

This Friday, June 30, the Springfield Museums in Springfield, MA is on the list.  There are 5 individual museums on their grounds.  Yes, this is the location of the newly opened The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss!  

The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in Boston, MA is another wonderful place to visit this summer!  View & appreciate countless beautiful pieces of art. 

Another great destination that's located in Boston, MA is the Franklin Park Zoo.  There is so much to explore while walking outdoors!  

Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, MA is another favorite.  Step back into the early 19th century & learn how daily tasks were completed.  There are water powered mills & a working farm in this rural village.

Old Sturbridge Village

Younger children & their families will also enjoy The Eric Carle Museum in Amherst, MA.  It's located in an old apple orchard.

These are only a few of the great venues to visit this summer with Free General Admission!  FREE FUN FRIDAYS are a great opportunity to learn something new while having FuN! 

Thank you Highland Street Foundation!!!
We will enjoy!

        

Colors of August

Our Colorful Greeting in Our Front Yard

Those little Zinnia seeds that we planted from saved seeds this Spring have added brilliant colors to our yard this summer.  It's August & those colorful flowers along with the flowering Vinca keep blossoming!

Marigolds, Zinnias & Grasses

The bright Marigolds add a colorful border to the Zinnias in our side perennial garden.

It's definitely August!

Enjoy!

Free Fun Fridays 2016

Soon, we'll hear that schools across the country have finished their school year!  The carefree days of summer will be here.  It's the time when parents like to find an activity that will keep everyone happy!  :)  If you live in, will visit or will travel through my home state of Massachusetts, the Highland Street Foundation has an answer.

FUN FREE FRIDAYS!!!

Every Friday this summer starting on June 24 through August 26, there will be 8 specific places to visit- with Free General Admission!  These interesting places are located throughout Massachusetts.  From the Berkshires to Boston & The Cape (Cape Cod) and from northern MA to the southern border there are cool interesting venues that teach while having FuN!

During the summer months "Learning" does not come to a halt!  Take this opportunity with your children & grandchildren to learn another tidbit about Science, History or about an Artist!  This program is not limited to a certain age group, either.  It's open to everyone.  Jim & I enjoy this program!  If you have a chance to take a Friday vacation day, look at the list of places to visit & visit with a friend(s).

The Complete Schedule List  

Edith Wharton's home, The Mount, is in Lenox, MA.  This estate in the Berkshires is listed as one of next Friday's choices.  It's the opening day for this program.  Take the opportunity to walk in this great American author's gorgeous tranquil gardens after touring inside her beautiful home.

The Mount: Edith Wharton's Home

 

More Beautiful Gardens at The Mount

Go back in time with your family this summer to the 17th century!  Visit Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, MA.  Walk through the re-created 17th Century English Village and learn from the costumed Interpreters.    Learn about the grist mill for grinding corn that the Pilgrims in Plymouth Colony built.  They speak in the dialect of that day.

The Springfield Museums in Springfield, MA is 4 museums in 1 complex.  Art, Science, History Museums & the Dr. Seuss bronze sculptures.  Theodor Seuss Geisel was born in Springfield.  Chinese Cloisonne, Monet, Field, Indian Motocycles (Motorcycles), Early Automobiles & more await here. 

Springfield Museums
Dr. Seuss & his friend!

It's always great to stop in to Old Sturbridge Village, a recreated 1830's living history museum located in Sturbridge, MA.  A walk down the road to the village leads to the Center Meetinghouse.  

Old Sturbridge Village
Walking down the road!

A Printer's Office, the Mercantile, the Bank & housewives doing seasonal chores in their homes teaches us about life in another time period in our country.  The Freeman Farm is not far away.

Old Sturbridge Village
The Cooper

A fave of my grandsons is the Franklin Park Zoo located in Boston, MA.  They are always up for a visit there!  

These are only a few of the great places to visit!  There are so many interesting family friendly sites to visit on Fridays this summer with no regular admission charge!  Check out the list clicking here to discover what Friday you have available & what specific places you can visit for free.  

Thank you Highland Street Foundation for sponsoring this program again this year!

We will Enjoy!

    

Free Fun Fridays - 2014

It begins Friday, June 27th and ends on Friday, August 29th!  FREE FUN FRIDAYS!!!  Each Friday during that time period, there are 5 museums/ cultural venues with no admission fee!  It is a program sponsored by the Highland Street Foundation. (Click on their name for their info.)  This program is for residents of Massachusetts, tourists vacationing here & also visitors driving through my scenic state.  It's a great opportunity to spend a day at one of 66 interesting places with no general admission cost.  During the summer school children sleep a bit later in the AM!  No homework or papers are due the next day.  However, it's always a great idea to feed those inquiring minds!

There are so many FuN places to visit in Massachusetts!  So many are on this list.  Take a look at the schedule & click on a venue.  Click on the venue's website.       

The Franklin Park Zoo (my grandson's fave), Tanglewood, Plimoth Plantation, Springfield Museums (where I volunteer), the Boston Children's Museum, Historic Deerfield & Museum of Fine Arts, Boston are 7 of the 66 choices!  So many more wonderful places waiting for you, your families & your friends to visit.  Take this opportunity!  It's for children of all ages!

Here is the complete schedule.  Remember:  5 specific venues will be offered throughout Massachusetts to visit.  This occurs on Fridays!  Find your fave & spend some family time learning together!  Visit more than one!     

Thank you for your generosity,  

Highland Street Foundation!!!

We will enjoy!