Magic in the Garden

Miss me? I missed you. Been busy times here at Muse Cottage, between the on going work on the garage conversion ( you can catch up on that by reading some of the recent past posts) , putting in new garden beds and well, sadly I have been rather ill for nearly a month, and on medications that make me want to do nothing past snoozing on the couch... the latter is truly the reason I had not posted all of last week. I am far from 100%, but I did not wish to be out of touch for much longer. Posting here always cheers me up... I love sharing what is happening at Muse Cottage. Today's post is all about my latest garden bed that hubby put in for me, to cheer me up I suspect; I was not feeling too chipper with being sick and all. 

The day began with me feeling poorly and down and knowing that all the free days coming up would be consumed with working on the garage conversion till it's completion and the planting season soon coming to an end, as soon it would be too hot to do so, when hubby said that we had one free day left and could indeed put in the new garden bed I had been planning.  I already had two plants in place, a climbing rose and a baby hydrangea, and our recently purchased and named by a reader on my FB page, concrete rabbit, by the name of Cuthbert who watched over both. However I had grand plans for a new bed that would include a Fairy house. 

I had decided to make the front yard garden beds at  Muse Cottage full of whimsy as soon as I purchased two concrete Gnomes, though bigger than the average Gnome, they did the job to add that special little touch to the other beds in the yard. With their coming home with me, and after chatting with my Mom about her fairy garden at her cottage in Texas, and seeing via image searches on line, I had a good idea of how I wanted to proceed, and the day that hubby agreed to work on this latest bed was the perfect time to do so. Since I had been fascinated with Fairies, Gnomes, Elves and all other magical creatures most of my life, I knew that I would have great fun in the en devour. 

Imagination is Key...

 As I had mentioned I have been fascinated with magical creatures , as an only child I relied on my ability to get lost in their world. Often I would spend long hours playing with small dolls known as "Dawn Dolls" , "kiddles" even "Flatsy Dolls" and they were always fairies in my world. During my childhood the cartoon Smurfs appeared and I never missed an episode, not to mention I collected all the little figurines. 

To this day when I see a mushroom, I wonder.....

I had all these and more that I kept in a special
box. I spent all my weekly allowance on them,
and knew them all by name. 

I would read books, that at the time I would get off of the Bookmobile that would come to the street near our family property. I would check out all that I was allowed and race the little over quarter mile or so home, through the fields, careful to not fall into a squirrel hole along the way. Once home I would read them over and over. All fed my imagination. Of course it helped to live near a town by the name of Solvang Ca. where the main statue in the square was Hans Christian Anderson and there was many little shops that sold all things magical from Fairies to Gnomes in every size and shape.

Two of my favorites of course...

I loved the details of what was in the Gnome's home

I could so imagine these little guys puttering in the garden.

What little girl was not enamored
by Flower Fairies?? 

 As I grew older, I would wonder from the closeness of home and explore the woods near by as well as lay in the fields that had yet to be turned into housing tracks, and though I knew that I should let go of such things that dance in the minds of children, I could not help myself, and my mind would again allow me to find magic all around me. I would "see" fairies on the dragon flies flitting about over my head on a hot Summer day, butterflies were fairies in disguise ... and as I strolled through the woods, I could almost feel the eyes from creatures from another realm all about me.

To this day as an adult, a very practical adult for the most part, I have never truly lost what as a little girl I held dear, the magic that is all about us but that most adults let go. I do not believe that just because we can not see something it does not exist..... but that is a whole other post. This is after all a garden post... OH! You thought I forgot didn't you?  I thought it might be nice to share a little story about my youth, and a little magic and not just photos of dirt and plants... but now the time has indeed come to do just that. 

The Magical Garden Bed...

The digging and clearing begins. Hubby shakes all the dirt off
each clump of grass, it creates a lovely "sifted" dirt to plant in.

The prepped bed.  Cuthbert is ready for his new surroundings.

The plants and supplies are bought and ready.  Just a few,
till we see how they fill in. 

The beginnings of the elf/fairy house.

Three tools and a lot of effort later, we have the "house" in
place... as well as the plants. 

Mulch time.....

Soon enough we have a fine beginning to a magical garden bed. 

Ceramic toadstools, a pebble yard with stone "wall" and of course
Cuthbert  help create the scene... but it is far from finished. 

Some of the flowers.... Lantanas  ( oh and some pepper to keep cats out)

By suggestion from my Mom, a Queen Elizabeth Rose,
the subtle tea scent greets me each time I walk by.
The white balls are moth balls, more anti-cat box prevention.

A lovely pale blue/lavender Clematis. 

Progress on the first day....

...complete with a dragon fly.

A week later and lookie what has been added! Doors, windows,
fairies and even furniture!  The doors and windows are big enough
for the Elves to use, The fairies , as they come in all sizes and shapes
are quite happy as well with them.

The fencing keeps the cats out, well larger cats, and yet allows the birds and magical folk in and out at will. 

Soon the snap dragons in the back will be planted in the stump. That
appears to us humans to be hallow... but to magical creatures it is like
Mary Poppins carpet bag... an endless amount of space is behind the door.
The hallow look is to fool the humans *wink* 

Though the furniture is far too small for the Elves and Gnomes,
the Fairies find it the perfect size. The bronze in color fairy statues are
just that.. we all know Fairies are bright and colorful creatures. The
statues are to let them know this garden bed is for them! *wink* 

 Till next time , hope you find a little magic 

and whimsy in your day!

 Love from Muse Cottage

Waking Up With a Boom!

Saluting our law enforcement today for sure!

In the early days of moving to the cottage on the busy corner, now known as Muse Cottage, located in a big city, and in a very mixed and diverse collection of people, I voiced my unease of moving to such a place. In recent months, I have settled in, and shared about "blooming where I was planted" . I had become very used to the traffic, something I never thought I would have happen, I do not even need ear plugs now when I sleep. I had gotten used to and accepted the different walks of life that passed by my cottage all day long, and actually no longer feel any unease, that is until I woke up this morning. 

I awoke after another very rough night of being up due to pain associated with an infection I have that has yet to go away, and found my husband standing at the bedroom window. I asked him what was going on and he said that he had been awoken shortly after 7 a.m. to a loud "BOOM" , thinking there was another car accident at our busy corner he jumped out of bed and opened the blinds only to see the SWAT team with a battering ram walking away from a now very open front door of our neighbors across the street. He said the street had been blocked off and there was now a half dozen or more un-marked cars along the side of the street and blocking our drive way. The neighbors were all out and watching what was going on, among many Sheriffs, SWAT agents with large guns strapped to their chests on top of their bullet proof vests. No one that lived in the house, or the trailer in the back yard could be seen, and as time progressed, the K9 unit was brought in and cars were being ransacked. Eventually, the owner of the home, who actually lives in the trailer in back, was brought out and questioned by a Sheriff, then taken back inside. Eventually the news stations began to arrive, and milled about, questioning the Sheriffs department as well the neighbors and that included myself ( awhile later) , who was sitting on the porch, sitting in my comfy pink robe, snapping pictures and drinking my tea... thank goodness I combed my hair! 

As time progressed and the SWAT team left, the Sheriffs were well outside the fence line, and a bomb squad was sent in... apparently though the original reason for the raid was for narcotics, a suspicious package was found and it was determined it would be blown up in a hole in the ground. I knew this because one of the reporters at the scene was reporting live and I had the news on . After another loud "BOOM" , obviously from the "device" that was found in the box, which later turned out to be a grenade, purchased some time ago by the home owner, the news reporter as I mentioned came over to interview me, then headed back to the house and to film the "explosion" site and to do some more interviews. They eventually left and bizarrely  they brought back the 6 arrested residents, including the son of the people I know where living in the home.  The men where still zip tied with their hands behind their backs, and the two women were sat beside them on a bench in the yard; prior to that they had sent the young child off with a friend/family member... my heart broke knowing this child had been living in this situation, and now had witnessed his parents and other familiar adults being taken away, and being separated from them in near hysterics. 

Hours had passed, and one by one the detained had been questioned separately, Sheriffs came and went, and so much time had passed, a couple of officers came bearing several Little Caesars pizzas and drinks for the Sheriffs all to eat, while the detained were returned to the bench. The CSI unit left, the K9 unit had left, and now, after about 5 plus hours the Sheriff's re-loaded the detained, but not all of them, at least one of the two women were left behind, freed from custody. The rest of the Sheriffs left, and soon all was quiet, seemingly back to normal. The birds were singing, the neighbors went back inside, and passer bys were none the wiser as to what had occurred.  Nerves calmed, and finally the day could get back on track... but the feelings of unease continue. What would be the aftermath? Would they come back? Carry on as normal? Would the house soon be vacant and then what? How would it effect the neighborhood? 

What happened, well the way it happened was indeed a surprise, but the reason, the original reason, narcotics was sadly, not. I told that to the news reporter as did one of the other locals that was interviewed. The neighborhood sadly has that element to it , and after observing the comings and goings at the house across the street, I always suspected something was going on that was not on the up and up. It really has made me think, and question how observant and knowing are we of our surroundings and our environment that we live in? Do we put blinders on? Do we become complacent? Do we live in our own little bubble so much now a days, heads down, that we do not see or know what is happening right next door behind closed doors; perhaps right under our noses... even if we saw suspicious goings ons, as I did, and I am sure other neighbors suspected, would we ignore it, and look the other way??  Considering on the news this week was the story of the three young women being rescued from their kidnappers after ten years of captivity and the neighbors stating they had no idea, no inkling. Maybe, just maybe, we all need to be more aware of what is going on, keeping a watchful and protective eye over our neighborhood; watch out for one another. Perhaps we should even do something , even if anonymously , to report or change it and in doing so, in being aware, find some comfort in it, knowing we are protecting and making the neighborhoods we all call home, a safer place to live... or at least try to find a way to not feel uneasy about where we reside. 

The photos.....

Part of the SWAT team head around back after the street is closed off. 

The SWAT truck parked on the side drive must have been quite
the distraction to the morning commuters. 

SWAT stands guard

Reinforcements 

Once the coast was cleared and the suspects detained the SWAT
left, but many Sheriff department officers were left behind. 

The home owner was questioned separately from the other people
who reside on the property. 

Soon, the rest of the detained were brought out to wait for the
transport van that was soon to arrive. Our neighbor comforting her
son, who must have been so very frightened in seeing all the
adults in his life, including his father in zip tie cuffs. 

The van arrived and they were all loaded up, including the child. 

Soon Sean from our local News Ch. 13 arrived, and the cameras were set up.

Filming and interviews begun to take place to report what was going on. 

Soon everyone was told to stand back, and keep the area clear,
they had decided to blow up the suspicious package on the spot.
The bomb squad was called in and now in the back yard digging
a whole in preparation to do just that.

Evidence was loaded up, gathered from the home and the surrounding
dwellings and cars on the property. 

Watching it on the news as it happened. 

The bomb squad done with their task and evidence being collected. 

Meanwhile the suspects had been brought back, and were being
questioned one by one. 

Waiting to learn their fate, the son sent with a friend/relative, removing
him from the scene.  In some ways, I felt bad for them. A make shift
family, who leaned on each other, helped the neighbors and even would
smile and wave at me from across the street. Now on display for all to see. 

Being interviewed on my front porch over tea, I had yet to get
dressed,  but at least I brushed my hair! 

From this, SWAT, Sheriff officers, and the Bomb squad "crawling" all over
the property in question.....

Back to this within a matter of hours... looks like just any other day in
the neighborhood.  Only evidence that remained was the bench on the
lawn, when it had originally been on the front porch, where just the other night,
our neighbors watched the big storm that rolled through, same as me.

Watch it here ...

Read the official story here