Hummingbird Festival - Land Between the Lakes

The 20th Annual Hummingbird Festival at Land Between the Lakes was over the weekend. My husband and I took our grandsons to enjoy the festival (really it was me who wanted to go). 

I was so excited to see the hummers. 

Since I haven't been able to attract many to my feeders, I was hoping to get a few good pics and pick up some hints or ideas for attracting them to my feeders. 

The festival was at the Woodlands Nature Station of Land Between the Lakes. The hummers were flying all around the area and so enjoyable to watch. 

We did go inside the station to view a slideshow "Simple Steps to Start A Hummingbird Garden".  I did take some notes on my iphone of flowers I could add to my gardens to attract the hummers. The cardinal flower seem to be their most recommended one and it was growing in the viewing area. It blooms July - September and grows in sun or part shade.

Another plant they highly recommended is the Indian Pink. This is not my image, it came from here. It blooms from March to June in my area. The blooms are red even though the plant is named Indian Pink (my grandson questioned this).

I did talk to a lady about my issue of not getting many hummers to visit by feeders and she asked if I was making my own sugar water or buying a commercial one. 

I must admit that this year I purchased hummingbird liquid locally. 

She thought this was my problem and suggested I make my own. 

Tomorrow, I'm cleaning my feeders and making my own sugar water. 

I'll post an update on the success of changing my food from purchased to homemade. 

Thanks for stopping in for another day of Life in Kentucky - Judy

Linking to:

Amaze Me Monday @ Dwellings

Met Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Mosaic Monday @ Normandy Life on Sunday evening

Nature Notes @ Rambling Woods on Monday

ABC Wednesday on Monday

Our World @ Our World Tuesday Meme

Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life on Tuesday

The Scoop @ StoneGable Blog

You're Gonna Love It Tuesday @ Kathe With an E

Wednesday Around the World @ Photographing New Zealand

Outdoor Wednesday @ A Southern Daydreamer

Wild Bird Wednesday @ Paying Ready Attention Gallery

Nature Notes @ Rambling Woods

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern

Home and Garden Thursday @ A Delightsome Life

Simple & Sweet Fridays @ Rooted in Thyme on Wednesday evening

Share Your Cup Thursday @ Have A Cup of Mrs. Olson

Foodie Friday & Everything Else @ Rattlebridge Farm on Thursday evening

Photo Friday @ Pierced Wonderings

Skywatch Friday @ Skyley

Saturday's Critters @ Viewing Nature with Eileen on Saturday

Camera Critters on Saturday

I'd Rather Be Birdin' on Saturday at noon

Seasons @ St. Germain's Blog on Sunday

Whitewashing A Brick Fireplace

When we bought our house in October, 2015, the red brick fireplace looked like this:

and the kitchen looked like this:

We tore out the kitchen and now it looks like this:

There have been ongoing projects that I will post as they are finished but for right now, I have been working on my goal to whitewash the fireplace.

I did Google "whitewashing the fireplace" and watched several videos. I wanted to start the project at the beginning of the week while my husband was gone. That would give me several days to perfect it before he returned. 

My first step was to clean the fireplace brick thoroughly with a mixture of blue Dawn and water. I simply sprayed it on and wiped it off with a clean rag. 

In the videos I watched, they were using a paint wash of 5 parts water to 1 part paint. At Sherwin Williams, the owner suggested a use 6:1 just to make sure it wasn't too white. I liked that idea, I figured I could easily give it multiple coats. But knew I couldn't take it off. 

I used a two inch brush to apply the whitewash. The brush was about the width of the bricks. I did not paint the grout. I wanted to see how it looked without painting the grout. Keep a rag handy in case the paint runs. It is very fluid since mixing it with water. The brick really absorbs the paint mixture. I also used drop cloths over the mantel, the hearth and the floor. 

Here's how it looked as I applied Coat 1:

You can see the red paint bucket below that I used. It was perfect because it had a handle I could easily hold plus it had a magnet so the brush would snap to it when I needed it to (all from Sherwin Williams).

Coat 1 took a little longer because I had the large hearth to paint (about 5-6 hours).

Here's a closeup of Coat 1. I think I could have used a mixture of 5:1 for better coverage. I let it dry overnight to see the look after drying. The red brick had more of a pinky look and needed more plaint. I also wanted the dark brick lighter.

For Coat 2, I used the same 6:1 ratio and started painting again. I started at the top of the fireplace and took the picture below so you can see the difference between Coat 2 (at the top of the image) and Coat 1 (at the bottom of the image).

When I was applying Coat 2, I did paint some bricks 3-4 times as I was going along. It was just a judgment call for the look I was wanting. You kind of get braver by the second day. I bought way too much paint. I think I could have gotten by with a quart of white paint. Can you see the difference between Coat 1 and Coat 2?

Now it is all dry and I am happy with the look. Don't think I will paint the grout at this time.

I do have a little more to do; I need to paint the trim piece around the fireplace and I am considering painting the mantel. I'll keep you posted.

Thanks for stopping by for another day of Life in Kentucky - Judy.

Linking to:

Amaze Me Monday @ Dwellings
Met Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Make It Pretty Monday @ The Dedicated House
Mosaic Monday @ Normandy Life on Sunday evening
Show and Share @ Coastal Charm
Celebrate Your Story @ Sweet Sensations

Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life on Tuesday
The Scoop @ Stone Gable Blog
You're Gonna Love It Tuesday @ Kathe With an E

Talk of the Town Link Party @ Beyond the Picket Fence on Tuesday
Tweak It Tuesday @ Cozy Little House
Sizzle Into Summer@ DIY by Design

Creative Ways Link Party @ Posed Perfection on Wednesday

Wow Us Wednesdays @ Savvy Southern Style on Tuesday evening
Share Your Style Link Party @ The Essence of Home on Thursday evening
Simple & Sweet Fridays @ Rooted in Thyme

Share Your Cup Thursday @ Have A Cup of Mrs. Olson on Wed. evenings
Share Your Style Link Party @ 21 Rosemary Lane

Tablescape Thursday @ Between Naps on the Porch
Favorite Things Thursday @ Katherine's Corner
Home and Garden Thursday @ A Delightsome Life
Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home on Thursday
Inspiration Thursday @ In The New House

Feathered Nest Friday @ The French Country Cottage
Foodie Friday & Everything Else @ Rattlebridge Farm

Anything Blue Friday @ The Dedicated House

Sundays at Home @ Love of Home on Saturday

Table It Link Party @ Life and Linda

Inspiration Monday @ Our Southern Home 

Dishing It and Digging It @ Rustic & Refined on Sundays

Dining on the Deck - with a casual summer tablescape

Wow is it hot here in Murray, KY. This is my first summer in Kentucky and I don't think I am ready for this heat and humidity. As this radiant sun goes down a bit, we are going to dine on the deck, and yes, the fans are on high to keep the air circulating.

The table is set for four with bright multi-colored placemats. 

The placemats are topped with plates and salad bowls that also reflect the colors in the placemats. Nothing expensive here, just $Tree prices.

A quick and easy centerpiece was created for the table. A red vase filled with hosta leaves cut from my  yard. These leaves also mimic the large leaf pattern on the green section on the placemats. 

Two bowls have red centers and two have yellow. This makes an eye-pleasing distribution of color and creates interest for the table. 

While the food is finished up, you can see the view of our backyard from the deck. No mountains or lakes, just grass and trees. I do enjoy working in my flower beds as much as possible and have bird feeders hanging from my deck and in the birch trees next to the deck. 

If you look closely at the image on the right above, you can see the tractor feeder for the squirrels on the left side of the tree. We put corn out daily to keep the squirrels away from the bird feeders. But as soon as the corn is gone, here they come straight for my bird feeders.

My husband and SIL have been grilling for the meal, and we are ready to eat. My SIL told me earlier in the day that we were having steak and baked potatoes but that menu seemed to grow. We are serving grilled steak, fried shrimp and okra, loaded baked potatoes, and broccoli in cheese sauce. When the guys cook, it is a hearty meal. 

Thanks for stopping in for another day of Life in Kentucky - Judy.

Linking to:

Amaze Me Monday @ Dwellings
Met Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch
Mosaic Monday @ Lavendar Cottage

Make It Pretty Monday @ The Dedicated House
Show and Share @ Coastal Charm
Celebrate Your Story @ Sweet Sensations

Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life on Tuesday
The Scoop @ Stone Gable Blog
You're Gonna Love It Tuesday @ Kathe With an E
Tweak It Tuesday @ Cozy Little House
Sizzle Into Summer@ DIY by Design

Wow Us Wednesdays @ Savvy Southern Style on Tuesday evening

Share Your Style Link Party @ The Essence of Home on Wednesday evening
Simple & Sweet Fridays @ Rooted in Thyme
Share Your Cup Thursday @ Have A Cup of Mrs. Olson on Wed. evenings
Share Your Style Link Party @ 21 Rosemary Lane

Tablescape Thursday @ Between Naps on the Porch
Favorite Things Thursday @ Katherine's Corner
Home and Garden Thursday @ A Delightsome Life
Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home on Thursday
Inspiration Thursday @ In The New House

Feathered Nest Friday @ The French Country Cottage
Foodie Friday & Everything Else @ Rattlebridge Farm

Sundays at Home @ Love of Home on Saturday

Table It Link Party @ Life and Linda

Inspiration Monday @ Our Southern Home 

Dishing It and Digging It @ Rustic & Refined on Sundays

Barns, Blooms & Birds - Week 6

The barn I have to share this week is an unusual barn but yet beautiful. Can you tell what is unusual about this barn?

Here is what's unusual about this barn, you can drive through it to get to the house behind. Wouldn't that be neat to drive through a barn to get to your house.

Love the quilt block on the barn. 

This barn is one of my favorites around the Murray, KY, area. It has such a beautiful setting surrounding the barn with the white fences, and corn in the fields.

The back of the barn is also noteworthy.  I love the cannas in bloom along the sides of the barn. Did you know cannas are a lilly type of tropical American plant. Gosh, I haven't had cannas in years, I think I need to add them to my yard next year. 

The blooms in my yard aren't as plentiful this week but happy I have some petunias in a pot to share. 

My daylilies are about done for the season, I only had two blooms today. I have really enjoyed them and hate to see their blooms end.

The elephant ears in my yard have certainly done well this year. My friend, JoAnn, from Jo On Legacy Lane, shared bulbs with me in the spring. 

She gave me so many that I planted the extras in a pot on my back deck and look how they have grown. I should have plenty of bulbs for next spring. 

I'm so happy that I have been seeing a few goldfinches at my feeders again. The house finches visit each day and their young are at the feeders too.

I was lucky enough to capture a few more good pics of the Northern Cardinals at the feeders. 

That's it for this week, thanks for stopping in for another day of Life in Kentucky - Judy. 

Amaze Me Monday @ Dwellings

Met Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Mosaic Monday @ Normandy Life

Nature Notes @ Rambling Woods on Monday

Our World @ Our World Tuesday Meme

Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life on Tuesday

The Scoop @ StoneGable Blog

You're Gonna Love It Tuesday @ Kathe With an E

Wednesday Around the World @ Photographing New Zealand

Outdoor Wednesday @ A Southern Daydreamer

Wild Bird Wednesday @ Paying Ready Attention Gallery

Nature Notes @ Rambling Woods

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern

ABC Wednesday

Home and Garden Thursday @ A Delightsome Life

Simple & Sweet Fridays @ Rooted in Thyme 

Share Your Cup Thursday @ Have A Cup of Mrs. Olson

Foodie Friday & Everything Else @ Rattlebridge Farm on Thursday evening

Photo Friday @ Pierced Wonderings

Skywatch Friday @ Skyley

Saturday's Critters @ Viewing Nature with Eileen on Saturday

Camera Critters on Saturday

I'd Rather Be Birdin' on Saturday at noon

Tom's Barn Collective @ The Backroad Traveler on Sunday

Seasons @ St. Germain's Blog on Sunday

June Blooms - a gardener's delight

On June 1, my flower beds had a new look,  The spring blooms were gone and now a host of other plants and flowers were showing new life.

The stella d'oro lilies in my front beds close to the road were opening to show their beautiful blooms. Others blooms were waiting to open.

Other light yellow lilies are blooming by my back deck. 

Another daylily that opened.

June plantings: new hostas were planted on June 1st and 2nd. The one on the left is a Christmas Hosta and the right is Paul's Glory. We'll see how much they grow over the summer.

Two hydrangeas were planted at the beginning of June. This one is "Blue Heaven." I am so excited to grow hydrangeas, I had none in my yard until now. I remember my grandmother having them along one side of her house when I was growing up. I loved those huge mophead blooms.

Two pots of Shasta Daisies were planted on June 5th.

I planted elephant ear bulbs in May and now they are up. The shot below was on June 2. They seem to grow very fast.

I have enjoyed watching the leaves unroll as they open.

The magnolia tree by my driveway started blooming in May and still has blooms in June. They will be gone soon.

On June 4, it rained most of the day so I didn't get out until early evening and much to my surprise, I had orange daylilies blooming.

Pink daylilies have now opened and are such pretty shades of pink.

My roses are starting to bloom again. I was a bit worried about them after their first blooms in May, they seemed to stop blooming but now they are looking good again and I'm seeing more buds each day. 

Linking to: 

A Garden Party @ Share Your Cup on Monday, June

Blue Monday @ Backyard Neighbors

Amaze Me Monday @ Dwellings

Met Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Show and Share @ Coastal Charm

Celebrate Your Story @ Sweet Sensations

Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life on Tuesday

The Scoop @ Stone Gable Blog

You're Gonna Love It Tuesday @ Kathe With an E

Tweak It Tuesday @ Cozy Little House

Swing Into Spring@ DIY by Design

Outdoor Wednesday @ A Southern Daydreamer

Wow Us Wednesdays @ Savvy Southern Style on Tuesday evening

Simple & Sweet Fridays @ Rooted in Thyme on Wednesday

Share Your Style Link Party @ The Essence of Home on Thursday evening

Tablescape Thursday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Favorite Things Thursday @ Katherine's Corner

Home and Garden Thursday @ A Delightsome Life

Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home on Thursday

Thoughts of Home on Thursday @ Poofing the Pillows

Share Your Cup Thursday @ Have A Cup of Mrs. Olson

Inspiration Thursday @ In The New House

The Creative Circle @ Domestic Charm

Photo Friday @ Pierced Wonderings

Feathered Nest Friday @ The French Country Cottage

Foodie Friday & Everything Else @ Rattlebridge Farm

The Bouquet of Talent Party @ Life on Lakeshore Drive - Saturday

DIY Sunday Showcase @ The Interior Frugalista - Saturday

Sundays at Home @ Love of Home

Inspiration Monday @ Our Southern Home 

Sunny Simple Sunday @ Sunny Simple Life