A Little Spin Around Post Apocalyptic Bohemia

I had an unexpected day off today: no obligations, no husband, no agenda, no automobile... just time alone in the house on a blustry spring day to read, Facebook, blog, nap, & cuddle with Junior. Sometimes don't you just desire some alone time & a rare chance to "just be"? 

Before

After

(You can click on any image to enlarge)

The Husband on the other hand, can hardly stay still. On his own day off with the house to himself, he reworked the front room & edited some of the collections. In the winter we use this room for the fireplace, in the summer we move to the back of the house to enjoy the back garden & The Boys' Fort. 

Below are some details from the mantle. More than a half decade ago, the Husband removed the original tiles surrounding the fireplace with the intention of replacing them with mirror tiles. I loved the resulting look so much that I had The Husband put off finishing it. He did silver leaf a corner. The fireplace & mantle have that Post Apocalyptic Bohemian look that I have a passion for. This part of the house seems to be part New Orleans shotgun shack & part Venice Palazzo's decaying sitting room.

The framed ExVotos are early 19th century Venetian, purchased at a favorite junk shop in Venice on our anniversary in 1991.

The crucifix is early 19th century Indian carved ivory, found in a NYC shop that sold goods from India. Also in this tableau are a hand beaded sea anemone (a wedding gift), a piece of coral, & a pencil that belonged to The Husband's sister who, in the beginning of the 1970s, passed away in her early 20s from diabetes.

Mantle details

The Husband collects boxes, possibly to balance my collection of orbs.

Details from one of the Husband's in process assemblages.

The ubiquitous shots of Junior.

I hope you enjoyed the tour. I hope you will come back soon. I feel bad that you didn't have time for a cocktail!

Do You Hate It When Bloggers Post Photographs Of Their Pets?

More Goings On At The Old Post Apocalyptic Bohemia

The view from the front room to what was described in the real estate listing as the

 "Formal Dining Room". The arch has been a focal point for a half a decade, adding to that special Post Apocalyptic Bohemian look that we go for.

The Husband had been up to something for a while, visiting his favorite wood store, & then the sound of his saw. Last week, The Husband asked me if I would get it up & keep it up while he pounded it in.

& now we have a new beam...

Junior has a new favorite space, his own little "man cave". He apparently believes he is undetected in his special spot. Junior uses his new hideout to hide toys, doggy porn & cigarettes.

This is my workspace, uncensored & unstyled for the photograph. The Husband will be horrified.

This is a section of the Husband's workspace. It is my view from where I sit when I am posting on this bloggy thing.

Shot by the husband in the winter version of The Boys' Fort.

Feeling Squirrely?

I have designed, planned, & executed our garden to attract wildlife. I love to sit in our back room, where the TV is, & watch the feeders for alluring, appealing, adorable avian visitors. We live mere blocks to the mighty Columbia & Willamette Rivers & we have plenty of flying guests. We have spotted an Eagle (with his eye on a terrier dinner, I suppose) Red Tail Hawks, Goldfinches, Scrub Jays, a Woodpecker, & Hummingbirds. I have different feeders with a variety of seeds & suet, & apparently the squirrels love them all.

Fed up with the squirrels feeding frenzy, the Husband & I purchased a “squirrel proof feeder”. Is there such a thing? This item was expensive, but we were didn’t wish to have a winter with hungry avian & fat, satisfied squirrels. The Husband placed the new feeder close to the house for optimum viewing.

The new feeder is now deeper in the garden for the shy birds, but we had a day of gratifying diversion watching a squirrel try & negotiate the new device. This squirrel did not give up & I commend his wholehearted commitment to snatching those seeds. He apparently did not grasp the notion of “squirrel proof”.

The Squirrel lands on the window to prove that he is a HIM & to torment Junior.

 

Junior Now Demands Table Service

Close Encounters Of The Canine Kind

I woke with a start in the middle of night, feeling compelled to go to the back garden. I wasn’t completely awake or fully conscious when I found myself naked, standing among the hydrangea with little Junior by my side. I had a surprising feeling of calm & introspection. As my consciousness shifted, several lights appeared, accompanied by a strange mist. I watched as Junior levitated, seemingly passing through solid objects like the fences & trees, rising through a tunnel & into the light.

I awoke in my bed. It was still dark. I went to the back window just in time to witness & photograph Junior being returned to the back garden. He seemed very sedate for a terrier, but none the worse for the experience. 3 hours had passed, although it seemed like minutes. Like all the inhabitants of Post Apocalyptic Bohemia, Junior seemed to have enjoyed his occasion with an alien anal probe. It is difficult to ascertain if there is any damage to his little doggie brain, Junior is just a bit nutty anyway. If it was an alien abduction, I am left to wonder, when I am the highest evolved life form in residence, why they would take Junior? Is it because he can lick his own private doggie parts? Will the mystery ever be revealed?

Do You Hate It When Bloggers Post Photos Of Their Pets?

Photo by the Husband