A Day Or Two

  

  Yesterday, we were like a couple of kids on Christmas morning...we woke up to a sunny morning!  Cold, yes, but actual sun and the chance to take a morning walk. Perfection.

  Since it was Sunday, we had to get some good bread from the nearby bakery (only open on Wednesday and Sunday), so we decided to get up and out early and walk for our bread.

  I thought this sight along the way was good enough for a photo...

The local spot to buy wood.
Literally busting at the seams...or so it seemed.

That's a whole lotta wood.

 

Further along, a nice view of the countryside...

Typical early March in our part of Umbria.
Beautiful.

  Afterwards, we decided to take a drive to Chiusi, a nearby town,  just to walk around the historic center.

   We'd never visited the public park, so this was also a nice treat.

Johnny finally found the perfect table set he wants
for playing dominoes. Now how to get it back to California?

Pretty cool artifacts throughout the park.

  We enjoyed a stop for wine, then headed over to Lago di Chiusi to see how it was looking with all the recent rains.  Beautiful, me thinks...

So nice to see the hills turning green.

Still winter, but so beautiful anyway.

  

Johnny wanted to stop and do some drawing, so we pulled over. I ended up dozing off as I tried to read. I think we are still catching up from jet lag.

I got the shot, then mozied back to the car for some shut eye.

  

  

There is an amazing and very large scale nursery in this area. They specialize in full grown container plants. I mean HUGE specimens, ready to be trucked/flown anywhere in the world, it seems.

  I've always wondered who buys these lovely trees and shrubs, all ready to turn an empty space into a full grown landscape overnight...

The larger plants are easily fifteen to twenty feet tall.

  Well, last year we made friends with a local gardener and his lovely wife. He is taking care of the garden of a very famous pop star who recently moved into the area. Our new gardener friend told me that the fellow wanted privacy from the fans who found out where his new home is, so could there possibly be a way to make a screen of shrubs? Big shrubs, mind you...

  I guess when money is no object, and you are tired of being spied on and having people trying to snap pictures of you and your pals in the pool...this is where you shop for plants.

  Nice! My question was answered. 

  Today, we are back to a grey, rainy day. Not too bad, though. It's warmer and there is no wind, so we  went to the Monday market first thing this morning for veggies and such, came home to make lunch and sit in front of the fire. Mr. J is asleep next to me while  I write this. I think the tasty lunch and a couple of glasses of wine are to blame.

  And the fire...the magic of the fire.

Some of that wonderful bread we bought yesterday goes on the grill.
We just can't get enough of this simple pleasure.

Salad fixings, fresh ricotta and little tomatoes from today's market.

I tossed the tomatoes in a hot pan with olive oil, garlic, spring onions and thyme.
It was warmed just enough to 'pop' the tomatoes a bit.

Yeah, life is good in front of the fire.
Now it's nap time for me, too.