Metal Skull Art and Metal Hummingbird from Otherworld gifts in Mentone, Alabama

Metal Skull Art and Metal Hummingbird from Otherworld gifts in Mentone, Alabama Located at Moon Lake Campus

We took a short trip from Huntsville to the very eclectic gift shop known as Other World Gifts in Mentone, Alabama. We discovered this little shop in an almost hidden spot, located at Moon Lake Campus (The Shops at Moon Lake Village). It is a well-maintained old school owned by the City of Mentone. This is a very interesting shop with a huge mix of a variety of items. We understand the shop is a favorite stop for many because of the sweet "Soap Lady" that has stocked the shop with a huge mix of wonderful soaps. Her husband also creates a plethora of 3D created items ...amazing items I might add. However, we discovered the above pictured metal art items that are perfect for our backyard deck and pond area. The skull is keeping a watchful eye or two on our private garden. We were tipped off to the place by a group of people visiting from England while we were eating at a wondeful restaurant just down the road known as the Wild Flower Cafe. Take a trip to this beautiful area!

Goldfish Swimming Around Pond Cattails

Goldfish Swimming Amongst Cattails

Blueberries

The Bluberries Are Slowly Ripening

It's the last day of April and the Bluberry Bush is filling with growing bluberries. They remain green but look promising.

The Mum Returns

The Mum Returns | Will Mums Return Each Year?

Will Mums Return Each Year? I live in North Alabama (Huntsville) and we had some harder freezes this past winter. Apparently the freezes did not negatively impact the return of the mum plant. Our Mum sits under a grape vine I have grown on a 4'x4' wood post that I placed as a 4'x4' shape of a "T" and the Mum is in a large pot. For our location in the yard, this means it is partially shaded in the mornings, although many articles I have read recommend placement in full sun. Huntsville is located in Zone 8a (temperatures ranging from 10-15 Degrees Farenheit). After reading on the Mum, I have found that they must have stolons to return each year. Stolons are defined as Garden Mums which have runners that are near the surface of the ground and put out new roots and shoots, while Florist Mums tend to have very few of these runners or none at all. I do not recall the Mums I purchased from my local garden store identifying if they were garden or florist mums. I guess you can assume if you purchase them in a garden store that they are the Garden Mum variety. As you can tell, I am far from being a Botanist. I hope this post helps you in your Mum growing endeavors.

Hummingbird feeder that works best to attract the hummingbirds to our yard

This type feeder seems to work best for attracting hummingbirds. This one was purchased at Walmart. This feeder features a glass-bodied container which seems to last longer than plastic and I have been able to wash it in my dishwasher without any issue. It comes complete with a small hook that easily fits on a hanging chain. When you purchase this hummingbird feeder, the hook is hidden/located recessed under one of the screw-off red caps.

Note: Do not overtighten the caps to the glass body as i have found that over time the red plastic caps can become slightly more fragile from the sun and have cracked in the past. When i just lightly tighten them on after refilling with nectar, they have lasted for years without issue.

This is NOT a paid promotion. We are simply sharing what works well for us. Happy Hummingbirding!

Image of a bowl of strawberries collected at the end of April in Huntsville, Alabama

Image of a bowl of strawberries collected at the end of April in Huntsville, Alabama.

The Bluebird of Happiness | Image of a beautiful morning bluebird visit

I love the beautiful bluebirds that visit the backyard. This male bluebird is standing watch over the female building the nest at this time.

Image of Our Chipmunk Cracking Open Sunflower Seeds

Chipmunk Cracking Open Sunflower Seeds

The chipmunk loves sunflower seeds. He zips under the fence to visit the ground under the bird feeder and gathers several seeds in his mouth then zips back to the limestone rock and opens them to eat the seed. You can see the seed shells piling up on the rock. So cute to see Chip Munkerson in action. Sometimes I place a few walnuts on the rock as an extra little gift/treat for him.

Note: I keep calling the chipmunk 'him' but i'm not sure if it is a he or she.

First Iris of 2026 Blooms

This is our first Iris of the 2026 season in our backyard.

A Domesticated Parakeet Shows Up In Our Backyard

This parakeet appeared in the backyard. It must have escaped or was let loose on purpose by someone.

The deck refurb progresses further | Water Garden, Deck and Umbrella Images

The deck refurb progresses further

   

Deck Refurbishment Project is Progressing

The deck refurbishment project is slowly progressing

The deck refurb is slowly moving forward. We used Trex composite decking boards for sustainability. However, I do wish I would have matched the decking color with the stain/sealer color used for the stairs and the fencing pickets at the back of the deck. Originally the thought was to match the decking color with the the old, gray picket boards. But after looking at the old greyed boards that i had never stained, I was just not happy with the look of the pickets. Additionally I wanted to raise the height of the fence pickets to provide more privacy. In doing so, I replaced the greyed fence pickets with new red cedar pickets. I also wanted the pickets to have a longer life as well as preserving a constant color and longevity so I stained/sealed them with the color you see now. I had butted all the pickets tightly together in hopes I wouldn't have the gaps between the boards. Unfortunately the recently cut pickets quickly shrank and I did not like the gaps it created. That caused me to double layer the pickets to eradicate the gaps. This required me to again stain/seal the newly applied pickets. But this gives me the full privacy I desire while also providing an extra sound proofing. I still have plenty of trim work that i want to do, as well as adding plant hangers and possibly some type of accent lighting. I am also still in the thinking and planning of the type of chairs/loungers I want for the seating. I definitely want one or two glider benches that I used to love sitting in at my gandparents' places when I was young pup. But that's more options i need to decide on like color and do I want to use poly, metal or wood?But this is where we are today on the project.

Why Low-Water Garden Design Is Taking Over in 2026

From ditching the lawn to watering more smartly, we asked experts in their field for their tips on low-water garden design and easy techniques homeowners can use in their own front and back yards.

Whether you have just moved home and inherited a garden that needs a complete revamp...

Reference: www.homesandgardens.com

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First coffee of Spring on the back porch...

First time I have sat outside and drank my coffee since last year. Even sharing the space with my old friend Chip Munkerson.

A beautiful sky in Huntsville, Alabama

A beautiful sky in Huntsville, Alabama this morning

A beautiful sky this morning. If you look closely you can see the moon as well.

ICEAGEDDON 2026

ICEAGEDDON 2026

Meyer Lemon Tree is covered up with lemons this year

Meyer Lemon Tree is covered up with lemons this year.

A large mum that came back to life from last year is about to bloom. It had a producing tomato plant that was a random volunteer that grew out of the middle of it all summer. I think they helped each other in some kind of symbiotic relationship. It sits in a semi-shaded area on the northern side of tall banana plants.

It's October 1st, and produce production has almost slowed to a stop.

A Blue Skink (Five-Lined Skink) is enjoying my compost bucket

A Blue Skink is enjoying my compost bucket

The blue tail on this skink is meant to attract the attention of any predators that discover the skink. The predator will grab the tail and it will break off or be shes by the skink (autotomy), saving the lizard. The tail will regenerate. the skinks around our pond area were captured around the Mentone (overlook) area by my boy's when they were young. Skinks are great to have around your yard as they eat spiders, crickets, and other insects.

Hummingbirds

Morning moon view. Time: 06:27

Lobster salad with homegrown Black Brandywine tomatoes.

Pond view circa August 2025.

Hummingbird perched while waiting for a turn at the feeder.