Rambling from the Roost: Volume 15

Hi there, I hope you all had a great week. It’s been a flurry of activity over here at The Roost! Not the snow kind of flurry. Hopefully, we won’t be having that here for a while. It’s time for another round of Rambling from the Roost 15: Weekly Inspiration.

I’m talking about the other kind of flurry. The fun flurry of activity.

We are enjoying the end of summer and getting to see the horses while they are so close to us. Saratoga is only a few minutes away and a short drive to the barn and racetrack.

Behind the scenes and what I’ve been up to

What a fun week we had!

In flower garden news, my garden is doing very well this summer. The Rose of Sharon is brilliant and are attracting hummingbirds from morning until night. One just about flew in my hair the other day and probably would have had I not been so startled and scared it away.

Look how many blooms there are covering this bush!

rose of sharon bush in front of red house

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My limelight hydrangeas are also putting on a show this summer. A few of the blooms are almost fifteen inches in length. I’ve been clipping them slowly and bringing them into the house for beautiful bouquets in each room.

If you have hydrangeas just be sure to gently shake them out before bringing them in. They are such dense flowers that bees can tend to hide in them.

Bees are good! Bees inside, not so much!

limelight hydrangea bush in front of red house

I’ve been thinking of adding a few more bushes around the side of our home. Most likely I will do a row of pink vanilla strawberry hydrangea similar to these.

And while we are talking about gardens, the vegetable garden is doing great as well. We’ve started getting delicious raspberries and tomatoes. I love a good Caprese salad that I make most nights for dinner, along with our freshly picked basil. You can make this so easily. It only takes a few minutes.

garden basket with fresh tomatoes and garlic in it

In not-so-good news, I forgot to pick my garlic and it’s a bit overgrown. That won’t deter me from making this delicious option.

fresh grown garlic stalks laying on grass

Summertime in Saratoga

Over the weekend we were at Saratoga Race Track several times. Both Andrew and I love meeting up with friends and making new friends to share our love of horses with them.

On Saturday we met an old high school friend of Andrews. Then on Sunday, we met a group of Andrew’s sisters’ friends who were in town for a lady’s weekend.

They traveled from all over the country to experience Saratoga for the first time. It was so much fun. I heard them say this was the highlight of their summer. I felt like I made instant friends with all these ladies.

Andrew feeding horse at the barn with white cloth hanging from the railing

a group of ladies at saratgoa racetrack in the winners circle

Have you ever been to a Thoroughbred Horse Auction?

One of my favorite things to do every summer is to head to the Fasig-Tipton horse auction that is held in Saratoga, New York.

The facility is amazing as is the gorgeous art collection (for sale) on the upper level. That alone is a reason to attend!

You can enjoy anything from a hot dog to dinner and a glass of champagne. The beautiful outdoor bar and strung lights add to the ambiance and excitement of the bidding.

This year several horses sold for over one million dollars, a few at two million, and the horse my husband loved prior to the sale went for four million dollars. Needless to say, he was ‘outbid’! ha

Here is an excerpt from the Fasig-Tipton web page:

‘Experience the excitement, tradition, and prestige of “The Spa!” Held during the prestigious Saratoga race meet for 100 years, Saratoga selected yearlings regularly go on to become racing’s next superstars. In 2022, The Saratoga Sale was once again ranked #1 among North American yearling sales by percentage of Grade 1 winners sold and percentage of graded stakes winners sold. The Saratoga Sale experience is one of the most unique in the Thoroughbred world, offering a rich racing and social scene.’

I think this says it all! It’s a fun experience I think everyone should attend at least once.

Fasig-tipton sign outside of horse auction

What’s in my cart this week?

I’m on a mission to update and clean out my closet.

It’s really full.

Like really full.

I’m sorting thru things slowly. Organizing different areas of my home is key for me to be able to get a lot of things done. If I have a messy space I just don’t seem to be able to accomplish as much. Here is the thing tho, my closet is in need of attention.

I’m hoping these help out. So far so good!