ATC - July 11 - Quail Hill

One of my all time Favourite Books-turned-Movie is 'Under The Tuscan Sun' by Frances Mayes.
Not only is the book well written and full of wonderful pithy statements, but her love for the Tuscan landscape echoed my love for the Provencal which is very similar in climate and flora.
Since moving here and acquiring 'Come-What-May @ Quail Hill, I have tried to recreate with paint and plants, that Provencal  'feel' that I fell so much in love with on our travels.

What are four walls, anyway?

They are what they contain.

The house protects the dreamer.

Unthinkably good things can happen, even late in the game.

It's such a surprise.

 Under the Tuscan Sun - Frances Mayes

Her villa was already named Bramasole (to yearn for the Sun), but I on the other hand, had the honour and responsibility to name the House and Property. I had already decided before we moved, that the House would carry the name 'Come-What-May' after that wonderful song in Moulin Rouge, but it was a surprising delight to discover that the Property was already a home to several courts of of California Quail.
Thus, the Property essentially named itself; Quail Hill.

Ms D's ATC this week, shows a tiny map of where Quail Hill might be physically, but mentally and heartfully, it has been located on a road that was 25 years long.

Unthinkably good things can happen, even late in the game.

So it was, on very warm July 7, that the House saw us and said, ' Here I am, Come Buy Me.'
It was a Serendipity of Sevens:
The House was the 7th Listing on the 7th Day of the 7th Month (July) in the 7th year (2007).
After we moved in, a few days later I found this incredible piece of paper caught in the juniper bushes at the bottom of the drive.
It was completely covered with 7's!
Fantastico or what?

You can see it in my ATC along with the first shots of a King Quail on our hill, our First Luncheon Guests, our OCC (Outlaw Construction Co -my in-laws David and Helen) who gave us many many 'Firsts' from back deck, to flower boxes to 3 sets of stairs;  our American Angels: Ed and Diana who celebrated their First Canadian Thanksgiving with us, our incomparable 'angel-pest' Ms P who was there from Day Dot, painting and planting and finally Ken and Felicity who were our first Vancouver Beta Guests and celebrated their First Anniversary here last week at Quail Hill!

When Frances first bought Bramasole, she wrote that she longed to cook for somebody, to have a family, to have a wedding occur on the grounds.
She got her wish.

Then we come to my wish.
One of the things that Mr Bear and I had longed for, was a 'room set aside specifically for Guests - NOT a storage space or an office, but for Guests Only.'
I honestly wondered if anyone would ever come stay at Quail Hill, as we were 'across the water'  and according to one acquaintance 'you may well as be in Africa' as that is how difficult she thought it was going to be to come here to stay. (gee what a surprise, she hasn't.)

But as you can see from this week's ATC, I got my wish fulfilled and then some.

Blessings of an abundance of Summer Guests and Fabulous Firsts for you and them!
Shanti