the door is thata way!

Sheesh...that's put me right off Canada altogether! ;)

I've never had snakes in my house before... looking for info... apparently there is more than one.

Me to Karen.. its making me shiver at the thought of them creeping around ...

the garter snake is more likely to die in captivity, apparently. they are a truly wild creature but will venture where ever there is a food source. the only source I can think of is Rufus' midnight snack leftovers... it's early season yet... hoping his visit was just a layover. lol....

I love your cream jug it would go perfectly with my old blue & white collection . :o))

Do you have a Delft collection, Amy?

I have a couple of Delft but most Chelsea & Stafford I love blue & white .. I sent a pile of lovely old meat plates to an auction before we moved knowing we wouldn't have the space they made nothing I should have kept them stashed away ... I have an assortment of Chinese blue & white with strange markings on the base but haven't a clue about them ..

perhaps a trip online to some of the appraisal sites could give you some ideas about age and value. Of course you know the provenance, but a search could help explain the significance of the markings... usually it's an import mark, but the early Chinese blue and white was made in England before it was made in China...still, that's the 1800's. My little milk cow was a gift from a friend who, at the age of 90, had started destributing her treasures among her friends... it came with a little bell around it's neck. It has been in the china cabinet all this time and finally I decided that I could enjoy it much better if I actually used it for it's intended purpose. It is not an antique but it is a treasure.

I have looked at sites Lori and have books showing china markings but some are so weird criss cross marks they are hard to decipher , Lori this will make you laugh we had 3 frogs linking arms in a circle standing upright 30 cm tall they came from Tony's mums ,their mouths open wide we used them as a walking stick holder ,they were chipped ,I dropped something on them repaired and painted the cracks as best I could we then decided to get rid of them we took them to be valued they estimated £40... we said right put them in the auction ,we didn't bother to go to the auction but then some time later we rang to find out if they had sold ,yes they had for almost £3000... goes to show valuations aren't always right .. your little milk cow is worth more to you from your friend than any amount of money ..

wow! that's fantastic! even though a person can't always trust the "experts", getting a second opinion is a good idea. You were lucky that the auctioneer was honest.

I wish we had been there to see the price going up and up :o))

wouldn't that have been exciting? do you wonder what the bidder knew that you didn't? perhaps open mouthed frogs are a rarity? who cares though? 3K would buy a lot of plants. lol...

Someone said they would look grand beside some posh persons swimming pool Lori ,The funny thing is when I dropped something heavy on them and broke a chunk out I repaired them as best I could with poly filler and paint I never did tell Tony as they had come from his mums ,I didn't tell him until they were sold ...😁 I bought my new computer system with the money ..

brilliant use of the windfall, Amy.

Have to add, like the little china cow pot/jug too..snake, not so much :-)

thankful the snake was just passing through, Kate. the little melken koe is a gift from a friend who has since passed. She had a collection of Delft Blue and White..and the little koe was my special favourite. when she reached 90 she started "passing on" her treasured bits of china, porcelain and glass... making it more personal than just a codecil in her will... It's my treasure and I've started using it rather than leave it in my cabinet. It's not antique or valuable in any other way than the sentiment I attach to it. Just a piece of a collection connection, not sure yet who I will pass it to.

Quite right, I think it’s great that you’re using it. It’s way too pretty not to have it out and showing it off! Plus it holds memories for you too, it’s definitely a little treasure!