A Very Good Book

June 30:

When the temperature is as hot as it is now, we work in the Morning, take a break in the Afternoon, and head back to the Garden in the Evening. That early Evening Light is radiant in the Garden.

Being in the Garden is like being in the middle of an opening Flower. Things are constantly changing. We see changes from one visit to the next. The Warm Season Plants are coming on growing by leaps and bounds, while the Cool Season Plants are either gone or on the Wane. The Weeds are taking every opportunity to cover the Bare Soil.

Sometimes we note that Plants need attention. For example, as we move into another Hot Spell, most of the Plants need to be mulched to keep them cooler, to aid in moisture retention, and to keep Soil from compacting and eroding.

We 3 C's don't want to miss a thing. It's like reading a very good Book. You just cannot put it down.

Within our Reach

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I often look

at the immense Creativity

of my Kind:

new products and technologies,

new movies and toys.

They are clearly

beyond my wildest imagination. 

When I think

of this enormous potential

for Creativity,

I know that

we could find World Peace,

we could find solutions to the big Earth Fix

we are getting ourselves into.

We just need

to put our heads

and our hearts

into it.

We just need

to truly want

for these beautiful things

to happen.

They are within our reach.

~~~~

Glinda Crawford, 2011

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Without Sense

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am told

that the latest

in Hybrid Tea Roses

is

Roses

without

Fragrance.

Whose

half baked idea

was that?

Just because

we have

a given technology

does not mean

we need to use it.

As the Grandmothers said:

"What will

they think

of next?"
I feel like someone
should apologize
to the Rose.

~~~~~

Glinda Crawford, 2011

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Quote

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you keep doing the same thing,

you will get the same results.

~~~~

Source Unknown

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Great Circle of Life

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Reader will note

that I usually refer

to Living Beings

as She or He.

My evolution

in my relationship

to Nature

has resulted

in seeing

the Other

as a Fellow Living Being.

The Other

is not

an "it",

nor a Being

devoid of Feelings

or Story.

The "it" approach,

which is common

in my Culture,

is the 1st step

on the path

of wanton Destruction.

My choice of words

denotes respect

to the Other

and it suggests

a humble request

to come together

at long last

in Sacred Community.

I do not see myself

as above

but rather

in a Great Circle

of Life.

~~~~

Glinda Crawford, 2011

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

June into July

We are into Hot Weather now as June moves into July. The last few days have been dry.  It was 94 degrees here today. The historical average is 84 according to WeatherUnderground. 

Yesterday, we went out to check the Cane Field.  It is now dry enough for Richard to till most areas, which is what he did early this morning.  Tomorrow morning, we will begin hand weeding those rows.  Yes, you heard me right:  We will begin hand weeding those rows. Hand weeding will enable us to take care of the Weeds in the rows and to fluff up that Soil, which is compacted with recent heavy Rains. Compacted Soil coupled with High Heat makes it difficult for plants to grow. 

It is supposed to be cooler tomorrow.  We 3 C's should be out early tomorrow morning to begin this process.  That means I better get to bed soon tonight.

Yesterday, Richard went to pick Black Raspberries.  He didn't find our expected numbers but he found some to freeze anyway.  It looks like it will be a low yield year.  Some years are like that. At the Grocery Store, most Foods are in Season all year round.  That's not so here on the Farm.

He did come back with some Elderberry Flowers and Melanie picked some too. Melanie and I thought they looked like Bridal Flowers. They are gorgeous.  Melanie got them ready to go into the Dehydrator.  When dried, they will be added to her collection of Medicinal Herbs.

You will note 4 Rows of Onions in this bed.  There are 2 varieties here.  The variety on the right has reached the "tipping point" of 1/2 leaning over.  When this happens, Richard pushes over the rest.  This is the 1st step in harvest.   This process will go fast. 

We are thinking ahead to where we will put them after they are dug. They will need to lay out on horizontal surfaces and air dry to cure.  We are going to need a lot of space this time.  Richard planted 1100 Onions.  We have thinned a considerable number and eaten them along the way.  But there's a lot left.

We are really excited about how well the Onions have done this year.  Compared to past years, this year's are larger and healthier.  We have them on 3 different beds.  This bed, which is the best, is made of compost and it is raised. 

We are beginning to get the picture here:  Our Plants almost always do better with healthier Soil which is well drained.  Those Raised Beds have fast become some of our Best Friends in Gardening.  Mulching helps too.

I started this day by making sure that all my Pots of Plants were watered.  While I was filling my bucket with Rainwater, I noted this beautiful Yellow Swallowtail. Forgive me, Butterfly, but I am not sure of the exact name, or the name the Humans have given you.  We have not been able to find it in our books. 

The beautiful Butterfly was enjoying the Purple Coneflower (Echinacea Purpurea). So I grabbed the camera and another bucket; then I sat down with no fanfare on the bucket among the Flowers.  My hope was that the Butterfly would continue feeding.  I was not disappointed. 

By this time, Melanie and I were both watching the Butterfly.  I noted that Butterflies have at least 2 different patterns in feeding.  There probably are far more.  Some stand gently on the Flowers and slowly open and close their wings.  This Butterfly's wings were quickly opening and closing, giving a fluttering effect. How little I know of the Worlds of the Creatures with whom I share this Life. I am grateful that they are very patient with me.

This Butterfly gifted me with many pictures and then she was gone.  I paused for a moment to soak in what I had experienced.  Then I got up, filled my bucket with Rainwater and continued to water my plants.

Blooming

June 29:

The Hybrid Tea Rose which was Mother's is blooming. We just transplanted it earlier this summer. I think I come from a long line of Women who love Roses. Roses make me smile, inside and out, especially Pink Ones.