rivanna river days

Food Movies, The Garden And Life In General ...

2009-08-15T11:48:00.006-04:00

Not writing here much these days. It's been a busy, very intense summer. I've been hard at work cleaning out my studio, getting rid of "stuff" I've been hanging onto for far too many years. It feels really good to be doing this and I've much more to do before I can consider the job done. There are also the closets throughout the house that seem to overflow and spill out every time I open a door. I will continue slowly but surely.

Weatherwise it's been gorgeous with very few 90 degree days. Rain is lacking at the moment, but I notice the tropics are heating up with hurricane energy and perhaps the remnants of one will swing this way. Here in Virginia the most beneficial late summer rains often come from these truly destructive storms so it's not that I'm wishing for one. I'd prefer the late-day summer thunder shower variety of storm without tornadic twists and turns. Just a lovely rainfall that makes the earth smell fresh and helps the plants to grow.

The garden grows more slowly now and the tomatoes ripen slowly though the plants are loaded with them. I worry they will all be ready for picking at once but if they do I shall still be grateful. I'll make gallons of tomato sauce and freeze or can it for those winter days when I want to remember the sun ripened flavor of real tomatoes. It's been a terrible tomato year all over the east coast and I hear the same about other regions of the country.

This has been "Foodie Movie Month" for us, beginning with Food. Inc, a must see for anyone who cares about what we consume and actually should be required viewing for every American. Wonder why we all are getting chunky and are dying of cancer?? There are some important answers in this film as well as in Fresh, which basically covers the same territory but seems a bit more hopeful. Both films feature local hero, Joel Salatin, of Polyface Farms. Though we eat very little meat these days, when we do, it comes from Polyface.

On the lighter side and oh so much fun, is Julie and Julia. We saw it in a theatre packed with other "seniors" who like my husband and I watched Julia Child religiously every week and learned to prepare heavenly French dishes. Though we knew how to cook before Julia, after watching her shows, we REALLY knew how to cook! Meryl Streep is wonderful and though she doesn't have the physical heft of the real Julia, she has the "voice" down pat.

And finally, surfing channels one evening this past week, we came across the animated film, Ratatouille, which I consider the dessert course of these viewings. I didn't see it when it was in the movie theatres, but happily watched this fun flick about a rat who is a master chef in Paris.

Just writing about these films is making me hungry ... off I go to cook something!!
Hope you're enjoying August!!

Summer Time ...

2009-07-26T11:10:00.007-04:00

Summer time and the living is lovely. We've had an abundance of rain and cool weather ... the coolest July in 100 years with an average of 6 degrees below normal. We've used little air conditioning in comparison to past years and the windows get thrown open most nights. Sometime during the wee hours I'm apt to grab the blanket ready and waiting at the foot of the bed. Summer has been my least loved season in this location because of the heat and humidity, so this year is a true gift.

The garden has done well, though the tomatoes rebel against the chill and too much rain for their liking. I've harvested well over 25 pounds of potatoes. Not bad for the meager 2 pounds of seed potatoes I planted. The weeping cherry tree is beginning to brown a bit and drop her leaves as is her habit in August. Other plants, lovely early in the season, are beginning to show some wear as we enter a month when gardens in this part of the world generally aren't at their best.

The "Scarecrow" mentioned in my last post is keeping the deer out of the vegetable garden, though not before they polished off the cucumbers and bean plants. We've seen spotted fawn twins in the early morning several times and know they've been told of that horrible water monster that blasts the vegetables when approached. Peter and his cousin rabbits abound. They seem to sneak in under the radar and get a tasty treat now and then. I've gotten over my greed and feel happy to share a little bit with them. After all it is this human who has invaded the space diminishing what used to be just their place.

I've been inspired to work on some projects that have been gathering dust and so this French beaded Poppy was birthed and placed in the peyote stitch covered bottle I created several years ago with no particular purpose in mind. As I was finishing the poppy, the bottle caught my eye and I knew immediately what its purpose was.

I've been away from my creative life for far too long and I've every intention to pick up where I left off, leaving piles of junk and half baked ideas sitting on every visible surface. I'm now in the process of cleaning it out and beginning to reconnect with my muse once again.

Hope you are having a great summer too!!

Of Deer And Scare Crows ...

2009-06-23T09:55:00.009-04:00

Swiss Chard

Cucumbers

Sweet Potatoes

The ScareCrow

There has been much gnashing of teeth, tears, saying REALLY bad words and cynicism here of late. Two nights ago the "night raiders" struck, then had the nerve to continue in broad daylight, not moving much at the sight of a hysterical woman, shrieking and waving a broom. Gone altogether are the beets, the carrots and several string bean plants. Maybe these defoliated plants pictured above will come back if they are given a chance.

I knew the honeymoon had to end. The nasty scents of whatever they put in those deer repellent products always gives way and even on reapplication don't mean much to those who seek to undermine all of the hard, tireless work I've done throughout the spring!! %&+@#?*! No, they can't be hungry!! Look at all the stuff growing in the meadow!! I leave it there just for them!!!

So, yesterday I set up the ScareCrow, which I'd heard about last year. I was told about it by several acquaintances who said, "Yes, it works!!" It's a motion detector/sprinkler that releases "a short but startling burst of water when it detects an animal," according to the literature. And it's an expensive sucker!!

The jury is still out as to whether it works here, for me, with these particular deer! Bill, suffering from insomnia last night, heard it go off several times in the wee hours while he was rummaging about. Nothing more seemed to be missing during this morning's garden check, so we'll see.

I will tell you one thing ... if you decide to try one ... when you are setting it up ... wear a bathing suit :)!

City Market ...

2009-06-20T10:18:00.008-04:00

7:30 AM at the City Market

Sunflowers

My friend Maggie Stultz and her magical pottery.

I love all of her work but I especially covet that platter on the left with the eggplant on it.

I found black raspberries and candy cane beets here.

What else do I need?

The Haul

radishes
black raspberries
candy cane beets
swiss chard
summer squash
raspberry/rhubarb and native cherry
Jams according to Daniel

Tomatoes and Flowers ...

2009-06-17T10:59:00.005-04:00

Grape Tomatoes

Potato Blossoms

Fever Few

Butterfly Bush

It's a rainy day today and chilly. We're going on well over 3 inches of rain so far for June. Some people are tired of it. Some gardens are getting too much water, not enough sunshine and growth is slow ... stunted.

I'm happy though. I picked my first grape tomato of the season a few days ago and it wasn't quite ripe enough but still full of sunshine. I harvested cabbage and cauliflower the day before yesterday and continue to enjoy sweet carrots. I pickled beets in balsamic vinegar and good olive oil ... WOW!!

The more of my own food I grow the more disenchanted I get with having to go to the Supermarket ... even Wholefoods. The big news of the week is that Trader Joe's is coming to Charlottesville in a new huge shopping center which I'm not sure we really need or even can afford as a community right now. I wish we had a year round farmer's market so that we could be getting fresher vegetables from surrounding states rather than the ones we see in the grocery stores from Mexico or Europe.

The price of gas is rising again after falling over the winter and people still don't understand we have to use less and get out from under the gas and oil giants big feet. And a new government report out yesterday suggests again that global warming will be much worse, much sooner that we thought. The North Koreans are nuke nuts as are a whole lot of other countries and the people of Iran want a recount and are demanding fair elections.

Still the flowers bloom, the bees buzz and birds sing outside my window. The sun will return. Nothing stays the same ... ever. There is good news. There is bad news.
I'm grateful for what I have and am able to do for myself.

How The Garden Grows ...

2009-06-08T21:16:00.009-04:00

Herb Robert

Oak Leaf Hydrangea

Lilies

Elderberry Flowers

Borage

This is what is in bloom right now!

See more here!

Hello Again ...

2009-05-30T20:29:00.003-04:00

It's been a while, hasn't it. This is a busy season and there seems to be more to do than I can fit in any given day or days. This week I finished getting most of the herbs and veggie plants in except for a few things that I'll tuck in here and there as the summer progresses. For instance today I picked up a few more eggplants to replace the spinach which is now bolting and will no longer grow as the heat increases. Spinach will be replanted in the fall once cool days and nights are upon us.

Since the first of May we've had an astounding 6 1/4 inches of rain and local meteorologists say that though we still have a 3 inch deficit for the year, we are no longer considered to be in drought conditions and that the ground water levels are doing well. It's also been amazingly cool and though we may have a day or two near 90 degrees at the beginning of the week, it will cool down again into the 70s as the week progresses. I shall not complain about that or the abundance of moisture we've had this month. I hope we'll continue to have enough rain through the summer to keep the gardens as lush and productive as they are right now.

I'm no longer putting out hummingbird feeders. I found it difficult to keep up with changing the syrup every day or so and having cats I no longer want to tempt fate. Since I only put seed feeders out in the middle of the winter, our bird loss, I'm very happy to say, has really diminished. But still we have lots of humming birds about. They love these trumpet vines and I've also found them feeding on bronze fennel and basil when they are in bloom.

I'm trying to figure out if I will keep this blog going. I haven't been posting much and I find I really just want to be outside in the garden at this time of year. Still there are many things I'd like to write about and a blog seems to be a great way to keep the words flowing ... if I'd only do it. I'll let you know what I decide.

Still In The Garden ...

2009-05-08T20:39:00.002-04:00

Oh yes, I'm still here. Still have very dirty fingernails and a tired body at the end of the day. We've had an amazing wet season with 2 3/4 " of rain between May 1st and yesterday. More is on the way as the big storms from the Midwest head our way overnight and into tomorrow. The garden is greener and lusher than I've seen it since we moved here in 2001 and for the first time I can see how all the work is paying off. I can really see the vision that I've had and it just keeps getting better.

The above photo is of a blue columbine that was here when we moved in. It moves about the garden freely, showing up in new places every year and I love it. I have never seen this variety in any of the nurseries or garden shops so don't really know what its name is.

The garden theme this year is certainly about medicine and edibles. Though I do and will tuck in something that catches my eye that is not medicinal or edible, I'm really interested in mainly putting in veggies and herbs.

I spent last weekend in North Carolina visiting with the grandlings. They were both on stage in their school's production of Fiddler On The Roof, which just blew me away. Every student in grades K thru 8th grade in this school of some 75 kids were on stage. I was in tears at the end as they sang, To Life, which shall forever be my anthem. I have spent far too many hours worrying about the future of our planet and our children and will now put my energy into celebrating the lives we do have and find ways to make them better. Here was a stage filled with children singing to their parents and grandparents about how to keep going even if the circumstances aren't always the best. Who says we can't learn from these little ones??
Sorry I didn't get pictures but it is etched in my mind and imagination for good!!

While there I was surprised to find that the Western North Carolina Herb Festival was on in Asheville and on Sunday morning I spent an hour or so wandering through the aisles of herbs, medicinals, seeds and plain ole interesting people. I got opinions about vermiculture, learned about keyhole gardens and yes, brought more plants home to put in the garden ... Angelica, meadowsweet, Clary Sage and Lobelia among them.

Hope you are enjoying the spring as much as I am!!

Weather Patterns ...

2009-04-19T15:38:00.005-04:00

I rather like the weather pattern we're in ... a couple of days of cool, rain ... then a couple of days of warm sunshine. But you can't please everyone! People who are growing veggie plants to sell are saying the cool, damp times are slowing the growth of their seedlings and it will take a bit longer than expected before they are ready for my garden. Well, I'm not in a hurry. We're still below average in rainfall for the year. I've started a few plants of my own and they seem to be doing fine. I harvested some baby arugula the other day to top off my avocado/egg salad sandwich. Very yummy and a taste of what is to come.

For me, this weather is a back saver. After a few days of bending, stooping and being on my feet in the garden, I can rest up, do inside chores, like bake bread, do laundry. But I can also do some reading, write in my journal and listen to the rain on the roof. Then, just about the time, a hint of cabin fever kicks in and my back is feeling fine again, I'm back out in the garden. It's great!!

Everything is growing beautifully and it's redbud season here with the dog woods blooming simultaneously. It doesn't necessarily happen every year, but when it does it is really lovely. Besides being a decorative tree and a native of the area, the blossoms are nice added to a green salad with a bit of a sweet taste.

I know it's been snowing in Colorado, there are twisty tornadoes about in the south and out in the Los Angeles area they are having a heat wave. Our turn will come, I'm afraid, for some nastiness. But in the meantime, I love what we've got!!

Garden Time ...

2009-04-09T21:08:00.003-04:00

I've had several readers asking about my whereabouts!
Well, I'm here, just busy and tired at the end of the day. I have dirt under my finger nails, muddy shoes and an on and off back ache. I've been shoveling, carting, planting, trimming, weeding and sleeping like a baby. I've planted potatoes, fingerlings and two kinds of red. Carrots and another round of spinach are showing themselves and yesterday, I went with a friend to one of our heavenly garden places, Edible Landscapes, where I bought lemon grass, rosemary, passion flower, elderberry, sweet bay laurel, June berry and a rose that promises to have huge hips in the fall for treating colds and flu over the winter.

I will be back to writing on a more regular schedule as soon as everything is in and growing well!
In the meantime, I hope you are enjoying spring as much as I am!

You might find a post now and then over at Rivanna River Herbal, where I'm hopefully going to post more about the garden!

Global Weirding ...

2009-03-13T11:51:00.002-04:00

It's snowing ... last weekend it was in the upper 80's. I don't know whether to get some lighter spring clothes out or keep the heavy winter togs in the closet. The crocus popped this week ... so did one of the apple trees in the old orchard as well as a cherry tree. Blossoms are bursting forth all over town. My sinuses are stuffed up and it's time to pull the goldenrod tincture out and take some for my spring allergies! It's way to early for all of this. I'm just not ready. Between the time change and heat last weekend, my body was freaking out! I think strange weather is and will be happening all over the globe. I'm grateful that we haven't had any severe weather so far.

Remember the family I told you about a while back whose house slid down the side of a mountain? They received good news this week. Their cat, Joey, is safe and getting sound as I write. He was found about a mile away from his former home and is healing after 2 months of living in the wild!! The local newspaper dubbed him the "miracle cat."

Yellow ...

2009-03-09T11:02:00.004-04:00

With temperatures in the 70's on Friday and Saturday and in the 80's yesterday, some of the forsythia popped overnight. There was a bit of a hint yesterday but during the dark of night these gorgeous little blossoms decided to make their debut.

These daffodils have been blooming for several days now and as the weeks march on more and more will show their faces as the ground warms up. I have a number of different varieties that bloom early, a bit later and a lot later, keeping my spring world yellow for quite a long time.

I love the yellows of spring. The weeping willow down by the river is just beginning to turn that rich spring yellow/green ... the first tree of the season to leaf out in this garden.

Throw in some purple crocuses and I'm in spring heaven. They're being a bit poky this year, but they will appear before the daffodils finish their yearly bloom.

I spent lots of time outdoors this weekend ... started some lettuces, mustard greens and swiss chard in peat pots, hacked away at more kudzu and began cleaning out my potting shed and making an inventory of supplies I'll be needing for my veggie garden. With the economy in this terrible slump, I'm determined to grow more of my own food. With only small traces of rain so far, I'm worried about the watering situation. Even after last weeks snow, the ground is bone dry. I have 2 self watering planters that I'll be experimenting with. They have a reservoir at the bottom which holds several gallons of water. If I keep the reservoirs full, the plants are happy and I don't waste water with a hose and sprinkler. And I may not have to fill the reservoirs on a daily basis, saving a bit of toil.

Flurry ...

2009-03-02T15:06:00.002-05:00

The "snow storm" turned into a flurry compared to what I used to experience in Vermont where I spent 20 of my younger years. We ended up with about 4 inches of snow, nothing to sneeze at if you want some moisture, but not the longed for 12 inches or so. The driveway is completely melted and the roads are fine though all of the schools in the area are closed for the day.

The wonderful surprise of the day is this gorgeous Baltimore Oriole who has been at the feeder most of the day. I think he is a bit early for the spring tea party, but he is feeding well and will be fine until the end of the week when temperatures are supposed to rise into the mid 60's again.

Too Little, Too Much ...

2009-03-01T20:23:00.003-05:00

The birds were busy today cleaning out the feeders in preparation for what could be an uncomfortable night ahead for them.

We're having a snow storm!! The first in several years that promises to blanket us with some much needed precipitation that will hopefully melt slowly and add some much needed wetness to our groundwater coffers. When snow falls in March it's often called "White Gold" by those who depend on the weather for their livelihood, like farmers. We have been so thirsty for rain, already down almost 4 inches just since January 1st. Local climatologists are calling the problem "abnormal dryness." Why don't they want to use the word "drought?" I suppose it means we have to be down 6 or 7 inches of rain! Oh, but I shouldn't complain. This snow could really help!

On the other extreme end of rainfall, a month or so ago, friends of my daughter who live in the mountains of North Carolina, were home safe and sound asleep, when torrential rains and inadequate slope protection above their home caused a mudslide to sweep the house down the side of the mountain into a roadway below. They both survived but not without the trauma that something like this can bring on. They had recently moved from Florida where they had lost their home to the housing disaster going on all over this country, moving into a new mountain home to be near their daughter. They have lost everything in this terrible tragedy including their cat, and are now living with their daughter, Nikki, in Black Mountain, North Carolina. This is a perfect example of what too much rain can do along with inadequate laws with which to protect homes built in areas like this.

The heart warming part of this story is that the community is pulling together to help these people in need. Urged on by Nikki and my daughter, there will be a "Live to Tell," benefit concert on March 29th, at a new music venue in Black Mountain called the White Horse. This concert will "honor the strength, courage and tenacity of this family and so many others who have been touched by landslide tragedy. Proceeds from the concert will help the Donans get back on their feet and will ensure that the need for safe slope laws and education are brought to the awareness of the people of Western North Carolina."

For the whole story go to www.projectsafeslopes.org. If you happen to be in the area, stop in at the White Horse in Black Mountain on March 29th for great music, delicious food and to see a community come together to help one another!

Priorities ...

2009-02-25T20:22:00.004-05:00

This good looking fellow and his wife have been hanging out at our bird feeder all winter along with several other cardinal pairs, blue jays, titmice, chickadees and woodpeckers. In the past years I've kept the feeders up all year, but sadly this year I'm not going to do that. I quit midstream last summer when I realized the feeders were bringing the deer into the yard. Besides eating birdseed they love hostas, lilies and my veggies. I will miss the bird families bringing their young to the feeder just outside my kitchen window in June and July, but hopefully I'll be able to harvest more food from the garden for my table.

I'm really getting excited about the coming spring and summer and fresh vine ripened tomatoes, juicy melons, peaches, strawberries and corn. I must be getting tired of winter squash and the like. I do try to eat with the seasons and locally as well. Yesterday I found fresh local swiss chard and romaine lettuce at one of our health food stores ... green house grown but still local!

This past Sunday we attended a pot luck supper at which the hostess served a wonderful angel food cake with whipped cream, fresh blueberries, raspberries, melons, grapes, etc. It was heavenly and I realized how much I miss those fruits during the winter. Sure they are out there but what is available now is flown in from South America and Mexico and of course are very pricey, both dollar wise and jet fuel wise. What's a fresh fruit lover to do???

Today at Whole Foods besides the berries from our southern hemisphere, there was rhubarb from Holland. And I overheard a brief conversation about which European butter is the best. The woman asking admitted that she is a "butter snob." Tempted as I was to grab some of the rhubarb, I passed it up, remembering that it won't be too long now before rhubarb will be coming in to the markets from a closer source.

I think about our planet and the damage we're doing and just wish we could all muster the grace to try and make this global warming thing a top priority. According to recent polls, since the financial meltdown in this country and President Obama's inauguration, global warming has dropped off the charts of what is important to most Americans. We are all of course really stressed and concerned about "right now" and how to keep our jobs and put food on our tables. Who can blame us? But isn't it time to consider that without a healthy planet all of us will suffer, especially all those cute 1st and 2nd graders who visit Whole Foods on field trips every week so that they can learn about food and nutrition?? What about some good old nutrition for the planet and getting away from our addiction to gas and oil??

A Beautiful World ...

2009-02-20T20:41:00.005-05:00

It isn't as warm as it a was a week or so ago, but it isn't too bad, either ... in the mid 40's and lovely. I watched the yard filled with robins hunting and pecking for earth worms while I ate my lunch. I started dreaming ... about building a cold frame. I found great directions for all sorts through google. I'll be able to grow greens and lettuces most of the year if I do it right. Also I want to make a worm bin. My compost pile slows way down over the winter so I'm planning a small worm farm in a cool, dark corner of my basement where I'll be able to feed them my kitchen scraps all winter long and throughout the year. In return they will provide me with rich worm castings which is heavenly for the garden. Makes everything grow wonderfully. I had one out doors a long time ago and it was great fun.

The daffodils are up and some even have fat buds that look like they might pop open in the next few weeks. The pussy willows are beginning to show their little furry buds and the forsythia seems to be coming back to life.

I've already found ticks on the dogs. It seems that though it has been very cold at times this winter, those times haven't been long enough to keep tick numbers down. As soon as a warm day arrives they come out. This is the earliest I've ever found them. Usually I start finding them in April and they can last through November and even into December.

Even with things like a bad economy, war, ticks and poison ivy, we sure do live in a beautiful world! Hope you are enjoying it as much as I do!!

February ...

2009-02-12T20:37:00.009-05:00

Two days ago it was 72 degrees and just glorious! Yesterday, 10 degrees cooler and still glorious! Today a tad cooler and still gorgeous! If this is February what are June, July and August going to be like?

This lovely bloom is the flower of our common Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana). We planted this tree 3 years ago and despite the heat and the drought of summer it is doing beautifully. As a native of this area it is very adaptable and will grow in wet soil or very dry soil. This is the time of year it blooms for us and seems to fill this month before the arrival of spring
with wild anticipation!

The bark and leaves of this shrub are used medicinally as an astringent in the treatment of bruises, hemorrhoids and other skin conditions by reducing swelling and relieving pain. It is said that in tincture or tea form it can be used with myrrh and cloves for sore throats and laryngitis; a tea with goldenseal and calendula when applied to the outer ear will treat swimmer's ear.

More about herbs and herbal remedies can be found on my other blog:
Rivanna River Herbal

Weather Change ...

2009-02-05T20:35:00.009-05:00

You know what they say: If you don't like the weather just wait a minute!

This is Molly enjoying her daily bake in the sun last Monday when it was warm and very spring like with a temperature near 60 degrees. In just three hours later, the sun was gone and the temperature dropped 22 degrees. Dressed in light clothing I had to quickly put on a heavy sweater and wool socks! Hot tea and a cozy read in front of the gas fire was just the ticket!
By 10 PM when it was time to put the dogs out for their last potty break, it was snowing!
Our first snow of the winter! Sure maybe a few flakes fell last week but it quickly turned to freezing rain. These days snow in this neighborhood is a big event.

When I woke up on Tuesday the sun was again shining but the world had been transformed by about 3/4 of an inch of fluffy snow. I rushed outside to take it all in and felt like a child again, ready to build a snowman and make snow angels. However, it was melting quickly and there was only enough time to snap a few photos to remind me in the heat of August that winter will come and it will be cold again!

It's all just a memory now. There are still patches of the white stuff here and there and it has been bitterly cold since. Despite the wind, Molly still insists upon her daily bake. The snow melts quickly in her favorite spot and she seems to be as comfy as can be. This weekend it's supposed to be near 60 degrees again!

Frozen River ...

2009-02-01T15:00:00.005-05:00

Big Blue Fishing In The Shallows, 2/1/09

The river has been frozen for about 10 days.
Today with a temperature of 59 degrees at noon, it began to melt along the edges.
Because it is such a glorious day, I spent several hours this morning beginning my annual attack on the kudzu that proliferates along the shores. I am told that when this very small subdivision
I live in was first divided, all of the lots were a tangle of kudzu and honey suckle.
Most of it is gone now except for right along the river bank where when we first arrived on this shore, elderberry shrubs were in abundance. Over the years the kudzu has killed
these medicine rich shrubs and so I decided several years ago that I would try my best to keep the kudzu at bay. Some think I am crazy, but I enjoy the work and find great satisfaction in seeing the results that 2 hours of cutting and hacking away at this stubborn plant can do. Last spring after a similar attack on my part, the elderberries began to reappear.
So I keep at it.

As I worked, the river spoke
in burps and belches
as the ice began to warm in the sun.
Later, Big Blue arrived to fish in the shallows.
About a week ago I watched him as he sat on the dock,
the river frozen solid all around him. I tried to imagine his hunger
and wondered what he fed on during a time like this. He looked quite disgruntled
and flew off without hanging around long enough for me to take his picture.
Today he stayed put for quite a while and I hope he got to fill his belly.

jzr

Let It Go ...

2009-01-27T15:05:00.004-05:00

I'm rereading May Sarton's, Journal of a Solitude. I first read this very special book many years ago and found so much wisdom within its pages that I decided that it was time for me to read it again. I'm not sure what brought it to mind again, but I wondered if there might be something it could say to help during these difficult days, when people are losing their jobs, their homes and our world seems to be in shambles. The following is what I found.

"I think of the trees and how simply they let go, let fall the riches of a season, how without grief (it seems) they can let go and go deep into their roots for renewal and sleep ...

Does anything in nature despair except man? An animal with a foot caught in a trap does not seem to despair. It is too busy trying to survive. It is all closed in, in a kind of still, intense waiting. Is this a key? Keep busy with survival. Imitate the trees. Learn to lose in order to recover, and remember that nothing stays the same for long, not even pain, psychic pain. Sit it out. Let it all pass. Let it go."

May Sarton
Journal of a Solitude

Miracles All ...

2009-01-18T19:31:00.003-05:00

We have had frigid weather here for several days, but today the cold spell broke and it is beginning to feel like Virginia again instead of the Arctic. We have frozen pipes in the garage but it isn't a big deal. We're able to isolate them from the rest of the system and hopefully we'll have little or no damage.

It seems miraculous to me that blooming plants can survive such chill, but they do and here is a Hellebore to prove it, looking none the worse for wear.

It is a miracle that some of the daffodils have popped up out of the ground and the Camellias are heavy with buds. Spring in itself is a miracle ... the beginning of new life. Though it isn't here yet, it is on its way for sure.

That 155 people survived a plane crash in the Hudson River last week is a miracle ... The Miracle on the Hudson, it's been called. So is the story of a couple who recently moved to North Carolina from Florida after the real estate collapse. A week and half ago in the midst of torrential rains, their new home slid down the side of a mountain to the road below. They lost all of their possessions, had bumps, bruises and are suffering from PTSD, but they are alive ... to see the sun come up again, to capture snowflakes in their hands, to see a grandchild grow. I cannot imagine their pain yet it is a miracle.

And so too is the inauguration of our 44th President this coming Tuesday ... the first African American President of the United States ... Barak Obama. Despite the wars in the Middle East and the financial condition of the entire world ... despite the threat of global climate change, I'm feeling hopeful for the future and feel certain that though we have difficult days ahead, that there are many more miracles yet to come as well. I am very grateful to be alive during this time of incredible change and wish for all of us peaceful and prosperous years ahead. Tuesday will be the first day of the rest of our lives and we must all stand up and help it to happen!!

Buds and Birds ...

2009-01-10T20:30:00.002-05:00

I swear that if you look carefully you can see spring in this photo! The buds need to swell more, but there is definitely some promise there. It won't happen tomorrow for sure, but sometime in the next month or two, the signs will begin to be more obvious. Yesterday I saw the first robin of the year and today I noticed blue birds perched here and there, then swooping down into the freshly mowed meadow finding a juicy seed or two ... or was that an earthworm come to the surface to check on the progress of winter?

Of course I do live in one of those areas of the country that is quite blessed with its weather. There is a down side though ... we'll be in serious drought again this summer as there has been little rain in the past months. Our ground water is very low and needs to be replenished so that our gardens will grow. Each winter brings fewer and fewer snow flakes as the climate warms. We can occasionally be hit in late summer with the remains of a tropical storm or hurricane. These actually are always considered a blessing by almost everyone because it can save crops at the very last minute.

While the rest of the country reels from constant blows from snow, rain and freezing rain, we patiently wait for some of it to head this way. By the end of next week it's supposed to get bitterly cold here and if any clouds roll through just maybe we'll see a few flakes reminding us that it is still winter after all!

New Years Walk ...

2009-01-03T14:46:00.003-05:00

On New Years morning I took a lovely walk in the woods at the Ivy Creek Natural Area. It was cold and crisp with an Arctic blue sky.

There were enough other humans about to keep the wild creatures at bay except for the squirrels, foraging for acorns which are extremely scarce this year, if the oaks produced them at all. The squirrels that I did see looked well fed so I imagine they are finding something to keep their bellies full. At my home, we have a few squirrels but not the numbers we've had in past years. They feed on the fallen seeds beneath my bird feeder which they cannot get into.

I love the neutral shades of winter, especially the bronze of the beech trees which hold their leaves all winter until the warmth of spring rouses their green buds. The oaks also refuse to give up their leaves til spring. Could it be they want no part of this long winter sleep we often compare to death?

At this time of year the greens of cedars, pines, along with our native hollies shine in the sunlight, reminding us of why they are favored for yule celebrations when the days are dark
and short.

***

I have started clearing away the piles on my desk and amongst the many lost and interesting things, I found the following quote which might serve all of us well in the days to come:

"To live content with small means;
to seek elegance rather than luxury,
and refinement rather than fashion;
to be worthy, not respectable,
and wealthy, not rich;
to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages
with open heart;
to study hard;
to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently,
await occasions, hurry never;
in a word, to let the spiritual,
unbidden and unconscious,
grow up through the common-
this is my symphony."

William Henry Channing

Bringing In The New ...

2008-12-31T15:19:00.003-05:00

Morning Over The River, 12/08

Just had a phone call from my daughter. We talked about her intentions for the New Year. I had to admit that I really hadn't thought much about it, but then on second thought I realized that isn't quite true. I have never been a New Years kind of person, making resolutions and coming up with a list of intentions for the next 12 months. Instead, I seem to do it as the days unfold.

I remember one November about 30 years ago, when I realized that I was smoking 2 packs of cigarettes a day and that if I didn't quit, it would kill me. So I told myself I'd quit for the New Year. I set about enjoying every last inhalation of acrid smoke that then made me cough like crazy. I had quit many times before only to start again when some stressful situation made me go out and buy another pack or beg one from a friend.

But this time something different happened. An argument started in my head about why wait till January 1st. If I was really going to quit, it had to be today, right now, no excuses, just shut up and do it. It went on for 2 or 3 days and then I started one of longest, most difficult times in my life. I threw a whole carton of cigarettes in the trash and dove in, never to look back. My husband and kids will tell you to this day, that I was not a pleasant person to be around for a long time. But I did it, they were supportive and from that day forward, I haven't made resolutions for the New Year. I make resolutions when I make them and that's that. It seems to be the only way it works for me.

So my intentions for the next couple of months are to file the stacks of papers that are gathering dust all over my studio/office. I will also clean out the store room and get rid of all of the things I always thought I needed but haven't ever used. I will try to live a much more simplified life, be more frugal, not buy as many books and go to the library instead. And I will continue my herb studies as I have been. Not a bad start I guess. There is so much more to do but then these are the big items.

Hope you all have a wonderful celebration over the next day and may your intentions be abundant and successful!!

If you want to know about my herb studies go here!

Winter Solstice ...

2008-12-21T14:18:00.003-05:00

The River Hidden By A Blanket Of Fog

Winter begins today and the hours of daylight will grow longer and the nights shorter as the days pass on into the New Year and the summer solstice, when it all reverses again. I feel extremely fortunate to be living where I do in Virginia. Here the weather has not been bad in the last weeks. We've had temperatures bounce up and down from warm to cold and warm again, mostly cloudy skies, some rain and a fine mist that keeps everything outdoors wet. There was the possibility of freezing rain last night but it never materialized.

Up north in New England where most of my family lives they have been through the mill with a terrible ice storm,a heavy snowfall and more heavy snow expected today. Many people are still without power from the ice storm over a week ago. I heard on the news that power company linemen trying to fix the situation are under attack from very angry customers who have no heat, running water or light ... in that climate, an unlivable situation. Most of the the northern tier of the country has been suffering through this weather and I'm sure it's making what is supposed to be a happy holiday season, one of misery.

With the money crunch we are all staying home, snug in our own little corners of the world this year. Fortunately we spent a lovely week with our grand kids in early November and then a quick trip to New Hampshire to see my brothers and families just before Thanksgiving. But we will not be at a loss. Our son and his wife who live very nearby will come for Christmas morning brunch and we will spend Christmas eve and New Years Eve with friends.

On Friday, I sent off the last of goody boxes to the rest of the family and now I'm just enjoying the peaceful quiet. I wouldn't mind a little bit of snow but I won't complain if we get none.

I wish each and every one of you Happy Holidays and a New Year filled with peace, light, warmth and justice for all!! Excluding no one, especially the creatures who live with us and around us on this beautiful planet ... the sleek red fox who passes through our yard in the morning ... Big Blue the heron who fishes off our dock ... the skunk who leaves his scent about the garden and even the stray cat who lurks in the shadows!

Running Away To The Circus ...

2008-12-14T19:56:00.012-05:00

When you're having one of those days
there is nothing like adding a little zip to your life.
So today I headed out to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
show, Boom A Ring, for its last performance here in Charlottesville.

When I was a child my most favorite book
in the whole world was Toby Tyler, by James Otis, about a little boy
who runs off to join the circus.

When I wasn't dreaming about being a world champion figure skater
I dreamed of being a trapeze artist
flying through the air high above a cheering crowd.
I tried to get my dad to exchange the handmade swing
he made for me for a trapeze but he never got around to it.

I tried training my dog to do wonderful tricks but that never worked out either.

As an adult I love the animal acts the best.
However, I do believe the they should use only domestic animals
like dogs, cats or horses. I adore elephants but they belong in the wild
not in the circus ring. One of these was trained to sit on the head of
one of the other elephants while it was lying down.
That didn't help my funk much! And it wasn't terribly dignified
for the elephants either.

The other day I heard a piece on NPR's, Science Friday,
discussing a study that showed that elephants
live longer in the wild than they do in zoos.
I don't doubt it.

I imagine it might be the same for white Bengal tigers such as these.

Like anything else there was good and there was bad
all mixed up together in this show. But I loved watching
all the children and was reminded of the first time
I saw the circus at Madison Square Garden in New York City some
60 odd years ago. I remembered reading Toby Tyler, and on those days
when nothing was going right, planning on running away
to join the circus.

Today for a few brief hours I did!!

Winterberry ...

2008-12-05T20:49:00.002-05:00

It's December! Where has all the time gone?
Pretty soon we'll be dating our checks with the year 2009.

Meanwhile the economic outlook grows more grim every day.
We have a Sitting President who is packing boxes, making brief comments
about all those who have lost their jobs and does nothing. We have a President-Elect who is priming the pump with a team of fine men and women who will help him to bring the country back to its feet ... we hope. His hands are tied and he cannot take any action until he takes the oath of office in January. For now the pump is not working.

I like to think that somewhere within this dark cloud we are abiding in
there is a silver lining of some kind. Perhaps we will learn to live comfortably with less.
Perhaps we will begin to look out for one another and lend a hand when it's needed.
Perhaps we'll learn to grow some vegetables to feed ourselves and a neighbor or two.
Perhaps bike lanes will become a regular part of the roadways.
Perhaps we'll start to conserve water, quit polluting the air and our water sources.

Perhaps ...

I do think it's really possible!

Thanksgiving In New Hampshire ...

2008-11-27T20:02:00.009-05:00

Last week we celebrated an early Thanksgiving in New Hampshire with my brothers, Reid, on the left and Zed next to him. Also there was Reid's significant other, Lee, Reid's son, Jesse, his wife, Amanda, and their little Anya, one of the cutest little creatures in this world. Lance, Lee's son and his love, Jan, were also there.

Anya and I played peek-a-boo while I worked the camera!

Lot's of fun...

while Lee and her son, Lance, put the final touches on a delicious feast of roast turkey with all the fixings. We pressed the last apples of the season for cider, watched snow flakes come down in windy, frigid squalls and cozied up around the wood stove! It was in the teens outside with a good windchill factor to boot!

It was a fun trip and we promised we'd do it again next year, only earlier! The weather in New Hampshire at this time of year is daunting for an ex New Englander like myself who moved away 30 years ago. I've lived in Virginia for too long I guess!!

Today Bill and I celebrated our own quiet holiday and it was a pleasure to not have to fuss. I worked out in the yard a bit, putting the garden to bed. With temperatures in the mid 50's, it was perfect.

We're thankful for our friends and family,
all of the joys that life brings us
and hope that all of you have had a peaceful day filled with grace and joy!

Sea Change ...

2008-11-05T12:26:00.006-05:00

I'm on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Have been here for well over a week and head home on Friday. We've had beautiful weather and a mostly calm sea until yesterday when a storm formed just south of us. This morning I woke to a shaking house, windows rattling, driving rain seeping beneath a not well insulated door. The sights and sounds are absolutely magnificent as is our presidential victory last night. I feel like I've been holding my breath for months now, unable to concentrate on much of anything but the election and being driven by strong emotions and worries about the world I'll be leaving to my grandchildren. But now the storm within has broken, I'm breathing just fine and I'm hopeful that our world will begin to change for the better. I do think it will be a difficult time ahead but we've come through difficult times before and we will do it again.

This beach and the house we rent each year ( I call it, "somebody else's headache"), is a magical place ... especially in election years. This is the 3rd presidential election year that we have been here on election day. We vote by absentee ballot way ahead of time then come here to relax and heal from a year's worth of battering and in the case of the first two elections to piss and moan about what just happened. But just being here with the sound of surf and the wind whistling through the screens and windows in calming and we've always returned to the real world in much better shape than when we arrived.

Our daughter Lisa, her partner, Deena, and the two grandlings come for the first week. Then we chase them out and have the second week just to ourselves to read, write, watch the sea, observe the milky way. With Halloween on Friday just before they left we had fun seeing Zoe and Noah in there costumes as they went out for some trick or treating.

Zoe as a duck!

Noah as Ozone Man!

Hope you all had a happy Halloween and a wondrous election day!!!

YES WE CAN!

Maxed Out ...

2008-09-30T18:58:00.004-04:00

Autumn Joy Sedum is now in full bloom in the garden. I'm quite amazed at how well the garden did even in drought this summer. I did water lots from my rainwater cistern. Colorful blooms are about done for the year and even the wild flowers are browning and shriveling. Leaves fall when the wind picks up, gathering to decompose in sheltered places. It is getting chilly at night and I am reminded that the cold, dark, sleepy season will soon be upon us.

On Sunday night we watched the documentary film, Maxed Out. Released 3 or 4 years ago, it is about credit card debt ... how the banks try to maneuver us into paying those astronomical interest fees and our own use of the credit card to keep us in clothes, food, jewelry, cars ... whatever our hungry little hearts desire, when we have little or no money to pay for it all. It is a sad and tragic look at the greed in the banking industry that has recently brought us to our knees.

If you are interested in how we got to where we are today, with banks folding, the market tanking and our government falling into pieces, see this film. Although it is not the about the events of the last couple of weeks, it surely shows how the problems we have today came about. Yes, there has been greed and criminal activity in the higher ranks of our banking industry, but as consumers, we have played a big part in the collapse of our economy as well. The film is available to rent at Netflix or at most neighborhood movie rental shops.

There is also a book, Maxed Out: Hard Times in the Age of Easy Credit, by James D. Scurlock. Although I have not read it, I intend to. My husband has read it and gave it as a gift to our daughter a few years ago. She immediately stopped using her credit card. Both the book and the movie will make you angry at the way business is done in this country and around the world.

Tending The Heart ...

2008-09-27T09:28:00.002-04:00

Where have I been, you ask? I've been tending to myself ... my heart has been heavy with the vibrations of the exterior world ... it's trying to hold its own ... feeling grateful for all that I have ... the wonderful people I know ... saddened for the state of this country ... the violence in the world ... the hungry ... the homeless ... and most of all for those who don't see or feel the consequences for what they do.

It's been hard for me to write anywhere about anything, including my journal that I normally jot in every day. I've been saying a lot of prayers ... asking lots of questions and trying to stay as positive as I can.

I know I'm not alone. there are many people feeling the same way. I remind myself on a daily, sometimes hourly basis that I cannot control what is happening in this world and that this too shall pass.

I take solace in meditation, the garden, simply living and the gifts each day brings.

September Garden ...

2008-09-04T15:18:00.002-04:00

Jerusalem Artichokes

Last week Tropical Storm Fay brought us over 4 inches of rain and things are looking healthy again, though I am noticing today that a few things are once again getting droopy. I'll water them from my full rainwater cistern this evening and look forward to a visit over the weekend by Tropical Storm Hanna, who should slide by to the east of us and leave us with some moderate rainfall. The coast is supposed to get the worst of it, though one really never knows with these storms. The river is fully restored to its normal level and soon the water fowl migration will begin and I'll be on the lookout for interesting sitings.

The heirloom tomatoes are beginning to slow down now and once it cools off I'll replace them with brussel sprouts and broccoli ... two of my favorite cool weather crops. With winters growing warmer here in Virginia I'll hopefully have a bountiful harvest of those.

This computer is going to the shop for about a week to have it's contents moved to another new one, so I'll be off line until I get the new one back and begin to understand its operation. I am such a dinosaur that this is giving me lots of anxiety. I've been putting this move off far too long. I'm getting a lap top this time that I can take with me when I'm off visiting. I don't need this big clunker that takes up so much room.

The other thing causing much anxiety in the household is the political climate. I am so tired off listening to negative attacks and untruths. Double speak abounds this week and we're once again teasing about leaving the country should a certain party remain in power. The problem is that we love this country and in truth we can't escape the stuff that drives us crazy no matter where we go. So it seems best at the moment to not watch or listen to the rhetoric and pray that things will soon be changing.

There are still lots of things to be grateful for, especially that Hurricane Gustov didn't cause the damage and destruction that was possible. It seems great lessons were learned through the Katrina experience and more were learned this time as well.

Portrait Of A Drought ....

2008-08-25T19:31:00.006-04:00

This is Molly and Sam exploring on the dock about 2 weeks ago. At the time I was going to write a post about how bad the "drought" is getting, but never got to it. We've actually been in a drought for a number of years now though certain officials seem to be in denial about it. Last year the South Fork Rivanna River Reservoir, the same body of water in the photo above never got this low. Water restrictions were put in place in midsummer last year and were lifted later on when rain became more abundant. Over the course of the winter there seemed to be abundant rain and when monthly totals were added up in the spring, the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority declared the drought over. What they forgot about is that the ground water has run very low since the worst summer of drought in 2002. Their logic seems to be if the rain fall totals add up to normal amounts for the year, then we are not in drought. It doesn't seem to matter that trees and shrubs all over the county are dying. It doesn't seem to matter that the water level in this reservoir that supplies water to the city of Charlottesville is well on it's way to the level it was in 2002 when we were in severe drought and water restrictions were in place.

This is what the dock area looks like today. The water is now 10 to 12 feet away from the dock. Scattered showers are in the forecast for the rest of week, but so far there has been not one drop of rain.

The trees you see across the river are turning brown. They are not orange or red. These trees are shutting down their systems because they can not pull up any water from the ground. Leaves are falling at an alarming rate. The Garden is dying back very early this year. I still have a bit of water left in the rain water tank but it will soon be gone. We save water from washing dishes to water as many plants as possible. We don't flush every time we use the bathroom, going by the rule: If it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down." The grass has not been mowed for almost a month now and is brown and crackly when you walk on it.

I took this photo on August 26th, 2006. Not much has changed has it?

This is what the river looks like when the water levels are normal, taken in November of 2006. So tell me, do you think this might be a drought or is it not a drought as claimed by the RWSA? There are currently no water restrictions in place. I am lucky. I have a well that is quite deep and hasn't failed me yet. I'm thankful I do not live in the city and have to pay for the water I use. I would have to depend upon the "authorities" to keep my water running and they don't seem to see a need to conserve water at this point.

We are entering a new age of global climate change. We can no longer depend on the seasonal weather patterns we have in the past. I believe we need to be conserving water every day, no matter how abundant rainfall is.

This is what the beginning of a real problem looks like. Why can't the authorities see it??

Abandoned Pets ...

2008-08-06T19:53:00.004-04:00

kittens waiting for a forever home at the SPCA

Last week my husband and I rescued 4 cats that were left to fend for themselves on our street. There were 2 lovely gray kittens about 3 months old and 2 young females of the same coloring ... both had recently given birth to kittens ... presumably the kittens that were with them, as we could find no others. They were not feral. I could pick them up easily they came when I called them with bowls of food. They were starving and mewed for their lives ... for someone to pick up where they'd been dropped off, so to speak.

Having 3 cats of my own and two dogs as well we took them to our local award winning SPCA which also happens to be a no-kill shelter. Because these kitties have personality I'm confident that they will eventually find good homes once they are spayed and neutered, which this wonderful shelter does before any rescues are put up for adoption.

Today I received an email from a friend who put out the word that someone had found 5 Labrador retriever puppies abandoned in another part of town. I know the economy sucks right at the moment and we are all having to cut back on expenses, but it seems to me there are kinder and more responsible ways to do that. The SPCA as well as other rescue groups will help anyone who can no longer take care of their pets because of illness or money woes. The folks who work with these animals are not out to judge anyone; they just want to help loving creatures who can longer be cared for.

PLEASE, be a responsible pet owner. Have your dogs and cats spayed or neutered and PLEASE don't leave them on the side of the road when you can longer take care of them. Be a caring and courageous pet owner and take them to a shelter. They depend on you.

August ...

2008-08-02T14:36:00.002-04:00

This is the time I normally head north on some exotic vacation. Last year it was Arctic Canada and Greenland. But this year finds me here at home in sun-seared Virginia, baking away. Even the best watered flowers wilt on days like today when the mercury rises well into the 90's and the humidity makes it feel around 100 degrees.
Friends ask me where I'll be going, then gasp when I say nowhere. Can't a body just stay home and enjoy the peace and quiet of summer in her own home??

The price of fuel and the energy it takes to go anywhere of interest is a huge problem and like others, I'm taking a "staycation" this year to ease the wallet and my carbon footprint. Plus I've lost interest in flying. It's just not as fun as it used to be and the horror stories of unexpected layovers, canceled flights and lost luggage get worse daily.

Who needs it?

But the travel brochures keep arriving and as the summer moves on, that bug that keeps me wanting to see another wonder of the world is back.
It's like a flea, biting and making me scratch the red bumps it raises. Unfortunately, the only thing that makes it go away is to move ... pack a suitcase ... make plans. And what has always made home the most important place in the world to me is being away from it. "There is no place like home," as Dorothy said, in the Wizard of Oz, even if it's plain old flat, tornado riddled Kansas. Who can resist one's own bed when they've been sleeping in others?

So I'm making a few plans and hoping the spread of itchy bumps will ease a bit. No big deal here, just a short 3 hour drivable distance to central North Carolina to join my daughter and the grandkids for a few days at the North Carolina Zoo in Ashboro in early September. Hopefully the heat of summer will be on it's way out and other tourists will be getting their kids settled in back-to-school mode. In October, I'll take Amtrack up to New York City for a few days to see a show and a few movies that might not make it to a theatre near here. It may not be Iceland or the shores of Lake Champlain in Vermont, but it will be fun and a welcome break from too much Virginia summer. In the meantime, I still do salivate over a cruise around Newfoundland with a quick stop in Labrador.
A body can dream, can't they??

My July Garden ...

2008-07-27T14:23:00.003-04:00

Here we are at the end of July and the garden is at it's best! Purple Coneflowers and Black-Eyed Susans are the mainstay and make it pop! There is also the deep purple of several Japanese Maples, orange lilies, a host of herbs and other plants tucked in here and there.

We've been very dry again and I continue to use stored rain water to keep things looking fresh and happy. As August approaches this garden and most others in the region will begin to look a little worse for wear. Continuing heat sears the flowers and leaves and lack of rainfall makes for pitiful wilting, especially during long afternoons. But soon the sedums will bloom and there will be some semblance of color once again as their pale pink blossoms turn darker until they are a shade of deep red-mahogany.

Having tucked a few veggies in a corner of the fenced in yard next to where the dogs roam free, the deer and groundhogs have decided not to bother with the battle this year. The smell of dog seems to leave them cold. We're enjoying 4 different varieties of heirloom tomatoes, green peppers and lots of culinary herbs. I've heard great things about a new water spritzer on the market that is activated by a motion detector that comes on when an animal approaches. It comes on suddenly and scares the you-know-what out of them. After a couple of attempts they decide it's not worth it and stay away. So I'm already hatching big plans for next summer. I'm planning a new bed, where I can add some eggplant, squash and cukes. Who knows what else I'll find in those seed catalogues that start arriving in the dead of winter when I'm dreaming of getting my hands in the soil.

As I write a surprise thunder storm has opened up overhead and its raining hard. Time to shut down this machine and tuck myself in a cozy chair with a good book.

Alive And Well ...

2008-07-13T11:18:00.007-04:00

Oh yes, I'm still here! Been tangled in a web of days that are far too short for all that I want to do. Time has a habit of running away with me. It seems I roll out of bed in the morning and the next thing I know, it's time for shut-eye again.

I'm in transition ... trying to reinvent myself to fit into a world that seems to be changing by the nanosecond. Mostly I've been working in the garden. There is no sweat like garden sweat ... it pours off my head, from my arm pits, my back, my feet and after an hour or two I'm completely soaking wet. With it seem to go the burdens of a lifetime. Yes, it wears me out, but somehow it also makes me feel younger ... and lighter ... and more connected. Weeding, pruning, replanting have given me time to think, to rediscover, to imagine where it is that I'm going and what I might be doing in the days to come.

We also did a bit of traveling to North Carolina over the 4th of July to be with our precious little family who don't live close enough to us. This month marked Noah's 5th birthday and Lisa and Deena's 10th year of living happily together as life partners and parents to Noah and Zoe. They held a a small birthday party for Noah and a "10 Year Recommitment Ceremony," at an exquisite spot in the mountains. Noah danced, Zoe read a poem she wrote just for the occasion. Promises were made by both Lisa and Deena to continue their ties of love and to try to be better and more patient with each other. This old lady shed a few tears and my husband took the photos!

Zoe, Lisa, Noah and Deena

I suppose all of this, along with my youngest brother's struggle with cancer and heart disease plus the inevitable passage of time since my mother's death over a year ago, bring me to a place of recommitment to my own life and how I want to live it. I want to ponder the big questions ... like Noah's asking his mom, "Which is higher, Mom, Heaven or Outer Space?" And "Are God and Santa Claus the same person?"

So I may or may not revisit this spot as often as I did before. I have promises to keep and a long road to travel before I find answers to those big questions. And the garden still needs tending.

Summer Morning Hike ...

2008-06-27T17:01:00.000-04:00

The weather was so wonderfully cool last week I decided to go to one of my favorite places for a hike. This is Ivy Creek which feeds into the South Fork Rivanna River Reservoir on whose banks I live. The Ivy Creek Natural Area which borders on the creek, is about two minutes from my doorstep. Many years ago, in another lifetime, I was a naturalist/guide here and spent many glorious mornings guiding elementary school kids, teens and adults through the more than 200 acres of woodlands and fields.

This is a special place. Long ago the farm belonged to freed slave, Hugh Carr, who turned it into a show place for the Virginia Extension Service. Much later, after he died and his children and grandchildren moved on, the property was put on the market. When a developer seemed to be interested in the land, local environmentalists banded together getting the Nature Conservancy interested in buying the property. The Conservancy turned around and deeded it to the City of Charlottesville and the County of Albemarle to be used as an undisturbed natural area where people from the region could hike and become aware of the value of wild green spaces. It is managed by the Ivy Creek Foundation, which keeps up this wonderful outdoor classroom.

Today, Ivy Creek Natural Area sits in the middle of a booming population intent on building huge homes and having all of life's commercial assets at their finger tips. I've lived in the area for well over 20 years and the changes are phenomenal. The South Fork Rivanna River is silting in at an incredible rate and the future of the drinking water supply is in jeopardy. Government approved plans for rebuilding and expanding another area reservoir puts the future of the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir in question. Neighbors and friends often find themselves with differing views as to whether the the river should be dredged to save it as the sole drinking water supply and as the pleasurable recreational facility that it is.

During the 1950s, the South Fork Rivanna River was dammed, drowning the village of Hydraulic, where a mill ground grains from local farms into flour. It became "the reservoir" from which water was treated and piped in to the city of Charlottesville. Beyond the city's supplier of drinking water, it serves daily as a special fishing spot for many area residents as well as the place where the University of Virginia rowing teams practice and race.

The reservoir has never been dredged to maintain its flow and like the arteries of many human bodies walking the planet today, is at risk of clogging up ... becoming unusable as a water supply or a recreational playground. I believe that it should be dredged and maintained as both. It does not need to be the only source of water to fill the needs of the people who may live here in 50 years, but it was built at the expense of those people who lost their land and livelihoods to it. Like the Ivy Creek Natural Area, it is an important and special place,
reminding every one that beyond the asphalt and concrete cityscape around us, there is a quiet undisturbed place where people can find the peace and the quiet of the natural world.

Thoughts On Family And Home ...

2008-06-15T17:12:00.008-04:00

I'm back home after a eight day trip up to New England to visit with my brother who is recovering well from surgery. He has another health issue discovered after the surgery ... a damaged heart and the eventual need to implant a defibrillator that will shock his heart if the rhythm goes wrong. But he is now at home and eating on his own. Hopefully he will begin putting on some weight.

He seems to be in good hands both medically and at home where Lee, his significant other, dotes on him, cooks lovely foods and tries to keep him interested in at least tasting things. Because the tumor in his esophagus was so close to his stomach, part of it was removed in surgery. Now, because his stomach is smaller, he has to eat many "little" meals during the day instead of the large three that most of us are used to consuming. Many morbidly obese individuals are successfully having a similar surgery done these days to help them lose weight. He has always been as thin as a rail so this was not exactly what he needs. However, in order to live healthily this is what he is gifted with.

While there we also had a chance to visit with my other brother and his significant other, Iris, who is just the sweetest person imaginable. We had lunch together along with my nephew, Jesse and his wife, Amanda. Little Anya was with her great grandparents, allowing her mom and dad to have a peaceful meal. But we did get to spend time with Anya the next day when she and mom, Amanda, came to our hotel to visit.

Anya just turned one a few weeks ago and is a wonderful bundle of loveliness. But she can also be a handful if she doesn't want to do what you want her to do. It seems she's inherited a bunch of family "stubborn" genes. She seems to be as slippery as an eel and if she doesn't want to be held, there is not much you can do to hold on to her.

They say that home is where the heart is and I'm home right now in Virginia where a large part of heart lives, while all these family members are about 750 miles away. I also have other family members in North Carolina. Since parts of my heart are with all of them, I suppose you might say, I have a number of homes. fortunately, my son and his wife live about 15 minutes away. We spent a lovely time with them yesterday on Father's Day. Mark had baked a delicious bread pudding for the occasion and we simply relaxed as family.

I do wish that the others, so far away, were a bit closer so that we could see them more often. But I do feel grateful for all of my family members and my many homes!

Things To Be Grateful For ...

2008-06-04T20:38:00.005-04:00

I'm slipping off to New England to see my brother for a few days. Things are looking up. His breathing tube has been removed, his lungs are clear and the incisions are healing well. The biopsy news is good and hopefully the cancer will not return. He passed a "swallow" test today with flying colors indicating that there is no leakage from the esophagus when liquids are taken. So he'll soon be on a liquid and soft foods diet. Hopefully he'll be out of the ICU tomorrow. The problem with his heart remains and to my understanding there is no plan as yet to deal with it ... but I'm sure something will be recommended in the coming days.

I am so glad that the primary season is over and at last we have a presumptive candidate. And I'm grateful it's Obama. My husband predicts that now the real down and dirty stuff will begin. I'm going to try to keep myself away from the television as much as I can. I find these battles to be very disturbing and hopefully Obama will continue to be able to wage his campaign in the dignified, presidential way that he has so far. I do not want to wish time away, but it certainly will feel good in November when we know we will have him in the White House come January.

I'm also grateful for the rain in the last two days ... not a lot, but things are wet and still growing. I have tiny tomatoes on the vine and wee green peppers beginning to appear. I've come up with a new location for these goodies this year and so far ... knock on wood ... the deer and rabbits haven't found a way to get to them.

More and more wonderfully delicious produce is beginning to appear at the farmer's market. Last week I found tiny baby beets, sugary carrots, spring onions, broccoli and the first of the local strawberries ... small red jewels. These fabulous vegetables and fruit grown in good old Virginia soil are so much better than the very best grocery store produce shipped in from California or further. More and more people in the area are beginning to grow there own and to buy what they can't grow, within the region. Sweet summer is here and for me it's a festival of favorite foods!!

See you next week!

Summer Storms ...

2008-06-01T20:15:00.003-04:00

It's been hot and humid the last few days. It will cool down tomorrow and then it looks like summer will be upon us with more summer-like temperatures and humidity levels. The rain teases as it has in past summers ... a 2 minute downpour then nothing more. It seems we're back in the same weather patterns we were in before the drenching rains of April and May. Everything that is growing so well now will slow down again and we will begin to take seriously the new patterns that are emerging as the climate changes.

The last two days have brought worrisome news of my brother, even after his successful surgery. Yesterday he was diagnosed with pneumonia. Today it seems his heart was causing trouble. He's apparently had some chest pains in the past 6 months but never mentioned them to his doctors. After extensive tests, they believe he's had several small heart attacks. One part of his heart shows permanent damage with one artery completely clogged. Two of his life support systems are being compromised and we don't know what will happen next. He is currently in stable condition and we pray that both problems will be fully addressed and taken care of so that he can lead a normal life.

Please ... if you ever have or have been having physical symptoms that could be a sign of serious illness, see a doctor at once and have it checked out. The earlier that problems are addressed, the greater the chances of recovery.

Busy Days!

2008-05-29T13:31:00.003-04:00

No, I haven't abandoned ship .... yet! It's been a busy time and I've wondered from time to time over the last weeks whether I can keep up with my blogs. I decided to just let this one go for a bit and to do my weekly posts at Rivanna River Herbal because it is my class project after all.

I've been feeling quite overwhelmed by lots of things this past month, with the garden taking most of my attention. I'm trying to thin, prune, plant and help it all to look beautiful while nursing a back injury that was doing great until this past weekend when I went on a hike and shouldn't have. Then on Monday, I worked in the garden for almost 4 hours. Since then I've been hurting and feeling very frustrated. For me, the garden is where I want to be ... and not just sitting. I always see something that needs doing and the weather for working outside has been unbelievable ... warm, not hot days, very little humidity and chilly nights. Perfect! Too soon the hot, hazy and humid days of summer will be upon us. Then I'll take to the shady corners of the garden or the indoors. Early morning and late evening are the only times I can handle the great outdoors in July and August, unless we have a cool spell and then I'm out and about.

This morning I managed a bit of pruning and planting but quit after an hour. Now I'm just trying to stay still and let my back recover a bit ... not easy for an antsy person like myself who sees so many things that need attention. Do I sound like a obessive type? Hopefully, this too shall pass. I mean the backache ... though it would be good to get rid of some of my craziness as well.

I am very much wanting to simplify my life and to begin weeding out those things that don't really interest me that much any more. But it's difficult and every time I let something go the space fills up with some other obsessive activity. I can't seem to let empty moments just be empty, though I am trying and one of these days, maybe, I'll get it.

Good news came yesterday! My brother's surgery to remove his esophageal cancer went well and they believe they got it all. Now we await the results of a biopsy to let us know if the cancer was still alive. I pray the chemo and radiation killed it so that he can start with a clean, healthy body. In the meantime, they say he is in lots of pain and I realize my backache is really nothing to complain about, especially if I take care of it better!

The Lushness Of Spring ...

2008-05-16T20:05:00.005-04:00

Oh, how lush the garden is!! To date this month we've had 6 inches of rain. Shrubs and trees I've planted have grown more in the last two months than they have in the last two years. The life force of water is truly amazing. We cannot live without it. Without it, the land would become bare, crack and crumble. Everything would shrivel and die.

The birds seem more active these days. Yesterday, I discovered the nest of a pair of cardinals in the climbing roses by the garage and watched a pair of mockingbirds do their hop, hop mating dance in the driveway. Pairs of bluebirds have nested in the boxes we've set out for them and one group of babies should be fledging any day now. This morning two families of Canada geese strolled along the water's edge ... one family with 3 gawky children, just beginning to sport real feathers, the other with only one baby, still tiny and golden in color.

I cannot get enough of the outside ... the garden, the flowers, the pulse of the planet, the new life all around me. Unfortunately it is not so for everyone. The tragedies unfolding in Burma and China are heartbreaking. There is no way I will ever be able to comprehend the loss those people in that part of the world are enduring ... unless of course I were to experience what they are going through. I do not wish for that. What I do wish for is that my prayers and those of all of the other people who are concerned be heard and that they will bring some measure of peace to those in need of caring for.

Muddy River ...

2008-05-09T13:12:00.004-04:00

There were big weather doings in the area last night. We had thunder, lightning, torrential rain and some hail. But the biggest deal was that we were under a tornado warning for several hours. My husband is away, so the dogs and I spent the night in what used to be my mom's apartment on the the bottom floor of our home. The dogs shivered when the thunder boomed and looked to me for safety. If they knew I couldn't change anything or protect them from that horrible noise, they'd probably leave home.

We woke to a gray, cool morning and 4 1/2 " of rain in the rain gauge. The dock is swamped. I haven't seen it as an island in a number of years now because of the drought. But it's beginning to feel like we may be on our way into some "normal" weather patterns for a change ... whatever "normal" might be. When I first moved to Virginia in 1979, torandoes were a rarity. Just a week or so ago there were devastating twisters in the southeastern corner of the state.

You can see in this photo the "stuff" that comes down the river when we have a heavy rain. There is garbage of all kinds, dead tree limbs, stumps and what remains of last year's leaves. The silt is visable in several tones with the currents bringing in just a bit at first, then later the full monte of good old, Virginia red clay. That is beginning to be a problem for this reservoir as it is silting in at a pretty good clip. I've noticed big differences in the the shore line since we moved here 8 years ago. There is big controversy over what to do to keep the area in water for the next 50 years. Once I understand a bit better what exactly is going on, I'll be writing some about it. Water is a big issue every where and it's getting bigger by the day, around here.

Bees ...

2008-05-04T11:30:00.007-04:00

My son, Mark, arrived a week or so ago with a hive box and about 10,000 bees. He has 2 hives at his home but wanted to spread out a bit so here we are with our own hive, carefully being tended by him. They are Mark's bees and he does all the work, but I cannot help but refer to them as "my bees."

Mark came by a few days ago to release the Queen, who was encapsulated in a tiny, sugary box which the workers are chewing through. The bees were calmed by the smoke. A few did try to sting him but his protective gear kept him from feeling it.

The bees are already building comb in the box and pollinating plants in my garden. When they first arrive bees need to be fed, so yesterday Mark came by with a gallon of sugar water (5 lbs. of sugar to 1 Gallon of water) to refill their reservoir so they can eat while they begin bringing their new home together and producing honey. They will be fed again in the fall before winter comes to help hold them over. We will not harvest any honey this year, letting them spend their first winter living on the honey they themselves produce and the extra sugar syrup Mark feeds them.

Honey is a very magical food and an antimicrobial healing agent. My dog, Molly, recently had surgery to remove a nasty cyste on her tail. After the cyste was removed the veterinarian dressed the wound with honey and then bandaged it. I had no idea that honey could be used in this way. The site has healed on Molly's tail and she is as good as new. I will use honey next time I cut myself to help the healing along.

Besides providing us with honey, bees are critically important because they pollinate the plants we use for food. Without them and other pollinators, the growing food crisis around the world will become more than a crisis. Starvation will not only effect the poor, it will effect the richest of the rich. Food growers as well as the world's bee keepers will be without work.

Bees have been mysteriously dissapearing. Called "Colony Collapse Disorder," hives around the world are found abandoned with no sign of the bees. It is believed that a mite and/or a virus are involved and scientists are at work trying to discover what else could be to blame. Other pollinators such as bumble bees are at risk as well. I often wonder about the tons of pesticides that are being used to grow our food crops. Could that be part of the problem??

We'll see what happens with this hive. I'll keep you posted on this latest adventure!

Rain!!

2008-04-28T13:52:00.003-04:00

Pinks, © Joan Z. Rough 2008

It's raining! And it's been raining on and off for the last couple of days! We've had an excess of wonderful drops of moisture for the month of April ... and it isn't over yet. Might it be possible that the weather patterns are changing and we may get over our droughty situation?? Anything is possible, but my prayers are asking for a summer of normal rainfall.

The rain gauge is measuring just over an inch of rain since 10 PM last night. I drifted off to sleep to the sound of rain on the roof. Today, it's been lovely to be inside planning more garden projects and catching up on chores after a weekend of studying herbs. After I finish this post, I'll curl up with a good book, look out the window once in a while to watch the trees and plants grow greener and taller!

I hope that whatever you're doing, where ever you are, that you're enjoying the day as much as I am.

More Kid Photos And Other News ...

2008-04-25T12:15:00.009-04:00

This is Zoe made up for her role as a munchkin and a resident of the Emerald City in the Wizard of Oz. She is following in her Graddad's "dramatic footprints! " The production was fantastic. There are 52 kids in Zoe's school and every child appeared on stage during the production.

And here she is on one of those bouncy toys, hopping around the yard!

Noah loves to spend his time in trees! He's 4 years old and full of so much energy!!

He also loves lovin'! He and Deena exchange a smootch! Next year Noah will be going to the same school that Zoe goes to and will be on stage when they do their annual production. This is one very dramatic child and I think he may just become a scene stealer!

!!OTHER NEWS!!

This Sunday, April 27th will mark the two year anniversary of this blog. I've loved every minute and intend to keep going with it. I've met many wonderful "blog buddies," and hope that someday I'll get to meet some of you in person. You have all sent me wonderous energy through the ups and downs of my life and I appreciate each and every one of you!

I am also announcing the start up of another blog that will be my class project and journal for my studies in using plants as medicine. Please come take a look at Rivanna River Herbal.

Earth Day ...

2008-04-21T20:19:00.001-04:00

Tree Peony blossom, brought to me by a friend, © Joan Z. Rough, 2008

Tomorrow is officially Earth Day, a celebration of and for the earth, the small blue planet we call home. We've been celebrating this day for many years now, preaching mostly to the choir ... people who already have a strong connection to the great outdoors and the beauty of wild places and the creatures that inhabit them.

Most anyone who gardens, hikes, kyaks, climbs mountains or participates in outdoor activities seems to know that in this time of planetary crisis, we must all work together to change our ways and begin to contain the damage we are doing as we go about our daily lives. Unfortunately many of our citizens and especially our current administration deny that the problem exists. Some who do recognize a problem refuse to believe that human beings are partly, if not mostly to blame.

Though the call to stop Global Warming has gone out far and wide, sea levels are rising at a rapid rate. It is not just the extreme northern and southern hemispheres of the globe that are feeling the pinch. There are reports that the Nile is being inundated with salt water, flooding areas where date palms are grown to supply Egypt and the rest of the world with these sweet confections. Soon this productive region will be destroyed. Here in Virginia we are in drought and on Canada's Vancouver Island there was snow on the ground this past weekend, causing damage to trees, shrubs and undoubtably the habitats of many wild creatures. Snow in April on Vancouver Island is unheard of.

It is going to take hard work on all of our parts to reverse the direction that we are now going in. There is more to it than turning our thermostats down a few degrees in winter or changing the light bulbs in our homes. It is going to take huge changes in lifestyles.

One of our major problems is the growth in the population of the world, which rises by 75 to 80 million people each day. We are on the way to a total world population of 9 billion people. As land masses shrink due to the rise in water levels, people will be crowded together in closer quarters than ever before. Mega droughts and storms will be the norm. Food prices will rise. Areas of hunger and poverty will grow by leaps and bounds, making the lives of many more people more than miserable.

I find it interestingthat the Catholic Church has now added to their list of sins, "pollution" of the planet. If someone spills gallons of crude oil into our oceans or pumps toxins into the air they are sinning because it effects the lives of people around the globe.

It's unfortunate that the church doesn't believe in birth control. It seems to me that if each of us simply replaced ourselves with a single child, much of the coming horror could be lessened. The greater the number of people in the world, the more harm we are doing to the planet and to each other.

Back in the swing of being home ...

2008-04-18T15:26:00.004-04:00

We returned late Tuesday afternoon from a delightful visit with our daughter and family in North Carolina. Yes, those are the "grandlings" in the photo! Zoe is pretending to stand on top of Noah's shoulders. Zoe is now 7 and Noah is 4 years old and are really a lot of fun to be with. There is always laughter and silliness and that is exactly what I needed. Grandchildren are good medicine and will cure a multitude of ills including worry, grouchiness, taking oneself too seriously and the feeling of being exceptionally ancient.

The day we arrived it was near 80 degrees and two days later there were snow flakes on a stiff wind coming from the north. The trees and shrubs are about a week ahead of ours here in Virginia. Dogwood was in full bloom and you could almost see the greening of tree leaves slowly creep up the mountainsides. It's a truly magical time of year to be in western North Carolina.

I'm now trying desperately to pull my life back together. Before we left we had a week long visit from my brother who is suffering from esophageal cancer. He had just finished up his chemo and radiation and was trying to get back on his feet. The treatments left him exhausted and it was and still is painful for him to eat solid foods. The good news is that the cancer has not spread and did not grow larger while he was in treatment. So he has four to six weeks to start gaining some weight and strength to undergo some difficult surgery to remove the mass. While he was here it was difficult for me to think of much else but his misfortune.

The anniversary of my mother's death last year from lung cancer is coming up. Though I am very healthy and grateful for that, I'm feeling alot of sadness and helpless in that I cannot make this horrible illness stop attacking my brother. All I can do is sit, watch and pray that all of the news will be good in the coming days.

For The Birds ...

2008-04-10T08:50:00.007-04:00

More Cherry Blossoms, © Joan Z. Rough, 2008

I'm heading out early tomorrow to see my grandkids. Zoe will be playing a munchkin in The Wizard of Oz, at her school this weekend ... two big performances. I'm looking forward to that and to seeing what spring has sprung in North Carolina. Getting away for a few days will be a treat as well.

It's been a dark week here, continuously cloudy but thankfully some rain, though we're still not out of the drought yet. My spirits need a bit of lifting and I'm sure two little shining faces will do the trick. Hopefully I'll bring back some fun photos to share and inspiration to chase away any dark clouds that may still be hanging around.

The photo above is of a cherry tree in our tiny orchard. The pear that was in bloom a few weeks ago is in leaf now and this beauty is taking over the spot light. I've never seen it so full of blossoms. Maybe there will be a few cherries for us if we can get to them before the birds, but it's very unlikely. These trees and their fruit are really for the creatures that we share these few acres with. The trees are old for the most part and diseased. When we moved here I was told that if I wanted to keep the orchard I should cut the trees down and start over. Having more than enough to do and wanting to provide the local wildlife with some good habitat, we opted to leave the trees as they were and plant new ones as the old ones died. We have lost several apple trees and have planted two Asian persimmons in their places. But for the most part, all the trees like this cherry, are doing just fine!

Painting Spring ...

2008-04-07T08:42:00.014-04:00

Water soaked grey sky
pure tones of birch
magnolia, forsythia
spring green leaves
redbud

Rain drop music
fills the air
my paint brush
drips with color

Images and words © Joan Z. Rough, 2008

Forsythia ...

2008-04-03T09:23:00.004-04:00

© Joan Z. Rough, 2008

It's a golden world at the moment with so many yellows in the landscape. Forsythia, daffodils, dandelions, wood poppies, primroses, spicebush ... not to mention the yellow-green of newly unfurling leaves. On Saturday night at herb class we had a wonderful salad of spring greens. Several of us gathered violet flowers and leaves, dandelion greens and forysthia blossoms all known for their medicinal uses, which we added to the salad. I also picked and added garlic mustard leaves. This plant is a nasty invasive that is taking over our woodlands. It has no medicinal value, but it tastes very good and by uprooting it and eating the leaves we're doing a very small part in getting rid of it.

Have you ever noticed that once all of the trees begin to leaf out, their new leaflets lightly echo fall colors when viewed from a distance? Yellow-green, a soft almost pink-orange ... and many shades in between. These are the colors of the chemical compounds like carotene within the leaves that help in the plant's photosynthesis of the sun's energy into plant energy. Standing on the top of one of our blueridge mountaintops, it's amazing to watch these subtle colors shift into the bold greens of the summer forest.

We're still playing with weather that can't make up its mind. Seventy-five degrees a few days ago, forty degrees today. On warm evenings buds and leaves seem to pop, while on cool evening this process seems to slow down, as do the voices of the spring peepers. Last night when I let the dog's out for their last potty break of the evening there wasn't a peeper to be heard. My breath was steamy when I exhaled and I was quickly aware that I was getting very cold.

The bear did return the night before last and hit the compost bin. But he/she didn't seem to eat any kitchen scraps it uncovered. It might have been looking for worms and grubs which there are always plenty of in the compost. There is no sign that it returned last night. One of my neighbors has friends who live upriver and they have seen this bear. They describe it as BIG!!

Early Morning Visitor ...

2008-04-01T19:37:00.004-04:00

Last night at Around 4:30 AM my husband woke up thinking he heard something on the deck just outside of our bedroom. But it didn't sound too threatening so he promptly went back to sleep. I slept through whatever it was, but when I got up at around 7 AM was surprised to find that we had had a visitor during the night.

Three of my birdfeeders were down on the ground and the metal poles they were hanging from were bent very close to the ground. The trash can we put out last evening for collection today was dumped over but because we put all of our kitchen scraps in our compost bin, the garbage apparently didn't smell very interesting so wasn't scattered. The rain gauge that sits on the deck outside our bedroom window had been disturbed but was also not terribly interesting to the neighborhood marauder. A few of the other neighbors had their trash dumped and scattered.

This was no racoon or opposum ... not a deer or flying squirrel ... not even a skunk or fox could do this kind of damage and in the newly mulched garden we could tell the beast had big feet. So more than likely it was one of our hungry black bear friends who come through the area from time to time. If they find lots of good eating they'll often hang around returning night after night trying to keep their stomachs full. Several years ago in a nearby community several cars were wrecked by bears who were trying to get at trash or food the owners had left in their cars overnight. One person had to put up an electric fence around her car because the bear kept trying to get into the car even after the edibles had been removed.

So I've taken my bird feeders down and we'll probably keep the trash can in the garage for a while. Interesting is the fact that the culprit didn't find the compost bin. The birds looked quite confused this morning and by afternoon had moved on to find handouts somewhere else. I missed seeing them just outside my kitchen window, but for now we've got to keep the bear away by not putting out offerings he or she might be interested in. The birds will be safer this way too, as Lily our bird hunting cat will not be able to stalk them from under the feeders. There are plenty of spring foods out there for the birds now and I saw another butterfly today!!

Wondering ...

2008-03-29T07:00:00.001-04:00

Yesterday while walking by the river
a tiny, lavender butterfly fluttered
across the path in front of me.

I wonder who this might be
so impatient for summer days
when frost still plates the morning grass.

jzr

Spring snow ...

2008-03-28T15:10:00.006-04:00

Cloudy, 70 degrees. It was warmer earlier today when the sun was out. Now it's cooling off. Tomorrow it will be in the 50's, Sunday in the 40's.

Cherry blossoms are beginning to drift from the tree. When the wind blows it looks like it's snowing. I hear wind chimes accompanying the petals as they settle on the ground.

There will be no shoveling necessary.

Just being ...

2008-03-25T20:26:00.002-04:00

I made this photo a few weeks ago on one of those early spring days that I like to describe as being "cranky." The day just couldn't seem to make up it's mind ... sunny, showery with rainbows or just plain gray? And why not all in one day and maybe even all at the same time?

It's kind of the way I've been feeling lately myself. Maybe I'll work in the garden today ... or maybe I should get to that pile of filing ... but now I feel like reading that fabulous book I started last week and haven't had time to pick up since. Then I remember something else I've forgotten to do ... and it's important! Must get to it now!!

I can't seem to focus. I do everything in fits and starts. And then I piss and moan about not getting anything accomplished. I just seem to be in one of those places where just plain "doing" is difficult. When I'm doing one thing, I want to be doing something else. And so I make my way through the hours getting very cranky myself.

So I decide to just "be." Why not take advantage of this craziness and do "nothing." In fact I do believe we need time to just let the psyche go and wander through the days and the changes that are making themselves evident with the shift of seasons. Our spirit needs recharging after the long spell of cold, soulful quietness that winter sets before us. It's time to just sit, sip a cup of tea while reading a few pages in the warm sun, walk through the garden and imagine a new tree or shrub in that empty space we suddenly notice. If dark thoughts arise, like those large gray clouds, they will soon pass and the sun will shine even brighter, warming the muscles of our bodies and minds so that soon we will be in sync with the what is happening at such a rapid pace around us. I think that if we don't take the time do this we're likely to cause damage to ourselves and those around us!

On Saturday and Sunday I will begin a new journey. It is the first weekend of a nine month class in the study of herbs and their medicinal uses. The class will meet one weekend a month through November and is the first session of a three year program, at which time those who finish the program should have enough experience and knowledge to be called "herbalists." I'm very excited but at the same time a tad worried. About what, I'm not exactly sure ... maybe about not being up to it for one reason or another. Or perhaps just afraid of the changes that are sure to accompany this new work. But I think just letting go during these next few days will help to prepare me for whatever lies ahead. For now it's time to just lay back and take in this magnificent world!

Easter In My Garden ...

2008-03-23T15:00:00.014-04:00

Though the gods have the power of speech
more often they choose a flower or plant:
elder leaves pressed on a blotter,
or spring buds emerging from a winter stem

These messages they send--
so ordinary we usually miss them:
an easy laughter and lightness,
or legs casually crossed and touching

The way a serpentine dike blends seamlessly into bedrock
or the way two possible lovers move,
starting and stopping, passing and pausing
on an April trail

The subtlest oracles are always the most obvious--
seeing what is clearly in front of us the most difficult:
a butterfly hatching from a ruptured dream,
or a splintered tree rooting in the soil where it fell

DALE PENDELL
found in The Secret Teaching of Plants,
by Stephen Harrod Buhner

All images © Joan Z. Rough, 2008

Cherry Blossoms ...

2008-03-20T10:31:00.001-04:00

Weeping Cherry, © Joan Z. Rough, 2008

It's official! Spring arrived here in the wee hours of the night as I slept, Breathe Right strip taped to the bridge of my nose, so that the pollen and ensuing congestion gathering in my sinuses wouldn't cause me to snore. People are already complaining about seasonal allergies ... that thick, heavy headed feeling, dripping nose, constant sneezing and feelings of malaise. But it's all so gorgeous how can one complain??

Another question!! Can one be married to the same person for going on 43 years and still learn something new about them??

Over the past couple of days I've been watching the blossoms on the weeping cherry outside the kitchen window, slowly swell, getting ready for their annual blooming. I happened to point it out to the love of my life and he said yes, he'd noticed and added that they are a little over a week early this year. I asked him how he knew that and he said because he keeps track of it every year and that every year since we've been living in this house, they have burst forth on the same date! Let me tell you, I was completely awed by this self-proclaimed indoor couch potato, who finds working in the garden too dirty and back straining.

I thought I was the only one keeping records and in my snotty, superior way, the only nature lover in the house. I record daily weather conditions ... how much rain or snow falls. I notate which birds arrive, leave and when ... and all sorts of other crazy things happening outside in the garden. I am the one who loves working in the yard and getting dirty. I do agree with him about the back straining problems as I get older. But right now I'm doing fine and loving every minute.

The interesting thing about all this is that I've never kept track of when the cherry tree blooms. When my sweet husband told me that he does, my heart stirred .... like it did when I knew I was first falling head over heels in love with him all those years ago. It is a validation of our love and the years we've spent together, in sickness and in health, in and out-of-doors. It's a reminder of my own misunderstanding of his love for the outside world and how he grieves when any one cuts down a tree.

So, you betcha!! After 43 years we can still find out new things about each other and ourselves. And what a delight it is, for me at least. For Bill, it may not be so great. He's finding out that I snore ... loudly!!

Spring Orchard ...

2008-03-17T17:20:00.000-04:00

© Joan Z. Rough, 2008

This is what I saw one morning about a week ago when I woke up around 7 AM. Overnight the pear tree had burst into bloom. A few mornings later one of the peach trees burst forth and daily the scene changes. Now the daffodils at the base of the trees are at peak bloom with yellow trumpets that dance in the breeze. Spring is truly an amazing season with a newness each day that outdoes every other season.

I remember March and April mornings when I lived in Vermont. There would still be much snow and ice around but through the nights we'd keep watch for the first lamb or angora goat kid to be born . Nine times out of ten the new babes would arrive at some secret moment between my sleepy eyed visits to the barn. I would linger watching mothers and babies getting aquainted with one another and marvel at the miracle that each birth brought to those still cold days. These births were a sign of things to come. I knew that somewhere under the mantle of the earth, rootlets were beginning to awaken. As the snow and ice melted, they'd jump to attention, pushing stems, then leaves and flowers into the the world from the dark womb of the earth.

Here in Virginia we haven't the harsh northern climate to deal with. The birthing of spring seems more gentle and steady, without interruption from blizzards or below zero temperatures. Still, sometimes I miss the drama that northern climes bring to the change of seasons. And though I do have more than enough to attend to these days, I still miss the lambs and kids, their soft bleating, the primal warmth and smell of the barn where the first signs of spring always appeared.

Pausing ...

2008-03-12T10:33:00.000-04:00

Hellebore, © Joan Z. Rough, 2008

I seem to be over my frump, at least for now. It's amazing how little things can add up and make life difficult. In the past I've let bothersome things sit inside me without working on them until there was a BIG explosion because life wasn't going my way. Anyone in the vacinity had to run.

But I'm trying not to let that happen anymore. Now I try to work things out before they build into something that is not very pretty. And even then I've got plenty of triggers left from my journey through life that can set me off and I'll utter something unkind before I can stop myself. Hard as it is, I'm finding that if I just tell myself to "pause" and think about what I want or need to say before saying it, I'm a much nicer person. And I don't embarrass myself and then feel terrible.

That doesn't mean that I don't speak my truth when it is needed. It means that I try to find a way to make it more palatable instead of an insult. It's well worth the effort.

Seasonal Loveliness ...

2008-03-10T20:14:00.000-04:00

Pussy Willow Tree, © Joan Z. Rough, 2008

The seasonal loveliness continues here in central Virginia ... nights in the upper 30's ... days in the upper 50's, with 60's expected later in the week. Perfect sweater weather for being outside enjoying the onset of spring. The pussy willows are soft and furry, the daffodils are up sooner than I thought they'd be and there will be lots of them this year. Last spring blooms weren't as abundant as they are this year.

Daffodils, © Joan Z. Rough, 2008

The Canada geese are no longer hanging out in their winter gaggles. Moms and Pops are now off on their own, preparing for nesting and defending their territories day and night with noisy, squauky squabbles. Later next month won't be too soon to perhaps see these families with fuzzy goslings in tow, proudly paddling down the river or up on shore browsing the grasses for the tender greens they love and delicious squishy bugs.

I'm having a hard time with the time change this year. I just wish they'd leave it all alone. There are many reports suggesting that the energy savings that Daylight Savings Time was supposed to bring to our world haven't worked out. I do love the light in the evening, but getting up right now when the alarm goes off at 6 AM is very painful and dark. Last week at the same time the sun was rising and I was awake and aflutter with all the other early birds.

I'm getting really tired of this prolonged primary election process and find Hillory and Bill Clinton's invitation to Barak Obama to be Hillory's Vice Presidential running mate laughable and crude, since Obama is in the lead. Why did I once like those people?? What I had hoped would be a civil and healing campaign is just turning out to be more of the same crap and my inner ostrich pipes up wanting to bury it's head in the sand and say, "Whatever!" No wonder alot of us have trust issues!

Sounds like I'm having a bad day and in a sense I guess I am. I don't usually allow it to show, trying to be the optimist on the block. But occasionally it gets to every one of us and I guess today is just my day!!

A Sad, Wild Tale ...

2008-03-07T14:06:00.001-05:00

Great Horned Owl, © Joan Z. Rough, 2008

It isn't often that we get to see magnificent birds like the Great Horned Owl. After all, they hunt small mammals, up to the size of a rabbit, in the dark of night, after the sun slips over the edge of the world. I tell my cats about owls when they insist upon going out after dark ... which I don't let them do, unless they're bouncing off the walls and are about to make me totally crazy. I tell them that besides cyotes there are BIG birds out there who think small cats are very tasty. It doesn't seem to make a difference when they want out!!

I found this beautiful specimen down by the river as I was walking the dogs late yesterday afternoon. It was being harassed by a flock of crows and a mockingbird, that dove after it trying to drive it away. But alas, the owl had an injured wing and couldn't fly.

After taking the dogs up to house, I grabbed my camera and called the Wildlife Center of Virginia to find out how to help this poor bird. This center is a wonderful place with a staff of veterinarians who doctor and rehabilitate injured
animals so that they can be returned to the wild. They gave me the names of several people who live nearby and do captures of injured animals and also transport them over to the center near Waynesboro. I found Garth Kemper at home, ready to sit down to a dinner of trout. He said he'd be right over. When I suggested I could call someone else on the list so that he could enjoy his dinner, he added he'd go from there to Kalimazoo to help. The trout could wait.

An hour later, Mr. Kemper arrived with a huge cardboard box, some nets and other gear. We went down to where the owl was sitting on a stump. It started to get very nervous as we approached and was strong enough to move about by flapping its wings but little more. We managed to catch him with the nets after he hopped into the cold river .... not a pleasant place for it to be .... boxed him up and Garth drove to the Wildlife Center. I had high hopes for the recovery of this bird.

But we don't always get fairytale endings ... especially when it comes to injured wild animals. When I called the center to inquire about "my" owl just an hour ago, I was told that they put him to sleep last night after discovering he had a detached retina (not good for an owl who depends upon its eyesight in the dark) in addition to a dislocated elbow. The elbow could have been repaired if the he'd been brought in within 12 hours of the injury. The bird was very thin and they felt it had been injured "days" prior to my finding him. Even if they could have fixed the elbow, the detached retina sounded the death nell for this poor bird.

It's very sad, but it's also life. We cannot always save the day for other people or creatures. I've learned over time that we cannot get attached to the outcomes of our prayers. We can only do our best with what we're given and allow what will happen, happen. I'm grateful to people like Garth Kemper and places like the Wildlife Center of Virginia, who go out of their way to help animals in need of medical attention and a temporary home until they can go back into the wild.

At least we kept this owl from suffering too much longer and perhaps from dying a violent death in the jaws of a cyote or some other preditor. May he rest in peace.

Great Horned Owl with injured wing, © Joan Z. Rough, 2008

IT Really Is Happening ...

2008-02-26T10:50:00.002-05:00

© Joan Z. Rough, 2008

I think spring is here already. This morning I heard and then saw a red wing blackbird down by the dock for the first time in '08. He was being chased by the mockingbird who has lived in the nearby willow tree for several seasons. If anyone, including myself, goes near that tree he gets very angry!! He doesn't dive bomb me but he does the cats and other birds.

It is still February, just barely, and I've never seen a red wing here this early. Also the red maples are blooming, dropping their tiny red flowers all over the ground. Yikes, IT really is happening. The IT that so many don't like to think about or even recognize. That big IT that is melting the icecaps and glaciers all over the world. The IT that is responsible for the early tornado season in the midwest and the severe snows that have covered much of the west, east and northern sections of our country. The IT that our current and soon to be gone head-of-state can't fit into his brain and refuses to acknowledge!

UPDATE: That mountain lion that was spotted next door not too long ago has been sighted again, twice ... not right in this area but within the county. They apparently have a range of some 85 miles. I won't blame IT for this new neighbor. I think it has more to do with the human population in the mountains and our huge deer herd. There is plenty of food to be had in the area!!

I'm leaving town tomorrow until next week. It's time for a break. I wonder what I'll find when I return?? Have a great week!!

February Garden ....

2008-02-25T22:14:00.001-05:00

Hellebore, © Joan Z. Rough, 2008

When I moved to Virginia in 1979 I wasn't much of a gardener. Having lived in northern climes for most of my life, I never would have guessed that the garden could be a thing of beauty in February .... in the winter! In Vermont my time was taken up with two children and a bit of farming. We had sheep and angora goats whose wool and mohair I learned to spin and then to weave and knit into useful bits of clothing and household items. We also had hens whose eggs we used ourselves and sold to neighbors. The only gardening I did back then was a huge vegetable garden which we enjoyed throughout the year in the form of canned and frozen goods still brimming with summer goodness. In February, the garden was covered with many feet of snow and the first sign of spring was mud season, followed by daffodils in late April or early May. I spent so much time in the vegetable garden that I had little or no time for flowers. Yes, I was a hippie, but I guess not a flower child!!

Hellebore, © Joan Z. Rough, 2008

But then we landed in Virginia. I sold my animals, the kids grew up, moved out and I fell in love with flowers, especially if they bloomed with snow on the ground. Because of our massive deer population, it's hard to keep vegetables growing. Last summer I planted tomatoes and sweet peppers and maybe harvested a half dozen red tomatoes and maybe 4 lovely green peppers before the deer found them. Though the deer also love flowers and shrubs, I'm learning what they don't like and am filling my yard with those things ... like the hellebores which also happen to bloom at this time of year along with camellias and yellow jasmine, often mistaken for forsythia. The daffodils are several weeks off. That the hellebores are drough tolerant is also a plus and I am envisioning planting many more. They are green most of the year with a drooping brown period in August, when most gardens in this hot climate are looking kind of ragged anyway.

Hellebore, © Joan Z. Rough, 2008

I think I may try a few more tomato plants this year, but will plant them very close to my front door where hopefully the deer won't want to approach. Can you tell that as the weather warms I'm getting all excited about working out doors? I don't think I've ever lost that urge to work with plants and even having animals. I still dream of having a few chickens again, but I don't know how they'd do with all the preditors that hang out around here. My son, Mark, has about 20 hens at the moment and is losing a few here and there to hawks. I think I'll stick with plants!

The First Camellias Of 2008 ....

2008-02-22T11:37:00.004-05:00

These are just the first two blooms and already fading. There are many more to come.

Photos © Joan z. Rough, 2008

Persistence ...

2008-02-17T11:00:00.002-05:00

Daffodils, © Joan Z. Rough, 2008

My brother's cancer has not spread. On Tuesday, he will begin a 5 week course of radiation treatments 5 days a week and chemo once a week. After a rest of 3 or 4 weeks he will then undergo surgery to remove the mass and the part of the esophagus that is involved. The risk of the cancer returning after all of this is high and if it does, the treatment is palliative, to keep him as comfortable as possible.

I have my up days and my down days. I cannot imagine what this time must be like for him. But no matter what, we seem to persist. The sun rises and sets, the moon and stars appear to guide us through the dark. We all do the best we can through this crazy adventure called life.

I have not had time to get back to the riverside jungle that also persists, but I'm itching to have at it some more. No matter what I do, most likely I will not stop the kudzu from trying to take over the river bank, as long as time and planetary conditions allow. However, in my own laughable, controlling way, I will persist, as will we all.

All Of The Good News ...

2008-02-15T09:39:00.001-05:00

Hellebore, © Joan Z. Rough, 2008

This is a beautiful time of the year. Things are beginning to happen in the garden ... the hellebores are beginning to bloom, daffodils are poking through crusty earth, camellia's pink buds are swelling and of course the weeds are thriving! Spring is making promises ... warmth, flowers, rebirth. If I didn't love the fall most, this would be my favorite time of year. There may still be cold, blustery days ahead ... even some ice or snow. But there are no doubts as to where we are heading! It is evident in every ray of sunshine, in every breath of sweet, fresh air.

It's the same at the primaries. Virginia in all of her glory is chanting "Change," along with all of the other citizens of this country who are finally saying, "enough is enough! Out with the old, In with the new." It is all within reach now! No more politics of fear!! We are breathing the essence of hope and optimism!

Zoe with her Science Trophy, February, 2008, photo by Lisa Rough

This is one of the little people of the world we need the change for. My sweet grandchild, Zoe, was one of three in her school to win a trophy for her science project. This is the first time a second grader has won this award. The winners have always been in the upper grades. Her project was to discover which animal, a dog or a cat, is easiest to train. Bravo, for Zoe and all of the other young people of this world who hold so much potential!! We must leave them a world full of hope and promise!

Kill The Kudzu Day ...

2008-02-09T16:45:00.001-05:00

all photos © Joan Z. Rough, 2008

Oh, what a magnificent day it's been! With a high near 55 degrees, I spent almost 3 hours outside this morning tending to my compost heap and beginning to cut back the invasive plant species that make the river bank a dense thicket of kudzu, honeysuckle, bittersweet and blackberry canes. No, I can't actually kill it. Because the river is a source of water for the city of Charlottesville, I cannot and wouldn't anyway, use pesticides to control the growth. Although a good barrier for any runoff to the river and a wonderful place to watch birds nesting and feeding in the spring and summer, I cut this tangle back every few years so that some of the native species can continue to grow where they like to best ... like the Elderberry, which provides the birds with nourishing food. Elderberries also make an awesome cough syrup for people with winter colds but I'm never fast enough to harvest them, so must get them elsewhere.

I know this doesn't look too threatening, but in reality some of this mess and the blackberry canes are taller than I am and all of those nasty vines wrap around each other making it very difficult to remove. Even wearing long sleeves the thorns on the blackberry canes scratch my arms and long pants don't prevent my legs from being gored by those tiny spears.

Up close, you can understand why the birds and small creatures like to nest in this hedge from hell. You have to be one brave preditor and armored in leather to get yourself tangled up in this mess for a few fresh eggs.

Because these plants are mostly dormant at this time of year I love to do this work on days like today. It makes it a bit easier to identify what it is you are cutting back and there are no birds nesting. Once the spring migration begins in just a few weeks and the birds begin to nest, I'll quit until next year when I'm antsy to be outdoors enjoying the sun and wind.

Neighborhood Sighting ...

2008-02-07T19:50:00.000-05:00

My Big Garden Bug

We live in a small neighborhood of 8 houses, only a few miles from busy roads, honking horns, Whole Foods, the veterinarian and a host of other merchants and service oriented places. So it isn't always peaceful and quiet. We hear sirens from fire trucks, ambulances and the police from time to time. When that happens the dogs in the house across the river start howling off key and often carry on for a good five minutes after the screaming vehicle has passed. It's really quite funny and I'm surprised that my two don't join in.

It isn't like this is the wilderness. However we do have more deer than we need, skunks, opossums, racoons, river otters, beavers, rabbits, squirrels and a miriad of birds including ospreys and bald eagles. We occasionally see a fox and one night a couple of years ago a bear made mincemeat out of one of my bird feeders. A coyote has also been spotted. I have not actually seen the last two critters myself but they are often seen in the area so I have no doubt that they slip through my radar very easily.

But it's the latest sighting that really intrigues me. Reports this morning were of a large animal at my neighbor's dock and was said to be either a mountain lion or a bob cat. Bob cats are usually very shy creatures and difficult to see. The sighting of a mountain lion would be quite fantastic but in reality I'm not sure I believe it. But then on the other hand land development in this area, like the rest of the east coast, has been intensifying at a rapid rate as the population expands. More and more people want a piece of the countryside for their homes, especially in a scenic area as this one, at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. So it may not be terribly surprising that a mountain lion might be driven from its territory and end up in a crowded suburban area. As homes encroach up the mountain sides, the native inhabitants need to go somewhere. And soon there will be few places for them to escape to without running into humans.

So whatever it was that was sighted, I wish it well and hope that it will soon find a new home in a less congested area. In the meantime, I'll keep a sharp eye on my three kitties who like to spend their days hunting in the tall grass in the meadow.

Back In The Sunny South ...

2008-02-05T12:20:00.000-05:00

Pansies in February, © Joan Z. Rough, 2008

When we left last Wednesday to see my brother in New Hampshire, the river was frozen over and the poor robins looked very chilly indeed. Yesterday we arrived home to find the river running a muddy brown after over 1 1/4 inches of rain in the morning. Today it is sunny and it will be near 70 degrees. It was fairly warm in New Hampshire (mid to upper 30's). We were stuck in our hotel most of the day on Friday because of a nasty ice storm. When I lived in Vermont some 29 years ago, ice storms were almost unheard of. The precipitation was always snow in the winter and lots of it, lasting sometimes until May. There is much brown ground beginning to show now in the northern climes.

Though it was wonderful to see my brother, his son and wife and my lovely little grandniece, Anya, the circumstances were not happy. Reid, my brother, does have esophageal cancer. We still don't know at what stage the cancer is ... his PET scan hasn't been done yet for one reason or another ... so we wait, wonder and pray for the best ... that his life can be lived a bit longer and in as little pain as possible.

The teachings of the Buddha, tell us that nothing is permanent ... like the weather patterns, everything changes from day to day, moment to moment and no matter how much we believe we have control over life, we really don't. The pansies that looked dead before we left are now looking full of life. Little Anya grows and now has two teeth. Before long she will be a year old and will rush across the room to see her grandfather, Reid. My hair is growing greyer. My memory doesn't work as well as it used to and my brother's cancer grows as it consumes him. I hate the process, yet it is life ... every moment is wonderous and to be lived as if it were our last. I find myself feeling sad, then being able to gradually let go and to feel happy taking in the warmth and sunshine of this moment, this day.

The Heaviness of Life

2008-01-28T20:45:00.000-05:00

Reid, with one of his treasures collected in the wild, 2007

My brother, Reid, age 56, has just been diagnosed with Esophageal Cancer. A nasty, large tumor in his lower esophagus has taken away his ability to swallow. He is experiencing some pain, as are the rest of us who know him and have been privileged to be part of his family and his friend. On Friday, he was fitted with a stent, which will allow him to eat and swallow the foods he so much loves. We don't yet know whether the cancer has metastisized to any other organs.

On Saturday night, Bill and I visited and had dinner with J. and her husband, long time friends of about 30 years. J. was recently diagnosed with Non-small Cell Lung Cancer. She is undergoing a course of chemo which will hopefully allow her many more years of happiness with her children and grandchildren. This particular type of lung cancer grows slowly and is not terribly aggressive, giving all of us hope for a successful recovery. These days many people live with cancer for many years, as is evident with Presidential Candidate, John Edwards' wife, Elizabeth. It was a delight Saturday evening to spend time watching J. with one of her adult daughters, realizing the closeness of the two and validating for me once again, the meaning of family.

I've spent the last couple of days in shock ... feeling like someone has struck me in the gut with a lead pipe. I'm sure I have that glazed-eye-deer-in-the-headlights look. But the visit with my friend, J., brought me much peace and the reminder that the work of life does not happen while we're sitting on a comfortable sofa reading a funny novel. It happens during the darkest of times ... in times of sadness and in times of coming together to be supportive of one another. I will drive up to New Hampshire on Wednesday to spend some time with Reid and to once again renew our ties as family.

Please keep both Reid and J. in healing light and send them prayers of love.

Nature ...

2008-01-24T20:28:00.001-05:00

Ireland 1990: Landscape #1, © Joan Z. Rough

"Nature ... is the wheel that drives our world. Those who ride it willingly might yet catch a glimpse of a dazzling, even a spiritual restfulness, while those who ... insist that the world must be piloted by man for his own benefit will be gathering dust but no joy."

Mary Oliver

Frosty Morning ...

2008-01-22T10:42:00.000-05:00

There is ice on the river and the it's very cold for Virginia. My blood is getting thinner than it was when I lived in Vermont, 29 years ago. I lived there for a total of 20 years. My son was born on a -50 F degree morning in February!! I loved it back then in my crazy youth.

Every now and then my husband and I talk about moving to Canada but the bitter cold and the lack of light in winter would be the end of me I'm sure. So we'll stay put and lend a hand in trying to bring some sanity back into this nation and world!

Photo © Joan Z. Rough, 2008

Promises ...

2008-01-20T14:25:00.000-05:00

Camellia Buds, © Joan Z. Rough, 2008

Even on a cold, blustery day like today, one can see the promise of what is to come. These camellias, when in bloom, are a pale pink and lovely
floating in a chrystal bowl in the center of the table.
...

I found the notes below hidden away during my office cleanup which is really coming along well. I'm almost finished in here ... then on to the room where we store all of the things we've been hanging onto for years because we thought we'd need them some day. In speaking with others about this compulsion of mine, it is apparently what many sixty-something women like to do. So I'm not alone ...

The length of time it takes for a banana peel to decompose is 1 week to 6 months ... one piece of paper will take 3 years ... for a styrofoam cup, 10 to 12 years ... for a plastic container, 50 to 70 years .... for an aluminum can, 200 to 500 years ... a plastic six-pack holder, 450 years ... a glass container, 1 million years or longer.

One stack of newspapers, 3 feet high, is equal to the pulp from one tree ...

It's more important than ever to reuse, recycle or do without alot the things we have!!

Snow Journal ...

2008-01-17T15:12:00.000-05:00

Snow Day, January 17, 2008, 8:00 AM

9:30 AM

Female Cardinal

Blue Jay and Male Cardinal

Goldfinches At The Feeders

12:00 PM

Snow Just Turned To Freezing Rain

The Meadow

The River

The River With Geese And Ducks

Snow storms are getting so rare here in central Virginia, so when one happens one must make note of it and celebrate the event. Like all winter storms that come through these days the snow quickly changed to freezing rain and if the weather folks are right and it gets up to about 50 degrees tomorrow it will be gone before I get a chance to get outside with the camera again.

Happy Snow Day!!!

Photos © Joan Z. Rough

Snow Day ...

2008-01-17T11:20:00.001-05:00

Morning Stroll ...

2008-01-15T15:41:00.001-05:00

Beautiful morning, cold, no wind ... let's take a walk.

The Buddha just outside my front door.

Lilliput in the willow tree.

In the meadow ...

Chinese magnolia buds ...

Beauty berry ...

There is so much more ... I'll share some more another day!
I hope your day has been as beautiful as mine!!

All photos are under copyright by Joan Z. Rough

Yikes!!!!

2008-01-11T16:33:00.000-05:00

It's been a long week. On Tuesday I spent from 9 AM to 5 PM in the dentist chair having some major dental work done. I had well over 15 shots of novacaine and was poked, drilled and prodded until I couldn't stand it anymore. My jaw is still very swollen from those shots and I've been having a hard time keeping my head from feeling like a bomb sight.

As a child I was taken to a dentist who told my mother that my teeth were full of cavities. After many, many visits to him to have my cavities filled, we arrived one day to find the door to his office locked, all of his furniture gone and not a sign on the door to say where he'd gone. He'd obviously gone to another state where the grass was greener with unsuspecting victims and perfect teeth that needed filling. My mother had paid him a bloody fortune for what another dentist told us was a scam. I had not had all those cavities and we were not the only family that was taken for their savings. The scoundrel never was found and I often wonder whenever I sit in a dentist's chair if there is a special place called "Hell for Crooked Dentists." I'm sure he is there!

The result of all of this is that as I've aged the fillings have had to be refilled over and over again. The teeth have weakened and a whole other set of problems began. So on Tuesday, we started making my mouth a new masterful work of art. All of the teeth on the lower jaw are being crowned. They were drilled away except for a thin post and covered with temporary plastic crowns that will be replaced in about six weeks with porcelain crowns.

One of the temps fell out last night during dinner and I had to go back this morning to have it cemented back in place. Needless to say, I wasn't eager to go back and I don't think they were eager to see me either. The only thing worse I can think of than going through all this, is being on the other end of the job, having to stare down into someone else's mouth breathing their breath for 8 hours a day.

I suppose I could think of all this as a collaberation of sorts. I've promised not to swear anymore, eat sticky fruit flavored candies at the movies and only allow nice things to come out of my mouth. In return I get a set a teeth that look really great and "knock wood" will quit giving me so many problems. But I do have to rob a bank to pay for all of this!

One of the highlights of my week was finding the photo above while going through all that stuff piled in the corners of my office of my precious cats on my meditation cushion being enlightened. I think I'll try some of that!!

Another Day On The River ...

2008-01-09T17:25:00.000-05:00

Just 4 days ago almost the entire river was covered with a thin glaze of ice. This is what the river looked like this morning at about 7:30 AM, after several days of temperatures in the low 70's during the day and upper 50's during the night. A blanket of thick fog started to form just over the surface of the water then quickly disappeared as the clouds vanished and the sun began to warm things up. Today again it is warm, about 66 degrees. I long for flowers ... daffodils and tulips ... but it is far too early, of course, and the weather people are talking about the possibility of snow showers this weekend. Even though I love the cold weather, it isn't difficult for me to be overtaken with a serious case of spring fever even at the beginning of January!

The robins are still here and made it through the frigid nights last week. The most exciting bird sighting of the past week was of two bald eagles going after some Canada geese quietly feeding on the river. The eagles were dive bombing the geese. I believe they were trying to make the geese fly so that the eagles might pluck one out of the air for breakfast, but the geese stayed put, flapping their wings and calling loudly every time the eagles got close. I had no idea that eagles would prey on waterfowl, but one of my bird books does say that they do. I wanted to get a photo of this excitement, but my camera was not nearby. I was too interested in the goings on to leave the scene and find it, fearing I'd miss something. After about 20 minutes the eagles left, looking I suppose for an easier meal. Eagle sightings have become fairly common here on the river after many years of none at all.

The reason I haven't posted to my blog in a while is the mess in this photo ... I've been filing and trashing things I've been hanging onto (some may call it hoarding) for several years. I am ordinarily a very organized and tidy person but the last years have found me letting things go when it comes to important papers and such. The bills are always payed on time, but it's the rest of the stuff that has built up into stacks and piles all over the room. What you see in the photo is only one corner.

So far I've been able to completely clear my desk and get all of my new medicare papers filed in a place where I can find them. I've discarded many pieces of paper that are no longer relevant to anything in my life and have started shredding tax records and receipts that have been around well over 7 years and no longer necessary in the event that the IRS thinks I've been playing games with them, which I don't. My husband and I have been audited twice in our lives together and both times of no benefit to the government. But if you haven't saved every scrap of paper it is a big pain in the butt! And it takes time.

I can't tell you exactly why I've started this project at this time, except that it feels like the right thing to do at the beginning of January and I'm beginning to feel lighter and freer ... as though I'm losing weight and am able to move around more easily and joyously. HAH!!! I suppose that now that I've started cleaning up this mess I must finish it. I'm so glad it is too early for daffodils and tulips, because I'd be out in the garden getting my hands in the dirt right at this moment!!

The Way Things Are Supposed To Be ...

2008-01-03T09:43:00.000-05:00

Robin, December 23, 2007

It's 8:30 AM, 28 degrees F outside and sunny. There is a light film of ice along the edge of the river ... the first of the season. Over the next few days, the temperature is supposed to start rising until it gets up to 60 degrees F ... probably by Monday.

When I stepped outside just a few minutes ago, the air was filled with birdsong ... the way it sounds in late March or early April and you know with all of your senses that spring is here. For the last week or so I've been observing a mixed flock of robins and starlings who apparently think that spring has arrived in central Virginia. Usually the first Robins will appear here in mid February along with the green leaves of daffodils poking through the earth's crust for a peek at the sun. Granted, we've had a very warm fall and I've not had to wear a winter coat until yesterday, when the temperatures dove down into the 30's during the day. But next week it will be shorts weather! Is this the way things are supposed to be?? In early January??

Yesterday when I was out walking the dogs, I did see that a few brave daffodils had started to appear in my neighbor's yard. This morning, the flock of birds is on the move flitting here and there, like little children waiting for the school bus on a very cold day ... hopping up and down on one leg and then the other, trying to keep warm. I'm sure these chilly birds are looking for their preferred meal of juicy earthworms that I don't think will appear until the ground has thawed a bit in the morning sun. Seeds will just have to do for now. They certainly don't look like they are going to give up and go south again.

If you ask most of us, we'd most likely say that this is not the way things are supposed to be. Robins are supposed to arrive in the spring, not at the beginning of winter. When I was a kid, long before this country became involved in the space race, I remember hearing rumors that the Russians were causing the crazy weather patterns because of their space explorations. Well now we know more about what really causes the changes in the weather, about global warming and other scientific matters that alot of us find hard to wrap our minds around.

I've been told that the only certain things in life are death and taxes. Everything else is in flux. One day I'm feeling happy ... the next day sad. I add a pound here and there as I graze through the pantry or I lose a few because I'm really working at it. Friends come and go. Each morning we wake up to see the sun rise and set at different times. How boring it would be if things really were the way they are supposed to be!!

A Blessing For The New Year

2007-12-31T12:09:00.001-05:00

Goldenrod

May the sun
bring you new energy by day,

May the moon
softly restore you by night,

May the rain
wash away your worries,

May the breeze
blow new strength into your being,

May you walk
gently through the world and know
its beauty all the days of your life.

apache blessing

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

2007-12-29T15:08:00.000-05:00

The Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden Peacock, December 27, 2007

Late Thursday afternoon Bill and I drove over to Richmond to one of my favorite places to see holiday lights .... Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. It's really one of my favorite places to visit at any time of year. But at Christmas it becomes more than about the plants and trees ... it becomes an expression of the joy of the holidays and this beautiful garden spot all rolled up into one.

We arrived at dusk ... that lovely time in the evening when the sun has just rolled over the edge but its light is still giving the sky a lovely glow. It was a warm evening ... no hats, gloves, scarves needed and I almost wanted to take off my coat.

Inside the 11,000 square foot Conservatory, trees glistened, a toy train chugged around a layout made completely of dried and live plant material and the orchids were in full bloom.

This little owl perched in one of the trees is made of all sorts of plant matter as is the little house below.

Who do you suppose lives there??

We haven't been to the garden for a couple of years. Each year the light show changes as do all of the decorations. The last time we were there the big tree inside the Conservatory was dressed with beautiful glass ornaments from all over the world.

This year, lacey Angel Trumpet blooms and seed pods hung from the boughs.

After wandering through the garden we had a lovely dinner with a friend and reminised about past times.

I'll visit the garden again in the spring when all of the bulbs are in bloom.

Saks Fifth Avenue

2007-12-26T21:05:00.000-05:00

All of the images on this post are of the windows at Saks Fifth Avenue taken last week while I was visiting the city. I never did make it to Macy's ... with the grid lock it got too complicated and by the last day in the city, I was pretty tired of the hoards of people that I had to work my way through in order to get a photo. I'm a person who doesn't particularly enjoy being in huge crowds. I did pretty well the first couple of days, but then it got a bit old. I do have personal space issues!

In my last post I didn't mention the food we enjoyed in the big city. The highlights were a marvelous lunch at Milos, on 55th between 6th and 7th Avenue ... simple, fresh Greek food to die for and a delicious dinner at Union Square Cafe on Union Square, of course. We also enjoy Fiorello's across from Lincoln Center where we've had wonderful meals ... they didn't dissapoint at lunch with a scrumptious thin crust pizza and a selection of Antipasto dishes. We mostly ate only two meals a day ... a big breakfast and a big lunch or dinner.

I need to make a correction about all the shows and movies I mentioned that I saw in my last post. My husband tells me I'm losing it and I'm afraid he's right. I can't seem to remember alot of things these days ... names just go down the tubes and numbers, well, forget it. At any rate I saw only 2 plays and 3 movies ... still not bad for a person who doesn't like to sit in dark rooms for extended periods of time. Bill tried to get me to do 2 movies in a row but I just can't do that. I have to spend a certain amount of time moving about outside where the air is crisp and the sun is shining.

We had a lovely Christmas day! It was bright and sunny and mild, around 55 degrees. On Christmas Eve a large flock of Robins appeared and swarmed all over the yard looking for earthworms and whatever else they could find. I spent a couple of hours working in the yard, cutting back some plants and enjoying the springlike day. When we called other family members later in the day we wished them Happy Easter, because that is how it felt! Without anybody visiting for the day, I was able to release those old Christmas demons that have haunted me for years ... I felt unchained, free, no expectations!!

Moonrise ...

2007-12-24T11:24:00.000-05:00

Last night I watched the moon rise over the river. It was a beautiful sight. It had rained all day ... a wonderful half inch of wetness ... a blessed gift to the trees and flowers that now lie dormant and those that stay green all year round. Then the clouds magically evaporated and this is what I saw.

I'm home from New York and greatful to be here. Though we had a lovely time, this is where my heart is ... in the peace and quiet along the banks of the South Fork Rivanna River.

At Christmas, New York City wears her finest garb and the people for the most part are polite and smiling. The sidewalks were packed with holiday shoppers and tourists like myself, just wandering 5th Avenue, snapping photos here and there. While we were there a "Grid Lock Alert" was posted and people were asked to take public transportation rather than drive their cars. It seemed that most people did still drive, because the buses were only half full. Cross streets especially were backed up with horns being honked by frustrated drivers. In a few days, I'll post some of the photos I took there.

Usually when I'm in the city I visit some of the museums. But this time I joined my husband in one of his "New York Theatre Binges." In four days and nights I saw three plays, all wonderful off Broadway hits ... 4 movies and attended a stunning performance of Handel's Messiah, with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and fabulous choral singers and soloists. We attended that concert the last night we were there and it was the perfect note to come home on. In between, we wandered through Rockefeller Center, various Christmas markets and the Avenues. Bill did see an extra play one afternoon when I chose to nap.

French Beaded Poinsettia Flower On My Mantel

Here is wishing all of you a very Happy Holiday season and a Peace Filled New Year!!

Oh, Christmas Tree ...

2007-12-16T14:45:00.000-05:00

We have lived in this house since January 7, 2001 and it is the first year in all that time that we have had a Christmas tree. Some years we were away for the holidays, other years we were tied up in what I call complicated times. So it's with joy that I tell you we do have a tree this year ... small, at around 2 feet tall, but none-the-less a lovely little Frasier Fir, that holds some of our oldest and smallest decorations that go way back ... treasures we brought together when we married that hold sweet memories for each of us. On the top is the wise owl our tiny children chose to be the guardian of our lives.

We will be alone to celebrate Christmas this year but only in the sense that we will be the only two living people in the house. There will be echos of past holidays and the looking forward to future days ... the beginning of a new year ... and an upcoming visit to see our grandchildren.

We could have gone to see them for this holiday ... but this is the first Christmas since my mother died. I feel a need to just be here where I can be with my memories of her and sort through all of the feelings one encounters when one loses a loved one. It will be both sad and happy, bitter and sweet ... a time for healing and learning to feel comfortable with the changes that life is so full of.

We begin our holiday with a trip to New York City ... to see once again the city decked out in its holiday finery. I lived out on Long Island as a child. Each holiday season took us to "the city" to see the magical window displays at Macy's, to tell Santa what I'd like to find under the tree and to spend carefully saved nickles and quarters for something special to give to my mom
on Christmas day.

When we first planned this trip I had no idea how important it would be for me. I thought it would just be another trip to the big city to see a few shows. I'm discovering how much I need to do this ... to look back and look forward all at once, to see where I've been and to wander some possible avenues for the future.

I'll be back next weekend and hopefully will have some big city photos to share!

Weather Extremes ...

2007-12-12T16:15:00.000-05:00

Last week we had a very light dusting of snow. It was enough to get me inspired to do something about decorating the house for Christmas.

Today it is 72 degrees outside. It's also very humid, all due to a flow of Gulf of Mexico air coming up from the south. I was going to take that slice of watermelon down from above the door, but with these wild weather swings, maybe I'll just leave it in place. That way we'll be ready for whatever comes.

The next system coming through will bring some rain and they say that there is a possibility of a "winter storm" over the weekend. That usually means lots of ice, but I'm putting in an order for snow. It's that time of year and I'm ready ... though we are planning an excursion by train to the Big Apple on Monday to take in the Messiah at Lincoln Center and a few Off Broadway shows. We'll window shop on 5th Avenue and hopefully do some museums. The American Folk Museum is one of my favorites. So I hope the weather is good enough to allow for all of that. If not, we'll just stay here and bake cookies!! Either way, I'm sure we'll have fun!!

Snow on the evergreen leaves of a Camillia

A friend of mine reminded me yesterday that in order to fight "Holiday Consumer Disease," one should:

refuse to rush
don't expect too much
accept what you have as a gift
be grateful for the little things
give lots and lots of love
remember that all we have is the present moment

Ushering In The Season ...

2007-12-02T15:06:00.000-05:00

Sycamore Tree Near The River, © Joan Z. Rough, 2007

While a good portion of the country is undergoing Mother Nature's wrath, with snow, freezing rain and other forms of nasty weather, we wait for a bit of rain. It isn't supposed to amount to much, if anything. Yesterday the local weatherman called for about 1/4 of an inch, but today he didn't mention an amount . That means that the giant storm causing so many people grief, will probably slide by us to the north, leaving us with worsening drought. Our total rainfall for November was a grim 3/16ths of an inch.

I've just finished preparing bottles of Elderberry Syrup for gifts. Two loaves of bread just out of the oven fill the house with yummy smells. I've gotten quite a bit done today and am feeling pretty good about myself at the moment.

But earlier it was a little different. I woke feeling, not dreadful, but kind of "flat." Kind of like, "who cares!" ... just not interested in doing much at all and the things I needed to do seemed like endless chores. Sounds like the annual "Holiday Blues," some of us suffer from.

I have absolutely nothing to be depressed about. It bothers me that I can make Big Pains out of little nothings especially when there are so many people in the world in need of the basic things in life ... like food, clothing, shelter, a job and a peaceful place in which to wake up. So what to do?

I start by listing the things that make me one of the most fortunate people in the world: A beautiful home in a gorgeous, peaceful community, tucked into the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I have more than enough food in my larder, much of it locally grown and organic. I have warm clothes, shoes and all the accessories to make myself look fashionable. My family is made up of loving, unselfish people. I have my health which is amazing, judging from all those I know who are suffering from one ailment or another, some, life threatening.

A male Cardinal, often called "Red Bird" here in Virginia

That by no means is the end of the list. I could go on and on, but I won't bore you. It's time to brew a cup of spicy tea, put on some Christmas music and address a few cards to those I haven't seen in an age. Maybe I'll also pull out a few Christmas decorations as well. Tomorrow I'll buy a wreath and spread good cheer where ever I go!!

Loss ...

2007-11-28T22:27:00.000-05:00

November Sky At Dusk, © Joan Z. Rough, 2007

The downside of loss ... we can't let go ... loss of a close relative, loss of time, loss of a job, loss of control. We hang onto yesterday and long for tomorrow. We set rules and regulations within our heads that tell us the way things should be. We only like things a certain way whether it's an arrangement of furniture or someone else's outfit for the day. The world ends if the dinner burns, our flight is canceled or we break a favorite piece of china. We're all losers. We lose something every day. We hang on to everything so tightly that we forget that things change moment by moment and that we will never pass this way again. We're lost.

The Upside of loss ... we can let go. There isn't so much to worry about. We don't have to carry all that "stuff." We feel more spontaneous, can wear the skimpy dress rather than the heavy sweater and long skirt. We laugh more. We cry more. We aren't as tired and sleep better. We have compassion for our neighbors, watch the sunrise, mend the broken china, catch a later plane, breathe more deeply, smell the roses ... experience each day as a new adventure with losses to be mourned, and gains to be proud of. We may still be losers, lost in the woods, but it's much more fun.

November Garden

2007-11-26T21:09:00.000-05:00

Japanese Maple in November, © Joan Z. Rough, 2007

I'm sure I've mentioned before that the fall is my favorite season here in Virginia. I suppose that if I lived in some other region of the country, I might choose a different season to love the most ... but right here, right now it's the fall. It has been an exceptional season for color this year, despite the drought, which many said would cause the colors to be drab and muddy. To the contrary, they have been vibrantly alive. The leaves are falling quickly now and as if part of a colorful fiesta, they dance across the meadow as the wind picks them from the trees, blowing them to and fro. I listen for the clash of symbols as they settle to the ground, an oboe mourning the loss of yet another year. A cello, violas and violins the undercurrent of things to come.

Fallen Leaves, © Joan Z. Rough, 2007

In stillness the leaves make magical layered patterns on the ground where they lay and I'm happy tromping through piles of them making crunching sounds and inhaling the sweet autumnal perfume held in chilled afternoon air.

American Beauty Berry, © Joan Z. Rough, 2007

This is the time for beauty berries. Their purple so out of place in the rusty toned atmosphere of the season. I've picked branches to bring into the house, but alas, the berries fall off quickly in the warmth of the house.

November, Late Afternoon, © Joan Z. Rough, 2007

The weeping cherry is the first tree to lose its leaves in the fall. Lined up against the sunlit pussy willow, still holding onto its leaves tightly, the cherry's bones of trunk and branches stand out.

November Afternoon, © Joan Z. Rough, 2007

As the sun begins to dip below the curviture of earth for another day, the splendor of the season is caught in the river for a brief moment ... a water color painting of the landscape.

Maple on Maple, © Joan Z. Rough, 2007

These are the things I see and watch everyday in my yard. We're over 15 inches of rain short for the year, but somehow, most everything is holding on. I am very grateful to be living here in this beautiful landscape.

The Little Red Ship Goes Down ...

2007-11-24T10:33:00.000-05:00

MV Explorer, August, 2007, in the Canadian Arctic

After a lovely, quiet Thanksgiving with old friends and new, I awoke on Friday morning to discover that the "Little Red Ship," I had traveled on this past summer in the Canadian Arctic was in distress in Antarctic waters, twelve miles south of King George Island and 700 miles south of Cape Horn, after reportedly hitting ice hidden beneath the sea. All 150 passengers and crew had been evacuated to life boats and were eventually taken on board the Nord Norge, a Norwegian cruise ship, sailing in the area. Though very cold, fortunately the weather was calm. There were no injuries reported. The Explorer, since then, has sadly gone to rest beneath the waters she was built to sail upon.

Built during the '60s, the Explorer, at 2,400-tonnes, 75-metres-long, with an "ice-hardened double hull," was the "first commercial vessel to navigate the Northwest Passage." Not one of today's glamorous, luxury cruise liners, I found the Explorer to be a small, intimate, very comfortable vessel. The staff and crew were wonderful people who went out of their way to help in any situation.

My husband and I have often considered traveling to the Antarctic aboard one of the small "adventure" cruise ships, but we've always been more drawn to the Arctic, where we have enjoyed meeting the Inuit people as well as seeing amazing wildlife. Would we do it again aboard the Explorer, if she hadn't met this tragic ending? You Betcha!! We love traveling with people who are interested in learning about our planet and our fellow creatures, while making as small a mark on the landscape as we can. Yes, there are risks involved in traveling to remote destinations, but I figure on today's crowded highways, I'm at a greater risk staying home and going to the grocery store!!

Thanksgiving ...

2007-11-18T13:40:00.000-05:00

Anya Grace Allison Zabski, November 14, 2007

What a bittersweet week it's been! We had a house full of family from New England to celebrate an early holiday season and to be here for an informal get together of my mother's closest friends and care givers. We toasted her with tea and traded stories of her life which came to an end on May 21st after a 2 year battle with lung cancer and emphysema.

The sweetness of the week was having my brothers here along with my nephew, his wife and my-oh-so-special grand neice, Anya, who was born 9 days after my mother died. Anya is now five and a half months old and just as beautiful and well behaved as a wee one can be. This was the first time that I have seen her in person. She is full of smiles and I like to think that she learned the word "Hi!" and to wave at the same time while she was here, under my tutelage! There is nothing like a small child to take your mind off of the serious problems and issues of any day. In the spring, if we get a good wet winter, we'll plant 2 trees in our garden ... one to honor my mother and her life and the other for Anya and her just beginning life. Maybe I'll be able to get them to come back for that event!!

The bitter part, of course, was not having my mother here and the realization that she will also not be here for the real holidays ... another step on the rocky road called mourning. Also, my daughter couldn't be here ... she herself going through challenging times. There were other family members missing as well. Now the house is once again empty and the dust is settling back into the corners and crevices and we march on to the next chapter in this glorious mystery we are living.

As Thanksgiving week begins to unfold, there is much to be thankful for ... the first and not least, is the wonderfully supportive family I have and the many dear friends and strangers who came to our aid while my mother was dying. She was cared and prayed for with great tenderness by all. I would like to express a heartfelt thanks to you all. May the blessings of the coming season be upon all of you, including all of my blogger friends who have sent their prayers and support throughout the difficult times.

More On Redcedar ...

2007-11-08T00:31:00.000-05:00

The Cedar Grove From The Front Door

Comments left on yesterday's post about Eastern Redcedar have sent me scurrying to find out more about this species and its connection to the making of gin. The latin name for this species is, juniperus virginiana. Juniperus scopulorum, or Rocky Mountain Juniper is the western counterpart to Eastern Redcedar, according to Michael A. Dirr, in his book, Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs, An Illustrated Encyclopedia.

As a child, I remember my mother cooking with juniper berries that she picked from a cedar tree growing outside our kitchen window. She added them to saurkraut as it simmered on a back burner of the stove and to some meat dishes, mostly game meats like venison. My parents both hunted when they were young and taught us about foraging for wild plants for food. My mother was an expert on wild mushrooms. One of my brothers has taken up the post she had to abandon as she aged and became ill. When they are in season, he collects mushrooms in Vermont and New Hampshire supplying many a fine restaurant with the treasure he collects in the woods.

But back to junipers and gin! According to Joe and Teresa Graedon, hosts of The People's Pharmacy, aired on many an NPR station, juniper communis, or Common Juniper is the one used for making gin. It is also listed in Dirr's book, but with no reference made to the gin part. I haven't found other references to this particular species being used for gin in my other reading. According to Dirr, this cedar grows mainly in New England.

Juniper berries have been used for centuries in herbal medicines by ancient Greek, Arab and Native American healers. It can be used as a diuretic and to treat maladies of the bladder and kidneys. It can also be used to "pique the appetite," as an aid for digestion and for relieving flatulence or good ole common gas. Other uses include being used topically to treat wounds and inflammed joints as in arthritis.

According to Karma Ashley in her on online leaflet entitled, Juniper Berries, a Dr. Sylvuis, discovered gin in the Netherlands in 1650, while he was looking for a medicine to treat kidney disorders. Commercial production began around 1655.

The Way Things Work ...

2007-11-07T12:04:00.000-05:00

Small Cedar Grove In Front Of My House

I'm reading a wonderful little book, Teaching the Trees, Lessons from the Forest, by Joan Maloof. She teaches biology and environmental studies at Salisbury University in Salisbury, Maryland. The book is a series of essays about the individual kinds of trees and the links between the trees and the creatures that live on and around them, each dependent on the other for their lives.

Take the redcedar for example. Known as a "pioneer" species, it is one of the first trees to begin growing on "disturbed" or abandoned pastures and fields. We have a very small grove of them in front of our home. Among the birds I've seen feeding on the lovely blue berries, produced only by the female trees, are robins, titmice, cedar waxwings, downy woodpeckers and starlings. Our overly abundant gray squirrels and cottontail rabbits also feed on them along with racoons, opposums and other small mammals. Within the first few inches of soil under the trees, lives a whole other universe, microscopic in nature, that feeds on the decaying plant material the cedars shed as they grow ... their needlie leaves, berries, the stringy bark.

The Female Of The Species With Her Lovely Blue Berries

Cedars also provide nesting sights and places to hide from the villains of the animal world. When a hungry hawk swoops through the yard looking for a quick bite, the birds at the feeders scatter quickly to the darkest corners of the cedar grove until the threat is past. The dense foliage, green all year, also gives protection from winter's cold winds and harsh weather. In return for all of these favors, the birds who feast on the berries, spread the undigested seeds across the land, planting small forests of cedars, provided that the owner of the land where these groves pop up let them remain standing.

In the heat of the summer, I often sit in the cool shade of these trees enjoying the birds going about their lives around me while I sip a gin and tonic. The flavor of the gin, of course, comes from the berries of cedar trees.

We humans use the wood of the redcedar for a multitude of items, including furniture, as in your cedar chest where you store your wool sweaters and socks. The wonderful aroma of the cedar keeps wool hungry moths away. Here in the south, the trees are often cut and used as Christmas trees.

Last but not least, cedars, along with all other green trees and plants, provide oxygen for us to breathe, while they take in carbon dioxide, which we are pumping into the air at an alarming rate due to our use of carbon saturated fuels, contributing to our problems with global warming. That alone seems reason enough to leave them standing.

More From The Beach ...

2007-10-30T20:41:00.000-04:00

Here are a few more photos from our vacation. This image was taken at sunrise from the deck of the house we were staying in. Each morning was more spectacular than the morning before until the second week when the clouds came rolling in. Sunset too could be spectacular over Currituck Sound.

Every moment of every day held gifts for the senses ... soft sand between my toes ... the sight of pelicans diving into the sea scooping up fish in their big bills ... the smell and taste of salt air ... flocks of ducks in vee formation heading south ... the shocking warmth of the surf on my feet and legs ... sand crabs sideling out of my way ... clouds of sanderlings running along the water's edge ... the laughter of children ... sandcastles with pine cone turrets ... kites flying high on late afternoon breezes.

A Gull Prowling The Surf Line

Bill and 4 year old Noah Watching The Sea

Zoe ( 7 years old) In Her Rose Colored Glasses

Zoe and Noah Resting On A Live Oak Tree

I could go on and on describing the pleasures of this time with my family in these peaceful surroundings. The simplicity of these moments mean so much to me as I try to navigate through this crazy world. I have nothing but gratitude for the fact that these two children are not living in the midst of war as are the children of Iraq ... they are not starving as are the children in Darfur ... they are secure and happy in their surroundings.

Coming Home Can Be So Hard To Do ....

2007-10-29T16:35:00.000-04:00

Yes, I'm home and it was hard to leave the beach and freedom from stress and long lists of things to do. But I am glad to be back now after some adjustment time. I like my own bed better and was growing tired of sandwiches and meals that weren't to my liking most of the time. You see, we get REALLY lazy and eat out or put together whatever is easiest ... not always the best tasting or the healthiest. I'm going to change that next year. I normally love to cook and eat, but when I'm away often get out the habit.

But I still miss the peace, the sound of that gorgeous ocean pounding away on the shore, sea birds, dolphins, good books, bike rides, walks on the beach, jigsaw puzzles and time to talk.

When I got home on Saturday afternoon and went to the grocery store to get something for dinner, I was taken aback by the crowds. Some people pushed and shoved to get to the check out line. I gave up and went back on Sunday morning when most people were still sleeping. You'd think I had been away from this life for years. As I get older I seem to grow more intolerant of crowds and my own rushing about like a headless chicken.

Bill reading with Sam

While we were away we recieved 6 and 5/8ths inches of rain here at home ... a most precious gift. The garden looks great in it's autumnal scraggley state. Yesterday I dug up some tender herbs to bring indoors as our first frost was predicted. Sure enough, this morning everything was coated with frost and looked quite wintery.

We had rain at the beach, too. North Carolina is also suffering from drought. But rainy days on the ocean are always welcome. I got lots of reading done and a little bit of beading.

Molly 'n' Me As I Read

Still away ...

2007-10-24T08:04:00.000-04:00

No, I'm not home yet, and I'm feeling very lazy ... so no photo this time. It's been a wonderful break. My daughter, her partner and my two wonderful "grandlings" were here for one week. We had loads of fun and I especially enjoyed the giggles, the hugs and their shining faces.

Bill and I have been alone here with our dogs since last Saturday morning ... it's been a moment to moment meditation to the sound of waves crashing on the shore and the cry of gulls. I've been reading, riding my bike, doing a bit of beading and taking lots of naps. My heart is breaking for the people in California who are losing their homes due to the raging fires. I have a cousin in LA and checked in on her. She is fine and not in harms way, thank goodness, but others are not so fortunate. News from home: we had a half inch of rain last week and the garden has perked up a bit!

I am feeling extremely grateful for being able to be here enjoying the beauty around me and for a wonderful blogging community which I'm sorry to be ignoring, but I will be back early next week. After the events of the past year, I really needed this time of doing almost nothing.

Socks and other thoughts ...

2007-10-11T10:38:00.000-04:00

After our October heat wave, when temps were in the 90's, for Pete's sake, finally the cool down. It isn't supposed to reach 70 degrees today and that's fine with me. I'm ready for sweaters and socks! I love to wear socks and the crazier the better! I love having happy feet! I have several more pairs of these cotton wonders in different color schemes. In case you can't tell, I love color!!

The leaves are beginning turn orange and yellow here and it's lovely. Although I love the fall colors and the sunshine, I really wouldn't mind a gray week of nothing but rain so that the ground would get wet and my sad garden would be happy again, knowing that it will make it through the winter. The last measurable rain we had was on September 14th with a total of one-half inch of rain for that month. So far no precipitation has fallen in October.

On Saturday my husband and I, plus Sam and Molly our dogs, will load up the car and head to the Outer Banks for a bit. Every October we rent a house just outside of Duck, North Carolina where we spend the first days with our daughter, her partner and our best-in-the-whole-wide-world grandkids. Then my sweetie and I have the remaining days to ourselves, to read, meditate to the sound of the surf and walk along the shore with our pups who don't like the water, but love to find and eat smelly, dead things that the tide has left behind.

October is peaceful and quiet on the Banks. There are few people about except on the weekends when, if the weather is good, they do show up, but not in the numbers that summer brings. Alot of the shops are closed or getting ready to close, except for one of my favorite bookstores. The best restaurants are still serving delicious coastal treats. And I really don't mind if it rains while we're there. It's the best weather for jigsaw puzzles, mugs of hot tea and little beading projects that I bring along with me.

The cats will hold down the fort here with a good friend who loves to stay at our house when we are away. I hope to be doing some posting on this blog if I can. I've been having some problems lately with blogger.com uploading photos. For instance I can't figure out how that white stripe at the bottom of the photo got there. It is NOT in the photo. So, my posts may be minus photos, though I'll do my best.

The Nobel Peace Prize

2007-10-08T22:48:00.000-04:00

Former Vice-President Al Gore, and Inuit activist, Sheila Watt-Cloutier, are co-nominees for this years Nobel Peace Prize, to be announced in Oslo, this coming Friday morning, October 12th. Everyone knows of Gore's books and film, An Inconvenient Truth, but few south of the Canadian border seem to be aware of Sheila Watt-Cloutier's work and that she is Gore's co-nominee.

Until this morning while slogging my way through my morning work out, I was one of the ignorant. As I do most mornings, I was listening to BBC World News which comes through on one of our local NPR radio stations. The report concentrated on the record breaking ice melt in the Canadian Arctic this summer, equaling in area the size of the United Kingdom multiplied 10 times. There was brief mention of Watt-Cloutier's nomination along with Gore for the Prize, along with a statement by her, concerning the fate of the Inuit people living "at the top of the world."

The report quite startling to me, because of the image in my head of the size of the ice melt, became more so since when I went to BBC World News on the net, to read the print version of the story, Watt-Cloutier's name and comment were not included. Tonight, on one of the network news programs, Gore was hailed as being a nominee, but there was no mention of his co-nominee and her work, which began in the 1990's when she became a key political player in the Canadian Arctic, speaking for the rights of the Inuit people. I can't help but wonder why she was not mentioned, as her work, though not as widely known as Gore's, is every bit as compelling.

In 2002, Watt-Cloutier was elected international chairwomen of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference, representing 155,00 Inuit who live in Canada, Greenland, Russia and Alaska. In 2005, when reports of thinning ice and eroding coastlines came to the forefront, she initiated the first international legal action on climate change, charging the United States of violating the rights of Inuit people by refusing to reduce its polution of the atmosphere causing global warming and endangering the Inuit culture. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, with whom she and 62 Inuit elders and hunters filed the petition, declined to consider the petition until she was nominated along with Gore, for the Nobel Peace Prize. In March of this year, she was granted a brief hearing by the Commission, but they would not consider the entire petition. Go here, to hear a brief clip from her speech to the commission.

In addition to the honors above, Watt-Cloutier has been recognized for her work with awards from the World Asssociation of Non-Governmental Organizations, and the United Nations, the Sophie Prize in Norway and the Order of Canada, the highest honor the Canadian government can bestow.

A resident of Iqaluit on Baffin Island, Watt-Cloutier, has seen the effects of climate change and globalization. She was raised traditionally, on the ice and never traveled by anything other than dogsled until she was ten years old, when she was sent away to boarding school. She says "As Inuit, we have the highest suicide rate in North America, especially for our young men. And we have lots of addiction and social problems that we are trying to grapple with. I have a grandson who's nine and who's growing up here in the middle of all this. I want him to keep hunting, because the hunting culture is not well understood or is misunderstood. It is a really powerful training ground for our young people." She adds "Ultimately you learn to be wise about all kinds of choices, not only on the land. These are transferable skills that one would need, especially, in a transitioning culture such as ours. I know that many answers and solutions lie in the power of this wonderful resilient culture we have."

Pain and Suffering

2007-10-05T20:30:00.000-04:00

October Sunflower II, © Joan Z. Rough, 2007

"Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional."
Susun S. Weed
Wise Woman Herbal, Healing Wise

What wise words, these, and ones most of us need to remember on a daily basis. Too often I find myself tied in knots over some indignation ... 0ur planet on fire with war and climate change, the lack of rain, my dying garden over which I have slaved, a snide remark by a friend or the pain of a long forgotten memory, now suddenly come to the forefront. Those chafing, stinging knots, of course, are caused by none other than myself.

It can be difficult to let go of the headlines, the craziness of this world and enjoy the peacefulness of an autumn evening like this one ... crickets trilling ... deer feeding in the meadow below the house ... a gentle breeze stroking my skin as I sit by an open window writing these words.

I do have a choice though ... the glass half empty or full bit ... the letting go that can allow me to reclaim my life and go forward embracing whatever I find before me. Personal growth doesn't happen as I am relaxing, enjoying a mint julep on the veranda ... it happens in the dark of night when the shadows are dense and hovering too close.

For tonight I choose to let go, live in the moment and sing the praises of the universe. The shadows may retreat and my dreams will be colorful and happy. Life may still be painful, but my glass of wine will be full.

Time To Get Back To Work ...

2007-10-01T21:00:00.000-04:00

A corner of my studio

This is my studio. I haven't spent much time in this wonderful space in a good long time. Six years ago my mother came to live with us. She was not well and though she was in her own apartment, elsewhere in the house, her presence made it difficult to spend uninterrupted time being the artist I had been for many years. So gradually my time creating art diminished and during the past few years came to a halt. Though I would occassionally start something new I never finished anything. As a result many projects hang on the walls or are tucked away in boxes and bins for a time when I might feel inspired to begin again.

Since my mom passed away in May, I've been slowly pulling the threads of my life back together into some kind of recognizable shape. I think it's just beginning to blossom. Maybe it's just a tiny flower right now, but the desire to paint, to play with beads and to write poems is unfolding and I 'm finding time to look at half done pieces that I'd like to complete. And those little sparks of light, like tiny fire crackers are beginnning to go off in my head as new ideas begin to surface.

Above is the beginning of a series of small painting of the animals in my life. This is a portrait of Lilliput, not quite finished. Next I'll start on Peppermint and Miss Cleo. Then there are the dogs, Sam and Molly! Should be fun!!

This is a half finished beaded pumpkin, part of a series of small vegetables and fruit that will someday be called "Eve's Garden." Below are a few of the finished pieces, a tiny pumpkin, a gourd and an apple.

At the moment I'm working on putting the garden to bed for the winter and still going through some of my mother's belongings. I'm also beginning my studies of medicinal herbs. But creativity is knocking! I find the best way to keep the door from slamming shut when I try to open it, is to announce to the world I'm going back to work. I may not answer the phone or get out as much as I have been. I might not even write alot of posts for this blog. I'm being called by the muse, and she rarely takes no for an answer.