Snaked

Had a good weekend with family and friends and I am doing OK.

The woods that border my home has a wandering creek flowing through it.  It attracts quite a bit of wildlife which I love.  The open space next to my house is a wetland and in the spring, the songs of the frogs entertain us in the evening.  Now and then I come across a snake in my garden which gives me pause, but if they keep to themselves, I'm cool with them also.   I love living in the country.





















The other night my hubby was organizing the garage and putting away gardening supplies.  As he fiddled around with the tools he noticed something in a dark corner that looked ominous.  Prodding the area with a small stick, he was greeted by a rather long snake.  He quickly  grabbed the nearest armament, a broom that was hanging on the wall, and with the swing and swiftness of Tiger Woods, he gave that reptile the old heave-ho out the door.  Only it was not just one snake, instead they were five large unknown types and they all went flying into the air. Being none too happy at his rude awakening, one of them, after landing down the driveway in one piece, turned and charged his attacker, extending his body upwards and hissing in rage.  Running on adrenalin and not to show any fear, my brave hero stood his ground and whipped that sucker one more time.  Now, surrounded by the rest of the gang of slithering varmints and no one and no creature backing down, it became an all out assault.  With his mighty weapon in hand, and  the chutzpah of a Navy Seal, my man went full force, and drove those snakes off the driveway, into the road and down the gully.  This now proud snake wrangler lifted his broom, swung it in a circle, blew off the dust of battle and hung it up for another day. 

Duel in the Sun

 Clint couldn't have done better.

I Am Still Here

Beautiful days, crisp nights and I am doing OK.

It was the summer of my 21st year and I was living life in the spirit of what that age gives to you.  One evening I was in the latest and coolest of the local clubs, dancing to the sounds of The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan.  The room was crowded with 20 something aged party-goers but off to the side I spied a group of older patrons  and wondered what they were doing there. I thought they were taking up the space that belonged to us, the young, the vital, the hip. 

Time marched on...

I  am not the sort to spend my time looking back.  Life, for the most part has been good to me, although like everybody, there have been pitfalls and sadness.   I miss those that have gone before me and do think of them often, but try to dwell on only the good times shared by us.

I often hear contemporaries use the expression of "In my time.", meaning their youth.  I look at my time as now, because heck, I am still here.  It is the whole journey, not just a portion.  Each decade brings with it new adventures, new acquaintences, and new things to learn and experience, no matter if it is good or bad.   I may not be as limber as I used to be, but I am still vertical.  I can still think, although constant changing technology can befuddle me, but most of the time I can put a few words together and make sense.  My time is yesterday, today and I hope, many more tomorrows and I have tried to use it as best I can.  Because I have reached an age of invisibility does not mean I have no purpose.  Of course, that purpose is defined by me and how rewarding and meaningful I make it.  I am always a work in progress.

My friends and I are still vital and hip, even if some have hips that are made of titanium and yes,  I am still dancing. 

 

The Summer of "I Didn't"

Having beautiful days and I am doing OK.

I usually spend nine months out of the year working on my gardens.  I start planning in February, order seeds in March, search through catalogs for new plants in April, and start my summer garden in May.  This year my enthusiasm lasted till June and died in July.  Everything got planted, but I was unhappy with how I put them together. Flowers didn't bloom well, bulbs did not produce as they had in the past and I didn't even like the mulch we ordered.  I can't blame the state of my gardens on the weather as we had plenty of sun and a sufficient amount of rain. 

Yes, I just lost that lovin' feeling.  That expression on the fish in my header kind of says it all.

As the summer went by, I was out there every week cutting down my bushes that seemed to grow a foot a day.  I did pull weeds, and I did move plants around, but I just didn't care that things weren't as perfect as what I had to have in the past.  Now though, it is almost fall and flowers that used to bloom till late October are leggy and/or have very little color.  I should not be surprised as the Miracle Gro fertilizer that we usually apply three times a season (and truly is a miracle grow) is still in its unopened box.  I looked things over on Saturday and decided that everything had to go. So with a burst of energy (that was short-lived) I pulled up some of those spent flowers to my hearts content.  It was a liberating experience.  I did replace some with fall flowers and now things are looking dandy, just dandy. I still have many more pots to empty and plantings (100+) to rip out of the ground but this spirit of demolition has gotten a hold of me and I am giddy with excitement (sort of).   However, next week when it is all done and most summer color gone, I may cry.

Here though, are some of the brighter sides of my gardening efforts this year.


 Delphiniums take little effort and grow from May till October here.



The Crape Myrtles added beautiful color along the side.



There is no work involved with the Cone Flowers and little with Geraniums.


The fan flowers (Scaevola) were smaller than other years, but still pretty.


My flower balls did not meet expectations.


But I love, love, love the Hyacinths Bean vines.  Years ago someone gave us seeds from Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and these plants are about the 7th generation from that original pack.


Resembles orchids

That turn into to this

Mixed in with other vines, they are very showy.

In the evening, when the sun goes down, the gardens and woods are lit up with the new solar lights that hubby has been installing for the past few years.  The old electric ones kept tripping our breaker and these are so much nicer and environmentally friendly.   



I enjoyed my gardens so much more at night as I could not see all my mistakes and the up lighting really added to the ambiance.

Au revoir to my 2012 gardens. Some of the plants just did not work, some of my usual ones (like Impatiens) were disappointing,  and some of my bones were feeling their age.  To be honest, there were other things that I didn't do this summer for one reason or another, maybe it is just Father Time catching up with me. However, I will just turn the page on this season and try to think ahead.  I have started making plans for winter and there is a wedding in my family next year to think about also.  The future looks bright and hopeful, yes-siree!

Rude Awakening

Brrr, but I am doing OK.

I jumped slowly limped out of bed this morning to the feeling of a cold, cold floor.  What the....!  Wasn't it 90 degrees about a week or so ago?  I put on my woolly socks, flipped on the switch to the fireplace, wrapped myself up in a blanket and contemplated what was ahead.

The future
 

Too soon, too soon!

Reaching to the Sun

Vacation is over, but I am doing OK.

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;
   Trees, by Alfred Joyce Kilmer, 2.13.1913

I had the pleasure to visit (again) the magnificent redwoods of California last week.  Words cannot describe, so I will just show the pictures.

The tall and short of it all.

.

This tree that fell, dated back to before 3000 BC

"What does he plant who plants a tree?
He plants the friend of sun and sky;
He plants the flag of breezes free;
The shaft of beauty, towering high,
he plants a home to heaven anigh.
For song and mother-croon of bird,
in hushed and happy twilight heard
- The treble of heaven's harmony.
These things he plants who plants a tree."-- Henry Cuyler Bunner, the Heart of the Tree