Song - Feeling Good by Nina Simone
WELCOME 2022
Birds flying high, you know how I feel
Sun in the sky, you know how I feel
Breeze driftin' on by, you know how I feel
It's a new dawn
It's a new day....
and it's a New Year!
"Nothing ever goes away until it teaches us what we need to know."
-- Pema Chodron
Song - Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles
A few days ago when Mr. B was headed for work he saw something in the bushes along our lane.
The very next morning the same thing happened.....but this time I was able to take a quick photo of him. He stayed in this spot for several hours however I was running out to get my Covid booster so couldn't take any more photos. When I returned, I spread some bird seed out on the lane for him.
This morning there was no Percy Pheasant to be seen....until lunch time. My son Tyler and grandson Henry were both having lunch with me and Tyler spotted him across the lane. I was able to get a few photos of him before Tyler had to return to work and scared him down the lane.
Within minutes Percy had returned to our driveway and enjoyed a day in the sunshine.
As for the pile of bird seed I set out at the end of our driveway.....you will be happy to know that the squirrels are enjoying it thoroughly.
" A group of pheasants is called a bouquet.
A Pheasant will live for 3 - 18 years.
A Ring Neck Pheasant will regrow its tail in 3 - 6 weeks"
Song - Thanksgiving Song by Adam Sandler
Most of these last few weeks were spent on Thanksgiving preparation. I bought all of the non-perishables last week and polished the silver. Mr. B went shopping Tuesday for perishables while I cleaned house and began setting the table.
The silverware still needs to be added as well as a few loose ends - salt & pepper & butter!
The only thing not cooperating is our tree....
Andy & Ashley
Farmer B.
June, Andy & Calvin
My mom and dad
Jon's dog Chewy
The whole gang!
Henry last Thanksgiving
Notice that there were very few leaves on the tree here
Mr. B photo bombing Ashley's photo
I did gather some leaves from several of our trees and ironed them with wax paper to preserve them. I then placed them inside our glass candle holders with flame-less candles. You can see them in the second photo from the top. They look beautiful as the light shines through them.
Love this quote by Gabriel Andreas
Art by Matthew Andreas
Song - Autumn Leaves by Eric Clapton
BANG - It's Autumn!
And with a little luck, California might see some rain in the near future....
"And all at once, summer collapsed into fall." --Oscar Wilde
Song - Harvest Moon by Neil Young
Happy Fall
"A garden is a grand teacher.
It teaches patience and careful watchfulness;
it teaches industry and thrift;
above all it teaches entire trust."
– Gertrude Jekyll
Song - Morning Has Broken cover by MonaLisa Twins
Good Morning Dear!
The other morning I woke up and opened the kitchen shade. This little beauty above had her nose against the glass and startled me! I went out on the front porch (still in my nightgown - it's a good thing we don't have neighbors nearby!) to say hello and her boyfriend was standing guard nearby.....
Look how long his ears are up in his antlers! I didn't say this to him but doesn't he look like he is wearing a bad toupee? The female deer ran down the lane but he took his time to turn around keeping an eye on me and slowly pranced royally down the lane after her.
The very next morning I woke and went out on the back deck to fill a new bird feeder that I can see from my bedroom and noticed this....
He was hanging on the deck railing and I wondered why he wasn't on a nearby bush. I mean he really stood out against the white paint. I went out a few more times to check on his advancement towards a plant. He was slow but steady and made it to safety.
"The earliest mantis fossils are about
140 million years old, from Siberia."
--Wikipedia
Song - Smoke On The Water by Deep Purple
After a long and crazy year,
Mr. B and I were ready
for a relaxing vacation in Tahoe.....
.....or so we thought!
The first day in the Sierra the skies were fairly blue. I could see a little haze down low.
By the next day the smoke was getting a little thick. I could just barely make out Mt. Tallac in the background from Baldwin Beach.
By the third day things were looking pretty bad so we hung out at the cabin with my new best friend - an air purifier and played some Canasta. Mr. B had to head home for a few days so I had some time on my own to paint, go to the beach, read and work on some needlework.
By the time Mr. B returned a new fire (Caldor) had begun to burn and it was blowing smoke our way.
We went to the beach to retrieve our emails and phone messages (no WiFi at the cabin).
There was no one around and it all felt rather eerie.
It was snowing ash....
We packed our essentials and headed home for a few days while things cleared up.
I hope the earth can find her balance again.
And now for a little excitement....
One afternoon while sitting on the cabin deck enjoying a glass of wine with Mr. B, I noticed a large brown dog playing at the cabin next door.
It was a baby bear playing with his mama above.
Mr. B grabbed the air horn as I grabbed my camera just as they were coming our way!
They were walking behind our cabin.
Junior doing a tough guy pose
They walked all the way around the cabin and when Mr. B fired the air
gun, Junior scrambled up a tree and Mama went to see if he was OK. All was well so they continued their walk.
They crossed the street in front of the cabin and Mama decided something smelled mighty good in the "bear proof' garbage box.
Meanwhile Junior decided that he wanted to check out the "greens only" dumpster. Well, it really is brown in color but it is for depositing branches, sticks, pine cones, yard waste, etc. He found a nice pine cone to play with until Mama went in to retrieve him.
I kept imagining if someone came by at this point to drop off some material into the dumpster - what a surprise they would find - two bears inside!
Mama finally wrestled Junior into following her down to the creek
to hopefully find a sip of cool water!
Ahhh....life in the mountains!!!
"Love, like fire, goes out without fuel."
--Mikhail Lermontov
Song - A River Runs Through It: Theme
Little Truckee River
"Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs.
I am haunted by waters"
--Norman Maclean - A River Runs Through It
Song - Fish and Whistle by John Prine
While gardening today I happened to look down at the creek and saw this Green Heron. She noticed me up on the bank but she was very interested in fishing right now.
She spotted something nearby.....
...and quick as you please she had a minnow in her beak....gobble, gobble and it was gone!
Not 10 minutes later I looked for her again but instead saw this Great White Egret fishing in a deeper part of the creek.
He noticed me as well but was hungry for lunch. Unfortunately he was so quick the photo is somewhat blurry but you can see his head underwater and the bubbles from the splash. And up he came....
Yesterday I was watering the veggie garden and I had an encounter with a Hummingbird. It was incredible how playful she was. As I was watering she came by to suck some nectar from the bright orange nasturtiums bordering the garden. She sat on the wire fence and watched me closely. Then observing the stream of water from my hose, she darted in & out of it. She stuck her long tongue out to drink the water and then landed on a Dahlia leaf as I sprayed near her. A dip in the Dahlia leaf collected a pool of water and she drank from that as well. Then she flew off only to come back several more times to play. I called her Betty....she liked that!
“If people concentrated on the really important things in life,
there'd be a shortage of fishing poles.”
– Doug Larson.
Song -Tell Mama - Cover by Sierra Eagleson
This was the first year without celebrating Mother's Day with my mom. I felt my sadness for weeks so I told myself that it was just a Hallmark day on the calendar......but my body & heart didn't listen..... I could feel myself getting into a funk so I talked with my boys and let them know that I was spending the day in the garden - no fuss, no muss - just a call would do nicely..... thank you very much!
Henry didn't listen....
My two year old grandson knows how much I like birds and hand painted two miniature bird houses for me and painted a heart shape stepping stone for the veggie garden that he absolutely decided could NOT be stepped on by anyone! So it is now leaning against the stone wall in the garden for all to admire!
So just what did I do on Mother's Day.....
....I watched a Clematis unfurl......
.....I pinched back my Sweet Basil.....
I set up my grandmother's ravioli table as a potting table and a old wicker chair from my mom to sit and relax in the shade.
....I watched a Spotted Towhee trying to hide in the oak tree.....
I thought about dead heading some roses but they were all in the sun and it was 92 degrees!
I planted a Hosta and some Impatiens in the shade and added a water saucer for the birds.....
Henry and I had planted some strawberries the week before so I watered them for him....
....I gave two of my large ball box woods a much needed trim.....
.......and Mr. B helped me dig up some volunteer Japanese Maple seedlings and I potted them up on my new table!
And as the warm day began to cool down a bit Mr. B brought us both down Gin & Tonic's to sip by the pool......the first since last summer....
I watched a Black Phoebe capture a Damselfly and then he pondered what to do next....
As the day finally drew to an end I thanked my mom for all she has done for me and continues to bring to me daily - especially the joy of a garden. Thank you mom.....
"We are born of love; love is our mother."
--Rumi
