Monday, June 30, 2003, 7:45
a.m.
70 degrees, breezy, mostly
sunny
It is a wet morning, with
the wonderful smell of watersoaked dirt and worm
castings permeating the air. About a half inch of much-needed
rain fell last
night, in a storm that could be heard rumbling in for
several hours.
There wasn’t much thunder and lightning when the
rain finally arrived, just a
good steady shower that lasted for about a half hour. The
strawberries that
are just beginning to ripen will plump up quickly, now
that they have been
watered. The tomato plants are beginning to set fruit,
and they will need more
water than they received last night. Five gallon buckets
were set out under the
roof to catch rainwater, although our spring water is
also excellent to use on plants.
Water that has been purified by the use of chemicals such
as chlorine is not the
best choice for watering our green friends, but it is
better than no water at all.
Municipal water can be rendered less harmful by pouring
it a day before use, and
allowing the chemicals to dissipate into the air.
Let us hope for a good balance of rain and sun for this
year’s crops.
So far, so good,
Daisy
Sunday, June 29, 2003, 8:15 a.m.
75 degrees. nearly calm,
mostly sunny
It is a beautiful summer
morn here on Tug Hill.
The catbird babies must have left the nest; the piercing
repetitive mewing
calls of the momma echo around the garden as she tries to
locate her chicks.
This will go on nonstop for several days, until the young’uns
are well on their
way to self-sufficiency. The red-winged blackbirds are in
the fields calling
chuck-chuck-chuck to
keep track of their little ones as well, but at least
they take a break now and then. The catbird has such a
wonderful variety
of imitative songs while searching for a mate, but it is
the mothering call
that gives this species its common name. The delightful
pleasure of eating
warm sweet strawberries straight from the garden will be
forever intermingled
in my memory with the head-splitting one-note monotony of
the catbird’s
constant caterwaul. The five young tree swallows have
left their nesting box,
and are perched in the apple trees around the site.
Mother bird and a dozen
of her buddies swoop around our heads as we approach the
little orchard,
making threatening clicking noises with their beaks as
they dive close. We
occasionally hear the gobbling and clucking of the hen
turkeys as they herd
their broods, but until the hay comes off the meadow we
won’t see them,
unless we sneak up on them in the woods. It is always a
surprise to see three
or four hens and thirty or forty two-week old chicks as
they scurry across the
newly mown ground, scratching up some food; where have
they been hiding until now ? There is new life springing
up all around us; take a look and a listen.
Enjoy the day,
Daisy
Saturday, June 28, 2003, 7:00 a.m.
64 degrees, breezy, mostly
sunny
It was an excellent night
for deep sleep. We discovered that burning white sage
in the bedroom just before retiring keeps the mosquitoes
out of the room during
the night. For some reason, the house has become infested
with these hungry
little pests. Perhaps there are generally more mosquitoes
outdoors as well, due
to the long periods of rain we had in late spring. It is
said that mosquitoes will
breed in even so little as a tin can full of water. There
seemed to be an increase
in standing water and vernal ponds this spring, so they
certainly had breeding
grounds enough. We are fortunate to have a good stiff
breeze most days on
Tug Hill, and the bugs don’t bother us in the wind.
As soon as we enter the
shelter of the forest, however, they are all over us.
Long sleeves, heavy pants,
and a hat or headscarf is the dress code for a walk in
the woods. If you are
planning any activity on the Hill, it would be wise to
include a small bottle of
insect repellant in your tool kit, in case you need to
change a tire along a
wooded stretch of road. A spare bandana is useful for
keeping insects off
your neck. At home, citronella candles on the back porch
help discourage
mosquitoes from ruining a quiet moment of contemplation
at day’s end.
In these days of West Nile Virus and insect-borne
encephalitis,
we must take all possible measures to avoid getting
bitten.
Buggin’ out now,
Daisy
Friday, June 27, 2003, 8:00 a.m.
71 degrees, windy, mostly
cloudy
The temperature was 75 at 6:30
and it has gone down four degrees since then.
The cold front that was supposed to spawn thundershowers
as we slept must be
moving through without releasing any rain. The massive
grey clouds looming large
overhead certainly look capable of causing a deluge, but
they continue to sweep
from west to east without so much as a drop. The air
feels fresh and dry this
morning, a relief after yesterday’s oppressive heat
and humidity. The wind is
moving the grasses of the hayfield in waves. The canary
grass is well over six
feet tall and sways gracefully, the scarlet feathery
heads keeping time to the
crazy rhythm of the gusts. The trees of the hedgerow are
thrashing about with
total lack of direction, buffeted from all directions by
swirling invisible zephyrs
of wind. The only birds we have seen this morning are
several crows, and they
are staying close to the treeline. Our solitary crow is
perched on a forsythia
bush near the garden, daring the white cat to mess with
it. The white cat
could care less; she is stalking a grasshopper. It is an
excellent morning here
on Tug Hill, and the promise of a beautiful day fills my
head with possibilities.
Plan a little playtime,
Daisy
Thursday, June 26, 7:30 a.m.
76 degrees, breezy, hazy
sunshine
The term "hazy sunshine"
is frequently used by our local weatherman. This morning
I stepped onto the back porch, and those two words sprang
to my lips. The sky is the palest blue and the sun’s
brilliance is subdued by whatever it is that makes the
air so hazy. Is there such a thing as a particle of haze?
At any rate, it will be another hot day. The corn is
loving the heat, and grows about an inch a day. In spite
of all the recent rain, the gardens are dry; we are
hoping that the predicted late day showers will come to
pass. Strawberries are showing their first hint of color
and the raspberry canes are beginning to blossom.
Yesterday’s temps were in the high 80s, but a steady
breeze made the day quite pleasant. We were able to work
outdoors with a minimum of bugs, and even the hardest
chores were done with comfort. Don’t forget to drink
plenty of water during these hot summer days,
particularly if you are performing physical tasks. Make
sure your critters have plenty to drink as well. Our cats
remind us that their water bowl needs to be refreshed
by climbing up into the birdbath for a drink now and then.
Keep your cool,
Daisy
Wednesday, June 25, 2003, 7:45 a.m.
72 degrees, gentle breeze,
sunny
There is a pleasant breeze
wafting over the Hill, and we will take advantage of
the relative coolness of the morning air to walk the
meadow paths. Yesterday I
checked all of the nesting boxes along the trail. One has
an unidentified bird;
it has built a small nest of twigs containing five small
solid brown eggs. The bird
is small and brown, and moves too quickly for me to get a
good look. The only other
birds in residence are tree swallows; we have been
watching the five baby birds since
they were eggs. We check them every day or two, and they
are used to us lifting the front door and peering in.
Yesterday, I was grossed out by the sight of dozens of
fat wriggling maggots the size of black-eyed peas
writhing under the nest. These intruders were the larval
stage of the blowfly, and a major cause of death among
birds that use artificial nesting boxes. The larvae
congregate underneath the nest during the day and work
their way up to feed on the birds at night. The maggots
attach themselves to the bodies of the helpless birds and
drain them of every drop of blood, if given the chance. I
knew what I had to do, and wasted no time doing it I ran
to the barn and picked up a clean, empty five-gallon
plastic pail. I gathered a double handful of fine grass
hay from the bottom of the haymow and got a putty knife
with a wide blade. I hurried back down to the nesting box
and placed the hay on the ground at the bottom of the
cedar post. I spoke to the swarm of birds that was dive-bombing
my head and scolding, and tried to make them see that I
was doing something honorable. The mother bird (I only
assumed it was she, looking down from her accustomed
perch on the apple tree) remained motionless, keeping a
watchful eye on me. I opened the box for the second time
that day, only now
I had a mission. I had to rebuild the befouled nest and
make sure that the baby birds were returned to it safely.
I talked softly to the little ones as I slowly placed my
hand over the nest; I didn’t want one of them to
decide to leave the nest a few days too early. I slid the
putty knife under the entire nest and carefully removed
the nest and birds into the five-gallon pail. I scraped
the remaining maggots into my hand and put them into the
pail next to the nest. I fashioned the fine-textured hay
into a nest, making sure that I pressed it down into a
compact mass. If the nest ended up too near the entry
hole, the birds might be tempted to fly out before they
were strong enough. I glanced up at mama bird; she
continued to sit still as a stone and watch from her
branch. She may have been impressed that I made a nest in
less than a minute, while it took her an entire day. I
think that she remained so calm while the other swallows
continued their noisy assault because she was used to my
presence and took my actions in stride. As I lifted each
small bird into the new nest, I looked at their bellies
and underwing area to make sure that no larvae were
hitching a ride back into the nest. None of the birds had
scars or scabs on their bodies or legs; the maggots had
not yet begun to feed. Fitting those five fledglings into
the nest was like putting together a wriggly jigsaw
puzzle.
It is important to monitor your nesting boxes, as humid
weather will almost always bring parasites with it. Now
we will stroll down to see how they are enjoying their
new digs. Have a beautiful day,
Daisy
Tuesday, June 24, 2003, 7:00 a.m.
73 degrees, calm, sunny
The sun appeared slowly this
morning, rising from the horizon one fiery mote
at a time, a big old Atomic Hotball pushing up through
the haze with the promise
of another heat-filled day. There is a soft glow to the
valley, with the Adirondacks
just barely visible to the east. Each layer of the
landscape becomes progressively more washed-out and pale
with distance. It is pleasant outside right now, with
little humidity and just right for a walk with the dog.
The cats are on patrol; lately their prey of choice has
been tiny meadow voles. They are stacked like cordwood on
the back step for our admiration. The road crew started
their ditch work an hour ago, hoping to take full
advantage of these cooler hours. It is a good day to get
the outdoor chores out of the way early, and have a long
lunch with perhaps a little siesta at midday. In my
dreams...
Stay cool.
Daisy
Monday, June 23, 2003, 7:45 a.m.
76 degrees, gentle breeze,
sunny
What a rare and beautiful
summer morning! There was no dew last night,
and an early morning stroll on the meadow paths was a
fine way to start the day.
There are tons of daisies, buttercups, golden hawkweed,
purple cow vetch and heal-all, yarrow, pink daisy
fleabane, red clover, yellow birdsfoot trefoil, and the
feathery white blooms of fragrant bedstraw, all
intermingled with tall lush green grasses. It will be a
pity when the hay comes off and the beautiful forty acre
bouquet is windrowed for drying. I wonder if the cows
that will sleep on this fragrant bedding will be able to
appreciate the beauty of it all? I rustled up a huge
flock of goldfinches as I passed by their roosting spot;
they exploded into the air with a helter-skelter rush of
wings. It is amazing that they don’t have mid-air
collisions. Our lone crow is wandering through the
strawberry bed, picking up bugs and worms as it struts
along. Maybe this big black bird will help keep the cedar
waxwings at bay; they are already beginning to show up in
anticipation of the sweet
red fruit that is beginning to form. Last year the birds
were the least of our problems in the berry patch. A
raccoon plundered our crop on a nightly basis. Seed-filled
piles of scat deposited all around the lawn was all the
evidence we needed, so we tried to kidnap the little
thief. When we set up our have-a-heart trap, all we ever
caught was stray cats. This year, a family of woodchucks
has taken up residence under our barn. So far they have
left our garden alone. Now that the summer is finally
here, the heat-loving crops should grow by leaps and
bounds. I spied tiny tomatoes on several plants
yesterday, and the pepper plants are starting to finally
green up after their weeks of rain. It is not too late to
plant additional flowers and vegetables, we have great
luck with corn and beans planted at the end of June. How
does your garden grow ?
Daisy
Sunday, June 22, 2003, 9:00 a.m.
60 degrees, calm, cloudy
I could copy and paste the
first three sentences from yesterday’s entry,
this morning is nearly identical to yesterday at this
time. Perhaps we are
caught in a rerun. Yesterday was the Summer Solstice, the
longest period
of daylight in the year. It was a cloudy misty day for
the most part,
but just at day’s end the sun broke through the
clouds and illuminated the wet
greenery with a dazzling radiance. The sunset was
spectacular and lit more than
just the edge of the celestial dome; it spread far and
wide from the horizon
with a blast of rosy colors. "Red sky at night,
sailor’s delight" is the old saw that
led us to plan outdoor activities for today. There are
still brief showers passing through, and the sky does
not, at this point, look like it will be clearing up soon.
However, in the ten minutes that have passed since I
started to write this, the wind has kicked up from the
west, and that often signals change. We will just wait
and see. In the meantime, I believe this is a good day
for irish coffee right about now...Just chillin’ for
now,
Daisy
Saturday, June 21, 2003, 8:30 a.m.
57 degrees, dead calm,
mostly cloudy
It rained off and on all
night long. Is there anything better than
the music of a soft summer shower on a tin roof? The sky
is bright
on this damp morning, with high thin grey clouds showing
an occasional
patch of pale blue sky. There is a line of fluffy white
clouds following
the path of the Black River, floating below the treeline.
It is unusual to
have a totally windless day here on Tug Hill; not even a
tiny tremor can be
detected on the aspen tree outside my window. The aromas
of sweet meadow
grass and rich garden soil are amplified by the moisture-dense
atmosphere.
There is a deer wandering slowly towards the lower
garden, reminding me to
hang old compact discs and pieces of bath soap around the
perimeter. The deer
are particularly fond of our asiatic lilies, and will
walk right up to the house
to eat every single bud. There has been a solitary crow
hanging around the yard
for a week or so. This is unusual, as crows are
gregarious birds, usually part of
a larger flock. It is possible to tame a crow, but it is
best to start when they
are fledglings. I will closely observe this one, and see
if I can peer inside its
little birdbrain to see why it is on its own. Over the
years we have shared
our home with a robin, a woodcock, several baby mallards,
and just recently
a sparrow hawk (kestrel). Maybe I should check the
property and see if
there is a sign somewhere that says "Bird Hostel".
It’s a zoo around here,
Daisy
Friday, June 20, 2003, 4:30 a.m.
48 degrees, windy, partly
cloudy
There is a beautiful pre-dawn
glow in the eastern sky.
The treeline at the end of the meadow is a silhouette,
and the only colors around are the slate grey, magenta,
and deep purple that are being reflected from the sun
rising
somewhere to the east of here. It is so early that even
the birds
are not singing yet. There are a few bats streaming into
the roof cap
on the barn; I hope they ate a lot of mosquitoes during
the night.
Well, this early bird had better get on the road to work.
Rise and shine,
Daisy
~
Thursday, June 19, 2003, 8:00 a.m.
56 degrees, breezy, foggy
It is a damp and chilly
morning and we built a small fire in the
Kalamazoo kitchen range to take the edge off. The smoke
from the softwood
kindling is drifting back towards the ground as if the
air is too heavy for it to
rise skyward. It is fragrant in the morning fog, helping
to mask the noxious fumes
of the massive vehicles that are working on the drainage
ditch across the road.
Yesterday there were several interesting smells along the
meadow paths. The hay
crop was exuding a sweet grassy aroma, one that I
associate with the end of school
and the beginning of summer. Down by the spring, the
pungent scent of peppermint
was released with every footfall as we checked on the
baby swallows. The sickening
stench of carrion and decay wafted out from the woods as
I walked crosslots
to a neighbors. I didn’t investigate, but it smelled
like something large had given up
the ghost and been lying in the heat for a few days. We
crossed the yard past the
rugosa rose bush and were surrounded by the sweet,
overpowering scent of hundreds
of blooms. The wonderful home-comfort smell of bread
baking drifting through the
open window greeted us as we approached the back door. It
is said that the sense of
smell provokes the strongest memories; I know that one
whiff of Butcher Wax propels me instantly back to my
grade school days, or Old Spice can conjure up a vision
of my Dad so strong that I imagine him standing behind me.
What memories will you stir up today ?
The nose knows,
Daisy
Wednesday, June 18, 2003, 5:30 a.m.
71 degrees, some clouds,
gentle breeze
The sun comes up very early
this time of year;
in a few days the planet will begin to slide down the
back side of summer and
the days will gradually grow shorter. The sunrise was
very pretty today due to
the layers of clouds hanging low on the horizon. I see
the sun come up nearly
every day in the winter, but this time of year it takes a
little extra effort
(or a bout of insomnia) to view its natural beauty. There
is no dew on the ground,
and it is already pretty warm outside. The blackbirds
that have taken up residency
in the maple tree are dive bombing the cats to warn them
away from the young’uns.
Our bluebird nesting boxes have not been real successful
this year. We have one batch of tree swallows that
hatched a few days ago; they are just beginning to show
signs of downy feathers. One box is filled to the brim
with twigs and has three small brown-spotted white eggs,
the dwelling of a house wren. Most people will not allow
wrens to take over a nesting box, but there are plenty of
sites to go around and we enjoy the happy gurgling songs
of this feisty little bird. There are plenty of bluebirds
around, but they must be nesting in natural tree cavities
instead of our subsidized housing development.
I took a walk on the meadow
paths yesterday and was delighted to see daisies
abloom all over the place. The red clover, buttercups,
cow vetch, and yarrow are
a nice accent to the lovely white daisies, both in the
field and in a jar on the
kitchen table. The grasses that will soon be cut into hay
are getting ripe and support
countless red-wing blackbird nests with their mottled
blue eggs. The bobolink nests
that are scattered about on the ground in the meadow have
become a focal point
for the dog, who enjoys pointing them out to me on our
walks along the path.
The Hill is full of life this morning; it is a great day
to be alive !
Enjoy your day,
Daisy
Tuesday, June 17, 2003, 8:30 a.m.
72 degrees, sunny, gentle
breeze
It is wonderful to be back
on Tug Hill !
There truly is "no place like home." I hear it
rained quite a bit
while I was away, and the evidence is all around in the
lush hay crop
that has added a foot and a half in height in my absence.
The sow thistle
has replaced the dandelion as the predominant yellow
flower of the field,
and the June grass is feathery and fully blown. The
garden plants have really
taken off except for the heat loving varieties. Roses are
blooming, the iris is
stately and richly colored, and we can have spinach for
dinner tonight. I haven’t
had a chance to walk around on the Hill yet, but I
imagine the roadsides and woods
will be as full of surprises as the space right around
the farm is.
It is a brilliantly sunny day, and there is outdoor work
to be joyfully done.
Thank you, Garden Girl, for
penning your wonderful observations while I was away.
I checked in every morning and it felt like I was right
back here on Gomer Hill with you. Thank you Kathy as
well, for sharing your thought-provoking and moving
poetry.
Now let’s all go outside !
Daisy
~
Monday, June 16, 2003, 5:45 am
48 degrees, calm, sunny
Last night I watched the
sunset. It’s deep pinks and reds set the sky
ablaze with beauty. It looked as if the tips of the trees
that seemed to
meet the sky would catch the flame if the wind blew just
right. After the
fire extinguished and the sky cooled to it’s
midnight blue, I remained still on
the railing of the porch. It was the first time since
last summer that I have
reclaimed my throne there. I sat until deep in the night
when all lights were off
and I had been forgotten. I watched as dusty pick up
trucks zoomed by the house
on that road, that no matter how drastic a change in the
weather, remains the same.
They must have been heading to some big gathering far up
on the Hill. I watched as
the moon rose higher and higher in the sky. Beautiful and
pregnant was she tonight.
Exuding light so that I could watch as every bit of blue
slowly faded from the blackening sky. One single star
sparkled overhead. An early riser watching over me as I
gazed from below. The warm breeze blew ever so often
carrying with it the scent of summer- the season of
freedom.
Let nothing go unnoticed,
Garden Girl
~
Guest reporter: The Girl from the Garden
Sunday, June 15, 2003, 7:10
am
63 degrees, windy, sunny
Good morning to all ! It’s
a gorgeous day here on the Hill.
Finally, Mother Nature’s thirst has been quenched
and it looks like
we may be able to enjoy a day free of sky droplets. I
think my sunshine
dance must have worked ! There are a few sporadic clouds
that look like they
were placed randomly in the sky. The clouds are big,
puffy, comfortable looking
Cumulus clouds. None of them come bearing the black
bottoms that signal rain,
so hopefully they will pass through quietly. Everything
looks picture perfect today.
The lawn is freshly mowed, and with the sun shining on
the green fields of dew,
everything seems to glisten. The robins have hatched and
mother robin is busy
hopping back and forth in search of worms, bugs, and
other delicacies that she
will regurgitate for her babies’ breakfast. For the
past few nights, we have had a
masked visitor create a bit of mischief. A raccoon has
found his way to our garbage
cans and succeeded in knocking them over two nights in a
row ! We are in the
process of devising a plan to keep the pesky little
feller from turning our
lawn into a buffet for all night creatures.
Enjoy the Sunshine!
Garden Girl
~
Transformance (3.10.84)
~
You are never the same person twice.
Every experience we have, every thought, changes us.
With each passing day our colors change to different hues
of the spectrum,
transforming personality slowly, steady, like the ticking
of a clock.
Follow subconscious thoughts, trust instincts, know what
is right and
good and you can prosper. Mark success by your own scale.
Know what is right -
Know what makes you happy and comfortable. Compromise
with the people you love.
These people surround you ever day; Imagine life without
them, they are very
important to your existence. Teach with patience and
humility. What you see is not
always what they see. We are all children of the universe
to teach and learn from
each other. Bear no grudges. Deceit, anger and hate are
elements to avoid.
They are destructive to the mind and only hold one back
from proceeding forward.
One has to mother to be mothered - nurture to be nurtured.
Give all you have in your heart,
it will be abundantly returned.
Have a great day,
Kathy
~
Guest reporter: The Girl from the Garden
Friday, June 13, 2003, 5:45
am
60 degrees, calm, overcast
Looks like rain! *Sigh* When
I stepped outside the door,
I felt the morning mist upon face. Everything is coated
with Mother Nature’s
condensed breath. Every step I took bathed my feet in the
cool morning dew.
As soon I as I set foot back inside at my computer, the
clouds let it fall !
It’s a steady dripping rain. Not too hard but more
than a drizzle. The sky
this morning is pallid and looks like an impressionist
painting. A mere glance at
the eternal canopy, and you’ll see just gray, but
when you look carefully you
can see indiscreet swirls of white and hidden streaks of
blue.
Yesterday on a walk down the
backroads, we found a small Snapping Turtle
(we could tell by the hooked, beak looking thing he had
for a mouth.) He was
about 8 inches in diameter, black, but with a few orange
speckles. This caused
some confusion because generally, it’s the Painted
Turtles who have the speckles.
Whatever he was, he had somewhere important to be! We
marked the place where
we first encountered him, and about 45 minutes later on
our way home, we came
across him again. He had traveled about 20 yds. since the
time we had left him.
This was quite a journey for such slow moving fellow. I
wonder where he was headed!
Have a great day, and do a
sunshine dance!
Garden Girl
~
Guest reporter: The Girl from the Garden
Thursday, June 12, 2003, 6:10
am
56 degrees, calm, cloudy
Good morning everyone! The
conditions here on the hill this morning are
not unlike the previous mornings of this week. There
seems to be a pattern lately—
a pattern that leads to rain throughout the day. When I
wake up I can almost
feel the weight of the rain in the saturated air. I’m
waiting for Mother Nature’s
unceasing thirst to be quenched because I long for a
beautiful summer’s day to
frolic in the fields and what not.
Yesterday, I transplanted my
sunflowers from their incubating paper cups to some
pots a bit more suited for their size. They are shooting
up very nicely,
as are many of the assorted varieties of annuals in the
garden.
I suppose they are thankful for all this rain J.
The Mother Robin who has
been scurrying around grounds is anxiously
awaiting the hatching of her first brood. The big day
appears to be coming soon,
as she is spending less time looking for worms and lawn
junk for her nest and more
cuddling on her nest with her three eggs. I am not the
only one who enjoys watching
all this preparation, the cat too has shed his watchful
eye over the proceedings !
Have no fear, Bandit will have to spend a day or so
inside after the birth.
Have a great day!
Garden Girl
~
~
Being A Doorknob (1974...K.C.)
Boy - Am I glad I'm high enough up, so the little kids
with their sticky
hands can't touch me. It's bad enough having the owner,
who, works in a garage,
put his greasy hands all over me. So Many Germs ! and all
the turning and grinding
I have to go through - everytime they want to go
somewhere. The worst part is when
they fight, they grab, violently ahold of me and smash me
brutally against the wall.
Yes, it is a very hard life. Being closed on by a large
shadowy hand....
A doorknob can be fun sometimes though. :)
Have a spiffy day !
Kathy
~
Guest reporter: The Girl from the Garden
Tuesday, June 10, 2003, 5:51
am
49 degrees, calm, clear, fog
settling in the valley
At about 7:30 last night,
after the sporadic showers had subsided, I decided to
go for a little walk on top of the Hill. As I was setting
out I turned my gaze
toward the town. A beautiful rainbow greeted my eyes- a
perfect rainbow.
No hue was missing from the majestic arch. My feet were
instantly compelled
to go searching in the field for the pot of gold at the
rainbow’s end. I resisted
though and kept on my journey to the backroads of the
Hill. As I reached the
canopied roads the decorum of the surroundings grew
increasingly interesting.
Enchanting blue and white Forget-me- Nots decorated the
boundaries of the road,
beckoning me to wander off the path. Red Salamanders
peeked out from their
grassy fortresses. The forest looked especially
dark, but still very inviting.
As I stood, amazed at the beauty of the mystical ferns,
and trees outlined
with delicate beads of rain water, I felt the possibility
that perhaps I had
entered some unknown realm immune to time and evil. In
the space between the
gleaming of the sun’s rays, I could see pieces of
the universe that only come to
light in the enchanting dusk hours. The wood spirits were
busy weaving their magical
transition from day to night. It’s easy to lose
yourself in these hours because a
coating of shimmer descends over everything you see. It
makes you stop and gaze as
the clock of reality ticks away your time. In that moment
I wandered away to places
on another plane of existence, without even taking
another step -
just by watching the magic take place in those treasured
forests.
*I think it all had
something to do with the rainbow.
Enjoy your day!
Garden Girl
~
Guest reporter: The Girl from the Garden
Monday, June 9, 2003, 5:45
am
58 degrees, gentle movement
of air, cloudy, fog
Good morning all, and what a
brisk morning it is !
There is a slight chill in the air, here on the Hill. The
wind bustling
around here has something to do with that! It’s not
a strong wind but
every so often it lets you know it’s there. The wind
is nice to have though,
because it keeps those pesky little bloodsucking black
flies from giving a bad
start to my day! It is foggy in the valley, and all of
the clouds overhead make
it difficult to catch even a glimpse of the rising sun. I
am being optimistic here,
but I think it’s just a bit too early for Mother
Nature to throw off her fluffy,
gray blankets and face the day. She is stirring though,
because the clouds are
shifting. The sky is dark, and I wonder if perhaps my
clocks are off and it isn’t
really 5:45, but 3 or 4:45. There are puddles of crisp
Hill water scattered around
the ground, and the driveway looks drenched. It looks as
if we may have had a
late night shower or two. The birds strive this morning,
to be heard over the clamor
of the crows that are circling overhead. I hear the
Woodpecker in the woods chipping away at his breakfast.
Yesterday, we put a few small pieces of flat rock in the
birdbath to give the bathing beauties a perch so they can
keep their feet dry.
This has definitely increased the popularity of the
birdie pool !
Have a great day !
Garden Girl
~
Guest reporter The Girl from the Garden
Sunday, June 8, 2003, 7:50 am
64 degrees, gentle breeze,
sunny and cloud free!
It’s an absolutely
gorgeous day here on the Hill !
The tenseness around us has relaxed as we enjoy the
contrast
of today’s weather with yesterday’s. The clouds
have dissipated and
left in their place is a gentle mist that shrouds the
mountains in the distance.
Today, the birds sing
together in beautiful harmony while the Baltimore Oriole
entertains us with a solo every so often. The little
fluffy, white, wish makers
that were once golden signs of spring, (dandelions of
course!) cover the ground
and tickle my legs as I journey down to the garden. The
peas, lettuce, and summer
squash have begun to show their leafy little faces to the
sun, but I’m afraid the
tomatoes are not enjoying such prosperity. With a little
extra TLC, I’m sure they’ll
make it. I myself am in need of a little extra TLC, as I
am battling a bout of exhaustion. As always, Mother
Nature knows just the remedy— a gorgeous day,
perfect for a therapeutic rest in a hammock !
Enjoy it !!
Garden Girl
~
Two Men (written in 1973... K.C.)
Two Men - one older, much
older, one the offspring of the first.
They stood together at the end of the path, they silently
conversed.
The taunt, tired face, the grizzly moustache, the
trembling earth worn hands.
Age has hit hard now... his son is leaving - in search of
adventurous land.
The earth shone golden with the dawn's early dew. They
looked at each other... eye to eye.
Smiling, remembering the old times much younger a long
time since gone bye.
So fine a man you are father, you've raised me tall and
strong.
Not soon, not ever will I forget how with love you've
taught me goodness and wrong.
~
Every minute makes a memory - Kathy
~
Guest reporter The Girl from the Garden
Friday, June 6, 2003 , 5:41
am
54 F, gentle breeze, cloudy
with the sun showing through,
Good morning all! I am Daisy’s
long lost friend from the gardens, and it seems
I have perfect timing in planning my return to the Hill.
Daisy will be out for
some time, but have no fear "My View From the Top,"
shall go on ! I’ll do my
best for the next few days to give you my perspective of
the beautiful world
around us, from a spot lacking slightly in altitude
compared with Daisy’s location.
The sunrise is brilliant this morning. The giant gleaming
ball of fire rests comfortably on the thick beds of gray
clouds that blanket the horizon. I love the way the
morning light streaming in through the windows projects
pink shadows on the walls. This creates the perfect
backdrop for psychedelic shadow puppet shows!
There is a gentle breeze
whispering here and there. It makes for a very
comfortabletemperature. Plenty of dew coats the ground
this morning. The birds are performing their early
morning symphony, although it sounds to be more like
chamber music because only a select few have decided to
share their gifts.
As I sit here on my porch, I
am amazed at how perfectly the colors mix together.
The fields appear as a sea of soft sea foam green, in
contrast with the dark, lush, jungle green of the trees
that guard the even darker forests. The sky is blended
with beautiful light blues, grays, and purples,
while the sun presides over all.
The Giant gives everything the finishing touch by
adding a shimmering coat that makes the land and the
heavens appear as if they’re wrapped in transparent
satin.
Have a great day!
Garden Girl
~
Thursday, June 5, 2003, 7:00 a.m.
52 degrees, breezy, fog,
sprinkles
There is thick fog on the
Hill this morning after a night of fairly steady rain.
The lawn is full of young starlings with their schoolbus-yellow
beaks pecking the
ground, searching for breakfast. The cats went out one
door and within a minute
were waiting at the other door to be let back inside. It
is a good day to catch up
on indoor jobs, which have been largely ignored during
these past few days of
gardening activity. Everything has finally been planted,
weeded, thinned out and
pruned back. The flower beds need some more work, but it
is a good feeling to have
all the food crops taken care of. Now it is up to Mother
Nature to smile on us with
sunshine and just enough rain. There was still some
daylight left at the end of the work, so I hopped on my
bike and took off down the back roads. There was a
nonstop barrage of bugs, and I was glad to be wearing
glasses. I definitely rode with my mouth shut, and hoped
not too many insects were able to zero in on my bare arms
and legs for a bite. The mosquitoes are here in full
force; there is an abundance of standing water, perfect
conditions for mosquito larvae to develop into pesky
adults. Several made their way into my bedroom, whining
around my pillow in the wee hours; I finally turned on
the light and whacked the little vampires with a flipflop.
Time to dig out the fly swatters...
Have a great day,
Daisy
Wednesday, June 4, 2003, 8:30 a.m.
56 degrees, breezy, mostly
sunny
It was difficult to drag
ourselves inside off the back porch this morning.
The sun was just warm enough to give us a good dose of
vitamin D, and there
was much to see and hear as we sipped our morning
beverages. The goldfinches
are here in full force; their crazy acrobatic mating
dance makes us laugh out
loud every year. The females line up on the grape arbor,
and the males
(at least fifty of them) fly around above them with great
energy and vigor,
each trying to impress the damsel of his choice with
exciting aerial prowess.
The problem is, there is no pattern, choreography, or
order at all to this display,
and it looks like nothing less than that old game-show
with a glass cylinder,
where contestants in brightly hued polyester leisure
suits would try to grab money
as it swirls madly about them. The goldfinch mating dance
looks like an
orchestra
tuning-up sounds.
Speaking of erratic melodies, the catbird also
entertained us
this morning, with a full repertoire of clicks, whistles,
chuckles, warbles, and trills.
The red-wing blackbirds kept up a steady undertone, a
perfect ostinato to the
off-beat and improvisational riffs of the catbird. Today
looks to be another great day for garden chores or other
outside activity; save the boring housework for tomorrow,
when the rain again returns for a brief visit.
Get out !
Daisy
Tuesday, June 3, 2003, 6:30 a.m.
50
degrees, breezy, sunny, high thin clouds
There is a soft look to the
morning, an Impressionist fuzziness to the colors
that makes things appear as though I forgot to put on my
glasses.
The high clouds that are filtering the sunlight may be
the culprit. Things got
off to a chilly start with a low temp of 36 degrees. I
hear there was frost in
Highmarket this morning. We will be planting our main
crop of corn and beans
and setting out all of our vegetable plants today with
the hope that Mother Nature
won’t change her mind again, and that the weather
has finally started down the
path to summer. The waterlogged soil has dried out
quicker than we expected,
and I can hear the sound of the rotary cultivator as I
write this.
Guess I’d better get some breakfast cooking to fuel
the morning’s hard work.
Have a busy day,
Daisy
Monday, June 2, 2003, 7:45 a.m.
54 degrees, breezy, sunny !
It is wonderful to see long
shadows on the land again after so many dull mornings.
There was a heavy frost in the valley this morning, but
it didn’t get colder than
41 up here at our place on Gomer Hill. One advantage of
living up here is an extended growing season. For some
reason, we avoid the late spring and early autumn frosts
that wipe out gardens in an untimely fashion on the
flatlands. Many years we have gone all the way until the
end of October without a killing frost. We often will
have our first snowfall while still picking sweet corn
and tomatoes. The weather looks good for the upcoming
week, and gardeners all over the region will be spending
every spare minute catching up on chores of the season.
The rain has been very good for the hay crop; farmers
should have excellent yields this summer.
Everything is so beautifully green and lush this morning;
yikes, what am I doing still inside?
Gotta dash,
Daisy
Sunday, June 1, 2003, 8:30 a.m.
42 degrees, windy, foggy, raining
This is not the kind of
weather that is usually associated with the month of June.
If it were not for the lush foliage whipping back and
forth outside the window,
it could almost be a November morn before a snowfall. The
air tastes wintry
and raw from the north wind, and the wood stove feels
extra good this morning.
We keep a small woodpile indoors in the summer, just
enough dry wood to take
the chill off on a morning such as this. I believe we
will haul in a few extra
sticks today. We usually have the tomatoes, peppers, and
eggplants in the ground
by the first of June. The back porch is still home to
these plants, where they
have been hardening off
for three weeks. Those puppies are hard, all right; any
harder and they would be dead. It will be a while before
the soil is ready to
receive any young stock. Perhaps we should plant rice as
our main crop this year.
Stay warm and dry,
Daisy
~
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