after the rain

we took a walk this evening. tristan finds mud and damp stressful these days, so a walk to the creek after the rain perhaps wasn't the brightest idea. but he too is a little unpredictable, and usually loves his visits to the creek. so we strolled down into our patch woods, eager to check out the water after a day's rains. forwards and backwards we walked. the stream had a rare and beautiful song, which lightened slightly all the grumping that was unfolding. and the pools were deeper, though opaque and agitated, connected by pretty little sand bars. the walk ended where it began, back in our yard, where the mist fomented between trees, and the happy plants stood belly full of drink.

potatoes, photography, and papa

the weekend started on friday with a playgroup potato harvest. i made a fine batch of homefries and a table serving of mashed potatoes from our small but impressive haul. friday evening brought a lovely night on the lively downtown mall, among look3 festival goers.

tristan and i had a lot of fun checking out "the short happy life of the serengeti lion," a photography/video exhibit by michael nick nichols at the haven. tristan was very excited to check out more exhibits afterwards, but none measured up to the bigger than life images of lions in action.

we also discovered that tristan has a lot more fun going from place to place downtown if he can do it on his balance bike. here he's collecting a little reading material.

if friday was a good opening to the weekend, sunday was an equally good closing, with a very special papa in house. i made a big breakfast and tristan and i handed out some books, a print, and some dark chocolate.

in the afternoon we went to pollak vineyards where we checked out irish music 
by king golden banshee, had a small picnic, and a refreshing bottle of white wine.

it is very pretty there.

it was the kind of weekend that makes me feel so incredibly proud of 
where i live and who i live with!

along the moormans

we had a little picnic along the full moormans river today. it was a good respite. 

tashi is leaving on friday to spend some time in the midwest with family, 

so this was our special june moment! 

when we pulled up an enormous blue heron flew off downstream.

there was much speculation about who might inhabit this cave.

everywhere we go, tristan brings a toy or three.  to the dinner table. on outings. 

to the toilet. in the yard.

  

there were a few quiet moments, mostly when we could get tristan to stop singing 
twisted versions of songs from les miserables, which he has been doing without stop 
since tashi was in the play.

do you see the spirits?

 do you see the smiles?

this wild yard

the days trot along at a quick clip. i'm slightly disoriented. summer is here. but it doesn't seem like summer. school is out! but tashi is soon leaving us for a few weeks with far off family. there is much to tend to, inside, outside, all around. we've been having a bit of a monsoon season. tristan's imagination has been spinning some wild yarns.  in a snap he goes from being fascinated, engaged, and occupied to a puddle of wailing fury and tension. yet still, the smallest, frailest treasures continue to evolve.

the day lilies are greeting us

the mystery tree has dropped its flowers and i still do not know what it is

just a few blueberries this year. why?

  

and a couple handfuls of strawberries. i think they need a sunnier spot.

my wee garden is doing well! the tomatoes plants are growing so fast. 

we dug up some potatoes, and there are more yet to dig. 

the zucchini, cucumbers, pumpkins, peppers, and few herbs are coming along. 

there is not much room for the gourds to grow, so i will have to trail the plants out of the bed i think.

there are a few flowers struggling along in my dappled light front garden area, 

the area where i dream of having a cottage garden, against nature's will!

i've been waiting for the mushrooms to appear after all this rain. 

this is the first mushroom spotting in our yard this season. it's tiny.

moss, moss, i love the moss. i want it to take over the areas closest to the house, 

and i want to protect the meadows along the forest, where yarrow and daisies are flourishing.

this wild yard, this gift, it makes me late for dinner. it lines my fingernails with dirt and forces me to shower twice a day. it leaves me with itchy bug bites and traces of poison ivy. it is unkempt, populated with stray cats, and the most exotic huge bugs. the deer ate the buds off of a volunteer patch of black eyed susans, much to my chagrin. and the great cicada die off has begun. at night there is a bird that is plaintive and loud. and the soil is dark and rich with rain. i don't feel like i have enough time,  or energy, for it. but it energizes me and forces me to take time. this wild yard. this gift.