summer babies

Two new little cuties showed up here last week and have showed up every day for the last few. Mom has been tucking them in a little hideout near our shed, while she forages intensively in the surrounding area, throughout the day and into the evening. We feel super lucky that she trusts to leave them here. I wish I could tell the deer apart better, but I am thinking this may be the same doe that tucked her babies in that same spot last year. She would be very familiar with us from the past couple years, and we have always offered lots of space and respect.

Every now and then these little babies venture out of their hiding place to eat and cautiously explore. It is so fun to watch them! Wish I could replay some of their funny behaviors for you. One of them had the funniest interaction with a crow the other day. It’s so endearing to see new beings explore their new world.

This year it’s been a lot different than last, possibly due to the cougar that was hanging around the area recently. These babies are much more cautious than I remember the babies of last spring/summer being, and I’ve been surprised to see how much time they spend on their own. Since the last cougar sighting, we didn’t see a single doe for weeks, and started seeing bucks often – which had been a rarity for a while. One day we even saw a buck all scratched up with blood on it’s fur. Needless to say, we are super happy to see this mama and her little ones. It really feels like a sacred thing to be able to observe this.

Read Full Post »

happy summer

I think it’s really, finally here. Happy summer to all of you in the northern hemisphere. xo

Read Full Post »

simple

 

 

Summer is coming alive here. The soothing sounds of the migrant summer birds, sunlight streaming into places that it hasn’t for many months, flowering herbs, fruiting trees, mosquitoes and bats. The spring peepers have given way to bullfrogs, and the dragonflies are everywhere again, seeking warm peaceful places to land. I love it all and want to savor every second. It’s hard not to want to be outside every single second!

 

Sometimes I feel like life is just cranking by, and I am afraid of how much I’m missing, like I’m behind on the truly important parts, and will never be able to catch up. To be able to toss out all the excess, all the man made distractions, and live in little wooden hut with lots of windows, with an outdoor shower, an outdoor kitchen, a few chickens for fresh eggs, an abundant garden, a stream nearby… Doesn’t that sound about right? Oooh, it does to me.

Read Full Post »

so much stitching

Lots of stitching happening here.

Getting excited about some new work, which I hope to be able to share in the near future.

Why can’t the days just be twice as long??

Read Full Post »

the essence of handmade

I don’t usually share about personal packages I receive, but there have been a few recently, that I have felt inspired about. One such recent arrival, was a package from enhabiten.

I have appreciated Liane’s work for years, and finally have been able to hold some in my own hands, and see it in person. To me, the essence of handmade is here. There is a depth in her work and a clear, unmistakable mark of the creative human hand. Natural, useful, beautiful, textural, there is something really touching about it.

My zip pouch is full of the little things that end up all over my desk (otherwise known as our coffee table), like pens, SD cards, a mini notebook, a hair clip. It’s the prettiest way to stash these kinds of things that I have ever had. And the scarf is as satisfying to look at as it is to wear. I feel super fortunate to have these things in my home.

You can find enhabiten here.

 

Read Full Post »

from japan

 

 

 

 

Received a sweet little parcel from Japan the other day. Thank you Coco. Coco’s blog is a favorite peaceful spot to visit.

I already planted the Cardiospermum seeds, and I learned that the name means heart seed. The seeds are beautiful and unusual looking, with a little white heart on them. I also learned that this plant is used medicinally for treating skin conditions. The seeds and leaves contain triterpenoids, which have an anti-inflammatory effect. Creams are made with the plant to treat eczema and dryness. They are also grown ornamentally, and are sometimes called Balloonvine. I planted them right away, and look forward to growing little balloons : )

With email being so heavily relied on, it really is such a satisfying, simple thing to exchange mail.

Read Full Post »

delicate

 

 

 

First cosmos blossom, grown from seed.

Beautiful string scarf, pure textural bliss.

 

Read Full Post »

the quiet voice of plants

I ordered a little packet of dwarf meyer lemon tree seeds in the winter. When they arrived, I was preoccupied with other things, and not quite yet in the planting mood, so I left them in their package for a few weeks until I was ready. Upon finally opening the package, I realized they came wet and fresh and that I was supposed to plant them immediately! Ai!!

They were soaking in a wet piece of tissue, in a little zip lock bag, and some of the seeds had developed a pinkish hue (mold?). After getting over my irritation with my own neglect, I rinsed them off and planted each one – 5 in all. I set them upstairs in my studio where it stays quite warm, next to a window with it’s curtain closed, and tended them each day, making sure the soil stayed moist. I didn’t have great expectations, but it seemed worth a try. In a month or so, to my excitement, 2 little sprouts emerged! Another week or so later, a third emerged!! Tiny little trees. I have never grown trees from seed.

Weeks more went by and the last 2 weren’t appearing. I finally decided to give it up. That night, when I entered my studio, I felt a little nudge. My attention was directed to the lemon seeds. Oh, I should water them… so I did. The following day, a 4th sprout emerged. That little life form spoke to me, and I heard it. Amazing to hear a seed speak. At this point I thought that we were finished and didn’t really plan to continue tending the last pot. That night, when I entered my studio, my whole attention was brought to that seed, completely, and the feeling that I needed to water it was SO STRONG. I watered it well, at that point knowing there was life in there and that it was ready to emerge. The next  day a tiny pair of twin trees appeared. Two trees, from one seed :>

I love that I have this little grove of tiny meyer lemon trees growing, but even more, I loved this experience of communication with my plants. I try to listen to my plants – sometimes they grab my attention from across the room and tell me they need water. At times I have told them I will water them “tomorrow” and then forgotten, and then had them remind me. Over the years, I have become more and more familiar with these subtle communications, and now they do not seem so subtle. Each plant has a life force, and each life force has it’s own unique signature. It is a real joy for me to understand plants, and live amongst them. If I could just shift out of my dense-headed humanness more often, there is so much to understand and learn from the world of plants.

Read Full Post »

hey, june

 

Hey, June – so happy you’re here. When these photos were taken, just a couple days ago, I wondered if you’d ever make it.

 

It’s June 3, and we are experiencing our first hot day of the year. Even the breeze is warm. It’s been a peculiar year, with lots and lots of rain and unseasonably cool weather. I know we aren’t alone in that. The garden has been slow to really get growing and some things got such a poor start I may replant. There are still starts waiting to be be put in the ground. They are so ready! I think this is their week. I have found myself a little frustrated at times, but mostly I’m enjoying the process of learning. We have SO much to learn, and the plants themselves are amazing teachers.

 

We keep on planting, propagating, transplanting, harvesting, digging, planning, digging and planning. This space we are creating is still new to us in many ways, but bit by bit, it is taking on a new shape. We have really been enjoying all the hard labor, and as we make our way around the different parts of yard, we develop a closer and closer relationship with the land we live on. It’s exciting.

Read Full Post »