goldenrod spider

We discovered a Goldenrod Spider in the lavender this week. They can change their color to yellow or white, depending on the camouflage they need.

They don’t make webs, but instead hunt for insects on the ground or on flowers – though usually on white or yellow flowers.

There are a lot of spit bugs in the lavender this year, which may have been it’s disguise in this case. The day after we found the spider, we were reading that bees were among the bugs they especially attack (if only they ate spit bugs), so Steve went out to see if it was still there (the lavender patch is a huge bee magnet).

To our amazement (and maybe a bit of chagrin), he found it sucking the life out of a bumblebee! Poor little bumble. Definitely interesting to witness though.

(Any of the photos can be clicked to view larger.)

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digitalis

The first foxgloves of the season are starting to bloom. They are deadly poison if ingested,  but one of the prettiest wildflowers I can think of. I saved tons of seed last year but then missed my window to sow them in time for blooms this year. They are pretty proficient at reseeding on their own though, and we have some hardy stands of them that seem to get a little bigger each year. Foxglove stands out as such a symbol of summer to me.

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wild things

There is a whole lot of lounging and ruminating happening around here these days. The bucks seem wily and restless, and the does are very restful. Babies should be born any day now!

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february 23

The first crocuses have appeared in our yard. Daffodils are coming up. Spring is very near.

Big, beautiful moon. Waxing gibbous.

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quiet

 

moving

through a thousand shades of green,

we let go

in that quiet space, between

the water’s edge and a human dream

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i love summer

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june highlight

This is a big highlight for us, every month of June, since we have lived here. One we actually wait for with anticipation come mid spring. We had our first super brief sightings on June 1st or so, but today was the first day we were able to really observe the new fauns.

This doe, from all that we can tell, is the same doe that has frequented our property, and felt safe to tuck her babies in while foraging, for the 3 years we have been here. She is a strong, calm, beautiful doe – a bit larger than the others we see here – and her prominent brow is distinctive.

Today the 3 of them came a few different times and spent quite a while in the yard each time. These little babies are the funniest most precious things we see here. There is so much silly behavior as they explore this new world. Today we saw nursing, dandelion eating, wandering (sometimes a little too far, which sometimes creates a panic), frolicking, bouncing and racing around, peeing, all the simple things of new life.

So excuse my gush of baby deer photos, I can’t help but share.

This was immediately following a reunion, after one of the babies wandered too far, getting confused and then causing concern for itself and it’s mom. Just like human babies, nursing seems to be a consolation (for all of them?) after these kinds of events.

We treat our yard as a sanctuary as much as we can. While deer create a challenge for us as gardeners (yes, I have been super bummed and irritated at times when that plant got chowed to the ground), I don’t think we would trade easy growing for the lack of their presence here.

Just a little aside – These photos were all taken from inside the house, with camera zoomed in (in low light on this very rainy day).

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island life

 

 

We found a tiny island in the lake, with a sandy beach just big enough for 2, a tiny trail to explore and huckleberries ripe for the picking. Of course, the next most irresistible idea is to pack a bag and have a little camp out. Ooooh summer, stick around just as long as you can, okay?

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evening harvest, with company

I love going out to the garden just before dinner to pick our veggies. Right now we are having an explosion of snow peas and cucumbers, and there are always lots of greens. On this evening I had some company nearby. This doe has a wounded foot and walks with a heavy limp – the left front leg you can see is lifted off the ground. Since a couple weeks ago, she and her baby often hang around our yard much of the day and night. The other day, with all my porch plants moved away from the house for painting, we had the biggest “grazing” event ever. It was a pretty sorry sight, with some plants completely gone and most others left bare like sticks. Feeling pretty sure it was her, it was hard to even feel upset about it though. She doesn’t get around too well, and seems to eat things the others don’t (like even some of these dried up kale stalks I am getting ready to harvest seeds from!). We treat our yard as a sanctuary for the animals, and this summer has sure shown us some amazing things, and some of the harsh realities of life in the wild.

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connectedness

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think one of this things I love most about gardening, is how it challenges me on so many levels. It requires me to use all the parts of myself in a way that is real and deep and lasting.

To fully embrace the act of successfully growing a healthy, thriving and organic garden requires physical work, thoughtful observation, accepting and embracing the fact that there is life beyond ourselves (that even might want to eat the food you are growing), the ability to trouble shoot and solve difficult problems, absolute persistence, gentle patience, love and care, letting go.

And then there are the rewards. The rewards are far greater than the crispy crunch of the best cucumber, or the juicy sweet/tart of the most delicious heirloom tomato. There is a cellular transformation that occurs when we unify ourselves with plants, and challenge ourselves to understand life at a deep level.

When I first started really thinking about this, and trying to express my thoughts, I wondered if I sounded a little bit nutty. But when I tried to share these thoughts with some fellow gardening friends, they understood me completely. They are totally there. They have experienced that cellular connectedness. It seemed profound (and relieving!) yet really it’s the simplest thing ever… In a way, we are no different than the plants or the animals we live amongst. We are all energetically, cellularly connected. This funny, far out, disconnected world that humans have created just makes it seem like we are different.

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