Life's small pleasures.

A Christmas gift became a little adventure admist the snowy winter. It provoked an instant smile and then it was put away....for weather more befitting it's existence. The warmth of one day became the 50 degree change to another blizzard like day. Seldom did the weather stay consistent and the box remained. Finally, unable to resist I began the great Oyster Pearl Mushroom saga in January. I followed the directions found on the box called "The Mushroom Mini Farm." The first little mushrooms emerged making me feel victorious within the first two weeks as expected! Only to shrink back and they did not develop their caps.

Undaunted by the bleak results of wilted little mushrooms the first round, I simply kept up the care of the little box of spores, just figuring more must be there to replace the first dismal results. One day I had decided recently just to put them in the window sill where there is sheltered indirect light....covered with plastic and watered once. A week went by....and like magic, there they were! Three big and amazing Oyster Pearl Mushrooms..Yummy sauteed in butter..oh my!

During the week the Oyster Pearl Mushrooms were doing their things, I was working on a Mohair Fleece, which I first picked out the vm and then dyed it with strawberries, blueberries and coffee. I did use a mordant made of water and salt, 3 parts to 1 for the berry dye and vinegar of the same ratio with water which simmered the fleece first for an hour. While the fleece simmered in the mordant, I placed berries in water which also simmered for an hour 1 part berries to 1 part water. For the coffee color I just made expresso on my stove. Then hot fleece was added to hot dye which I strained berries out first and it sat all night long to produce Easter colors!

Then with a spindle I created Mohair yarn for the first time from fleece! I had spun up Suffolk wool a few years ago, then some Icelandic fleece but this..was amazing!

Now my thoughts linger on planting...oh I am so drawn to new things.......It may be cold but the will is there and the window sill inviting....mmmmmm

Roads less traveled are those that catch us by surprise.... I find myself in Colorado a midst a dry and cold backdrop existing in a time of transition. The white blanketing of the snows and the sharp cold of arctic fronts have been a stark contrast to home. That word identifies with it the location one finds themselves in... Home in the most relative terms is where you hang that hat and refer to as your residence.... Or is it really more the conception of where you find yourself residing at the time you reflect upon it? For now, this is home....rocks cutting deeply into soft blue skies....

Today I am also here, in the embrace of a trip seemingly such a short time ago...to the Oregon coast where I feel most connected to all that is beautiful in the world. Our perception of memories mixed with the reality of the present day. There is a road not yet revealed and I will not hesitate to take it....

Fall Approaches...

Each day brings us closer to the vivid dance of Fall leaves, cool air and a world of hibernation. All plants adjust to steady their survival of the Winter to come. The cold weather germinations include the brilliant Oriental Poppy , the delicate Clematis, fragrant Honeysuckle and more....the king over them all is the sturdy Great Washington Nettle. As the the stalks begin to brown, they gift their seeds, able to survive for decades, ensuring their great presence remains. Misunderstood, often spoken of with disdain, their gifts are many for those who choose to accept them. The trees and all other summer yield are coming to a close. The berries and many fruit trees still part of a of a myriad display in September. The Fall vegetables will take their place yet many flowers will remain. Even up through the snow there will be the fragile Lavender Crocus....The world breathes deeply, a rest of sorts before the winter sweeps in.

As the year has passed, it is time I got back on track with my blog~! As summer is dawning, the flowers are on brilliant display....From the light lavender of Nelly Moser Clematis, the soft yellows of honeysuckle, delicate blossoms of raspberries, marionberries, black berries and currants. The old plum tree is waning, a host to butterflies, little fruit but my significant other treasures this aging tree...nearly ready to let her go...she hangs on with snowy white blossoms on just a few branches.... The rhodies are on parade, the Wood Fuschia is covered in blooms, Pink Jasmine summons her followers of hummingbirds, Flowers are everywhere....




On Mothers Day, we had a near miss, our massive double trunked cedar nearly fell on our home, one tree was cracked 3/4 of the way down and was creaking, groaning and swinging towards our home! It was due to a twisted branch in the one tree beside holding the other back in an embrace which truly spared our lives! The trees are over 70 feet high, it was an emergency cutting by a professional tree cutting service, they boated over and with great care, cut them down and cut up the logs into pieces we can split. For those who have been given a second chance, we are now among them!


Yes....firewood to mix with alder, maple and....perhaps a few solid rounds could be outdoor tables after drying with a finish....sigh..they were beautiful trees!

Winter just stayed...then the Spring stretched into a long beginning! Trees cared not for this delay, lost in the coolness and often 30's temperatures reigned over plants emerging and flowers blooming. Sweaters one day and tank tops the next, confusion and layers to wear. I find my way around the vibrant Great Nettles, that had been covered in snow of recent, towering at heights surpassing those of years past! Hydrangeas budding and Rhodies transforming a Florida feel to our front yard. Mints and herbs, garlic and Comfrey, even potatoes are up...what to plant, when to plant...I am excited but torn between a loss of seedlings to be or waiting....that painful waiting to begin....planting to create a pallet of chosen plants with their array of variety and the splashes of color and scents....

I am reminded of this time and it brings me back each year to....the evening that descends and...

As the sun sets over the water, the air is drenched with the nuances of Honeysuckles mixed with other florals, roses plus pines and the waves kick up the deep water scents combined. It is my gift for a time to see this, through the windows of my realm...borrowed and quite treasured with every moment in time!

Winter is Coming!

As I look over stormy waters, twisting trees, and soaring Eagles, my gaze lowers to the earth below. It is like that here, you feel as if you are floating above the water and get lost in what you see! They are sneaking their last peak, the Tea Roses, my last rose to bloom near Winter, one of my first to bloom this Spring! Facing the elements of strong winds, drenching rains and no escape from the sun as it comes out...the Tea Rose is my sentinel at the edge of my bluff! The Brilliant Colors of the Rhodies in Purples, Pinks and Whites from the warm winds of summer...pale at the feet of this single lady of soft repose. My table is adorned with it's simple lace and the vase sits empty....the Royal Blue Hydrangeas drooped quickly from their prominent display at seasons end....The rose....She calls out to come in and take their place. For such a short while, she will grace my table. Her blooms are delicate yet strong enough to withstand the elements as are we all! Stand against the wind, feel the edge of the world and know, your spirit is invincible!

Summer into Fall...

The summer began with coolness, in total disregard that the season had changed. Yet by August, the skies brightened their intensity, the sunsets deepened in color and the sun warmed the island. A late summer, surely welcome and yet, waning as the evening again cools and the days, simply warm now....fleeting as false a promise as it began! September comes early and the winds change, the waters ready for the storms to come... It is time now for the last dance.....of Summer.