saturday snaps

Look - it's sunshine!

The air is not grey!

Colors are rich and deep again!

The rain actually stopped Thursday, but the ground was saturated - every footstep left a deep print in mud. Although I'd optimistically planned to plant something - anything! finally! - that day, it was still far too wet.

Even when all the vegetation is dripping wet, Moxie and Della choose to come outside with me. Actually, they aren't really coming "with" me; they would be happy to be running in and out at will, all day long. But I am very concerned about hawks, so if the cats are outside, Piper or I must be out there too. And since Piper takes one good look around and then heads for her secret spot under the porch, her role as hawk-deterrent is negligible. So that just leaves me.

Here they are, my little jungle cats:

Fortunately, yesterday was again not-raining, and the soil had begun to dry a bit. I was finally able to plant two rows of pole beans. Hallelujah!

It looks like one row in this picture, but there is a little aisle between the two sections. The end of the second row is where you see the yellow bucket, which is full of rocks.

All that lush greenery between the garden rows looks pretty good to the goats, who poke their noses through the fence when I'm working. Every time I straighten up, I pull handfuls of greens to share out.

The goats tend to keep moving, though. Rain or shine, the mosquitoes are absolutely horrendous. Despite frequent applications of non-toxic repellent sprays, the goats are covered in itchy bites and so am I. LeShodu, who hates both the bugs and the sprays, spends more time in the barns and less time out browsing than some of the other goats. So today when I came up from the garden, I brought LeShodu a whole hatful of fresh alfalfa, picked seconds before, just for her.

It's the little things, isn't it, Shodu?

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Dear readers, I hope you are all having a lovely weekend, and if you are hiding from mosquitoes or anything else, I hope someone will bring you a hatful of fresh alfalfa.
Or, you know, something equivalent.

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june

I'm actively adding something positive to June, by participating in #growjune on twitter. It's a monthly art challenge; people try to post a new piece each day, with either a certain theme (like #growjune) or in a particular medium (like #paintSeptember). Running a hashtag search instantly displays everything that has been posted each day. The results are varied and interesting!

It's just a fun way for people at any level to share work and encourage each other. If you feel like jumping in, let me know!

I may not manage to post something every day in #growjune - but I will try. It's very satisfying to look back and see seven or twelve or twenty-five pieces in a month.

Would you like to see my first effort for #growjune 2017? It's this ink and watercolor sketch of a section of Solomon's Plume. And that's my actual thumb at the bottom, not a super-realistic painting of my thumb ;)

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memorial day

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saying it with flowers

Thank you for your comments on the previous post - I'm happy to report that it was perfectly lovely - I've never been to a nicer wedding! I had an excellent time, as did the friends I travelled with, and, as far as I could tell, everyone else at the event.

The week since has gotten away from me a bit, but all is well, the animals are fine, and enough about me, wouldn't you like to see some flowers?

rhododendron and birch, at the wedding reception

Since last Saturday, we've had a series of mizzling drizzling raw rainy days. And nights. The paddocks are soggy and the black flies and mosquitoes are having a field day biting all of us warm-blooded creatures. (Actually they do that rain or shine, drat the wretched things.)

In the midst of all this rain, the sun has occasionally appeared
to dazzle us with it's sudden exuberance!

Look! The Amsonia is budding:

An iris that struggled last year is blooming for the first time:

And do you have wild geranium where you live?

This is Geranium maculatum - a hardy little native...

whose cheery flowers are popping up everywhere:

Finally (for today's post), the always-elegant columbine.
They grew thigh-high seemingly overnight,
and I'm so grateful the rain hasn't destroyed all the delicate blossoms:

Just a little postcard from the land of wet flowers :)

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going to the chapel

And also the Country Club.
Big doings this weekend, as my Occasional Helper is getting married and - to my surprise and pleasure - he and his fiancee invited me to the wedding.

Friends in town are picking me up, so I don't have to drive across the Commonwealth - which, to me, makes a huge difference in how many hours I can reasonably hope to be physically comfortable. In fact, it makes the difference in whether or not I could attend this wedding at all. I am so grateful to be a passenger!

I'll be wearing a calf-length short-sleeved cotton dress, and - unless it is too hot - a favorite vest:

My best silver necklace has been retrieved from it's box in the corner cabinet, and polished.

A new wide-brimmed straw hat was purchased for the event.

And I intend to wear my Actual Shoes.

I may be the most casually-dressed person at this shindig, but I'm making an effort. People who know me will probably think "Ooh, Quinn very dressed up all fancy!" when they see me. And anyway, I'm pretty sure I've not been invited to glam things up.

My Occasional Helper is a really special person, and I'm touched to be invited to share this special day. Even if it takes a few days to re-energize afterward, it will be worth it.

Here is the gift, handmade in Massachusetts.

For a plate, I think it is extremely evocative.

I wonder if they will use it as a plate or hang it on the wall?

Maybe both?

Morning chores were done so early this morning, the goats probably think they dreamt their breakfast buckets. Extra hay and water are available all over the paddocks in case I am tired when I get home tonight, or, as I told the goats, because everyone gets Special Extra Food today because we are ALL celebrating on behalf of our friend. The one who cheerfully carries 50-pound sacks of oats from the car to the barns.

I hope you all have a special Saturday.

If you don't have something special planned, please feel free to celebrate with the Cloud Harvest Cashmere gang...

Special Extra Food required!

:)

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