quality time

Piper and I went to the woods today.

It started to rain very lightly as we arrived,

so I chose an area where we would never be far from a hemlock stand.

It was wet.

It was buggy.

Hot and humid.

Felt rather subtropical, really.

The rain continued to fall. We were comfortably sheltered, but my sketchbook stayed in the pack because I painted another iris last night:

 and I kind of like this one. Didn't want it rained upon.

So for a while I just played "Treats!" with Piper,

and looked at many things,

and took a lot of photographs.

Piper loves playing "Treats!"

Still the light rain fell.

We began to wend our way back up from the stream

toward the path and home.

I stopped to take a few pictures of wild iris,

and water flowing over stones.

And then - the rain stopped!

So I plunked myself down right there in the path

and tried to paint the view from my sketching chair: 

 

And Piper helped.

Painting really takes a lot out of Piper. When we got home, she inhaled a big bowl of food, hopped up on her couch, and went straight to sleep. She's been sleeping ever since, with a floor fan providing a gentle breeze.

It's after 7 PM and I'm heading out to feed the goats for the evening. Once that's done, I may have a big bowl of food and go to sleep myself. The fan will be staying on.

~~~~~

may flowers

Mayapple, Podophyllum peltatum

Geranium maculatum

Amsonia

Honeysuckle, Lonicera

Solomon's Seal, Polygonatum

Dame’s rocket, Hesperis matronalis

\

Kerria japonica"Pleniflora"

Spirea

Take a moment to catch your breath...

here comes June.

~~~~~

wordless wednesday

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ready for the close-up

A tiny violet growing on the Upper West Side

Wild highbush blueberries by the workshop

Clintonia borealis - Bluebead lily or yellow clintonia -

along the path to the stiltbarn

~~~~~

first of the muggy days

Rain was predicted today and I wanted to do a little more in the perennial garden. So I got outside early while it was still overcast and muggy and buggy.

I was driven back indoors after a couple of hours, not by rain but by black flies and fatigue. Shortly after, the sun came out - and the rain came down. A sunshower!

Now the rain has stopped, the sun is out, the humidity is up even higher, and everything in the world is dripping. I am so glad I got a little work done when I did.

I'm hoping it clouds up again before I go out to do chores while keeping an eye on Moxie. She has discovered another way out of the perimeter fence - this will be the third! - and the only way I'll find it is to casually watch her out of the corner of my eye. She'll never do it if I'm looking right at her or following her around. Moxie is a pistol!

She has two "modes."

Recovery:

and Full Speed Ahead!

~~~~~