There were a few days in mid-April that had us all worried that summer had arrived early, with stupidly warm temperatures. But the rest of this spring has seen a string of wet, chilly, cloudy weeks, with tiny peeks of sunshine. We used our propane stove most mornings to take off the chill, before we got on with our days. This weekend, the sun has come out and everything is greening up beautifully! And the black flies have arrived. :-(
In February, my brother and sister-in-law came up for a weekend. Ever up for a project, they helped us take down a bunch of birch trees out by the road. I adore our birches, but they are not hardy trees, and when they start to go, they rot and become precarious, leaning over the road and susceptible to toppling in high winds. We felled five trees down across the road, cut them into firewood sections, rolled them off the road and stacked them before one single car passed our house. It was a Sunday morning, but still, I do love living in a rural neighborhood. Last week, Batman took the snowplow off the tractor and hitched the chipper on to the back. He chipped the remaining smaller birch branches and refreshed the front path from the house to the driveway and it looks ever so lovely. Homemade mulch for the win!
Did you celebrate May Day? Back in the day, Franny and I used to make May baskets and drop them off on the doorsteps of friends. This year I put together a bouquet for neighbors and at the same time, sent a little love out into the ether in honor of Franny’s legacy of love.
I have quite a stack of books I’m working on…I’ve already mentioned a few of them, but here are some additions…
Enchantment, awakening wonder in an anxious age, by Katherine May, who wrote Wintering, which I enjoyed. (Our May book for A Mending Space book group).
Horse, by Geraldine Brooks, our May book for my local book group.
Above the Ground, by Clint Smith, gifted to me by Hannah (we share an appreciation of poetry).
The Art of Manipulating Fabric, by Colette Wolff, pulled from the library in my studio. Prepping for a new project.
I’ve given Taproot magazine another try, and the latest issue, Cultivate, has a lovely article about snail mail, and also a tutorial for making a pouch for letter writing supplies.
Some of you had asked me to share the list of books I’ll be reading with my local group. Here are the ones we have selected so far…Perhaps you’d like to read along?
May…Horse, by Geraldine Brooks
June…The Weight of Ink, by Rachel Kadish
July…Hester, by Laurie Lico Albanese (which I loved).
August…Our Missing Hearts, by Celeste Ng
September…The Marriage Portrait, by Maggie Farrel
October…Bicycling with Butterflies: My 10,201-Mile Journey Following the Monarch Migration, by Sara Dykman
Perhaps you remember this photo of Corazón, perched on her climbing tree.
My son-in-law Ben crafted this sweet portrait from a bit of wood. His thoughtfulness really cheered my day. Whenever I look at it, I think of his growing skills as a maker…and of the TLC he put into this work.
Can you see the line of greening foliage creeping up the hills? Each day, the color changes by elevation.
Last night, I caught the sun close to setting, the orange orb hanging just above the ridgeline. There’s a Juneberry tree blooming in the foreground, a native bush that feeds birds and critters alike with their fall fruits.
Yesterday we went to our local garden center Dandelion Acres for a “first pass” at new plants for the yard. We bought a new crabapple to replace the one we took down last fall. We chose it because it will have hearty crabapples in the fall (to make jelly!) We got a few more raspberry bushes and a few flowers to plant in my hanging basket. We’ve been meaning to review our planting schemes, so this weekend we will pull out a length of brown craft paper to plot our dreams.
So, that’s a lot of catching up. How about you, dearest readers? Are you finding sanctuary in your garden dreams, getting your hands back into the soil, cooking with fresh, local treats? Are you reading anything worth sharing? Are you mending overalls, knitting a spring scarf, sewing a new dress? Drop a note in the comments, will ya?
Happy frolicking!