My garden has pretty vegetables

(Baby tomato. June 2008.)

The first gatherings of the garden in May of salads, radishes and herbs made me feel like a mother about her baby — how could anything so beautiful be mine. And this emotion of wonder filled me for each vegetable as it was gathered every year. There is nothing that is comparable to it, as satisfactory or as thrilling as gathering the vegetables one has grown.

~ Alice B. Toklas

The music.

Taking a break

(Bella, hangin’ in the dining room on a hot day. June 2008.)

Summer afternoon — summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.

~ Henry James

My garden has pretty weeds

(In the garden. June 2008.)

We can in fact only define a weed, mutatis mutandis, in terms of the well-known definition of dirt — as matter out of place. What we call a weed is in fact merely a plant growing where we do not want it.

E. J. Salisbury, The Living Garden, 1935

Fire

(Fire damaged tree. Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, CA. April 2008. © Robin)

A spark neglected makes a mighty fire.

~ Robert Herrick

During our last visit to San Diego, M and I did a little hiking in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. It’s a beautiful area that suffered a lot of fire damage in the Cedar Fire of October 2003. As of our visit, some of the trails were still closed to public access.

Drop upon drop

(Shenandoah River. West Virginia. June 2008. © Robin)

Drop upon drop collected will make a river. Rivers upon rivers collected will make a sea.

~ Sa’Di

Apropos of nothing in this post so far…

If you were hanging around here on Mother’s Day, you might remember that my youngest son designed a website for my Mother’s Day gift this year.  One of the reasons for this is that I’ve had inquiries regarding selling prints of some of my photos, and (believe it or not!… cos it still surprises me) I have actually sold a few.  I won’t be retiring on that money, but it more than paid for the website.

The link has been available here (in my blogroll).  Someone clicked on it today so I decided it was time to stop hiding and waiting.  I still have a lot of work to do on the site, but if you’d like to check it out, you can find it here.  Any and all constructive criticism is welcome, especially in regards to navigating the site.

And, you know, if there’s a photo you think should be there that isn’t or you’d like a print, contact me.  (I’m told I have to say that because if I don’t advertise for myself, no one else will.  Still and all, it feels weird.)

A flower

(Close-up in the meadow. June 2008. © Robin)

The amen of Nature is always a flower.

~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

Sunday celebrity

(Garrison Keillor. June 21, 2008. © Robin)

A friend had VIP tickets to the live broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion at the Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls last night. She invited me to go with her.

We had a lot of fun, enjoying the show from great seats, and attending an ice cream social afterwards where we got to meet and greet some of the cast. There were some severe thunderstorms during the first half of the show which Mr. Keillor and the cast incorporated wonderfully into the show. I had to feel sorry for the poor folks seated on the lawn (which is where I’m used to sitting when we attend Blossom events). The rain really poured as the lightning flashed, the thunder boomed, and the wind whipped the umbrellas and trees around.

The music. (The Wailin’ Jennys performed at last night’s show.)

Thanks, Mary!

(Note: This will not be a regular feature as coming in contact with celebrities is a rare event in my life.)

(Another note: I’m writing in more detail, with more photos, about this fun night at my other blog: Life in the Bogs. Join me there if you’re interested in hearing more about it.)

You saw them as babies

(Fresh from the garden.)

Wisdom is oftentimes nearer when we stoop than when we soar.

~ William Wordsworth, 1798

Remember these guys?  (I’m letting my NJ upbringing show.)  That’s them up there now.

My first experience with gardening is going well. Or sort of well. I have learned that it’s hard work. I have also learned that you can’t leave it alone for almost two weeks and expect the weeds to hold off while you’re taking a gardening vacation. This in turn has taught me that gardening is really hard work if you don’t keep up with it on a daily basis.

I do feel as if I’ve earned the deliciousness of the fresh lettuces, radishes, and onions. The first time I brought some in to make a salad I felt as if I’d accomplished something important. Or, if not important, something grand. The taste of freshly picked, homegrown, vegetables makes it worth all the hard work. It’s also nice to know about the growing process and what went into it and on it.

My asparagus plants are doing well, growing tall and feathery, still shooting out the occasional spear. The fact that they have survived my care (I’ve always thought of myself as having a black thumb, killing every houseplant I come in contact with) and my neglect means they are hardier than I expected.

After a week or two of hot weather, we’ve been experiencing quite a cool down here in the Bogs. The lettuces seem to be enjoying the cold snap. It’s been down into the 40’s at night. To be honest, I’m enjoying it as well. I’m sure it won’t be long before the heat and humidity of summer settle in to stay for a while. It will officially be summer at 7:59 EDT today. Somehow the weather here in the Bogs knows when it’s official. It’ll be up in the 80’s tomorrow.

Strawberries are in season here now. We get them from the farm up the road. Fresh, red, ripe, juicy, and delicious. Much better than their cardboard-like counterparts sold in the grocery store. I usually buy a big jar of local honey, mix it with the strawberries, water, a handful of herbs, and some champagne yeast, and make a mead fit for the gods: dry, golden and bubbly with hints of the strawberries, ginger, and lemongrass that flavor it along with the honey. I’ve decided not to make it this year. We have so much on hand from previous years that I think we can afford to skip it this time around.

The garden is calling. I should get out there and weed a bit before the day becomes warm and the sun threatens my fair skin with a burn.

Happy Summer Solstice!

The music. (I picked this version rather than the R rated one due to the age of some of my audience. I suppose I could have gone with the original, but I like this cover better.)

Torrey Pines (Part 1)

This post is dedicated to my guide to Torrey Pines, TPGoddess (which, of course, stands for Torrey Pines Goddess).

I’m not going to bother with captions. All of the photos were taken by me at the Torrey Pines State Natural Preserve during the short hike I took with TPG on the Guy Fleming Trail. I wish I could have gone back again to hike some of the other trails during our trip, but they’ll have to wait until our next visit. It’s a gorgeous area and I can see why TPG loves it so.

Torrey Pines is one of those places I wish I could explore over and over again on a daily basis. I can’t imagine ever getting tired of going there as I think the changes over the seasons and over time must be fascinating…

Life in the pond

(Frog. June 2008. © Robin)

It’s not easy being green.

~ Kermit the Frog

Kermit is much cuter than this guy. And probably a lot less vocal. The bullfrogs have been carrying on a lot at night.

It’s mating season.

If you’re not familiar with the sound of the American bullfrog, you can listen to it here. Just click on “Listen” when you get there.

As for that fellow up there, I’m not sure what kind of frog it is. I thought it might be a green frog, but he looks like a cross between a green frog and a bullfrog. Wouldn’t surprise me. They’re both out there partying making noise at night.

And if you’re not familiar with the sound of the green frog, you can listen to it here. The directions are the same as above: click on “listen” when you get there.

Then imagine a combination of both sounds going on hot and heavy all night long while you’re trying to sleep.