June 4, 2009

• This, That, and the other thing

  I decided to take the day off from all but the essentials today.  That decision has nothing to do with the fact that it is my anniversary.  It has everything to do with the fact that I possibly over did it a bit yesterday. 

  I am in a battle to the death with the rabbits.  I discovered last evening that they have discovered my bean plants now.  That’s okay though, I am going to build a fence around the garden to keep them out as well as shoot as many of the vile, evil creatures as I can.  I am also going to be getting a new dog.  That should help deal with the vermin.  (can anyone tell that I am not impressed with their cuteness?) 

  

  Now that the heating season is officially over, I hope, I have moved my work station outside beside the garden and the pool.  The water is too cold for me to go in and probably will be all summer but it is nice to sit here and watch the others.  I also enjoy watching the wildlife in the field across the valley

  

  Very often while I am sitting here, working at my computer, grading papers, reading a book, or just day dreaming, I look up and can see deer and turkeys in the field.  Other times I see geese and heron on the creek down in the valley below.

  

  Earlier this spring I noticed that one of the posts that hold up the deck was sagging terribly.  Unfortunately it is also the post that my best climatis vine twines around.  While Adam was home on leave he said he would fix the post so that the deck wouldn’t be sagging so much.  The next thing I know my climatis vine is sitting on the ground beside the garden and there is a new post holding up the deck.  MK and I cut out all of the old wood on the climatis and put it back with a prayer that it would survive the move.  As you can see it not only survived it is thriving.  So much for the rumors that climatis are delicate.

  

  This garden by the house has been here since we have been married.  When I first put it in it wasn’t as large as it is now, granted, since there used to be two small sheds there also.  But, after we tore down the two sheds, Doug let me expand my garden to the size that it is now.  Then, a year or two before he left home, Adam, know how I like stone walls, built me two stone walls on either side of the far end of the garden.  He also put in a walk around the back side of the garden along the deck that leads to the old apple tree behind the garden.  Beside the tree sits a bench that Ian fixed up for me.  When I am tired from working in the garden I sit on the bench and rest in the shade of the apple tree.  Each season, however, the garden has been taking over the walk and the lawn because it is slightly sloped toward the back.  Matthew has watched my efforts to uncover the walk each year and try to keep the garden in check.  This year he decided to use what he is learning and his own earnings from working with our neighbor and fix that problem. 

  He has purchased all of the materials to run the wire and install and outdoor outlet so that the fountain has permanent electricity.  Then he poured a stable pad for the fountain to sit on in the corner of the garden beside the path that Adam built this spring.

  

  Now he is building a retaining wall out of native stones that have come from the farm to match the other walls that Adam built.  When he is done 3/4 of the garden will be ringed with a stone wall.  That should keep the garden from taking over the lawn and the walk.  He is also planning on extending the walk all the way to the path that Adam put in and making it a little wider in a couple of places. 

  

  I wonder if they could build a roof over this corner of the farm so I can live here year round?  It is becoming my favorite place to sit and listen to the birds, to say my prayers, do my thinking and dreaming, and have my last bit of commune with nature in the evening before I retire for the night.

   

  • 4:02 pm
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