prayer

beneath love's infinite sky,
green sway of pine and oak,
dancing golden and silver within clear blue eyes,
humbled on earth-stained knees,
back bent to the warming sun,
hands tuck sleepy seeds into dark soil,
always with a prayer---
may the winds be my breath,
and yours,
may the rains slake my thirst,
and yours,
may the sun light my soul,
and yours,
may this love root deep within my heart,
and in yours,
may this love's garden grow,
and we two remain one,
sustained on love's ever-flowering vine

chicken

two ways to prepare chickens for winter...

1.   give them a cozy place to roost.  i screwed some fiberglass panels and stapled burlap (the stapling took place without incident) to the chicken tractor.  they should be pretty comfortable this winter.

2. mmmmm...

mailbox

sexiest mailbox on the block...

oops

worked on the gate for the other end of the garden today.  was getting pretty close to finishing the second panel when i put a staple in my hand.  oops.  fortunately only one of the teeth went in all the way and it was at a shallow enough angle that it didn't hit bone. i was kind of surprised that it didn't really hurt going in or when i pulled it out (with pliers---it was stuck in pretty good).  my knuckle is starting to ache a little tonight.  (i am aware of how stupid this was and will endeavor in future to be more careful.)

after i got the staple out i finished up the gate and got it put up at the north end of the garden.

view from outside the garden

view from inside the garden

staal got the new dual glazing into the windows that face the garden.  we'll be much cozier this winter.

 
he does good work.

leaf galls...

found an oak leaf covered in galls this morning when i took zane out to do the rounds.  never seen one with so many galls.  they're caused by a tiny wasp stinging the leaf to lay an egg.  the leaf makes the gall to protect itself, walling up the wasp larva.  i've seen different forms of leaf galls---these are some of the neatest.

 

got the tri-fold gate put up at one end of the garden near the front door of the house.

got some sunshine with the boys.

 

and a beautiful man made me a beautiful dinner.

 

a nice day

cooling off up here these days but still pleasant to work outside in the sunshine. today i worked on some panels i'm making out of bamboo and burlap---going to make a tri-fold garden gate for the kitchen garden.  

helped staal paint the south face of the house where the new windows are.  it's a bit lighter and greener than what's on it now.  haven't settled on trim color yet.

 

came across this little guy this morning.  maybe he's just keeping the bookworms under control.

puppy love