when i wake

i lie awake and stare out at the stars
hanging in bare oak bows
like a string of christmas lights
clear and twinkling and beautiful.
and i might have missed it
if i'd been asleep.
but instead i lie awake staring at stars
and wondering about sleep.
wondering where it is that we go
and how it is that we return.
and hoping,
if i drift off again,
i'll still find you next to me when i wake.

greenhouse (siding and trim)

staal has been working on the outside of the greenhouse---putting up siding and trim to get everything sealed and looking spiffy.

here are a couple of shots taken before the siding and trim went up...

staal has put up T-111 siding (he pre-painted it the color of the house) below all of the glazing, around the doors, and at the corners...

caulk and z-bar will keep rain from getting behind the siding.

he cut pieces of redwood to trim around the glazing with channels on the back side of each piece to fit over the slightly raised sections of framing that run between the glass panels---this will allow the outer edges of the back side of each piece of trim to sit flush against the glazing.

the result is a well-sealed and beautiful exterior...

wildflower seeds

i plant wildflower seeds along the garden fence
and daydream about how they will look
all dressed up in their spring blossoms
calling to the birds and bees and butterflies.
i stop a moment to take in the late afternoon light
our happy little house bathed in the rosy glow.
smoke begins to trail from the chimney
and i know you are inside tending the fire.
chickens scratch around in the yard
and from the coop a hen announces a newly laid egg.
this is a place of love and warmth and abundance.

relocating leeks

last summer our neighbor gave us some of his extra leek seedlings---it was late in the season and they were a bit stunted from being held in a flat so long so they didn't grow much over the summer.  they're looking pretty good now.  i recently read a blog post by larry hodgson about growing leeks as perennials (because they are) instead of replanting every year as is commonly done and i was inspired to give it a try.  today i dug most of the leeks out of the kitchen garden and gave them some more space in the orchard garden in an unoccupied section of the perennial onions bed.

we'll see how they do.

ham detector

as with smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers, it is important to perform a routine test of one's ham detection unit...

...seems to be functioning properly.

pink lady

long after all the other fruit trees have let their leaves go our pink lady apple stands laughing at nature's attempt at winter---and she sure is dressed up pretty...

nice.

compost update

things are heating up...

from 46 degrees to 106 degrees in about 48 hrs