leaf

this leaf rode in on zane.  i thought it was pretty.  the structures at the stem end look like some kind of insect egg casings but not sure what kind of critter hangs out on manzanita.  lots to learn.

manzanita leaf

bamboo forest

finished building the last of the bamboo trellises for the new garden

made in china

nappy dog

he's so sweet...

 

zzzzz

                                                 
                                                      ... when he's unconscious

abundance, or, as the man says, "abbondanza"

   still working on getting a vegetable garden going but we're not wanting for fresh, ripe fruit

apricots---thank you, ben

some apricots i dried in propagation flats on the roof

 

picking blackberries

oh baby

worth every scratch and thorn prick

thank you, mama...

...we'll be giving you grapes soon

the plum tree's loaded

beautiful

             better get them before the birds do                         (beautiful)              

fun on the homestead

free-ranging birdies

the ranch king...and his riding mower

 after a few days of triple-digit heat, an air conditioner seemed like a pretty good idea...

no window

no problem

the finished instaalation

i'm working on some bamboo trellising for the new garden.  these will get covered with bird net and will hopefully keep the deer and wild turkeys out of the veggies.  never worked with bamboo before---fun stuff!

not bad for a first try

trellis ends

4' x 8' at the base and about 7' tall

 zane is shedding...a lot

"i made a fur-baby"

happy birthday

while i was unpacking and organizing a couple weeks ago i came across something i'd written a few years back---i've rewritten it a bit.  

the zen of dog (for grover)

what is a dog?

he lies in the sun

peacefully

in the moment

soaking up the golden warmth as if it were the only sustenance he will ever need

asking for nothing more

i feel it too

the sun on my face and contentment that there is nothing beyond that which is this moment

only now

that now is forever and all that we will ever need

a dog is now

happy birthday, grover dandy, and thank you. 

          

merry beefmas!

 today was like meat christmas.

half a grass-fed beef