RELAXATION - THE FARM CRITTER WAY

EXHIBIT #1
Cato demonstrates one of his favorite uses of recyling bin lids. Cato's a fan of direct afternoon sun.

Exhibit #2
Oscar prefers a comfy snooze on his back with porch railing shade.

Exhibit #3

Rufus likes to spread his wings, have the sweet aroma of a rawhide bone near his nose, and snooze comfortably with his eyes half open on his yoga mat.

Exhibit #4

Clouseau prefers the body shaping perch for his R & R.

Photos of Annie in her relaxation mode coming soon when I can catch her with my camera.....

NATURAL PROGESSION - NIGHT BLOOMING CEREUS

Most of the time, this amazing plant produces flowers in the middle of the summer. This year, in July, we had a couple of blooms that came out while I was in Boone. I lamented the fact I didn't get to see them; the blooms opened and were on the ground before I got home.

For some odd reason, the plant decided to open up again - this time in October after temps have already plummeted to near freezing levels. I was really shocked to see two buds last weekend, and over the course of the week, they've opened, bloomed and faded away.

The lifespan of the glorious flower is only 24 hours....so short but so breathtaking while it lasts!

IN THE WOODS

In the back woods, chubby Goddess keeps an eye on all the plants and critters from atop her tree stump perch where I sit and think about things. She's gotten a little crack in her left side over time and picked up some moss along the way, but neither seem to bother her greatly. She's a jolly woman, happy to live in the woods and not have to deal with much more than an occasional passerby on a walk.

There's a huge, beautiful, one-of-a-kind fungus growing at the base of a tree down the path from chubby Goddess, and it's one of the most striking works of art I've ever seen in the natural world. It engulfed a strand of barbed wire as it grew, and the waxy appearance is really quite spongy to the touch. It's totally breathtaking!

This close-up image below allows one to see the interior complexity of the mass.

And this is what it looks like as one approaches it. I had no idea what I was looking at from a distance. It was only when I got closer that I discovered this amazing, glob of orange, salmon, and pale yellow stuff.

TRIBUTE TO SALLY JOHNSON

Saturday morning, September 12, 2009, Sally Johnson said goodbye to this world and began her journey into the world of spirit. Friends for almost three decades, Sally and I have woven in and out of contact over the thirty years, but most recently, by virture of Facebook, our connection has been strong and very special.

One of the first of many powerful and inspiring women I met when I moved to Ohio from New Orleans, Sally was a young mom of three active, energetic and highly talented, creative children. Her husband at the time worked as a glassblower, and he and Sally lived on a small farm in our area. One of my first memories of Sally is of a barn dance out at her and Doug's farm - - a birthday celebration for a mutual friend's birthday. When I close my eyes, I can see the beautiful birthday cake Sally decorated with sweet-pea flowers for Cathy and her dancing with each of her children all night long as the moon shone through the slats in the barn siding. Oh, how they loved their mom!

Sally was a force of nature...a founding member of the Dumb Club, a true back-to-the-earth, tofu-making, hippie mom who set the bar for me as the mom I wanted to emmulate when it became my time for children. She birthed her children at home and attended many, many other women who chose to do the same. I am touched by the number of younger adults now who now honor her for being with their moms at their respective births. Sally always, always, always, advocated for women and kids and the Earth...Thanks to Sally Johnson's efforts there is a rape hot-line in Marietta for women in crisis.

Artsy, creative, funny, sarcastic and at times cynical and opinionated, Sally's path was not always easy, but she unfailingly came out on top, whether it be from the throes of divorces or battling a chronic leukemia that has reared its nasty head in her life for the past few years. Her love of the mountains of southwest Virginia and her grandson, Max, defined her truest inspirations and became the topic of most of our recent conversations. I treasure our emails in which she talked about both.

Recently Sally turned 60 and spent a week at the beach with her family in celebration. AS I understand, not long after their return from this special vacation, her body again began to need attention. Blood and platelet transfusions did not spur her marrow to take hold again, and she weakened steadily and quickly. Appropriately, her family was with her as she took her final exhale last Saturday.....

I downloaded the above photos from Facebook...Sally in the mountains....Sally with her grandson....It's been hard to veer my thoughts away from her passage, but when I went on a walk yesterday through my fields, as the sun shone, as the butterflies savored the last of summer's nectars, and as the crows and hawks called in the distance, I felt her presence strongly...peaceful and serene...

Goodbye to an amazing woman.....godspeed, my friend....

THE DC GUYS

Taking advantage of a three day weekend, I hopped in the Subaru early, early Saturday morning and headed over to visit Samuel in Washington. I'll supply details of our weekend at a later day, but I wanted to get these photos in place for The Farm family. Many of you haven't seen Sammy in a while...He's happily adjusted to DC, loves the city, and is working his rear end off at an Urban Outfitters downtown while going to graduate school full time.

I had a great time hanging out with him, and I think he was equally as glad to see me. Samuel and I have a history of good times together, and this weekend was yet another time we made memories and solved the world's problems together. I'm so proud to be his mom.

NATURAL PROGRESSION - YELLOW DATURA

The pinwheel slowly opens into a full, delicately powerful, double blossom. The flower lifts its trumpet to the morning sun to welcome the day and follow the sun across the sky until the afternoon turns into evening. Then the aged bloom bows to the Earth in gratitude for the day gone by and collapses to the ground as darkness arrives. All this, in less than 24 hours.

FARM BLOSSOMS #4: THIS PAPHIOPEDILUM IS ONE SEXY ORCHID

Better photos to follow, but this paphiopedilum opened today, and I can't quit staring at it.

MY PAPER'S STILL AROUND

Jen Grove, a calligrapher from Marietta who used to buy a lot of paper from me sent me a Facebook message yesterday and directed me to the Tree Whispers website, where, lo and behold, right there on the home page is a work by Anne Binder done on my paper. It took my breath to see Tanya Wilder paper again.

As I recall the under layer here is done with abaca fibers, faintly dyed with a light onion skin and walnut mixture. The top paper is a combination of hemp and abaca,with organic inclusions of mica and snake skin.

See the Tree Whispers (collaborative project celebrating life's resounces) website for some beautiful work:
(www.treewhispers.com)

And perhaps there could be some more Farm Paper in the works...I'm feeling inspired.

FARM BLOSSOMS #3: MORE ORCHIDS

I'm like a child at Christmas when my orchids bloom. The phaleonopsis has been open ALL summer, and just this morning, one blossom drooped to fall off. The dark burgundy paphiopedilum will open in the next couple of days. That means I check it every hour to see just how much more it has progressed.

Orchids make me happy....

FARM BLOSSOMS #2: DIFFERENT DAHLIAS FROM THE SAME TUBER

Unless I'm very mistaken, these two entirely different dahlias are growing from the same tuber. Interesting....and elegantly lovely...

FARM BLOSSOMS - LADY SLIPPER ORCHIDS

The Farm Mom is an very, very amateur orchid grower, but every once in a while, I get lucky. I purchased this paphiopedilum (HsingingCitron #16 x lawrenceanum #1) at Earth Fare in Boone, NC, for a steal of a price and have pampered it according to directions I've studied on the internet and in my orchid books.

As a child, I loved all the Lady Slippers that grew in the wild in the mountains around Boone. I successfully transplanted pink, yellow, and snowy lady slippers on several occasions around my grandmother's and my parents' houses. . I have not, however, been able to grow them in the woods here at The Farm in Ohio.

So, when I came across this and one other (photos on the way once it blooms), I decided to expand my orchid collection. I do so hope I can keep them alive and blooming. There's something about paphiopedilums that bridges the connection to my childhood Lady Slipper garden, so I'll give these a good shot and welcome them to The Farm with lots of TLC....

RUFUS

Somewhat bull-headed...still trips over his ears...wingspan over 20"...has moments when he thinks he's a cat...plays all day with his best friend, Clousseau (who IS a cat)...has a starburst fluffy at the tip of his tail...learning, slowly but surely, that two old corgis can lose their patience rather easily with his puppy antics...getting too big to be a lap dog...goofy, funny, loving....that's our Rufus.

SUMMER 2009 FARM UPDATE #7

It's been over a week since I've even looked at my blog. Here's what's been in the works at The Farm:

1. Had a great visit with Betsy and Bill as they headed to Buffalo for Kate's wedding. Celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary with them here at The Farm. Brought back memories of my wedding 31 years ago and theirs the year after. (Their marriage lasted; mine didn't...) Childhood stories made Joe and Eliza laugh, and Betsy and I really are quite like Mom and Aunt Lib when we get going.

2. Purchased a used weedeater. Joe's taken out most of the ragweed in front of the deck and around the barn. I've sneezed quite a bit.

3. Got the mowing done.

4. Am working on refinancing the house and trying my best to define a new insurance policy that's going to save me some money.

5. I've knitted a couple of dishclothes. Haven't gotten started on my next round of scarves.

6. Worked a bit for the Evergreen Arts & Humanities Series.

7. Gone on good walks with Rufus, Joe, the corgis and cats. Laughed a lot at Rufus.

8. Worked a bit on my classes for Marietta College.

9. Attempted to clean the house.

That's about it.....

(Rufus: Wingspan as of last weekend = 20" from tip of one ear to the other. He's quite the hound dog.)

SUMMER 2009 UPDATE #6

From Petie's computer at home here in Boone, NC:

1. Had a wonderful lunch with Uncle Tom and Carol on Tuesday. So good to see them.

2. Had a wonderful lunch with my aunts, Linda and Audrey, my uncle, Ken, and Mom at Grandma Shook's house yesterday.

3. Cooked a tasty Cuban meal for Uncle Frank, Aunt Lera, Richard, Miss Hal and Bobby the other night. My flan really came out well.

4. Had a good trip to the farmer's market with Mom.

5. Attended the Retired State Teacher's Personnel meeting with Mom and saw several of my former teachers from Watauga High School, including my favorite math teacher, Linda Harwood.

6. Finished a scarf and began a sock (for the second time). Also knitted a couple of dish rags.

7. Read a book!

8. Helped Mom get some ideas about re-covering her antique chairs in the living room to match the couch she had done last summer.

9. Ran errands with Mom.

10. Sneezed my head off and suffered from itchy eyes, thanks to NC allergies.

11. Walked downtown a couple of times.

12. Had lunch with a cousin on my mom's side and her family. Also took Mom, my Aunt Hal and Bobby, my cousin, to visit my Aunt Lucille, who's in a nursing home in Stanley, NC. Had a good visit with cousins and my sweet aunt, who's debilitated from Parkinson's Disease.

13. Cared for Mom and tried to make her feel special. I love her so...

14. Loved being home among those with whom I've grown up and who have been so much a part of my life. Loved having access to good, homegrown, organic food. Loved being in a place that's alive artistically and laid-back. Loved the reconnection with educators for whom I have total respect and admiration.

SUMMER 2009 UPDATE #5

This update format's getting to be a regular thing here at Namasté. I've found it's the easiest way to keep the farm family informed as the summer passes, and it'll serve as a reminder to me in the months to come as to what all transpired....

1. Rufus has a fancy new compound at the end of the side yard, and he seems quite content to spend the nights there.
2. Brett's home, and we've spent a couple of afternoons on the porch, catching up since we saw each other at Christmas last year. He and Betsy have had an amazing year in Bulgaria, have one more to go, and then will more than likely return to the States.
3. Brett and I got some paperwork done to completely turn the car over to Eliza.
4. Joe and Rufus are visiting Joe's sister in Raleigh, NC, and I'm headed to NC for a week on Thursday.
5. Dahlias continue to bloom gloriously.
6. I pulled up old broccoli, collards, kale and lettuces from the garden beds, re-tilled the beds and have them ready for fall planting (which I hope to get to tomorrow).
7. I've brushed all the critters in an attempt to get done with the shedding process.
8. I've spent a goodly amount of time on getting info out about the Evergreen Arts & Humanities Series.
9. Samuel messaged me that he has an interview for a position at the Bookstore at American University.
10. Bobbi taught her first class in her new first-class studio in Philadelphia last Sunday.
11. Eliza's started band...band camp this week all day. She's guard section leader and working her tail off.
12. Lori's traveling all over the country with Nickelback.
13. I'm getting my hair cut again...it grows out really fast.
14. Tonight I plan to sort and alphabetize my CD's. Hasn't been done in a couple of years, and they're way out of order. Total chaos.

That's about it for now....

Enjoy recent pics of Rufus, the farm (bassett) hound dog...He's growing like a weed!