ANDREW'S IN JAPAN

Andrew, a farm kid since birth, Samuel's best friend, and son of Norm and Diane is a junior at the College of Wooster and is spending fall semester in Japan. He's blogging his experience, and you can get to his blog from my blog roll or by clicking the following link:

http://nagasakinotes.blogspot.com/

I can well remember the days of Samuel and Andrew watching "Big Bird Goes to Japan." Now big Andrew's in Japan, and his adventures will surely be worth the read!

RAMBLINGS...

Those of you who know me well know how much I love life...You also know I'm pretty earthy, not given to superficialities, really fond of laughter, and always in search of the next lesson to catapult me into greater awareness and understanding. Sometimes the "catapult" is a direct result of some personal foible, lack of awareness, or monumental screw-up, but I'm pretty willing to admit my shortcomings, make a pact to learn from the lesson, and move on. At least, I strive to go in that direction. I love to step back and witness how life unfolds and observe how people deal with the curves that get thrown their way. And ultimately, I am fascinated by how we are all constantly evolving, regardless of age or other factors.

There have been events in my life I would have never predicted....things like divorce....the untimely death of close friends....unforeseen opportunities that seemingly pop up out of nowhere...the arrival of amazing, new people in my life...Shifts happen, for better or worse, and they become a part of the process of our greater knowledge... the acceptance of our human-ness... lessons in forgiveness (particularly of ourselves)..... giant steps toward understanding... greater compassion and love.

I truly believe that every one of us is exactly where we are right now as a result of our own creation in the overall journey of what is it that we have to learn this time around as incarnate beings on the planet. Sometimes we are in co-creation with others in our lives, but even then, we construct the events that determine of our happiness (or lack thereof) and life direction. This notion is rejected and denied by many; the idea that we create every aspect of our reality intimidates even the most "intelligent" among us because it requires us to assume responsibility for everything that plays out in our lives and erase blame...It's so easy to pass the buck!

But, I really like the idea that only I create my life...I find it empowering and very, very humbling....I want to be in charge of my life..I want no one else determining my path....If I am in co-creation with another, I want my part of that creation to be positive and life affirming. not crippling or stifling. I enjoy and celebrate my power as the one who designs my life, and I am humbled the Universe guides me and allows me to grow. If I get stuck along the way, it's my task to get unstuck. If I experience injustice or unfairness in my life, it's my job to fix it. If I find myself in an unpleasant situation or relationship, then I must decide how to best remedy the situation.... It's not just me....everyone has choices and the power to create and define his/her life.

So, why do some people have such difficulty actualizing happiness? Why do they seem to be cemented in darkness, fear, unhappiness, manipulation, and the like? Why can't people escape the chains that bind them? Why do they allow themselves to be a slave to others?

I understand there are no simple answers. I understand a lifetime of behavioral patterns imprinted and embedded in our subconscious can seem insurmountable and very intimidating when it comes time to face them and initiate a change. Creating change in one's life is not an easy task. My compassion for those who are "stuck" in suffocating situations is HUGE, regardless of whether the suffocation is a result of emotional distraught, an unbalanced relationship, or a series of hard knocks.

But, I do believe everyone has the capacity to find freedom and happiness in his/her life. It's our choice to be happy or not...It's within our power to find laughter and love....It's our birthright as divine manifestations on the planet to love our lives.

My wish tonight is that we all grow in greater understanding of the sacredness of our existence and learn to acknowledge the gifts life has to offer, especially those of happiness and love.

Namasté

(I dedicate this post to a friend with whom I had unexpected contact last week and who, I believe, deserves a world of happiness he/she has yet to manifest in his/her life.)

IT'S THE LAST WEEK OF SEPTEMBER AND IT'S 94 DEGREES OUTSIDE!

OK...There have been a few times since I've lived at The Farm that the last week of September has been warm enough to wear shorts and a sleeveless shirt, but never, ever, do I remember the temperature in the mid-90's at this time of year. Yesterday and today have been almost unbearable, and I'm really trying NOT to turn on the air conditioner again, but as the sweat rolls off of me as I write this post, I'm quite tempted to do so. And furthermore, since we've gone without ANY rain for at least 2 months, the Earth is so incredibly parched that one little spark could literally torch 1000's of acres around here in no time flat. Actually, I'm a more than a little concerned about everything from low water tables to the animals in the wild. The streams dried up two weeks ago; there just isn't any water for them to drink.

I contemplated the drought during my celebration of the equinox over the weekend. Supposedly, it's a time of balance as we move into Libra....a time of equal light and dark, a celebration of the harvest yielded from our gardens, a time to bring the summer's work to an end and prepare for rest during the approaching cold, winter months. In my personal world, I feel balance and equilibrium for the most part. But as I listen to the screech owls howl, the hawks scream from above, and the coyotes in song at night, I wonder what they're sensing. They, much more than we humans, must feel the incredible Earth changes that are taking place now.

My hope is for a steady, lasting rain to come tomorrow.

On a lighter note, Eliza had a wonderful, perfect Homecoming evening with her date and friends. She looked so, so beautiful and radiant, and her boyfriend seems like he's a really, really good guy. I was very impressed with the ease with which he met and talked to me and with the courtesy and gentleman-ness with which he treated / treats Eliza. That girl has a pretty wonderful ability to magnetize and manifest good things in her life! Aren't they a "cute" couple?

And continuing on a lighter note, "catspunk" (a term invented by Brett) abounds in the house these days as Clousseau and Cato bounce around with unlimited energy. They make me laugh until I cry, and their antics almost always lead to some sort of blunder. Just like children, they play until they collapse, sleep a bit, and get up for another round of chase, attack, and wrestle. Clousseau is a bit larger and a little more coordinated and independent than Cato, but in the last couple of days, Cato has caught Clousseau off guard at the most opportune moments, and he's landed a few good blows. I have made a couple of videos of them on my camera, but so far, I haven't been successful at downloading them on my blog. I will keep trying, however. For the moment, here's a photo I took tonight.

I'm off to shower all the sweat rolling down my body...Peace to all Namasté readers..And, infinite love from The Farm....Love life!

T.

THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...

I came home, changed clothes, stretched out on the bed and opened my eyes 2 hours later....

Then, Annie, Molly, and I took a walk around the field....Molly rolled in the muddy creekbed...she stinks...

We saw two does and three fawns at the back of the field. One of the little ones has lots of white fur.. elegant, graceful animals....

One of our farm pair of hawks was perched up on the limb of one of the tallest trees in the distance...

Then, I watered the plants.....I think I could stand there for days, and the plants would still be thirsty...

Then, I talked to Debbie Thomas, and we had a kitten catch-up / update. She has three new kittens, all siblings.

Then, I watched the sunset from the deck...a huge, orange ball sank on the horizon..Thought of my mom....

A big flock of geese flew across the horizon....perfect V formation...

A single bat came flying around ....

Then, I checked in on farm kids.....

And then, I sat on the deck for a goodwhile....deeply grateful for silence and quietness...Ahhhhhhhhhh.. . .

Off to a long, warm shower and bed....

I feel good.......

Namasté....

NAME CHANGE #2

After hanging out for almost a week with the kittens and really observing their antics and personality, I have decided I must make a change in their names yet again.

These guys are never still, and their kitten-ness has provided some hard core belly laughs around here. Their inquisitiveness, catspunk, incessant energy, and penchant for "stupid cat tricks" crack me up, and I laugh at them like I laugh at Chief Inspecteur Jacques Clousseau and his bumblings.

So, in honor of my favorite movie character of all times, I've officially changed Ed's name to Clousseau, and Norge now becomes Cato, Clousseau's sparring partner and side-kick.

Clousseau Wilder does things like jump after a fly and land in the water bowl while Cato takes quite unexpected dips in the toilet as he swats at the water inside the bowl. Tuesday evening, Clousseau crouched down on the side of the bed to attack Cato, and when Cato walked by, Clousseau took a flying leap, right off the side of the bed. And yesterday, Cato's curiosity led him to get shut inside the dishwasher while Clousseau was scoping out the refrigerator.

These two represent the best of unadulterated innocence and play....In serious moments, Clousseau and Cato will come to my rescue, I'm sure.

DOUBLE NICKELS

Wednesday, I turned 55 years old. When I asked my students to guess my age, no one chose a number above 48, which made me feel pretty good. In fact, one young woman said if my hair weren't so gray, she would have guessed 40. Hmmmm....Should I consider a trip to the salon?

The day itself was glorious...sunny, clear skies, warm, but not extraordinarily hot like it's been in the last couple of weeks. I had a wonderful day with many good wishes, lots of cards and phone calls, some beautiful gifts and great surprises. I felt really blessed and loved by many.

So, a huge thanks to all who contributed to the specialness of my birthday....Tom and Chintu, your e-card began my day with lovely images and music...MaryAnn, you're the queen of celebration and unique gifts. I love the orchid book and farm ribbon...Quite unique! Deb, the light will come in really handy at the farm...Just last week, when the electricity shut off, I was fumbling around in the dark to try to find a flashlight..Mickey, luxury baths are a favorite farm activity...Candles, a glass or wine, nice handmade soap and music or a good novel to read make for hours in the tub...Dr. Tom, thanks for the ecletic package and the wonderful meal at the Blennerhassett. It was scrumptious! Lori, aka Cleveland, the gift of your presence at the farm lately has been wonderful, and walking in to the house and seeing the decorations, gifts, and cake you made took me back to that special feeling one feels as a child on her special day! It made me so, so very happy!

I am reminded births are life's greatest miracles, everyone's presence on the planet is divinely orchestrated, and life is meant to be lived fully and in happiness. I am also reminded of the preciousness of my family and friends, and for all, I am deeply, deeply grateful. What would I do without you???

Blessed be....Namasté...

NAME CHANGE

After hanging out with the kittens for 24 hours now, it's very obvious that Pomeroy does NOT fit the personality of the kitten, so during a brainstorm over Quiznos sandwiches, Eliza and I have officially changed Pomeroy's name to ED. Yep, he's Ed now, and it suits him much, much better.

NEW ADDITIONS

Since the feline population at The Farm is aging, I have told a few folks recently I would entertain the idea of getting a couple of kittens to rejuvenate the Mouse Patrol around the house and barn. As many of you already know, just the mention that one might offer a home to a kitten immediately produces call upon call from someone who knows someone who has kittens to give away. So, when a friend called Thursday to say three sweet little white kittens had been dropped off at her house, I agreed to take two of them. (She kept the third.)

So, here's the official introduction....Norge and Pomeroy....so similar that Eliza had to mark an "N" with a Sharpie pen on Norge so I could tell the two apart. They are pretty flea-ridden and definitely in need of a worming. But, they are really, really bright, intelligent, sweet and loving little white furballs. Molly (particularly Molly), Annie, and Loonis are in adjustment mode at the moment and haven't welcomed the babies with open paws, so to speak, but the older cats don't seem to care too much that there are some "new kids on the block."

LABOR DAY WEEKEND

Oh, I went to the animal fair....The birds and the geese were there....

As were the sow and her piglets, goats, all sorts of funky fowl, and sweet, adorable bunnies.

The Labor Day weekend was a busy one here at The Farm. Friday night, I ventured over to watch Eliza in the band. She told me the game started at 7:00 PM, so I waited until 7:30 to go, hoping to get to the game at half time. However, as luck would have it, the game started at 7:30, and I had to watch the entire first half to see the band. A middle-aged woman going alone to a ballgame is a sure way to get lots of weird looks, especially from die-hard, rural southeastern Ohio fans. Sitting two rows behind me were two men who had to qualify as the world's worst sports; I got a really good taste of yelling at the referees, shouting at the boys on the field, and stomping the stands in disgust when the "our team" didn't make any yardage for most of the first half. I left after half-time, feeling very proud of the band and grateful my children never played sports. It's a good thing I never had to deal with the likes of the two red-necks behind me.

Saturday, I went downtown to watch Eliza as she marched in the County Fair Parade, and Sunday evening, I went to a friend's house for a cookout. It was a really nice time, and I fell in love with an independent and incredibly bright two-year old named Raven, a child whose premature birth to incompetent parents got her off to a doubtful start. Fortunately, an incredible woman and her two daughters took Raven in early on and have given her the loving and nurturing that has this little one on really sure footing in every sense of the word. She is an amazing child, and all the credit in the world goes to her foster mom and sisters for their unconditional love and commitment to her.

Then, yesterday, I made grape juice and took Eliza to the mall. Then, it was back to the fair to see the loud, big-engined things pull massive weights. A friend had two vehicles entered in the truck pull, so I learned a bit about racing, engines, and NOISE!!! I also noticed that not many of the hard core racing fans were interested in answering my unintelligent questions about the event....Oh well, I really do prefer the animals!

FRUIT OF THE VINE

From the vine....

to the sink ...

to the glass!

In celebration of my successful pruning efforts last spring and in honor of the beautiful grapes that just couldn't go to waste, I spent the late afternoon and early evening making grape juice the old fashioned way. I cooked the grapes, smashed them up, and ran the "mash" through cheese cloth to extract the juice.

Boy, oh boy, was it worth the effort!! Totally organic, no sugar added, thick, pulpy, tart juice. When I drink it, I'll probably add a little water to cut down on the thickness and perhaps a tiny bit of stevia to balance the tartness, but it's really quite succulent without any "doctoring." (It reminds me of communion juice when I was a kid.)

The deep red color makes me think I could color paper pulp with it. The stains on my wall from where I slopped it around a couple of times indicate that the color sticks without any trouble. Perhaps, I'll save the "mash" and see if I can make some paper before it ferments. (Then I'd have alcoholic paper! What a concept!)

I share the spirit of "the fruit of the vine" with all...I have to boast a bit...I've really been into reclaiming the grapes, and I think I've succeeded!!!

Namasté.....

BUSY WEEKEND AND ANNUAL WHINE...

It's been a work weekend here at The Farm, and with the exception of last evening when I persuaded Dr. Tom to go with me to a friend's 50th birthday party, I've had my nose to the grindstone.

Friday and yesterday, I worked up about 2 bushels of tomatoes. I froze several quarts and made up a couple of gallons of spaghetti sauce / soup stock to use for the winter. My freezor is about to burst open with all the stored up goodies. I also made three huge rounds of pesto, adding enough garlic to keep all the not nice spirits away. I'm sure it will be too strong for Eliza, but Samuel and I will eat it and have garlic breath for days on end. Pesto pizza, made with summer farm pesto, is a staple at our annual New Year's Eve Party.

This afternoon my thoughts were to try to get in the garden and pull out as many weeds as I can. Unfortunately, somewhere in all the weeds, one could possibly find the prettiest beans I've had all summer, probably more tomatoes (although I'm not looking for them too hard), and a least a dozen large winter squashes. (Alas! The squash borers attacked the luscious yellow squash and zucchini plants while I was gone, and they're now at the base of the new compost pile I've got going by the garden.) And, if one cared to cook okra that's about a foot long, I have plenty. Maybe I'll save them for seed next year.

To top off the farm produce list, I am ecstatic to announce that I have BEAUTIFUL, abundant, and very ripe grapes. Anybody want some? They're the first grapes that I've had since I took over the pruning in the last few years. My ex-husband used to be the farm pruner, and for a couple of years after he transitioned to another life --no, he didn't die; he just moved away for good--I just whacked away at the grapes in late winter so that the vines wouldn't get out of control. However, for the last two years, I have taken the pruning instructions I ran off from the internet out with my clippers and painstakingly followed the directions. The result = One heck of a grape harvest. YEAH ME!!!! So, tomorrow, I'm going to make grape juice all day. If I had any notion of how to make wine, I would give it a try, but I think that's a project for the future now that I know my vines are back in production.

OK, here's the BIG whine you've been waiting for...I have to start back to work on Tuesday...a half day of in-service at the community college and two full classes I teach as adjunct at the local college. Yuk, yuk, yuk! The high thought is that I might possibly see a light at the end of the tunnel...I'm going to make an appointment with a retirement counselor later this fall and dream about the time when this time of year rolls around and I DON'T have to go back to work......Ahhhhhhh!!! What a great thought!

INFERNO

Oh, boy, it's hot in the Mid-Ohio Valley today....The temperature will surpass 98 degrees, and factoring in the humidity, the real heat index will reach about 104...

It's too hot to work, too hot to eat, too hot to do anything...I could be ready for fall.

I'm off to swoon and sit in front of a fan.

P & T

We were never cheerleaders or members of the popular crowd in school. We've gotten into as many outrageous predicaments as Ethel and Lucy. We had special voices for our dogs, Nickles and Fern, that only we could understand. We had secret hideaways in the woods. We had funerals for our salamanders. We sat in front of Bobby Kennedy's children at the Turtles and Every Mother's Sons' concert at Expo '66 (?) in Montreal. We went into a swanky Parisian restaurant and realized we didn't have enough money to buy anything but appertizers. We got my father's relatively new station wagon stuck on the side of a mountain in rattlesnake country not far from Boone and had to walk three miles to the nearest house to call home, confess to our mishap, and wait for the tow truck and my very disgruntled mother to come to our rescue. We forgot all about our music lessons one Saturday morning because we were jumping in the autumn leaves, so we set our watches back an hour to pretend we arrived on time, thinking for sure our teacher would believe us. We had beauty pageants in which we were extremely voluptuous contestants with really hilarious talents. We spent almost every weekend together, watching scary movies and crawling under the covers to scream. Our names are still written in chalk on the cement blocks in my grandmother's basement where we played hopscotch with my cousins. We played in the high school band together, but neither of us made the chorus. When we traveled to Mexico together in the summer of 1976, we did everything from eat tripe soup to down too many shots of tequila, resulting in two broken ribs for P. and one hellacious case of amoebic dysentery for T.

We've known each other since birth. I am a year and three months older than P., and our moms were with each other when we were born. Our mothers worked together in the infirmary at Appalachian State University, knitted all our sweaters together, traveled to meetings together, and were the best of friends. P and I attended the same schools, had many of the same teachers, and spent a sizeable portion of our childhood together. We went to the same church and got kicked out of Sunday school for not paying attention to Mrs. Kay Wilson's morning lesson. (It was incredibly boring, and as I recall, we were making silly comments aout her flowered hat that was attracting bees when she asked us to leave!)

We have always been and will always be the very best of friends. And yes, as is readily observable, neither of us have ever won a Miss Photogenic award, except in our own beauty pageants! (The following is a classic P & T photo...Notice how we both have our eyes closed in this picture, something we've always been able to execute perfectly in front of the camera lens.)

So here we are...P (Peggy) and T (Tanya)....together for a brief visit at The Farm yesterday as P. and her amazing and beautiful daughter, Alex, stopped in to spend the night on their return trip to Regina, Sasketchewan. I'm sure Alex learned a heck of a lot about her mom as we entertained her with accounts of our lives.

Oh how we laughed, reminisced, and laughed some more!! It's been about 10 years since we last saw each other, but something tells me we'll be together more and more as we get older Who knows what we'll get into in our golden years?????...Watch out world, here we come!!!

HOME, YET AGAIN....

I'm back at The Farm after having been in Miami for 10 days. It's good to be home, but I really miss the tropical beauty of that area and my Cuban friends whom I see only once or twice a year. I am blessed to be loved by so many people there, and I am always energized to continue my human rights work after spending time with so many people who long to return to their native island.

While in Miami, I had the opportunity to see former political prisoners who have become close friends, visit with family members of human rights leaders who still remain on the island, see my goddaughter, Gabriela, and her mom, Rosa, attend a wonderful concert by Carlos & Marta (a duo whose "trova" type music is reminiscent of the 60's folk songs that are re-emerging and popular these days), eat some really succulent Cuban food, spend time in the ocean, have lunch with my former professor, Eduardo Zayas-Bazán, and some of his friends who also participated in the Bay of Pigs, attend a meeting of the Coalition of Cuban-American Women, visit the Casa de los Presos with my friend, Rodolfo San Román, hand out for an afternoon with Laida's daughter, Tania, and do a live, direct interview to Cuba on Radio Martí. Most importantly, however, I got to be with my dear friend, Laida, and visit her mother, Liana, who has had a difficult year and who is now being cared for in a special home not far from Laida's house.

(Liana Prieto Arcia, Laida's mom, & Laida)

(Pepín & Laida Carro - Miami Beach)

The week flew by....I could have stayed much longer! For now, I'm savoring and storing all the memories in an easily accessible file in my mind. They'll come in handy next week as I sit in in-service meetings all day at work!

OFF TO MIAMI....

Hasta luego, mis amigos...I'm off to Miami for 10 days...to the beach, good restaurants, a couple of concerts, a gallery hop, and most importantly, to visit with my Cuban friends whom I love and adore.

I'll have stories when I return...

Namasté...

NATURAL PROGRESSION

9 AM - 08/08/07

7PM - 08/08/07

9 AM - 08-09-07

By dark, this white datura bloom will have wilted away. By tomorrow morning, it will have fallen off the stalk, and the spiny seed pod will start to form. I LOVE growing these exquisite flowers, and I hope the other species I have in the ground will bloom before frost. (I got them started and into the ground a bit late.) Hopefully, I'll have some of the double purple flowers I grew last year, as well as some new varieties I've never seen in bloom.

Would anyone like seeds if I have extras?

(A great source for datura and brugmansia seeds: www.seedman.com aka, Jim Johnson, Seedman / 3421 Bream Street / Gautier, MS 39553)

MS. POTATO HEAD AND RUNNING MATE, MS. GNOME RETURN

After realizing she declared her candidacy for president about and year and a half before she really needed to, Ms. Potato Head along with her running mate, Ms. Gnome, held a news conference today to say "Hi, we're back!" and introduce their respective significant others to the public.

When someone asked her where she and Ms. Gnome had been since their premature announcement, Ms. PH replied,"We made a group decision to go to a tropical island, hang out all day on the beach, talk about a few details, and basically, stay on vacation until it was time to get serious about the upcoming election. Recently, when Mr. Gnome mentioned his water was heating up considerably in the tropical sun, we all agreed it was a good time to return to the area. The four of us are quite adept at consensus."

Mr. Potato Head, known by many as "Spud," stood proudly by his wife while Mr. Gnome, affectionately referred to as "Wrinkles" by Ms. Gnome, offered a friendly smile from his portable bath tub from which he never emerges. All four appeared very relaxed and happy, the result, no doubt, of 15 months of vacation.

In unexpected news, Ms. PH and Ms. Gnome., took advantage of the occasion to introduce their good friend and confidante, Mr. Gonk, who will assume the responsibility as their personal organizer for the duration of the election season.

Mr. Gonk, a self-confessed worrier, nervous sort, and coffee addict, brings a rather frenzied balance to the happy-go-lucky Ms. PH and unfailingly mellow Ms. Gnome. Reputed to lovingly but constantly badger his girlfriends into action, he also knows when it's time "to throw in the towel" when dealing with the unconventional political duo.

"We don't know what we'd do without him," the two women chimed in simultaneously.

Their respective spouses agreed. "Spud and I think the world of Gonk, and we're glad he's around to take care of details. I understand he just traded his latest Blackberry for an IPhone so he can keep the girls on task," Wrinkles added from his tub.

"Gonk's a really good guy and an efficient manager. Despite his frazzled look, he can mellow out when he hangs out with Wrinkles and me," Spud said while adjusting his fire-engine red construction hat.

After the PH's and Gnomes left the conference, Mr. Gonk told members of the press in attendance that he would keep them apprised of his candidates' schedule once they decided what they wanted to do next.

"I can assure you Ms. Potato Head and Ms. Gnome will bring an element of uniqueness and spontaneity to the upcoming election. Their 'We Embrace All' campaign theme has touched the heart of the entire planet. I expect them to spend a good time abroad as well as on the domestic campaign trail. However, I would caution the press and the voting public that one never knows what they've got planned from one moment to the next.," Gonk concluded.

Stay tuned......

LAMMAS - AUGUST 1st

In honor of Lammas, the pagan celebration of the miracle of the harvest, I decided that our evening meal last night would be almost exclusively fare from the garden, so I cooked some green beans, made some yummy collard greens (yes, made with bacon grease), threw together a yellow squash dish with hot peppers and dill, and sliced some ruby-red tomatoes. Along with the veggies, I served a free-range rotisserie chicken from the store and some organic rice.

I can't begin to describe the joy I feel when I eat produce that I've grown. Good, organically-raised vegetables taste so much better than shipped-in wax-coated ones from the store, and I love the satisfaction of knowing that what my family consumes is basically free (to the extent it's possible in the area in which we live) of all those nasty things which come with non-organically grown items.

According to my Llewellyn's Witches Calendar, the time around Lammas was also recognized by the Native Americans as The Green Corn Moon, a period of joy and feasting. It's a time of ripeness,fullfillment, and gratitude for all one has, and it's a time to share with others. I like that idea; it always gives me great pleasure to share the bounty of my garden with other people.

Around Lammas, the grain fields were believed to "be inhabited by a harvest spirit. As the harvesting advanced across the field, the spirit fled into the grain still standing. The last stand of grain was left standing until next year, or else a young girl was selected to cut the last bit of grain--hence the belief in the Corn Maiden...Life-sized female figures known as Harvest Queen were made from the grain....The Harvest Queen would be brought to the door or yard of the farmhouse, a huge supper would be served, and many times, folks would make music and dance, a tradition that probably gave birth to county fairs and the like."(-James Kambos, August: Llewellyns' Witches Calendar)

Appropriately enough, two nights ago, I pulled up my two rows of corn that the raccoons had thoroughly stripped and placed the cornstalks around the bells I had hung as a critter deterrent earlier in the summer. They sort of looked like a corn person standing there, so now I'll just dub the drying stalks as my Harvest Queen and let her take reign over the garden.

(Harvest Queen art credit: Jennifer Hewiston / August / Llewellyn's Witches Calendar)

TODAY

Siding guys busy at work at 7AM...

Lots of squash in the garden, some okra, peas, tomatoes, more squash, and beans...

Barefoot all day... good garden earth under the feet...

Wonderfully warm, not overly hot, absolutely magical late afternoon...

Samuel and Megan in Columbus...

Eliza at afternoon band camp...

Tom here to till the garden...

"Cleaned" up the computer the best I know how (and that's not saying much...)

Time alone this afternoon...so, so nice to sit outside and listen to the Cedar Waxwing who was perched atop the pine tree in the side yard...

A very happy, and yes, a very earth motherly, Virgo here at the farm with her camera.

I love my life....Namasté

THE CREATURE IN THE YELLOW TWIG DOGWOOD

Surprises abound around the farm, and it's not uncommon to come upon a snake, millipede, slug, coccoon, or other creature from time to time. Saturday's discovery while I was mowing was one of the neatest things I've stumbled upon in a while. Take a look. (I've seen this species here before, but it's been several years.)


The colors on this caterpillar were a brilliant, and the tiny little knobs and spikes along its back made for really interesting designs. I'm thinking this might morph into a Luna Moth. If it's another destructive muncher, I'll be bummed.


(By the way, the moth and butterfly population this summer is way down. I attribute that, in part, to the late spring freeze that wiped out most everything, except the beetles in my garden.)