Happy May!

Things are moving exponentially fast.  The sun rises earlier and sets later.  I don’t watch the clock very much during this period of quarantine.  I don’t think I used it much before quarantine.  I have started leaving the window open a crack or more even on the chilliest of nights.  The silence of winter is past, the birds are back and the morning breeze is gentle.  Is there anything better than the greeting  of a cardinal or wren....... in my humble opinion, no.  My eyes are still closed and yet I manage to say; good morning. Mornings are precious, things are waking slowly.  About the time my feet hit the floor and I stare out onto the back lawn, Kirby makes his way from his bed on the landing, simply to stand on my bare feet, rub his head against the blankets and wag that fat Lab tail enough to make a dent in the wall.  How is it possible to be this excited and happy every single morning?   He patiently waits outside the bathroom door, walks me back to the bedroom, stands on the blankets while I try to make the bed, listens for the click of my eye glasses; his que to know we we are going downstairs.  He walks to the top step and waits for me to catch up. His warm body leans into my leg or against the wall and in his controlled excitement we both make it to the bottom without tripping over each other.  Around the corner, good morning to Butch, press the "on" button as we dash past the coffee pot, down two steps, a raucous morning vocal serenade while I scramble to get a coat and boats on.  Out the door!  Running to the back yard, he face plants into wet green grass that leave green stains on a goofy yellow face, race around and under the pine tree, scaring all small finches and sparrows into flight, butt scratch around the azaleas, a quick pee, find the human, lean against my leg, whole body morning hugs and then back to the house for breakfast in full prance, tail wag, trot.  Kick off boots and coat while he patiently waits next to the food bin.  Fresh water, two scoops of food, and back up to landing while my oatmeal cooks on the stove.  Every morning 365 days a year we have danced this dance.  My God life is good on this small half acre. 

   He is my shadow, my main squeeze, my number one fan and he is never far. 

Our pattern has changed and now there is a slight detour to let chickens out and turn on grow lights in the studio....... it is a good rhythm to start a day.  

A rhythm I am very comfortable with, a rhythm that grounds me.  I eat my steel cut oats, read the headlines and no more.  Put hiking or walking shoes on and get in an hour.  The golden hour that allows me to stop the crazy train in my brain, put my day in order and pay attention to what I am "seeing".  The breeze on my face is from the north this morning, it’s cold.  Too cold for gardening and too cold for six week old chicks to be outside with no insulation.  Walking home I know I need to dig out last years old straw, dry and tucked away in a bin just for this moment, it is just enough.  I will pick up a fresh bale later.  For right now they are safe and warm.  They are the cheapest entertainment one could buy; 6 baby chicks, $2.99 each.  A 50 pound bag of feed: $17.00.  The feeders, coop, waterer and heat lamp were already here.  The entertainment will last for years!  Potter and blogger buddy, Brenda has informed me this is chicken TV at it's best!   A blind dog, a pack of chickens and me in a lawn chair with a beverage.  Toss in; free bug removal, free fertilizer, eggs, and compost turning for the bonus round!  

Alas the girls have been kicked outside and they are none too happy about this.   I often find them in piles on the ramp or in the straw trying to stay warm.  They have finally learned to go in the coop at night.  I spent two night wrangling baby chicks.  I picked each one up, said Goodnight and unceremoniously tossed the fluffy butt into the coop.  By the third night they caught on; head into the coop or be manhandled into bed.  Juvenile Delinquents! 

and another addition has been started to club med for chickens.....

Garden walk abouts take place daily.  My project list grows with every walk.  The weather is not cooperating this year.  I should not be expecting anything from anybody or anything at this point of my big phat American life but in reality I expect anything and everything to be thrown in life's path; murder wasps, another breaking news story from a vacant government, locusts, a pandemic, or snow in May.  Do I erect a giant hoop house over the entire half acre?  Can I create a bio dome on a city plot?  Oh the possibilities!  Is there room for an aqua culture tank tucked away in corner?  Can I grow olives?  

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I haven't been able to grow pineapples and we love pineapples.  Aldi's had a sale last week.  I bought 8.  I should get a pint per pineapple.  We love canned or frozen pineapple.  Canning hasn't stopped.  I decided to empty the freezer of last years strawberries and I still had a bag of rhubarb.  There isn't a whole lot you can do with those two things except make pies, crumbles and jams.  I suck at jam making and usually opt for fruit butters as those are made in a crockpot.  The whole pectin thing I have never wrapped my spoon around.  Plus we are not from the tribe of jam eaters, we just don't eat much jam or jelly.  But I had the time and the "stuff" so I went for strawberry rhubarb jam on cold Sunday morning.  Good God, I stirred and stirred and stirred trying to get hot bubbling, sugary, fruity mess to 218F.  After an hour and several burns from sticking a thermometer in the goo, I made it!  The stuff is just terrifying, something from the potions chamber in a Harry Potter movie!  Water Bathed and set aside I had jelly on my toast the next morning and it was good!  

If it's cold out in the early morning I like baking.  It warms up the kitchen and makes the house smell great.  I want to be here!  Whats not to like about bread, crackers or cookies stinking up the house with fresh coffee on the perk?  Leave me in this bubble!  And whens morning warms and the windows are open the carlesii viburnum is sticking up the house too.  May is a pretty good month.

Tonight we are headed into the 20's, well below freezing.  I pulled out the sheets and have decided to toss them over the flowering fruit trees. It will look like the ghosts of gardens past have invaded.  We will light a fire in the backyard fire pit and pray for a cloudy night, obscuring the full Scorpio moon, a super moon, the full flowering moon.  The wind is gonna kill us though; 17 to 20 mph and out of the north.  These are the days and nights I realize how very small we are on this planet and we really have very little if any control over anything.  One blast of polar north wind and the fruit crops are gone.  The bees don't show up and there is no pollination.  This is going to be a year of reset for the world, I feel it down to my bones, it's on the wind.  

What gives me great good excitement to get out of bed in the morning?  Where in your life does time melt away because you are so laser beam focused on what you are doing that time just doesn't exist?  Where does your heart sing when your feet hit the earth.  Sit on the ground, if your butt is cold your tomatoes and peppers are not going to be happy so wait to plant, you don't need a calendar or book or youtube.  We "know" so many things and we have been given this rare opportunity to listen.  

May...... it has been a-May-zing so far. 

Oh and before I sign off, welcome Findley!!!  Another rescue and adoption!  Abby added this handsome guy, who is 9 or 10 years old to family.  He was a stray from a native reservation and somehow found his way to the Gunnison animal shelter.  Fin and Sebastian, the orange chatty tabby are getting along great.  Sebastian really did need a four legged friend and Fin appears to be a perfect fit!