The blackberry patch
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June 2009
Homewards At Moonset
After our astronomy meeting, the moon was setting in the west. I was the last one to leave--and caught this photo of the car ahead of me heading out. It is easier to see the detail if you click on the photo. Scorpius was high in they sky; Sagittarius, above the horizon. I followed the The Swan and The Eagle, Cygnus and Aquila, all the way home.
Beauty surrounds us.
The Blackberry Patch
The railroad use to go through our property. The old right-of-way is still there, filled with scrub brush, trees, and berries. Most people bulldoze the whole lot, but I protested this when my husband suggested it. It is a great place to walk and cross-country ski--and it is a place for the deer to rest and the birds to nest. Soon these flowers will turn in to berries, and we will be swatting the mosquitoes and filling our pails.
Misty Morn
Stopping by to tell you that my world is buzzing with party plans and house cleaning. We've painted a few rooms and we've organized our home--it is great to have a reason to get everything cleaned up and fresh! Saturday is my son's graduation party. It is bitter sweet to think that the end of 13 years of homeschooling with this child has come.
This photo was taken yesterday at 5:00 in the morning--hazy and lovey. The weather is humid and warm. That's summer in Wisconsin.
Oh! I forgot to tell you Happy Summer Solstice! The sun is setting as far into the north as it is going to go. Now it will start to rise a little further south each day. But the hottest days of the year are yet to come...
Enjoy the journey!
Square Foot Gardening
I'm trying something new this year--Square Foot Gardening. At one time, my garden was the size of a 6-car garage. As my children have gotten older and we are involved in more activities outside the home, I've found it harder and harder to keep the garden looking nice. This year I decided to try the raised bed. I have 3 of these right now, and I may add a few more next year. No hoeing, no tilling--just some quick weeding and watering. We will see, as the summer progresses, how well this system works!
Along Came a Llama
"Come look! A big sheep with loooong legs is coming down the road!" our little Amish neighbor boy announced. With our neighbor on horseback and a little effort, we got the unusual creature into our pasture. We cut the rope from his neck since it was wrapped around his dirty, matted neck and legs.
We called the sheriff, the area veterinary clinics, and the radio station, and everyone responded, "You found what?" The next day as we were coming home from church we saw the llama slipping through the fence. We herded it into another field and closed the gate.
And then the owners came by. Apparently they had been gone over the weekend, and their daughter had heard the announcement on the radio saying a llama had been found.
Good-bye, llama!
One week later:
10:05 p.m. Ring-ring.
"Hello?"
"This is the sheriff's department...Do you own a llama? There is one wandering around on the highway."
"No..."
But of course we went out and helped. I followed llama around in the field--up and down, up and down, with him leading the way, never letting me get close enough to grab his halter--until I finally realized that he was just like a dear in my headlights when I put the flashlight in his eyes, which allowed me to grab his halter. We walked home without any more resistance, although any noise or even the flick of my flashlight was enough to make him stop and look cautiously around. He seemed gentle and docile.
The owners came the next morning while we were in church.
And hopefully that is the last of my llama adventures!
I wonder what the donkeys would think of a llama added to their yard...ya think?
Adorable
My son crept through the pasture to take these photos. There are seven red fox pups and one mommy who must be very weary trying to keep all of her bouncing critters fed. So cute, and so far, I still have all 9 cats...
