November 12 2008

Despite the cold, what a great month this is already! Seeing the great turnout to vote, particularly among first timers (note Hyla right there giving moral support) and people of color made me wish that my best friend Murphy, and my Dad, were alive to enjoy the moment. I was so moved and excited by the election results, perhaps more than most as I am a native Chicagoan, and also worked in the very same districts as an elementary school teacher (though decades earlier) that Barak Obama worked in as a community organizer. As you might imagine, hearing that anyone in any prominence politically had ever even been to the poorest and most disenfranchised Chicago neighborhoods was amazing to me. And even though some people I both love and admire had what I thought was way too much misinformation about Mr. Obama in general, the one point I could speak to from personal experience was that NOBODY goes to Chicago's South or West sides for political advancement. Particularly without press..


Closer to home, Brittie the amazing got adopted last Saturday. This is always both a happy and sad moment for me. I know when I get these foster dogs that I am just one link in a chain that leads to their forever home, but it is hard to remember that sometimes. In Brittie's case, having to deal with the aftermath of her surgery (stitches that had to be examined twice daily for two weeks, probably no big deal to most folks but for medically phobic me, a real challenge), as well as the continued debate about just who owns the bed, and who walks who, actually endeared her to me even more. And a week prior to her adoption, she gave me great proof that she is in fact the smartest girl ever. Our dog run is accessed through a dog door Brian made in one of our porch walls, and secured from inside by a hook and eye latch. I always unhook the door for the current dog, wait until whatever has to be done is done, then bring the dog back into the porch and relock the dog door before going out the human door and gate to pick up, if necessary. I do this because I am really worried that a dog that doesn't know me that well might bolt the gate and run off to who knows where, and I take the foster responsibility very seriously. So when I was out one night past midnight to do the final pickup, I was surprised to find Brittie running right up to me. I thought to myself, I really AM getting old, I'm sure I locked that door! But just assumed all those "senior moments" had caught up to me in a big way. But when it happened again, the next day in full sun, I began to really worry about whether I was losing what was left of my mind. Then the mystery was solved - I went back to the porch, relocked the door with Brittie watching, and waited. She calmly went over, lifted the hook latch up with her nose, and pushed the door open. Apparently she learned this just from watching me do it, as I certainly never tried to teach her. Doggie genius!


And to conclude, we have almost finished putting the gardens to bed. Just one last tomato left to eat, and many bags of frozen tomato pulp to use all winter. As usual, the garden continues to surprise. The green zebras, best producers for the last two years, barely got a few dozen tomatoes out this year, I don't know why. The big reds were rather late (end of August!) but huge and delicious, and continued to set tomatoes all October. But the most prolific of all this year was something called Georgia Peach Tomato, which is actually yellow and about the size of a plum. They were the first to be edible, and put out so many toms I had to take bags of them over to the monastery. Sweet, pretty, and long-lived - what I wish for all of us!

October 14 2008

Yellow Mums

Red Brown Mums

Asters and Mums

Woods Looking North

Woods Looking East

Maple in the Woods

Burning Bush

After a cold first week in October, the weather warmed to perfection and the leaves began to really show color. Now along with the dozens of shades of fading greens, the forest is full of golds, reds, browns and endless combinations of those colors. It seems to me the color is far better than last fall, perhaps because we had such a wet spring and prolific summer. Whatever the reason, it's easy to see great displays of color at every turn of the country road up around here, and all around our own property. As most of the garden dies back, the mums and asters bloom here and there, keeping thoughts of winter back for now. The birds continue to feast on the coneflower seeds in groups. We've had a huge coneflower crop this year and seeds are everywhere, still on the stalk, scattered on the ground, and I hope at least a few don't get eaten and will spring up next year.




Brittie
We now have our fourth foster dog, Brittie, who came to us in pretty sad shape but is now doing so much better. It seems that her former owners were rather neglectful of her health, by the time she got to us she needed 4 teeth pulled, and 3 lumps removed, in addition to the minor things like an ear infection and overlong nails. Good, strong girl that she is, she came through very well, and yesterday had her stitches removed and was certified as perfectly healthy. She is quite easy in the house, but outside is rather challenging, to say the least. Only weighing a bit over 40 lbs., she manages to pull both Brian and I (total weight 275!) even though we have two leashes attached to her harness. The harness was purchased because I was really afraid she'd choke herself with just a collar. She is reputed to come from hunting stock, and I guess all the critters' scents and sights out here are just more than she can sit still for -literally. As I am no dog whisperer, I'm still trying several techniques (and please do send any helpful tips along) with varying small degrees of success. Next try is to fit her with a Gentle Leader, which I've heard helps dogs that pull hard on leash. Or, I could just get a sled and not worry about the high cost of gas. I'll bet she could get me in to Pine Bush in half an hour and not even be worn out.

Brittie with Toy

















Left Side
















Right Side




















In the Dog Run

September 7 2008

In the aftermath of Hanna, which for us was a fairly mild rain and five hours of anxiety waiting for the wrath of the storm which never appeared for us (Brian reports the monks, whose living quarters are slightly elevated from us and in a vastly more open space, did have some wind damage), the triangle planting actually looks happy for the first time in a month. Apparently a few minutes of overhead watering is just not enough for the thirsty plants now proudly raising what's left of their flower heads. Next year, sprinklers! Of course that assumes I'll remember any of this by next year.

Our vegetable garden has really grown, as you can see from the photos, and we are now not only harvesting plum-sized yellow and green tomatoes faster than we can eat them or give them to the monks, but at last the big reds have arrived. And big they are, about the size of small cantaloupes and just delicious. I've been pulping and freezing for weeks now, and have accumulated more bags of tomato pulp already than I had last year, when I only began to do this after the first frost warning, when the plants we stripped covered the entire counter top with tomatoes in all sizes and stages of ripeness. Thus I discovered that it is in fact possible to ripen a tomato inside over a period of several weeks - who knew?

This afternoon we're going to put in our entire fall crop: lettuce, radishes, and peas, just to see how that may go. As all but the lettuce were given to us by our intrepid gardening pals the Packers, who are responsible for at least 50% of the flowering plants in the back terraces (such an advantage to know gardeners who have not moved in a few decades), nothing to lose and possible eating to gain.

And now, just so Ron Paul and Steven Colbert won't be lonely and uncontested in their recent announcement to run for President and VP in 2009, I hereby announce my completely unfinanced and unsolicited run for President all by myself. Thus far I have no running mate, so please feel free to nominate yourself or anyone else (preferably someone still breathing, though as a child growing up in Chicago at the time of the first and most formidable Mayor Daley, I know this is not a firm qualification for political office). And here's my three-plank platform, which will revolutionize Washington as much as Brian's cooking as First Man when I take office in 2010: Plank One: no one can serve in any position for more than ONE TERM. Thus I will eliminate the full-time job of every single politician in office, raising money for re-election. Plus there's the added benefit that without having to attend endless gourmet fundraisers, something might actually get done in terms of real legislation. Plank Two: yes or no vote on anything, with no amendments, earmarks (just why do ears need marking to the tune of several million dollars? I guess that shows my political naivete) or insertions. This will brilliantly cut down on the tree massacres needed to print out the simplest current proposals that regularly run hundreds of pages (one paragraph of legislation, the other 199 of "earmarks") and again, might actually encourage people to propose laws that would be helpful to persons other than themselves and show up to vote for them. Plank Three and last: absolute cap on interest anyone can charge on anything, bank loans, credit cards, car loans, (insert your own favorite here, my campaign is nothing if not user-friendly). Thus I forestall any repeat of the current mortgage mess (and by the way, how do you feel about your tax money bailing out Fanny and Freddy while their daddies, the CEOs, made $30 million between the two of them last year and of course don't have to return a penny). So there it is - vote for me in 2009! Create your own bumper sticker, too. Maybe I should have a contest to raise money, as we really don't have the room for more than eight people at our gourmet dinner table, now featuring the all-tomato menu.

August 19 2008

After the heat of July, we've had unseasonably cool nights for a week this month. While that meant the lettuce continued to be edible long past expectation, and we did get quite a nice group of chilies (that's two relleno dinners so far, yum!), the tomatoes are still waiting on the vines, lots and lots of different kinds and sizes but none ripe. As I've been delivering the overflow cucumbers to our neighbor monks for a few weeks now, they too are eagerly awaiting what will certainly be an impressive number of tomatoes ready all at once. Since there are about 20 nuns and monks in full time residence at the monastery now, I'm sure every one will be eaten.

The coneflowers are now really tall, almost all are pink with just a very few off-white stands here and there, even though I thought I put more white seed out last year. The goldfinches are gathering around as I hoped, to snack on the seeds as the plants die back - at least those I don't cut to bring inside. The marigolds are just huge this year, and after a slow start, have filled in quite nicely and nod their not so little faces in the sun in such cheerful, busy clusters, I can't help but smile back. While I was checking yet again to see if any tomatoes were getting soft to the touch, I was accompanied by two little hummingbirds. Amazing little creatures, they hovered a plant or two down from the ones I was checking as we all three moved down the row. I welcome the company, and am always delighted anew at their speed and delicacy.

We are still fighting with the moles (or voles) for possession of the hydrangea. They make new tunnels that drain it's water basin; we fill the holes; they make new tunnels; and so it goes. There's what Brian and I had planned, what the land wants to do, and then the random things that happen because of the other critters living here or passing through. We can't imagine how minnows got into the pond, since it has an outtake pipe that reason tells me should deposit them all on the ferns every time the rains lift the water level, but there they are, clearly not tadpoles (though there are dozens of them too). And plants coming up in unexpected places, thoughtfully planted by the chipmunks or squirrels or birds - like the sunflower that just appeared in the rock wall. Or, my favorite find, stands of wildflowers like the purple "strife" that is starting to flower in the back jungle, or the really lovely stand of Queen Anne's Lace lining up along the edge of the flat mowed grassy area next to the vegetable cage. When I walk along the road in the morning it's quite a sight, white Queen Anne's Lace, purple strife and clover, yellow ragweed, blue chicory, and smaller little wildflower blooms on vining stems that are orange.

I've already dried quite a bit of mint for tea this winter, replanted the onion sets I still hope may grow large enough to eat next year, have been harvesting the Italian basil and grinding and freezing pesto cubes, and this week will start dividing the ornamental allium bulbs and digging them in for the winter. I'm encouraged to see some small columbine, bleeding hearts, and coneflowers popping up in the front terracing, too. Plans for repositioning some of the perennials in the lower terraces will wait for a few weeks, but as we've now mapped it out, by next year the plantings will actually go all the way down the hillside to the pond. What an achievement! as the last vestiges of the former garbage dump is reclaimed as a flower garden.

July 14 2008

Bonnie got adopted to her perfect family last week, as you can see by the matching hair coloring (at least for mom and son, sorry dad!). I've had such good reports from all three of my (former) foster dogs, it's a pleasure to think of each one happily wagging tail or lack thereof in their various safe and loving homes. Especially since there are continuing sad stories, in dogdom and so many other places these days ...

Now temporarily dogless, I returned to the unending War on Weeds which will in fact outlast any other wars as it will never be completely over. Some parts of the garden had done reasonably well during my season of neglect, but in other places the weeds were well over three feet high and one had to know just where to look to see the plantings. Days and many bug bites later, at least the flower beds are re-emerging. My reward for this night's round of weeding was to add the long stems of yellow day lilies to the bergamot, coneflowers and hosta sprays. The deer have graciously been absent or grazing only lightly, thus we actually have lilies and hosta flower sprays. For the time being, anyway.

The vegetable garden cage is working in that no wood creature has breached the chicken wire yet, and our tomato plants are about four feet tall and loaded with small green tomatoes. The cucumbers have already been tasted, and I will probably take a bag of them over to the monastery as when they are ready, they are ALL ready, and I have no genius idea what to do with a dozen cukes except chop and eat. Recipes, anyone? The oregano and Italian basil are doing great, the purple basil not well at all. Next year no purples! The Cubano chilies have four big potential rellenos on the plants already, I'm hoping for two more before we fire up the grill and roast them. And what I thought might be parsley, and carefully dug up and transplanted safe behind the wire, is a carrot, wild or otherwise, which is now sending up stalks of "Queen Anne's Lace" flowers that are as tall as I am. For some reason this plant really annoys Brian, who keeps threatening to come out one night and yank it up. I'm not sure why, it's not particularly in any plant's way and the flowers are quite nice, I think, though their tendency to drop little specks of white flower petals everywhere don't work so well on the table.

And so it goes, dogs and flowers still my main focus, with the occasional power outage (only 4 hours Sunday night, over at 4:30 a.m., an hour earlier than predicted) to make me feel grateful for electricity and running water as well as the generator, my favorite appliance. Thanks to Gen, no need to trek up and down to the pond for toilet flushing water! What luxury! And I can only hope you feel the same.

June 10 2008

After 3 days of 100 degree heat, today it was only in the high 80's, so we took our new foster dog for our usual walk. Bonnie, as you can see, is a lovely girl - but what you can't see is how very small she is, only 30 pounds. She's very affectionate, likes to stay close, and has wonderful manners in the house. Unfortunately, walking her is a lot like putting a truffle-sniffing pig on a leash. She is much more interested in sniffing everything her nose can reach, and snuffles up the road with her head down and her belly almost on the ground! Amusing, but not what the Dog Whisperer would approve. Otherwise she's a joy to have around, as all these dogs have been. My guess is she won't be here long, as she's so appealing and house broken as well.

In garden news, the iris are almost done, the peonies have opened everywhere, and the wild daisies are about to take over the south garden entirely. There are some day lilies blooming too, but the coneflowers, though they've set flower heads, wilt every day in the heat, even when it rains or we water. Too hot too fast for them - and me too! But I'm adding some shots of the garden that we took in the last week or so, to give you an idea of what's happening.

The other big news is that after only 5 years here, I have a calligraphy student! Once a week won't make me wealthy, but it's so nice to have someone who wants to learn what I love to teach. And since the second lesson is tonight, I'll leave you with these photos to look over. Let me know what you think (I will forward all compliments to Bonnie).

May 27 2008

Brian's birthday today, and the garden is his biggest gift. The bearded iris have finally opened in the two-day heat we've had, and I was able to fill the house with four large arrangements of them. It's almost like living in a greenhouse! But the weird weather and it's implications continue. Our lilacs are still on the bush, while not only the peonies but also several day lilies are ready to bloom. I guess there really isn't a season for this any more, just whatever the weather is that day/week/month. I still have plenty of happy violas springing up in all kinds of unlikely places, much of the color carpet of creeping phlox is also still around (as till it got a bit too hot it was unseasonably cold), the big rhododendron bushes have grapefruit-sized brilliant hot pink blooms everywhere, and even some wild daisies have popped open. It's quite a display.

In other news, Arley the adorable got adopted last Saturday by a wonderful couple who will love him forever (that's always the goal). It was, as I've seen before, love at first sight, at least for them. Since Arley is so shy, I assumed the fact that he didn't flee when they came out for their first introductory visit a week before, meant these were the folks. And when I got my first check-in call, I was so relieved to hear that he had settled right in, and was not at all upset by the fact that the entire neighborhood, alerted by doting doggie dad, turned out to meet him. He was fine with all the dogs, kids, and adults, each of whom wanted at least a moment to pet/sniff/examine him. He's come a long way from the scared little guy who would bolt at the sound of a match striking! Best of all, he will be in his last, best "forever" home this Saturday, when he has his 5th birthday. Party is planned, I can't wait to hear how that turns out.

I had a truly wonderful Mother's Day as Hyla came out to visit, bringing her doting parents Lisa and Josh. Since I'm not a blood relative, I assume that my assessment of Hyla as the cutest, smartest, most wonderful girl in creation is completely unbiased. There were lots of pictures taken, and I've never seen so many shots of myself looking so happy - it's just impossible not to smile when I see this little one! And she cordially smiles back.

That's most of what's happening here. We are weeding, carrying up logs from downed trees, weeding, setting out marigold seeds, weeding, expecting another foster dog in a week or two, and weeding. Keeps me going!