friday
Now there are 4. Peanut Butter passed away sometime yesterday afternoon. When I went to tuck the chickens in for the night last night she was dead. She had gone to her favorite sleeping place in the coop and died there. When I got there the other chickens didn't want to go into the coop and they were all outside the door, cocking their heads and looking in at her. After I removed her body and put it on the ground outside they all had to stop a moment on their way in the door to have another good look at her. Dave will help me bury her today.
This is the view from the bench that is at the top of the hill at Wolf Creek Narrows. Jan and I sat there a moment to soak in the birdsongs and warm breezes. The trilliums were still going strong on the hill top. I never saw so many trilliums. Thousands of them. And May apples.
The wild blue phlox are still plentiful in the lowlands. The bluebells are fading out though. We had a great wander in the woods yesterday. ID'ed a few more new to me plants. Tried to get the names inserted more permanently into my brain. False Solomon's Seal. Indian Poke. Greater Celandine. Striped cream violet. Something Alexander...? Ha. Oh, right, Golden Alexander... I'm still working my way through reading the book Braiding Sweetgrass and I'm trying to remember to see nature in that open, teachable way when I'm outside. Learning a name and being able to see that this is this plant and that is that plant is probably the first step. To see individuals, groups and the natural homes of the plants. Always something new to learn and see in nature. The stages plants go through in the spring are so FAST. If you went out everyday and looked in the same places you would see changes. It would be interesting to take a course in wild plants and their natural uses (their relationships to humans and other animals). So much has been forgotten or never known in the first place by the settlers that came to this land. I personally know very little but compared to the average city dwelling person I seem to know a lot. That's kinda sad.
Anyway. Got to get on with burying Peanut Butter... And Chloe has invited me to lunch today to celebrate Mother's Day. The other thing on my agenda is get some more bleeding heart plants. I have 2 big pots out front that are empty now. Whatever was in them died over the winter. Bleeding hearts seem to do well in other pots I have out there so they seem like a good choice.
This is the view from the bench that is at the top of the hill at Wolf Creek Narrows. Jan and I sat there a moment to soak in the birdsongs and warm breezes. The trilliums were still going strong on the hill top. I never saw so many trilliums. Thousands of them. And May apples.
The wild blue phlox are still plentiful in the lowlands. The bluebells are fading out though. We had a great wander in the woods yesterday. ID'ed a few more new to me plants. Tried to get the names inserted more permanently into my brain. False Solomon's Seal. Indian Poke. Greater Celandine. Striped cream violet. Something Alexander...? Ha. Oh, right, Golden Alexander... I'm still working my way through reading the book Braiding Sweetgrass and I'm trying to remember to see nature in that open, teachable way when I'm outside. Learning a name and being able to see that this is this plant and that is that plant is probably the first step. To see individuals, groups and the natural homes of the plants. Always something new to learn and see in nature. The stages plants go through in the spring are so FAST. If you went out everyday and looked in the same places you would see changes. It would be interesting to take a course in wild plants and their natural uses (their relationships to humans and other animals). So much has been forgotten or never known in the first place by the settlers that came to this land. I personally know very little but compared to the average city dwelling person I seem to know a lot. That's kinda sad.
Anyway. Got to get on with burying Peanut Butter... And Chloe has invited me to lunch today to celebrate Mother's Day. The other thing on my agenda is get some more bleeding heart plants. I have 2 big pots out front that are empty now. Whatever was in them died over the winter. Bleeding hearts seem to do well in other pots I have out there so they seem like a good choice.