As the seasons turn toward fall today, I am taking a moment to appreciate all the changes happening out in the garden. While many things are dying off and withering away towards becoming organic matter, many other things are putting on their last, colorful display, and some new things are just beginning to grow. It's a real dichotomy of life and death happening on that patch of ground. As I ...
Seasons
Signs of Autumn
This week, I noticed the mornings are getting chillier, and observed a few signs of autumn appearing around the homestead. Yellow maples are beginning to dot the hillsides. The apples are ripe, and ready to harvest. Leaves are falling in the understory of the forest, leaving branches bare. Our firewood is starting to accumulate in stacks, ready to be piled in the woodshed ...
Spring Sights and Sounds of the McKenzie River Trail
May is such a good time to take a walk along a river and see what Spring has been up to. I feel incredibly fortunate to live so close to so many wonderful hiking trails in the McKenzie River watershed, one of which being the McKenzie trail itself. Simply walking along a riverbank is one of the most rejuvenating experiences I have found in the midst of life's busy happenings. I went out on an ...
May-Day
May-Day By Ralph Waldo Emerson (This is a lengthy poem, but it's Emerson at his finest, and well worth the read!) Daughter of Heaven and Earth, coy Spring, With sudden passion languishing, Teaching Barren moors to smile, Painting pictures mile on mile, Holds a cup with cowslip-wreaths, Whence a smokeless incense breathes. The air is full of whistlings bland; What was that I heard Out of ...
Gathering Around the Maypole
It's May Day and almost time for our Waldorf School's annual May Faire! I am busily crafting away, working with wool, roots, moss and sticks to create things to sell in my Mountain Hearth Handcrafts booth. I recently finished a needlefelted wool wall hanging of a maypole dance in honor of the occasion. It is similar to one I made a few years ago, but I am pleased to see how the unique ...
Brought to You by April Showers…
Apple Blossoms Bluebells Trilliums Flowering Dogwood Flowering Currant Plum Blossoms And last but not least, Lilacs. ...
Spring Equinox has Arrived!
The seasons are turning with the Spring Equinox today, and everywhere you look, there is no question we are headed out of winter. The sun is shining more often, you can hear the sound of birds chirping in the morning, hummingbirds are having a party in the quince bush, and plants are busy growing. It's a flurry for sure! We took advantage of the warm, sunny weekend and turned our ...
DIY Spring Willow Wreath
The beginning of March is a fine time to begin thinking Spring. Around this time, I always like to pack away my winter decor and get out the birds nests, vases of fresh daffodils and budding twigs, and of course, pussy willows. I've made my own evergreen wreaths for the holidays the last few years, and decided to branch out this Spring with a pussy willow wreath for the front door. I went for ...
First Crocus
Down in my solitude under the snow, Where nothing cheering can reach me; Here, without light to see how to grow, I’ll trust to nature to teach me. I will not despair–nor be idle, nor frown, Locked in so gloomy a dwelling; My leaves shall run up, and my roots shall run down, While the bud in my bosom is swelling. Soon as the frost will get out of my bed, From this cold dungeon to free ...
February Flurries
Just when we were starting to see early signs of spring around here, and The Big Snow of 2013 was feeling like a long time ago, we got ourselves a February snow! Even though it may throw a monkey wrench in our weekend adventure plans, I'm still glad for the opportunity to slow down and take care of some projects around the house and the outbuildings that keep getting put ...