Over the years when thinking about what would really bring me joy, gardening always floated towards the top of the list. So to have this sweet little home surrounded by gardening spaces in all stages of fruition is literally a dream come true.
When we arrived a month ago and a week of early summer heat hit, we planted the first mounded bed, which was lovingly prepared by our dear buddy, Valorie.
It's visible from our kitchen window, with six kinds of tomatoes and a zuchinni that now scares us with its growth. The heat quickly shifted to spring showers, cooler temperatures and heavenly cloud cover, and we put in Ben's garden (proud grandparents) of green beans, four varieties of squashes, herbs and nasturtiums in a bed near the wild blackberries. Plus two half wine barrels of baby letuces in the shade of the holly tree.
But the highlight for us both was this week when we put three fruit trees in the ground. We keep saying to each other, "Who would have thought a year ago that we'd be planting an orchard at a home in Oregon?"
It started when Maya gave birth to Baby Ben two and a half weeks ago and graciously let us take the placenta home. So we put it in the ground first with some ceremony (and with great appreciation and wonder for how that organ had grown just to provide Ben with life), then covered it with a layer of soil and set in a Bartlett pear tree. Nearby, we planted an Asian Pear tree and a French Petite Prune tree went in on the other side of the Bartlett.
Suddenly the west side of our paradise has been transformed by those three pretty fruit trees, just like our new lives were suddenly transformed by Ben's birth.
Even in the midst of all the transition and unpacking and starting things anew, our lives have slowed to the steady, sane pace of new grandparents with time to sit and watch the miracle of Ben. His every expression, yawn, yelp, stretch and passing of gas awes and amazes us, filling us with contentment and gratitude.
And, if all that weren't enough, Aaron arrives today, and the tempo and richness of our lives will again shift and expand. Summer activity will begin. We'll have a house full of boys! Fun!!
Valori
Aaron has his cousin Matt here for two weeks visiting from Maryland. They found refuge in the fountains along the riverfront in downtown Corvallis while we shopped at the Saturday morning Farmers Market. Ahhhhhhh.
And in the shallow spots along the Willamette River.
Surprisingly enough it's possible to stay cool even on a hot day with enough big shade trees and the breezes off the river.
This is how Courtney and Ben deal with it all.
