Photo essay--first installment

Time escapes me. Here it is mid-April and a month since I last blogged. How can that be? Well, I can think of a million excuses, but instead I'll just try to catch up here real quickly. From the deep recesses of my mind I ought to be able to bring forth the memories of a month ago, but we'll see.



The time Aaron's here is always painfully short. I try not to get involved with too much outside of home and family during that time, and just spend it with him. So I had saved up projects like seeding the yard and painting his room--you know, fun stuff--to do together.



And the funnest of all: watching a season of Gilmore Girls on Aaron's computer. Each time he's here we check out the next season of Gilmore Girls on DVD's from the library. Cheap thrills.



I know you're wondering what my Johnny Depp poster is doing in Aaron's room.



The papasan still provides a nesting spot for me and Ben.




Then suddenly it was the beginning of April. We put Aaron on the big bird in Portland and he was gone. I of course could not do this--any of it--without my steadfast partner Courtney. Being together makes it all work. We rarely go a day without verbalizing how lucky we feel, in so many ways. It's a weird feeling to recognize the gifts of our own lives while being aware of the enormous suffering in the world. It doesn't feel quite right.

I think before I slide downhill here, I'll invite you to the next set of photos......

Stay with me, folks, there's more,

Valori

photo essay--second installment

The beginning of our orchard last year was this asian pear. So you can imagine our joy when it recently popped out these beautiful blossoms. Our bathroom window is that kind of old-fashioned glass slats so when we open it up and look between the slats, we really see what's out there. Nothing's in the way. And what we see is our asian pear and Bartlett and French prune trees, and beyond that the blackberries, and beyond that, open expanse and the foothills of the Coast Range in the distance.




Shortly after Aaron left I cheered myself up by taking a trip with Courtney to the Territorial Seed Company in Cottage Grove, south of Eugene. Beats going to the bars any day. In anticipation of our dear buddies Margot and Allen coming to visit, we cleaned up the patio from the neglect of winter, repotted and generally spruced up.




There seems to be no limit of interesting and beautiful flowers and herbs that grow well here. Something about the colors and forms and smells that just thrills me, especially with stuff like sedums and lamb's ear and licorice plant and sages and lavenders and scented geraniums and jade trees and ..........stop me before I spent all our grocery money! It only scares Courtney when I say who needs to eat?!




We've planted a hops plant (against some people's recommendation), an incredibly rapid and aggressive grower, but one I love dearly. We haven't taken any pictures of it yet, but will soon. It makes the most beautiful little flowers that look like paper lanterns in the shape of pine cones. Day before yesterday I transplanted it to a larger pot (we're afraid to put it straight in the ground) and already today its tendrils had found the trellis and were starting to climb. Stay tuned for the Hops That Ate the Pacific Northwest. If I quit blogging you'll know it was the hops. Please notify the authorities.




I swear, the simple pleasures in life are the best. So are the times spent with friends. The two nights and one day that Margot and Allen were here were filled with so many magical moments--some induced by grand amounts of coffee--it was just pure enjoyment. It rained, of course, the one day we had to walk around and show them the town. They were good sports, though, and we all put on our raingear, met up with Maya and Ben, and cruised the downtown scene. Showed them the riverfront, mine and Maya's Starbucks hang-out, our favorite used book store, Book Bin, and a new thrill for me, the Living Earth Bakery with gluten-free breads and muffins and cookies. Eating a gluten-free and no dairy diet, like I do, can be kind of challenging, so places like this new bakery really make it easier and yummier.




Well, there's more photos to come, so please keep reading.....on to the next,

Valori

photo essay--third and final installment

Peaks at the world of our yard and garden: Ta daaaa!! I feel like a proud grandmother with pictures of her little ones! The first one here is the black currant bush, putting out its first sweet blossoms. It's so full of foliage, as you can see, and we're thinking it's going to bear fruit this summer. Exciting!



And here's Kinky Kitty (named so because of the way her tail is all knotted at the end) basking in all her glory, which includes a belly full of kittens. Did she know how to pull a fast one over on us?! Moved in, made herself at home, got us hooked on her, and then told us she was pregnant! After the initial shock we got into the whole expanding family thing and now we ply her with extra milk and catfood and Courtney made her a little birthing box, so we're ready when she is.




Everything's growing! Our new little pine trees are happy and sending out new growth. The climbing rose, the fig tree, they're all looking happy. The sun is out more now, the days are longer and it's still raining, so what's a plant to do but grow?




Courtney has planted grapevine starts everywhere. They have these beautiful pink flowers on them. Some are wine grapes and some are table grapes.




Below are the flowering fava beans that Courtney planted in the soon-to-be vegetable garden. He'll turn them under for more nitrogen in the soil, but meanwhile, it's fun to see them sprouting blossoms.




Well, that's a glimpse of our lives down here on the farm. If you haven't gotten your fill yet, please proceed to the last installment,

Valori

Oh, alright, one more

Courtney keeps taking pictures, so what can I do, but keep blogging?! Here's our sweet little red bud tree that we love so much. When the sun shines that little tree just sparkles!




Right next to it is this dramatic clump of red hot pokers that the birds all love to perch on. We had a tiny tiny little bitty green hummingbird drinking nectar from it today.




Downtown, on the corner by the Benton County Courthouse are these three luscious trees in a row. For days I'd been goggling at them everytime we drove past. Yesterday we finally remembered to bring Courtney's camera with us and he took these photos for me.




Standing under these trees is like being in a magic wonderland. I don't know what kind they are--I only know they're magical.




Lest you think we spend all our time outdoors, lapping up the wonderment and beauty of the natural world, I'm including the photo below, which quite honestly best portrays my life these days. Courtney has moved over to the light side, and rides his bike to town for Earth Day celebrations, etc, but I spend an inordinate amount of time on the computer. Luckily I love love love my little laptop. So much so that I can balance a sleeping baby on my lap while typing away. I'm busy working on a project that I'm most excited about--and that's all I'm going to say. Bet that will have you checking our blog all the time to find out what the heck she's talking about! But I won't be making any more entries on the blog until after Jeff Halper has come and gone. And that's all I'm going to say.




You can imagine the breath of hopefulness I felt--like change in air--when I read the
April 2oth Commondreams.org (progressive news service) headlines (one right after another):

Vermont Senate Calls for Bush, Cheney Impeachment

Kucinich to Sponsor Impeach Cheney Bill

Withering Gonzales Struggles to Salvage Job

Wolfowitz Told: No Changes, Just Go

Who says there's nothing good in the news?! Times are changing! We each do our part.

In the words of the late Molly Ivins: "Kick ass!"

Until after Jeff Halper leaves, and you hear from me next, enjoy the Spring, and thanks for reading our blog,

Valori