we have just returned from a magnificent few days on the lake. the weather wasn't sunny the whole time, but it was wonderful nevertheless. edgar waded into the lake up to his chest whenever he wanted a drink. we swam. we went out in the boat. we had our friends come for sunday afternoon. we read for as long as we liked and woke with the loons. and we learned once more how fortunate we are to live in our lovely village with our wonderful neighbors.
i've spoken of my garden before. it's a wild little shrine of herbs that fills my front yard deliciously. and when i'm terribly busy in the studio as i've been this spring, it grows into a flurry of lemon and lime balm and queen anne's lace and hollyhock and sweet peas and hydrangea with all the blank spots filled in with grasses and what some might call weeds....tall and full and rather like a meadow. and there is also the woman who lives across the street (i won't grace her with the title of 'neighbor'). she is of the very awkward suburban persuasion, that believes one clipped and trimmed aesthetic should govern all. she has made several unsuccessful attempts to bring the city into my garden. however, this weekend, after we had left for our mini holiday, a bylaw infraction was slapped on both our house and the studio property, stating that the grass was too long and the trimming and weeding had to be completed by monday or a fine and fees would be applied. our neighbors not only took the notices off our doors and let us know what was happening, but went to work trimming and cutting and weeding and completely eliminating any legal issues that the city could possibly cite us with, while maintaining the free and fresh and meadow-like garden that i love so much. so that we could enjoy the vacation we'd planned at the lake. my eyes well up when i think of how they stood up for us, working together so we could have our vacation uninterrupted. they came to the cottage on sunday and we had a perfect afternoon together. and we were reminded yet again how fortunate we are to live in our little village with our amazing neighbors that we love so much. and we're happy to be home. i even got a few hours in the studio this evening. and as i was coming home through the back yard, the entire yard was alive with lightning bugs. there must have been 25 of them. they flew all around me, lighting up right by my cheek. i just sat on the porch and watched. and breathed and smiled.

the light yesterday was so very lovely. it was warm and bounced through the trees, picking up the glowy new green of the just opening leaves. i had laundry on the line all day...5 loads dried before 4 in the afternoon. it was just that sort of sunny breezy perfect day. i often judge summer days by their laundry drying potential. i spent an hour in the front garden pulling up dead growth from last year. surrounded by the lime balm that always seems to grow quite out of control, making the air and my hands and the compost bag smell better than a bakery. crabby watched me from her spot curled up in the clay chiminea we used for our wedding and is now at home in the front garden. and the eave of the front porch has once again been claimed by a nesting robin. at one point after i'd been barefoot in the grass with my camera for an hour following stella and edgar and floyd around the garden, talking to passing neighbors and breathing in the perfection of it all, i came in to tell tom this was my favorite day of the year so far. i think i'll head out now with edgar and my camera to get started on this new day. it looks like another beauty.

for the first time this year, the feeling of summer is layered beautifully into the evening. we spent much of the day in the yard. we raked and cut grass and swept the porch and bagged up all the leaves and the trash that winter had blown into the yard. tom trimmed the trees and the lilac bushes. laundry dried on the line. a long and wonderful list of summer chores. after a lovely dinner out with tom's parents, we arrived home in time to put out the garbage and walk edgar and vaccuum. all with the sun. so when i started feeling the weariness of the end of the day, ready to watch sunday evening hbo shows with tom and edgar and the sky was still gray with a weak sun, i realized this was our first full summer-like day of the year. being at the end of the day and the sky is still light is one of those little summer joys.

winter garden

the garden calls to me in the winter with a full deep voice. sultry. seducing me. making me twirl with desire. so that i am desperate to feel warm earth under my nails. and when may warms my skin, i dig and rake and trim and haul. and then rarely touch the garden after the june lavender harvest. until february leaves me spinning and frantic to garden again.