Recently

Recently I received the latest catalog Wild Garden Seed: organic seed from Shoulder to Shoulder Farm 2024. As the owner of Plants of the Southwest did with her catalog one of the owners, Frank Morton, of this source of seeds wrote an article he labeled "Age". 

Age can only be seen as a blessing, 

an ever more privileged state of being. 

Every living thing strives for it, 

endures and overcomes to achieve it.  

It is a wish we all carry,

that we experience 

the humbling grace of aging.  

It’s the simple quest of life.   

As I age and Shasta does as well 

I seem more in tune with both of the our limitations due to our age. Shasta sleeps more than she use to. And my balance is not as good as it use to be thus I am much more careful as I walk about especially on the walkway through the park across the street. It is sorely in need of replacement but obviously the city of Cotati's park crew has other priorities for the allotted dollars.

In spite of the age related limitations I continue to grow some of my food and delight in doing so. Shasta and I walk daily every morning albeit not nearly as far as we use to. Shasta is VERY clear about how far she is willing to walk!

Right now it is a bit too cool to sow seeds outside in the soil, except of course the sweet pea seeds, so the seeds are sown onto mostly 4" pots then set on the heat mattress in the greenhouse.

  

Sowing the seed,
my hand is one with the earth.

Wanting the seed to grow,
my mind is one with the light.

Hoeing the crop, 
my hands are one with the rain.

Having cared for the plants,
my mind is one with the air

Hungry and trusting,
my mind is one with the earth.

Eating the fruit,
my body is one with the earth.

WENDELL BERRY

The neighbors crabapple tree 
 in full bloom.
Its canopy pretty extends
over the shed on my property.

Pink Pearl apple tree
beginning to leaf out.

Aquilegia formosa (Western columbine)

I recall hiking with Dwight and observing this plant growing in a seep.Lovely I thought and have been growing it every since. The ones residing at PageRefuge are along the north end of the house. The conditions seems to suite these plants since they are flourishing. All of the plants are sending up stocks of flowers. 

The pink flowers at the top of

this picture are "Heart's Delight"

Ribes var. glutinosum sanguineum.

Eschscholzia californica var. californica (Coastal poppy)

Today is wash day yet I have been able to do an outside of the house walk about checking out what is blooming. It is such a delight to engage in the land here and her abundance. And as I do so I enjoy a hardy belly