Ecstatic

Many years ago I saw my very first Desert Willow tree growing out of a large crack in an old swimming pool. I immediately fell in love with the gracefulness of the branches and the stunning flowers. Luckily living in Santa Fe, New Mexico, I could purchase one which I did from Plants of the Southwest.

Desert willow (Chilopsis linearis)

And now I have one planted on the West side of my house near the steps coming into the back addition. I purchased it from California Flora Nursery in a gallon plastic pot in early November, 2021. It has grown to well over 6' tall with an abundance of buds and slowly opening to gorgeous flowers. I am so ecstatic to have this beautiful tree where I can watch the buds open into flowers.

Scarlet Runners beans

Along the left side of the swing a wire has
been fastened for the vines to climb.

I primarily grow this plant for the flowers. When I grew them in my garden at MuRefuge they would died back to the ground in the winter. Once the weather warmed they would send up green foliage then beautiful flowers and eventually the pods with seeds would appear. As I read more on line about this vine I see that it is labeled as an annual vine. So replanting seeds each early spring will happen here at PageRefuge.

Infrequently dragonflies visit PageRefuge.
This one was perched atop the 
stake for a Silvery Fir Tree tomato plant.

 Chocolate flower (Berlandiera lyrata)

While living in Santa Fe, New Mexico I was introduced to the Chocolate flower. The flower actually does have a slight chocolate smell. It also lasts for quite a long while before fading away. Unfortunately my success rate of growing an abundance of this plant is very, very, very low. I am ecstatic it is a perennial even here where the winter temperatures were way below freezing. The two I have been successful at starting from seed thrive near the north end of the patio.

This was Shasta's very first 
trip to Santa Barbara with us. We are on the
beach walking south towards Butterfly Beach.

Santa Barbara was a frequent destination for Dwight and I + whatever dog or dogs were living with us. We loved this city and considering buying a house there when we moved from MuRefuge. Prices were pretty steep, and remain so. Santa Fe, NM, was where we purchased our home, a Stamm home built in the early 1950’s, for an incredibly reasonable price.

 

Thank you for participating in this mini garden tour. Today the air is filled with smoke from wildfires burning in the northern part of California. Rather than BEing in my garden I am sharing pictures I have previously taken and ecstatic to share with you.

Hopefully we all can share a belly

 

Rocks

Within the circles of our lives

we dance the circles of the years,

the circle of the seasons

within the circles of the years,

the cycles of the moon

within the circles of season,

the circles of our reasons

within the cycles of the moon.

Again, again we come and go,

changed, changing Hands

join, unjoin in love and fear,

grief and joy. The circles turn,

each giving into each, into all

Only music keeps us here.

each by all the others held

In the hold of hands and eyes

we turn in pairs, that joining

joining each to all again.

And then we turn aside, alone,

out of the sunlight gone

into the darker circles of return.

WENDELL BERRY

In the tradition of my mother I collect rocks. These rocks come from places I visit or in the case of Santa Fe, New Mexico, where I lived for a short while . . . something like an extended vacation of 4 1/2 years. I have no idea why rocks draw me other than I watched my mother pick up rocks from various places. She took them home with her, often in her suitcase. Her rock pile grew, grew and grew. I often wonder what happened to that huge pile of rocks?

This rock came from Butterfly Beach
in Santa Barbara, California.
A man in Sonoma County 
cut the enneagram symbol.

The pebbles that created the "walkways" in
the backyard of the home Dwight and I
bought in Santa Fe, I raked from the entire
backyard. The bigger rocks lining this 
walkway came from the Santa Fe 
River. The river was without most of the
year so finding just the right rocks was
easy. Bringing them to the backyard
was done by loading them in the car trunk.

Tufted evening primrose in bloom
in front of a water catchment
filled with rocks that were on
the property. 
It grows throughout the West
in sunny, dry, infertile, rocky,
well-drained soils.
Apparently before San Felipe
Circle was built and filled
with Stamm homes, the area
was covered with this lovely plant
that is larva food 
for hawk moths.

This stunning heart shaped rock
came from the Santa River bed.
Dwight carried it home to me
for an anniversary present.

Another water catchment,
beneath a rain spout
in the back of the house,
is filled with rocks
that were on the property.

The rain chain was Christmas gift that Dwight bought me from a nursery in Santa Fe not far from our Stamm home. It now hangs above the green flat bowl that Dwight created. It is pictured below filled with rocks I found in the dirt here in Cotati as I established my native plant garden.

The view of the Santa Fe house from the middle
of the street. Waving around the entire front
and side yards are rocks
that were already on the property.

The rockslide to the West of Mono Lake
is where the below rock was found.
It now sits on my back patio in Cotati.

This is a collection of heart shaped rocks 
from various places visited.
They are on a narrow shelf
beneath the bureau mirror in my bedroom.

I love collecting rocks as you can attest from viewing this blog post. Truly I am my mother's daughter as I follow in her footsteps of her love of rock collecting.

This day is gloomy with intermittent rain. Rain has been falling off and on now for a week with more predicted this upcoming week. The reservoirs state wide are filling which is excellent since many have not been full for some while. May each of us, in spite of whatever kind of weather is happening wherever we are, 

Santa Barbara and Rose

We recently took in a little beach time in Santa Barbara, one of my favorite 

spots on Mother Earth, staying at the Flagship Motel 6 just a block from

East Beach.  Global climate change has altered the weather there, just

like here in Sonoma County and, well, every where on the planet.  Last

June and July Santa Barbara recorded temperatures the coolest ever

at that time of the year.  This year the rain fall there is 10” above the

average.  During our nine day stay we had sunshine, wind, clouds, fog 

and pouring rain during which we took in Woody Allen’s latest movie 

Midnight in Paris which we enjoyed.

And Rose has been gimpy, favoring her left rear hind leg.  She negotiated

the stairs up and down to get to our room.  However mostly she enjoyed 

viewing the beach from our bed.  As you can see from this picture the

view is spectacular.  She could see the pod of dolphins, hear the barking

seals, watch the sea gulls and skimmers flirt across the sand.  At first

the train whose tracks run quite close to the area of Santa Barbara and

whose noise was disturbing to her, but once she saw the train you

could see her filing the picture with the sound into her memory.

The Saturday Farm Market in Santa Barbara is a treat.  Many, many,

many local, small farmers bring their produce.  The younger generation

(can I really believe I am writing this?  no matter how true it is!)

of farmers are focusing on caring for the soil in the least toxic manner,

presenting absolutely gorgeous Italian heirloom artichokes, potatoes,

carrots and much, much more.

Tuesday evenings in Old Town, aka State Street, the event is repeated.

As we walked along looking and tasting, we were amazed at the

numbers of persons buying, eating and chatting.  The contrast to

the local farm markets in Sonoma County that we frequent is huge:

no what I call “doodad,” aka handmade goods, booths, no prepared

food booths with the exception of fresh baked breads and jams, just

a vast array of farm produce.

Breakfast on East Beach at the Carrillo Beach House is just a lovely way to experience 

beach life.  Rose was fascinated with the coming and goings of people, birds and other 

creatures of the water.

A walk along the bike path to the Bird Refuge was enjoyable.  Across the street is an unusual and fascinating sculpture made partly from pottery shards.

On the other end of the expanse of sand from East Beach is Ledbetter Beach with fabulously beautiful sandstone creations.

Tropical vegetation abounds everywhere amidst the Mediterranean architecture.

Flowering trees with and without leaves, bushes, vines present color and lightness,

all translating into feel good relaxation drawing visitors from across the globe.

Even exotic birds live on the beaches of Santa Barbara.  Here’s a couple of pictures Dwight took of these Skimmers, unfortunately on a foggy morning, on East Beach.

Upon returning to MuRefuge we were greeted by these sunny faced, flowering Tidy Tips which are native to Sonoma County vernal pools.

A few days after our return, Rose’s gimpyness became more pronounced

and she became unwilling? unable? to put that left back paw onto the ground 

nor to bear weight on that left rear leg.  A visit to Rose’s doctor revealed, much to 

the surprise and upset of her unsuspecting vet, a tumor on the head of her tibia,

the biggest bone from the hip to knee aka stifle.  A second opinion from a trusted 

radiologist confirm Rose’s doctor’s diagnosis of osteosarcoma.  

The good news:  no visible metastasis seen on further x-rays and completely 

normal results on a vast array of blood studies.

Rose’s doctor recommended amputation and chemotherapy.  For those of you who 

know me, the latter’s not an option for me nor my animals.  I have had previous 

and positive experience, however, with treating cancer with herbs.  This past 

Saturday Rose started her herbs and by Wednesday she showed signs of 

liver detoxification which is crucial for keeping cancer cells in check.  

Rose is scheduled to have her "gimpy" leg removed tomorrow morning, June 23.  

She is ready turn the page and move on in her life as a three-legged dog.  Recovery 

from this operation takes only 1-2 weeks for dogs. As we have discovered, there are 

many dogs out there who have had a similar malady living lives with only three legs.

So all of us here at MuRefuge have been preparing (using the web for researching 

and obtaining more information, consulting with Sandy, the interspecies communicator, 

numerous conversations and discussions with herbalists for organic herbs to keep in 

check the malignant cells in Rose’s body, cooking more easily digested food for Rose, 

identifying and instituting specific Flower Essences for Rose) for the loss of Rose’s

limb.  Rose’s Auntie T made a special trip from Point Reyes Station to BE with Rose, 

adding her lightness and positive outlook for a speedy recovery from the removal of 

her “cumbersome appendage”.  Her Auntie Vickie and Uncle Jason brought her a rose 

quartz heart to accompany her to the Animal Hospital as well as their comfort and love.

Rose's Auntie Fang and Auntie Petra are both sending loving and healing.  And Sandy

holds a place for Rose as she goes through the surgery and returns to her "amazing

life journey this time around." 

Dwight, Rose and I thank all of you for your incredibly loving support during this life

lesson.

Rose’s doctor has been most supportive, loving and informative.  Rose just loves 

Nicole and all her employees at the Animal Hospital. We are trusting of optimal care 

for her so that one day soon she able to once again run at top speed on Dillon Beach.

 Please

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