summer – Making it in Toledo

Good morning, Doctor

No, not Dr. Ross, although I greeted him first. In this post I am referring to Dr. Seuss, because that is what the newest flowers in my garden call to my mind with their crazy shapes and wild colors.

Spider Flower, Cleome

I don’t remember cleome in my grandmother’s garden, but I love this old-fashioned plant. The toughest thing about caring for it is choosing which seedlings to discard in order to let the remaining plants flourish.

Purpletop Vervain, Verbena

I’m sure I bought this plant once, probably because, although I haven’t watched The Vampire Diaries, I somehow remember their description of Vervain: One that makes vampire skin burn and strength wane; a secret weapon preventing them from compelling humans to do their will. Now, it has migrated throughout my backyard gardens, which is fine because it is a “see-through plant” and doesn’t block the light or my vision of its neighbors.

Milkweed

Since I bought this common milkweed from Monarch Watch, it has reliably hosted all stages of monarchs. Not this year, at least so far. No butterflies, no eggs, no caterpillars. I still have hope.

Go with the slow

On Tuesday I picked up a bushel of gorgeous bi-color corn raised by Dave Bench and available to me through my CSA, Shared Legacy. I shared 3 dozen ears with friends, which was a good thing because a bushel is a LOT of corn. We’ve had corn soup and corn salad (no particular recipe, but I dressed it with the salsa from Tuesday’s soup). I’ve put 8 bags of corn in the freezer. Makes me feel very wealthy.

Fresh, but not up to the standard of my childhood, when the practice was to pick the corn AFTER the water came to a boil…

John is away from home this week, attending a public health conference in Tacoma and visiting his brother on a small island in the San Juans. Aloisa’s food tastes are within a narrow and fairly boring range, and Johanna seems happy with a few old favorites. I don’t intend to do a whole lot of cooking, since I miss John’s enthusiasm. It’s amazing how much time opens up when I’m not cooking. I read the first (and only, so far) book in a series I hope to follow for a long time. Featuring a male clothes-obsessed detective is a nice twist.

In contrast to the quiet all around me, the tiny pond ecosystem is bustling and bursting with goldfish, mosquito-fish, and tadpoles, all nibbling on the duck weed. I love to sit and watch, especially since the water lily has bloomed.

busy, but tranquil…

“…to be slow means that you govern the rhythms of your life. You are in control of deciding how fast you have to go.” Carlo Petrini

June is busting out all over

It finally feels like summer and, post-vaccination, we’re appreciating the creatures close to home without worrying where they came from or where they are going. At Loi’s pod kindergarten, seven goslings provided lots of joy during the last days of the school year before becoming farm geese nearby.

Closer to home, the ecosystem in our tiny backyard pond is changing day by day. I bought the fantails and a few mosquito fish, but the tadpoles appeared as if by magic after a few warm nights when we heard frog (or maybe toad) song through the open window. Yesterday a couple of toad visitors were a major attraction, and Solomon, a painted turtle that Loi discovered in the wild, will be introduced soon.

Not all is quite so idyllic, however; after sleeping most of the winter Claudia Cupcake has transformed into a highly efficient hunter and the mourning doves chose a particularly poor nesting place in the cherry tree. A small pile of feathers in the driveway was our only clue to the outcome.

I’m grateful for the chance to experience these moments.

Quarantine summer, updated

It’s been 20+ years since my kids installed our little pond right outside the screened porch. No one thought to use a level, so it’s always been a bit wonky, but I love it and so do the goldfish, frogs, toads, and various plant life that have enjoyed it. We even had a brief visit from migrating ducks one year. And of course there have been fountains, for many years a stone turtle, but more lately a bronze frog.

Our bedroom is right above the pond, and the sound is just as wonderful as the sight. Every year we wait for the frogs to arrive.

But this year it had a leak. After almost-daily refills we knew we had to step up our game. Luckily the same model liner was still available and affordable and in stock. The girls had to strap it to the trunk to bring it home from Menard’s. Today they began the process of securing the aquatic life in a bucket, emptying the pond, replacing the old liner with a new one and leveling it. It was a joint effort, and I have high hopes!

Watch this space for updates!!!

Ready for August

The last day of July. FB is reminding me that it’s Sue Wuest’s birthday. I’m sorry that she won’t be celebrating it with us. I lost Sue’s friendship long before she died, and it’s always painful to be reminded of the finality of that loss.

We have travel plans in August (lake house in Michigan) and in September (time share in the Berkshires). It’s looking like I may miss most of our our modest tomato crop and probably a couple of great CSA boxes. But in return I get a week with all my kids together and a pontoon boat on a nice little lake. I’ll take it. Traveling to western Massachusetts will take us through parts of New York State that hold great memories for us. Maybe we’ll even schedule a visit to Ithaca and lunch at Moosewood. With the (over) abundance of kale (from my CSA) and carrots (overenthusiastic Costco purchase) in my refrigerator, I’ve been turning to Moosewood lately for inspiration. Try their carrot salads!

Middle Eastern Carrot salad with mint. Dressed with lemon, oil, and maple syrup.

Last night I finished reading The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish. If you love history or if you love philosophy or if you just enjoy a good mystery, read this book!!! Especially if you like reading about strong women.

The bulk blueberry order I picked up last night is helping me think about the end of summer. I’ve put most of them in the freezer. But I haven’t given up yet. David Lebovitz’s recipe for blueberry cobbler is waiting for me this afternoon.

The warm sunny days have been great, but today’s clouds are motivating me to be out and about. I’m grateful for all the choices before me.