We received the forecasted soaker over the weekend, better than a half inch. I planted the corn in the rain Sunday, put up the deer fence on Monday, and sprayed the weeds on Tuesday, latest warm dry day. It was a great time to pull weeds as the ground was wet and the weather warm. Did the edges around the driveway and the rock garden by the gazebo, as well as mowed around some edges. We could be mowing everything again; it's the season when grass grows a mile a minute.
The peas are about 4 - 6 inches tall but nothing that was planted on Saturday has broken the surface yet. We had a couple leaves of fresh lettuce from the volunteer plant that appears in the garden. Nature does a better job of growing things than I will ever do. The volunteer potato and onions are looking great as well.
California poppies are blooming, have been for several days. Also a couple peonia have blossomed, the one near the barn is great much like last year and one in the row has dominated the poppies and iris and bluebells and weeds to reach the blooming stage. Most of the others are surviving by the skin of their teeth. It's not my big success story. But I keep hoping.
Why the title? Amid the trips to the yard and garden, we have focused on the death of a dear friend in Alaska and the impending death of another friend and neighbor here in Oregon. In retrospect the spring goes like this. My sister's father-in-law who was almost 100 died this spring. My brother's ex-father-in-law died earlier this month. Two classmates from high school died this past month. A dear dear friend who traveled to Africa with us and also joined us in several other service trips suddenly died a couple months ago and now another service trip co-traveler is days from death. Another neighbor, in her nineties, died a couple months ago. It's almost more than one can handle at one time.
But the trees are green and the roses are red, so I say to myself, it's a wonderful world.
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Thursday, May 12, 2016
Planted the Beans
It's been another day over 80˚; A record number since April first, 13 so far, another forecasted for tomorrow, then more average temps. It was a good day to plant more garden, no meetings or other events. So the beans were planted as were some spinach plants, some broccoli seeds and some onion starts. It was a great motivation to mow and weed wack around the raised beds. Looks good.
It's a time to mow some of the rest of the yard also, mostly the lower part under the oak tree and around the barn. The blue barrel that I set up two days ago seems to be working or at least the chickens have water every time I check them.
A couple California poppies blossomed a couple days ago. The hedge with its clusters of tiny white flowers have lost their blossoms. So I trimmed that section this evening. Then I mowed until it was to hard to see, about 8:30. That's the beauty of summer in Oregon, or Alaska, the days are long and darkness come later and later. That was one of the things that I found unpleasant in Tanzania which is near the equator, darkness almost comes about 6:00pm throughout the entire year. No real seasons as I have known them.
It's a time to mow some of the rest of the yard also, mostly the lower part under the oak tree and around the barn. The blue barrel that I set up two days ago seems to be working or at least the chickens have water every time I check them.
A couple California poppies blossomed a couple days ago. The hedge with its clusters of tiny white flowers have lost their blossoms. So I trimmed that section this evening. Then I mowed until it was to hard to see, about 8:30. That's the beauty of summer in Oregon, or Alaska, the days are long and darkness come later and later. That was one of the things that I found unpleasant in Tanzania which is near the equator, darkness almost comes about 6:00pm throughout the entire year. No real seasons as I have known them.
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Peas Seedlings Surfaced
Sunday - today's Tuesday - the first peas showed themselves as they broke through the surface of the garden. Time to adjust the fence for them to climb.
The lilac bush by the house was overwhelming the pathway and its blooming was finished so the outer branches were trimmed several days ago, probably Friday. While the trimmers were out several other bushes were cut back to their reasonable size.
It's time to cover the blueberries to keep the birds from grabbing the fruit as it ripens before I get to the berries. The strawberry plants are very big and the fruit is setting on. Someone gave me some local strawberries Sunday but I suspect ours are still down the road.
The first egg from a peahen showed up Sunday morning. The chicken are laying well for spring at about nine eggs a day. I suspect that at least one chicken hen and peahen will become motherly and decide to set sometime this summer, but not yet. Good.
There's been no rain for over a week now although some days have been either overcast or partly cloudy. This morning the sun is the only thing to be seen in the sky with sunrise temperatures to be in the 40's and forecasted temperatures to be near 80. Time to plant more garden.
Time to get going.
The lilac bush by the house was overwhelming the pathway and its blooming was finished so the outer branches were trimmed several days ago, probably Friday. While the trimmers were out several other bushes were cut back to their reasonable size.
It's time to cover the blueberries to keep the birds from grabbing the fruit as it ripens before I get to the berries. The strawberry plants are very big and the fruit is setting on. Someone gave me some local strawberries Sunday but I suspect ours are still down the road.
The first egg from a peahen showed up Sunday morning. The chicken are laying well for spring at about nine eggs a day. I suspect that at least one chicken hen and peahen will become motherly and decide to set sometime this summer, but not yet. Good.
There's been no rain for over a week now although some days have been either overcast or partly cloudy. This morning the sun is the only thing to be seen in the sky with sunrise temperatures to be in the 40's and forecasted temperatures to be near 80. Time to plant more garden.
Time to get going.
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
The Fauna of Nature
I'm on my way to the Portland airport this morning to retrieve Gail from her stay with North Dakotan grandchildren, teenagers at that. Before that trip there are the critters to appreciate.
While watering the plants in the front of the house I heard the goggle of a wild Tom turkey. They are the latest of regular visitors to the yard. Tail up and fanned he was wandering around amid his harem of about a half dozen hens. They come through about every other day, or at least that's how often we see them. Instead of the typical cock-a-doodle-doo in the morning, or in our case, that along with a yelp from the peacock, we are blessed with a trialogue among a rooster, a tom and a cock, each saying their piece in turn and none listening to the others other than to outtalk them.
The bird feeder was low, so they received a refill - on the house so to speak. The humming bird feeder also needed a refill, again on the house. There must be more wild food in the surrounding woods as we don't see as many birds and the refills are less frequent. Early this spring it appeared that there were as many as eight to ten humming birds and dozens of different seed eaters. The sapsucker ignores the seeds but peppers our young tree is little holes.
A momentary interlude: I was and am hearing a sound in the foyer that I don't normally hear. Maybe it was the dog scratching on the rug at the front door trying to arrange it to be more comfortable. As I walked toward the door I realized the sound was coming from inside the wood stove. So now I get to invent a way of removing a bird from the stove without letting it fly around the house. More on that later.
The chicken left us a dozen fresh eggs this morning. The peahens have not started laying yet although the cock is trying to do its part, tail high in the air. Dr Skittles and Toby, the feline of the community joined me as I placed their food in the dish on the table in the barn. They are barn cats; there are not house cats. They affect my eyes with itching and swelling. Sheba, of course, received her morning meal first thing. She will be glad to hear that she can ride along to get Gail this morning.
No deer this morning; that's not unusual as it seems like there's about a 50-50 chance of seeing them every other day. When we see them and smile they're on the other side of the fence. We don't smile when they in the front yard or when we find the tops of flowers eaten off. They're very good at that. I removed the protective fences from around the tulips and bluebells as they have more or less completed their cycle of blooming.
Remember the rose that was showing color a couple days ago; it's in full bloom today - yellow. And the population of blooming iris have doubled.
Off to the airport.
While watering the plants in the front of the house I heard the goggle of a wild Tom turkey. They are the latest of regular visitors to the yard. Tail up and fanned he was wandering around amid his harem of about a half dozen hens. They come through about every other day, or at least that's how often we see them. Instead of the typical cock-a-doodle-doo in the morning, or in our case, that along with a yelp from the peacock, we are blessed with a trialogue among a rooster, a tom and a cock, each saying their piece in turn and none listening to the others other than to outtalk them.
The bird feeder was low, so they received a refill - on the house so to speak. The humming bird feeder also needed a refill, again on the house. There must be more wild food in the surrounding woods as we don't see as many birds and the refills are less frequent. Early this spring it appeared that there were as many as eight to ten humming birds and dozens of different seed eaters. The sapsucker ignores the seeds but peppers our young tree is little holes.
A momentary interlude: I was and am hearing a sound in the foyer that I don't normally hear. Maybe it was the dog scratching on the rug at the front door trying to arrange it to be more comfortable. As I walked toward the door I realized the sound was coming from inside the wood stove. So now I get to invent a way of removing a bird from the stove without letting it fly around the house. More on that later.
The chicken left us a dozen fresh eggs this morning. The peahens have not started laying yet although the cock is trying to do its part, tail high in the air. Dr Skittles and Toby, the feline of the community joined me as I placed their food in the dish on the table in the barn. They are barn cats; there are not house cats. They affect my eyes with itching and swelling. Sheba, of course, received her morning meal first thing. She will be glad to hear that she can ride along to get Gail this morning.
No deer this morning; that's not unusual as it seems like there's about a 50-50 chance of seeing them every other day. When we see them and smile they're on the other side of the fence. We don't smile when they in the front yard or when we find the tops of flowers eaten off. They're very good at that. I removed the protective fences from around the tulips and bluebells as they have more or less completed their cycle of blooming.
Remember the rose that was showing color a couple days ago; it's in full bloom today - yellow. And the population of blooming iris have doubled.
Off to the airport.
Sunday, May 1, 2016
Where to Start
This blog started years ago so asking a "Where to Start" seems unnecessary and even out of line. The university and school district set the opening date, the teachers start the term with introductions, explanations of the class and the beginning of the text. Are do they? There are prescribed starting for some events.
I've been thinking for years about noting and recording what events in nature occur on what dates. When did the first daffodil bloom? When were the different fruit trees most susceptible to good pollination? And what was the weather at that time? Or the number of bees heard and seen at that time? How much rain did we get in April? Or May?
On what day do I start that journaling? January first, a day arbitrarily chosen in continuous cycle? The first day of winter or summer, dates set by natural phenomena? Or my birthday, May seventh; why not? Or just when I have the whim to do so?
Perhaps the last option is most organic and natural for me personally. So today is the day. Today has another feature we can build on; I planted the peas, the first seeds in the garden.
Spring has been atypical so far. We have shattered temperature records several days reaching 90 degrees far before ever before. Plants, weeds, flowers, and trees are all following suit; they seem early. The hot days tempt gardeners to start gardening and even set tomatoes out, but wise gardeners know that cooler weather and even frost can still come later this month.
Today is May first, called May Day by many and a national holiday in Russia. After two snaps of super warm temperatures, the last three days have been cool, overcast and with small rain showers. Yesterday began a warmer stretch leading to about 80˚F today and warmer tomorrow followed by a forecasted week of 70's and warm showers.
The daffodils have done their annual task, they've bloomed and gave room for other flowers. The tulips weren't far behind although I saw a fresh bloom yesterday. Forget-me-nots are everywhere and are getting tall and spindly. Lilacs too have passed their peak. I remember Granddad Henry Sax wearing a lilac cluster to church on Father's Day in mid-June. They didn't even wait for May Day or Mother's Day this year. Irises started showing their colors about a week or so ago and are going gang-busters now.
It was several weeks ago that the fruit trees took turns going through their spring ritual of full bloom hoping and waiting for warmth and bees to help pollinate the flowers. The Queen Anne cherries are small, about the size of a mature cherry pit, but visible and green. At close observation one can spot some bulging ovaries on the pear trees. At least one Oriental pear is the size of my thumb tip. Blueberries are also visible but hardly exceptional. The Saskatoon blueberry bushes were covered with blossoms, and there seem to be some developing ovaries but they've not done well in the past so I'm not overly optimistic. The strawberry plants are lush and I'm hoping for a respectable showing to add to the breakfast cereals.
The peonia are up and waiting for ants to come and help open their tight buds. Roses are out in Monmouth and out here just close enough to blooming that one can see the color. Hopefully we have enough fences and wires around them so we can enjoy them visually instead of the deer for a snack.
I've been thinking for years about noting and recording what events in nature occur on what dates. When did the first daffodil bloom? When were the different fruit trees most susceptible to good pollination? And what was the weather at that time? Or the number of bees heard and seen at that time? How much rain did we get in April? Or May?
On what day do I start that journaling? January first, a day arbitrarily chosen in continuous cycle? The first day of winter or summer, dates set by natural phenomena? Or my birthday, May seventh; why not? Or just when I have the whim to do so?
Perhaps the last option is most organic and natural for me personally. So today is the day. Today has another feature we can build on; I planted the peas, the first seeds in the garden.
Spring has been atypical so far. We have shattered temperature records several days reaching 90 degrees far before ever before. Plants, weeds, flowers, and trees are all following suit; they seem early. The hot days tempt gardeners to start gardening and even set tomatoes out, but wise gardeners know that cooler weather and even frost can still come later this month.
Today is May first, called May Day by many and a national holiday in Russia. After two snaps of super warm temperatures, the last three days have been cool, overcast and with small rain showers. Yesterday began a warmer stretch leading to about 80˚F today and warmer tomorrow followed by a forecasted week of 70's and warm showers.
The daffodils have done their annual task, they've bloomed and gave room for other flowers. The tulips weren't far behind although I saw a fresh bloom yesterday. Forget-me-nots are everywhere and are getting tall and spindly. Lilacs too have passed their peak. I remember Granddad Henry Sax wearing a lilac cluster to church on Father's Day in mid-June. They didn't even wait for May Day or Mother's Day this year. Irises started showing their colors about a week or so ago and are going gang-busters now.
It was several weeks ago that the fruit trees took turns going through their spring ritual of full bloom hoping and waiting for warmth and bees to help pollinate the flowers. The Queen Anne cherries are small, about the size of a mature cherry pit, but visible and green. At close observation one can spot some bulging ovaries on the pear trees. At least one Oriental pear is the size of my thumb tip. Blueberries are also visible but hardly exceptional. The Saskatoon blueberry bushes were covered with blossoms, and there seem to be some developing ovaries but they've not done well in the past so I'm not overly optimistic. The strawberry plants are lush and I'm hoping for a respectable showing to add to the breakfast cereals.
The peonia are up and waiting for ants to come and help open their tight buds. Roses are out in Monmouth and out here just close enough to blooming that one can see the color. Hopefully we have enough fences and wires around them so we can enjoy them visually instead of the deer for a snack.
Sunday, January 17, 2016
Turmoil Starts Right Here
Remember the Apple commercial during the 1984 Super Bowl game that kicked the Macintosh computer. Everything seems so calm, so uniform, so routine, and yes, so colorless before one person in color came in and threw a hammer at the screen causing chaos. Since then Apple computers have been changing the world.
Jesus too said that he "did not come to bring peace, but a sword." (Matt 10:34) Yet, it is also written that the greatest sin of mankind is war. And yet, at Christmas time many Christmas greetings read, "Peace on Earth." Many Christian churches having a time during their worship service when congregants greet others with "Peace be with you." The response may be "And also to you."
As we grow up we all hear from time to time, in school or at home, that we learn from our mistakes and not from our successes. So we should attempt to make mistakes to learn more? The dichotomy is confusing, frustrating and exasperating. What are we to do?
We are to take our mistakes and our conflicts, learn from them - to try not to do that again - and do something that may not be a mistake or may not cause conflict. Simple, huh? But not in practice. So we fight with our little brother, argue with our mother, disobey our teacher, shun those different then us and wonder why the nations of the world can't get along.
Agreeing with everything that everyone else says and doing everything like everyone else does it creates a very boring gray world. Seems like we need to be different from one another, different in what we wear and what and how we eat and drink, the music and the art we enjoy, different in our languages and our communal mores, our religions or what we believe. We don't have to agree; we should however listen and accept other's behaviors as those of others, not ourselves. Heaven forbid that we might hear something or learn something that may influence us be a better human being.
Peace comes when each of us individually can live with ourselves as we have become and we hope others can find that same comfort.
I don't know when or even if I found peace, but I think I have. I know I have problems. Some people don't like to work with me and I prefer to not work with others, but I accept that because there's plenty of work to be done. My body is deteriorating despite my exercising and physical work, but I accept that. My mind isn't a sharp as it used to be but I hope I used it wisely when it was younger.
Jesus, and almost all great prophets, of all major religions, were at peace with themselves but seemed to cause turmoil all around themselves. I relate to them only in that my inner peace surrounded by outer toil is not unique. Sit back, rest your body; close your eyes or watch the rain; rest your soul. Something greater than the flood and more mysterious than the sequoia tree grown from is minute seed is present.
May peace start here.
Jesus too said that he "did not come to bring peace, but a sword." (Matt 10:34) Yet, it is also written that the greatest sin of mankind is war. And yet, at Christmas time many Christmas greetings read, "Peace on Earth." Many Christian churches having a time during their worship service when congregants greet others with "Peace be with you." The response may be "And also to you."
As we grow up we all hear from time to time, in school or at home, that we learn from our mistakes and not from our successes. So we should attempt to make mistakes to learn more? The dichotomy is confusing, frustrating and exasperating. What are we to do?
We are to take our mistakes and our conflicts, learn from them - to try not to do that again - and do something that may not be a mistake or may not cause conflict. Simple, huh? But not in practice. So we fight with our little brother, argue with our mother, disobey our teacher, shun those different then us and wonder why the nations of the world can't get along.
Agreeing with everything that everyone else says and doing everything like everyone else does it creates a very boring gray world. Seems like we need to be different from one another, different in what we wear and what and how we eat and drink, the music and the art we enjoy, different in our languages and our communal mores, our religions or what we believe. We don't have to agree; we should however listen and accept other's behaviors as those of others, not ourselves. Heaven forbid that we might hear something or learn something that may influence us be a better human being.
Peace comes when each of us individually can live with ourselves as we have become and we hope others can find that same comfort.
I don't know when or even if I found peace, but I think I have. I know I have problems. Some people don't like to work with me and I prefer to not work with others, but I accept that because there's plenty of work to be done. My body is deteriorating despite my exercising and physical work, but I accept that. My mind isn't a sharp as it used to be but I hope I used it wisely when it was younger.
Jesus, and almost all great prophets, of all major religions, were at peace with themselves but seemed to cause turmoil all around themselves. I relate to them only in that my inner peace surrounded by outer toil is not unique. Sit back, rest your body; close your eyes or watch the rain; rest your soul. Something greater than the flood and more mysterious than the sequoia tree grown from is minute seed is present.
May peace start here.
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Human Constructs
"Human constructs." That's my new pair of words to think about this week. It's not a new concept; just a new term for something that I ponder from time to time. A quick reference check and I find the given example of a human construct is money. Money, even silver and gold, has no value other than what humans have determined its value to be. By giving money value it becomes very functional in our society. Interestingly enough, in today's economy, money or the value of money, isn't even represented by coins or bills. Today's exchange of value is virtual. Some may think that there's "real" money of "real" value behind the transactions, but I bet most transactions ever involve gold or silver or other money backings.
However, I have not been thinking about economy or money. I've been thinking about religion, ceremonies, rites and norms. Basic to religion is the basic question: Is God a human construct? Does the frailty of humans require that they create a god to acquire confidence to overcome that frailty? Do humans need to have a god to explain the unexplainable?
Let's assume there is a god. There are several monotheistic religions, such as Islam, Judaism and Christianity. Well, the believers of these religions may not agree with the doctrine of the other religions, if each believes there is one god and they're not the same god, then there must be three gods (at least) or indeed there is one god but they each have a different understanding of the same god. This may be a good time to introduce the "human construct" idea. If god is the one and only and yet each religion defines god differently, then the differences must be "human constructs," or god reveals himself/herself in different ways to the different religions.
Now that we have human constructs in each religion, what are these constructs and how do they affect the religion. The inequalities of women and men in Islam, such as the dress code, is both cultural after the beginning of Islam as well as before. The Christians celebrate eucharist at different intervals with similar text based on an event, called the Last Supper, when Jesus said something to the effort that when you eat bread and drink wine, think of me. Jews have hundreds of rules which probably came about for natural reasons as much as spiritual reasons.
The issue then becomes which human constructs are valuable, effective, meaningful and should be continued and which should be set aside as a hindrance to the essence of the religion and the "best practices" of human behavior. How can we relate to god, do the will of god and do it without doctrinal baggage?
However, I have not been thinking about economy or money. I've been thinking about religion, ceremonies, rites and norms. Basic to religion is the basic question: Is God a human construct? Does the frailty of humans require that they create a god to acquire confidence to overcome that frailty? Do humans need to have a god to explain the unexplainable?
Let's assume there is a god. There are several monotheistic religions, such as Islam, Judaism and Christianity. Well, the believers of these religions may not agree with the doctrine of the other religions, if each believes there is one god and they're not the same god, then there must be three gods (at least) or indeed there is one god but they each have a different understanding of the same god. This may be a good time to introduce the "human construct" idea. If god is the one and only and yet each religion defines god differently, then the differences must be "human constructs," or god reveals himself/herself in different ways to the different religions.
Now that we have human constructs in each religion, what are these constructs and how do they affect the religion. The inequalities of women and men in Islam, such as the dress code, is both cultural after the beginning of Islam as well as before. The Christians celebrate eucharist at different intervals with similar text based on an event, called the Last Supper, when Jesus said something to the effort that when you eat bread and drink wine, think of me. Jews have hundreds of rules which probably came about for natural reasons as much as spiritual reasons.
The issue then becomes which human constructs are valuable, effective, meaningful and should be continued and which should be set aside as a hindrance to the essence of the religion and the "best practices" of human behavior. How can we relate to god, do the will of god and do it without doctrinal baggage?
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