two weeks later...

        dear everyone -- Two weeks seems like a long time, but I know it's just a blip. I have been out making hay - not really -- but I do like making hay photos this time of the year.  I can also walk up and down my Sideway Road in the evening, since it's neither too hot nor too cold.  And, so far, not too buggy --  no cicadas to speak of! 

       Since I do have a bunch of recent photos, and one short quiet video, I'll get started.

 

sharing yellow lines -- the field in this photo looks like mine does now

 

field of hay and the moon!

hay rising on the hill

hay getting more seasoned

hay -- with wind

 

 

 

two photos from the swampy area along my road:

pond cattails also growing

Here's a tribute to my namesake, Queen Anne's Lace -- though actually I just happen to like this photo, made with my iPhone when evening was turning into night.

Preston's tractor overnighting at my neighbor's  house

I call this a Kentucky Yucca tree. Ha ha. I have no idea how it stands firm in its bank. 

     And now the video!  I had planned to have two videos, one before the hay was cut and one during, but Preston arrived and got to work while I was at the dentist!  Next year he wants to come earlier, in May, so stay tuned.  

 

 

 

By the way, I don't have any reason to go to the trouble of making a single bale of hay, so I am mainly keeping the field open and "fed" by the decomposing that takes place. The turkeys enjoy it too... and the deer and other animals. I hope this very basic video works its wonder once again.  Enjoy --- and come again in two weeks, on July 11. Maybe I will even have had another video opportunity by then. You even have time by then to go get vaccinated if you aren't already.  Take one for the sake of all.   Ann

 

summer switch

        I hereby declare that I love doing this weekly blog BUT, this summer, I am going to an EVERY OTHER WEEK schedule.  SO the next post will be June 27.  I did this change one other summer, and, as I told a friend, the world didn't stop then, and it won't this summer either.... There's just too much else going on -- or at least that's how it feels after the many, many months of lock down.  We now get to be cautious on the move....or in the garden. 

        Here are a few photos arising from recent times:

 

This is the first daylily to have bloomed, outside my door.  The view shows that daylily closing up for the day and for forever. I do absolutely nothing to take care of this patch. Yet, so far, every year, they return to excel again.

 

 

 

I made this photo in May, but I'm not sure where.  Usually I remember every photo and where I was at the time. If anyone viewing this post knows where I was, please let me know! Thanks!

This photo location is well known to me  -- it is across from my mailbox.  In the last two days, the tree has bent all the way over to the ground.  I wonder who will soon cut off the top now that there's no longer any need to get into the swamp to do the job. 

 

 

 

I went out in the world, to Lexington, on Saturday, and stopped by Melva's house en route to talk about some photos. Her welcoming cactus seemed very beautiful to me. I understand, however, it's extremely prickly and can easily cause pain. Melva has an all encompassing green thumb!

I treated myself to lunch at the Pho Saigon restaurant, in Lexington. The meal was fantastic, both beautful and delicious, and very few people were there. I am a fan of Vietnamese food, and I once had a ten day visit to the beautiful country itself.

    Then this morning, our Quaker Meeting  (in Lexington) had its first in-person gathering, with some of us remaining on Zoom.  I didn't know about this project the teens presented, but I thought it wonderful and couldn't resist a quick screen shot.  Everyone is still masked, so I don't know who anyone is, but thank you so much, thank you all, for this beautiful and joyful banner.

    I am going to add one last photo after I post this much, of the hay in my relatively small field. We may have a stretch of dry weather this week, so the tractor that comes to mow my neighhbor's field does mine as well. 

There's a second batch of phoebes in my carport.  The parents take turns sitting on the roof of my car, resting up, if bird parenting is anything like people parenting! The nest this time around looks to me like a large cupcake.

        PLEASE REMEMBER THAT I WILL RETURN AFTER TWO WEEKS, and I hope each one reading this has some laughs by then from something that happens and time to feel connected to those people important in our lives.  Ann

 

Bonnie's flowers and family, later, after the burial

    I went by the house later, to photograph the flowers Bonnie's family had kept up with during her illness.  Bonnie loved her flowers, and her family, many of whom were still there. I have shown other flowers of hers other years, but this was now.  It will never be quite the same, so we can honor her in this way.

 

Bonnie's sister, who, I believe, did most of the flower keeping. She's on the porch, and I really like this photo of her.

    May we all enjoy the beauty of flowers and of each repeating season. I'm grateful so many people I know take such good care of the outside spaces they have.  I have a sister who knows all about plants and who has been sharing her knowlege of native plants for years. My other sister has invasives on her mind, and she plants trees when she is not chainsawing. I can not manage either of their obsessions, but I am glad, at least, I can take photos of gardens and woods.  Thank you, wildness.

     Three more photos:

            The first is one I had to try hard to make, but then I didn't do the work until now to get it off the camera and on to the blog.  I love my little pond, which, at the moment, seems loaded with red-winged blackbird activity after these dogwood blossoms came and went.

        Two weeks ago I promised another iPhone video, which I will indeed try for tonight. Again, if it's not there when you visit this blog, it will mean EITHER that I didn't get it to work OR it's still downloading.  Enjoy your family and friends. Don't believe the lies about who is our legal president. (It's Joe Biden.)  Thanks as always for visiting here. Be safe. And vaccinate!

                                                                    along Mauk Ridge