in the garden




We awoke early and were in the garden by 7am pulling up the waning sugar snaps. After M. went to work I weeded the area so we can finally plant our okra. While pecking away at the dirt with my weeder tool, I uncovered a clan of the tiniest baby snails I'd ever seen. They weren't even 1/8 in. big! Some were 1/16 in. I'd say.  Their transparent shells are amazing. So of course I had to get the camera and decided to catch the zucchini bloom before it closed. And can you see the bumble bee on the poppy blooms and the honey bee flying away? It's not easy to catch those guys with a manual focus lens.

Last night we ate our first cucumber of the season and made a fritatta recipe recommended by Shari, with kale, thyme, farm eggs, and cheddar.  Very good.  I just gobbled up the leftovers for breakfast.

Have a nice weekend!
H

renewal

Yesterday we had a gully washer, which I got caught in while walking home from downtown and became completely soaked.  Within less than an hour the street in front of our house had water up to the doors of cars. Our poppies lost every single petal.  Today there are dozens more blooming and the sun is shining.
Renewal.

Wednesday, in the studio


[lower image : detail of a watercolor, in process.]

So I seem to be sliding right into summer in a way that can be described with whatever word is the opposite of shimmy. After weeks and weeks of organizing all that we own, weekends of dirty house demo work, and last week setting my studio back up, now I consider my 'chores' complete for the day if I get the previous night's dishes washed, a load of laundry done and hung on the line, a few weeds pulled in the garden, and a pitcher of iced tea made. The rest of my energy, I can happily say, is going into making work in my studio again. Yes, you read correctly, I am painting and drawing, after months and months of time off to work on the book. And let me tell you, it's an amazing feeling, not without it's bewildering moments like with most things that you figure out how to begin again, but since I have always thought that drawing or painting is my first language, it's like I can see and hear what I am thinking, if that makes sense. When I'm not making work I become this unrecognizable, other person and now, hello me, there you are. Perhaps you can relate?

Anything new in your world?

H