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Happy Monday to you my gentle readers. I hope this finds you well. I’ve been dazzled by all the beauty coming out in the garden and thought I would share it with you.
Yellow Alyssum
Apple
Azalea
Blueberry
Ceanothus
Yellow Flowering Currant
Daphne
Dogwood
Epimedium
Japanese Painted Fern
Belle de Nancy Lilac
Delavay Osmanthus
Pasque Flower
Primrose
Rhododendron
Rosemary
Star Flower
Strawberry
Tulip
Twin Berry
Happy Birthday Jen and Martha!
A propensity to hope and joy is real riches:
One to fear and sorrow, real poverty.
David Hume
Remember when I told you that I liked to feed the birds in our backyard? Well, I think it is safe to conclude that I’ve taken my love for all things avian to a new level, as in I think I can officially call myself a birder. Since I first wrote about my fine feathered friends, I must say that my interest and awareness has only increased, finding my eyes peering through the binoculars (or “bins” as the veterans say) more and more.
However, what gave the stamp in my passport, so to speak, was participating in my very first Bird Song Walk this past Wednesday morning, organized by the Portland chapter of the National Audubon Society. We met at Mt. Tabor at 7:00, walking hither and yon through the park listening to and observing many a beautiful winged creature. An added bonus – the trilliums were in bloom!
Apparently it was a banner day, as we saw: a Merlin, two Red Tailed Hawks, Spotted Towhees, Orange Crowned Warblers, Creepers, Bush tits, Hummingbirds, Stellar Jays (six or seven enjoying a coffee klatch!), Flickers, Thrushes, Crossbills, House Finches, Goldfinches (American and Lesser), Sparrows, Nut Hatches, Pine Siskins, and more that I cannot recall at the moment. I remained in awe and occasionally on the verge of tears throughout the walk. That I was in my own neighborhood (a mere fifteen minute walk), among so many beautiful birds and people with such great knowledge (not to mention ears and eyes) was quite humbling.
Apparently, the Merlin was our greatest “get,” as many of the veterans had never actually seen one live and in person. It was beautiful and incredibly swift – gone in 60 milliseconds! One of the hawk sitings was rather cool, too. It was perched on a lamp post near one of the reservoirs, and remained there for the full five minutes we observed it. Once, as I was watching, I swear our eyes locked through the binoculars. I felt a wonderful sense of communion.
When I arrived home, I immediately turned to my Birds of the Willamette Valley Region to learn more about each species I hadn’t known before. Normally I am not one to make such statements, but the book is a must have for Portlanders observing the myriad feathered creatures here in the city, as there is no need to search through page after page of North American birds that may or may not inhabit or migrate through the region. Additionally, each bird is very well photographed, so there is relatively little guess work. I highly recommend it.
Who knows, maybe I’ve piqued your interest enough to see you at next Wednesday’s walk! See you soon…
Happy Earth Day everyone! I hope you are finding new ways to help keep our planet as green and wonderful as Kermie himself.
The above photo is the dicentra (bleeding heart) in bloom on our north fence – so pretty and delicate. I love it!
Now, for some contrast, as there is nothing earth friendly or delicate about it, I thought I would share a bit of fun. Follow the links to what I find humorous. I see three possible reactions on your part: laughter, head scratching, or horror at my bad taste. What will it be???
This is on one of my new blog favorites, WASP 101. Humor and style, one of my favorite combinations. Mara? Are you there? You’re going to love it!
More WASPy style at The Trad, as well as this hilarious video.
I’ve had this link in my bookmarked favorites for ages. The Flight of the Conchords rock!
Another favorite bookmark, so wrong it is right. Bert and Ernie gangsta style.
Happy Wednesday…
I believe it is the Shakers that have the saying, “Own nothing that is neither beautiful nor useful.” I would like to make an addendum to that: Or doesn’t have a wonderful story behind it. I love how nearly every object in my home has a story. Walk around each room and I will tell you about when we took a photograph, or the fun day we had when I bought a particular trinket, painting, or piece of furniture.
Take this glass. Isn’t it pretty? Many of you have already seen it as it adorns our front door, and for those of you who haven’t, welcome! As you can see, the opening is rather large, and I never liked the idea of total strangers, or even people I do know being able to look right into the house when I have the door closed.
So, for many years, I had some maple leaves I collected ironed between two sheets of wax paper and scotch taped to the glass. Oh yes, very classy! Finally, after knowing there had to be a better way, my friend Sarah took me to Kurumi’s, a local glass artist, and I made this, as well as some sun catchers and necklaces, in her studio. Then the hubster installed it to perfection.
I love it! The flowers are like poppies, one of my favorites! As well, it lets in light rather gorgeously and has the little cutout for a peep hole, so I can eye you before deciding whether or not to open the door. I usually do; stop by and see for yourself…
This past fall, I watched our neighbor’s dog Reggie while his humans, Pat and Kelly, were in Hawaii. We had a grand time together. Each morning and afternoon when I would arrive, he’d be sleeping in his dog bed, and I’d sit quietly on the floor next to him until he started to stir. Then he’d run around the house like a puppy before I either fed him or took him for a walk around the neighborhood.
After this was done, I would sit on the back patio and read a book or magazine with Reggie either sleeping at my feet or with his head resting on my lap. It was simply lovely. In particular, I enjoyed how cozy it was outside, like I was in a living room, but able to feel the breeze on my cheek and smell the sweet scents of all the wonderful plants growing in the garden.
It was so pleasant that I decided then and there that I had to have a space like this at my house. These photographs are the end result. I am really pleased with it. It was really a matter of furniture, as the potted plants (soon to be sweet smelling jasmine and bamboo) have been growing for ages. We had one of the benches already, along with a round table and chairs, but the configuration just wasn’t right – no comfort, only awkwardness. So, we gave said table and chairs to Reggie’s humans (we hardly used them) and bought another bench, two chairs, a side table, and coffee table (arriving in June) from a nice local furniture place. We found the rug at Target along with the neat hurricane candle holder. Which reminds me – has anyone seen citronella candles yet this season? We’re going to need them!
Oh my goodness, it’s amazing how much more inviting it is. Though the summery weather we’re enjoying certainly played a part in it, we’ve been outside every day and evening, sipping cool drinks, snacking, chatting, napping (the Hubster), reading magazines (me), and cuddling with the kitties. The icing on the cake will be the cheery red cushions scheduled to arrive next week. I love it!
p.s. How handsome is my partner in crime?!
Is it Friday already? How did that happen?
Yesterday was a really nice day, weather wise, and the weekend (save today), if the forecasters have it on the money, is supposed to be exceptional. I plan on being out in the sunshine as much as possible. I am envisioning some major weed pulling, a long walk (wearing a skirt!), a bicycle ride, and clothes hanging dreamily from the line.
In contrast to last week’s music for drifting along, I’ve got a little something meant to get me plugged in, dialed up, moving, singing, shaking, and smiling. Here goes:
“Pimpf” – Depeche Mode
“Roadhouse Blues” – The Doors
“No One Knows” – Queens of the Stone Age
“O Valencia!” – The Decemberists
“Over the Hills and Far Away” – Led Zeppelin
“Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver” – Primus (Les Claypool rocks)
“No Love Lost” – Joy Division
“White Tooth Man” – Iron & Wine
“Everything” – Stereo MC’s
“I Got You (I feel good)” – James Brown
“Don’t Sweat the Technique” – Eric B. & Rakim
“Giant Steps” – John Coltrane
“A Little Less Conversation” – Elvis
“Ain’t No Other Man” – Christina Aguilera (the girl can SING!)
“Again & Again” – the bird and the bee
“Let Me Go” – CAKE
“Prayer For You” – Texas
“Here’s Where the Story Ends” – The Sundays (the story but not the playlist)
“I Don’t Know What It Is” – Rufus Wainwright
“Back” – Alpha
Here’s hoping we all have a wonderful weekend!
Something that I love about the life I share with Greg is the fact that we are just happy to be together. Maybe it is the fact that we’ve been a couple for eighteen years, but we realize that there is so little we truly need from each other. We are each our own source of happiness and joy, modified by the fact there is someone truly wonderful to cuddle with each night in bed.
We have no grand expectations or idealized versions of what our life should look like. What we have is what we want and relish, every last bit: being in the same room, listening to music, watching a movie, sharing a smile, a laugh, or, in this case, a meal.
This was our Sunday dinner. Neither of us has ever outgrown the fish fillets of our youth. So we baked some up, and I made tartar sauce and rosemary (fresh from the garden!) home fries to accompany them. It certainly wasn’t anything gourmet, but, with his company, it sure felt like it. Every bite was delicious. A real treat!
Meet Wilbur, another one of my gnome friends. He was hoping I would keep him company today as he trundled various twigs and bits of debris around the garden. We had no such luck, however. Every time I went to put my boots on, the rain would start, and sometimes, as in this case, the hail, too!
I tried three different times to no avail. I guess Mother Nature thought I’d be better off indoors today. It so happens she was right. I am happily typing away after a big basement clean-up. I put away the stray tools, cleaned up cat messes, filled three boxes with various bits and bobs for the Goodwill, and gathered a rather tall pile of all the remaining boxes that need to be cut and bound for the recycling bin. Then I swept, vacuumed, and smiled contentedly at a job well done.
I love a productive day…
I watched part of the American Masters program on Philip Glass the other night. He is quite the dynamic character, and his music really reflects this. It was so fascinating to learn how there is always music playing in his mind, and when he composes, sometimes he has to strain to hear the notes. He doesn’t necessarily feel as though he is writing, but rather listening and scrambling to get it down with pencil and paper before it is gone.
I think writing is like that for me. I’ve always got my stories going, and sometimes, not nearly often enough, I sit at the keyboard and try to keep pace with the words as they stream through my mind. On the occasions when I hear music, unlike Mr. Glass, it is never my own, unique composition, though sometimes it is one of his!
This is what I’ve been hearing lately and actually queued up on the I-Pod. I call it Drifting. Try it yourself, you’ll see why.
“From the Same Hill” – Brian Eno
“Astral Weeks” – Van Morrison
“Sunset Soon Forgotten” – Iron & Wine
“Johnson’s Aeroplane” – INXS
“The Way” – Jill Scott
“Dime Que Te Quea” – Gecko Turner
“Umi Says” – Mos Def
“Sometime Later” – Alpha
“Jennifer” – Eurythmics
“Naima” – John Coltrane
“Moonlight Mile” – The Rolling Stones
“Going to California” – Led Zeppelin
“North Dakota” – Lyle Lovett
“Blue Sunday” – The Doors
“Violet” - Seal
“Alone in Kyoto” – Air
Have a great weekend!
Welcome to Under a Red Roof.
I’m Colleen Sohn, writer, poet, dreamer.
I like to take pictures.
I’m a bit silly, love yoga, eating, and good stories, because bad ones are a bummer.
Thanks for stopping by…
