The slow fade of Summer

 Where has Summer gone? Where has the YEAR gone? I have not done anything this Summer that I would have normally, and it is kind of bumming me out. I keep telling myself that there's next year, but ah, the folly of man to think that time is endless, and guaranteed. Woodchuck said that we should go do something tomorrow night when he gets home from work, but most nights we don't even get outside for a walk around the block anymore. Last night, I was so tired even I forgot about the walk. My soul really, really needs to be carefree and cageless. Not trapped in four walls, and not governed by a clock.

So I went to a Women's Circle last weekend that has been on my radar for a couple of months now. I didn't sign up until the day before, because I wanted to make sure that nothing was going to pop up to prevent me from going, and I wanted to make sure that I could follow through even if something didn't pop up. I nearly talked myself out of going! Even 15 minutes before having to leave my house, I was debating on just bailing, but I didn't want to waste the money that Woodchuck works so hard for. I have anxiety anyways about traveling, about unknown places, and this was no different but made even more intense by knowing that a previous friend of mine also frequents this group. It is not that I wouldn't be kind and civil in running across her, but I didn't want HER to feel uncomfortable or like I was invading her territory. As it turned out though, I had nothing to worry about because she wasn't there. Others in the group also interact with her, as they should! She offers many great things to people, it's just that we don't mix well. 

The group was small, which made it less overwhelming for me! Two facilitators and three of us attendees. Everyone was very kind, and of course I cried, and then another person cried, and then finally another person cried. It was held outside on a beautiful piece of property, and the weather was just perfect! I am working on getting back to daily care, even just something that takes moments. I guess with everything packed up, I see that as a barrier or obstacle. Maybe it's the monkey brain I have now with everything going?  The older I get, the harder it gets to focus. 

We sat in a circle, we each pulled a tarot card and after introducing ourselves, we read our cards aloud. It was beautiful to see how each one reflected the life moments and energies and of each of us! It was so refreshing to be reminded that I am not alone, that there are others out there that think and feel the same way, are questioning the same things, but are willing to come together in that search even if just for a couple of hours. I found myself repeatedly feeling awkward about talking and sharing, only because I felt like I was taking up too much time and taking away from the others. I am sure that is a trauma response. Once we shared and pulled our cards, we also did a bit of relaxation techniques and yoga, then a sound bath. I had dozens of little sweat bees (hoverflies) landing on me, and while I love them, the tickling while laying down with my eyes closed made it hard to let go completely. Silly little insects! But my card was the Four of Cups. Hitting on emotional stability, safety, getting my needs met, etc. in the top right corner of my card was a sideways 69, but when looking at the card upright, it looks like the Pisces fish. I am a Pisces. I also need to delve more into the numbers 4, 6, 9, and 15 (the combination of 6 and 9). Also, notice: 6 + 9= 15. 5+1=6. 5-1= 4. So fascinating!

Certain senses of mine are starting to heighten as I slowly release the stress and trauma. I was outside pulling weeds and noticed a flutter out of the corner of my eye. I recognized that flutter, and especially since I didn't see a butterfly perched on the end of the branch, I knew it was going to be a mantis. But what kind? Of course, the non-native Chinese Mantis.

I also found another cicada. This one was on its back as well, like the one I found on a hike some weeks ago. 

Woodchuck is tackling the workshop in bits and pieces. It must be so hard for him to be gone from home for nearly 12 hours and then come home and do stuff like this. Most recently, he painted the workshop ceiling, and aside from getting paint on the floor and furniture that was supposed to be covered, I think he did a great job 😂 He just has to cut in around the edges, but honestly? The color is SO close to what was up there, it's hardly noticeable if he doesn't get it done.

We managed to remember to go for a walk one evening when he got home. That seems to be the best time to get it done, though I prefer after dinner. Walk off the food, aid the digestion, get closer to the time of dusk....which is one of my favorite times of day! But any time going for a walk is better than not going at all. The cottonwoods are dropping leaves, as are other trees.

On our most recent trip to the land, I was grateful for the reduced humidity and comfortable breezes. 

I worked my way over to the wildflower patch, taking everything in as I went.

I pulled some QAL, and cut and treated some Autumn Olive, and broke out into the open prairie.

I am hoping to collect milkweed seed this year!  Normally I leave them, but these are in an area that will get completely cleared of vegetation and then likely treated with an herbicide, all done by a professional. I want to be able to save the seeds for future planting elsewhere to make up for the loss here, as well as pass some along to others who don't have any.

The thistle are super tall and blooming right now, much to the delight of the butterflies.

The Boneset exploded this year! I couldn't believe how much I could see from the otherside of the ditch!

There are SO many of these clovers this year! Originally just seen on the watershed, I am seeing them on the prairie now. Lespedeza Captitata, Roundhead bushclover. Native.

Lespedeza Virginica, slender bushclover. Native.

With Woodchucks help, we were finally able to clean up the wildflower patch! Since we didn't have enough cages and cut coffee cans to protect all of the plants from the weed whacker, we would do a section, then pull some of the cans and cages and put those over another section, weed whack, and then work that way down the line until it was done. Once I have enough cans to protect all of the plants, it won't take as long! And then once the plants are established here,  it will be easier to know where they are and work around them. The hope is to eventually transplant some of them around the house next year. 

When I was walking up to this spot, I spotted a hawk in the trees above. So I stopped and watched it for quite awhile before it flew down to the marshy area to catch lunch, and then off into the trees.

The perfect kind of day to be outside!

Once we got back home, we were still in work mode! Unfortunately, that almost came to a screeching halt when Woodchuck got his finger caught in a metal clasp on the shed and really needed stitches, but refused. He put up new trim around his woodshop door.

We got some new wood stained and hung across the bottom of the side of the shed where it's starting to rot and curl a bit. Since we don't know what the next owners will want to do with this shed, use it, fix it, start over; we figured this would be a good move for now.

               I love how the patio looks at this time of year, I just wish we could enjoy it more! 

Well. At least someone/thing is enjoying the patio and canopy! Orb Weaver

As the full moon draws closer, I look out the window every night before bed to see it.

Little by little, I am pulling weeds (again) from the garden area, and digging up the chives that we stupidly planted a couple of decades ago when we didn't know any better! It gave me a chance though to see some new fungi.

I have been better this week taking time to myself. To sit outside and listen to nature, to boost my vitamin D levels, which I already feel tanking with Summer loosening its grip, and to also let my nervous system wind down. Some days are easier than others to take these moments.

I apparently was in the territory of this tiny little jumping spider! Its home was in the big planter pot that I had my legs up on. What a cutie! They have most adorable little faces!

We managed to finally close the construction loan process with the bank this past week. Right up to the time the notary walked out of our door, there was dysfunction, unprofessionalism, and conflicting information with all parties concerned. We are hoping to find out more this coming week about the next steps. There are a lot of markets that I want to attend or vend at between now and the end of the year, but I have no idea if I am going to be in the thick of building, contractors, inspections, moving, etc. In the meantime, I am literally giddy, observing the natural world around me. What a blessing, what a miracle that life is.

I love watching squirrels, especially when they are burying/unburying the acorns. This cutie has a unique tail. Thin, fringed in white the whole way up and down the sides and tip. She stopped and took some drinks from the water dish that I leave out for birds and insects....and squirrels. I say "she", though she was a bit too far away for me to tell for sure.

Closer to the Full Moon

I am trying really hard to remember to watch where I am walking. I recently caught the anchor thread on an orb weaver web, but the builder was tucked up under the upper deck in the shade and was unharmed. I went outside the next morning and she had fixed her web to look exactly how it did before I accidentally set it loose. This other web however, has been in the same spot for a few days now. It is an orbweaver as well. I had to take the canopy top off recently and drop the frame lower, and was surprised to find that the web wasn't anchored to it! One of its anchor lines was attached to the ground on the patio and now has a leaf stuck to it and is fluttering around 😍

For my self-care time-outs, I have been using this adorable basket a friend got me! I think it was supposed to be an Easter basket, but it's too cute to not use now. So I load it up with my projects and snacks and water, and head outside. It makes me feel very free and almost child-like to lay out a sheet on the grass, light some incense, and read a book. I feel like I am having a picnic, having "play time" outside that doesn't involve the adult work that I do to care for the land. In a way, it has been very freeing and healing to my inner child.

It feels good to be able to enjoy the yard and what we work so hard on to call ours. There have been large swathes of time where I hide out inside of my home because of the people around us.

And the moon is finally full! Not only was it a full moon, but also a partial Lunar Eclipse! I had planned on stepping outside under it at bedtime, but someone was burning close by and it was too hard to breathe. So I stuck my arm out the front door, snapped some shots, and gave thanks. This was before the eclipse started, so I never got to see it.

Pierogi the cat woke me up around 4:15 a.m. the next day to remind me that I am close to missing the moon as it lit up my side of the bed. I threw up the shade and laid in the moonlight.

Even Pierogi took some time to watch, until I accidentally scared her by knocking something off of the nightstand. 🙀

I was filled with such a deep sorrow, feeling myself sliding into depression. I cried, and cried, and cried. I let myself feel the responsibility of the some revelations made, gave in to the heartbreak enough to finally let it all out. Laying there crying, I thought this was it, that I needed to overall my entire life; but I know better than to act on that when I am feeling that way. Sit with it, roll it around in my head, than take another look. I was gentle with myself all day, literally doing nothing this day but just be. I was sad to see the moon go, sad to not be able to see it turn colors as the sun rose up to greet it. I imagined the moon and sun doing a bit of a dancing bow to each other as each took their rightful place.

                                                        The sun coming up in the East

The moon disappearing in the West

I finished the wolf cross-stitch and got it ready for framing. I love a crisply ironed stitched piece! It makes me feel good to finish these kinds of things around the house instead of always doing chores.

I went ahead and set up a new project for evening work while watching t.v. I think my sister got me this kit as a gift? But I glean so much along the way that I can't remember for sure.

As we head into a new week, and a whole new month, the calendar shows things being a bit more manageable. Now that construction can start, I am sure that will change. 😂Stay tuned!!! 

As the witch continues

 What is it with the storms this year?! I may have jinxed myself with the touching of the Wicked Witch, and the decision not to buy her. We had horrible storms that afternoon and evening. She must have thought that my name was Dorothy.

Weeks of miserable, humidity. So much so, that working on art in the workshop was not doable, at all or for long periods of time.

I did manage to work on the next step of the nature keepsake jar. Dried fleabane heads and petals in a resin like glue. Having the dehumidifier always running in there at this time of year will help it dry well! I have been practicing making things because I enjoy that, and not pressuring myself to get it all done right now, all at once. Like a good friend recently told me, I am juggling a lot of moving pieces in life! I have gotten out of the habit of truly feeling enjoyment, more than I am in constant work mode, and have become out of the balance. Little things like this project help to put things in order again.

It took a good week or so, but the lid dried, and I was able to finally put it all together! The newest addition to the jar was a tiny wasp nest that I pulled off of the door hinge of my oldest sons car. He said it had been there for a number of years and kept forgetting to bring it up.

I also have been spending time with a new project that was started weeks ago outside with Woodchuck (actually before that, but that is when the vision really started coming together), and I am really liking how it is turning out, but it has been a slow process. Woodchuck said I can't charge in my final price for all of the experimentation I do along the way on pieces. While I do agree that if I charged per hour for the amount of time I put into things, they wouldn't sell around here, I disagree that artists can't include that experimentation period in their price tag in some way. Every step of the way with this piece, I have had to start over numerous times, but because I don't sit down in one, two, or three sittings and have something come together, does not mean that it took less for me to make it. Quite the opposite, it took MORE for me to make it. More time, more energy, more thought, more trial and error. But the end results also feels more magickal. I don't enjoy struggling with things along the way, and the more I try and force creating, the worse it looks and feels. It can be hard to truly understand the process of each artist, but it's so important that because of that, we have to be careful in what we say ABOUT their process. He can make art his way, and charge what he wants for it, but it's wrong to dictate to me how I should go about my process and what I can and cannot charge for.

Part of the reason it is taking me so long on this project is because 1) all of the starting over 2) lack of large amounts of time to devote to it 3) there is no pattern, no instructions for what I am making! It is coming right out of my mind and spirit.

This is one of my favorite times of year at our current home. It just looks so vibrant and alive and colorful. It's the best time of year to put it up on the market!

The grapes!

The lavender is blooming and a Common Eastern Bumblebee is taking its fill!

White Avens is spreading and blooming!

In between the days and days of storms and sporadic rain, I mowed and spent some time with this friend! An Elm Sphinx Moth. Let me just take a moment to gently remind you readers, that while yes-some insects in certain stages of development can be a pest to crops, we must think ahead to all of the stages of their development and if they are beneficial anywhere along the line. And also, the amount of them that we find. I follow a gardener on FB who did a post recently about horned worms on his tomato plants and how he always unalives them and everyone was encouraging each other to do so! *I* would encourage people to see what that worm turns into, and would hope they might take other, non-lethal, methods to save their tomato plants. Every.single.decision.we.make. affects something, and maybe that affect won't be immediately seen.

This moth was VERY large! A good 3 inches long, but sadly it didn't open its wings while I viewed it.

My oldest son and I went for a quick walk around town recently, and I saw all of these patches of mushrooms that were now past their prime. They were all in an area of mulch.

Taking advantage of our time together, and the nice weather, we went back to his house where he mowed and I continued to work on his rock beds. I enjoy my time with him, and I love that he enjoys his time with me, but my body is getting to the point where squatting down or bending over to weed is very painful for my hips. To try and keep up with his house, my house, and the land is just no longer realistic physically for me, and honestly, he needs to do these things for his own house. But I helped one last time, and I found this beautiful fox sedge growing too close to his a/c unit outside! He has a large, bare corner there since I took down the invasive bushes years ago, so I moved the sedge farther from the unit. Because his dehumidifier in the basement drains out to the corner, having plants there to help erosion is a good thing, plus any water from the dehumidifier will help keep them watered too until they get established. 

When I say that I moved this, I make it sound so quick and easy! As grass-type plants typically do, this bad boy had some ROOTS! My son did not have the tools in his garage that I needed, so I grabbed what I could and wrestled with this for far too long to get it out of the ground and moved a few feet!

I am not sure yet of this one. My app brought up that it might be tarragon, but there was no smell when I rubbed the leaves. So when in doubt, leave it! Let it mature some more and keep checking along the way. I also have some at my home and at the land.

This stuff was all over! One picture angle said it was non-native, another picture angle said it was native. I left it!

After ripping out what I knew for sure was not great stuff, I found some clasping bellflower! I was so excited! This is what we have at the land too.

I also struggled with transplanting the very large fleabane plant from the front to his back corner. That thing was ESTABLISHED, and again, I did not have the proper tools. But I made it happen! Even if it doesn't survive the transplant, I am hoping it will drop seeds for next year.

And this is what it looked like when I was done, though a white avens that I transplanted there as well got cut off in the picture upload.

I was still a bit "on alert" on this day working outside because of the storms the previous night, and the winds were blowing in a way that really had my attention. It was constantly on my mind as I worked, but I can be pretty hyper-focused on a project, and I just kept on working. Until I just couldn't ignore it anymore. I stopped working, came out from behind the house where it opened up more, figured I would take a picture of the beautiful blue sky and sun, and was looking at the picture. I had just caught the edge of a sunbow! So I took a more in-frame photo and caught it! I gave thanks to my ancestors who kept trying to get my attention so that I could see it!

I could barely walk but needed to get this project done! I was in the final stretch and wasn't paying as close attention as I usually do, looking for insects and critters, and I disturbed this moth. It is a migratory one, white speck, from what I read! 

There has been a bit of debate as to whether this bindweed is native or not. I did a quick search while sitting on the ground next to it and it showed up as Field Bindweed. Others in a native plant group that I belong to say it's a native Erect Bindweed that just got stepped on. Nobody stepped on this, I can tell you that. And honestly? I am not going to get identification right 100% of the time, and when it comes to stuff like this, and the fact that my son doesn't pull weeds and doesn't know what is good stuff or bad stuff, it was best to just pull it.

The burning bush is coming back, so I will need to cut and treat that again.

And this species of geranium is EVERYWHERE right now. 😖

My oldest son loves spending time with me, but he doesn't always want to tag along at places just because he enjoys my company. I recently had to stop at a local greenhouse to pick up some native flowers/grasses that I ordered, and he wanted to tag along in the hopes of seeing the family that run it because he went to school with their daughter, who now also works there. With it being a Saturday morning though, they were at a market. So my trip was in and out, with no socializing on his part...much to his dismay, lol.

50 plants for just under $44. I probably should have waited until next year, but this was the first year they offered this, and they weren't sure that it would be offered again next year. Plus, I won't be a resident of this county next year, and that's who it was open to (but yes, I know there are ways around that. <whistling innocently>). Now to find a good time to get out to the land and get these in the ground. Rain, rain, high humidity, rain.

But we went that evening, figuring we would get in as many as we could. It was miserably sticky outside, and more storm clouds were blowing in. We also hadn't had a chance to clear an area for them yet, so Woodchuck got on the tractor and cleared it in no time. When we bought the land, this area was a WALL of invasives. And I mean wall! While they need to be cleared out from around the base of the trees again, the transformation has been long-lasting otherwise.

We got 24 of the 50 in, with plans to come back the next evening to get more done. I love getting dirty and crawling around, but man, my knees and hips keep reminding me that I am not a child anymore.

We went back the next night and all of the plants were perfect. None went into shock, all were as we left them, and we were able to finish the planting. Woodchuck dug the holes for me.

We checked on the wildflowers in the forest that I transplanted from the county park (they were giving them away). If you remember from a previous post, something immediately got the jack-in-the-pulpit....and I should have taken the time then to cage everything off. But I didn't. Now everything was gone. The Eastern Waterleaf and the Trillium as well. Serves me right for not being a good plant mom.

Since we were close by, we looked at the Elder Elderberry that is literally on its last leg and still blossoming! How ironic for the state of life we all keep finding ourselves in the past 6 years! On our last leg but still blossoming!

And I found this gorgeous sedge (I am a BIG fan of sedges! They have some vibrant colors even without flowers) called Carex Scoparia, or Pointed Broom Sedge. I mean, come on! Can a witch's property be complete without some Pointed Broom anything?!

We were finally able to walk farther back on the property to check for damage. I have not been IN the back woods, but just looking from the edges made me think that there was nothing major that had happened in there. We also haven't been on the watershed yet, which does not have the amount of tall trees yet that the forest does, but literally all we've found so far are these couple of small branches....

And this Staghorn Sumac that just laid over. They were not in the best of condition when we bought the land, possibly because this area gets too wet, too often. There are others around it though, and once we start cleaning up the edges of the forest, we can deal with them then. In the meantime, they are still leafing out and producing Drupes, which is good food for pollinators and good for humans too!

I pointed this area out again to Woodchuck, that we need to get on it to save the two trees that the invasives are taking down. You can't even tell that I pulled at least two bags of vines from this spot.

Back up in the barn, a beautiful Rabid Wolf Spider greeted us. I don't want to know what Woodchuck does to the spiders when I am not around.

I pulled some SD cards, and laughed out loud when I saw this photo. Can you see the cardinal in it? It's a Cardinal Torpedo 😂

Woodchuck recently rented another U-Haul, but this time it was for us. He wanted to get all of his tools, power tools, and machinery, and workout equipment moved, and let me tell you......this girl was helping to lift some HEAVY stuff. But at least it is done and he said he has no intentions of renting another one before we move. So, each time we go to the land, I load my car up with other stuff that didn't make it when he took the truck for the one trip before the motor locked up (😡), and since nothing of mine made it into the U-Haul, it's up to me and my car. What doesn't fit will have to wait until he hires the professional movers. I giggle when I think of all of the people in town who saw this truck and got the gossip phone going again! Even my oldest son sent me a text about how he saw the U-Haul in the front yard, and HE knows we are moving.

That was a busy day! We were hauling ass to try and beat a storm that was coming in, plus had to get the truck back by 11:00 over half an hour away from the land. We literally ran with stuff off of the truck and just put it down where there was space and figured when we came back, he could start putting it where he wanted it. But we did it, and went back to the land a bit later so we could both get some work done.

This was only some of the stuff. And yes, I helped lift and move the punching bag, the stand for it, and all-in-one workout system, etc. Not bad for a 52 year old, 5 foot tall girl who is recovering from two surgeries already this year. Should I have done that though? Absolutely not, and my body let me know it, but I figured it was better that the two of us work together to lift something (when Woodchuck slowed down enough to let that happen), than to have either one of us hurt.

We headed back to town to a storm.

Back to the land we go! Woodchuck needed to fix the pitcher pump because the seal rotted out. I had NO idea that those seals are leather!!! 😱 And I LOVE leather and wanted to see how to fix it. Now look, his intentions are always good, but his undiagnosed ADHD is out of control when it comes to certain things. Teaching others is where it really comes through. I walked with him out to the pump, he took it apart, we went back to the barn, and then he said something was locked up and it would take him awhile to get it apart and that I should go work on my things until he was ready for the next step. You know what happened, right? Yep. He fixed it without me. And I am actually really bummed about that. Would I ever be able to do this on my own? Probably not if he struggled to get things apart, because he is MUCH stronger and bigger than I am, but.....it was a process that I would have loved to learn and see.

So I went back to my work while I watched the skies.

I walked over to the newly planted native wildflowers and grasses......to find that half of them were dug up and laid next to the hole. I could just imagine some animal gently pulling each plant and plug out, saying, 'Nope.", and laying it beside the hole.

So I replanted everything, and we worked at putting up a deer fence. Those types of fences are not my favorite and over time, I hope to stop using them completely, but it's all we had on hand. At least it was MUCH cooler and comfortable to be crawling around on the ground with the plants.

Back up at the barn, I think I found where the black widow lives!

And I saved this bold jumping spider from getting stepped on in the barn.

Years ago, when we first bought the land and I was trying to learn about every single thing growing out there, I came across these St. Johns Wort. Fast forward to 5 years later and someone in a plant group posts a picture of their St. Johns Wort bush and it looks NOTHING like mine. Well, that's because it ends up that mine is the non-native/invasive one. Another thing to add to the list to remove.

Woodchuck had a Rose Chafer hitch a ride on his shirt.

I will have my hands full over the next couple of weeks, and numerous trips, pulling this invasive Spotted Lady Finger from the new pond berm. If I tried to bag it all, it would likely be at least 20 bags, so I checked with the plant group on how best to dispose of it. It is not something I am looking forward to doing by myself, but it needs to be done. Luckily there are some wonderfully native, similarly looking Willow Weed dotted amongst the other stuff. Hopefully by removing the bad stuff, it will let the good stuff take over.

It's funny how I can hear the deer in the flood waters. They are SO loud moving through it that it sounds like something huge is running up on you.

These waters are deeper in spots than they look! I was thinking about these waters recently, and tried to view them from the perspective of an ecological standpoint. Sure, it's a mess right now, and mosquito nursery, detrimental to the trees who have been standing in this water for a long time and aren't meant to and are now falling over, and a loss of land use for us......but how can I work WITH this? And highlight the good aspects? This area has always been marshy and marks the beginning boundary of the watershed, but with the removal of all of the vegetation when heavy equipment came through, the creation of ruts and compaction of soil, the perfect storm happened. But in observing what is happening to this spot over time, I noticed some wonderful things were provided by the water that hadn't been there before: HUNDREDS of baby toads. We have had them previous, of course, and in some other area that would flood a bit, but not in the amount that we had this year and not in the spot! Toads are an indicator of a healthy water/eco-system. We also have a lot of native grass popping up that we didn't have before. We have seen ducks, herons/cranes; and we know that at some point the water will evaporate when we head into a drought. It really calms me down thinking about it in this way. I don't know if the trees that are falling were there when the previous owner started modifying the land, or if they are volunteers that came after, were planted by him, etc. So as those fall, and the land dries up enough in the forest on the edge of this for us to be able to clean out the invasives, maybe somewhere down the line we can plant water tolerant trees that are native to our area. The face of the land is always changing! BTW, I stepped out into the waters to see how far out I could go and how deep it was....only to find out that my rain boots were not water-tight. Anybody have any recommendations for some tough, water-tight, yet flexible and comfy boots?

I always confused when I see a rose plant in this color! Why some and not others? In a quick research, it acts as a sunscreen for new growth. Huh. Too bad this one is an invasive Multiflora Rose.

On a recent trip to Menards, we forgot to pick up more survey flags (we always forget one thing every time we go there!) As luck would have it, the Soil and Water Conversation District in the county we will be moving to posted that same day about survey flag bundles that they have for sale! So we drove down the next day to buy some.

Amongst all of the hustle and bustle, I was able to pick out the beads for the moon project I have been working on. That Periwinkle color makes me drool!

Woodchuck and I did something new and went to a green drinks event being held at a favorite location of ours. I took water, he took coffee. I am glad that we made the effort to go, and enjoy the beautiful evening outside. I also got to see these beautiful, prickly pears!

I had to move a trail cam recently, as the vegetation grows taller, and was treated to these special images of a fawn. On a trip back to the land a bit later after seeing these pictures, I was able to see the baby for myself, and also hearing it call for its mother. 😃

If this isn't a Bambi photo, I don't know what is!

Also photographed, the fox.

Things are moving forward beautifully with the loan process for the new house, and that should wrap up in the next couple of weeks. My friend/realtor came over recently to go over numbers, and the house, with me. This workshop space, which is my side and also the catch-all, will be changing dramatically! It's been a bit slow of a process getting Woodchuck to work on much of anything, and he will be starting back to 6 day work weeks next week. In a lot of ways, I am at a standstill on my part of the workshop until he does something with his side that held all of the work out equipment. Stay tuned! 

The nice days between rains are spaced in a way that I have to save SO much work to do on them that I can't get it all done. I can only do what I can do, and I don't want to miss out on the appreciation of the beauty of it all because I am too hyper-focused on work. These comfy temp days are drawing to close again as a high temp system moves in. At least I know that the animals will have plenty of water for awhile to drink and cool off in 😎