an easter planting

I honored this Easter day by planting two of my boysenberry plants. Couldn't prepare the other planting bed this week because of the rain. I rushed out this morning before the wind and rain set in again, and this is a beginning of my new boysenberry garden. Since they will be tiny this year, I'm going to throw in a bunch of flower seeds to see what happens. I have two other beds to plant also and will probably do pumpkins, tomatoes and peppers - maybe some zucchini. With weather on my side, I'll get the other 3 berry plants in the ground this week. Then it's time to build the trellises.

The start of season of fresh homemade jam. It's all about faith.
An appropriate day to plant, heh?

The flowering almond and daylillies are are stalwart
 in the wind and the cold.

This little reminder of the translator of words to paper
keeps track of the garden.

spring's promise

The daffodil has ventured out

she bends to the breeze

the bradford pear shows her appreciation of some sun

and yellow seems to be the theme in middle spring

brave blossoms

hope

spring's promise of renewal

sweet daffodil bows to the breeze

this bradford pear hasn't bloomed in years -
she must be happy to see the sun…

and spring is here despite winter's unwillingness to let go…

spring whispers

an open window

a gently drifting curtain

spring has made an appearance

if only fleeting

well appreciated

march …

… continues her lionlike presence refusing to let go of winter. Out my office window, the trees bend to her wind, but the grass, flowers, bushes, and yes, trees, soak up her sustenance. Nature is both fierce and forgiving.

lila the tax professional

Lila, my sweet fluffy kitty 

was quite concerned as I was hissing and scratching through my 2010 tax return.

 She kept the printer warm and would occasionally stare at me 

and lick her paw. 

Let there always 

be a cat by my side.

a post - a dream

A cow scratcher and acres of land. This is a dream, an old ranch that would be houses, concrete covered, cheek-to-jowl living but for the crash. Building has ceased. That this old ranch is saved and I can walk on it makes me happy. I dream of owning it, reviving it, making it a working horse/cattle ranch, someplace for children and adults to come see what rural means. It's a dream. I am, really, thankful for my little plot of land.


The cow scratcher. The cows could rub against this and medicine would cling to their fur and reject bugs and flies. How clever. I dream of free running cows and horses, maybe some chickens, definitely some goats, a garden, fruit trees in abundance and reviving the swimming pool that graces this land. Yes, people did know how to live back then, big, billowing cottonwoods creating a shaded lane, places to sit and dream and read.


A post - A dream. It's snowing outside - spring is delayed.

a little trip - more photos

I just have to share a couple more photos from Louisville. I mean, how classy is a city that has these hanging outside, on street corners …

… yes, chandeliers hanging out there on street corners in a city that has these …

… yes, tornadoes, the proof in the sculpture. There are all sorts of sculptures, thoroughbred statues, plaques, memorials, telling visitors - and residents - who this city is. Apparently a proud city. How lovely.

tiny bits of life

life is insistent

I'm sitting here in my office lit by the gray sky trying to obscure the coming of spring. This place doesn't give into spring easily. It squalls and blows, clouds block out the sun, the temperatures dips into freezing, the white of snow blankets the ground for a bit, but lie pushes through the warming soil, and soon yellow daffodils will be blowing in that March wind, called by spring, resistant to lingering winter.

A little trip

Brooke - my daughter - and I took a trip to Louisville, fly in one day, one day for meetings, fly out the next. But we took advantage of the time and did a little scouting around the old city near our hotel. Here we are in the hotel room before we set out…

We could see the Ohio River and a park outside our hotel room and decided to find it - we were on the 9th floor and turned around, but we did manage to get there - and took photos.

Photo of someone famous - no name - my bad

This park had several statues and then this wide, long, lazy river and a bridge connecting two states.

It was a dreary day but warm. Who can ask more than that in winter. It wasn't until the next day that we say barges full of ??? chugging down the river. And then it was time to look at old buildings. Here in the west, we don't get to see much old architecture. It's kind of a tear it down and build it again sort of place.

I think this lovely old column, attached to a gorgeous old building, is part of a revitalization program that is ongoing in old Louisville.

Not so sure what's going to happen with this one. Talk about on it's last leg. But so interesting in the middle of town. And then across the street was this …

The Louisville Slugger Museum and factory. Oh so many famous names are on the wall inside and you can buy your very own Louisville Slugger bat and …

Yep, that's Babe Ruth's plaque. All up and down this street are bats and plaques of the famous players who used Louisville Slugger. One of Ruth's bats is in the museum, and it is HEAVY!

That's the little tour for today. Sorry the post is so long, but this is a fun place to visit.

the game stopper

the spidery-limbed tree

Did you ever have one of those days - a game stopper?

A real one came for me when I took a fiction writing class.

In college. 

Taught by a published author.

But she became my game stopper,

my permanent editor, 

my sisyphus mountain.

'The spidery-limbed tree.

A phrased from my short story

Being critiqued in class.

The author started.

Spidery-limbed?

No such thing?

Doesn't make sense.

And continued in that vein.

I've had a difficulty time allowing me, myself

to write fiction and poetry since then.

The game stopper.

Not optimistic about this one.

me & my shadow

always with me

It was a blustery day, the wind pushing at me, telling me

not to take to the run today. Then I noticed - my shadow 

running along side me, strong, moving forward despite

the buffeting. Strong. Not such a bad day after all.

Winter comes a callin'

Winter has arrived. Yes. In February. After two weeks of record highs - that would be high 50s to 60s. We need the water - that's perspective of living in a rain shadow/desert. Soooo … enjoy the beauty, take photos and plan not to work in the garden this weekend.

birds won't be feasting here & little yellow truck is lonely

old rusty trike taking on more character

Happiness is gardening … & sweet valentines……

The girls & I got home from our run and it was so

And Happy Valentines Day!

unseasonably warm that I decided I needed to
water. So I got the ice out of the hoses and 
started - and then the leaves caught my eye -
oh yes, needed to clean those up. Ended up 
spending the entire morning out there - of course,
after feeding the Corgis. And they loved it, 
making themselves mud Corgis when they
waded in the tree basins. Didn't get the
watering done - it takes several days to
complete winter watering with hoses. But
I did remember why I named my blog Garden of
Rambles. I write, I sew, I knit, I make books, I
play with paper, make cards - and I garden.
The thrill that ran through me today reminded
me why this is the name - gardening is the one
thing that I have confidence that I can do. I just 
go for it. Wish I could do the same with the
crafting and writing.

Winter showing off

Winter dresses herself in jewels of ice.

It was a warm day and we were snowshoeing

but each turn along the stream brought new beauty.

It's at these times that it's hard to dread winter.

We are having an unusually warm winter,

and I don't mind. It's a relief from last year.

But it's good that I get a peak of 

why I live in a place that has four seasons.

Each brings it's own inspiration,

it's own unique guideposts.

Can we learn from nature's change of heart through the year?

winter art

birds overhead

The sky was busy this early morning as I ran along with my Corgis for our exercise. A gang of pigeons heading north, a group of blackbirds heading westerly, a gaggle of geese flying out of the desert to a more promising eating spot, probably a nearby park. But the hawk is the one that stopped me. I had to watch the grace of the flight.


I love it that I can spot hawks at least once a week. We have sparrow hawks, Coopers's hawks, Yakis, red-tail and more. Red-tail seem to like Spanish Springs. It has to much lighter then it was  for me this morning to figure out exactly what I'm looking at, but the pleasure isn't diminished. Flying - inspires the imagination. How to get myself to soar, this earth bound woman wishing to loosen the ties, free the imagination. The hawk may be hunting for food. I'm hunting for soul nourishment.

a Spanish Springs hawk - Red Tail

i'm dreamin' of…

Warm air. Flowers blooming. Kids having fun with the animals and swimming. Outdoor parties. It's just after 6 pm and malaise has set in. I'm going to bed. I have so many projects that I want to get to, but I'm hit with ennui. Frustrated that I can't get this blog to look good. Tired of winter - yes, oh poor me, like there is anything I can do about it. Been up since 5, did get some work done, cleaned the corrals, ran with the dogs and I'm done. What I really miss is fall and Christmas. I am full of energy October through December. Now I can't find a creative thought. Don't know where their hiding. Maybe I'll find something in my dreams.

Josh & Rodney giving rides

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a reason for believing

Two posts from blogs I love have inspired me to post tonight. It's about believing without being religious, believing in soul and creativity and inspiration. Both Into the Woode and Knitting into the Wind have sent my mind racing. I love tonight's posts, I am not religious - too much politics there. I don't think religion is in the DNA. I do think that belief in soul and connection and a greater power of good is there. I think it sparks creativity. Religion - when I was a child, I was told that my dog Susie couldn't go to heaven with me - animals don't have souls. So I decided I would just go wherever Susie was going. Still feel that way. I see spirit, something greater than mere human and that all the living have soul - the butterflies that stop by my Valerian, the hawks that hunt the quail, the coyotes that bound along beside me wondering if I'll give up one of my Corgis to her. Nature in her might - how lovely. May the week bring you all some joy, some peace, some excitement, some inspiration and some creativity.