I have been traveling. First to Salt Lake for a family event, and then on to my heart's home in Northern California. The dry grasses have the familiar smell that never fails to stir a flicker of remembrance. I don't know if we ever lose our memory of smell. I walked the hills with my good friends and we talked, laughed and watched the birds. What could be better.
I came home from that adventure to leave for Maine. This trip took me to the home of the young puppy that will soon be sharing the farm with us. 5 week old puppies, to cute to even describe.
So now I am home for a while. I was greeted with much interested by Jake and Zoe. They knew I had been with other dogs, and they were trying to find out as much about them as they could through their noses.
One of the guinea fowl met his demise while I was away. Now a solitary little guy prowls the property. It seems a little sad to me. Although they were often engaged in battles, they were always together. I wonder if he is lonely, I fear he must be.
The gardens are going to seed. Cone flowers are now food for the gold finches. The daisies are completely gone, as is the penstemon. There is some re-bloom on an assortment of spring bloomers, lavender, clematis, and phlox, but it is sporadic and much less than the first flush.
The butterflies and hummingbirds, however, are being kept very happy with the salvias, scutellaria and antirrhinums which along with the warm season grasses are just coming into their full glory. Out the back door along the walk there is a full flush of bloom from the row of Cryopteris which I call butterfly alley.
The pears are almost ripe. This is the first year we will have much of a harvest. The figs are also maturing and starting to produce the fruit that is so sweet and good warmed by the sun, straight off the tree.The sunlight is starting come later and leave earlier, but the garden will remain a delight for at least 2 more months.
