My life in the Country

It has been a bad patch lately what with having to do the hour and a half commute into town for this and that. But, when we are home here it is our habit to walk out before breakfast the even mile to the mail box to get the papers. There is always a changing landscape, always something to see along the route.

Today, Andy discovered a small box turtle in the middle of the sandy track. I picked him up and placed him on route to going back into the swamp. We could hear the red shouldered hawks, hunting as a pair and cranes in the distance. The regular cardinals and warblers were in their usual places along the road, and today we saw the deer we know looking at us and then bounding off into the thicket showing us their friendly white behinds.

Just at dawn it isn't that hot, but we are longing for the change in the weather that each fall eventually makes us energetic about gardening and cutting wood for the winter. The fall garden is coming along. The lettuces, beans, broccoli and peas are up. I can just about see the carrots emerging. While working in the vegetable garden this morning I have never seen so many butterflies! They are attracted to the red sage and milkweed I left when I earlier did such an aggressive weeding. The weeds, particularly the wandering jew and pennywort keep on emerging and I keep on covering them with heavy hay. Our picnic table and the wooden boards on the garden fence are now festooned with butterfly chrysalises. I check them daily, hoping to see the instant those butterflies emerge.

Tomorrow we are going off for a week in Colombia to look at rain forests. It is supposed to rain here, but just to be safe I have my water timer on in the vegetable garden. The orchids will have to adapt, the dog is going to stay with her special friends.

Today is my daughter's birthday! I am glad that I am not now in the throes of labor, but I am so glad I once was on this very day. It was worth it! How amazing it has been to be the mother to this child, the daughter under my heart.

So, I am off to birding in Colombia for eight days.