January 14, 2012

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Image ... Daffodils.

January 1, 2012

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The sun was out and the temperature in the mid-fifties. The day pulled me and the garden called with all the chores I'd been sloughing off since the continual floods of the fall dampened my motivation - and moreover ability, being under water - to do anything.

Started with a general cleanup, securing all the supplies and picking up and wheelbarrowing trash. Finished cutting up all the grape vine prunings and paved the sunroom patio with them, raising it up nicely out of the damp. Dug out more compost and unbroken-down plant debris, turning it into the planting beds. The four raised beds and the ground level bed by the sunroom (all very damp and collapsed from waterlogging) are now built up and lofted nicely.

The weather's supposed to be fairly nice tomorrow then turn really cold. So I think Monday, once it warms up by late morning, will be another garden appreciation day. After that, I'll hunker down in Snell Library, reopening tomorrow, and work on Roofscape.

Thought for now ...
It is impossible to live a pleasant life without living wisely and well and justly. And it is impossible to live wisely and well and justly without living a pleasant life.
... Epicurus.

Image ... Shadows on sculpture. Northeastern University.

October 5, 2010

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Quote of the Day
Don't go through life, grow through life.
Eric Butterworth

Image ... Porch shadows. Dorchester, Mass.

August 12, 2010

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Freddie biked by the garden, with Pete in tow, in the late afternoon just as I was watering and getting ready to leave. She gave me two zucchinis and an eggplant.

Weeding, mowing and pruning CC's garden. Cut the pool out from the tangle of grape vines formed by making an arbor over it earlier this summer. Now it's framed in a green grotto.

Quote of the Day
We are here to add what we can to life, not to get what we can from life.
William Osler

Image ... Kayaks. Charles River, Christian Herter Park, Brighton.

June 16, 2010

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Image ... Shadows.

May 26, 2010

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Another 90° day. A magnetic May day, hard to tear oneself away. Seeking shade, feeling the heat.

Day lilies just stemming up and heading out. How do they do that so quickly, so slyly, unnoticed, seemingly overnight? Since I've been watching them for signs. Hints. And today here they suddenly are. Somehow. Mysterious.

Worked for client in South End, renovating backyard, until I nearly fell over from the heat. Retreated to another job indoors. Visited Kelly. Fred called twice, chasing mulch.

Consulted our astrologer to find possible dates for the annual Red Sox - Full Moon Viewing Party in the garden. Now with a German cookout/picnic - brats, baseball and beer. No conjunctions this year, none close, even subtracting new added constraint - a Sunday date. We just totally lucked out in the first two years. I'll throw it open to suggestions. But of course we need a worthy opponent on the field. The Yankees would be ideal - with an eclipse, meteor shower or some celestial display.

Quote of the Day
Chaos is the score upon which reality is written.
Henry Miller

Image ... Porch Shadows.

May 3, 2010

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South and southwest breezes pushing the temperature up into the 70's with light scattered showers. Pollen in the air cloying as the scent of Easter lilies. Trees fully leafed out. Birds singing as they build. Feels like it might thunder later, that feeling of hushed anticipation.

Working on Roofscape's May 1 cover. A little bit behind, as always. Another nude cover. Wrote the N-E-W-S @ Roofscape section, uploaded - and I'll work my way down the cover updating all the sections bit by bit.

Biked to garden with more plants, seeds, pots, seed starting containers in the wooden planter bungeed to back of bike. The new bike basket on rear rack has a huge carrying capacity. Got at new key for Fred at Mass. Lock on the way.

Cloudy with scattered sprinkles. H-94°. L-0°. 10:00-72°, rising into 80's, W-SW,10. Canada goose, house sparrow, grackle, mallard, mockingbird, starling, white-throated sparrow.

Finished turning over and grooming beds, although some may have to be done a third time because they're still really too wet to work (but I was growing impatient, it is after all now May).

Mined 24 gallons of finished compost out of composter #1, near the gate. Added to the 3 raised beds in the middle of the garden, 1 gallon or so per square foot. That composter had already been mined somewhat earlier in the year, say I would say that its yield was around 30 gallons, or about 2 beds worth. We have 2 more composters in the garden to mine and the huge public pile close by.

Planted 3 basil and 1 hot pepper.

Neighbors: Ron, Bonnie.



Image ... Shadows. Nassau, the Bahamas.