Quietness & Solitude

Quiet beauty. Fragrance. Flutter.

Remembering Mother on Her Birthday

Remembering my mother. . .on this day of what would have been her 80th birthday. How she loved nature, and especially wild flowers. She's has been gone for ten years now, but her legacy lives on. She taught about life through everyday things. It was natural for her to teach life lessons to young and old alike through nature studies. Today I am reminded of wildflowers as I think of her.

This Calypso Lady Slipper Orchid was found right near the cabin yesterday in what I've named Lady Slipper Hollow.

The Longest Day

How did you spend "the longest day"? From here on out, each day will just get shorter and shorter, until the cycle starts all over again, of course. Yesterday we had 15 hours, 22 minutes, and 7 seconds of daylight. 

It was a perfect day to spend in nature. Lunch was complete with fresh foods of the season: blueberries, strawberries, Rainier cherries, and sweet onions. Fresh and local food is such a delight!

Sudo enjoyed the longest day too. She experienced her first visit to "the woods". She did quite well for a city dog. She loved attacking the pillows on the cabin sofas and took naps on a plaid, wool blanket. Actually, she took her naps burrowed under the wool blanket. She loves to be covered up! Later, she took a very long walk and actually wore herself out and begged to be carried for awhile.

There was a chill in the air and a campfire was welcoming and warming.

The wildflowers of the woods are transitioning into summer flowers. It seems like those plants that bloom with red blossoms don't show up until June. The Indian Paintbrush is lining "Paintbrush Lane" aka the winding road from gate to cabin.

Yesterday there were 24 hours of daylight at the North Pole. We didn't get close to that here, but the day was amazing anyway. How did you spend your longest day?

Happy summer!

Today I am linking up to Bernideen's Tea in the Garden

Tea at a Ghost Town

One of my favorite things to do is to go on an excursion with my family and visit ghost towns of the west. From Oregon to Arizona, there are so many interesting, out of the way places to visit. Each is unique and different. Each offers a picture into history. People who sought adventure in the wild west were brave and courageous. Some were greedy and others were just trying to create a new life that gave hope and opportunity to their families.

Recently we decided to head out to a place we'd never been. We drove over mountain passes and fertile valleys until we reached a narrow highway leading off the beat and track to the ghost town of Sumpter, Oregon. We didn't know what to expect, but we'd heard that this was an interesting place to go.

We were not disappointed. It was a very quiet day. We had the street to ourselves as we wandered past old buildings, Victorian houses, markets, and saloons. This was an upscale ghost town compared to many we've visited. Although this town was in its heyday during the early 1900's when gold mining was the center of attraction, it is still a popular place for retired folk who want a summer cabin and for snowmobilers and ATVer's who enjoy riding miles of trails that take them through 40 acres and more of tailings left behind from a huge gold dredge.

The "general store" was closed. Actually, it is a museum now. And as it usually goes, ghost town museums and shops have very limited hours. It seems like we never find them "open". But that's okay. There is a lot to see from the outside looking in.

I wonder what story this old house could tell?

As usual, I am drawn to the front door. I love old doors leading into old houses. They are not only servicable, but usually have ornate or unusual details that were designed to draw one right into the building.

It seems that someone couldn't wait to find the real thing! How's that for one huge gold nugget?

A pretty porch with plants and flowers invites one to come in and sit a spell.

And the old trading post is solidly crafted from bricks that were probably made somewhere nearby. Standing alone, it is still elegant after all these years. Can you see someone looking at you from a window in this building?

How's this? Any better? Mr. Kitty is curious about us as we wander by.

The edge of town reveals other interesting buildings. Some are barns and some are cabins, both old and new. The old hospital is now a "bed and breakfast", its huge front porch facing south for best exposure to sunshine.

We stopped for tea along the shoreline of the lake nearby. The fragrance of the pines on a hot summer day was tantelizing.

Truffles and pretzels were our snack and enjoyed along with Yorkshire Gold tea.

Of course this is what things really looked like behind the scenes! I enjoyed my tea from the teacup after the photo op. The guys? They enjoyed their snack out of hand and bag. And their tea from Teavana mugs. To each their own. Tea is tea, no matter how it's served.

Do you have a favorite kind of family excursion? Would a ghost town be on your list?

Plants in the Home

I don't really have a green thumb. Well, maybe to some percentage I do, but I think it's pretty natural to compare oneself to their mother, and my mother had a passion for plants and gardens. She even had a degree in botany. My dabbling in the plant world always seem quite amateur in comparison. But, looking at the labels on my blog, I realize that I do post a fair amount about my garden, roses, lavender, and wildflowers. There's something about natural things that grow in the house or yard that make a home cozy and inviting for me. Recently I planted my herb garden. It's growing in a sunny spot in several antique washtubs. Generally one of each type of herb I want and use is enough. But parsley is the exception. The price of a 4" potted parsley plant at the nursery was somewhere between $3.00 and $4.00. And I want a lot of parsley! It dries so well and then can be used all winter long. Instead, I found a packet of parsley seeds for $1.49 and a package of starter discs for $2.50. I decided it was worth a try. It's really been fun checking on my little "parsley garden" every day. They sit in a casserole dish that's on the front porch where the morning sunshine hits it each day. Before I knew it, they started sending shoots out the top and my garden is growing! I'll be transplanting them to a larger container in my herb garden soon.

Sometimes it is fun to propagate plants in other ways as well. Last summer a dear friend who lives 2,300 miles away sent me a fat, puffy letter that was filled with paper towel wrapped leaves. They were African Violet leaves from her mother's favorite, purple African Violet. Both our mothers are gone now, but we have been friends since childhood, and our mother's are a part of our friendship and connection to one another. She sent a note that said to place the leaves in potting soil and water them. They would grow. There were no roots and she didn't even send them in water. Just dry leaves. I placed them in a flower pot and have tended them all these months. Some of the leaves didn't make it, but others thrived under tender loving care and are soon ready to transplant into individual pots. I am eager to see the blossoms when they mature. I will always think of Nancy and her mother, Ruby, when I look at this violet.

And this begonia plant is also being propagated without seeds. A quilt guild member brought cuttings to guilt meeting and said she'd trimmed her begonia and anyone who wanted a start was free to take several home. I put them in a vase of water as soon as I got home and before long they rooted and started sending out new shoots. Recently I planted them in a flower pot and now I'm waiting for them to take off and grow prolifically {I hope}. Some of the leaves near the bottom are not very pretty, as they are torn and tattered right now, but at the roots they have new baby leaves that will soon reach maturity. The old, tattered leaves will then be trimmed away. 

Such simple things can bring such pleasure. Tending plants could be called puttering, I suppose. But helping them thrive and grow is something I choose to do. It seems to keep one grounded and connected with life and nature in so many ways.

Do you tend plants? What are your favorites?

Adventure & Poetry in a Cup of Tea

June.Garden.Beauty

Keep Your Face to the Sunshine

The road up the mountain to our cabin is narrow, bumpy, and one-lane. It winds up steep grades and through dark woods. In some places the road opens up along the top of a grassy ridge that slopes deeply to a creek below. Sometimes I can't bear to look over the edge!  It takes while to get to the top and there is a lot of jostling along the way. Half-way up the mountain, two-wheel drive cars have to stop. It's too rough for them to carry on.

After many trips up and down the mountain, I have started to learn of special treats along the way. Last trip down we stopped by a puddle by the road that is fed by a spring until mid-summer. There are always tadpoles there this time of year, and we were not disappointed. Tiny little swimmers were skittering around with much glee!

In another spot, the road winds through some deep, dark woods. It's a good place to keep an eye out for bears! But animals are quick and difficult to spot, probably because our diesel motor warns them we are near. But the flowers don't wilt or fade as we draw close. The road opens up to a rocky hillside and in the early spring I make sure to say "please stop" if I see the pretty purple flowers of the shooting stars in bloom.

Shooting stars seem to love rocky soil! And sunshine! They cluster together in vibrant chorus of purple and green. I love their abundance! One has to keep careful watch, because they arrive and then the blossoms disappear in a few days time. One has to time the trip up the mountain "just right".

Shooting stars are not abundant "just anywhere" on the mountain. There are only a few spots that I have found them growing. I'm pretty excited that this spring I've found two small plants growing in the rocky soil on the sunny side of the cabin as well. I hope they multiply over time and provide us with a pretty purple haze each spring.

Lessons can be learned from the wildflowers of the woods. The shooting stars remind me that no matter how rocky or difficult the path, as long as one keeps their face to the sunshine, everything will turn out alright.

Shooting stars were one of my mother's favorite flowers. She stitched this pretty little wall-hanging on felt. It's one of my little treasures. Every time I see it, I'm reminded of the delight that she expressed during my growing up years. Whenever we would find shooting stars on our flower trips to the mountains she would express much joy! She was a botanist and although I didn't fully appreciate her love of flowers while I was a kid, it's grown on me and I appreciate the lessons she taught from nature. Especially from the flowers.

If you'd like to see some of the other May flowers from the mountain, click here.

Morning Haiku

glorious morning

teacup guards greenery

the season of frost has passed

Snow. Drop.

The snowdrops are blooming! Drooping, the are white, and dainty. They burst into bloom in late February and grace March with their presence. They are classic in their crisp, simple lines and are a beautiful blend of white and green in clusters that invite you to draw near. Aptly named "snowdrop" because they look like little drops of pure white clusters that are falling to earth and they appear when winter is still here. Snow. Drop. Snow. Flake. Snow.

You can read more about this lovely flower here.

Morning Crocus

It is amazing what some sunshine and daylight will do. Even on the shady side of the house, the crocus were opening at first light and waiting for the sunshine to hit their flower bed. Often we don't stop to think about the mechanism of some types of flowers. Blossoms that open every morning and close again every night are amazing. It is said that these types of plants have a nyctinastic trait, displaying rapid movement rather than the slow movement normally seen in other plants. There are several reasons for this action. Some plants are protecting their blossoms by closing at night when it is chilly. Others are saving their nectar from the bats and moths that are active at night. The creator placed such wisdom in the beautiful flowers. They close not just on a whim but for a purpose that preserves them so that they can survive. Isn't it wonderful that they do this so we can enjoy their beauty for greater lengths of time?

I hope you have a beautiful day and that you can take time to stop to observe the blossoms that surround you. 

Crocus

The spring crocus has appeared this week. It's wonderful to see some color in the garden again. It wasn't that long ago that snow covered this flower bed. But hidden below the surface were sprouts of green and eager flowers that were just waiting for sunshine! 

This picture was taken at dusk, right after the blossoms closed up for the night. Tomorrow I'll share a daytime picture!

Orb of Sunshine

Winter Aconite is one of the first flowers of spring. At the first of March, a row of them were blooming along Grandpa's pathway to his front door. They look like little orbs of sunshine! Their official name is Eranthis hyemalis and they are a species of a flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. Although native to woodlands of Europe, they grow successfully in many places in the United States. Aren't they pretty? I love the bit of cheer they add to a cloudy day.

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March is Here!

The month of March is here. A snow storm is predicted for tonight. Gray skies and zero sunshine. It's hard for me to find things to blog about. Hurry up and get here, SPRING!

Tidbits of cheer still abound on these dreary days, though. Sudo, the adorable grand-puppy has learned to sit. Here she is, sitting on a stool, and posing for the camera.

Can you see her tongue? She's saying "those frozen chicken-bits were delicious!

One son has escaped the dreary weather for a climate that is hopefully a bit warmer and that teams with SUNSHINE! Flying anywhere in the USA right now, though, can be a bit tricky with delays and jet de-icings. Happily, he arrived safely and in a timely manner.

My baby was happy to go for a walk at the park. She found a squirrel and could stand there watching it for hours if we didn't coax her away. Once away, her attention span is short and she's on to new discoveries.

My mother's handmade and embroidered "heart" quilt was on display in the library 

for the month of February. It looks a bit small in that vast expanse, but it is a lovely quilt that exemplifies hours and hours of careful handwork. It looks more at home displayed over the back of an old oak chair in my house.

The large white maple tree in our front yard has been sick for a few years. We finally decided to cut it down. It was much larger in real life than this picture makes it look! It's being cut and split for firewood...and three trailer loads of branches are being hauled to the local landfill. Exercise!

What's happening in your neck of the woods? 

Any sunshine, warmth, and flowers yet?

My first snowdrops are blooming.

I'll take pictures and show you soon.

I hope you are having a blessed day!