small gardens & small government

    There is a fog outside with something approaching rain falling. The soft gauzie nature of fog makes the world quiet, mysterious and beautiful. I'll take the dogs in a bit on our morning walk and enjoy that beauty but first to write. It's odd but I didn't notice either the rain or the fog till the sun was solidly up and Deb pointed it out. I was instead thinking how it gets dark so early and the sun rises so late. I lamented, how could it be that moving almost a whole garden zone closer to the equator and away from the towering Rockies to the west the sun could rise so late? Ah fog, hadn't thought of that!   Ain't that life! There you are plumbing the deepest mysteries only to realize you forgot to carry the 1. While sipping my coffee and contemplating the darkness YouTube granted some distraction by offering up a Buddhist philosophy video. Sadly, it was likely AI generated, as so much of the content is these days. I was only half listening but in about the 4th r...

 It had to be about the smallest pear I've ever eaten, about 3 inches from nose to butt. It was delicious, a harbinger of things to come. I shared it with Deb. A nibble each.  Our pear trees are about 2 years in the ground with us. One has struggled since it's arrival in the mail, a bit of a runt from Stark Bros. The other has progressed nicely but still I wasn't expecting fruit this year. In August half of the healthiest tree decided it was spring and time to bloom. I laughed at it's youthful confusion and admired the beautiful flowers. When I saw the tiny yellow Bartlett the other day I was impressed but knew not to expect much. First fruit on a tree can tend to be unflavored or even bitter. Nope this little guy was ripe and ready!  When I last wrote I was awaiting a storm and wondering how much of the garden to pick or lose. The storm came the storm went. The weather was beautiful fall weather and last week or so was a week of rain. This weekend threatens a light fre...

   I think there are 3 major reasons to get out of bed in the morning. Our cat (Maisie) demonstrated the 3rd, fear. The storm last night gave us some cool relief and an open bedroom window. A close clap of thunder from the storm sent Maisie from warmly snuggling with Deb to rocketing out of the room. She used my, thankfully closed, eye as a launching pad from the bed to the door. I'm just glad 80# Cooper doesn't sleep on the bed!   The #1 reason I get up in the morning I'll leave to your imagination. #2 is hope, excitement, I get to, or any of a thousand other names for having a purpose for the day. Sure the purpose can be as contrived as I've gotta walk the dogs or I gotta check see if there is a mouse in the live trap. If before my feet touch the floor I can change that "gotta" into "I get to..." it's usually a good day.   In money matters purpose or motivation is usually boiled down to an essence of fear or greed. With fear considered to be...

  In my blog yesterday I felt I hadn't pulled the thread completely. If you're like me a dangling thread can make you quite crazy.   I just put a Butter Rum Lifesaver in my mouth and I promise I will finish typing before it is done.    The war in Gaza bothers me immensely. I don't pretend to understand the nuances of the conflict and perhaps I don't have to. Ignorance is ignorance but sometimes layer upon layer of knowledge only serves to obscure the more basic question. I guess that is what I was trying to express in the blog. I will say plainly I do not wish my taxes to go to Israel. Perhaps that made sense at a point in time. That time has, for me, passed.   I just bit the last delicious bit of the Butter Rum and thus will honor my pledge. I will acknowledge the Buddhist thoughts on suffering. I will also remember a small group of Quakers who would regularly gather to protest that their taxes were being spent for the "Defense budget". Finally, I will also ...

   Carrie, our blue healer/rat terrier, will not be getting her Buddhist wings anytime soon. This morning while I was digging in the garden she did also. I got peas planted she got the mouse. The mouse was likely the one that ate a perfect little hole into the hidden backside of one of the canary melons. He ate all the seeds inside and when I picked it, it looked like a cute yellow birdhouse. Mouse eats seeds, dog eats mouse, I'm going with 'circle of life'. 'sides I was in no position to argue morality as I went on to use a little vacuum to suck up squash bugs.    The canary melons had basically all ripened at once. This meant, along with the watermelons, our every meal has melon. Deb and I brought some to the neighbors - and I guess for a while the mouse. See, I share! We Libertarians get a bad rep. The other thing all ripening at once meant was a spot in the garden was open.    Territory is not to be wasted in the garden. I shared last blog how the potat...

     The two most important things in making pesto are, get a food processor and don't get caught licking the bowl. I'm trying to take the high road here. You know the one about it's not what happens to you but your reaction that matters. It's been a hot and humid spring into summer and August is days away. I might go down hugging my air conditioner but damn it, I will adapt. I don't have to have the shower 1st thing in the morning. I can get up earlier and nibble at the garden work. And yeah, cutting and freezing onions and making pesto aren't technically garden work. They are however garden adjacent, do need to be done and importantly inside work.    Don't get me wrong. I am the luckiest man in the world and a piece of that is my garden. Even if I chose to move that garden a zone further south and a million percent higher humidity. I will adapt and acclimate. It just takes time. 'sides no matter where you live you're always making pesto in hot weat...