The Impatient Gardener

Even though it is barely winter, I can't wait for spring. I miss my garden and my hummingbirds, the flowers, and the expectation of re-birth. I like the winter and fall because my chores in the garden become minimal. But the spring, when I await the arrival of the hummers and the budding of the trees and perennials....well, you just can't compare that with anything I can think of. These empty pots represent the hope of spring. I dug up all of the roses that refused to bloom. I had already given them three chances. That's all you get in my yard. But I always give a verbal warning so nothing is a surprise to the roses. These pots will be homes for perennials in the spring...perennials that will be attractors to butterflies, caterpillars, and hummingbirds.
This rose is the survivor rose because it was blooming. It is a Knock-Out rose that blooms profusely, needs very little maintenance, and is generally a wonderful plant. I did not dig it up. It will be beautiful in the spring. All I did was to remove the whiskey barrel wooden pot (which had rotted) from around the plant and give it my good wishes.
This blue ball is the only real color in the garden at this time of year. It is the hope of the multi-colors of the spring garden. When that time comes, I will complain about the weeds and the need to water constantly. But for now, I dream about spring.

The Family Christmas Table

This is the Christmas table we set yesterday in preparation for our holiday meal. We had such fun cutting greens from the cedar tree out front and watching as the birds flew around waiting for us to leave their nesting spot. It was a wonderful day of great food and loving family. We loved eating our meal with the library as the backdrop.

The Last Leaves

After four very early freezes (very early for north Florida), most of our hardwoods have shed nearly all their leaves. Although our oaks do lose leaves, they are bare for only the briefest of periods, and are still providing a green backdrop at this time. On this clear, sunny day I wanted to document the last leaves as they danced in the sunlight.  The purple plum above will hold its burgundy display the longest of all the hardwoods, and it looks quite full even though the ground is covered with the leaves it has already shed.

This display at the very top of our largest sycamore shows such a lovely variety of color this year. Normally the sycamores are bare here before the first frost. 
The same sycamore against the oaks by the road with the already brown dogwood in the foreground.
The garden got hit early, and is down for the count til spring. Only the rosemary remains green and robust. The river birch has only two or three golden leaves left, but this tree is beautiful in any season.

Our smallest sycamore is not to be forgotten with its last leaves standing at attention in the bright sunlight.  All of these trees pictured have been planted in the six years we have lived on this property.  These and many others we also planted are thriving and growing faster than we dared to hope.  There is room for a few more, so next year we may have more and different last leaves to photograph.

The End Of A Great Day

Yesterday, after a very full day of cooking, baking, and wonderful conversation with LeeAnn, my evening ended with a cup of ginger tea in my favorite china teacup. We had a great day in the kitchen; Janet's grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch; a very close match of Bird-O-Poly; and all in all, a terrific day.

There are freeze warnings out for tonight and so Janet and I will spend part of today carrying our fragile plants into the garage to keep them safe. However, we do plan a foray to Michael's in search of a few crafting magazines that we can't seem to find anywhere else.

Christmas In Our Small Town

One of the things we love about the little town we live in is that it is a little town. And so each year, in small town fashion, employees of the local power company spend weeks stringing Christmas lights all around the Town Square.
We spent last Saturday evening on the square taking photographs and walking around enjoying the sights and sounds of the season.
If you look closely in the center of this picture, you can see a white, horse-drawn carriage that takes people for carriage rides around town during the holidays. One of the reasons we moved to Ocala was because of its small town flavor and we have not been disappointed. We love the slow pace and all of the other "little" things that make this town home.

Loving Autumn

If you have any doubt that autumn colors come to Florida, take a look at the river birch tree in our backyard. Because of the very cold weather we have had earlier than normal this year, the colors are spectacular. I took these photographs Saturday morning around 7am while watching the birds investigate the garden. The wind was blowing and the leaves were raining gold.


I have learned to love the autumn and winter. It gives me time to rest and not be driven by garden tasks. As much as I love to work outside, the weeding of summer begins to feel like a chore after a while. And so I glory in the time of year when everything is dormant, the plants turn golden and all is quiet beneath the surface of the soil. The burrowing animals are in for the winter, having made their dens large and accommodating, and the migrating birds are dining from the feeders. It is a lovely time.

Bookshelf Surprises

Bookends are sometimes needed but usually boring. So...we decided to use some unexpected objects instead. Tucked into the woodworking section are two antique planes.


A pottery piece holds a collection of bookmarks in the dog section.


And a David Boone woodcarving stands guard over the gardening books. From time to time we'll add new things as we find them amidst our treasures.

Time To Read

At last the library is in place. Our reading chairs have been chosen, the table cleared, and all is ready for reading. We are enthralled by the wonder of our collection and the ease with which we can now access reading material on any topic we choose to study.


Shirley has already been reading with her wine glass close at hand and Janet has sat in her favorite rocker to look up a few things. We anticipate spending many pleasant hours using the books that have been packed away for so long. There's even room to add more.


This is the view as you enter the house. It seems very warm and welcoming. Even fixing dinner from the adjacent kitchen is a different experience with this new focal point.

Got Cheese?

Hi. Cocoa here. I get to write the blog today because I want to tell you about the morning cheese ritual. Here I am, looking at my Mom, waiting for her signal. After I wait for a while, she will put down some shredded cheese and give me a command.
When she releases me, I can get up and eat the cheese. Here she is sprinkling it on the mat and here I am, excited to eat it. This is a great house. I get all kinds of treats and all I have to do is to obey and do what I'm told. They say that I'm a great dog. They are right!!

Lunch With Friends

I thought it would be fun to photograph what a "mini-Greek" salad looks like at Pappas' Greek Restaurant in Tampa. I could only finish half of it but it was very yummy!!

We had a wonderful visit with our two best friends and shopped at a dozen or more yard sales before making our way back to Ocala.

This morning, the weather is very chilly with a promise of low 30's for the rest of the week. I will spend the day thinning my radishes and finishing an art piece that I started three weeks ago. Finally, I need to build some wire cages to keep the bunnies out of the spinach because I noticed little footprints in and around my newly sprouted plants. All in all, just another day on the farm.

Time to Rest

Excitement seems to have been the order of the day this momentous week. The election turned out well, and much has been accomplished on the bookcase project. Today the last coat of paint went on the shelves!  Cocoa helped with the painting, supervising from the big, big crate. She much prefers that to waiting in the house howling for me to come back in. Shelves will be dry enough to put into the cases next week, but will need to cure for at least another week before books can be put in place. During that time I can do final touch up, prepare shelf labels, and begin to restore order to the workshop.  I can hardly wait to clear out the paint, sandpaper, solvent, take down work tables, etc., etc., and have room to move out there.  All books except woodworking are now categorized & stacked and the stacks measured for needed shelf length and height. I made a chart roughing out where each category can go, just to be sure there would be enough room for the woodworking books. I did not want to break the seal on those boxes until I was sure. There is plenty of room, so those boxes are now in the house but not opened. Until the shelves are moved into the house I have no tables available to stack any more books on. I will have to contain myself until next week, resisting the temptation to open the last six boxes. 

New bluebird boxes are waiting to be built, and that is a top priority as they have babies by February.  Pairs are already claiming the existing boxes and chasing away interlopers.  It is a beautiful sunny day, after two days of gray gloom, cool, and perfect for kayaking. Itching to get on the water. We are looking forward to our quick trip to the panhandle. It will be a nice break from work and world madness of late. Nothing like the open road to brighten my outlook!

An Historical Night

I do not know when, in my lifetime, I have felt the thrill that I felt last night upon hearing that Barack Obama had been elected president. Seeing the tear-stained faces of the people in the crowd at Grant Park in Chicago, I was overwhelmed by the magnitude of the moment. I have not been stirred by the words of a political candidate since I voted for JFK in the sixties but I have been constantly moved by President-Elect Obama throughout this campaign.

My route home from work takes me through an old, black neighborhood here in Ocala. As I drove through this old, historical part of town, I began to see crowds of people standing on the sidewalk. There were at least a hundred...excited but well-ordered people, holding Obama signs and waving to the cars passing by. It was a very emotional moment. I have not seen this kind of involvement on election day for almost fifty years. Good job, America. We got it right, this time.

Let The Sorting Begin

Janet says we are about three weeks away from a completed library wall and so we have begun sorting all of our books. As you can see, Janet has made signs for all of the categories we own....at least we think we have identified all of the categories. After gathering all of the books currently in the house on various small shelves, we went into the garage to begin opening boxes of books that have been packed since we left Brandon....eight years. Needless to say, I was surprised time after time by what I had forgotten we owned.
There are several more boxes to open in the garage. I am still waiting to find my Agnes Whistling Elk series of books and Janet's May Sarton journals. This photo is only a sampling of our collection. Because there was not enough room on the dining room table for all of the categories, we have organized the small shelves with one to two categories each. And so, we have books and and signs all over the house, waiting for the day when our dream of a library becomes reality. Stay tuned.

Seventh Heaven

No trip to Tampa would be complete without a visit to my favorite Italian market, Castellano and Pizzo in South Tampa. It only takes a step inside the door for me to be transported to the smells and sights of my childhood. Even though I am Spanish and not Italian, many of the foods in this wonderful store are the same foods that my father would bring home from his trips to Ybor City.
I come to Castellano for specialty Balsamic Vinegar that I cannot find anywhere else. But once inside, I am tempted by many other fabulous foods that take me back to my youth. Today, I bought my vinegar, but also found some stone crabs, Cuban bread, Italian sausage, and guava shells.
Janet, LeeAnn, and Maria were with me and we had so much fun just looking at everything in the store and reminiscing. We looked at the Spanish Turon but passed it by; LeeAnn and I decided that we never really liked it but we ate it only because it was Papa's favorite and he enjoyed it so much. As we approach the cooler weather that leads us to the holidays, we always go back to those familiar things that anchor us to our past. Today was no different.

While Paint Dries

All thirty shelves for the bookcase wall have been primed, two coats, both sides X 30 = 120 heavy shelves picked up, primed, and laid out to dry, using up every horizontal surface in the shop. fortunately, primer dries quickly, so all of the above was one long day's job, about ten hours worth. Next was the first paint coat - one side X 30. Enamel takes a LOT longer to dry, so there's time for other duties.
One such is walking Cocoa. Now that it is a bit cooler (Yea!) we can get back to training outdoors. Yesterday's walk provided unexpected excitement - a new den! It's huge!  As we trekked past the pump house a dark shape caught my eye, and for a moment we kept walking as my brain processed the unexpected. Then an about face (good training move :-)) to go back and check it out. A gaping hole at least a foot in diameter had quite recently been dug in the side of a large mound of weed covered dirt. There are several of these mounds in the wooded areas, left from tree clearing and well drilling. Whatever has moved in to this hole is bigger than a gopher tortoise! A new mystery, a new resident. Perhaps I need to study wildlife "holeology". I have already learned that a gopher hole is dome shaped with a flat bottom - matching the shape and size of the gopher's shell - and descends at a 45 degree angle, turning to conceal the tunnel or den. Each time the gopher enters, it clears away sand and debris, very gradually enlarging the hole as the gopher very slowly grows. Abandoned gopher holes are used by other wildlife, thus helping the environment by providing shelter to animals such as rattlesnakes, armadillo, fox, etc.   

Whatever made the new hole wasn't waiting fora gopher to leave. In my younger days I would have set up a watch spot and stayed up all night to spot the creature. At this point I am content with the mystery.

Weekend Happenings

This weekend was full of very common activities that fed our souls. First, Janet mixed a huge bowl of liver cookie mixture for Cocoa's cookies. We feed her only fresh, all natural, home-made food and cookies and the cookie jar was getting near the bottom.
Then, we had blooms erupt from the yellow salvia that only blooms in the fall. We love it so much and the hummingbirds would too if they were still here and not down South.
I planted vegetable seeds and wrote on a stick so I would know what I planted in which bed. This technique lasts longer than just placing the seed packet on a stick. The packet wilts with the humidity and, anyway, I wanted to use the seed packets in a collage.
Finally, I ended the day with a glass of my favorite wine ($2.98 at WalMart) and gratitude for the little things that make such a big difference in our lives.

New Things To Love

I have been bargain shopping at my favorite thrift store here in Ocala in order to find old books to use for my art work. I have found several at the very good price of about 25 cents apiece and have disassembled them to make altered books.
However, I am finding that I am beginning to love some of these books way too much and can't bear to take them apart. I have found an old shorthand book from the early part of the century and a few old readers that take me back to my own childhood.
My greatest treasures, however, came last weekend when Janet cleaned out an old wooden box that contained journals written by her grandfather making note of the weather everyday beginning in 1904 and ending in 1938, right before his death. (See first picture at the top and the stack on the right side, above.)
I will judiciously select pages from these wonderful books and journals to use in my collages and other assemblage projects. What a great piece of history.

Celtic Quilt: An Ancestral Piece

Last week at work, we were raising money for the United Way. Because the economy is so bad, people donated items to be auctioned off instead of giving right out of their pockets. There were many interesting items in the auction but this quilt was, by far, the best. I didn't let anyone know I was interested in it. However, when the bidding started and several people had begun a little bidding war, I jumped right in and won the piece.

This Celtic design quilt is important to me for two reasons. First, it was created by Jane Plummer, one of my reading coaches. She and her sister are quilt artists and Jane makes beautifully intricate quilts. Second, the Celtic people were very intertwined with the people of Northern Spain and many of us who are of Spanish descent, also have a Celtic past. Every bottle of Spanish hard cider I have ever enjoyed has a picture of a Celtic bagpiper on the label; hence, the name El Gaitero or "The Bagpiper".

We have found a very special place on our wall for this art piece. It will be a reminder of my relationship with Jane and of my relationship with the past.

New Plants for the Autumn

We went plant shopping yesterday and found some new treasures. I haven't bought plants in a very long time but the autumn of the year always calls for something a little different after the scorching heat of summer. I bought this beautiful pink rose named, Our Lady of Guadalupe. The name reminded me of San Miguel so I had to have it.



And since pink was obviously the theme, I bought this Pink Meuli Grass, a plant I have always wanted because of its lovely pink plumes. It only blooms in the autumn so I will have pink plumes to look forward to every year at this time.

The Remains of the Day

Life in the country is not always kind. Take, for example, what remains of a mockingbird whose rhythm was a little off when sparring with a hawk. We found these feathers on the ground Saturday morning....sign of a fresh kill. I will probably use them in some of my collages. They are very clean and unspoiled and beautiful.

"The Rhythm Is Gonna Get You"

Tap, tap, _ tap, tap, tap.  Tap, tap,_tap, tap, tap. Slowly the rhythmic tapping intruded on my thoughts as I busily trimmed the overhanging branches along the north fence line. The sound came from behind me, so I ruled out a woodpecker - no trees back there. The rhythm was wrong anyway.  The only thing nearby was the truck, waiting for another load of brush.  Tap, tap, _ tap, tap, tap.  I thought of metal cooling, but I'd only moved the truck across the yard, not far enough to heat up any metal.  The rhythm was wrong, anyway.  I looked around and saw nothing unusual.  Still, the tapping continued, coming from the vicinity of the truck. It was almost eerie, as if a person were tapping, 1,2, 1,2,3, over and over.  By now a bit unnerved, I walked warily toward the truck and got right up to it before I saw the percussionist __ a mockingbird attacking the rear window.  No doubt it was the same nutty bird that was attacking the car last weekend. but it had a new rhythm today. Maybe it was indigestion induced by all the purple berries it had eaten and was rapidly depositing all over the truck box.  Clean up in aisle 2!   The crazy thing was undeterred by my presence, so I went back to clipping branches, tempted to cha cha to the beat as I worked.  That would have been a sight! When quitting time came, I moved the truck back to the driveway, and the bird rode half way across the yard with me, still pecking away at the glass.  Every day has its own rhythm out here in the country.

What's for Lunch?

The line between bravery and foolhardiness is s fine one. It seems to me that paying "Catch Me If You Can," with a predator falls on the side of foolish, but what do I know? I am not a squirrel.

Perched atop the arbor in the back of the garden was a young hawk, surveying the lunch possibilities. There were many, as the birds were abundant and active and so were the squirrels. A large feeder hangs from the arbor, and it is a particular favorite of the furry robbers in our wildlife sanctuary. Several of them were running about at a fairly safe distance, but one of the little varmints was determined to get to the feeder regardless of the hawk's presence. He ran up and down the arbor, getting closer and closer to the hawk, who simply watched, unmoving. The squirrel persisted, dancing at one point within a foot of the bird, who raised its wings and feinted toward the squirrel. Dodging away and promptly running right back toward the hawk, the squirrel was undaunted in its attempts to get at the food, or was it playing a game? This went on for at least 15" before the hawk flew off to perch on the ironwork in the Zen garden. Perhaps he was not hungry after all.

The Blended Family

We have known each other since 1989 and worked together for at least 11 years. This is the core group from McDonald Elementary where we followed an ambitious vision for our kids and teachers, laughed a lot everyday, and faced the many challenges of an at-risk school with impoverished students. This is "the Family". We get together at least once a year to re-ignite the fires of friendship and watch each other grow older. These parties used to be quite wild and I chuckle to myself as I witness the difference now. We meet, we eat, we talk, we reminisce. We love each other and maintain the connection of  a group that has walked through tough times together. We are like a regular family but without the disfunction.  Jill and Dennis hosted the group last weekend and it was fabulous. Cocoa was given permission to attend and was honored to be allowed to crash the party. We missed you Connie. 

Slice of Life

Having just made a fresh loaf of seven-grain bread for Shirley, I am moved to post a picture of it along with a recent "find". The butter dish called to me from the glass case at my favorite thrift, and, since I needed a butter dish, I answered the call. It is kind of quirky looking, but the pear knob on the cover made the sale. I have been grumbling far too long about a butter dish we have been using. Now we have this cute new one that I can easily use, and the old, impossible to grip, glass one has gone to Goodwill. A fair swap I say, not to mention an end to my complaints. It's the little things....

The bread turned out well given my lack of recent practice. Since I can no longer have bread, I got out of the habit of making it. At Shirley's request the bread machine came out of storage, the yeast, seeds, and flour, from the freezer, and all performed admirably. Take that, Publix!! Fresh bread full of seeds and stuff is just what Shirley likes. Hot from the oven with lots of real butter, mmmm delicious.

The Joys of Goose Down

Cocoa, here, with anniversay celebration wishes. Here I am in my favorite morning place on my one year anniversary with my two Moms. I never dreamed how wonderful it could be to have my very own family and be the only dog. I have always had to share housing, food, and people with other dogs and I never realized what I had been missing. Now that I am treated in the royal manner that I deserve, I can say that I love it. Every morning after being let out, I run back and get in the very big bed and nestle into the down pillows. I remain there until I hear my other mother getting the package of cheese for her breakfast. Life is good here in Florida but the heat bothers me. Now that it's getting cooler, I look forward to staying outside more, running around and sniffing the air. Of course, being the gregarious dog that I am, one of my moms has to sit outside with me because I don't like being alone.

Equinox Visitation

Today is the first day of fall and this morning, very early, we had an equinox visitor in our tall pine trees. I heard the Great Barred Owl hooting in our woods as I began to get dressed for work. I quietely let myself out the back door and waited breathlessly. Nothing...... I waited and I waited...... and then, when I was just about to go back inside, I heard the hooting again. So I sat down on the back porch and just listened. It hooted and hooted until the sun came up. What a thrill for me. A true harbinger of the changing weather and always, for me, a sign of great blessing.

Frankly Speaking....

"The Dead Sit At Our Table Long After They Are Gone". This collage, in honor of my father, was inspired by the quote from Mitch Albom in his book, Just One More Day. The book tells the story of a man who gets to spend one more day with his mother who has been diseased for many years. In doing so, he gains insights into his own life and into the lives of his parents. And so, I chose this quote as the title for this new collage knowing full well that although my father no longer occupies physical space, he occupies more than one seat at the table of my mind.

Artistic Endeavor

I am experimenting with a new art form. I am interested in altered books in which an old book is taken apart and then put back together using mixed media. I have begun the book in the photograph but feel it will probably take me several sessions since glue must dry before proceeding to each subsequent page. This book is a book for dreamers and the theme is from the quote by Carl Sandburg, "Nothing happens....but first a dream."

Clean at Last, Clean at Last, Thank ......It's Clean at Last!

The happy home away from home is no longer dingy, green with algae, and black with mildew. Thanks to a great detail job, she shines with a coat of wax and holds her head a bit higher, tho her wheels are sinking deeper. Her only complaint now is that she is lonely. Perhaps she'll have visitors before too very long. Even the cows in the pasture look wistfully over the fence hoping Elizabeth will appear with some watermelon for them. They have also been staging escapes to make the neighborhood a bit more exciting. I hear they are raiding the vegetable garden a couple of houses down the road. The banana spiders are most unhappy to have been knocked down, and are no doubt busily making new webs at every corner, but their days are numbered. Thankfully they all disappear in the cooler weather that we hope is not too distant. Heidi has made a new entrance/exit so she can come and go from the upper level of her den more easily. And, I almost forgot, Shirley rescued a BIG tortoise at the side of the road in front of the house. Looked like it was about to venture across to our side, and that would have been tragic. I think it's name is Herman.