What's a Single Girl to Do?

I feel him kiss me

with his eyes – a warm caress

Every glance I get

Fingers massage a path of discovery

    tender excitement

All in a smile

   understood…

A brushed shoulder is electric

Soft phrases slide closer,

   more probing…

A promise of passion

   with metaphors.

Hands stroked.

Offers made,

   and accepted

Leave a glow in my mind

as I go to bed, tonight

Alone and untouched

   on the outside…

Ah, the false promises! Did I really fall for that? Could I not see through his slick ways? I suppose that loneliness makes for a desperate bedfellow, but really?! Thank heavens that I played coy long enough for him to move off to the next backpacker through the door though. I was getting enough attention, despite the fact that now Brett and I were travelling as a happy duo. No romance complicated our journey, just friends enjoying the open road together. The men of Harare seemed to be drawn to me like wildfire though.

“What’s a single girl to do?”, I smiled to myself as I counted out my roses in a makeshift vase. They numbered 9 and that didn’t include the one I lost, the one I gave away, the one that had wilted too soon and the red one without a stem that I had pressed between the pages of my journal. From many hands they had come, and I was tickled by all the interest.

With so much attention in such a short span (after not having had much for a while), I suppose it was understandable that I was flattered by Dean’s advances. Oh he, with the promise of passion for every lady that walked in the door of his father’s hostel! Was he really any worse than Ian though? They both did nothing more than “talk shit”, as the local guys I met liked to say. As long as I kept my head about myself, what did it hurt? Well… did it hurt Ian that I agreed to be his “woman”, when I was leaving the next day? Hmm. Ach, all a game, I fear.

The lure of romance, the excitement of bars, and city life filled my many days in Harare. I shopped and gathered mail from home, enjoying the break in motion. I dropped off my passport, in order to get a visa to cut through Mozambique on my way to Malawi. A delicious feast at an all-you-can-eat Mongolian restaurant pushed Brett over the edge though. He pushed away from the table fat and declared he was done with city life.

With a travel visa for Mozambique stamped in Brett’s passport, he left me to head for Malawi. My visa would not be in for a few days, so I tucked in to enjoy the ride solo, until we met up again three days hence. With a resolve of steal, I kept myself mostly out of harm’s way and by Tuesday I was on the 14-hour long bus ride from Harare to Blantyre, Malawi myself. Romance and Zimbabwe were left behind in the diesel-fumed dreams of youth.

S A T U R D A Y B L A H S

With minutes to spare, do I have anything to say? Any great words of wisdom on my limp, lazy Saturday, where the closest thing to leaving the house was to get a trowel from the shed? hmm
Nope...

So I will leave you with some recent flower pics from the yard.

and one more...

Oops, caught me on date night with my boyfriend!

The Raking Machine Strikes Again

One week ago, the tree beside my driveway was splendorous with leaves aglow bright yellow and orange with the last of the greens grasping on to their memories. 

It was a time of raking and rolling around with glee, in shirt sleeves none-the-less!

Well, those beautiful leaves have left their happy perches on the trees to nestle down in my yard. Trick or Treating last night was done with winter coats to keep the chilly temperatures from curtailing the fun. My eldest asked me this morning what the season was now, as Halloween and October were done. While I advised her that it was still Autumn, I wasn't so sure in looking out the window. 

Jack Frost had come to play, leaving helicopters grounded and the burning bush frozen in a shell pond. 

My proud dahlias bowed their heads, acquiescing that their time here was done. The faint purple of her petals destined to drop with the weight of the seasons change.

and everywhere I looked this morning evidence abounded. Here on the sedum,

there on the chives.

The seasons had changed overnight.

Ice crystals were a dead giveaway

on now last year's beautiful dahlia heads.

Even the straggling toad lily was struck down;

for shame...Ah

Ah, but I raked this morning; twelve bags I raked! I raked till I ran out of leaf bags, desperate to feel the chilly sun on my cheeks. I even filled the composter with a load and another load was stuffed into a garbage can  at the curb with the other leaf bags. In my heart, I know that the Fall days are indeed numbered and that one morning I just might wake up to a world of white, more solid than the frost coating my windshield this morning. Last week it whispered, but this week the threat seems infinitely real. I am afraid that snow angels are in my near future. My raking today brought the total up to 25 bags of leaves this year. Broke last year's record! If I can get out to buy a few more bags, I suspect that I will be able to smash that record though, as my neighbours are always good to share their leaves via the wind. 

So the bulbs have been dug up and the lawn mower's battery put to bed. Garden trinkets were put away a fews weeks ago. The hoses have yet to be drained and rolled away, but that should happen later this week. So many tasks before I retreat back into the cozy house to hibernate. I am wishing for a little more sunshine, but almost ready. Almost ready...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Summer clothes have been put away. Sweaters and socks have been pulled out and freshly laundered. Winter coats and boots have been sized out and wait for the first flecks of snow that will tinge the air. This past week we saw much rain in my part of the world. Blissfully sunshine streamed through windows yesterday and today. Thanksgiving weekend promises to be a wonderful one and for that I give thanks. : D 

Despite the rain, I wandered through the garden this week in a spare moment. Frost has not bade goodbye to growth and colour in my world as of yet. I was pleasantly surprised to find many plants still flourishing. Today I share my soggy sojourn in the garden with you. I shall be off to my sister's house this weekend stuffing myself full of turkey and mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie and pumpkin beer. Happy Friday and Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends!

Toad Lilies

Toad lilies are some of my favourite fall flowers. They are quite delicate looking, but serve to brighten up the rather dull surroundings this time of year.

Dahlia

This gentle dahlia might be shyly hiding its bloom, but it still brings smiles to my face.

  

Berries on the Burning Bush

The burning bush offers up some treats for any bird who happens to have a yen.

Thistle

Oops, missed one! A nasty thistle will make anyone howl in pain if they don't watch their step in my front yard.

Common Dandelion: Waiting to blow its babies throughout the yard

Next years crops should be bountiful with this little guy ready to let fly with his seeds of renewal. Oh well, yellow carpets are pretty, I guess.

Tender Blossom

I pry me open

gently with tender notions

of future's soft hands

Dahlia

Mid-Summer Reflections

Hello my friends. Good of you to stop by today. I have had a wonderful summer thus far, full of relaxing by the beach, visiting with family and friends, gardening and whatever whatnot that has held my fancy. I have to admit though, that works has been the last thing on my mind. Not exactly true, as I have thought about it, but just have not undertaken much paid employment. Things are about to change a little bit in that respect though, which I have to admit is probably a good thing. My little bee in the picture knows the value of a little labour. I think it is time I did too. This might mean a few less posts here, as I will be doing writing for others so my brain might be empty at the end of the day. As this has been my focus for the last couple of days, I don't feel an awful lot of inspiration today. Since I didn't post yesterday, I had to pop by for a few minutes anyway though. I thought I would take you for a wander through my garden today for a change in pace. I hope you are having a happy week, be it productive or relaxing. Enjoy!

~~~

Balloon flowers still blooming

These delicate little flowers were a gift that I was allowed by a dear woman that I gardened for last year. Their beauty  and hardiness remind me of her every time I look at them.

My butterfly bush hoping to attract a few winged friends to the garden.

 These unique sunflowers have a heady honey scent that is tempting for bees and me alike.

A green zebra tomato that is almost ripe. I cannot wait to taste this heirloom variety and hopefully save a seed or two so we can continue to preserve its quality.

This little gourd is compliments of last year's leftover Thanksgiving display. I cannot wait to see what colour it ends up and how big it grows!

Another heirloom variety plant picked up from the Gathering on the Green in the spring. This is the second eggplant I will have got from this plant thus far. I bought the plant on a whim, but my first taste was pure Yum!

and a little more sunshine at the end of the day

peeking through the black-eyed Susan.

An Organic Symphony

The bells doth ring
on pixie's wands
ding, dong
ding, dong


The crimson flutes
ring on and on
ding, dong
ding, dong

The lady 

with her mantle on

slips through forest 

in search of dawn.

ding, dong

ding, dong

Tripping, dodging

drifting, sprawling.

Her journey long

seems never ending

ding, dong

ding, dong

Stella calls her

through the mist

begs her caution

of gnomes grim twist

ding, dong

ding, dong

All the while 

your eye does stare

takes it in 

without a care.

ding, dong

ding, dong

Sees the gloves

left by the fox

Hides them from

the creeping phlox.

ding, dong

ding, dong

Yes, in the garden

one never sleeps.

It's an organic symphony

made in orchestral leaps.

ding, dong, ding

Green Thumb Journey

I have been getting my hands dirty the last couple of weeks. Many bushes have been trimmed, including the forsythia, dogwood, cedar hedge and lilac tree. I have planted tomato plants, pickling cucumbers (seen right), eggplant and relocated sunflowers that self-seeded from last year. Last weekend, I even dug out a whole pile of sod and created a new garden bed. The corner was hard to get at with the lawn mower and I seem to always be behind in edging, so this solved an issue for me. Plus, I am always keen on beautifying my space. Must divide, relocate and flourish! Yes, I am crazy (I think my problem is that I cannot bear to let anything go). Time on my hands? Not overly, but I seem to have a problem; a gardening addiction. I am willing to carry that cross.

So here is the newest garden patch.

Doesn't look like much yet,

but when the black-eyed susans,

lady's mantle and sedge grass settle in

with sunflowers towering in behind

it will be a pretty space.

Here is another project that I undertook a few weeks back. There was a sad holly bush, little more than a few twigs really, that got relocated last fall. It survived the transplant, but was getting buried by grass and weeds. I cut out a quarter-circle and added some heuchuras for comfort. Now it is a simple little space to welcome people at the driveway's edge.

Yesterday, I even struck further afield and went by the girls daycare. They have a patch of garden there that is plenty green, but mostly weed. I did some gardening there last year, that was muchly appreciated. With a barbeque coming up tomorrow, a request was put forth last week for my ministrations again. I gladly got in and got dirty digging out weeds and moving stuff around.  I was not able to totally bring it up to (my definition of) a beautiful flourishing space, but I did add some irises from my house and offered pointers to potential gardeners in residence there. Maybe I am weird, but I really love to see the difference I can make just be giving a little TLC where needed. As I have mentioned before, it is almost like a meditation, but it certainly brings me in touch with Mother Earth. Always a good thing in my books.

   I have not spent all my time in the garden though. We have had so much rain that the ground has been literally soggy at points. They are calling for more rain tonight, so gardening tomorrow will probably be cancelled again. The worst part about that (or probably a blessing) is that I am stuck inside. That usually creates enough of a guilt factor that I end up cleaning. AGHHHHH! Now that project is a never-ending, soul-sucking, task that seems to lack any glory or praise-worthiness. It still needs to be done though. So I will admire my beauties from water-washed windows as I brush dust-bunnies away from their hiding spaces.Somehow it just doesn't feel the same...

My Moon Flower - Oenothera triloba

Oenothera triloba

Ha, I have found you my pretties! I have been calling these beautiful flowers "Moon Flowers" for lack of a better name since I found them in my garden. I should explain that when we purchased the house I live in at present, it was obvious that the original owners were avid gardeners. Unfortunately the gentleman that bought the house from those folks, when they could not tend it any further, was not in possession of a green thumb. He lived in the house for approximately a year, then rented it out for about a year. When we moved in and the snow melted, I was excited and aghast. The remains of a well-manicured garden and lawn was hidden underneath weeds and shrubbery that was reeking havoc with  the light expectations of the straggling plants underneath. I found a bedraggled peony, that I still cannot get to bloom, abysmal rhubarb, day lilies by the wagon load and WEEDS! I would never have guessed that thistles could flourish so well in the middle of the city.

So over a long period of time, I attacked the project that was my garden. I gave a very aggressive pruning to a shrub that was almost lying on the ground from a lack of pruning and winter snow that punished the untamed boughs. With the addition of light and space, I found many plants, some of which I had to question their lineage. Was that a valid plant or noxious weed? Some I left to explore, some were pulled in the name of order. The Oenothera triloba hid for a while, which I am glad of. It looks remarkably like a dandelion, so would have been pulled post haste. The real beauty and show of this special plant happens at night though. As day winds to a close and dusk encroaches, this relative of the evening primrose family struts its stuff. Literally right before your eyes, you can watch the flowers open! They only last for one night and close up by mid-morning the next day. Do not rue the passing of the flower in too short a span though, as these plants continue to bloom most of the summer. It also makes babies pretty prolifically, so you can enjoy them yourself, spread them around your garden, or share them with friends. They will turn up their nose at your gift of a dandelion until the pretty yellow blooms pop open at night. 

Hopefully you have a night full of clear skies where you are. I have to make do with pictures of the outside world tonight, as rain plummets down. May the night still live and hold promise for you...

Go, Green Thumbs! Go!

Busy as a bee

with not a sec to spare.

Working in the garden

when weather is fair.

I must plant impatience

surrounded by lots of thyme

to spend with Mother Nature

whose bounty I find sublime.

So poppy outside

and soak up some sun.

The season is short,

but has just begun!

Go,

Green Thumbs!

Go!

Monday Musings

Your Comments are Extraordinary Award

   Thank you to Jingle for again handing out some most lovely awards at her site. She really is a kind and generous lady, that I am thrilled to have met. Well, Monday is usually the day that I whisk you off to Africa, but I was out all day. I did manage to get some laundry done and a few flowers planted, but somehow I managed to survive without being hooked up to the computer for a long span today. Whatever shall we do about that? Hmm...

Well, perhaps I will just share some of the things that  were a part of my weekend that I love in my life.

My gardens and flowers that bring me many smiles.

My first born flowery, nature child of my heart with a purity of soul that lifts me up and reminds me that life is worth living.

And that little imp that steals my soul with her smile. I cannot tell you how much I love my gift of spirit that is my second daughter.

~~~

These are some images that were a part of my weekend past. 

How was yours?