A wandering Pluviophile

 

It just started out muggy and foggy and turned into rainy and misty with a continuous drizzle.

I do appreciate a sidekick who doesn't mind getting wet. Of course most of the undergrowth is taller than he is. He actually likes getting dried off after the walks we take.

This is from another walk we did not the one we did today.

Sometimes I let my mind wander as well as my feet. Charlie doesn't mind it at all. He doesn't need my undivided attention as long as I can hear the bell on his collar and he comes back to check to me when I say *cookie*.

I sometimes follow narrow deer paths. The most fun thing about that is trying to continue to follow them after they disappear. While I was checking out how the creek looked, the sun tried to peek out for a moment.

The cold water from the creek and the hot and humid air clashed creating this mist/fog just hovering above the water.

The rain was never very hard and under the trees we were dripped on. We got wet but we were happy.

The rain was so needed and it wasn't at all unpleasant.

I know we wanted this rain badly! After 4 days of rain we are knee deep in grass and dandelions!

Pluviophile: One who loves rain; one who finds peace and joy on rainy days.

Forest Garden

In just three weeks, the 'Forest Garden' has changed so much! The rain and warm humid weather of course is a factor.

Here is the view from the west side of the rock formation three weeks ago.

A view from the top of the rock just before the rains came.

View from below the rock.

I marked some spots where I planted seeds with dragons and dinosaurs.

The garden should be a place of curiosity and exploration. So I have little objects all over the area.

The neighbor children want to come and explore the rocks and garden so I keep things interesting. 

If you want to take a tour of the garden, I did a video of it. It is 2.5 minutes long. I am NOT a videographer so just keep that in mind if you watch it. I did enjoy trying to piece something together to sort of get an idea visually of what it is like on this rock outcropping.

This rock outcrop is rich in dirt, however it is on top of a rock. So I had to get creative with planting some seeds. I filled a hollow log with dirt I dug up and used the log as a planter.

Of course the unicorns will protect the seeds until the plants come up!

This spot is smack dab in the middle of the forest pasture so there is an electric fence surrounding it. Will the deer invade and eat all of it? Gosh, they might come fall. Right now there is plenty of browsing for them in the rest of the woods.

So I can be in my cool shaded forest garden and enjoy my critters at the same time!

This may explain also why my mules don't wear fly sheets and fly masks. They are constantly walking through thick brush and branches.

Just for fun. 

Do you see this grumpy guy?

And that is it... for today. 

Charlie and I plan on going exploring today. We like rainy days.

Sunday Morning Coming Down...

The weather statement had called for heavy dense fog in the early morning on Sunday and Monday.

I love morning fog now that I don't have to drive through 30 miles of ridges and valleys in dense fog on twisted roads that some demented twit dreamed up. Actually, the roads are old established roads and are notorious for being steep, twisted, and difficult.

Charlie went with me to the Merry Meadow to watch the sunrise. We wandered through the pastures to watch the sun come up over PeeWee's meadow. 

I wanted to experiment with fog and longer exposures. What I did find ~ and it makes perfect sense now that I think about it ~ that a longer exposure like the one below ~ gave me a 'star' effect on the sunlight coming through the leaves! 

Was it the combination of the 100% humidity and the light plus the 1/4 second of exposure? Well, I guess. I'm still learning about this thing called photography. If you want to see a large version, click on the photo. I didn't 'see' it until I got back home and brought it up on my laptop.

I experimented with a 15 second exposure in the meadow to see if I could get more of the fog that was slowly wafting through.

It sort of worked. The fog/mist can be seen moving past the branches in this shot. Nothing to get excited about except that I now know that I can set up for a foggy shot in the woods if the conditions are right to get that eerie feeling. I've just never tried it before. 

The fog lifted and the air cleared.

Monday morning was even foggier! What a delight. I just grabbed the Infrared camera and headed out to wander around.

At the fence line to the east and across the meadow.

Lil' Richard through the window while I was grabbing some coffee...

Sundance in the area I have been working on for the past few years to clear of burdock and brush.

The Greeter in my Forest Garden.

Rain now...

We have beautiful rain.

Possible

Our greatest strength
lies in the
gentleness and tenderness
of our heart.
~Rumi

Some days I have to reach out and grab hold of that compassion that I know I do have. 

Today was interesting. There was a huge urgency to find a washer to put on the hose that attached to the hydrant. It leaked when he turned it on and suddenly the world would end if we didn't find one. 

I said that I would fix it [I did by walking over to the hydrant and unscrewing the hose and then screwing it back on.]

But it became vital that I find a tiny pack of rubber washers. 

Rich fought for the words to explain what he wanted. His stroke and some of his other brain issues make it very hard for him to communicate sometimes. 

It is difficult for him. Though I generally understand what he wants.

A frenzied search ensued to no avail.

I offered to pick up a new little pack while in town the next time. That would NOT do. Somewhere in one of the sheds was a tiny 'thing' with little red things in it that were for the hoses. 

Finally, he was out of breath and out of energy from his Big Hunt in the old shed. 

I fixed the hose by resetting it and then cleaned the deck of the mower.

Rich went in to lay down and put on his CPAP with 02. Whenever he is frustrated he lays down for a nap. If his 02 is low, he naps. This is just how it is.

He came out later to put the deck back together. I went to put the scraper away along with a couple of other tools.

When I returned Rich was looking at the mower and the deck with hands on his hips.

I asked how I could help and he quietly said, "I don't...well. It doesn't make sense to me to go back...up...and this..." He stopped as some confusion crossed his face. "I know...this.." 

I waited. He studied the mower as if seeing it for the first time in ages.

I asked about the blocks of wood he always used in this operation of sliding the mower deck back on and putting the belt back on. He shrugged. I lifted the deck [thank you CrossFit!] and asked him to slide the blocks in place. 

Finally, just about done, he said he needed to climb on board to pull the deck up with the handle.

He was way too wobbly for that so I did it. 

Then the rain started and I looked out at the yard. It needed mowing but I guess it would wait now.

Be tender, be kind. Make each day possible.

Dreams

"Hi mom person." 

Okay, that was weird. For whatever reason, I heard those words.

"What?" I asked, not sure that I just heard that. And in the dream Sunshine's face was right there.

"You heard me, don't be so dense. Mom person. You are my human mom well, birth mom. Not that biological thing of course. You could never have such a beautiful child as me," Sunshine said. She continued, "Horse Mom had her short comings, I mean little ears and all. But you have almost no ear at all. I suppose you are lucky in a way, your ears don't attract flies and bite..ey things."

An image of Cheyanne, her mom kind of came to mind for a moment.

"Your mom was my very first equine that I truly loved. She was stunning."

Sunshine dipped her head in my dream and closed her eyes, then opened them. "Oh yes, my mom who dumped you so many times? Her? That scatter brained mom? Thank goodness my father was a sensible donkey. She was an excellent mom though. The best."

Sunshine leaned in close and looked me in the eye.

"I have a secret," she whispered. 

"Do you remember when I was injured for a whole year? The doctor man said I might not ever recover. And you came in every day and hugged me and talked to me? 

You probably didn't even know back then that we mules understand every single word you say. Most of the time we just ignore you."

"Well," I replied a bit weirded out, "um okay."

Sunshine winked.

"I get you. I know you. Deep in this heart of mine, I am with you."

"Um. You get me." I stated.

"Oh yes, I know you. Just like Badger did. My heart, your heart, we are connected. Truly we are." Sunshine breathed into my face softly so I could smell her breath.

"I know you."

I woke up with a start and tossed on some clothes. I walked outside and down to the front pasture. 
I flicked on a flash light. There was Sunshine staring at me curiously by the gate.

Her head nodded slightly and then she turned and walked away.

Yeah.

That was totally weird.

I love giving haircuts

Well, that is ... to well trained mules who don't mind those nasty noisy clippers.

Messy Mica!

Trimmed and pretty!

Sunshine. 

I'll have to write about my dream I had Saturday night about Sunshine. It was pretty incredible.

Siera, partially trimmed

Stunning! However she wouldn't put her ears up for me. She wasn't grumpy, just nonchalant about my kissing at her and dancing around to get her attention. Siera is a cool mule. She likes people but loves to ignore humans unless they are brushing her and fussing over her. 

What a prima donna!

[Siera thinking...ICK ick, ick. I am not looking at her after she gave me that yucky paste to eat. Ick Ick. Phooey.]

I had a 5 gallon bucket full of mane hair. The winter flop manes were gone. The burs were picked out of their tails again. 

Onward. I had one full day.

Boring

Boring Saturday. 

The little mule in the middle is Fred. He has always been the boss mule. He rules the roost at 35 years old. Yes, that is totally old for any equine.

Fred could use dentures as his old teeth have pretty much worn out. However, after a life time of service to my hubby, attending our wedding, and teaching numerous people how to ride, we have decided that Fred has earned a retirement with grain and special feed.
He prefers the pasture and chasing girls though. 

Here Mica joins the group. She is often pushed out. I wonder if it is her color?
The reds hang together as well as the bays.

Fred had decided that he would try and convince everyone that they were in heat. Yes, mules do come in heat. He kept nuzzling all the gals until everyone decided to take a morning nap.

Fred is a gelding and has always been this way.

Lil' Richard is our small stud who had a job telling us when the mares we bred to our Jack were ready to be serviced. We'd put the little stud pony next to a mare when we expected her to be in heat and Lil' Richard would work with her until she'd stand for him. Poor little guy could never do the job, but he was accurate.

Now he is simply a mower and fertilizer. 
He and Sven keep the hillside mowed and trimmed among other places like the tractor in the weeds and other piles of 'junk'.

I took a walk in the rain yesterday just to get out of the house. Endless loops of Alias on TV was driving me nuts. Binge watching is not my idea of a day well spent.

I found more Pheasant Back fungi and made a discovery. These trees that used to produce Morels are now dead enough to produce this fungi. This tree produced 3 or 4 bags of Morels about 4 years ago. Now? Just these fungi. I noted it on other old Morel trees too. 

The Honey Suckle is blooming. Yes, it is invasive but it sure smells nice!

This was on my neighbor's land. They don't manage it, don't keep up the fences, or do anything with it. 

Higher on the ridge I found Jacob's Ladder. At the top of the ridge I found wild geraniums.

Different levels of the hillside had different temperatures and that creates mini climates.

A bee was hiding inside the blossom. I imagine it was stuck there because it was cold.

My second woods walk landed me at the far back of our acreage. I found Oyster Mushrooms...I think.

Since I don't have enough knowledge about edible fungi, I just admired them and moved on with Charlie.

We found so many trees that had antler rubs on them that I figured that Big Buck was still hanging around in the prickly ash woods. Smart Big Buck. He knows how to hide well.

I had to laugh when I saw the Spider on the Tree. I'd put that up a long time ago when decorating the Spooky part of the Woods for my neighbor's kids Treasure Hunt.

I was looking just above our creek for signs of any sort of fungi or if the light rain had brought out any interesting new plants when I spotted something pinkish under a geranium.

Showy Orchid aka Galearis spectabilis. 
Yep, I prefer the name: Showy Orchid 

I have found these once or twice before in our woods just about 20 feet above the creek. They are really hard to spot and like hiding.

If I can spot these, why can I NOT spot a morel?

Probably because it has been too cool, too dry, and just a crappy year for them.

I wandered through the Buckthorn Forest and decided I'd turn the mules out there after I roached their manes and wormed everyone. 

The grass simply looks abundant and delicious.