Bird Tweets

Day 252 Magic by Day, Enchantment of Night

This is my very own version of the Taj Matent based upon the fantastical creation by the lovely Debi. The name  is Cindy's brilliant characterization for Debi's 'sleeping quarters' for the 'camp out' during last Barn House show. If you read my blog with regularity you may remember that our patio roof collapsed on Christmas Eve last year after ice and snow became too much for it to hold. We remain roofless at this point and as we have been having record heat this month i decided i needed to innovate. The vision created with tablecloths and old curtains is quite lovely i think.

Since it has been so very steamy here in our usually cool Northwest i have been watering Avalon pretty much non-stop in order to keep the haven a haven and not a desert.

And while i have been pushing sprinklers and pulling hoses around Joe has been preparing his canoe for a weekend away for fishing and boating. Believe me he deserves a break for some summer fun. He has been working pretty much non-stop since my Dad got sick in May, working on home projects, doing helpful things for my family, volunteering his gardening skills for friends as well as faithfully working at his day job.

On Sunday as nightfall began in earnest i walked through the garden with my camera and watched for opportunities to capture an ephemeral moment of beauty in each little ecosystem of Avalon. The blue background of this photo was due to the alchemy of water and the blue toned light of dusk. There wasn't a blue object or flower in sight. If you look closely you will see there is a backdrop of spraying water surrounding the scene that shows as white streaks. Cameras do sometimes show us magic that with our eyes we may never see.

A frequent pastime of summer is following around the various winged visitors to Avalon trying to take their portrait. The fat bumblebees are all over the Agapanthus and it being later in the evening they seemed to be as lazy with the heat as i was. 

I captured this rare photo of my twin (Robin-Bird... get it?) through the screen of my kitchen window. I'm not sure if it was the screen or the radiant light that caused the diamonds of water to sparkle so but no matter because when magic presents itself i regard it as my reward for believing.

What night magic have you captured with your camera of late?

Love, robin

Day 146 Barn House Flea Market Part I

I have a feast of photos from the Barn House Flea Market i attended on Saturday. I mean this was an amazing event . No hyperbole. I swear i stood there on the dusty track that led to the most amazing collection of pure white tents for about 3 solid minutes just taking it all in thinking: "oh wow...how did they get that antique iron bed in here? and with all the white linen too!" I swiveled my head 180 degrees both directions and all i saw was a confection of white. On the second swivel i saw it was actually a rainbow of palest pink, sky blue, faded lavender, mossy green. Each space was divided by floating panels of vintage fabrics. Gauzy dividers of pale pink organza, creamy white voile. And lace, Battenberg, Chantilly, Belgian, some antique, some new. There were birdcages, jewels, flowers in vases, pots and mason jars. And lots of furniture. Antique dressers, old trunks, carved chairs, little cabinets. I saw moss covered fences, ornate gates, painted columns. There was china displayed in and on everything, in drawers, on miniature shelves, balanced in bookcases stacked on chintz covered chairs.

To top it all off these 'spaces' were owned and attended by master artisans and craftspeople from all over Washington and Oregon. They sewed, painted, built, arranged and created such an array of household treasures that i had to decide right then and there. Was i going to carry my camera or my checkbook into this captivating scene. I opted for both.

I will post these photos in two parts. I have to save space for the introduction of new friends :)

This first photo is not mine although i wish it were :) Traveling along the dusty trail to Barn House.

See what i mean??!! I am going to post another set later and introduce you to my new friends. Furred, feathered and human.

Day 139 How Our Days Begin....

My favorite time of day is sunrise. There is something about being awake with the dawn of day that is exhilarating and inspiring. It matters not the lateness of the hour when i lay down for sleep. The soft light of the earliest dawn calls me down from my dreams to witness the day's beginning. I thank the heaven's i am alive the moment i become conscious of my slow and steady breathing. Another opportunity to make good the moments of life that are gifted to me.

I have morning routines. I have seasonal rituals. All of my days begin with coffee. All of my summer days begin out of doors. July hosts the very best of the blooming garden. While the coffee brews i step out my patio door to take stock of the new day.

I make my rounds through the garden, looking for the signs that something has changed. What has grown, bloomed, faded or been visited by one of the menagerie of creatures that tends to prowl the garden during the night hours? I inevitably find some myseterious sign of digging, dirt moving or plant crushing that i ponder over. I am never sure whether i am alone or have a guest who remains to watch me move along the paths. Is that a raccoon who just exited the pond leaving wet prints on the stone? Did the family of deer bite off the last of the rose buds only moments ago? And what about that evil feline who prowls the birdbath...let's go look....

Oregon has it's own weather patterns and the mornings are frequently 20 or so degrees cooler than the daylight hours. So i have my gear for being comfortable. Note the pink pants, heavy socks and green clogs. I am ever the fashionista, morning noon and night. I change my footwear to flip flops the moment my toes no longer turn blue when exposed to the open air.

That is my favorite seating area. I sip my coffee, read e-mail and peruse my schedule for the day.

Then i set up sprinklers for watering and begin the daily ritual of straightening up the beds. I have many varieties of daylilies whose generic name typify exactly what they are like. Each bloom lasts for exactly one day. There can be hundreds of blossoms through July but the spent blooms that hang from the previous day look so forlorn that i go around and remove them. The plants then look pretty, fresh and ready for their day long job of blooming their lovely hearts out.

That about covers the first hours of my mid-summer days. The rituals flow with the season and those that are born in July shift incrementally to match the garden calendar and my own internal rhythms.

What are the the time honored rituals of your midsummer mornings?

XOX Have a peach of a day my friends!

Day 129 Happy Vacuuming The Carpet With The Screen Door Open & Pink Rhubarb Pie

This is a lot more fun than it looks. If it is warm enough to have the house open and for me to be barefoot then it doesn't matter very much what it is i am doing. I can make it fun. Even vacuuming. This is how my day started yesterday. It got a lot busier and a lot better. I will show you later... Right now i have to get ready to go and meet marcia for another of our self imposed photo classes. This time we are going to an estate sale that has a whole lott'a 1950's "stuff" and see if we can capture something interesting... I hope the people running the sale don't mind being subjected to the clicking, clacking, stooping, pointing, laughing and talking that will be part and parcel to the project.

I will be back with the goods to share with you later today. I love having your company and wonderful comments!

oh...but one more photo from yesterday's thrilling events is in order. Marcia stopped by the house with her new granddaughter Amara whom i had yet to meet in person. She is 5 months old and has the most soulful eyes i have ever seen. She looks just like Marcia's son Andy! Isn't she just the most brilliant looking baby ever?!