susannefortune

OK, what was I thinking?  Very few words are needed to describe this picture.  Maybe I was thinking ahead to a possible Christmas card or maybe not.  If interested I have a 5 x 7 glossy… I can make you a deal.

Giddy up little doggies.  Hey, I was on vacation, right?

I have been back from Alaska nearly a week.  I jumped back into life as I know it here.  In reflection it is always a pure delight to experience someone else’s life and environment.  It was a souvenir the Wilson’s gave me to visit Alaska last week.  The opportunity to be a part of their family, to see their world, to meet their friends, neighbors, to have special time with each of them was such a gift to me.   I guess that is Alaskan hospitality.  What maybe normal to them was such an incredible experience for me and maybe that is how it goes, often our normal seem incredible to others.

I have a couple of pictures I want to share, I think I will start with this one, it takes me to Alaska’s clean fresh air.  The weather was in the 50-60-70 degree range.  This view is from their deck.  It is a reminder for me.   The mountains were awesome, as mountains are, but to watch these clouds would come down the valley.  That morning, they were movin’.  Sometimes in the evening if the conditions were right they would go back up the valley.   It was so peaceful to watch and a reminder to me in the whole scheme of things, I am just a spec.  Know what I mean?

On our way to Hatcher Pass we stopped to visit Independence Mine, a gold mine of the early 1900’s.  This was  a visit to reality of big hopes and dreams or maybe just to work and survive.  The ruins of the mining area are still present.  The living quarters, what looked like dormitories, housed the miners and lead engineers.  The bleak conditions were a reminder of how determined these men were.   Some make it and some didn’t.   At that time, what other choices did they have?   The danger was haunting for me in this mining area as we walked the path yet still embraced by the beautiful mountains.

Physically we were there in the evening, in the clouds, surrounded by the gorgeous mountains, refreshed by the clean air, but mentally one’s heart had to feel the danger for these miners and their determination.

Susanne’s Garden Moments Radio Show was live from Anchorage, Alaska yesterday.  Actually it was from Eagle River, Alaska and actually it wasn’t live to several Listeners as there were studio difficulties and the Listeners weren’t able to pick up the Internet coverage.  What was live and actual was Hannah Wilson, my Guest in our own little personal radio show at her home.   It doesn’t get any more alive than that.

The Wilson family moved to Eagle River last year from Tallahassee, Florida.  They are like family to me.  Hannah and I have this gardening kind of connection.  I know the Listeners probably wanted to hear more from Hannah on the Show and less of my voice, but what they heard, if they heard was ….gardening is an experience that Hannah enjoys, she says.  It is something I like to do, then I have to wait to see if anything happens.  I have to be patience, wait and watch, Hannah expresses as she closes out the Show.  Hannah is brilliant.

This is a picture of Hannah and her brother Elliott.  Hannah is farm sitting for her neighbor’s chickens, dog, fish, cat, their greenhouse and vegetable and strawberry gardens.  Yesterday afternoon the chicks gave us 4 eggs and we picked the sweetest strawberries I have ever tasted.  What a pleasure.

Thanks Hannah, thanks family.

Susanne’s Garden Moments is LIVE from Anchorage, Alaska, this Saturday, August 13th at 1:00 pm EST.  Can you believe this?  My guest is Hannah Wilson, a young gardener and friend.  The growing season there is only 148 days and those plants have to make a show.  The growing season is 148 days from frost to frost.  That seems kind of long to me, but that is what the Farmer’s Almanac says.

You ask, why this picture?  Well, it looks better than my profile picture and I can’t seem to fix the profile one.  There you have it.

Yesterday I interviewed Cheryl Moore on Susanne’s Garden Moments Radio Show.  The show featured Cheryl’s newest backyard adventure in raising 6 “peeps”.  Spending time here has given me  extra benefits in learning more and enjoying egg freshness.  These are just some of the green, blue and brown eggs these beautiful  young “peeps” have given us over the last couple of days.   Previously I would never describe chickens as beautiful, but these are.  Their coat and feathers are fluffy and they shine.  They each have a cute little personalities that made them unique.  Their sweet little voices are present but not as all intrusive.  Finally, I have realized it must be really hard to lay an egg.  Actually I think it is painful, but they do it.  There is a distinct voice they have when they are getting ready to lay an egg.  They build up to that moment, then after they lay the egg there is another kind of voice.  It is a celebratory announcement.

I see why Cheryl loves them so.  I understand now why she calls them “peeps” and not chicken.  I think it is their beauty that makes them “peeps”.

There is something about going back to the place one grew up and how things look so little but seemed so big at the time.  I grew up in Cross Plains, Indiana.  This is the home my dad built for our family in the ’40’s.   The little house has a couple of add-ons now, but the original structure was the session to the left.  As a kid, it seemed so big.  As an adult, the house and property looked so little.

Earlier this month Sheila, Monte and I drove by while in the area attending the Copeland Family Reunion.  There’s nothing like a walk/drive down memory lane.   The memories are big for me living in Cross Plains, Indiana, like the garden, the sandbox,  the little Cub tractor and learning to drive on it, the grove we called it, the basement, kitchen table, the stairs and closet under the stairs, my bedroom, the outhouse, then the bathroom with two doors, going to Lamb’s Store, to 4-H, church, the smell of Sunday dinner or meals with the Reed’s or family/friends, Cheryl.

It was big then, now looks little.  I was little then and now I am big.

Because our afternoon rains have finally started, the moss grows like crazy in certain areas of my yard, even on my aged drive-way.  This is a picture of the drive-way which I use as a path to the back yard.  The moss is incredibility beautiful and lush now.  Moss is a small, soft plant and the typical variety is 1–10 cm tall.  Not that I have measured but mine has to be the 1 cm variety.  It is close and tight.  The moss runs down several path ways and even covers a large area in the back part of the yard.  It is gorgeous there too.   I guess the damp and shady environment of my cottage property provides home to this small beauty of a plant.  I wish you could see it.

I love this picture.  The bees love the salvia and I love the bees.

I tried to capture this bee soaking up the salvia and look what I got.  But I like it.  You are just going to have to trust me that it is Black and Blue Salvia and there is a bee or two nestled down in there.    I guess you will have to stop by and see for yourself and hear those bees.  A beautiful sound.

The Cottage in the Garden SALE scheduled tomorrow is cancelled.  What do we want rain or a sale?  The outdoor store is such a creative idea (I love my ideas), nestled in the gardens with the birds singing.  You have to admit that one can not pipe that kind of sound or atmosphere into a regular store.

I have enjoyed the last two sales and there will be more, just not tomorrow.  

So three cheers for the rain and I look forward to seeing you the end of July.