Sometimes the happenings are subtle – sometimes not. I’m reading this lovely book which channels the Japanese and Chinese calendar custom of tracking time via the changes in nature (the Japanese alter the classic Chinese, in lieu of their different weather/flora/fauna/environment and awareness/fashions) – the author tries to explain some of the enigmatic phrases which describe a 4-day ‘natural shift’ and compare them to her own experience in California’s Bay Area. It makes you think about how you would name your own 4-day stretches (from June 21-25, the book marks this time as when ‘deer breaks antlers’) – for us in our little micro-eclime, it might be when ‘all the roses appear’ (or rose chafers, depending on your attitude – little devils that eat everything – apple trees, lilacs, grape leaves – little jerks, though if I started on the bugs I could do a whole calendar for sure – just tracking the bug cycles – good and bad, mostly bad – around here).
But back to the roses – this property has rose abound. When we moved in there were many ‘cultivated’ roses – little red rose bushes lining the drive in a railroad tie bed with a trailing/climbing rose at the end that could make it up the railing (and eventually engulf the front door). I’m sorry to say, I am not a rose fan. They are thorny, high-maintenance, and only ‘surface pretty’, and there can only be one of me like that around here! We started finding more of them here and there in small gardens that needed tending (i.e. moved).
And then we realized that we were also surrounded by wild roses, in every thicket, along every wall, behind every tree – the tiny white wild rose (which bears no useful rose hips, creates hedges, chokes everything and is basically a giant weed). So we got the bright idea (ding! see the lightbulb?!) of using all the roses to ‘fence’/hedge in the front road line. It’s a busier road than we had anticipated and many people seem to think it’s a good place to throw trash (we’ve quite the collection of lottery tickets) and we don’t want our wandering chickens to wander into the road. They look lovely that way (though we keep finding more, and Josh trims great 2-story tumbleweeds every year and burns all the refuse despite the fact that they grow right back if you don’t keep an eye on them). I also envision a great Sleeping Beauty thorny hedge that keeps our little faerie land safe and sane.
May you be able to notice the subtle happenings in your life. It’s all in the details.
Rock Bottom Homestead 