It was so good to see some art and get out a bit the other night for the Gardiner, ME Annual Artwalk. We stopped in to see our lovely friend Jason at Niche, Inc. and play at the Unplugged Arcade (super fun), drooled over some lovely pottery, then sauntered down to Costell & Costell Gallery where we perused the provacative new ‘Naughty Mickey’ work by El and the sensual landscape and vignette work of Paloma (and were offered a smashing pairing of Run Amok Mead – soon to open in Gardiner, and Stone Broke Bread – with a new trial run of a Cardamom Honey Rye), and a pop in to the new coffeeshop in town, Spoke Coffee, which looks like a great space to think and be. We wandered the lovely little library garden with all of its Rose of Sharon and Hibiscus in bloom, eyed the fun LGBTQ table out front and the resplendent butterfly art on the fence. Tooling around town seeing people out to visit art was nice – there are many more galleries in this little town popping up than I imagined!
As the weather finally breaks a bit (it’s the humidity and yet lack of rain which pains us, along with some new heat waves – I’m sure wherever you are, you might be experiencing these) we can assess what is possible for the Harvest Party gathering we hope will be a success. Purples and yellows are back together with the return of the Red Clover and Self-Heal and the new openings of Violet Gladiolus next to the sprays of Goldenrod and Black Eyed Susans (remember way back in the Spring when we were treated to the Dandelions and Creeping Charlie?! Stunning combinations). The Jewelcorn has ears and the hummingbirds are still reaping the benefits of the Bee Balm (and those new glads!). The Zinnia are still coming in all their little glories – bright bursts of pinks, oranges, white, red, a stunning coral type, and a sunburst multi-stem variation that is just lovely. The Blackberries are filling in like nobody’s business – we’ve made cakes and jams and fermented sodas of them, and shared many but there are still many to be had. The dry beans are climbing and blooming and the newly planted Snow Peas are inching up the trellis.
Alas, we sent our lovely small flock of laying hens off to a new home with other chickie friends and a better chance at foraging. We weren’t able to offer them the freedom they prefer (and I like them to have as natural and lovely a life as they can!) and with the dissertation and my health, we thought best that they find a new home. Fortunately the most faierie queen of farming showed up to whisk them away to her loving home (thank you so much – such good positive energy seems hard to find these days!). I am, of course, sad and I feel like I’m missing something in the world without my ladies but it is for the best. We all need time to focus, heal, and redefine how we want to resume around here.
I’m sending you the quiet and cool breezes that are coming in through my studio window right now to find your own time and center.
Rock Bottom Homestead 