Hello dear friends! The longest daylight of the year is here and the sun is out. Whoop! We are grateful for the heat that arrived with the Summer Solstice. This spring was too cold, too insectless, too quiet. A catbird celebrates in his own way, singing. Beautiful, beautiful singing. The sun and warmth always bring song. Bird, insect, tree. Have you noticed how the cottonwood sings too? How they dance? How they sing the music of water and wind?
What beauty there is in this world!
When insects couldn't move because of the chill, we helped. I imagined this moth's "thoughts" - I opened my wings in May. I lived in the forest. I felt the rain. I felt the cold. I wondered. We wondered: did they accomplish their mission?
Polyphemus moth
When the flowers bloomed and the insects weren't present. We mourned. We despaired. And yet, we also still loved. It's easy to look away from the pain, the wrongness, but if we do that, how do we change? Move forward?
Willow
Eastern Redbud
American Plum
Little precious lives live everywhere, even in nonabundant times and those lives we sought ardently.
Harvestman sp. (spectacular!!!)
American Mink near the compost pile
Beaver tail
We quieted our minds and exercised our bodies healing land, adding diversity back.
Winterberry Holly and Bladdernut
We pilgrimaged to witness the early wildflower blooms in Eastern Deciduous Forest. A not to be missed event.
Shooting Star
Wild Leek, Spring Beauty, Cutleaf Toothwort, Trout Lily, White Oak
We marveled at the return of woodland wildflowers to these 3.5 acres in Morrow County, OH all because of our commitment to share space and plant it back.
Twinleaf, Trillium, Stonecrop, Mayapple, Wild Leek
The rain created the perfect conditions for beautiful fungus.
Dead Man's Fingers
Dyer's Polyphore
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We excitedly awaited the emergence of periodical cicadas in parts of Ohio in May and we traveled to live amongst them and their song for a bit at Persimmon South, in Highland County, OH. We rejoiced in their resiliency in the coolness and wetness.
We insect watch. We bird watch. We plant watch. We continue to work to learn the language of others - to understand, to learn, to appreciate and to marvel.
17 Year Periodical Cicadas Brood XIV
We imagined their "thoughts" - I lived underground for 17 years feeding on tree roots. In sync with my relatives and friends, I crawled out of the Earth and sang. My babies are now burrowed in the soil to start the cycle anew.
We observed their favorite singing and sleeping spots at Persimmon South close to the sun in the tops of a lingering white ash and a tall tulip tree - where they felt the first heat of the day and the last heat of the day.
Recently we learned Persimmon South is loaded with native sedges and grasses and were reminded that so many diverse plants are already there. We need to observe and learn and listen before we use a heavy hand on this land that is already handling the return of the biological community.
Twisted Sedge (maybe)
Fowl Manna Grass
Less than a month ago, as we sat in long sleeve shirts and pants day after day we sought any and all signs that the 20 degree below average temperatures would go away. This feather, right by my chair told me life was still happening. Keep going. Other feathers told me life was around. Keep going.
Red-shouldered Hawk
Barred Owl
Eastern Bluebird
On warm and warming days, the insects started to show up in small numbers.
White-striped Black
Swift Feather-legged Fly
Lettered Sphinx caterpillar
Isabella Tiger Moth Eggs
Speckled Sharpshooter
Amidst the challenge of spring weather, a mama stray cat had her kittens in our south facing window well under a slanted board. She did alright until the south rains came and the board fell on two of her kittens. We got the board off much to her displeasure. Were we there to help or hurt? She moved the kittens that night and we didn't know to where. We put food out for her and she relied on us immediately.
It took us awhile to find where Bibs, the mama cat, moved her kittens to and we finally found them in a south facing spot under a large clump of grass. A tree was to the northeast of this spot. Very good...close to us for protection and food and very hard to find.
We knew they needed help so we helped and eventually got the family moved into the chicken coop minus one kitten that must have died.
Amidst the cat chaos, more plants began to bloom and we showed up to revere them and thank them and tell them to not give up on the insects. Three bad springs in a row is hard to recover from.
And please never forget, because it's the one thing that will keep us all going...we are united!
We imagine mama's "thoughts" - I am Bibs the cat and I have three kittens. I am only 1 year old and I am thin as a rail. I had a hard start to life, living outside in polar vortexes, eating potatoes and anything else in the compost pile I could find. I sheltered under the chicken coop when opossums and raccoons and mink weren't under there. I trust humans now. I am so grateful for shelter, food, water, play and this amazing thing called love from my human allies. I am a good mom and I need a home. My babies need a home. I need you. Jennifer and Steve need you.
Four-leaved Milkweed
Common Milkweed
Wild Yam
During all the coolness of spring, native fruits grew. Some way less than normal due to lack of cross pollination or pollination at all, but others grew abundantly.
American Plum
Lack of a late freeze let a persimmon at our place put fruits on for the very first time. You read that right, an American Persimmon at Persimmon North is FRUITING.
American Persimmon 'Yates'
After the cool, and before the hot, hot heat, the rain turned off, the smoke haze arrived and the soil dried. Leaves turned red, leaves dropped and we began watering. It's a disrupted, unsettled climate. One we've played with far too much and one we can still play with again (in a very different way!) and restore to a good friendly system for all. Don't look away. Engage with us, with your human and nonhuman community. You matter.
And please never forget, because it's the one thing that will keep us all going...we are united!
Amidst everything, we explore, we love, we heal land.
