Soulful Neighbors

I woke just as the Sun was showing himself at the crest of the tree line across Thompson Road. It was a time to mark his presence in late May so far north. The photos and musings that follow are a walking morning meditation. Appreciating my journey, my neighbors, and the unfolding nature of forgiveness and beauty connected with land, sky, sacred trees, and the creativity of a community garden within four hundred square feet.

Last Sunday after the Farmers' Market was over Pete and I spent the afternoon in our patch of garden, and planted corn starts from Midori Farm in Quilcene. We bought the corn on our road trip to Port Townsend earlier this month.

Planted 'Three Sisters' style, corn, with beans are planted together. Fava Bean seeds from Lesedi Farms are tucked in the moist ground next to the corn stalks. Marigolds anchor the four directions - North, South, East and West and hopefully help attract bugs giving the corn and beans a bit of a break. A single green bean start (won at Earth Day Tilth seedling guessing game ... thanks Angie) is company to the stalks. Soon I'll plant squash once the corn stalks are up a little further.

While the moon is in her 'Ole Phases (a time for weeding and preparing rather than planting), we found scraps of rebar and wire fencing. Pete bent the rebar into curves and wove them into the wire for support. When those 'Ole Phases are pau I'll plant edible pea seeds which can cling to the wire sculpture; a cucumber start will cover some space below and who knows what else may inspire companionship.

What might you plan here?

The rest of the photos are morning shots of some of our pea patch neighbors' gardens, and a visiting mammalian on four legs.

 At the end of my morning walking meditation it is to the golden wagon parked just on the rise here on the Prairie Front I come.

"We built our Vardo for Two to be part of an envisioned community where our way of life and our disabilities and sensitivities become understood and embraced; by befriending time, we have found how long it takes to give-and-take and create understanding and shared resources..."

A wonderful piece of writing from John O'Donahue excerpted from Terri Windling's blog Myth & Moor is tucked behind (some) photographs in this blog post. To find them you must be willing to stay awhile, and find them. (Hover -- put your cursor -- over the photos to look for the text.) It is not meant as malicious trickery, but rather a small dose of mischief and a way to weave a message of juxtaposition; literary neighborhoods made with layering meanings, images and art lived in the moment. Like a garden.

Speaking of soulful juxtaposition ... Johnny Cash singing with the Muppets "Ghostriders in the sky." Fun!

UPDATE: And ... to read more about what it takes to grow a culture of caring pleasing to the Ancestors seen and unseen ... consider this.