Metal and Wood

There's thunder, wind, tornado warnings in our little corner of paradise today and though they're rare, a small funnel cloud was just confirmed one county away. Of greater concern for us is the threat of large hail, especially since there's no room in the garage for our cars..

Still it's hard to complain, since we need the rain so desperately. 

Since it looks like we'll get a good soaking all week, I moved two large pieces of furniture into the dining room and set up a makeshift workshop. Though I'm not actively playing anymore it feels good to work with my hands, especially in metal and wood. I think my dad would be proud.

Summertime Blues

August came into view on the calendar this week and with it came the old back-to-school blues. The stores in town have already replaced gardening items with notebooks and binders. It always feels too soon for me. Those well-laid plans for the summer? They've been discarded and revised...the only thing that's happened as planned this summer is the garden. Thank heavens...

Wednesday-Saturday

Finally some rain...

it began at dusk last night and continued softly overnight. We need it desperately.

The poppies and rhododendron are well past, 

but the rest of the garden is putting on a fine show.

 It's July 4th, known in our house today as "Wednesday-Saturday". We're exhausted and I'm wondering is it's possible to unravel the week's weariness in a day. I aim to try.

Today I'll be following Pippa's lead...

find a cool place and snuggle in.

Happy Independence Day everyone!

Magnetic Personalities

Sometimes when I'm working in the shop I feel like a wacko magnet and Wednesday was a banner day.

• In the morning I sold some furniture, china and linens to a healer with a thick southern drawl who does all his work in the buff and claims he can heal whatever ails you - wink, wink...if you know what I mean...and I'm afraid I didn't. Guess I'm just a little dense. Need a curse broken or your aura cleansed? These are your peeps. His wife and assistant will enhance this work color therapy, energy first-aid and appropriate spells. They don't come into the shop very often but when they do, you can bet I'll be working...

• About an hour before we closed I sold some antique African carvings to a young woman who whispered "I speak to spirits and they tell me to buy this stuff". Aside from this statement she looked and acted perfectly normal. She was decked out in bracelets and Tibetan protection amulets from our dealer who sells the stuff and spent just over $300 on two carvings. She says she doesn't particularly like the stuff, but the spirits say she needs it so she goes with it. She has two year old twins and a new baby at home. Contrary to the shamanic healers, she seemed almost embarrassed about the whole talking to spirits thing. The shamans on the other hand are clearly seeking new clients...

Passing Through

It's been an intense week for us in our little corner of heaven. There's been news of two deaths near and dear to us and a diagnosis of terminal cancer as well. I know this is the stuff of real life but sometimes it just really sucks.

My dad's youngest brother Burton, my Uncle Bucky passed away earlier this week. With his passing I note a transition in my "family status" as relayed to me by my mom. When I called her to tell her the sad news she said "You know, you're the older generation in the family now...not that you're old or anything like that...". This coming from my mom who'll be 81 in August! As we talked more about age and aging I asked her how old she felt on the inside. Her answer - 55! That's how old I'll be in September. Today I find myself once again clinging ferociously to the notion that no matter how old the calendar says I am, time is and will always be...

on my side.

Home

Home always feels best even when the travels are truly amazing. Fortunately we're still feeling the positive effects of our CA trip even though some of the bills have already started coming in!

In the week since we've been home there's been a lot to catch up on inside and out, at home and at work. It's been a sad week too with news of at least one friend's passing and another's diagnosis of terminal cancer. I am further resolved to live by this...

 Yeah, I know it's from a online retail company but it speaks to me and I like it so I'm going with it. If you click on the link and scroll down you'll also find a video. So good.

I've started to fall into a nice summer routine and though it's rainy today that can't keep me from spending time in the garden. I've got a new herb patch planned near the kitchen door and that super highway for chipmunks that sits smack dab in the middle of my strawberry patch? The one that got enlarged to four lanes while we were away on vacation? Well it needs to be rerouted immediately! I'm not sure how I'm going to accomplish this but I am determined to have more than three berries this year. I would love nothing more than to be finished with work and chores and in time for a nap during the afternoon thunderstorm.

We've got bluebirds nesting nearby and robin and sparrow babies in the yard. I'm pretty sure there are hummingbirds as well but I won't find their nest until I'm pruning in the fall. 

 Our formerly decorative bird house

is now home to a nest of newly hatched house wrens. I love how the birds have whittled away at the entry holes until they were able to wriggle their little wren bodies inside. The house wren is a teeny tiny little spit of a bird but it has an enormous song.

I'm looking forward to tending my own nest today.

Return to Carmel

Minutes before heading out to Yosemite we called to ask about the possibility of returning to Carmel. Yeehaw! Not only did the Bay View Inn have a room, they had a suite with even more expansive views of the sea and we could have it for only a few dollars more than our previous room. It was a no brainer - we'll save Napa for our next trip and return to Carmel one last time.

 

So here we are. Ken just made the first morning coffee delivery and we are sitting here looking out over the sea from our balcony. We've already perused the local real estate listings and found we can't afford to live here unless we win the lottery. I'll get right on that. 

I have a bit of catching up do here but it'll have to wait. Pics from Chinatown and our last day in San Francisco are in the queue and photos from our trip to Yosemite are almost edited. I can hardly wait to get to the shots from the Mariposa Sequoia grove in the park. We visited there the morning we left. Here's a sneak peak...

 

Being in the presence of those trees and walking in that primeval forest has been added to the list of top experiences from this trip. We're headed to Big Sur for the day today and I'm sure there will be more wow's, omg's and gasps at the natural beauty of this place.

That's us...