earthy sauciness: 2020

No Place Like Home

Despite the forecast, live like it’s Spring.” Lilly Pulitzer

Cam and I love our home. It’s a good thing during this pandemic stay at home period. There’s no place like home. This one. Literally. All that is missing is a wood stove for these chilly May nights.

Click the ruby slippers three times, channel Glinda, the good witch, and magic happens.

We share space with numerous colorful creatures, all who are respectfully quiet and calm, and who add colorful diversity to the household.

Masked Monkey Metallica guards the house.

Our Resident Shaman

Resting

This paper wasp home is abandoned, thankfully.

We just admire the workers' masterpiece, so host some empty nests.

Oh my!

Our door’s open to visitors (masked, of course). A comfy porch chair awaits you.

Come rock with us.

Yogi Cam- Sort of...

There’s no place like OM. Namaste.

Beltane with Cam

A little Madness in the Spring Is wholesome even for the King.” Emily Dickinson

My Buddy, Cam

You may have noticed my references to Cam throughout my spring pandemic promenade bloggings. I am so blessed to have had another pair of eyes to hunt for signs of spring, the unusual and the encouragingly beautiful. Cam has been an essential part of my Spring has not Been Canceled blogging project.

During social distancing, Cam has become my new best friend, and I appreciate so many of his qualities:

availability- just about any time, except when he is feeling low battery
flexibility- is not afraid of the virus, so no masking necessary, which is helpful, because he sees through his nose it seems
ready when I am
minimalism- travels lightly
accommodating- pushing his buttons is unlike any other companions I’ve had
winks a lot

likes to dress up, and is okay when dressed down
sense of humor- some of his focuses are way out there
keeps his hands to himself, though not sure I have actually seen them
takes in information, but does not need to Cam-xplain it to me

Deb: What are your photographic passions, Cam?

Cam: Murky shadows and mystery.

Deb: What unusual signs of spring have you recorded this week?

Cam: We’ve been ramping it up—foraging (sustainably), making wild leek pesto, super garlicky salad dressing, soups…. I may have a long nose, but fortunately, no sense of smell.

We also came upon a forest field of cowslip gold… oo-la-la!

Deb: What about stinging nettles? Can you handle them?

Cam: Sure, easy- peasy. I’m desensitized to their venomous sting, so Deb can plunk me onto a clump when she forages.

How will you celebrate May Day, Cam?

Cam: Pleasurably. Deb tenderly nestles my proboscis with her left hand, while she cradles my right shoulder and wist with her right. When she tickles my nose and I start to focus, my nostrils quiver in anticipation of imminent release. We shall dress up and dance. Maybe have a candlelit dinner after reviewing our day.

Cam in May Day garb

Cam, Cam, he’s my man

One click away

Oh so willing, with nary a nay

His long nose sniffing out beauty, is all a twitter

Cam takes a lot

He’s not a quitter

A creature of contrast, shadows, light and dark

If Cam misses a shot,

he tries again til he hits the mark

Cam’s a guy with ability to focus

He gets the job done

hocus-pocus

Cam-hurrah… hurrah

Cam-er-ah…

"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." Margaret Atwood

Spring Fever

It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want—oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!” Mark Twain

“April's air stirs in
willow leaves...
a butterfly
floats and balances”

Bashō
Japanese Haiku

"Every spring is the only spring, a perpetual astonishment." Ellis Peters

My daily rhythms, if I have had any during this pandemic, have been accompanied by the tapping of this friend on my southern windows for the past week. If only I could get on the ball, and keep up with his relentless energy, I might accomplish something, maybe even more than he is, poor dude.

Marsh marigolds have taken over this woods by the Genesee River Trail.

In Vermont I used to harvest the greens (also called cowslips) to steam and eat.

Wanna be maple trees on the bridge

Dancing in the wind

Whatever this is makes me feel like I am somewhere tropical, not in balmy western NY on a rainy April day.

Out of the Hobbit Hole into Outer Space, Safely during Quarantine of Course

These days I vacillate between jumping out of bed, ready to tackle the world under current circumstances, and snuggling back into my safe and comfy hobbit hole with a good book.

Please come to my tea party tomorrow. Anytime...

When I do brave leaving my cave, it is helpful to have guidance, and these visuals serve as maps to get me where I need to go.Trust encourages me to venture forth.

Meandering along well marked trails

Crossing streams

finding heart in the current

Appreciating the colors of the day....

Glad for the reminder that Nature goes on, in spite of we humans.

Monet, are you here?

A mirage?

Fairy land

Earthy stars

Escape to another world

Take me there.

Revitalizing

“Spring shows what God can do with a drab and dirty world.” Virgil A. Kraft

A series presented itself this week during my daily Spring has not been Canceled walks with Cam(era), which I feel compelled to include in this blog.

I found myself noticing a pattern of disturbing (to me) images, and may attribute it to gray skies, lack of in person contact, my personal perspectives, or my mood during this quarantine.

I hope that my pix of natural beauty will counteract the grimness of these pix, as I choose to allow and appreciate Nature’s ability and desire to overpower human made situations.