Savoring Each Day

A labor of love.

Let me start by saying that Nick the Dog is still with us. We’re trying to savor each day, looking for a slight tail wag or a smile. But we also are preparing for the inevitable. 

We picked a gravesite in what we call “The Meadow,” a small nook of cleared land across the road where we feed the deer. We can see it well from the kitchen window and from the loft. We took turns digging over several days and it’s now ready, not that we are.

Mason built a casket. Normally we're cremation people, but we have so much land here. And Nick loves it here. We’ll bury him with his bed, his collar and his favorite toy — not that he has ever been overly playful. But he has been a real sweetie, a great dog, a great friend.

Who knows, maybe he’ll be with us for longer than we think. And if he is, each of those days will be better for it.

A rare flower spared from rabbits and deer.

  

Midsummer News

We ordered a fan off the Inter-Webs on Thursday afternoon
 and Mason had it installed by Friday night. Amazing.

What's Mason doing now? Installing a ceiling fan on the porch! On those 90-degree, 90-percent-humidity days with not a breeze to be found, you'll find us right where we usually are, except now we'll be a bit more comfortable. We like it so much, we might add one on the other side of the porch where we eat lunch on nice days.

Garlic heads hanging to dry from the porch rafters.

Meanwhile, the garlic has been harvested and the first tomatoes and cucumbers are coming. And I vow to not eat slimy supermarket cilantro or parsley ever again (or until next winter). Jalapeños have already been harvested, but the jury is still out on the edamame and peanuts.