Autumn is being to fall

To start, I am aware that I have a Maple Tree growing in a pot in my kitchen and I am aware that this is less than normal but, C'est la vie. No one ever said I was 'normal'.

I met this little guy months ago when I was pulling weeds for the flower garden. When I pulled him from the garden with roots and all I decided that he deserved a second chance and planted him in a pot to help him recuperate from this traumatic event before finding him a new, more permanent home. He has been my kitchen companion for months now. He has almost double in size and seems and has been quite happy about his new vocation. Life as a house plant must seem easy compared to the hardships he sees his kinfolk endure outside the window.

At one point in the last week or so, while spending some quality dish washing time with my companion I notice that his leaves where beginning to 'brown' at the tips. Being a 'house plant' my first assumption was that I had neglected to water him, thus doing so immediately. As the days past his little leaves continued to dry at the tips. I accepted the fact that like all my house plant, eventually they lose there battle and succumb to my inadequate green thumb.

A few days ago my mind caught up. It finally occurred to me the my little friend was not dying but changing colours. Not like a 'house plant' but like his wild cousins he watches through the kitchen window... yeah, it sometimes takes me a bit to see the obvious!!

Not sure if my little friend is going to winter inside or if I will find him a new home this fall but i know we are going to have to have 'the talk' soon. I shall tell him what he truly is... hope he takes it well.

My Green Thumb??

OK, beyond the poetry... beyond the painting... and beyond the photography that I wish I could make...

I luv the earth, being part of the earth, bury my naked feet in the sand or dirt. As a child it was a full out fight to get me to wear my shoes. As an adult, I'm not much better. I do what i can to avoid shoes. I COULD be a retail stores worst nightmare but thanks to Doc Martin I can compromise! I even cut the grass bare foot, which seems to scare most people close to me but I do digress as this has very little to do with what my feet are up too!

My Beautiful Lilies

The fact that I am, by chinese astrology's interpretation an "Earth Sheep" must have something to do with this. Perhaps it is the reason that I believe I can garden! Well, if you mean that I can grow things, including weeds... I guess I am a gardener..err...umm Well at least I try and enjoy what I create!

My Garden, young, naive...

Weeds are giving me more than a bit of a hassle this year.

In fact, they had taken a firm foothold in my garden and the casualties are high. If you take into account the carrot, beet and kale populations the casualties are in the thousands. I can honestly say - I fought the fight. I went head to head with my garden and I lost. I've raised my white flag & hope that she will grant me a tomato or two... perhaps a cucumber in return. I will let the dead rest and salvage what I can. Next year I will stand firm and hope that no weed dare challenge me!

I hope that next year that weeds don't stand between me, my garden and everything else my life throws at me!

My Garden... my she rest in peace.

Cheers to gardening, or at least my feeble, sad attempt at it!!

Kelly and the Caterpillar

Last year, nearing the end of summer, I spent my afternoon digging potatoes out of my garden - a wheelbarrow full in fact! Always with me was my little side kick and biggest fan, my 2 year old American Cocker Spaniel, Kelly (named after Ned Kelly, btw). He was a tremendous help, digging up, stealing and eating any stray potatoes and the occasional bug - making a complete pig of himself. Unfortunately all of this changed when he came across a few Fuzzy Wuzzy Caterpillars (Wooly Bear Caterpillars, Banded Woolly Bear, etc) crawling around in the dirt.



Naturally, being Kelly he sucked them up and carried about his business. To make a long story short Kelly became very sick and spent the better part of the day hacking, coughing and chowing down on grass to settle his stomach.

While all of this was occurring I started to get the bones of a cute little story running threw my head. I had never written a kiddie story before but I wasn't going to let the opportunity to write it down pass me by. Within 5 minutes the story was down on paper and I was back to caring for my sick puppy.

The story remained dormant with all my other writing for a while. It was only when I started to think ahead to my nephews first birthday (25 December) did I finally have a purpose for my little story! I set about creating cute little illustrations for my book. putting it together and getting a copy printed. I used Lulu.com and was extremely happy with how it turned out!





Hopefully Liam will appreciate it when he gets a bit older. Kelly and Liam luv each other to bits, so it is such a great little story for him!

If you want to check it out, or perhaps buy a copy for your little ones, I would be honoured... So would Kelly!




I have also thrown a few of the illustrations up in my Zazzle Shop!! Cheers!