Mike and I had appointments in town this morning and returned to the farm after lunch. “Will you be going on a bike ride this afternoon?” I asked casually as we approached the lane.
“NO!” was the emphatic answer. “I’m planning some serious hammock time!” Mike hardly ever says that. I think he barely slept while Jack was here -- everyday was filled with some exciting adventure.
Unfortunately, the photo I took of Mike enjoying his rest in the hammock wouldn't upload to the blog -- I'm thinking because I cropped it several times. I took it at a distance so I wouldn't disturb him and then tried to doctor it. It evidently didn't work. So, you'll just have to use your imagination this time -- Mike stretched out on the hammock, book resting on his shoulder, Nellie under the hammock at his feet, Duke to his right.
The hollyhocks are in bloom on the south side of the house. They started coming up in the yard about the third year we were working on the house. We didn’t know what they were at first but they bloomed and were pretty and we just let them do their thing. Gradually the plants moved back toward the house. Now they re-bloom every year. They aren’t trouble-free. They’re subject to a rust as well as some insect damage. They also die back and make a bit of a mess, but we still enjoy. I think we treasure them because they just sort of appeared at a time when the landscape was bleak here.
The hollyhock, of course, is an old flower. A friend told me that in the days of the outhouse, people planted hollyhocks around the outhouse to camouflage it. Then, when you wanted to use the outhouse, you would ask, “May I see your hollyhocks?”
I have wondered how the hollyhocks came to appear here so suddenly. Were the seeds in the ground and disturbed in the remodel process? Or, did the birds deliver a few seeds to our yard? KW
5 comments:
I really like the subtle way to ask for the outhouse. I will have to remember that when I'm camping. "Just going to look at the hollyhocks...nobody follow!"
Just so you know...Grampa wasn't the only one ready for some R&R. Jackson had a great time and thinks he can handle 2 weeks next summer -- but can Grampa?
Did you remove or cut back any trees around the house? After we had our cherry tree pruned, the backyard got more sunlight and lots of things bloomed that we had never seen before.
Did you remove or cut back any trees around the house? After we had our cherry tree pruned, the backyard got more sunlight and lots of things bloomed that we had never seen before.
The hollyhocks first appeared on the south side of the house which has always had a lot of sun. Probably the seeds were carried in on the wind or by the birds -- but I still like to think somehow some old seed was brought to the surface. Makes me feel connected to the old place. KW
Post a Comment