Roses

 

"The little blessed Earth that turns
Does so on its own concerns
As though it weren't my home at all;
It turns me winter, summer, fall
Without a thought of me."

from O Earth, Turn! by George Johnston

This year we are working on our neglected landscaping at the house. We have already planted annuals in the pots. I noticed I had largely picked the old standards, pansies, marigolds, zinnias, petunias this year. I also decided to refresh the rose beds. In Windsor, which was called the City of Roses when I was young, my father grew roses. I remember hybrid teas like Peace and Chrysler Imperial. Our climate here is a bit to harsh for them so I have planted Explorer, Parkland and Canadian Artist series roses.

This year I was able to get the rose named for Canadian Artist Bill Reid. I bought two, my father loved yellow roses, this may be peach but it is close. 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/we-re-still-the-city-of-roses-sort-of-1.998760

The gang waiting to be planted.

Little Libraries, you can call me archy

Our neighbourhood is full of Little Libraries. There is now one that contains food. Most still have books, often a pretty mixed bag as you might expect. Last week I got very lucky. I have loved Golden Nature Guides since I received Mammals as a child. Golden Guides and the How and Why books were my introduction to science a love that has never left me. I have always wanted to read about Archy & Mehitabel and I love the graphics on the Faber editions.

This morning I took four poetry books to the backyard. I randomly opened one and found this quote in the first poem I read, Adrienne Rich's Open-Air Museum. Funny where you end up.

"seen from the train, stopped
as by design, to bring us
face to face with the flag of our true country:
violet-yellow, black-violet,
its heart sucked by slow fire
O my America
this then was your desire?"

Spain

"Suddenly I realize

That if I stepped out of my body I would break

Into blossom."

from

A Blessing

  by  Jame Wright

Spain

“The answer must be, I think, that beauty and grace are performed whether or not we will or sense them. The least we can do is try to be there.”
 
Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek 

Spain 2020

"But it is a mild, mild wind, and a mild looking sky; 

and the air smells now, as if it blew from a far-away meadow; 

they have been making hay somewhere under the slopes 

of the Andes, Starbuck, and the mowers are sleeping among the 

new-mown hay."

from Moby Dick

 By Herman Melville

When the pandemic started my sister was travelling in Spain with friends. They were unable to fly home before the borders closed and spent the first 6 weeks in a high-rise apartment under lockdown. The people there treated them well. But it was justifiably quite restricted. When things loosened up in early May they were able to move to rented house in the country. When they got there the farmers were cutting hay an activity I associate with late July or August in Saskatchewan. A recent email indicated they had hoopoe in the area. They are certainly a beautiful bird and it looks like a lovely area. We are very happy that our friends and family are doing okay. 

https://www.andaluciabirdsociety.org/article-library/about-birds/171-hoopoe/

Gardners World (Nigel) and some beautiful trail camera photos. (Photo Shaun and Whateley at the cabin)

"I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief." 

Wendell Berry

Helen and I love to watch Monty Don on Gardeners' World. One of the highlights are the segments from his garden Long Meadow, which often feature his dogs Nigel, Nellie, and a new dog Pattie, a Yorkshire terrier. We were quite sad to learn that Nigel had died, a lost made more poignant with the loss of our dog Shaun in February.

"Nigel has died.

He was 12 and had a good life and his end was quick and painless and came after a very happy day when he walked and ate and played - gently - seemingly without a care. But it was a great shock and sadness.

He is now buried in the garden with many of his beloved tennis balls to accompany him on his journey."

https://www.montydon.com/tips-and-advice/may-2020

With all that is going on it seems that we will not be staying at the cabin for an extended period this summer. While this allows us to catch up on work here, we will miss the chance to watch the animals that surround the cabin, so I am providing a link to what I think is some of the best trail camera footage I have ever seen. It is also nice that most of the animals are species found around our cabin.

https://www.cbc.ca/life/hellospring/springscenes/adorable-animals-discover-spy-camera-in-quebec-wilderness-it-s-awesome-1.5566328

A trail camera photo of a moose on the lane to our cabin.

Reading (Ducks in Saskatchewan)

  "I am actually alone in my head, 
   and that's where 90 percent of my problems are." 

  Network Effect, (The Murderbot Diaries )
  by Martha Wells

Empire of Light by René Magritte, The Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice

"My streetllamp is so glacially alone in the night,

The small paving stones lay their heads down all around

where it holds up its lightumbrella over them

so that the wicked dark will not come near."

                                               Light Pole

                                                     Rolf Jacobsen

Florence Sept 2020

I am wondering what became of all those tall abstractions

that used to pose, robed and statuesque, in paintings

and parade about on the pages of the Renaissance

displaying their capital letters like license plates.

Truth cantering on a powerful horse,

Chastity, eyes downcast, fluttering with veils.

Each one was marble come to life, a thought in a coat,

Courtesy bowing with one hand always extended,

from The Death of Allegory by Billy Collins

Shawna Lemay has quoted some lovely poems here, 
The photos are stunning as well. 

http://transactionswithbeauty.com/home/questforquiet