garden

The Well is Almost Dry in Every Sense of the Word

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In memory of Dolly (Photo by M.A.D.)

When I set out to write this blog, many years ago, definitely more than a decade ago, I wanted to write about my journey as an indie author, my journey from the Jersey shore to the Virginia countryside, and my journey fixing up a dilapidated farmhouse. Today, I am writing about all of this and my view/feelings about it.

It has been a very dry year; the Southside is still under severe drought, a step down from extreme drought. Other counties have seen rain and with it some relief; however, Southside VA has seen a few drops here and there. The clouds roll, the thunder roars, the wind follows, but the rain never falls. My water well has seen the effects of the low or already dry creeks around here. Months ago, an older Amish man mentioned to me that his son was having trouble with the well that was used for the cows. It has become drier since then. The garden is very dry, and we hardly had any blooms this year; some plants died, as these cannot be watered properly. Last year, I collected a wheelbarrow of grapes; this year, only a bowl.

This year’s grapes (photo by M.A.D.)

The drought started officially last autumn, but this writer’s inkwell has been drying for a while now, as far as my work in progress goes. Yes, as far as my novels, I cannot seem to unlock the gate that will let the flood through, and although I have plenty of ideas for other novels, it is the current work in progress that has become stale. I am not sure why and neither do I have a logical explanation that will appease my soul, other than I have realized and come to terms in accepting my dislike and disdain for Amazon, which is my only platform for publishing at the moment. I believe that it has deteriorated and degraded in a way that is plain and simple disrespectful not only to the craft, but to the millions of serious authors who trusted it with their works from the beginning. The gatekeeper failed writers, or maybe it was set up to “fail for profit” since the start. AI only adds another layer to the madness and chaos.

My love of writing has not been altered; only the venue to bring it to life has, and until I make peace with it, or step away to embrace another venue, I don’t know if my current work will see the light soon. I don’t even know if it will make a difference, after all, Amazon is still the number one venue for independent authors, even when more and more indie writers are leaving this venue. As of today, I don’t have an answer; time will tell. I will tend to my writing, as if it was my secret garden, even if I don’t decide to publish right away.

My love affair with this old farmhouse continues, and we (my husband and I) continue to make it better year after year, following the initial vision we had for it, but also making adjustments to the plan as needed. For example, converting part of the downstairs into a bedroom, a necessary endeavor after realizing that the stairs were too steep and difficult to climb when I injured my knee last year. It will be needed in the future as well, that is, if we age in place. Other important issues have derailed some of the work, such as an almost-dry water well, and the need to hook up to public town water in the near future, as well as new neighbors who do not understand private property boundaries, and continue to use part of our property as a football field, central park, or a parking lot, which has prompted the need to install a fence due to obvious liability reasons, making this, another big ticket item that has derailed the previous plans. The downstairs bedroom will be finished this coming weekend. On a positive note, all this increases real estate value. A time for everything and everything in its time seems to be my motto now. Either or, I will be glad to welcome a very wet and stormy autumn if we are blessed with it.

As far as this blog, it will continue its initial purpose, but also, it has become a very dear part of my journey, and a priceless way to connect with the rest of humanity. Human connection is one of the most beautiful gifts from God, and so is creativity. I will end this post with a few pictures I took this summer, moments that captured my attention for a bit.

Baby deer has grown quickly. He was born near the blue shed (Photo by M.A.D)
Mama deer teamed up with another mom, and both are raising their babies together. I guess it is a smart way to assure that either baby is safe or taken care if something happens to either one of the mothers. (Photo by M.A.D.)
Marigolds were the only flowers that bloomed in large quantity and were definitely a lifesaver for butterflies. (Photo by M.A.D.)
I decided to move the hummingbird feeder to the porch, and now humans and felines can enjoy the show. Also, it keeps the nectar a bit cooler. (photo by M.A.D.)
Always very happy to see one of these around – stik bug (Photo by M.A.D.)
And one of these as well (Photo by M.A.D.)
The old farmhouse today, and a work in progress (photo by M.A.D.)

Love and Light

This Old Farmhouse

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One thing that we have learned by living here is that we are never completely done as far as projects and unexpected things. This year, we have put some projects aside and have decided to “listen to the house” and see what it wants, and evaluate if after years of living in it, our vision is still aligned with it or if we should adjust or deviate from some projects. One of the things we realized is that because we have agreed to age in this house until a certain point, a bedroom on the first floor would be necessary, eventually, thus posing the dilemma of assigning different uses to rooms. It is also time to refresh the paint, and rethink previous choices.

Turning 60 did something to me, an overnight change that I was not expecting. My husband thinks that one of the “pods” exploded overnight and replaced me. I am not sure why, but suddenly life takes another meaning. It presents new possibilities but also grounds you as far as “real time.” What was so important might not be as important anymore, and priorities shift. Time is seen and valued in a different perspective, but also, not taken for granted. Other things don’t seem to matter or bother me anymore. What was, becomes questionable and what is, seems to take another meaning; somehow, what will be does not occupy center place anymore. Complacency or peaceful arrival? It doesn’t even matter. Likes and dislikes changed overnight or at least feels like they did. A new person emerges out of a years’ slumber. Everything is questionable and all is well. Battles are chosen or not at all. That is the best way I can describe it. This of course, affects how I see and interact with my new discovered environment.

We have halted some projects, reviewed others, and scrapped a few. This year, we have not proceeded with any new projects, only clean up, some minor painting, and future considerations. We did not plant anything. This old farmhouse is on standby for now. We have tons of grapes in the grapevine ready to be harvested soon, and picked tons of blueberries, but only a few strawberries this year.

Summer Yummy

We transplanted one of the little cedars that I was growing in a pot. The other two went to my sister’s home. So far, it is doing fine in its new spot in the ground.

The king of the trees

Spring was lovely around here. It has rained a lot during Spring and Summer. Today, we have cooler temperatures, but overall, it was not a hot summer, with the exception of a couple of weeks. The garden did very well.

The weather was on and off; we even had a small rainbow in the backyard while it was pouring rain, and the sun was out, all at the same time.

Lucky charm. One of the most beautiful sights of a very close and low rainbow. I regret not stepping outside and try to “touch it,” but it was raining hard while the sun was fully out.

For now, we are concentrating our efforts on doing some painting indoors and working out the idea of converting the living room into a bedroom and rethinking the downstairs arrangement. No new outdoor projects are taking place for the remainder of this year. Overall, it has been a very pleasant Spring and Summer, and I have enjoyed this year’s mild weather. I am looking forward to the next two seasons.

Trail Bling

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The Mr. decided to do a little garden project on the side by using parts from a damaged string of solar lights. He recycled the bulbs and made some wire hooks. (Photo by M.A.D.)
He hung the colorful bulbs along the trail in our property. It is a little colorful surprise to be found. (Photo by M.A.D.)
I was very pleased with this magical bling. (Photo by M.A.D.)

Fixing Up an Old Farmhouse Garden

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Following up on the previous blogpost about sprucing up the front entrance. Although there is much more we would like to do with the entrance area as far as adding more color with plantings, it has proven to be a bit challenging due to being a shaded area; however, we have managed to transform it from a messy and unruly, full of weeds area, to a rest area with a little bench, a few plantings and garden decor, as well as solar lights. It has taken some time and effort, but I am loving the result so far. One thing that I needed to add to this area was a sign with the name of our home, Black Crow Cottage. My husband recycled and repainted an old metal sign that I thought had no more life to it, and I was able to use it in a new way. I am so glad he did. It adds charm and sweetness to the entrance.

Black Crow Cottage was named after the many crows that live and nest here. I love them. Photo by M.A.D.

The front area of the property was covered in tall grass and some overgrown bushes intertwined that we had to remove. I was able to plant some free trees from The Arbor Day Foundation and after a few years they have grown well and are beautiful. To get the trees, I sent a small donation, and they sent me 10 dormant trees suitable for my area. Here is their website – Arbor Day Foundation. When I first saw the dormant trees, I did not know what to expect, and I thought these were dead sticks. After reading the instructions, I learned that these sticks were actually dormant trees that would come to life when planted properly. I planted them and watered them for the first two years, and they are lovely now. Of the five planted, I only lost one, the Dogwood tree. I gave five to my sister, which she planted in her previous home. The Crape Myrtle was the first one to bloom and the fastest to grow. The other grew at a slower pace, but steady. This year, the Hawthorn bloomed for the first time, and so did the Redbud tree. The Lilac bush has not bloom yet, but I read that it might take 5-6 years for it to bloom. Here is a picture of these lovely trees.

From left to right: Hawthorn, Lilac, and Crape Myrtle. The tiny tree closest to the red-light post is a small Christmas tree that I planted last Christmas. (Photo by M.A.D.)
This lovely Redbud surprised me this year by blooming allover before putting out its leaves. Photo by M.A.D.

For those new to this website, here is a picture of the front entrance area when we first bought the place.

This was the front entrance before, when we first saw the place. The driveway was completely covered. It was a real mess that required vision, and the grass was very tall, up to my hips. (Photo by M.A.D.)

I wish to be able to see these trees when they become majestic and full grown. It will take years, but I am willing to wait. I hope you enjoyed this update.

In the Garden

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Spring is here, and with it the garden chores that come with it. We have been cleaning up and sprucing garden areas while deciding what to improve, change, or add to the garden. As the garden continues to mature, it looks better, that is, taking into consideration that there was nothing on this property, mostly weeds and an overgrown mess when we started. If you would like to see where we started, you can visit older posts under the category of fixing an old farmhouse or restoring a farmhouse. Little by little, we have been shaping this place, one project at a time, on a small budget. Although there is much more we want to do, the rhythm continues at a slower pace for us because we are doing the projects ourselves. It has been rewarding, and it makes us appreciate the place more, and even, the challenging process. Some areas have been more challenging than other areas, but we have taken our time and enjoy it, no instant magic here. Each year, we add a few new plants to the garden, mostly perennials that will continue to thrive and multiply with the goal of adding color and variety to this once barren and abandoned garden.

Here are photos of two new projects, and a few of how the garden looks today, as it has matured and change over the years, and of course, and old reference picture for the new reader.

A very large, recycled metal bin will serve as a planter for a variety of colorful flowers from seeds.
This recycled garden rack and flowerpots adorn the front porch adding color. It looks happy.
My husband handcrafted this house number sign that lights up at night using solar lamps. It sits at the entrance. I love it! He included my favorites, crows and horses. I think he did a great job.

For those who are new to this blog, here is a picture of what the derelict and abandoned property looked like.

The front porch, a scary before. We had a vision for this place.

A few photos of how the garden looks now. It continues to evolve. Over the next few weeks, the garden will be in full bloom, my favorite time.

We are working on developing a few areas in the garden, and improving other areas, such as the faerie garden, which is mostly a shade area, thus plantings are a challenge, including shade loving Hostas. Also, we are developing an area by the front entrance, and a smaller garden at the back, both shaded areas, which I will share on a future blog post. Hope you enjoyed the photos.

Ahead? No Such Thing Around Here

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The calm after the storm before the next storm. My husband and I had been cleaning up the garden trying to be ahead for Spring chores, but a snow and ice storm took us back a few steps. We had serious tree damage, the result of snow topped by two days of freezing rain that added extra weight on trees. For two days, day and night, all I heard was the boom from trees falling all around. We have massive cleanup to take care of as soon as the next storm comes and goes which should be around Wednesday night according to the weather report. It will take some time and effort, but we will get it done. Here are a few pictures of the work pending around the farmhouse.

This very old cedar that I am told is over 100 years plus, suffered massive damage and lost most of its branches. Eventually, and unfortunately, it will have to be cut down in the future due to the proximity to the house. I love this majestic cedar so much; It was one of the things I loved most about this place when I first saw it. (Photo by M.A.D.)
This is what remains of the beloved giant, a few branches. The old tree behind it also lost many of its branches. They are both very tall and massive trees that will require professional work cutting them. (Photo by M.A.D.)

For now, we are unable to use the driveway, as it is blocked. The driveway is covered with fallen pine trees; yes, my beloved pine trees, around 5-6 trees. Thankfully, the large old cedar did not break but was bent. (Photos by M.A.D.)

Hopefully, we will not have more down trees after the next storm because then it will turn into a real project. This winter has been cold, icy, and wet. I am excited about Spring, and I am hoping to share some gardening projects here.

Around the Garden

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The beauty that a garden gives in a few pictures.

Isn’t he gorgeous? (Photo by M.A.D.)
This year mushrooms grew everywhere, especially in the faerie garden. These are huge. (Photo by M.A.D.)
Size comparison. Unfortunately, these mushrooms decompose very fast, and they smell like a rotten corpse. Bees, flies, and ants are attracted to it. (Photo by M.A.D.)
Two decomposing stinky mushrooms. They will melt and disappear. (Photo by M.A.D.)
Pretty colorful ones too. (Photo by M.A.D.)
Mama Turkey and her adorable babies stopped by. Could not get a clear picture as they moved fast. (Photo by M.A.D.)
The blessing of early Mums. (Photo by M.A.D.)

All little things that make me stop and smile. Hope you enjoyed the pictures.

Love and Light.

A Single Flower

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Photo by M.A.D.

In as much as a single flower, exists a whole world, a world of color, patterns, texture, lines, dimension, shape and form, of beauty and awe, when you stop to carefully and mindfully observe it. It can only speak of the magnificence and magnitude of its creator.

Garden Friends

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It is always lovely to spot a few friends in the garden.

I have not seen these birds before, but they are adorable. The tail’s color is my favorite shade of blue.

The deer are always visiting.

“The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” Isaiah 58:11 NIV