Of Heros, and Friends, and Living In Color

We have entered that beautiful season of boundless color.


Everywhere you look there are bright hues popping up to meet the eye.


Some wild, like these wild columbine...


and some are cultivated, far away from their native northern climes,
like this lupine.


All are magnificently beautiful... wildflower 


or tame.


It's during this time of year that I try to fill all of my senses
with the abundance around me...
in an effort to carry a living, sensual memory 
with me into the cold, lifeless months
 that lie at the end of all of this beauty.


And though those months of quiet slumber have a beauty 
unto themselves, there is nothing as energizing 
as the colors of spring, summer, and autumn!
**************

I had a happy surprise this week 
while we were out mowing the farm.
And in case you wondered... 
we have a bit of help to accomplish all of this mowing.
Our upper pasture areas and blueberry field
 are mowed by one of our neighbors, Anna,
(and farm-hands on call... without all of whom we could not survive!)
This still leaves a large parcel of acreage for us to mow,
but working together (on riding mowers) 
it is easily accomplished in an afternoon.

Hubbs was mowing the small round pasture area
that lies beside our driveway,
across from the old log cabin.
It's the area where our old beehives sit.
He was halfway through mowing that particular area when
he suddenly came down the driveway exclaiming
that there were bees in one of the old hives.


After years of sitting empty...
(our last hive had died off, and Hubbs had developed a rather
severe allergy to bee-stings)
one of our old hives was taken over by a colony of wild bees.
(perhaps a swarm from some nearby beekeeper?)


There are no frames inside the hive, 
so extracting the honey will be impossible.
That's ok by me... I am just happy to have a colony of
pollinators living on the farm.
And they can have their own honey... thereby increasing their 
chances for surviving the winter.

We found these bees, serendipitously, on International Bee Day!!

Our garden will be much happier as a result!
(Dinner)
I am a very lucky gal... and a very thankful one, as well.
I am married to a man who strives to help me live my dreams.
He is a gentle soul.
He is my hero.

Here is an illustration of why he is my hero.
(Although there are many reasons!)
We had another freeze on Wednesday night.
The weather prediction had temperatures dipping down to 40 degrees.
What we have learned, though, living here on the farm...
is that, if the skies are clear, our temperatures are typically much lower
than predicted.
While I was sound asleep, Hubbs had set his alarm to get up at 3 AM to 
check the temperature.
Finding that it had indeed dropped to freezing, he headed out to the garden
and spent the next three hours watering the plants until the sun rose
in the morning... leaving me behind, sound asleep.
Seriously.
He did not want all of my work to go to waste.
 The result of that freeze would surely be the death of our
tomato and pepper plants... and I had planted a ton of each.
Although they still suffered from the cold and will surely lose some
of their leaves,
I am hopeful that the plants themselves will rally with a little time
and sunshine.

Oh, and while he was out watering the garden,
he also finished all of the morning chores.
See?
He's a gem.

So, with the extra free time, and because it was still quite frigid outside,
I took the opportunity to light a fire in my wood stove,


heat a teapot of water,


and make myself some tea


in Maven Haven,


working on some knitting, with toasty warm toes, by the fire,
as I waited for the sun to warm the outside air.

Hubbs joined me for tea and we both enjoyed the tranquility of the space.

I've added a few extra touches here and there.
New knobs on my corner cupboard...


And window treatments to add some soft texture
to the wood walls.


I am so enjoying purposefully using this space
as a daily retreat...
forcing myself to slow down a little.
It's one thing to plant and prune and tend the roses,
but if you never stop to smell them...
what is the point?

Lastly...
I believe that it is love that helps us pass to the other side
when that time comes.
If that is the case, all of the sentiments that you poured
out to us yesterday...
certainly wrapped TomTom in love as he made his final journey.
For that, and for you, we are grateful.

Our favorite photo of TomTom taken by Suzi Brown
Have a perfect weekend, and we will chat again on Monday.

Comments

colleen said…
I always go back and look at the blog to try and decide what I liked best to comment on....it never works, I love it all. The color, (I have wild columbine that I took from my daughters pasture.It is planted by our house), the handful of your bounty, The peaceful feel I get from "being in" your Maven Haven (love the bee knob.) The fire in the Fatso was perfect and the tea looks so refreshing, what kind was it? You know I always love to see what you are knitting. Thanks to Hubbs we will be able to see those tomatoes and gr peppers mature. The picture of TomTom reminds me of him crossing the rainbow bridge. Rest in peace TomTom. I as many of others will miss seeing you.xoxoxox
Anonymous said…
Flowers are beautiful!
Amanda Rose said…
Your pictures are lovely!

I think I caught a swarm in my empty hive this week too...on the next nice day I will suit up and check. Like your husband, I have a pretty severe allergy. When my bees died out I never replaced them, just left the hive out in the yard for the local bees to clean out the remaining honey
daisy g said…
My word! I can see why you keep that man around! What a keeper!

Sweet TomTom. I love that shot of him flying through the air with the greatest of ease.

Enjoy your weekend. Hoping you have a bit of a warming trend. ;0D
This N That said…
Crying again!!😿
littlemancat said…
You have written it all so well - the beauty of the wild and garden flowers,the peace of your haven,(love that teapot!),the gratitude for those wonderful people in your life. The pic of Jack holding Griz says so much, his kindness and gentleness. And then that pic of TomTom - catching his spirit in flight. It's beyond beautiful. Kudos to the photographer.
Have a very good week-end.
Mary
Karla said…
I love all your posts but this one was especially touching. I too am married to a hero :))

The flowers are absolutely beautiful......thank you!
The JR said…
Yes a hero. You are a lucky gal. I have my own hero. I am blessed too.
Love that the wild bees found your hive.

great photo of TomTom
This N That said…
OK..will try again..I'll just skip the bottom...;Beautiful flowers..I need to take my camera from a walk...I had to copy that picture of Jack and Griz..So happy that you have a hero..You both are heros..So glad you have each other..Both of you are kind, caring and generous...Pretty new touches..Happy you had company for tea.
Bees!! that's great.Have a nice weekend..Love you
Dee J. Hartman said…
I love your flowers! I never knew that watering them could help plants survive in freezing (night)temperatures like you had. (That is good to know!)Your Jack is so thoughtful, and you are very blessed to have a wonderful helpmate. Mine has been gone for almost 14 years now. He helped me to try to raise my O.D. Disorder daughter and was so supportive during stressful situations with her. He also loved to surprise me with hanging fuchsia every year and we worked together to keep our home a warm and welcoming home. I loved the Gazebo he built for me! . . . It is difficult now, living alone, without him...BTW, did I ever tell you that I had two bee hives at one time. I put honey in the taller reusable baby jars and made labels, "Dee's Bee's Honey" and gave them out as Christmas gifts!
Karen said…
Tearing up here because of your comments on your sweet husband - you kind of knew it just looking at him - a real kind face. *I wish he was in practice still - I'd travel there just to have him due my bunion surgery! (that is turning my knee outward - slows a body down). I have a sweet husband also - but I don't think he'd get up in the wee hours to do what yours did:) - but he would and has gotten up in the middle of the night to rescue mice from a cat, a raccoon in our bathroom(!) snakes the cat drags in - on and on. We even had a flying squirrel clinging to our fireplace brick! I guess I knew at 15 what an animal lover he was - and we've been together ever since - 50 years (doesn't seem that long:) So I wish you two kids another 50 years! Stay safe and take care of each other:) Karen
What a wonderful photo of TomTom! And your husband is indeed a sweetie.
jaz@octoberfarm said…
the bees are back at bee haven acres!!! they heard about maven haven and had to come and help out. it's a sign. and yeah...that jack is a real keeper! someone raised him right.
Lynne said…
First off, love the early color popping out around here and yours, just a bit ahead of us.
Lupine is a spring favorite, there are several patches of wild Lupine along the roadsides I travel.
Your hubs gets the “what a guy” once, twice, three times and more . . .
Your planting bounty was protected, what a gem he is!
Did I miss something, Tom Tom had been ill . . .
What a photo Catch . . .
Tea together in the Maven Haven sounds very, very nice.
May God bless you and keep you. Have a wonderful weekend.
Love that final pic of TomTom.
Your hubby is a gem!! He is so very thoughtful of all your hard work. Wild bees are the best. You don't have to do the work and they pollinate and spread their talents around your place. Of course, you don't reap the benefits either....honey. We always have wild bees and they drink the from the automatic waters in the chicken yard. Very interesting to see their wax comb hanging high up in our grove of trees. They must be honey bees because, when I fill the waters, they swarm around me but never touch my skin. So many blessings living on acreage. Patty McDonald