a man and his hoe

every day is a good day

Month: November 2014

  • It is what it is and it isn’t what it ain’t

    HydrangeaA

    The Wood Brothers have a song Who the Devil. There are these lines in the song:

    Who the devil spins the world around
    Well it is what it is and it isn’t what it ain’t
    Doesn’t matter what it was cause you know it’s gonna keep on
    Keep on changin’

    Change is the operative word when describing the universe. The hydrangea covered fence I pass by on the way home from the post office, was in bloom in June. Now it is worn and tired. Soon it will bare of leaves.

    Every day, hour, minute, and second we find ourselves in a changed world. And there is no going back to where we were. It’s futile trying to cling to what was. All we can do is enjoy what comes.

    HydrangeaInFall

  • The Claws of Fall

    MomijiTurningA

    The Japanese maples are turning brilliant. I find them most beautiful when there are still some green leaves mixed in with the orange ones. As the leaves color, their tongues curl and become claws. It’s like their leaves are reaching up and clawing the sky, coaxing winter to come and cover them with a blanket of snow. Or they are trying to catch the wind to blow away to someplace warm.

    MomijiTurningB
    MomijiTurningC
    MomijiTurningD

  • Mini Surprise

    MossAndRockGardenA

    Here’s a little game you can play. Find a small patch of luxurious moss, gather a few pebbles, and make a mini zen rock garden. Enjoy it for a brief moment, and go on your way. The next wind storm, or running dog will scatter the pebbles, but that’s OK. It’s no different than the waves washing away the sandcastle you spent hours building. Our lives are just as ephemeral.

    MossAndRockGardenB
    MossAndRockGardenC
    MossAndRockGardenD

    Turning over a pebble, I discovered two tiny snails. Up on the hill where I live, there are no snails, just slugs, so it was a surprise to see them. Amazing how just a few hundred feet of elevation makes all the difference in the world.

    MossAndRockGardenE

  • November Colors

    FallColorsOxalis

    November is as colorful as May. There aren’t as many flowers, but the leaves are as brilliant as any flower beds. The roosters won’t be outdone, either.

    FallColorsRoosterA
    FallColorsRoosterB
    FallColorsRubyStreaksA

    Even the Ruby Streaks are brilliant. These are all headed to Tweets Café in the morning, along with arugula and lettuce. I was weeding them this afternoon, so that when I cut them in the morning, I won’t have to worry about any unwelcome leaves showing up. If you have lunch at Tweets tomorrow, you can enjoy salad greens picked that morning.

    FallColorsRubyStreaksB
    FallColorsRubyStreaksC