a man and his hoe

every day is a good day

Author: theMan

  • A Summer Office

    BuddingTomatoes

    The sun is out, tomatoes are swelling, it’s a good time to move the office into the garden. A huge straw hat is indispensable, providing plenty of shade. The hat is one I’ve had for nearly forty years. When I was a student in Tokyo, my eccentric landlady gave it to me. The hat does an excellent job shading me, but I have to hold onto something when a stiff breeze kicks up. The hat is so large, a gust of wind could carry me up above the trees.

    OutsideOfficeA
    OutsideOfficeB
    EnaSleepingInGarden

    I’m busy watching the vegetables grow. Watching them grow is really time consuming. A whole afternoon can drift by quickly watching them. Ena 枝那 and Takuma 拓真 are busy being dogs. Funny how being yourself takes up 100% of your time.

    TakumaInGarden

  • Worms Over Flowers

    MorningRainDrops

    It was a wet morning. The blades of grass were balancing big drops of rain from the night’s steady rains. Beardtongue are in bloom in the woods.

    Beardtongue
    BeardedClematis

    A flower that is far more bearded than beardtongue is the clematis that finished blooming. The white flowers have morphed into a Dr. Seuss creation. Their white flowers were pretty, but their seed pods are intriguing. What are they eventually going to look like?

    JackInThePulpit

    A variety of Arisaema is sending up a purple fringed flower spike. Svenda doesn’t care. For her, it’s all about the worms she’s finding as I weed around the Arisaema. Maybe when it’s done blooming and develops seeds, she’ll think about pecking at it.

    Svenda

  • Green Flash

    20160601-ARedwoodGreen

    Redwood Green, it’s not a color you hear much about, but new redwood leaves are a florescent green that deserves its own name.

    20160601-BRunningDogs

    This is what running dogs look like as they dash across the grass in the morning. Takuma 拓真 and Ena 枝那 are just blurs.

    20160601-CFernGreen

    Ferns have their own delicate green. At first glance, they look perfect, but if you look closely, you see little imperfections in their intricate design.

    20160601-DThimbleBerryBlush

    Thimbleberries are blushing. In a few weeks, their blushing pink will turn bright red, a perfect compliment to vanilla ice cream.

    20160601-EDogwoodA

    The dogwood flowers flow like tumbling cascades, from high up in the canopy all the way to the ground.

    20160601-FDogwoodB

  • Let It Go

    ChicksAfterMom

    These little chicks are having a hard time keeping up with their mother. As far as she is concerned, her mothering days are over. They aren’t ready to be on their own. Since yesterday, they’ve been running around, looking for her when she goes off on her own. They are learning the hard way that sometimes you need to let it go, even your own mother.

    In some cases, it is the chicks who decide to be on their own, and it is the mother hens who aren’t ready to let go.

  • A Little Tenderness

    20160529A

    Old Billy, the tenderest rooster of the bunch. He is the father, grandfather, great grandfather, great great grandfather, great great great grandfather, great great great great grandfather, and great great great great great grandfather of many of the chickens here.

    20160529B

    For lunch today, tender napa cabbage shoots. It was time to thin out a row of cabbage. A handful of cabbage shoots makes a tender salad.

    20160529D

    Tender raspberries are plump and ready for picking. A handful makes a perfect mid afternoon treat.

    20160529E
    20160529F
    20160529G

    Baby apples are covered with tender down. Where does it go as the apples grow?

    20160529H
    20160529I

    Nothing is more tender than a mother hen. These baby chicks hatched yesterday and today. This afternoon she gave them their first lesson on what to eat. Look at how tenderly she shows them where to peck.

    20160529J
    20160529K