Here is update three on the garden. Most everything is up except the third corn plantation. The weed situation is entirely under control. My bet is after we return from two weeks at the beach, chaos will be happening. We shall see!
Garden Pre-Beach
June 11, 2019
farm, flowers, plants garden, no weeds, vegetables, video Leave a comment
Shenandoah Bluebells 2019
April 10, 2019
farm, flowers, hiking, Photography, river bluebells, nature, photography, river, shenadoah river, shenandoah, Spring Leave a comment
The bluebells are peaking in mid-April this year (a bit early), so we are outta here, headed to Norway for more winter. Because we, um, actually we think we’re nuts.
Here are some pictures from the daily walk.
The Blue Mountains: Katoomba, Australia
December 1, 2018
flowers, hiking, mountain, nature, Photography, plants amy, australia, blue mountains, day trip, gem, hiking, katoomba, nature, photography, sydney, train, video 2 Comments
A two hour train ride outside of Sydney, you can find the tourist hamlet of Katoomba in the Blue Mountains. Tourists have been coming here since the turn of the century (1900). Katoomba itself reminds me of West Virginia in its old coal town turned bust turned tourist vibe. You can now find hipsters and artists in residence.
We took the train out in the morning and spent several hours walking from the train station to a trailhead, down the cliff face, and back up again.
Highlights on the mountain visit include the three sisters, the giant stairway (976 steps!), waterfalls, and the steepest railroad in Australia.
The two hour train ride is a little long. The tourist center by the train station is well worth a visit. That is where we finalized our plan.
We walked from the station to Echo point (2.3 km).
This is where we first caught sight of the famed three sisters. Which we saw many times throughout the day.
Here’s what happened in between. After honeycomb cave, we entered the giant stairway. Lots of stairs down (976 in fact). Amy did not do them all.
Eventually, we entered the rain forrest at the bottom of the cliff.
After the falls, we were back in what passes as civilization. Scenic world was first contemplated by coal miners. Just take the train thingy up.
And, why not? Try the cable car too.
We walked back from scenic world (another 2.5km). All told we may have hiked around 5 miles. We deserved a beer.
The 2 hour train ride back to Sydney was slightly too long.
Living Art: The Remarkable Little Paradise Art Lodge. New Zealand
November 27, 2018
art, flowers, nature, Photography, plants, travel, who knows art, flower, flowers, gardens, little paradise lodge, nature, new zealand, photography, travel Leave a comment
There are magic places in the world, created under intensity so focused that nature absorbs and reflects the power of the creator. The Little Paradise Art Lodge is one of those places.
Put together over 26 years by a Swiss artist who is both intense and incredibly human at the same time, the grounds are nothing short of remarkable.
We were not able to stay during this trip due to a birthday (paradox) conflict. But we will be back for sure. Even a short visit is highly recommended. We stayed for about an hour, enchanted the entire time.
The lodge itself is hand built in such a quirky and delightful and natural way, it is hard to describe. Primitive, and yet so very planet earth.
Though the lodge is a sight to see, the six acres of curated gardens are astonishing in their willy-nilly natural order.
Little Lego Dude on a Mission…
December 12, 2017
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with his vegetative cohorts.

Aerial shot taken by the enemy..
Garden Gleaning on the First of October
October 1, 2017
animals, farm, flowers, horse beets, carrots, cayene, garden, gleaning, habañero, jalapeño, Norway, pumpkins, sweet peppers, Virginia, watermelon, wood Leave a comment
The best way to garden in the Fall is apparently to go to Norway. Then when you come back, it is actually Fall and time to move wood and gather in the last of the garden.
The garden is quite the disaster.
But hiding behind all of those brown corn and sunflower stalks is a bunch of good stuff: pumpkins, sweet peppers, cayene, jalapeño, habañero, carrots, beets, and watermelon. More to come too!
Fin.
Life of a Lupine in 5 +2
July 24, 2017
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Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 5
Two weeks pass, a seed-puff mass.