February 28, 2025
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Life

State of the Garden (August)

Posted on by macil

This is a quick and dirty post to get the ball rolling on this. I apologize for the poor photos -- I need more practice with the phone, or I need to pull out my old camera with an actual view finder and actual focus that works.

This will be the first post in the Gardening section. As we are in the height of summer with weeks of 100 degree weather, the garden is in a woeful state. However, there are still signs of life and I would like to keep a record here as things evolve.

If you're hoping for some professional garden advice, this isn't the place for it. This is just the adventures of a novice that other novices might appreciate.

Excuse the weeds. They're hard to keep up with.

An overview of the main area (state as of August) -->

Below -- I planted a patch of pumpkins about a month ago that all came up (first photo) and were doing great (they looked huge like squash plants, but don't have a photo of it), but I believe a combination of the dire heat and a relentless assault by ants (they were everywhere) looking for water -- and well ... it doesn't look good. But I never give up on my plants.

The first rule of gardening -- in my opinion -- is love. I've seen almost dead plants recover. We'll see if they can hang on.

Over a

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My Little Fox

Posted on by macil

This is a tale about a man lost in a labyrinth of endless mind, imagination and shadow with no way out.

You bound into my life with a dazzling fire and illuminated the dark place that I dwelt. I chased after your fire, terrified to leave the place I reluctantly called home for so long. I did not know what I was doing and I did not care. I felt foolish and embarrassed.

I was mesmerized by your light. I could not pull away. You brought such vibrancy to the world that I could see, if only to stumble. I was not afraid to walk when you were near.

You banished the gloom and my heart warmed, my eyes softened and I could feel again. But I did not know what to do with it.

I saw how my darkness let you rest from your own nature. You could curl up in my lap -- just for a little while. You could set aside your cleverness, ease your paws and just be without needing to be anywhere. But you were always drawn back to where you came and I grieved every time you left.

You came to visit me again and again and we celebrated this odd partnership that seemed to come out of nowhere that we could not define.

But ultimately it was a dance we could not keep up.

You wanted me to keep up with you, but I feared the forest. I leapt, and ran and jumped, but I did not have your grace. I fell over and over again. And I was afraid of your fire. I needed you to cool your flames for just a little while so I could hold your hand -- but you did not know how.

But we tried anyway. Over and over. And we burned each other. And even though it burned, it seemed right. Every wound was secretly a blessing.

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