road trip in the car

jagged mountain peaks, 
shimmering patches of snow, 
snaking roads, 
up and down they go.


rust hued gorges,
tumbled rocks,
tumultuous balance,
flowing water talks.


straight horizons,
specks of black bovine,
rising bluffs,
a flat running line.


windmills whirl,
fenced in fields,
metal grasshoppers,

nothing shields.


roads go over, down,

hidden valleys,
verdant surroundings,
horses graze and dally.


shadowed sun,
among the trees,
patchwork earth,
a nation feeds.


old mountains curve,
whispering leaves,
hidden waters,
land that frees.


gladness sparks,
back to home,
humidity beckons,
i cease to roam.

a poem written of my trip from colorado to georgia, by way of car. colorado, wyoming, nebraska, iowa, kansas, missouri, illinois, kentucky, tennessee, georgia. i think i'm done with road trips for awhile. sleep, uninterrupted, familiar timezone acknowledged; happy to be home. missed my two kitties.

green and growing things

i love strawberry season. it's been less than perfect weather for growing, but freshly picked strawberries which are ripened on the stem beat any store bought ones, regardless of size. we took a little trip to the coastal gardens and bamboo farm for a plant sale, and dad did some strawberry picking while we browsed among the plants.

there were some interesting plants at the sale, as well as the bamboo they grow there. i quite liked the black bamboo, and scavenged a piece that lay on the ground. though not all plants in the greenhouse were actually for sale, as the more interesting specimens were those of the students.

we picked up some herbs, common thyme and purple basil. the chives, lavender, oregano, and mint of last year survived the temperate winter. herbs and orchids are about the only green things i can grow with any success, though dreams of a vast and colorful potted garden flit through my days.

spring and sap

not much happening around here lately; lazy days of spring, planting growing things, switching the bed over for warmer temperatures. i've started saving towards linen sheets, a connection to the past. that, and linen sheets last forever. i think it would be neat to monogram them with some linen thread embroidery. either i'll go highly baroque or scandinavian simple.

the orchids are blooming, the flowers only lasting a couple of nights. frilly, delicate, light, perfect.

some yarn on my drop spindle. i carded cashmere, bison, and mink to create a cooler soil hue different from the warm browns and creams i've been spinning. i've been feeling particularly absent of creative ideas lately. like i'm in a void. i know it's because i don't find myself around other creative types very often anymore, or visiting art installations. you need to feed the imagination, or it runs out of steam. hopefully a workshop will help the sap flow. too bad they're all in the fall.

matcha baking

doing some matcha baking: marbled cake from this neat blog. it was tasty, but i think next time i'll substitute ground flax for one egg to obtain a moister cake. i didn't have a small enough cake pan, so i used a parchment lined bread pan (which was too big, still). perhaps i should pick up smaller bakeware next time i come across it. i always find them adorable, but never think i'll have a reason to use them.

reawakening

i work in downtown savannah, ga; and it often seems i mostly drive in, and drive home, never really looking at the city at all. today i happened to have my camera with me and took some photos on my way to spinning after lunch.

i realized it had been years since i had taken photos of this city, getting jaded by the things that happen. sometimes it takes looking at a place through a lens to get the feel for it again.