Life, Uncooperative, is Still Beautiful

Under an uncanny sky, smoke drifting down from wildfires in Canada, life has carried on around the pond in all its unruly abundance.

The heat has brought on the stinkiest algae bloom, earning me my title of Ungardener once again. Each day I am in pond, net in hand, gathering long strands and cauliflower blooms.

I empty the net on a rock and sift through finding tiny surprises: tadpoles with varying numbers of limbs, and salamander larvae wriggling. All are delighted to return to the water. The bee balm has exploded and is alive with critters, including a hummingbird moth again. A daytime bat circled above me whilst in the pond, swooping low for a drink.

In the small milkweed patch I claimed years ago from incessant mowing, a monarch flits about.

Oh, and I have weeping poison ivy on my face.

Classic Sendak is back on my desk!

Stacks of Anselms

Chaos and Small Victories

The Scout is Out Again!

Meanwhile, on their annual canoeing trip at the Delaware Water Gap, the boys and men of the family fish and chatter. Walter, in setting up his Scout before the storm blew in, dropped it into the river.

A little river baptism!

P.S. I forgot to mention that in Ireland, his pannier popped off over a bump, hurling his Scout into the road where it bounced multiple times. It wasn't built with these particular experiences in mind — but the Scout endures!

SHOP THE SCOUT

A Few Hours Closer to Canada, the Sky is Clear!

Substack and YouTube

Watch on YouTube

Everywhere Astonishments

“If we don’t really, in our time, have an awareness of what we lost then, what is it we’ve lost? – Anthony Metivier in conversation with Rick Rubin

Widow’s Bay Looking forward to Episode 8 tonight:)

@ehaidle mushroom 🍄