The Choice is Made

A couple of weeks ago I blogged about the photos that I was looking at trying to decide which ones to send Laury for the August 28th vernissage at the Chatette. I emailed some of the choices and arrangements to Laury, and she called me later with her comments and suggestions. She thought framing the photos without mats would make them much more dramatic. As luck would have it, my photography store was able to make me some 8x8 inch prints that would fit nicely into the frames I had already purchased. This morning I slipped my study of peonies into the frames as Laury suggested and voila! Here is my submission to the vernissage. It's hard to get the same look as they will have in Laury's cave where they will be hung against a gorgeous stone wall and lit from above. I also haven't quite decided if this is the order they should be in; I think I'll let Laury and Patrick make the final decision on that when they hang them the evening of August 27th. With any luck I'll be there in person to voice my opinion!

Montsegur

Blogging about "Labyrinth" and the Crusade against the Cathars in southwest France has brought back memories of Montsegur. This monument honors the Cathar men, women and children who were burned here for refusing to renounce their faith. I blogged about it last September at Dona Nobis Pacem. Click here to read my thoughts on this sad moment in religious history.

City of "Labyrinth"

I recently finished a novel set in southwest France that was my kind of book.

"Labyrinth" by Kate Mosse is a 'timeslip' which the author explains is a story that slips between two different time periods. In this case, it moves between the 13th and 21st centuries. The modern part of the story begins at an archaeological dig deep in the Sabarthes Mountains just south of Montsegur; the medieval story takes place in this city, Carcassone. This photo shows the ancient walled city set high on a hill overlooking its modern off-spring below and to the left (not shown in this photo) I stopped along the Autoroute on my way 'home' from the Mediterranean shore last September when I caught a glimpse of this sight that looked to be straight out of a fairy tale. The informational plaque in the pullout told the story of Carcassone's siege during the Crusade against 'heretics' in the early 1200's. I debated....should I alter my plans and drive into Carcassone for a close-up look at this magnificent walled city or should I continue on to Cadrieu? Cadrieu won out as I had promised Laury I'd be back in time to help her set up for the vernissage. So I tucked Carcassone away for a 'next time' visit. After reading 'Labyrinth' next time can't come soon enough!

I've reviewed 'Labyrinth' over at Red Bell Reads...check it out!

Polka Dot Clouds

Severe storms rolled across Iowa last night. While this nasty weather is getting real old, there is always some beauty in it. In the aftermath of last evening's storm, I was treated to polka dot clouds. These occur occasionally...I think it has to do with winds aloft or something. I don't need to know the science behind their formation to appreciate their beauty!  I dumped another 1/2 inch of rain out of the gauge from yesterday's storms bringing the total for my backyard to 8 inches since June 1st...about double the normal for the whole month. Guess it's a good thing I can find beauty in this wet, wet weather.

It's amazing how much prettier these polka dots are with a bit of computer enhancement!

Knock, Knock! Who's There?

Did I hear someone knocking at my front door? Stepping to the open doorway, I looked down and saw this guy sunning himself on my porch! It's been so rainy the past few days, I'm sure he was desperately seeking some sun. I watched him for several seconds before he sensed my presence. Slowly, he turned his head and 'neck' to look at me, his tongue flicking in and out trying to discern danger. Then silently he curled back on himself and slithered into the flower bed next to the front step. I shivered a bit as his tail slipped over the edge, and he disappeared in the cool, dampness of the Stella d'Oro lillies. I had felt a bit guilty about the weeds that have started crowding around the golden lillies and thought perhaps I should pull on gloves and weed the flower beds. After watching this guy retreat, I've changed my mind. Let the weeds grow!

Abundance

Along with the abundance of rain has come an abundance of blooms. While I don't have a huge variety of different flowers around my house, the flowers I do have are blooming their heads off! The hollyhocks are plentiful and the Stella d'Oro daylilies are profuse. Even the shade-loving hostas have started to share their pretty blooms. Rainwater is still puddled up in various places around my yard. I hope all this standing water doesn't produce an abundance of a different kind...mosquitoes!

Wet Weather Woes

I've dumped over 7 inches of rain out of my rain gauge since June 1st. Even for lush, lovely Iowa...that's a lot! On top of the heavy winter snows that stayed on the ground far into spring, this day-after-day of rain pattern has absolutely saturated the soil. These low areas in my lawn have been puddles for three days straight...the standing water never soaks in nor does it dry out as the days have been cloudy and humid even when it's not raining. I think my butterflies are suffering. Today these two just hung out on my shutters and my deck most of the day with their pretty wings spread, trying to dry out. They would sit for awhile then sluggishly flutter around before landing again and spreading their wings. We're all praying for sun!

PS....as I write this, it's raining again!

Love/Hate Relationship

I hate deer! Okay...so I don't hate this little doe and her friend who I see almost every morning as they make their way from the timber on the ridge east of my acreage to Haybranch creek behind my house. I think they come for a dawn drink before they bed down for the day in the trees. I've seen them in my backyard, in my pasture, and this morning walking along the road on the edge of my front lawn. They are so pretty and delicate; I love watching them. The ones I hate are their buddies who terrify me when they dart out of the trees or come up out of the ditch and try to run into my car. If you remember, I actually collided with one last November doing some serious damage to Miz Red Belle. A couple of Sunday mornings ago I was driving into church and a pair popped out of the woods and bolted across 4 lanes of Interstate traffic! I came within inches of hitting one, and it scared me to death! Every trip into Des Moines I see the remains of the other dumb deer who are not so lucky; it's pretty gory what a semi can do when it hits one. I don't know what the answer is to this dilemma...fences, longer hunting seasons, increasing the number that hunters can take? All I know for sure is that as much as I love watching these pretty animals in my yard, I hate seeing them when I drive.

The Duke

A lot of people have heard of Madison County, Iowa because of its covered bridges and the Meryl Streep/Clint Eastwood movie, "The Bridges of Madison County." But unless you are an avid fan of Western movies, you might not know the identity of Madison County's favorite son. It's John (The Duke) Wayne. John Wayne was born here in Winterset over 100 years ago...May 26, 1907 to be exact. This bigger-than-life-size bronze statue went up just this summer a couple blocks south of the courthouse square. It seems like the square would have been a better place for it...certainly there  is room. I bet there's a story why it's on this corner instead. I thought the American flag behind the statue was a nice touch. Can't get much more all-American than John Wayne! In case you can't tell...that's a big ole gun in The Duke's left hand. Two blocks east of this corner sits The Duke's birthplace...a simple little cottage that been restored and is now a museum. I took a close up of the plaque in front of the statue to show you what The Duke's name really was. You never know...this bit of information might come in handy the next time you're playing Trivial Pursuit!

Farm Life

Bob and I lived with a foot in two worlds. One world was Yellowstone; the other was our farm in southern Iowa. I wish we would have named it something catchy, but we referred to it from the beginning as the Promise City Farm and unfortunately that name stuck. Set on the top of a ridge, it should have had a view of the South Fork river valley. Instead the builder chose to orient it to have a view of the road...guess that was more important back in the early 1900's when the house was built. I felt very happy and at home here even though living on a farm was 'way out of my comfort zone. What does a girl raised in suburban California know about farm life? Not much...but I soon learned! We were dirt poor and in fact, I started life here washing clothes in an old wringer washer and hanging them on the line to dry. Here's a bit of trivia you might like to know: in the depth of an Iowa winter, it takes exactly two and a half days for blue jeans to dry hanging in the basement. Besides learning the intricacies of the wringer washer (which BTW is awesome for washing really dirty stuff!), I learned how to drive a tractor, rake and bale hay, and use a chain saw. I helped build fence, build corrals, and build ponds. I learned about raising buffalo, raising chickens, and raising step-kids. I helped restore several acres of farmland to native prairie grass and helped restore the old Methodist church I attended in town. I planted two huge gardens, learned that in Iowa God provides the irrigation with rain (who knew..I'm from California), and taught myself how to can and preserve my crops. I became part of a small town community in Iowa where life revolves around church, family and the local school. And experienced the pure joy of fireflies, bullfrogs, and skinny-dipping in the pond under a velvety Iowa sky and twinkling stars. Good memories!

The Yellowstone Years

Married, divorced....single again I made my way back to Yellowstone in 1979. Working again at the hospital in Lake, I reveled in all things outdoors...hiking, backpacking, riding, fishing...during my off hours. Meeting Bob introduced me to the world of the back country Ranger and life in the wilderness. I absolutely loved it! We hiked the boundary of Yellowstone National Park and the Absaroka Wilderness, we pitched our backpack camp in remote valleys and hauled supplies by horsepack into the back country cabins in Pelican Valley. I learned how to pack panniers, throw a box hitch, and lead a string of mules. I cooked over an open fire, in a wood cookstove, and on a tiny backpacker's stove. I split wood, wrangled horses and cleared trail. I became a real mountain woman, and I still count that among my most worthy accomplishments. I was lucky to be able to share this life with Travis and later on with Bob's kids, Sunni and Scott. These are experiences that none of us will ever forget. And they became the catalyst for Trav's career in bear management at the Yellowstone Center for Resources in the Park. The photo on the bottom shows me, Travis, Bob, and an oldtime Thorofare Ranger, whose name, of course, I can't remember! We visited him at his camp deep in the Teton Wilderness just outside the southeast boundary of the Park. He was back for a nostalgic visit to a place that was very special in his life. How well I can relate. Thorofare and this part of Yellowstone still holds a piece of my heart as well. It is one of those magical places for me that gives me a sense of my place in the world, a place where I tested myself and proved myself worthy, the place that made me realize....if I can do this challenging thing, I can do anything!

A Stroll Down Memory Lane

One of the fun things (actually the only fun thing!) about all the packing/purging I've been doing has been looking through old photo albums that I haven't opened in a long time. I've alluded in this blog that I've had 'other lives' before Red Bell Farm, but I haven't been able to blog much about them since I like to add a photo to my blog entries. Earlier this year I purchased a new copier that also scans and faxes. Voila...I can now share some images from those other lives from far away and long ago! August 2, 1969: I married Skip Wyman at the United Methodist Church in Point Loma, CA. That's my dear friend, Mickey on my right; Skip's friend, Carlos Joseph stood up with him. It's hard to believe that was almost 40 years ago...OMG! where does time go? Travis was born Feb. 1, 1972. Look at him hugging his bears...who knew he'd be in love with bears 38 years later?

St. Joseph

I'm starting to feel a bit of a sense of urgency about selling my house. I have 'places to go and things to do' and getting this house sold is key to moving forward with some opportunities that commence the end of August. So, I've decided to call in the big guns and turn this over to a Higher Power. My St. Joseph Sell-Your-House Kit arrived in this afternoon's mail. I carefully read the instructions which mainly say it doesn't matter one bit how you bury or place this little statue; what matters is that you believe and place your request in the hands of God. I know..I've heard all the urban myths before...he has to be buried upside-down by your For Sale sign facing the house, yada, yada, yada! But the little brochure says it doesn't make any difference...just pray to St. Joseph to petition on behalf of your request and let it be. So, I said the prayers and  buried him right side up by my sign facing the house. I was pretty specific that this sale needs to happen fairly quickly so I can be out of here by the middle of August. It's out of my hands now. If it is to be...it will be!

Packing and Purging

I wish I could tell you I'm 'packing and purging' because I sold my house! That hasn't happened. But I've decided to take advantage of this time to purge, get rid of, toss, donate, and trash everything that I don't absolutely need. I've started with my book collection. I'm almost embarrassed by how many I have; it's a sickness, I think! I don't have much trouble passing on novels to others, but I can hardly bear to get rid of all the non-fiction, the memoirs, the art books, the poetry books,etc. I'm being totally ruthless, though; almost everything is going to the Half Price Bookstore. They pay you a pittance for them, but at least they take them all. I'm also triaging movies. All VHS tapes...outta here along with most of my DVDs. I do have some home movie VHS tapes that I'm recording over to DVD format. That's been fun...last night I watched Travis graduate from high school. Yes, there was a tear in my eye...20 years later!!....when they played "Pomp and Circumstance." And I cheered once again when Ernie Schmell handed Trav his diploma. Some memories absolutely have to be preserved!

Choices, Choices...

This year's vernissage at Laury's Chatette is Saturday, August 28th. I'm already hard at work figuring out which photos I will send Laury to hang on the beautiful stone walls of her cave. If you remember, last year I sent two large framed photos...a pair of Provencal shoes and an intimate close up of a luscious hollyhock. This year I've chosen to go smaller. These photos are all 5x5" and whichever one(s) I choose to frame will nestle in a matted 8x8" frame. The souls of flowers have been calling to me all spring, begging me to receive their beauty. I hardly had to be tempted at all! The choices now are which ones and how many? Should I go with just one or a cluster of four? Should a group be all the same color family or all the same flower or should I mix it up some with a yellow, a purple, a pink?

Here's the biggest choice of all....should I mail them via international post....or hand-deliver them to Cadrieu in person?