Crow's Nest

Different Pumpkin Fields - One Year Appart

2011-10-17T16:34:00.003-04:00

Pumpkin Patch - Indiana - Hubers - 2010
over
Pumpkin Patch - Kentucky - Gallrein 2011

Got Some Air

2011-09-04T16:59:00.004-04:00

We went on vacation to the Blueridge Mountains in Virginia near the Mountain Lake Biological Research Station. Got some air.

Urban Burley

2011-09-04T16:47:00.005-04:00

Got my tobacco crop from field to barn today. Such as that is in the big city. My thanks to the Bullitt County support team that made this urban tobacco operation functional. Next stop...2012 State Fair.

Vine Hidey Spot

2011-07-30T14:40:00.004-04:00

Using drift wood from the Falls of the Ohio I made a vine structure for Ruby to hide out in. The top picture was back in March. The second picture is how it looks at the end of July. There are three different vines planted on it. Hyacinth bean, moonflower and lufa gourd. The lufa is definitely the most aggressive. I also have a few okra plants growing in the circles at the base and some peppers in pots. The bottom picture if a similar structure (and an older one) that Nathan and Otis made over at Aleve's house. This one is two years old now and it's beautiful.

Apples to Apples - Garden Over a Season

2011-07-30T14:25:00.007-04:00

Here's two views of my new growing beds. The top picture in each pair was just after I put in the boxes at the end of February. The bottom picture in each pair was taken at the end of July. About five months apart. I've already had several crops out of the raised beds and have just planted cow peas and pole variety of red speckled lima. I'm hoping it climbs up the trellis I made from some salvaged wrought iron porch supports. Oh how I love scrounging in alleys.

Birthday Hideout

2011-07-19T00:12:00.005-04:00

Nine bales of straw
Seven balloons
Three bamboo poles
Two bed spreads
String
One three year old girl
One five year old friend
Me

Caterpillar Cake Walk

2011-07-17T23:15:00.002-04:00

For her birthday Ruby requested a "blue cake" and this is what that po gal ended up with. A caterpillar cake that Erin made and I helped decorate. Complete with caterpillar frass coming out the sound end of this north bound caterpillar. I gotta tell ya...frass goes over big with young uns. I think we're going to figure out a way to include frass in some upcoming cakes.

Morning Pool Party

2011-07-07T02:18:00.004-04:00

This little puddle of a pool is a big splash with Ruby. This morning she brought her horses into the pool to clean them. Libby, Kiki, Pullman and Man-O-War. It's been a polite kind of summer and everything is growing lush.

A Fairy Moved Into the Mulberry Tree

2011-07-06T18:00:00.003-04:00

A fairy recently moved into a cavity at the base of the mulberry tree. Just in time for Ruby's third birthday. She'll be excited to see that she has a playmate that is smaller than she is. She doesn't know this yet. We'll let her discover it for herself. I'll keep you posted. I can't tell for sure but it looks like the fairy constructed his/her abode from debris collected at the Falls of the Ohio. It looks like maybe that little donkey must have carried everything here from the falls. Poor little thing. It must be tired.

Asserting Independence

2011-07-04T15:52:00.007-04:00

We went to a family gathering at Uncle Tiny's house and participated in a very down home celebration of the 4th. It was like I remember holiday celebrations being when I was growing up. I thought black and white would be the only way to capture it in all of it's nostalgic glory. The gals had a great time in the pool that Honey brought. Let's see...the food I remember included grilled corn on the cop, beef burgers, pork burgers, potato salad, baked beans, cole slaw, macaroni and cheese (2 kinds), hot dogs, the kind of cheese that comes individually wrapped, Erin's great cake with chocolate/coffee/cinnamon/coconut milk icing, and... well, you get the picture. The old car is a Chevy nomad. Quite cool. Ruby's older cousins were into taking photos and Ruby had fun being a model. She loves her cousins.

Falls of the Ohio

2011-07-01T19:18:00.008-04:00

Visiting the Falls of the Ohio is like stepping back in time in more than one sense. It's a world famous fossil bed but it feels ancient in other ways too. And it looks like a boneyard with the white bleached trunks, branches and nibbins of wood that collect there. Some are huge trees complete with their roots. Ruby loves it because there are lots of treasures to find. If you want to get a really great sense of the place you should visit the Artist at Exit 0 blog that I have listed as "blogs I watch". That blog is one of the most extensive and interesting place-based blogs that I think exists.

The 17 to Childhood Home

2011-06-27T21:44:00.005-04:00

This evening we took the 17 bus out Bardstown Road to Buechel to visit the home that Erin grew up in on Plaza Avenue. Ruby got a kick out seeing where her mommy grew up. Then we waited for the west bound return bus in front of Fern and Moody's where some regulars entertained us with their cornhole tournament. A train traveling across the old Buechel Rd blocked the bus route long enough for me to run in and grab a quick cold one. The benefits of not driving.
Sweet evening.

Zoo Blues

2011-06-26T15:49:00.003-04:00

Here's a Louisville places tip: Visit the zoo when the weather is overcast and threatening rain. The crowds are very manageable on those days and it's not so miserably hot. What's the worst that could happen? Perhaps a downpour that sends you to a shelter with an orangutan to visit with for a spell? This is Ruby watching the sea lions at Glacier Run. Love these colors.

One Walk Triad

2011-06-25T15:54:00.006-04:00

Last evening we took a stroll through Cherokee Park and on to Bardstown road. This hollow tree is a new found favorite hidey spot for miss Ruby for obvious reasons. It's a fairy hideout. Complete with large inviting door and well placed window which also serves as the carryout window when ordering food from her restaurant.

Further along the trail we hiked up Dog Hill just as the sun was setting over the uplands. The weather has been undeniably great this week.

And we ended up going for an ice cream on Bardstown Road where we ran into three young gals creating an epic hopscotch grid. By the time we headed home they were all the way down the block with no obvious signs of stopping. I thought that was just grand. Love this town.

Shadow of Seed

2011-06-25T15:49:00.002-04:00

The native grasses are so much more elegant than the ones that were brought here. That's what comes when you are from your place. This is the river oats which is ripe with seed just now.

Crackle of the Bat

2011-06-16T23:11:00.002-04:00

In the Some Peoples Republic of Billy Goat Hill some of our parties are heated with Louisville Slugger bats and chilled with cave conditioned air. This is not an exaggeration or a boast. It's just how we roll on the hill.

Sunk in Concrete

2011-06-09T23:20:00.005-04:00

There's a project brewing at Bernheim where objects will be put into a concrete pour around the Grigsby Shelter at the Childrens Play Garden. Do you by chance have any items that would be cool to put into the mix? Speak up quickly. These are stepping stones I created back in the early 90s in Peckerwood. I now use them below the whiskey barrel rain collector near the back door. The plastic animals have held up well. I also like the imprint left by the mardi gras beads that were there and now are not.

Yucca - Peak Bloom

2011-06-09T23:01:00.005-04:00

I always look forward to the yucca by the back corner of the house to go into peak bloom. The color of the blooms against the mint green lap siding is beautiful. It's peak bloom right now. Thursday, June 9th.

Chicken Coop Concert II - Audience Portraits

2011-06-09T22:46:00.003-04:00

These panoramic shots by TimFurnish on an iPhone using the Pano ap. These shots by Tim inspired me to get that ap. It's fun. Click on the images to see them better.

Chicken Coop Concert II - Musician Portraits

2011-06-09T22:33:00.006-04:00

In the order they performed at the concert. All photos by Tim Furnish.

Top Photo: R Keenan Lawler
Lawler is a prodigiously talented raga guitarist who performs frequently on resonator guitar. Lawler has an encyclopedic knowledge of Carnatic music and has developed many idiosyncratic instrumental performance techniques to complement his ragas with percussive and drone elements. http://www.pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/9590-music-for-the-bluegrass-states/

Middle Photo: William Tyler
The Nashville-based guitarist for Lambchop, Silver Jews, Will Oldham, and many more has recently released his first or third solo album, depending on how you count. A cd-r and LP under the name Paper Hats were released on his own Sebastian Speaks label , while the first album under his given name, entitled "Behold the Spirit" was released on the Tompkins Square label to widespread acclaim. http://www.tompkinssquare.com/william-tyler.html

Bottom Photo: Michael Chapman
A brilliant, if somewhat obscure British singer-songwriter recorded albums for Harvest, Decca and Deram among others; his second album, "Fully Qualified Survivor" produced by Gus Dudgeon (Shirley Collins/Davey Graham; Elton John; John Martyn; Fairport Convention; David Bowie) was recently reissued by Light in the Attic Records, introducing Chapman's classic recording to contemporary audiences. Chapman recently ...completed a UK tour with William Tyler who will join him on select US dates including the chicken coop concert. http://www.michaelchapman.co.uk/

Following a Tree

2011-06-09T01:01:00.003-04:00

I've been taking pictures of this pecan tree at Bernheim for years now. This isn't even one fifth of the pictures I have of this one tree. Following one living thing over a long period of time is eye opening in many ways. I recommend it for multiple reasons. Here's just one: You perceive time differently. Here's another: You begin to notice background. And here's a third: you realize that light changes as much as leaf color.

Chicken Coop Concert Series - Dos

2011-06-09T00:47:00.005-04:00

The second Chicken Coop Concert was held on Sunday, June 5th. Three guitar musicians played. R. Keenan Lawler - William Tyler - Michael Chapman. All were fine but Michael, visiting from England really mesmerized me. It was great kicking back listening to birds singing and watching chickens shuffling to his music. Not the bar scene where you would typically listen to him. He was a nice man to hang with for a spell. Loved our sweet tea.

Taking the Wide View

2011-06-09T00:05:00.006-04:00

I added a new ap to my phone today that let's me take panoramic shots. I had no idea how they might look on a blog platform so... here's the answer. These shots were taken in the back yard on June 9. I'm hoping this yard looks amazing for Ruby's birthday. The zinnias should be popping about then and I'm hoping the vines will have started to climb up the teepee structure to make her a hidey spot.

Coop Concert Series - First Effort

2011-04-24T15:10:00.007-04:00

On Sunday April 17th we hosted the first Chicken Coop Concert. It featured Jason Ajemian and the Highlife (acoustic bass, drums, guitar, trumpet, sax) followed by Aaron Rosenblum (banjo, fiddle) and a yard full of displaced chickens and fully placed listeners. Go ahead, throw that beer bottle at the band. They won't mind. (The lower picture was sent to me by Hillary Harrison.)

Cover Girl for Urban Homesteading

2011-04-24T14:52:00.003-04:00

Miss Ruby is starting her career as a model for urban homesteading. I think this add is coming out in the next Louisville Green Guide. They didn't tell me not to use it so...here's a scoop on that issue. I figure few people see this anyway.

Hull's Angels

2011-04-23T15:06:00.007-04:00

"What did I hear you say about Dora the Explorer? You better watch your mouth or I'll kick your hiney." Erin and her sister were remembering back to days where they wore underwear on their heads. They figured it was time for their children to have the same memories. This resulted.

Dont Tread on Me

2011-03-06T22:16:00.003-05:00

Mess with me and you WILL be visited by my posse. This is the gang that hangs in my backyard most days after school. I can complain that their play is all about guns or I can rejoice that they are running around outdoors instead of inside on video games. I choose the latter.

Smile

2011-03-06T22:10:00.002-05:00

Level: Maximum Potential

2011-02-27T18:12:00.003-05:00

Theoretically, these two new cedar raised beds (8'x3') could produce more food than any other 48 square feet. They have not yet suffered a failed crop, a drought, a low germination rate, insect infestation, or any other something that could lower their potential. They are, in essence, at the level of their maximum potential. But you can't eat maximum potential. So sooner or later these better start pumping out some food with some actualized potential. I'll load up more pictures then.

Options-Selection-Result

2010-10-18T19:39:00.004-04:00

On Sunday, October 10th we took a family outing to Hubers. Not sure that trip will be on our yearly agenda. There was more that resembled an outdoor big box store than there was that resembled a farm. But Ruby had a good time. The final result is a fast molding pumpkin on our front porch. The weather is too warm to support longevity for this feller. This is Ruby's first Jack-O-Lantern.

The History of Play

2010-10-05T22:04:00.004-04:00

Tonight I asked the kids that gather in the back yard each evening if they wanted to play dodge ball. When one of them said "sure" but then started talking about rules I had no clue about I started describing the game as I knew it. Kris blurted out... "Oh yeah. I saw it played that way on history channel." Perfect. I guess that means I'm a geezer. But this geezer has good aim.

Ruby on the Rocks

2010-10-05T21:47:00.003-04:00

Were I to have my druthers, here is a partial list of materials I would prefer my daughter play with:
Wood
Wool
Stone
Sand
Bone
Shell
Water
Soil
Cotton
Iron
Rock
Leaf
There are surely more things. But the list of things I would rather not be in her life is much longer. And I can't spell most of them.

I Joined the Hipstamatic Crowd

2010-09-15T20:56:00.004-04:00

I suppose there was a day when I would have pooh poohed an iPhone. But if I am to tell the truth, I like the photographic options it allows without a big ole bag full of cameras. We live in a brave new world. Now let's focus on getting it right.

Bicycle Diaries - Adventure on Two Wheels

2010-05-30T13:09:00.010-04:00

On Saturday Aleve and Nicole arranged a bicycle adventure for about thirteen inquisitive friends. We all showed up at Nicoles at 6:00 where we had the option of good lemonade or bad lemonade. You had to be there to know the distinction. After reading a first clue we were off on our bike adventure where clues lead to clues lead to clues lead to a picnic near Hogans Fountain. At one point one of our clues was corrupted by someone who found it and added a clue of their own. Had we followed that clue we would have been in PT's trying to get the phone number of a dancer named Prancer without taking no for an answer. The photos from top to bottom are:
1) Lemonade, Aleve and Bart before taking off.
2) Presenting the first clue.
3) Bikes in waiting.
4) Children's chalk art on the front porch.
5) Presenting our aces for two clues at Old Town Liquor.
6) Grafiti art at Carmichaels Books. The clue was hidden in"Bicycle Diaries" by David Byrne.
7) Final destination with the adventure design team.

Tyler Park Found Art

2010-05-23T13:26:00.003-04:00

Someone scribbled this on a concrete embankment just outside the Tyler Park tunnel. While playing there with Ruby this morning I captured it on the ole phone. Looks like someone found their voice.

Aged Bourbon - My Past

2010-05-23T13:17:00.003-04:00

I believe the year was 1997. It could have been 1998. For halloween I created this Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey bottle to wear. I tossed it aside when I moved back home in 1999 but apparently someone rescued it from the trash and propped it up alongside their hearth. Years later one of my friends attended a party in the home of the rescuer and sent me this picture of it. Like all old empty whiskey bottles its both wonderful and sad. When I was wearing it at a big pre-halloween party called "Decadence" a fight broke out between two guys that were wasted. I stepped in to break up the fight but the costume only allowed me to waddle in and say ..."Hey guys, this aint cool. Break it up." Everyone started chanting "Alcoholic Beverages for Non Violence!" and that became an oft chanted slogan among our friends. Ah New Orleans. Only there do you find bourbon wading in to stop a brawl.

Slept Just Fine in Seattle

2010-05-12T16:22:00.015-04:00

Seattle is not remarkably different from most big cities when it comes to graffiti in the urban landscape. Here's a dozen glimpses of art by anonymous artists in Seattle captured on my iPhone using the camerabag ap set to Lolo mode. They don't blow up big, but who cares.

Hot Water - Green Roof

2010-05-08T11:57:00.003-04:00

This is the roof on a housing project by architect Carsten Stinn that I was able to visit as part of a bike tour with the Living Futures Conference in Seattle WA today. This shows the solar hot water system on the green roof. More buildings should include these strategies very soon.

When it Rains...

2010-05-05T18:03:00.003-04:00

I'm in Seattle Washington for the Living Futures conference and saw this rain diversion idea. Very cool. Lots of good ideas poking out around here. And what a lovely way to contain equisetum. Thick concrete walls. Perfect.

ChildChickenCompost

2010-04-19T22:04:00.003-04:00

Ruby has taken to liking letting the chickens out. And since the chickens like the compost pile, Ruby too likes it. Tis a joy to see all three in communication and healthy. The child, the chicken, the compost.

Sun Behind Me

2010-04-18T14:31:00.003-04:00

There's a dark and a troubled side of life
There's a bright and a sunny side, too
Tho' we meet with the darkness and strife
The sunny side we also may view

Keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side,
Keep on the sunny side of life
It will help us every day, it will brighten all the way
If we'll keep on the sunny side of life

(Thank you Ada Blenkhorn)

Chalk and Children

2010-04-15T23:48:00.005-04:00

This morning when I went out to the truck to go to work I noticed a chalk drawing on the sidewalk. I later found out it was the work of Erin and Ruby but at the time I thought it was probably the girls down the street. I have always loved the fresh abandon in the line quality of children's art. They are often bold in a way that gets squeezed out of us as we get older and gain better command over tools like chalk. So I took a picture with my iPhone on the CameraBag ap set to Lolo mode. Love that little tool and it does amazing things with chalk. I think chalk must reflect light in a unique way using that specific tool. Later at a house concert where Will Anders and Tim Johnson played there was children's chalk art on the steps (lower picture). Same thing.
Makes me want to get out the oil paints and see if there is any way I can come close to these with paint. Oh do I wish I had more time for that kind of thing.

The Discussion

2010-04-13T22:57:00.007-04:00

These guys are our additional family on a regular basis which we love. But last Tuesday was hard. So today we had "the discussion". It resulted in the information in the top photo. These are the self-determined rules, consequences and priviliges they came up with. Then they decided to make three bucks between them. A buck fifty each for helping in the garden. Good boys today. The evening culminated in a walk up to the IceCream and Pie Kitchen where they both got rootbeer floats. Sounds pretty damn "Waltons" after seeing this typed out. But it didn't feel "Waltons" at the time.

Sporobolus heterolepis

2010-04-10T18:17:00.003-04:00

I love me some native clump grasses doing what they do in the spring. These are on the east side of the Bernheim Visitor Center in a large monoculture planting of prairie dropseed. I also love em in the fall when they seed out and smell like cilantro. Makes me think I work in a Oxacan tacoria.

Such Potential

2010-04-07T21:44:00.003-04:00

There is such potential in spring. Things can go so many different ways. Warm spell. Wet spell. Late frost. I can't remember where I planted a few perennials last year that haven't popped out yet. Dig here? No here. Do I go with tomatoes in the same spot? What were my favorite annuals on the porch last year? But one by one the garden spaces fill with decisions and things start growing. Clay pots fill up. An object in the garden gets moved to a new home and it changes the way you think about it, look at it. This year the rules of engagement have changed. Now I think about the garden space from the perspective of a little person. A climbing, go anywhere, curious little person. Things sit further apart this year. Even the spacing on my plants is wider. This will be an interesting garden year.

Wash up Ruby. Time for Dinner.

2010-04-06T21:38:00.003-04:00

Miss Ruby is learning to feed the chickens, weed the garden, shovel compost, gather the eggs and water the collards. But most fun of all is washing up. Thank you to the bunny that surprised us with a brand new pair of chicken shoes on Easter. Love em. I was getting tired of scrubbing the chicken shit off her shoes. Now I can just hose em off.

Rise up and Peep

2010-04-04T15:50:00.004-04:00

Walked the Cherokee Park Loop this morning. Someone had taken literally hundreds of peeps and marshmallow bunnies and created a scene. Spread out for hundreds of square feet under a big ole sycamore were little clusters of bunnies and peeps, some with little fancy drink umbrellas and some perched on branches or climbing the trunk of the tree. And among them was what looked like a funeral procession of bunnies leading one crucified on a popsicle stick cross. If it was you that did this...thanks.

Advent Calendar - Open December 12

2009-12-14T21:42:00.003-05:00

I made this creche for my daughter. It's made from a board cut from the stump of a cypress tree that started life 2448 years prior to being cut. It died for our sins.

Advent Calendar - Open December 11

2009-12-14T21:38:00.002-05:00

This is water weight. He is not normally this big.

Advent Calendar - Open December 10

2009-12-14T21:33:00.003-05:00

On the cold days before the winter solstice, when the house is full of dry air that speaks of sweaters and sheep, it is a good time to dry your long neck dipper gourds.

Advent Calendar - Open December 9

2009-12-09T22:17:00.006-05:00

Our family is fond of cedar trees cut from an old field for decorating around the solstice. In addition to being free, the removal of cedars from some locations is part of the process of restoring old fields to native grasslands. Because of the work I do I know where those locations are. Prior to European settlement that process of natural succession would have been set back a few years by periodic natural fires and the passage of huge herds of grazing beasts such as bison. I feel good about cutting a cedar to atone for that loss. Some of the first ecosystems to be destroyed were open native grasslands since they were easy to plow up to grow those three or four monocultures we seem to be so fond of. In essence, decorating an eastern red cedar is one way our family bucks against the consumer culture that has built up around what was once a solstice celebration and is now a religious holiday. Well...for some it's still a celebration of a planetary dance around a star. That's nothing to discount since it's pretty much a miracle when you get right down to it. We want to provide little miss Ruby with that kind of aesthetic. It will be something she can rebel against when she is old enough to decide on whether or not to bring a tree into her house and what species. Seems like cedars would still be around then. The wabi-sabi-ness of a cedar feels old fashioned compared to the perfect trees you pay dearly for. And for me it's a step back into childhood since cedar christmas trees remind me of my Mimi and Papaw. My dad's parents. I remember decorating those prickly cedars very well. We used tinsel that was made of lead. Pure unadulterated lead. It helped build strong bodies 30 different ways. Who knows what I would have made of myself had it not been for those years of lead exposure at christmas time. The antidote must have been the can of black olives I always got in the toe of my stocking at my grandparents house. Ummmm. Lead and salt. Sounds like a recipe for a Neil Young tune.
Anyway...that's what christmas means to me.

Advent Calendar - Open on December 8th

2009-12-07T22:16:00.004-05:00

This snowman and this penguin are in jail. That's because they were caught robbing small children of the christmas spirit. They will be flogged and then released on December 26th. See what christmas makes otherwise pleasant little creatures do?

Advent Calendar - Open December 7

2009-12-06T22:03:00.002-05:00

As different as night and day.

Advent Calendar - Open on December 6

2009-12-05T16:14:00.004-05:00

This is what is special about christmas decorating. One strand of silver garland randomly slung on a leafless bush. One strand of lights with no attempt to artfully hide white plastic extension cord (indoor use only). Wait till dark. Plug in. Voila! A display worthy of the son of god.

Advent Calendar - Open on December 5

2009-12-05T10:52:00.002-05:00

I think I learned to cuss at Christmas time when my dad would pull out the decoration box and go to work attempting to untangle the wadded up mess of lights. Once the job was complete we would plug each strand in, assess which bulbs were broken, which were burned out, and what colors we were now missing. Then we would bundle up and head to the hardware store to purchase our annual supply of replacement bulbs. We would always buy extras but those would be packed away in some junk drawer and the location would soon be forgotten. They always popped up in June but never December. Now lights are in plastic tubes. How will little children learn to cuss. It's a sad thing.

Advent Calendar - Open on December 4

2009-12-03T23:49:00.004-05:00

Blow up Christmas decorating is lazy. These are essentially the steps you take: 1) Drop wad of multicolored nylon about eight feet from the house. 2) Plug in. Then, while your electric motor spins around thanks to the short ton of bituminous coal you just bought through a middle man that answers to a board of directors in Germany, all the ice melts away from the poles leaving Santa with his train stuck in the mud. Meanwhile, and because we are a nation addicted to cell phones, there is no money to be had through pay phones anymore so the only one in town gets ripped out without even the courtesy of removing the rest of the corporate litter that held it above the ground. That of course means that Santa can't call out to tell some undeserving little brat with a sense of entitlement that he's not going to get Mega Death Four under the spruce fir that was cut and trucked in from 500 miles away from somewhere near Peoria because he, Santa, has been delayed. Delayed? Hell...he's stuck. And with CO2 levels going higher, not lower as everyone keeps imagining as a possibility without doing anything to make it so, there isn't a snowballs chance in hell he will ever deliver toys by train again. Ever. And since the reindeer all came down with that swine flu thing...hell, it's bad out there. Bad I'm telling you. Worst chance for a merry Christmas ever.

That's what Christmas means to me.

Advent Calendar - Open on December 3

2009-12-02T20:26:00.002-05:00

The reindeer crew received good news. Santa got some rocket shoes.

Advent Calendar - Open on December 2

2009-12-01T23:12:00.001-05:00

Were it not for twisted lights and bags of baubles.

Advent Calendar - Open on December 1

2009-11-30T21:34:00.004-05:00

I peered upon the globe and found it peered upon me.

[I will attempt this but will not make promises. Open Crow's Nest every day between now and New Years Day and I will do my best to have a picture under the little flap. But because almost no one sees this it will be a secret subversive kind of advent calendar. Shhhhhh.]

Oh the Fallness of it All

2009-11-23T20:34:00.007-05:00

All these shots from October 22, 2009. A few days before peak fall color in my neck of the woods.

Nine Days Later

2009-11-22T22:35:00.004-05:00

The top picture of this maple was taken on 10/21/09.
The bottom picture was taken on 10/30/09.
A big wind on the 30th undressed her.

Ruby in Leaves

2009-11-22T22:27:00.004-05:00

The maples along the entrance allee at Cavehill Cemetery provided this place for miss Ruby to play. I love that a place dedicated to death can bring such life to our lives.

Domestique

2009-09-26T00:16:00.006-04:00

These were shot on iPhone/CameraBag/Lolo setting.
Back yard at the Professional Porch Sitters Union Hall
July 26 2009

Guess Who Built a Hoop House

2009-09-25T23:59:00.013-04:00

They did.

Toots Toys - First Year

2009-07-26T15:57:00.004-04:00

These five portraits of Toot's toys are a new project I have started to document my daughters life. None of these toys were purchased new. They represent the aesthetic we are looking for in things that we think are proper in a young child's life. They have each brought her joy. More than once. That's all a toy need do.

One Porch-Five Views-Cool July

2009-07-22T17:55:00.006-04:00

If you can't come sit on our porch with us, which would be an option, perhaps you can just look. Or, use this as a seek and find activity when you do come.

Grasping Water

2009-07-10T23:05:00.005-04:00

Children must surely have a right to play in clean water. I sometimes wonder if Toot will grow up in a world where she will have a reasonable expectation to have children of her own that will be able to play in water. And I do mean play. Will clean water be plentiful enough for play? Let us hope so and then work to make it so.

The Sock Monkey and the Weasel

2009-07-06T23:57:00.003-04:00

I've got a sock monkey that lives in a box.
He only comes out when the weasel goes pop.
Now a box is not a box if it hasn't a top.
And a sock is not a sock till it's been to the hop.
But a weasel's a weasel from start up to stop.

When I Grow Up

2009-07-06T02:40:00.004-04:00

When I grow up I wanna be a sycamore tree. Or a crow. Or both at the same time.

Mop Junky

2009-07-06T02:29:00.002-04:00

Toot has a thing for hair. Can't go to sleep without being in contact with it somehow. These are my girls as I'm leaving the house most mornings.

Poly Culture

2009-07-06T02:08:00.007-04:00

It is increasingly clear to me that we would be well served to consider plants in "community" more than in single species plantings. And although I know this is a design aesthetic opinion, I think that community plantings look much better. As climate change rears it's ugly head I think that monoculture will become the luxury of fools and the childless.

New New Harmonists

2009-07-06T01:48:00.006-04:00

On the way back from St Louis we stopped in New Harmony Indiana on the banks of the Wabash River. It was a Sunday so most shops were closed up but that may have been for the best. The roofless church was an interesting part of the visit. Would love to create something like that out at Bernheim. The town had an odd feel. Everything felt like it was just shy of wonderful. Great ideas that nearly came together perfectly. From what I can tell that might be the history of the New Harmonist communal experiment. Nearly came together. Toot loved playing in the fountain near the labyrinth.

Finger Lickin St Louis Food Tips

2009-07-06T01:25:00.005-04:00

We were in St Louis of recent for the American Public Gardens Association conference and had an opportunity to check out some restaurants. Quite luckily we stumbled upon a little Vietnamese place that boasted "the best spring rolls in St. Louis." A few friendly locals inside the joint confirmed it. It's the Vietnam Kitchen of St. Louis. It's called Bahn Mi So #1 and it's located at 4071 S. Grand Blvd. Try the Palestrinas Delight (#27) or the Tofu Xao Xa Curry (A4) Even if you are not that fond of tofu. Then we had Ted Drewes frozen yogurt which was a little further south down Grand Blvd. Next time I'm getting the black walnut. The next day, following a tip from some locals we met at the Bahn Mi So we tried a persian restaurant called The Majestic. Don't think we could have done better.

Mindful of Mycellium - Rain in May

2009-05-08T22:23:00.006-04:00

All found in the mulch under one Chinese chestnut tree on May 6th.
Can you imagine the interconnection of mycellium running around beneath the surface. We give little credit to these things but I am convinced we work for them somehow. Not the other way around.

Water after Planting

2009-05-08T22:14:00.003-04:00

Parenting has afforded me a few new gardening tricks.

1. Plant seed.
2. Place daughter astraddle planted seed.
3. Wait for five minutes of drool.
4. Repeat.

Gardening is slower this way. But the water content of drool is sufficient for initiating the germination of newly planted seed.

You may need to click on the picture to see the quantity of drool provided.

Hornbeam - October 08 to May 09

2009-05-08T21:47:00.007-04:00

In chronological order:
October 1
November 9
November 23
January 29
April 12
April 19
April 27
May 3

Thawed But Bent

2009-05-08T21:38:00.004-04:00

A heavy load of ice on January 29th has this birch still bent on May 7th. Likely a storm it will never recover from. The character of a tree is shaped by moments in time. That is surely true for us as well. But character is what defines us.

Mobility Envy

2009-03-28T23:06:00.004-04:00

For the first time today at a family gathering I could really see Toot contemplating mobility as she watched an older cousin cruising around, showing off, entertaining the adults assembled. I could almost hear the notions in her head, thinking to herself; "I could do that. Look at how all those big people get a kick out of her. Just cause she gets around. I'm gonna do that too one day and then she won't be the bees knees. I can take her."

Tres Ojos

2009-03-28T16:45:00.004-04:00

Tres Ojos sits on the ocean floor.
His three eyes seeing one-third more.
But just which third he will not say.
It’s a secret for some other day.

(Another in the slowing growing series of Ruby's toys in front painted canvas.)

Playin with the Toot

2009-03-26T22:55:00.001-04:00

Workin on crawlin. But not quite there yet.
Drooling? Got that down.

Big Burn, Little Burn, Flicker

2009-03-25T18:15:00.004-04:00

Bernheim uses fire as a tool to help re-establish native grasslands. In my backyard I'm doing the same thing on a smaller scale. Little bluestem, Indian grass, prairie dropseed, Virginia wild rye, bottlebrush grass, river oats, and a bunch of native wildflowers do very well with periodic burns.

To be clear about this... burning like this is ILLEGAL in the city. I have no idea who set my native grass patch on fire?

I'd like to make a formal complaint.

A Most Excellent Afternoon

2009-03-23T20:21:00.006-04:00

Went to the zoo with Carmen and Little Toot. What fun. Then I came home and continued working in the garden. I can feel my age a little. The first really hard day of gardening was yesterday and today I'm sore. I used to not feel so sore after that first spring day in the yard. The digging gets my shoulders now.

I potted up some longhandled dipper gourds and some luffa sponge gourds and put them in the cold frame. For you few folk that actually read my blog here's a prize for you. I'm giving the first person that comments on this entry a choice of luffa or dipper gourd, and the second can have what's left. And if no one comments...I'll just plant em. And when you come pick em up I'll pour you a bourbon.

Germination on the luffa is 7-14 days.
Germination on the dipper gourd is 10-14 days.

So in two weeks you should be able to come get your plants. That will put us right at the average last frost date. Ready to go out in your yard or nurture a while longer in their pots.

Then we can all stand out in the rain and scrub each others backs with luffas come fall.

Curious Garden Indeed

2009-03-23T11:19:00.006-04:00

A new favorite book.
A little boy named Liam (cool name) lives in a nasty ole town with not much going for it in the way of green spaces or gardens. He explores an elevated railway track and finds a struggling little garden there and takes it upon himself to become the gardener of the little patch. The little patch begins to grow and expand. A moderately reasonable story of succession involving mosses is communicated. (As a bryologist this gave the book a bonus point.)

Evenually the garden takes over the entire rail line, then rooftops, then every abandoned thing ends up as a little oasis. But more importantly, more gardeners begin appearing. The once dreary landscape is transformed.

This book provides some important lessons:

Start where you are with what you have.
Start small but dream big.
Nature wins. Even in our abandoned industrial spaces.
Succession is your friend.
Gardening is contagious.
Transformation is possible.

Buy this book for the kids in your lives. But more importantly, take them out to plant something. There is even a package of seeds in the book. Personally, I would never plant them because it doesn't say what seeds are in it. But it makes a good book mark.

The Curious Garden by Peter Brown
Little, Brown and Company, Books for Young Readers
New York, Boston
(c) 2009
$16.99

Paper and Coffee

2009-03-23T11:06:00.002-04:00

The rewards of working on a Saturday...paper and coffee on a Monday. Even IF the news is mostly bad or worse it's still a good morning.

Change of Plans

2009-03-22T18:06:00.004-04:00

It was such a nice day I ended up with a different plan. (top photo)
Here's how it turned out. All scrap wood from mayors big trash day.
Bless that holiday.

Plan for the Day

2009-03-22T11:19:00.002-04:00

This is what I'm working on today. If I can get this accomplished I'll feel like I've done a good days work. I'll let you know how it goes.

Social Not Working

2009-03-21T23:49:00.005-04:00

I suppose I have been on hiatus. A hard drive crash is a nasty thing.
Not so great with this computer stuff.

Exploring FaceBook. Not sure yet. Addictive to a degree.

Started two group pages:

Professional Porch Sitters Union - Founders Page
Louisville Chickeneers (look for the above photo)

But blogging may be the most fun. I'll get back to that.

One Hundred Thirty Seven and One Half Degrees

2009-03-21T23:41:00.003-04:00

Spring gets me to wanting Summer.
I am impatient.

One hundred thirty seven and
one half degrees. Exactly.

Rust, met by air
or blood, empties on the roots
of the helianthus.
Blood does good for roots.
Carmen bends low to pick
a tomato. Then nine.
Curlers in her hair and a dress
that fits loose upon her hips.
Income for the next generation
of kitchen scraps. Then chicken feed.

In late summer sun
the dropseed begins to cede.
I could dig it up and plant
it near the Indian grass. Or the
river oats.

137.5°

Iron and oxygen combine.
Hemoglobin. That thing they say
is thinker than water.
Is sweat thicker than water?

I’m watching an orange beetle on
the milkweed. Saddle
bags of pollen caught in anthers must
be the invention of sex.
Carmen calls me in for dinner.
She will give me five of
the nine tomatos.

Zen Cow Story

2009-01-07T20:31:00.006-05:00

Here's a new project. I guess I needed one. Gonna paint backgrounds as oil paintings, photograph toys in front of them (a plastic cow from Little Toots' nativity scene in this case) and then manipulate the photos to make little children's stories. Each story is one page. Micro children's literature. Not for micro children necessarily though. If you click on the photo it's better.

Burned Into Memory

2009-01-06T22:39:00.011-05:00

Children's book illustrators literally colored the way I perceive the world even today. One of the really surprising things about having a child is that it has returned forgotten memory to me. On the first day of the year Carmen and I purchased some children's books for Little Toot. In looking through some used books I came across The Magic Story Tree - Fifteen Favorite Fables and Fairy Tales illustrated by Lucille and H.C. Holling. I was surprised by the memory that flooded back when I started looking at the illustrations. I had this book. Not the same one mind you, but one just like it. I still see the world in these colors and with the same little hash mark shading.

Want some cheese little fellow?

Six Shots in a Winter Wood

2009-01-04T21:19:00.009-05:00

(Shot with iPhone using "camera bag" application set on Lolo)

Sunday, January 4th. Sixty degrees.
Old Headquarters Road.
Overcast, damp.
Bernheim.
Alone.
Quiet.

Slumber

2009-01-03T17:21:00.004-05:00

This is why my life is good.

Panegyric to Aprettypickle

2008-12-28T16:53:00.008-05:00

A favorite new blog is aprettypickle. Just found it of recent. The author is a favorite too. Reading it over inspired an "adventure shopping" outing today with Miss Carmen, Little Toot and Aleve. We had coffee and took off for lunch in a new spot that turned out to be at La Perla La Pacifica out Preston Highway. Get the fried fish tacos if you go. They come five to a plate.

After lunch we hit the Viet Hoa Food Market (7100 Preston Hwy) inspired by aprettypickle. Captured the top five photos. Aleve went home with the pig.

Imp

2008-12-27T18:38:00.004-05:00

A puckish little sprite.

Solstice Wish

2008-12-27T13:25:00.002-05:00

Solstice wishes are a double edged sword. On the one edge your wish may not come true. On the other, it might. Either way the spin of the dice has a way of changing things around so what you thought you wanted isn't and vice versa. Carrie and Zac threw down another good one however the wish turns out. And for that... we are all indebted.

SHINE ON!

2008-12-23T22:15:00.004-05:00

We have passed the Solstice point so it's time for a little winter shine. But due to a little wobble thing going on with the tilt of our planet and the sort of wiggle room that comes with Milankovitch cycles (you wouldn't really google something like that would you?) our planet doesn't reach perihelion until January third this year. So in between Solstice and perihelion I declare these days "of particular interest." And as such, they require our utmost attention. I shall ponder them over shine and radio.

Bathtime for Little Toot

2008-11-28T16:53:00.004-05:00

I am thankful that Little Toot is beginning to have a neck. Baby necks are awful things. They get sour milk all down in the folds of fat and it starts smelling like someone didn't take out the garbage. Grunge neck. You'd be holding this little lass and looking around for what rotten garbage was on the floor. Nobody told us that. It's something you find out for yourself. So...all you expecting first time parents. Forewarned.

Hornbeam Replay

2008-11-28T16:44:00.005-05:00

October 1, 2008
November 9, 2008
November 23, 2008

And incidentally...nobody prunes these.

Walnut Revisited

2008-11-28T16:30:00.005-05:00

Back to the walnut. Probably won't blog about her again until she starts leafing out come spring. The top picture is just before she lost her last leaves and the bottom picture is from a few days ago. Love me some November skies. Now it's time for the grand darkness. I will bear it until mid February. But then I will begin yearning for that first spring thunderstorm when I can throw open my bedroom window and let the house breathe again.

Flag Therapy

2008-11-28T12:56:00.003-05:00

Obviously you are on your computer. I would like to suggest it's time to relax a bit. Take a deep breath, relax your shoulders, clear your mind and click on this video. And if you have never spent a few minutes laying at the base of a flag pole watching a banner blow in the breeze, perhaps you should.