A morning trek with my old camera

I found the charger to the old camera, the go-anywhere-, even-under-water camera. It is a beat up and shabby looking, but I am so happy to be able to use it again. I love the pictures it takes, the richness in the darker colors, the way it interpolates pixels.

I took pictures this morning trying it out. Take my morning trek with me.

This is where I sit to write this blog and work on my novel. I have a migratory work space. I'm a laptop warrior. This is the center of operations for now, in the junk room. I like to create from a place of mass chaos. What can I say?

This is our garden. We had a fire yesterday burning the roots and ground cover from the plot we are preparing for corn, beans and squash. The three sisters, I squeal. Carl C shakes his head and says something sounding as if he wants to thwart or change my plans. Gardening with a partner takes compromise. The burned spot will be the next place we dig.

Here is the corn plot we are preparing.  I've taken to circle gardening. I like to dig out a circle, marking the cardinal directions and put plants aligned with the directions. This is no science behind my madness, only a slightly ODC plan to make earth compasses all over the land. Carl C likes directions, so he has conspired with me on this latest patch, helping me to exactly delineate the directions. The yellow duct taped bamboo pole in the right corner of the photo is south. The chair is in the north, though slightly east. I have woven with bamboo branches a retaining wall for the low end of this small piece of ground where we will grow corn, for sure. Carl C has dug out roots, master minded the pole construction and exact circlitude.  It is definitely a joint project now.

Look, look! The bamboo in the northwest from which our poles come.  And see the measly little circle gardens I did by myself, and thereby proved this would be a great way to feng shui our handicapped garden.
There is cabbage, swiss chard and collards in these. I also have lettuce and spinach in another unseen circle to the right. It has picket fences and sharp bamboo twigs to protect it from the chickens. We ran out of chicken wire.

Back inside, my old/new camera itches to take a look at the mantle above our fireplace. Here, dust and all is what our mantle piece harbors.

The camera and I walk over to the house shrine and take a peek. 

Since this buddha seemed fine, we went to check on the outside buddha.

We found him checking out his reflection in the bird bath.

I know where the wild chickens lay! It is hard to emphasize what a victory this represents. I have been searching for their laying place for months, and finally they started laying in a place I had made receptive for their laying needs.

They ignored it for months while the yard cat lounged in it, but when I changed where I fed the pets, the cat migrated back there. Another month went by and then, yay, an egg. Two days later, another egg. I began writing the dates on them and gathering the oldest one everyday. Day before yesterday, two eggs were laid. I can identify at least three separate egg layers  by color and shape! I only have four wild laying hens.

Here sits Buddha. He hasn't moved since we looked at him a minute ago. He's really enjoying the day, I can tell.

So are our two loyal, loving dogs, though if I'd go on a long walk in the woods with them, they would find it an even better day.

And a final look at Buddha bathed in sunlight, keeping the company of a bottle tree and some irises who will bloom in spring.