streets lined with fruit trees

i lie on a blanket of new green grass, fillarie, fiddle necks, wild rye, oat, chickweed,

the brilliant blue sky is

framed by fresh buckeyes, creased like green party napkins, and oak leaves.

in a yoga stretch i extend my foot up, eclipsing the almost too hot sun, and a halo surrounds my shoe. 

this is what heaven feels like, i think to myself, my own personal heaven.

insects catch the sunlight. as i stare up towards the atmosphere a swallowtail butterfly,( a large, striking insect) becomes illuminated from above, brighter than a Tiffany lamp shade. i can see it's veins.

the purest periwinkle.

it is just one day 'til the vernal equinox and this area of the planet has heeded the hint and exploded.

pollen sex bombs.

there is no restraint. 

the spring flush comes when the soil heats up to about 60 degrees and the bursting grass becomes rich with nitrogen, 

the insect eggs hatch, the bird song keeps the suburban street sounding like a country field.

life is hurried and flushed. 

two.

springs are energetically vibrant but desperately short, due to the quickness of the oncoming heat and little water. we all pay attention.

near my home is the secret spot where i now sit. it's a little slice of wild pie that evaded the surrounding razing and development and pays tribute to what once was, and the many creatures that thrive there still.

this movie won't play like i hoped it would, but let link's sweet moves come through the gif.

after reading mary's recent post i am reminded and inspired to do a five minute bird count. all i can hear is bird song, anyhow. that and the rumbling from the near-by train tracks.

red wind black bird

mourning dove

crow

song sparrow

house finch

kill deer

mocking bird

flicker

i'm serious ornithology novice but i keep my ears open. there's more, i'm sure. 

ty hunted down the "best chocolate cake" recipe on the interwebs. we choose to spell his nick name differently.

all sing in the first three minutes. this ain't the woods but it's not too shabby. a bird count can be an approximate indicator of diverse life being supported, their wild songs paint the air revealing the true nature of suburbia: a bunch of houses, roads, and malls placed in a wild field and the wilderness creeps in at the edges. take into account the number of small animals that scurry along the edges today and it would seem that the earth and life itself, is indomitable, secretly flourishing despite the relentless onslaught of abuse.

the wooly bear caterpillar: unoffical declarer of winter conditions.

these bird songs alone have greatly contributed to my mindfulness and growing sanity within this ludicrous landscape. a landscape that epitomizes waste for the sake of ease. at least they seem to like it here, for the most part.

increasing habitat. increasing habitat everywhere, restoration, this is what gets my soul singing. more homes for birds, spiders, and us. this is what has led me to permaculture.

it's true, there are a lot of doomsday things to mull over and gain more awareness over. economy, pollution, changing jet stream patterns, mass extinctions... the knowing supports the reverse actions.

permaculture, not just companion planting while the moon shines or composting. it's not planting an organic veggie patch. the word itself is a blend between permanent and agriculture, my computer thinks i'm spelling something wrong every time i type it. i'll be certified in june, and there's so much to learn!

the class discusses the twelve principles of permaculture.

it's observing the micro climates in a small yard, and planting nitrogen fixers or wind breaks and slowing down and catching water.

it's watching the aspect of the sun and planting perennials, letting the soil heal and grow it's own ecosystem rather than mining it over and over each spring with annuals.

it's allowing plants and animals to do what they do best and then receiving the abundance of the natural world, rather than forcing uniform chaos on invasive flower beds and over-watered green lawns or eking out ever decreasing yields in toxic agri-business. 

it's knowing that soil is alive.

living soil. from here.

and what i love most: permaculture increases and restores habitat for both human and insect, growing food and shelter in the form of well-planned eco-systems.

virgo moon in placerville, kicking butts. it was my first full day away from lincoln and i came home bawling. and i did it again the next day. momma bear hormones.

what started out as a barren, toxic lawn with depleted soil is now an overgrown remnant of a lawn filled with life. i planted a small cherry tree and the next day a spider, with newly built web, had taken residence. that is how quickly a landscape can be re-wilded, just by letting it be.

linky runs about in the early morn at my mom's, who so kindly watched my chillens for me.

 as most in the neighborhood plant non-native plants and use chemicals to keep their lawns green it's exciting and as well as sorrowful to think that your yard is one of the few sanctuaries around.

roseville's future? i'd be honored to be a part of it. from suburbanpermaculture.org.

imagine being in a room with people who care about all of the things you do! WE ARE NOT ALONE.

i'm so excited about everything i've been learning, from folky weather prediction to climate zones in the anthropocene. i'll post more specific points in future posts.

the class room, inside of a garage near grass valley, ca. our instructor is a bad-ass activist who has been all around the world, learning from the fathers of permaculture. she says we're fourth generation permies. :) 

i have a lot of dreams and they seem to have brought me here. i hope to help some of my neighbors swap out their lawns for native and edible plants.

of course, i'll be taking this knowledge to our future homestead. COMPOSTING TOILET! GREY WATER POND!

 

from here.

'an early spring'

last night, last night

i dreamt that portland filled up with gardens 

and people on bicycles passing me by 

on streets lined with fruit trees

and bright colored squashes 

oh how the greens and yellows took me by surprise 

i broke down in the streets 

overcome with nostalgia 

for this place i'd never been 

and now i wonder how 

we got so far away 

from what we could be. 

post title borrowed from my favorite song by june madrona

what are the soundtracks to your dreams? wish me luck on mine!
blessings during this time of balanced light and dark!

xo

again. circle. spring.

ogle the seed catalog.

check on the parsley sprouts and the pomegranate's new leaf shoots.

it's a magical day in march.

the wind blows the brand new blooms

and you pull the typewriter out;

your baby is asleep.

(you find yourself lost in the moment, swept up by the beauty of life.)

rebirth, my favorite friends are coming 'round again.

she is new. but she comes every year. what part of you do allow to become new?

spring is not to be resisted. 

the earth is clean.
the rains were few.
not enough to sate the reservoir surveyors
but enough to burst wild flower seeds
and soak the trees to green.

the tadpoles grow fat, we hope they can sprout their legs before this warm sun drinks up their swamps!

teddy loves the sac train museum. (it really is a cool place.) i like the old train chinaware.

looks gross, tastes great. frozen bananas, cocoa, nut butter: better than ice cream.

check out my guns, guys. muscles attributed to lincoln/dance class. thank you.

furled fern fronds

down at weber creek, nursing in the green spring.

land of 4 miracles: portland(ia)

:kathryn and her nursling.:                                      deschutes brewery

miracle 1: i have found myself within a kick-ass network of mormon women: "feminist mormon housewives,"  (we) call ourselves 'mo-fems.' and this beautiful friend that i just hadn't met yet picked me up at pdx and showed me around downtown portland. lovely lovely. what a blessing.

i no longer participate with the religion in a traditional sense but feel compelled to follow this social justice movement, by these courageous women, to make the church a better place for women. these are faithful members questioning the oppressive gender roles, asking hard questions and getting a lot of shit, not just from the men but from women as well within the church. what is merely traditional/cultural and what is true "doctrine"? and why can't we question the status quo within a church that encourages pondering without being called apostate? i admire these women and men, the majority being active, "card -carrying"  lds members. my experiences with the lds church could go on for posts n posts n posts... buuut you can read here at ordain women to get an idea of how many women feel about gender roles and here at feminist mormon housewives to see a glimpse of an awesome network of alternative/progressive mormons. (THERE'S HOPE, PEOPLE.)  

miracle 2: a lone mother navigates the portland transit system with her bulky baby paraphernalia. it's cold, no phone. our ambitious plan? make it to voodoo donut, eat donut, return. with whatever happened in-between.

a women chats with us at the stop while we wait. as we approach our stop in downtown she comes up to me, grabs the folded, bulky stroller, and says, "i'm going to help you today." yes please!

two crust punks leave voo-doo donut with a bucket...fulla' donuts.

she was patient, kind, and friendly, and spent the whole afternoon walking the streets with us, pointing out unique architecture, finding beauty everywhere, and directed us to tasty places to eat. she finds magic money on the ground, and buys us more delicious treats. she helped me with lincoln, who's wild and doesn't understand the importance of a sidewalk!

andrea, i don't know if i'll see you again but i know you were an angel of the universe, a manifestation of love. we had a magical time together!

she told me this was the first tree to bloom in portland. the lady is always so finely dressed.

miracle 3: diana.

she is the goddess of courage, health, and discipline. i love her dearly.

linky loves her. her little apartment is adorable.

miracle 4: the land of a thousand waterfalls. literally. i stopped counting at 200. there isn't enough space on my memory card to handle all of the wonder.

multnomah.

the whole trail: falling water. on us.

electric blue glacial river, glowing green trees.

enchanted trail carved in the steep and moss.

one of diana's many specialties: hot herbal chai with coconut creamer and vanilla stevia. (what i would do for one RIGHT now.)

portland saturday market. diana scopes out the raw dessert competition. she plans to re-launch her raw truffle bizness here! (under-stated matching shirts hashtag bff's.) <<hashtag lincoln.>> lololololololol. (not.) ps. people really talk like this.

my cheapskate souvenir for ty, who stayed in cali. PORTLAND STREETS IN A JAR. the tsa did NOT like this.

back home, sunset at the swamp. air filled with the scent of blossoms.

my little sun beam is two today.
i'm off to celebrate, because he is my little spring time lamb.

xo