Live Free

Glory Days of Spring

 

While Beatrix was outside playing this afternoon, I thought I'd take the time to upload photos to flickr and maybe find enough patience to sit at the computer long enough to chime into this place. Hello!! 

Well, it's spring time in Texas. My favorite time in Texas. Wildflowers are my thing in case you haven't noticed. I love the fields of flowers, the gorgeous light, the evolution of the blooms as the season warms. Mmm..everything is beginning and lovely and inspiring to me at this time of the year. 

My yard, oh my gosh, is kind of (almost) what my dreams are made of right now.  There are areas where I'd like the blooms to be mixed up more but instead they clustered in bundles of individual types. And maybe my backyard is donning just a little too much red and blue right now. A little more yellow, pink, and white sure would be perfection. But otherwise, it's somewhere between a wild meadow and overgrown cottage garden out there and I couldn't be more pleased considering what we started with a few years ago when we moved here. 

Today was 90 degrees. Ouch. It's suppose to cool off for the remainder of the week, but still, as a clicked the AC on this afternoon, I was reminded of the inevitable. Summer will be here soon. I'm hoping we can squeeze out six more weeks or so of spring-like weather.  In the front yard, we brewed sun tea and I'm started a solar calendula infusion as I am beginning to make soap and balms again. Actually, my blog name references a little soap company I had years ago, before Bea was born. Our brand was called Democracie Goods and our motto was Live Free,  Die Clean.  Once we adopted Bea, I stopped making soap and opened up a preschool instead. Now that a window has opened, Bea is older and she's beyond the scary combination of young child + lye, I'm dipping my toes back into that world. I lost all of my recipes, so I'm basically starting from scratch. I've even had a couple of botched batches.

There's a new tiny farmer's market just starting up a few blocks from our house. It happens on Thursdays from 3:00-6:00. Bea and I are thinking it might be fun to set up shop there once we get some inventory built up.  Maybe we could sell mini wildflower bouquets, or hand dyed silks, or soap, or whatever veggies we have growing, postcards, or balms and salves. You know, just to add a little extra purpose to our days. It's fun to dream! 

Also, before I close, I thought I'd list a few of some much enjoyed reads that she and I have had over the last couple of months. 

Beatrix's interests:

The Big Katie Morag Storybook

Katie Morag, Of Course

Rabbit Hill

The Pony Scouts (series)

Benny and Penny (series)

Album of Horses

Heidi

Nichole's Interest:

How To Be A Wildflower

To Kill A Mockingbird

Go Set a Watchman

Our Endless Numbered Days

Coyote's Guide to Connecting with Nature

The Edible Garden

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Changes

We have been on the cusp of change for awhile now. Soon, a clear line will be drawn. This spring has been so lovely. So much has happened in so many little and big ways. With more still to come.  

Birds built nest, eggs were layed, nestlings nourished,  and fledglings flew. Caterpillers captured, fennel chewed down, chrysalis's formed, butterflies emerged, and then released.  Poppies came and went. And so did the bluebonnets. There were larkspurs and sweet peas, jasmine, and evening primrose. Delicate, sweet smelling beauties. Oh April was delightful. 

The rains have come. The river is flowing. I can't remember the last time there was so much water in these parts. You should see how vibrant the green is these days. Electric. We are studying pond life because well, we have ponds again. 

If you'd judge me by the looks of my yard, you just might think I've fallen off the deep end. It's wild out there right now. Crazy wild. Thick stands of firewheels galore. In both the front and the back yard. Don't ask. I swear I sprinkled Black Prairie Mix last fall. Otherwise, I have two beds of beans, one bed of tomatoes, another of peppers, and three of garlic and onions.  All happy so far.   I have around 20 lavender bushes started as tiny twigs two years ago. They are so very full  and blooming. The stuff dreams are made of, really. But now with all this rain, I pray their feet stay dry enough to survive! And then there is the sunflower situation. They are tall and abundant.  They create a little forest of their own.  

Our neighbors left us a few weeks ago. It's been quiet without them here. Their daughter and our daughter grew up together these last three and a half years. And now, it's just Bea and I during the day. It's funny how we adapt though. Each day is less and less quiet as we get use to the new now. 

We've closed the chapter on adoption. No more waiting. Life is calling our little family and we are beyond ready.

 In two weeks, I'll close down The Natural Child for good. It's been fun, but I'm daydreaming of what's beyond.  I am certain of  a few small details (well, with as much certainty as life throws at ya): the porch will acquire a picnic table (adult size, thank you!), a string or two of twinkly lights, some hanging and non-hanging plants, and maybe, just maybe, a cool reclining lawn chair.   

Otherwise, the plan for this summer is to unwind, unwind, and unwind some more. To sit on my porch. To sip sun tea. To bask in the sun. To listen for birdsong, cicadas, and crickets. To trim sunflowers for tabletop jars. And to breathe. 

Hoping all is well on your end. And as always, thanks for stopping by. 

XO,

Nichole

 

 

Chasing Wildflowers with Kristie and Kate

Kristie and Kate -HD (720p) from Nichole Chigoy on Vimeo.

Kristie and I met in kindergarten but didn't become best pals until we were 10 years old.  We've been through so much together...training bras, Judy Blume, high school heartbreak, family loss, new beginnings, marriage, infertility, woes, adoption, and on and on. If any friend is like a sister to me, it's her. She IS my sister. She knows my story. She knows my entire family. She knows that certain scent of my childhood home. How many people in our lifetime can share such a bond? Not many...

Kate is her dear 6 year old daughter. She and Bea are the same age and are lucky that they are getting to grow up together.  It's so fun to share stories of our childhood with them.  Again, not many friends are connected in this way. 

I got to play with Kristie and Kate in the wildflowers deep in the heart of central Texas hill country. It was a splendid evening. The scenery was immaculate and picturesque. I was with two of my favorite people.  The only sounds to hear were that of bees gathering pollen and nectar, crickets, frogs, and birds. A big slice of heaven right there! 

What a fun, fun, inspiring, exhilarating evening. Oh my...nothing feels my cup up more than chasing wildflowers and taking photos of beautiful people.  

A Glimpse of Spring.

We are in the dreamy space of spring these days. I have about 1000 photos of flowers and bees and birds and all things heavenly and good.  Don't worry, I'll only share some of my favorites. Most of which are of flowers. Blossoms from the garden. Wildflowers around town. Meadows tucked between gas stations and fast food joints somewhere between here and Houston. Everywhere you look, something beautiful and precious is happening. 

It's a breathtaking time of the year. Most of my days are spent outdoors bike riding, bird watching, nestling spying, river exploring, meadow romping. Sometimes, I like to pretend that all invasive species, cars, concrete, and construction noise have vanished, and that I live in a quiet fairy land untouched by our industrial culture.  So often, it's a matter of choice... of when to keep and when to take off the blinders, no? Blinders serve me well, most of the time.  

 

Give Me the Splendid Silent Sun 

Give me the splendid silent sun with all its beams full-dazzling,

Give me juicy autumnal fruit ripe with red from the orchard,

Give me a field where the unmowed grass grows,

Give me an arbor, give me the trellised grape,

Give me fresh corn and wheat, give me serene-moving animals teaching content.

Give me nights perfectly quiet as on high plateaus west of the Mississippi, and I am looking up at the stars,

Give me odorous at sunrise a garden of beautiful flowers where I can walk undisturbed. 

        Walt Whitman

 

 

Hey there! I'm sitting here in the kitchen typing a bit before I call it a night and zone out to some Larkrise to Candleford.  Today was a make-up school day from an ice day last month. Turns out, there's more ice on the way tonight and tomorrow morning. So who knows, we might have to cancel again tomorrow! What crazy weather it's been this year.  Spring really does want to be here!  See that henbit in the top photo? It's everywhere right now (though looking wilted and tricked by the artic snap). I was browsing through my archives of photos from past March's a little while ago.  Two years ago, at this time the poppies were blooming. Mine are bushy but showing absolutely no signs of blooming yet.  And how can they? This morning was 19 degrees! Oh, but Saturday was 80 degrees! All of my perennials that were just feeling courageous enough to send out tender green leaves are zapped again. Poor things! It's looking like a slow start to spring around these parts. 

I hauled my computer out to the kitchen again this afternoon (it's the warmish spot of the house).  And with these frigid days, I'm back to enjoying an afternoon cup of chai. One can't really complain about chai in the afternoon. It's the equivalent of ice coffee in July. Sometimes you gotta work with what you have.  And if it's icicles in March, then chai it is.  

The chicks are a week old today. It's there second Monday!  And I must say, they have the best seat in our house. They get to hang out in the bathroom with a space heater on all day. Everytime I go in there to potty, I open the door and a wave of warm air hits me and I then I think I could just snuggle up right there with them and a good book all day.  Maybe I'll try that tomorrow and see how long I can go before anyone misses me.  

Oh, and the picture of me!  You know, I'm not in the habit of taking selfies or posting pictures of myself. But Bea took this one of me the other day and I just thought it was kind of interesting. A deviation from the awkward mama in front of the camera  who is pretending to look natural and comfortable sort. 

So there you have it, another Monday post. Is this a new habit for me?

How was your Monday? What's your world looking like these days? 

xo,

Nichole

Release.

Last week, on a foggy, cool morning before Byron left for work, Bea had a special request. The night before, one of our swallowtail butterflies that we'd been raising in our habitat emerged out of its chrysallis. This butterfly was ready to flutter and fly out into the great big world.

And so a request was made by Beatrix: Daddy can you come with us to the field to release our butterfly?

And how could anyone refuse such a request, right? Think about it: how many times in our long lives will be invited by a four year old to release a butterfly into a field of evening primroses covered in morning dew? Not nearly enough.

wildflower days

It's a beautiful time of the year in Texas right now. Ah...wildflower season. The roadsides and fields are bursting with colorful blooms. A couple of days ago, Beatrix and I visited The Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center. The photos above were taken there. It's a poor place to have your camera battery die 7 minutes into exploring, but that's what happen to me that day. Sweet Beatrix...she gets me and my attachment to the camera. She asked me, "What are you going to do, mama?" I just told her that I'd have to rely solely upon my memory today.  

The weather here has been so peculiar. It's cold and rainy right now. I'm still wearing wool socks and layers. The heater is on and this is how it has been for the last month or so with warm and (very) windy days tucked in between here and there. I love it, but I'm receiving a wonderful lesson on how much fun sunshine really is when it comes to photography. There have been so few shadows and sun rays to play with these days. Lots and lots of gray. 

Back to the subject of wildflowers and Texas...

We've been having fun learning to identify different wildflower specimens and even singing a few Texas songs. Which always makes me chuckle inside...I'm not from Texas, but Beatrix will grow up being so clearly from this state. It's funny where life takes ya.  

These are our two favorite Texas songs right now:

Bluebonnets

Bluebonnets, bluebonnets with your coat so blue.

Your bright eyes are shining through the silvery dew.

I know you're a dolly offered for the rain.

I know you'll come back again to Texas in the Spring.

 

I have to admit, I had a ball teaching this one to the kids today:

Deep in the Heart of Texas

The stars at night - are big and bright
Deep in the heart of texas.
The prairie sky - is wide and high
Deep in the heart of texas.
The sage in bloom - is like perfume
Deep in the heart of texas.
Reminds me of - the one I love
Deep in the heart of texas.
The cowboys cry - ki-yip-pie-yi
Deep in the heart of texas.
The rabbits rush - around the brush
Deep in the heart of texas.
The coyotes wail - along the trail
Deep in the heart of texas.
The doggies bawl - and bawl and bawl
Deep in the heart of texas.

There are also some really wonderful stories and folktales that Beatrix has enjoyed so much pertaining to the prehistory and history of Texas and our treasured wildflowers. 

Bluebonnet Babies is a wonderful little story about the lifecycle of the bluebonnet. It's a very gentle read and is very reminiscent of tales such as The Story of the Root Children by Sibylle Olfers. 

The Legend of the Bluebonnet is a captivating story about a Native American tribe working through the tragedy of a terrible drought. The land (and tribe) is saved by an orphaned member who has the ability to sacrafice her most prized possession in exchange for rain from which the bluebonnets grow and bloom. 

Miss Lady Bird's Wildflowers chronicles Lady Bird Johnson's life and how her passion for wildflowers became her great legacy. A Texas heroine for sure! The story book is beautifully illustrated and sends a great message about the importance of noticing, loving, and ultimately advocating for the preservation of the natural world. When I read this book to Beatrix and the other children, I skipped over a couple of pages pertaining to the death of her mother and her husband, President Lyndon Baines Johnson. 

The sun should come out tomorrow. I'm looking forward to checking in with the garden and taking a walk around town to see what is new and blooming. Spring is always such a fun time of the year. I love sharing my love of gardening and wildflowers with Beatrix. It warms my heart to see her interest grow with each new year.

 

 

 

Sunday morning

It's an overcast and green Sunday morning. From where I sit, I hear the hens conducting their morning bawk bawk sessions. The birds are singing. The fresh, electric green leaves are fluttering in the breeze. I hear Beatrix playing quietly in the living room. She's building with her blocks -- a car, a house, a doorknob. Yesterday she made a bumbo out of blocks for one of her dollhouse babies...Byron is reading on the couch. 

I just finished up some computer work for school. The rest of this Sunday is mine to enjoy as I please. I'm thinking today will call for some mulch spreading, a walk in the neighborhood, some wildflower specimens to be prepared for our nature shelf, and, oh, perhaps some home-made facial moisturizer to be whipped up. Surely there is a magical recipe out there that calls for the three ingredients I have in my kitchen right now: beeswax, coconut oil, and olive oil.  

Last night I finally began a birthday email to Beatrix (Yes, I email her. She has a gmail account that I've kept for her since she was a baby) recounting what she is all about at this point in her life. It's still in my draft box becasue I just knew I would continue to think of bits and bobs that I'd want to add. She's a strong, independent, funny, endearing, and curious spirit. I can't imagine what our world would be like without her presence. This phase she's in, boy, oh boy, it is a great one. Those toddler years and that 3 year old year in particular had their challenging moments, for sure. But right now, I am savoring the balance she is feeling. Surely, more bumpiness is right around the corner...

Blustery Day at Sauer Beckmann

Last weekend my mom came to visit. It was so nice to have her around. She's such an easy house quest and is always ready to go with the flow of whatever we are doing. Ah...

On one of the days she was here, she, Beatrix, and I took a day trip out to Sauer Beckmann Farm. She has never been. So of course, I had to change that...It was a blustery day and felt more like winter instead of early spring. Very few wildflowers were blooming, but the sun shone like crazy while the wind whipped around us. 

I love this farm. I love walking around, listening to the quiet and imagining how much more quiet it must have been 100 years ago, before highways, before subdivisions, before running water, social media, constant connection to the entire universe etc.

Sometimes it feels so wonderful to try to touch upon that kind of quiet -- to hint in the direction of...

As you may have figured out, I love taking photographs at Sauer Beckmann. It's an achingly photogenic setting, and visiting this place never fails to inspire me and to nudge at the dreams of one day having a little bit more land - and a little bit more silence - to our days. 

Season of hope and spring garden notes.

It's the season of very big hope in our parts. For me, this means I'm out in the garden, every single day, examining, watering, cheering on every new sets of leaves growing and each seedling just beginning to sprout. 

It's the season before (gardening) obstacles become very apparent. Before infestations, before the excrutiating heat, before we forget to water as often as we should. 

It's always at this time every year that I have big hopes and dreams for my garden. In my imagination, I see baskets of produce and greenery and lushness. Bees and blossoms. Fruit bearing down and over. Abundance. Freshness. Early morning dew. Preserving sessions in the kitchen. I swear, one day I will achieve -- all of it.

But let's face it, that dream will take some refinement in the gardening department on my part. It's a good thing I am learning more and more each year where my errors lie.

Here's what I've got going for me:

I think we've been doing a good job of keeping our soil good and strong. I apply mycorrhiza while planting. I water with a molasses mixture. I top dress with pine needles. I fertilize with rabbit manure, this product, and fish emulsion. 

There. Take that Texas drought. 

The big setback around here is lack of water. I've tried soaker hoses and hand watering. Soaker hoses burst at random areas and end up wasting more than they should. Hand watering just doesn't provide a consistent and deep soaking. Consequently, we are now seriously planning to install a real drip irrigation system. It seems as if it's the only sustainable solution to the lack of rain. Yes, of course, I wonder if it's not more enviro-friendly to not garden, than to burden our water supplies for the sake of my hobby (and mental sanity). But choosing to not garden is depressing. I'm not ready to give up just yet.

On a lighter note:

My herbs from last year are gorgeous. It's hard to believe I planted them as tiny four inch plants. The lavender and oregano are bushes now! One of my lavender plants is beginning to blossom. This is all very exciting to me!

Along our front yard fence is a long line of beans that are growing. What fun. They are sprouting and getting taller every day! Next fall, after we harvest the beans, I'll replace them with climbing rose bushes along the columns of the fence line.

My irises should be blooming any day now. They are so close. Maybe right in time for Easter.  Update: They. are. blooming. Oh, thank you dear irises! 

I even had a tiny bit of success with daffodils this year which typically do not thrive here. I'm hopeful to get a few more blooms next year as they settle into their home.  

Sunflowers and zinnias are well on their way. Garlic and onions are beginning to show signs of browness in their leaves. 

I've got more beans to plant as well as cucumbers, peppers, eggplant, and potatoes. I'm not planting zuccini this year as they take up so much garden space and always fall prey to the nasty squash vine borer right as they are ready to produce. Too tragic.