Transformation......

Life guarantees change! What once was so important and real is now gone. And, so it goes. I am embracing the movement of the wheel of fortune as it whirls past me and sets the stage for the next transmogrify. The chicken coop that stood in the center of the orchard for oh so many years could not with stand this tidal wave of movement. There is now a bench or ledge that runs the hillside traversing the rolling hills. The grape arbor is being dismantled after more than 25 years of saluting to the sun each morning in favor of open space and a new gazebo below it. No, I didn't sit down with a neat and tidy plan and lay it all out on graph paper. The magic of the universe simply has allowed it to unfold, each step a unique leaning in a new direction, not necessarily planned. The intuition of the land is working to cast its spell and who is to say just what will result in the end? All I know is that I am happily part of this project, and I am glad to be swept along with the this foolish current to whatever it is that the elementals have determined that this garden shall be. The spirit of earth and all the beings are bonding together to make the wonder of nature and its fruit. In this case apples!

Time for New Trees!

January is bare root season, and, we are taking full advantage of that opportunity. This year, on Sunday January 10th, I planted two Arkansas Black and two "Crippen" Pink Lady apple trees. It is always a creative effort to find new space in the existing orchard. This season I felt inspired to go with the old adage, "Out with the old and in with the new!" I dug out two very old Apricot Trees that have never actually produced any fruit, to allow their space to be given to these new members of the orchard. Although it pulled at my heart strings some to see these two trees go away, as the blossoms are utterly beautiful, I need to remember that the current mission of the orchard is to produce apples. With that in mind, things are moving in the direction they are.

I also dug up a volunteer apple tree under the Gravenstein that is getting too big to remain where it is. Assuming it survives the transplant, this tree will be on the list of trees to be grafted this spring. When the weather warms, I will be bringing the camera to capture more pictures.

First Post of the New Year!

As will happen, the days turn into weeks, and the weeks months, and here we are at the start of a New Year, ready or not! The realization that the light will begin to overcome the darkness and a new spring will dawn is powerful at this time of year. The symbolism of new beginnings and the innocence of all of nature just floods the sky ways and envelopes all of the hidden voids surrounding this place we call space. It is righteous to be out on the land, and partake in this discovery that the raw energy of the planet allows this miracle of rebirth to happen year after year. The promise of all the things to come in the coming year and the willingness of nature to surrender to the caretakers of the land and become the farm that is imagined and willed from within is magical. Everywhere there is unity and purpose. I see the apple trees pruned, composted and blooming. I see the bees flying about and pollinating the blossoms. I see the branches giving way to leaves and growth. I feel the warm sun on my skin the same way the trunks of the trees feel the heat. I smell the wildflowers and grasses as they blow in the wind. Finally, I taste the first ripe Gravenstein, and savor the juicy flavor of this ambrosial fruit. Let it all unfold! I am ready for the New Year............