Summer Celebration

A most MARVELous post solstice summer celebration with puppetry and water balloons by my talented friend, Melissa.


Melissa's Summer Celebration from wendy cook on Vimeo.

About Friends

About Friends by Brian Jones

The good thing about friends
is not having to finish sentences.

I sat a whole summer afternoon with my friend once
on a river bank, bashing heels on the baked mud
and watching the small chunks slide into the water
and listening to them - plop plop plop.
He said, 'I like the twigs when they...you know...
like that.' I said, 'There's that branch...'
We both said, 'Mmmm'. The river flowed and flowed
and there were lots of butterflies, that afternoon.

His besty moved to MI and he is quietly lamenting yet hopeful of visiting.  That night we went to Purple Beech to watch the fireflies and bats under the super moon where we said our good byes.  I found in his room, two letters since Monday.

His first draft, so playful and sweet, "I hope you find destined treasure".

His second draft...my heart aches for him as I read his truth.  "I enjoyed having you as a friend...I hope to see you again...fondly".

Summer Obsessions

"blueberries sparkling like gemstones, 
blue stars in a gold sky, 
the universe in reverse, 
the two of us eating..." - Diane Lockward

Raw Organic Bluberry Chia Jam (recipe here) and Kale Pesto

I hoard bottles for my potions and make them fancy corks...




and grow microgreens on the windowsill.

Summer Saturday Science: Fizzzzzz

H2O + NaHCO3 + C6H8O7 = ?

Reaction: It Fizzes and  the color changes from purple to pink.

Take a taste!

Reaction: Sour face

Edible Chemistry Kit!

Happy Campers

I know all the dark places
Where the sun hasn't reached yet,
Where the last cricket
Has just hushed; anthills
Where it sounds like it's raining;
Slumbering spiders spinning wedding dresses...

The good tree with its voice
Of a mountain stream
Knows my steps.
It, too, hushes. 

I stop and listen:
Somewhere close by
A stone cracks a knuckle,
Another rolls over in its sleep.

I hear a butterfly stirring
Inside a caterpillar,
I hear the dust talking
Of last night's storm...


And all of a sudden!
In the midst of that quiet,
It seems possible
To live simply on this earth. 

- Charles Simic (Summer Morning)



The tent is up and we're ready for the Great American Backyard Campout.

The pals took it for a test spin and deemed it "awesome".  I placed a large quilt on the floor of the tent upon which the campers set up their gear and watched fireflies from the tent window.

"It looks like lightning!", they squealed. 

We read, "Whoo's There", a short, but sweet bedtime shadow casting book about nocturnal animals and used a flash light cast the projections on the tent wall.  We awoke to the dawn chorus.

You can join our camping team or sponsor our team by clicking HERE.  Your support helps the National Wildlife Federation to connect more children with nature!


Are you looking for swell ideas to make your backyard camping even more fun?   Click HERE!

RIP Neptune & Pearl 2011 - 2013

Sadly our adopted crabs have died.  We don't know how old they were, but we they lived with us for 2 years.    I'm not exactly sure what happened as they were clearly the most pampered crustaceans around.  They ate a variety of organic foods fruits, veggies and greens in addition to their commercial food.  They had both fresh water and salt water access.  The temperature and humidity levels were constantly checked.

My guess is a faulty water filter.  I give them filtered water because chlorine can kill them.  One morning, I noticed the filter light flashing.  The filter was changed, but I feared that some of the unfiltered water got in their water dish. 

A few days later I found Pearl outside her shell and had a feeling something terrible was afoot.  I gave her (and the shells) a specially formulated crab bath, cleaned the tank, and changed the substrate.  Then I isolated Pearl with her favorite shell and she went back inside.   Neptune seemed fine and immediately burrowed into the substrate.

Things seemed pretty normal at first, but then got eerily quiet.  They are party animals and I usually hear them whooping it up at night.  I had a bad feeling about it, but waited because if they were molting again I didn't want to stress them.  

Well, I checked them and they are BOTH quite dead and we are sad. 

Fairy Garden

I know a bank where the wild thyme blows, 
Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows, 
Quite overcanopied with luscious woodbine, 
With sweet musk roses and with eglantine. 
There sleeps Titania sometime of the night, 
Lulled in these flowers with dances and delight. 

- Will Shakespeare 

The fairy queen has moved into our flower pot....

How to make a Fairy Garden

1.  Pick a spot in your garden, a large plant pot or container.

2.  Add plants.  Fairies love pansy, lobelia, allysum and fern.

3.  Give your fairies furniture to sit on.  We purchased ours here.  You could also make your own with found objects like rocks, shells and sticks.  Acorn caps make great fairy baskets!

4.  Add some rocks for stepping stones.

5.  Fill in bare spots with moss.  Fairies like napping on moss.

6.  Make a sign to welcome your fairy.

To see our fairy houses, click HERE!   For EVERYTHING FAIRY, click here!

Raingutter Regatta

In the name of the air, 
The breeze,
And the wind,
May our souls 
Stay in rhythm
With eternal
Breath.  - John O'Donohue

He won first place for his den, and third place in the pack finals!  In the end he was dizzy, but happy.  I emailed his school so they would mention it in the morning announcements - it will make him smile.

Eight Rides Around the Sun: Off the Hook Fishing Party

In an instant
the fish's spine
alters the fierce line of rising

and it curls a little --
the head, like scalloped tin,
plunges back,
and it's gone.

This is, I think,
what holiness is:
the natural world,
where every moment is full - Mary Oliver

We celebrated his 8th ride around the sun with a fishing party per his request.  Catch and release is one of his favorite pastimes and he wanted to share that with a few of his besties.  The party prep began Friday while he was at school.  This is the story of how it all came together...

I climbed a ladder and tied a string from the top of the porch post all the way across the side yard to a tree, then covered it with crepe paper and balloon bundles (thank goodness for hand pumps).  I had some Japanese carp kites tucked away and hung them from the line as well.

I spent the rest of the morning baking.  He wanted two kinds of cupcakes, Chocolate Beet Root and Hummingbird.  He requested white chocolate cream cheese icing and wanted them decorated the same way I decorated the cupcakes for his third birthday.   

Then I got to work carving a melon.















I finished making his goody bags right before he got home from school.  I found a perfect fish image at Vintage Printable and ran white lunch bags through my inkjet.  I punched a hole in the top then fastened each bag with metallic silver ribbon.   
 
When he walked in the door and saw the goody bags he smiled big and said, "Now THAT'S a sign of a cool mom - THANK YOU".  I was so happy that he liked them and even happier that he still thinks I'm cool.  Inside the bags were special treats like realistic candy worms,  a fortune telling fish, and shark tooth bracelets that his Great Uncle sent for this special day.

That night, his daddy made bamboo fishing poles for all the kids so they would be ready to hike out to the lake upon arrival.  

Fast forward to the party...

G caught a fish and several of the crew caught turtles.   (Photo of G by Steve Scott)

 


















When they returned they were sweaty and ready for a feast.   There was plenty of homemade lemonade, fruit and pizza for all the fisher-peeps.
 

 


















The fishing crew still had room for cupcakes!

(Top photo by Steve Scott)



The birthday boy opened his gifts.

I placed the goody bags and nets in the front yard so our cherished friends would not forget to take them home.

 



















Meanwhile some really swell tunes wafted from the front porch where I planted some speakers oldskool.  Here's the party playlist:

Gone Fishin' - Rising Appalachia
Beyond the Sea - Bobby Darin
Octopus's Garden - Beatles
Sloop John B - Dan Zanes
Froggie Went a Courtin - Bob Dylan
Pieces of 8 - Captain Boggs
Yellow Submarine - Beatles
Lazy River - Louis Prima
Send me on my Way - Rusted Root
Take me to the River - Talking Heads
darkRad - Tankdrum Chase


Have a listen on Groove Shark...