Midsummer's Eve`

Traditionally, this is the time you may see faeries. On the summer solstice, we stay up late because this is the longest time of daylight in the year. This Midsummer's Eve, my family harvested the sweet black raspberries that grow in our woods. I suspect the bees may have had something to do with the massive amounts of juicy ripe berries tempting us to delve ever further into the thorns and poison ivy. Wild berries do not yield their treasures easily. They are guarded by fierce mosquitoes, cruel thorns, and weedy neighbors. Yet to the intrepid, they are full of sweetness, such beautiful temptation that you stain your lips and fingertips dark purple. A day or two before, Faerygirl and I brought home over three quarts of hard-won juicy goodness. Ice cream topped with black raspberries and smoothies soon followed. Delicious!

This is also the time of lilies in the garden. Their bright colors and bold shapes remind me of stars or fireworks. I love the spiky yellow ones; my children like the ruffly pinker ones. My mother-in-law collects daylilies like some people collect knick-knacks, and I am the blessed recipient of several fabulous varieties from her garden.

This season has been quite hot and humid, unseasonable (as has been much of the year). It seems to me that everything in nature is happening about a month earlier than it used to. We've had terrific thunderstorms, and the puddles are full of tadpoles and mosquito larvae. Squirrelboy is keeping a few tadpoles as pets.

Dragonwood will start showing up at the Farmer's Market in July, so this month is full of creative work. Faerygirl is making new faeries to sell, and I am busy harvesting, drying, and mixing herbal products. Look for our goods at the Kokomo Farmer's Market. We'll have honey, too.

The Lord of Dragonwood has hired a young man to help with all the work required to build our Manor. Together, they are priming and texturing the drywall in the upper part of the house. It looks so beautiful. Soon, the Lord and I will be picking out colored paint! This is quite exciting, especially for the children. Their rooms will be done first!