May Revel 2012

This year's May Revel was one of the best parties we have hosted at Dragonwood.  The day arrived warm and cloudy, but by afternoon the skies cleared.  Our guests arrived in waves, with the first group briefly landing like hummingbirds only to flit off again.  It was a great treat to see them, and supply them with the traditional May wine, herbal lemonade, and cheese tasting.  We hope the rest of their day was as beautiful as they were!  When the next wave of friends rolled in, we celebrated the season with a romp around the maypole.  I think this year's dance was our best ever, with kisses all around once the ribbons were braided.  Faerygirl's posse joined her for giggles and fun, and Squirrelboy made a new friend.  We also caught three snakes with Squirrelboy's new herpetological mentor.  Someone brought a cornhole game and kites, which delighted young and old alike.  Then the Lord of Dragonwood fired up the grill and made his luscious burgers.  We also served weenies and marshmallows toasted over the firepit.  To cap off the evening, our friends drummed as the Supermoon rose over Dragonwood, full and rosy.  We drummed and danced until the stars came out.  Later on, in the night, the Lord and Lady held hands in the moonlight, reflecting on a perfect, most beautiful day.

First Snow Magic

The first snow of winter is always magical. This year, the snow fell during the time of a fat full moon and soft pink sunrises. It cheered Squirrelboy even though he was kept indoors with a nasty cough. Faerygirl collected some in a bowl. Some years, November comes on gray and grumpy, but this winter has arrived gently and full of sweet promise. We are enjoying cocoa, the warmth of our woodburning stove, and the playfulness of our new kitten, Honey. She is a wee black furball full of fierceness. She intimidates our old one-eyed dog, Tabby and climbs up on my shoulders to take a nap. Faerygirl decided that the Lord of Dragonwood needed a kitten for his birthday, and so little Honey is now a part of our family. Squirrelboy was fit enough to return to school this morning, and he delighted in finding thin ice covering the driveway puddles. This morning's snow cover looked like a thin coating of powdered sugar over the florest floor, dry and granular. I'm happy for Squirrelboy, headed back to school. Yesterday he missed his teacher and his friends so much! He said, "school is the awesomest place on the planet, even better than McDonald's." Today the Lord of Dragonwood is taking a day off and I have not been called in to substitute teach, so I look forward to an enchanting day of welcoming the beautiful season of winter.

On the Second Day of School

In the still morning, as I silently practice my orisons, I hear the unexpected trilling of tree frogs calling to each other in the forest. Slowly, as the mist rises, single crickets and katydids add to the morning song. Eventually there is a chorus, and I must strain to hear the frogs, still singing.

Squirrelboy and Faerygirl are off to their second day of school. Yesterday went well, with much excitement. This morning, though, Squirrelboy cried and tried to stay with me. Our bus driver is the best...she reassured me all would be well, and when the bus passed by again on its route, flashed me a thumbs-up.

These early autumn mornings always stir my soul, with their golden soft light, the coolness of the air, and the slowly depreciating chorus of singers. It will not last much longer, a few months more. Ah, but it will be beautiful. It IS beautiful. These days encourage us to enjoy each and every moment as it lasts, and to give thanks for it. And so I do.

Catching a Fairy

The warm spring weather brings out all sorts of lovely beings. We celebrated the Spring Equinox with a spring treasure hunt. Some friends and their children helped us look for green shoots, flowers, singing birds, and other early signs of the season. One little girl brought glitter to "magic" my garden. Now the crocuses and tulips twinkle! We even found a large owl pellet, with the intact but fragile bones of its former dinners. I could see a tiny ball joint sticking out of the mat of hair and bones. The guests also enjoyed kite-flying, stories, playing, and a tour of the Manor.

Yesterday, Faerygirl and Squirrelboy enjoyed a vernal pool that was created when the Lord of Dragonwood experimented with building a pond. We often find tracks around the pool. This year, the children found it brimming with life. Squirrelboy came running into the house for a jar, which he delivered to his sister. The girl was calf-deep in the pool, squealing with delight about the "fish" she was trying to catch. Not long after, my muddy-footed offspring proudly presented me with a jar of pondwater, algae, and many small creatures. I immediately identified several tiny leeches, only a few millimeters long, and a beetle that uses a bubble of air to dive. There was also an incredible pinkish-orange creature fluttering through the water. It was absolutely fascinating. Upon further investigation, we found out it was truly a fairy. Here's a link to a picture of some of its kind:

http://cfb.unh.edu/CFBkey/html/Organisms/otherarthropods/GEubranchipus/geubranchipus.html

These little fairies are quick and colorful. They live for a brief period in vernal pools. The rest of the year, they exist as eggs that withstand drying out, freezing, and all sorts of weather. Only in the spring do they hatch and live out their brief lives. They are truly magical creatures. I am delighted that Faerygirl was able to catch one so that we could see it up close. Also, now we have real evidence that fairies live in Dragonwood!

If I find a picture that I am legally able to share, I'll try to put one up. Or we'll have to try some underwater macrophotography that I'm not sure our little digital camera can handle.

Robins

A little troop of robins, red breast feathers fluffed out against the cold, just flew merrily past the kitchen window. After three snow days in a row, these fellows remind us that winter must pass. Warmth and sunlight and green WILL return! Before the storm came, Squirrelboy and I discovered a bunny home at the base of a tree by following their tracks. Faerygirl enjoys pulling out the sled and slipping on the icy mounds heaped up by the winter storm. The Lord and Lady keep busy feeding the woodburners, looking forward to the days when our dragons aren't so hungry. At this time, we have lost 2 hives to starvation, but 5 are still pulling through.

Misty Moisty Morning

Snow on the ground.
Rain comes down.
Fog rises.
Misty, moisty morning with steam in the air.

Squirrelboy and Faerygirl squelched through the slush on this mysterious, creepy morning. Faerygirl remembered a Stephen King story she'd read about an evil fog. I forbade her to speak of it, since it was truly dark and foggy, and I could imagine my own shadowy horrors lurking in the mist. At one point, I saw electric blue sparks somewhere in the woods (could it have been static electricity from the hair falling over my eyes?). Instead, I recalled a charming story I'd read as a girl about a village that only appeared in the fog. Faerygirl thought that was a nice idea. Squirrelboy enjoyed kicking the slush, and Faerygirl remembered how she used to enjoy doing the same. Too soon, the bus loomed up out of the fog, blinking and twinkling its safety lights, to take my daughter away. Squirrelboy's mitten found my hand and we went to fill the woodburner for the day's heat.

A Winter Picnic

When Faerygirl was wee, I used to take her out for winter picnics. Sometimes we would slip into the kayak and paddle down the creek to an island. There we would find a log to sit on and have a snack. This was when we lived along the Wildcat Creek, so it was only a short trip...but always exciting. Today, I felt gloomy being stuck in the house for so long by winter weather and illnesses. So I decided to seek adventure. I put on my flashy earrings, bought last summer at the farmer's market, a jingly-jangly bracelet made for me by my girlfriends and some outrageous costume jewelry. I bundled up Squirrelboy and packed my dad's old army backpack with surprises. Then I donned my favorite leather jacket and my cloak. We set out into the snow. Squirrelboy is not very fond of the snow and the cold, and truthfully, neither am I. But sometimes you have to face discomfort to find what you need. We explored a little, worked through a tantrum (sigh), and then found a destination worthy of our expedition. In the woods, Faerygirl has built many "hollows". This particular one, her latest, is woven of branches and still-living trees bent over. It looks like an igloo. Being a grown-up, I had to dig into the snow just to create an entrance I could slither through on my knees and forearms. Squirrelboy enthusiastically followed. Once inside, I could sit upright, bundled in my cloak. Then I opened the bag and shared the clandestine treats I had packed. Oh, I did it right! Peanut-butter crackers, dried fruit and nuts, marshmallows, and kool-aid mini-packets to dump in water bottles (from last year's birthday parties). It was wonderful to sit in a woven shelter looking out at the snow and enjoying a forbidden treat (yeah, we don't eat a lot of sugary snacks here in Dragonwood). But it was so appropriate, and we were happy. As we finished up, we left a nut for the squirrels and marshmallows on sticks for any snow sprites that might be around. The moment I mentioned "snow sprites", a bunch of snow fell down right on my head!! I hope they like their marshmallows. Fingers burning from the cold, I managed to follow Squirrelboy out of the igloo and wander towards home. It was a short outing, but a merry one. I highly recommend a winter picnic to anyone who is feeling the winter blues.

Owl Eyes

A lonely screech owl wails in the dark woods. The air is still. There are no stars shining, nor moon. As Faerygirl and I stride down the driveway, our pupils dilate to monstrous sizes. The rapidity of the iris movement is almost painful as our eyes adjust to the dimness of the light. We have owl eyes now, and if we look at each other, we see huge dark eyes in pale faces. This darkness makes us look even more elven in our heavy cloaks. We started having owl eyes earlier in the year, broken by a brief respite as daylight savings time came, but now it is December. The days only get shorter. Sometimes, we have a sparkling diamond sky with a luminous moon, sparkling off snow. But this morning is warmer, and there is a lot of cloud cover. It's really time to be in bed, this darkness tells us. Winter is a time to cuddle in warm blankets, sleeping and dreaming until the sun's light returns. But schoolbuses and schedules do not respect the rhythm of the seasons, so here we are, standing in the dark, with our owl eyes opened.

Going Up

The Lord of Dragonwood sits atop the roof, resplendent in his yellow safety harness. His powerful weapon blasts nails into the endless shingles that go into covering our huge Manor. Meanwhile, down below, either Faerygirl or I peel countless cellophane strips off the backs of the next shingles to be loaded onto the scaffold. It's a tedious task, but daily we can see the fruits of our labor. Perhaps, by the end of this week, we shall have a completed roof!

I, the Lady, am also busy pulling weeds from our strawberry and perennial beds, preparing soil, and planting as much as I can. With the Lord so busy and focused on building, the garden tasks fall to me. I don't mind this at all; those of you who know me well are aware of the joy and pride I take from working my land. On sunny days, my family is seldom indoors.

Faerygirl has taken up softball, so her schedule further complicates an already busy spring season. She cheerfully helps with the shingle-stripping and gardening and by watching her brother whenever she is available. We all appreciate her for this!

Squirrelboy is living up to his busy namesake, scrambling up log piles, racing through the woods, and digging in sand and earth. He is happiest when he has spent a lot of time outdoors. He cannot get into too much trouble that way. Yesterday, he even caught a tiger beetle and brought it to show me. It was so pretty!

The spring wildflowers are up and blooming, too. Now the middle story is beginning to leaf out. Every living thing reaches for the warmth and light shining above.

Close Encounters of the Crayfish Kind

As I was pulling a plastic bag from the little ditch alongside my woods, I gasped and then chuckled. Trapped inside was a curious crawdad who had probably gone in to investigate any vestiges of food that had been left behind. I shook it out gently and brought it to Squirrelboy, who was sitting jauntily in the wheelbarrow. He was a little nervous about the small "lobster" crawling around his feet and legs. But I let him know that it would not harm him as long as he was gentle and kind. Soon Faerygirl joined us, and the two children enjoyed playing with their new friend. It reminded me so much of my own childhood, growing up along a creek, and playing with the crawdads that lived there. This particular specimen was a real beauty, with shiny patterned brown carapace, soft-looking cartilage showing at the joints, and a perky demeanor. After a while, we let it go back to the ditch from whence it came. It is a wonder to me that we have crawdads in our woods, for while it is quite wet this time of year, in the late summer it becomes very dry.

I continued cleaning up the trash spread along the north side of our woods. It looked as if a bag of someone's trash had been dragged along the ditch, probably by neighboring dogs, raccoons, or other varmints. The water was cool as I poked bits of plastic out with sticks. This sort of litter I can handle; no one meant for it to be there. However, I am extremely disgruntled by the litterers who think wooded roadsides are the perfect place to toss their used cups and cigarette packages and beer bottles. In the woods to the north of us, I constantly find large piles of beer cans and liquor bottles. This troubles me, since I really don't want drunk kids messing around so close to where my children play. Often these cans have bullet holes in them. Along the west side of the woods, someone likes to drink coffee and throw their giant styrofoam cups into the brambles. It truly offends me that someone would be so discourteous. The least they could do is keep their trash inside the car until they get home.

Dragonwood in Winter

Dragonwood is a very pretty place in the winter. Last week, I took these pictures. Forgive me if the pictures are not as gorgeous as they could be. I make no claims of photographic excellence.

This first picture shows the driveway. It circles around this clump of trees and brush and grapevines. Some of the smaller trees are pawpaws. We eat the fruit, which tastes of apple custard, in September.

Let's head out to the back yard. We're following a rabbit trail through the deep snow. Look at how much snow is mounded up on the torches and the birdhouses!

Weeds. Call them what you like, but I call them beautiful.

Faerygirl and Squirrelboy enjoy playing together on a Snow Day!

Here's a little story for those that can read it. On the top is a close up of some interesting marks I found in the snow. On the bottom is a broader picture. The tracks start in the tree shadow and culminate in the marks that are featured in the closeup. See if you can tell what happened! I'll answer your guesses in the "comments" on this post.

Finally, here is a picture of Dragonwood from the back yard. You can catch a little peek at the Manor, which is currently under construction. I am purposely not posting pictures of the Manor House yet, because I intend to post Dispatches about the earlier stages first.

Current Dispatch

Drip, drip, drip...That's the sound of snow melting here in Dragonwood. It's warm, comparatively, at about 40 degrees Fahrenheit this afternoon. Squirrelboy had fun jumping in puddles. Although it is hard midwinter, I am always amazed by the amount of green just hiding under the snow. It seems flax rather likes the cool weather, as it appears to be thriving. Many of the "weedy" broadleafed plants in the yard also turn green at the slightest provocation. The insects are still sleeping, though, and I miss them. I hope the bees are all right. Faerygirl has been fighting a fever, but is slowly recuperating. The Lord of Dragonwood is working on the roof, clambering about and finishing the last tasks needed to enclose the Manor.