Serenity

Susan's grandfather originally built a lumber shed on this spot, then another one facing it.  Some years later, he connected the two, and built an upper floor for storing insulation, leaving enough clearance for trucks to drive through.  Her aunt and uncle converted the East wing into a cottage for Summers, then later the upper story into two bedrooms and a bath.  We purchased adjacent land in 1987, and this building in 1998, and began a process of converting it all to energy-efficient living space.  It includes a large sewing/quilting room for Susan and a library for Tim.

The Medicine Wheel Garden

5-7 May 2006  The Medicine Wheel Garden comes into form with a dedication ceremony and a blessing.  We set the posts at the center and the four directions, then laid out the paths.  It has been interesting to see this space develop through the Summer, including some disappointments, some welcome surprises, and a strong presence of peace in this sacred space.

The dogs discovered a rabbit nest in early August, but with a little encouragement, managed to leave it alone and cause no harm to the newborns.  Exploring a couple of weeks later, Bofur, the Basset Hound encountered one of the babies, now old enough to explore on her own and hop about in the grass.  (And of course, old enough to finish off the squash and gourd plants!) Bofur stood still in quivering anticipation as the rabbit approached, stood up a bit, and sniffed him.  They wondered at each other for about a minute, then the rabbit loped off to find other things as the dogs watched.  I should have recreated the scene for a picture, but I do not have that much confidence!

The Orchards and The Woods

August 2006:  We have blossoms on Apple, Pear, Plum, and Cherry trees, as well as the Crabapples and Juneberries. The apples are small and tart this year, the plums - only two of them on the small trees - amazingly sweet.

September 2007:  No plums this year, but the apples are becoming more productive, and we had some cherries and a couple of pears.  We notice the lack of bees, and the proliferation of wasps.

The Dogs

As a normal state, dogs just seem happy to be alive.   They love to go for a walk, to come home, to get in the car, to get out, to eat, to sleep, and to wake up again.  They teach us to want what we have.

St. Basil writes that they do exactly what they were created to do, and thus are more faithful servants of God than any of us.

*****

With great sadness, we report that Bofur Joy,
family clown, security detail, cheerleader, good friend,
passed on to a different assignment.
He succumbed to cancer on October 19, 2007.

We will celebrate his life in many years of memory,
but today we miss him terribly.

Contributions to his memory
should take the form of a few good thoughts
and forgiveness.

Let's have a biscuit,
roll in something.
and set an intention
to make our healing hand one size larger,
and our footprint upon this earth one size smaller.
 

Serenity

Pictures cannot actually convey the look of the interior, but nevertheless, we offer a few.

Sunsets

Comins, MI lies on the plateau of Michigan's Northeast Lower Peninsula.  The elevation changes the climate somewhat -- an island of zone 4 in the middle of a sea of zone 5 -- and also provides for extended and beautiful sunsets.