Nights have been bright and early mornings below freezing recently while the winter moon swells and wanes.
Trees become Japanese watercolor minimalist linear, reduced to structure against that impossible, infinite blue.
After insomniac, big moon nights I’m slow and foggy, recharging in the sun outback, contemplating the young apricot’s form,
Shaping and pruning will happen next month.
Then I spot them: purple Iris Germanica putting up buds. This isn’t right. For the past four years they have flowered in March. Curious. Will I have to blanket these blooms against the cold dawns too?
Foxy Ferox, the maybe Aloe ferox does get a blanket and bucket at night. I really want to see this bloom succeed.
One morning recently I broke up the ice on a birdbath a little early. It refroze. A collared dove, one of at least four different species of doves which share this little patch of Chihauhauan desert with me, was not happy. The abundance of doves is why the early Spanish name for the area was Ojo caliente de las palomas: hotsprings of the doves.
Meanwhile I catch a curve billed thrasher picking up coriander seeds which I had scattered in the fallow outback potato patch, hoping for spring greens. Seed thief! I thought it was doves undermining my food growing projects.
In spite of the season and best efforts of my avian roommates, I do have fresh homegrown greens on my lunch plates most days. Pickled cucumbers from summer are sadly coming to an end, while the pinto beans in that stuffed red pepper were also home grown right here in the Garden of Earthly Delights . My apples are from Washington state, my homemade caraway sauerkraut from a couple of local farmers market cabbages, but the avocado on this plate is from Mexico (way closer in miles than the Washington apples). Rumor has it that Mexican products are going to get more expensive. Sigh.
As always when thoughts of living in the kakistocracy trouble me, and before I can start scheming about avocado smuggling, I head for the hills. A little wander in the Black Range always gives perspective. Or makes an ostrich of me.
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