… an owl’s attack on a rabbit in UD‘s backyard. Or a cat’s attack

on a bird. Many predators visit UD’s land.

… goes to Poland this week.

Garden, currently being guarded, is in the background.

Stage One: Clear a biggish circular area at the very top of our property. Decades of twigs, vines, trash trees, and odd elements (some previous owner lay down a small square outlined in bricks) had to be raked and lopped through, leaving a well-established vinca/English ivy ground cover. A rough circular dirt path already sort of exists; parts of it also need to be cleared.

Happy Soldier Mr UD carries a red rake full of leaves away from the garden (on the left).

Dog poses in the garden-to-be, amid stumps and bricks.

This stage will continue for awhile. In line with the garden’s purpose, I listen to Life Wisdom (Alan Watts, Carl Jung, the Stoics, others) while I work. One immediate problem: They mainly disagree with each other.

I’m thinking a lot about elements. A fountain definitely appeals. A fire pit. Solar lamps. Aromatic plants. Grasses for motion… Yet the place is pretty shady, closely circled by very big old trees…

Taken at six AM this morning in my front yard.

Anyway, after all the rain, a bunch of them

are growing in one of my containers.

Witch, pumpkin, and ghost, all in one. On our afternoon walk.

I mean, it’s natural. A spider (see it in the middle at the top?) somehow fashioned a web — from my nearby dogwood? from the electrical wires? — seemingly in midair.

It’s all right here.

And yet SOOOO rich is the United States – there’s so much incredible (often unconscionable, IMHO) wealth in private hands – that the numbers somehow, amazingly, fail to impress.

***********

UD thanks her sister.

… Whoops — that’s La Kid.

… in Takoma Park, Md., on this absolutely beautiful day.

On UD’s driveway this morning.