Valley Mama

A few words...

Hello there.  It's a been a while since I've posted in this space, so I thought I'd write a few words of explanation...for myself and everyone who stops by to read.

This summer has been a busy one, and while I'm normally a pretty grounded person I've found myself a little too overwhelmed a little too often.  I love all of the things that fill my days, but I've been feeling an increasing need to seek more balance and rhythm.  

I was given a much-needed reminder of this last week while taking care of the little baby dove.  The dove dropped into our lives (quite literally), at the busiest time of the week...harvest and market.  On Friday, a day dedicated to harvest for our market garden, I found myself having to take constant, regular breaks to take the baby outside to be fed and watch over it.  That evening, with crates and crates of veggies still to be washed, I sat outside by myself watching this process unfold, and the meaning and lesson of it hit home quite suddenly.  I felt the breeze of my skin, watched the colors change in this amazing valley sky, and saw many birds I had never noticed before.  I noticed the western tanager perched high in the tree, and the acrobatic family of swallows nesting on our house.  I noticed so many birds, large and small, in our yard and across the street in the meadow by the wetlands.  I saw all of this life happening all around.  And I realized that it had been too long since I just was.  Since I just sat and watched and listened.  Here I was on the busiest day of the week, just sitting...and it was wonderfully nourishing.  It was that day more than any other that I needed to stop and be still a while.  The next day the baby bird flew up into a tree with its parents, and those responsibilities ended...but the lesson of the bird (as I'm calling that whole experience) did not.   

I love sharing the inspiration of daily life on this blog, and I should say that Valley Mama is definitely NOT ending any time soon, but is seems like when you start thinking of everything in terms of a blog post and seeing everything as a photo it's time to step back and take a break.  

So...

I will still visit this space and share posts, but not as often, not daily.  At least for now.  

I need to slow my summer down a little.  More time just being in nature, less time in front of the computer.

More time doing the things I love, less time thinking about them.

Enjoy the warmth, the evening storms, the birds.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you are doing the same!

Another baby bird...

I'm asking the universe why baby birds seem to be coming my direction lately, and while I'm not sure of the answer, I feel like these little creatures come into our lives for a reason. 

Yesterday I saw a baby bird tumble through the branches of a young aspen tree and land and perch on a branch.  I barely got to it before the cat did, but I managed to pull the cat away and evaluate the little bird.  It was a baby dove, with parents standing watch close by.  I left it for a few hours to see what would happen, and though they stayed close, they didn't come down to it.  We have so many cats and other predators around here, and I couldn't spot a nest anywhere to return it, so I took it down and brought it in.  It's almost fully feathered, though not completely, and it's working on flapping it's wings but not yet able to fly.  I spent most of yesterday trying to get it to eat something, and got a little cornmeal, rice cereal, pedialyte mush down.  Taking care of a baby bird is like taking care of newborn!

This morning I was thrilled to see that it made it through the night, and I got a little more food down, but not nearly enough.  Even so, it did seem to be regaining some strength (it was a little shocked and dehydrated when I first brought it in), and walking around and flapping its wings a little. 

Mom and Dad were still hanging around, so when this morning when I saw mom perched on a post outside of our front door, I took the baby out and put it back where I found it again.  Nothing happened, so my next try was to put it directly on the ground.  I went back in and watched from the window, and while I kept a lookout for cats that mom came down and fed her baby!  After a while she flew away again to look on from up high, and I took the baby back inside in its "nest" to protect it.  We've been doing this all day.  I here the mom coo...and see her perched either on a tree limb or the usual post, I bring out baby as she watches, I set baby on the ground and back up a bit, and mom feeds baby.   Then we do it all over again a little later.  I'm hoping we can keep this co-parenting up until the baby can finally fly away with its parents!

Here's our baby, with us and with its parents...

Hoping for a happy outcome!

Postcards from a little getaway

If you've noticed it's been a little quite around here lately, you're right!  We've been on a little getaway in New Mexico.  Aaron has a conference all week at a beautiful resort hotel near the Santa Ana Pueblo, outside of Albuquerque, and Mason and I decided to come along too.  Aaron has to work most of the time, but Mason and I get to play and have a little vacation!  It's been lovely so far.  Here are a few "postcards" from our time so far:

A little sunset treat on our room's outdoor porch....raspberry sorbet...yum!

There are little cottontail bunnies everywhere!

  Fun at the aquarium in ABQ.

Going down the tree trunk slide in the Children's Fantasy Garden at the Botanical Gardens in ABQ.

Larger than life seed packet!

We rescued this little guy on a evening bike ride through the bosque at the hotel.  There was a little ball of fluff laying on the trail, and then I saw little eyes and a beak...I couldn't leave it there.  I'm still not positive what kind of bird it is, but definitely some sort of raptor...maybe a hawk?  The sweet hotel staff took on the responsibility to care for it and try to find a wild animal rescue place.

We've had a blast playing at the pool and fountains!

And I'm even finding a little time to relax with my needles.

Hope you are all having a wonderful week!

Moments of Gratitude

Instead of the usual Friday "This Moment" post, I thought I'd do something a little different.  As I was washing produce this morning, harvested for the market tomorrow, I was struck by feelings of gratitude for some of the small things that were a part of my morning...and a few big ones too.  I thought I'd share them here with you...

So today, I am grateful for...

Being a part of this sweet boy's world,

Sprouting seeds,

Salad spinners, even beat-up plastic ones like this,

The cool shade of my favorite tree,

Lists scribbled in pink chalk,

Great versions of favorite songs,

The Garden Song

And for wonderful friends who are always able to help you out when you need it!

What are you grateful for today?

Felt Food

I have a new crafting love...felt!  Why have I not been making all kinds of fun felt things for years?  I especially love hand stitching little felt toys for Mason (of course).  Lately he absolutely loves cooking and food play, and so when I saw this Lets Do Lunch Tutorial on one of my favorite blogs, Little Eco Footprints, I knew I had to make it for him.  He is always making "sandwiches" from pretty much anything he can find...now he has his very own play sandwich!  I finished it last night, and so he found it when he woke up this morning...and he loves it!  He has even requested cucumbers, which I'll make for him soon.  I envision all sorts of felt food toys in the near future... 

An Art Table for Mason

I love watching Mason get into art...painting, drawing, sculpting...I love to see him create.  I decided it was time for him to have more access to his art supplies, and to have a little space that is dedicated to his artistic expression.  I found a little table with shelves in our barn (I think we used to use it as a kitchen cart in a previous apartment), dusted it off and brought it inside.  Eventually I think we'll paint it together, but for now, it's perfect.  The top makes a great surface for drawing/painting, and I added a little table top easel just for fun.  The shelves are  great storage for various types of paper, drawing pads and sculpting supplies.  I sewed a little felt pencil holder and attached it to the side with velcro...this holds pencils, crayons, scissors (he loves cutting paper right now), etc.  On the other side I attached little clips to hold his paintings as they're drying.  We also made little origami boxes to hold things like crayon rocks and chalk.  He love the boxes...the simplest toys are always the best ones.  A fun space that can change as he does! 

 

Market Days

Saturday was the first day of the Alamosa Farmer's Market, and though we didn't have much, we came to market anyway!  I love being at the market.  Friday was a busy day of harvesting, washing and preparing...lots of work, but definitely work that I love.  Mason was a big help with washing radishes this year!  We had radishes, bok choy, spinach, lettuce, beet greens and a few bunches of flowers...and this week we're looking forward to bringing more.  Though we didn't get a very early start with planting this year we're trying to do a much better job with succession planting in order to maintain our supply of veggies for the market.  Thanks everyone for supporting us and thanks to everyone everywhere growing food organically and sustainably. 

Mason and I took a little break from our table to paint a flowerpot at the community garden tent!

I hope everyone is enjoying wonderful, fresh local food this summer!

{This Moment}

A Soule Mama inspired Friday ritual of sharing a single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week...a special moment, a moment to be remembered. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

For Aaron

Aaron,

Three years ago today, surrounded by our community of friends and family, we stood together in a circle of love and expressed our intention to commit ourselves to one another as life partners.

It was one of the most magical days of my life, a day I will never forget...blue skies, warm sun, colorful flowers, dear friends, Blanca watching over it all.

Three years seems like such a short time...yet so much has happened in our lives in these wonderful years together!

Building a homestead, building a home, pregnancy, birth, becoming parents, serious illness, cross-country road trips, moments of intense joy and intense fear, and always "beauty in every inch"...

I can not even begin to imagine walking this path without you by my side.

The words I said to you three years ago remain as true today as when I spoke them that day, and I am still so happy to be your partner, lover and friend. 

Love,Love,Love,

Allison

 
Our ceremony slideshow

 

The Good Brown Earth

My little gardener and I have been reading a book called "The Good Brown Earth" lately.  It's a wonderful story of a little boy and his grandma who grow a vegetable garden.  The story follows the pair and their garden plot for one cycle of the seasons - fall to fall.  From thinking and planning, to digging and seeding....from watering and weeding, to harvesting and feasting, the boy and his grandma grow a beautiful vegetable garden, with the help of the good brown earth.  The line that repeats throughout the book is:

 "and the good brown earth got on with doing what the good brown earth does best." 

 How very, very true this has been for us lately!  With all of the busyness this spring, I felt a little scattered during planting time.  There were a few times I worried about how the soil was, how the seeds were planted, and if they were getting enough water.  But, as always happens, "the good brown earth got on with doing what the good brown earth does best".  The market garden is looking great, and a delayed planting time has meant that the seeds had warmer soil, and the plants seem happier.  

Our summer has settled into a nice rhythm, I'm filled with gratitude for recent rain, and I'm looking forward to the summer market!  Mason and I are enjoying lots of gardening time outside, and he is quite skilled with a watering can :)

Here he's watering his sunflower house...I can't wait to see it when the sunflowers are huge and covered with morning glories! 

Here are some sneak peaks of some of the things we'll have at market soon, along with some scenes from the homestead this weekend.

Oh, and if you're interested in checking out "The Good Brown Earth", see the sidebar list "On Mason's Bookshelf" for details!

Happy gardening!