five things friday :: early august edition

on instagram, there's this #fivethingsfriday thing and instead of typing it all out on my phone, at the mercy of autocorrect, i have decided to move it over here.

thing 1:  i had freya spayed this week. she has been our primary mama kitty for several years now, but i finally decided that there are enough kittens in the world and she has worked hard enough as a mama. it was time for her to relax. but i still feel a little wistful about it. she made lovely babies - including paws mcgraw, her sweet daughter who i have kept (see thing 2), and who also was spayed on monday. it's a fine line between enjoying kittens and becoming a crazy cat lady. i know i did the right thing, but it does feel a little bit bittersweet.

thing 2: paws mcgraw - she's everything you want in a cat - curious, funny, active, dexterous (she opens doors), snuggly, talkative and out to steal any stray pony tail holder you leave lying around (or tucked up safely inside a zipped pouch). i love her so much. she's not molly or frieda, she's all her own, but she's in the same category as they are. some cats are just special.

thing 3:  arizona. next week, sabin and i are flying to the US. we will spend the week in south dakota and then drive her new used car (a toyota, of course) to arizona so she can begin her gap year before starting at arizona state next year. i am both happy and anxious. it's the next step for her and her bravery in taking it is everything i hoped and prepared for as a parent, but it's also a really big step. but at least it means we get to visit arizona regularly! and i'm very much looking forward to our road trip.

thing 4:  the way things have of falling into place, even in a time of great change and flux and turmoil and even when they seem like they can't possibly fall into place. my inner fatalist presbyterian thinks it all happens exactly as it's supposed to, even though it doesn't always make sense initially or on the surface of things. so much goodness ahead.

thing 5:  pondering my next tattoo. we have an appointment in tempe at black sails with the lovely lolo. i'm getting a typewriter this time, with a bit of color - to remember mom by and to remind myself to write on a regular basis. 

a morning wander with the camera

somewhere along the way, i got out of the habit of a morning wander in the garden with my camera in hand. maybe we had such a sunny, glorious summer that i began to take it for granted.

a few days of blustery wind and rain and much cooler temperatures have us thinking of autumn, so when it was sunny this morning, i grabbed the camera and headed out for a wander in the garden. this year, i don't dread autumn like i usually do because we had a real summer. that makes such a difference!

and besides, with autumn comes our raspberries, which are the late sort. the first few are ready, but so far it's only enough for a taste as i wander the garden.

not even enough to toss onto a bowl of yogurt and müsli. but they will come soon enough.

our mirabella tree is loaded this year after not having any at all for the past couple of years. i wonder why that is? i guess the conditions were just right this year. i've already made one batch of mirabella jam from some i got from a friend, but i'll soon make more, as we have a market coming up at the end of the month and i want to sell such things there.

the barley in the field next door must be nearly ready to harvest. but for now, we get to enjoy the golden expanse.

against the sun

why is that they always tell you not to take pictures against the sun? i've been defying that every chance i get for awhile now and i have say that i totally disagree with it. i've had a lot of fun trying it and some good results. sometimes, with photography, you just have to experiment and break the rules. and sometimes, you just have to find a peaceful bench and unwind in the late afternoon sun.

you gotta check out the little honda rebel 450 my sister has for sale on eBay, not because i think you should get a motorcycle, tho' you are welcome to do that, but because of the very cool J.Peterman-esque way she wrote the description for it. she's so cool. she's also selling her flowbee and you gotta read the description of that one too. i sure wish she'd blog with me a little more often. that girl is funny.