The Dawn of 60

At 5:00 a.m., I roused to the dawn celebration of bird song, sun creasting over the tree line in the back pasture to poke wake-up rays through my window, dew drops on the grass, and my cat purring in my ear. I had several choices to make. The most appealing was to grab the camera and begin my 60th birthday by recording the things that bring joy to my mornings. So here, in no particular order of importance, are gleanings of an hour of morning solitude on the farm that has become home to me.


The oats have spouted and are well on their way to their destination - at least a dozen of the rows closest to the woods will feed deer and wild turkeys before harvest commences in the fall.

Dewdrops are irresistable for the camera...
The early morning sunlight and shadows lend depth and clarity to mundane objects - such as last fall's woodpile out behind the compost bins.
Woohoo! Peas are up!

Confirmation: there WILL be a garden again this year! The first signs of spring warming up are always rhubarb, asparagus, new sprouts on the raspberries, and PEAS!
On the wild side, the beautiful elder berry blossoms have appeared - sweet scented and edible -along with nettles, which grow near them. Honest. I love the first pot of nettle soup every spring, it's a superior tonic. Go ahead, ask. I know you want to.
This macro-shot of the elder berry blossoms reveals such intricate structure.

Another "wild-child" The wild current blossoms white here in Wisconsin - I am used to the brilliant pink of the northwest variety.NOT a wild-child. But truly a tough one. This asparagus is from a remnant of the orginal settler's garden. We discovered them the first summer from the blossomed stalks and marked the spot for harvest the following spring. Now we judiciously cut a couple of meals and leave the rest to blossom and continue their survival. I'm working on putting in a small bed of asparagus in the garden, to enjoy for more years to come. It's obviously happy in our sandy loam.
The crab apple at the beginning of the driveway is all set to burst open in a glorious cloud of color and scent. It makes you smile just to drive by and see it welcoming you to the farm.

And right next to it, an ancient forsythia has brightened the yard every spring for who knows how many years. The lady of the house was a loving gardener, according to neighbor's stories and the evidence left behind for us to savor.
Several flowering plum are going to be a magnificent vision cloaked in deep magenta in just a few more days. I'll re-visit this limb for you to enjoy!

"You're HOW old?? Look, lady, you should know better at your age to sneak up on unsuspecting bunnies while still wearing your pink-and-purple cat jammies..."