May 20, 2013 – Insectamonarca's Blog

Two weeks ago I flew out to San Francisco and my niece drove us to San Rafael. We were there for a Music Event with Hearts of Space. Here is one of the sessions I loved with Richard Rich at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5FZH2Yen-8&feature=youtu.be

I can’t write and work on computer unless I have this naturalyl high music playing. I love it beyond all compare.

Stephen Hill has been broadcasting Hearts of Space Music out of CA since the 1980s. I used to live in San Francisco when I first heard the radio broadcast. I have Hearts of Space matter where I live. I am a paying member and true to HOS. Simply can’t live without it.

Cheers

It is a balmy May day today. I took the bus out to Winter Hill Farm, Ashby West Road, Fitchburg. No one was home. Good plan. I had the farm to myself for a few hours. Let China, 11 year old cat out. She loves it when I come and wants to pal around with me. A mourning cloak butterfly flew into lilac and a yellow tiger swallowtail was seen flitting about on flowers in the front yard. It is only May and the swallowtails are here. This is early.

Picked up my bamboo poles, a pail with fresh composted earth and aged manure, a trowel and my seeds. And out to the Wild Butterfly Habitat I went. Removed some blackberry bramble and cleared a small area. Put plastic down, I hated to, but I didn’t have any newspaper. Instead I put my composed soil on top and firmly planted seeds. My hope is that the seeds will germinate and I will be able to transplant them to a better soil preparation that I will undertake over the next few weeks.

I came back to the barn and pulled up a lawn chair to sit on and ate my bagel with cream cheese and chives and drank from a bottle of water. A short while later my brother in law came out of the house. He had arrived home from work when I was up in the woods.

Jack offered me a ride on the ATV and I hitched a ride back up to the woods. This time I was headed to Frog Pond. He left me where the trail forked because there are too many rocks and boulders to cross over. Then I headed out by foot and found the trail that leads to the pond.

There with memories of the past in Lusby, So. MD, and my friend Audrey Scharmen, a writer and plant friend, I planted beloved Lobilia cardinalis. The cardinal plant likes to have her feet wet and head in the sun. I planted her in the peat moss and decayed leaf compost. I hope they make it. I have waited so long to have another encounter with one of my favorite plants that still clings to my memories of beautiful things in my life.