May Day comes again

Many excellent things happen on May Day.

World Naked Gardening Day

http://arabellasgarden.blogspot.com/2009/05/world-naked-gardening-day.html

Oh darn, it's not until Saturday this year.

May pole dances.   May Day baskets of my youth (i.e. sneak out early in the morning, pick flowers from my mom's garden, stick them in the small basket made at school, from construction paper strips woven together,  hang basket on front door knob, ring doorbell, run and hide while she opens the door and pretends to be surprised (and delighted) ... I wonder if kids still do this?

And our wedding anniversary.   My sweetheart and I have been married for 43 years today, together for 45.  

It's been pretty much a swell trip together, the usual ups and downs, but mostly ups.   We are best friends and boon companions.

In addition to being a fun date, pretty much anywhere....

 

he's also very handy around the house,

fixing things

making pies

 pasta

or moving pianos.

He fixes bikes,

races bikes,

wins often in his age group

but really just likes bikes!

Loves to camp,

hike 

 even in the rain

and play the piano.

He's the best and I'm so happy we found each other, all those years ago

Happy Anniversary, Sweetheart

On Becoming the Subject of a Beatles Tune

It's amazing how wise the boys were, back then.  So young (though older than I was) yet spot on with lyrics and titles about Life.  I confess I haven't done rigorous scientific testing to compare the Fab Four's music with song titles of other classic rock groups, folk groups or any other genre of popular music.   I just happen to love the Beatles, for both nostalgic reasons and because their music is so darned fine, musically, harmonically, philosophically and cosmically.

The titles of so many of their songs just WERE about the important things in life:

And I Love Her   (the words I never tire of hearing)
Because  (...... I said so)
Good Day Sunshine  (excellent philosophy of life)
Help!  (yes please, always and every day!)
I Want to Hold Your Hand (ok)
Strawberry Fields Forever (in the garden.   Also raspberries, apples ....)
With a Little Help From My Friends (more important as the decades pass)
Yesterday (more poignant as the decades pass)
I Am the Walrus (well, the less said about this, the better)

But of course there is one song title that is nudging at every Baby Boomer these days.   You know the one I mean.  Last week it came true for me ...

"When I get older, losing my hair ......"
(dang)

'many years from now,"
(hey, where did those years go?)

will you still be sending me a valentine,
birthday greetings,
bottle of wine?

If I'd been out till quarter to three,
would you lock the door?

Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm 64?

You'll be older too.
And if you say the word, I could stay with you.

I could be handy mending a fuse
when your lights have gone.

You can knit a sweater by the fireside,

Sunday mornings, go for a ride.

Digging the garden, digging the weeds,

who could ask for more?
Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm 64?

Ev'ry summer we can rent a cottage in the Isle of Wight
if it's not too dear.

We shall scrimp and save.
Grandchildren on your knee;
Vera, Chuck and Dave

                (oops..... no photo here -- we forgot to have children)

Send me a postcard, drop me a line,
stating point of view.
Indicate precisely what you mean to say,
yours sincerely, wasting away.
Give me your answer, fill in a form,
mine forever more.

Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm 64?
Ho!

Now it's on to Medicare (one year) and Social Security (two years).   How did this all happen?   What a good thing it is to have friends and family, a roof over my head, and 64 years of memories.  Thanks Paul, John, George and Ringo....

Harmonious Spring Activities

Courtyard striding ......... Check:

Leisurely morning strolling ......... Check

Sitting in scenic kiosks ........... Check

As per 16th Century Traditional Chinese Medical advice, see previous post here http://arabellasgarden.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-best-laid-plans.html I have embarked on a program of Spring Health Promotion During the Wood Season.  Determined to nourish the liver network, let down our hair, raise our spirits, and honor the qi of spring, my sweetheart and I decided to seek forests, gardens and scenic kiosks along the Crooked River, 40 miles east of Bend.   It being our 42nd wedding anniversary and the weather forecast propitious, we took the Pinecone (teardrop trailer) attached to the new Cute Car (Oliver) and made it an overnight trip.   And despite the fact that we have camped hither and yon, at all times of year, since before we married (we met in our college's hiking club), we can't remember ever camping on our actual May 1 anniversary before this.   So we are calling it our first Campiversary.

We arrived around 7:30 pm, after a full day's work, and had the place to ourselves except for one distant fisherman.  We spent a quiet night with only the sound of the nearby river to keep us company.

Camping in the bottom of a river canyon means the first job in the morning is to make coffee, start a little fire and wait for the sun to reach camp.

Hmm, sun still on the other side of the river.   Should I get up?

Looks like the sweetheart has the coffee ready ....

And a wee campfire made ....

Here comes the sun!

And breakfast is coming... must go kiss the cook

Decades of practice have taught us the importance of eating a proper camping breakfast:

with concessions to modern healthful, organic 'glamping' practices, the bacon is uncured, natural, gluten and casein free; the eggs are locally pastured, and the pancake mix local and organic.   The salt .....

well, the salt is not just pure, it is 'the purest salt on earth' and is, in point of fact, primordial.  You can't get much better than primordial.   Morton's salt, in the big blue box with the picture of the cute girl holding an umbrella, never claimed to be primordial.

Breakfast under our belts, we headed for the courtyard striding.   Our destination:  Chimney Rock, up on the canyon rim.

 Along the way, we came upon our first scenic kiosk, with the full crookedness of the river displayed below us, along with our local Cascade peaks in the distance.

The second scenic kiosk is right at the base of Chimney Rock.   Sitting on this bench, facing away from the canyon, I watched swallows hovering right in front of me, hanging in the wind pouring over the ground at my feet, in the shallow pass between rock tower and canyon wall.

Following that advice to 'roam through gardens and forests, taking in the tranquil sights of nature', I admired the 'forests' up here, which are pretty sparse, consisting of widely spaced western juniper, interspersed with bunch grasses, sagebrush and those gardens....

Every spring is dry in this desert, but this year perhaps a bit drier than most.   Desert wildflowers are fairly restrained to most eyes, but they are all the more welcome and beautiful to ours.   Native creeping phlox, townsendia and an early clump of lupine:

After a quick telephoto shot of our wee trailer down in the campground,

we headed back to the canyon floor.  Back at the trailhead, we crossed the road to check out the local fisherman action.  Crooked River is a local hotspot for fly fishing.

And with this final view, we hooked up the Pinecone and headed for home.  A most relaxing and harmony-enhancing expedition!   Honoring the qi of spring 'r' us.