Full Mirleton Moon

The Full Mirleton Moon rises as the sun sets around 6 Wednesday February 16. This should be a notable event here on the Gulf Rim unless storm clouds are rolling in about then. We are so dry, I'll take a rainy day over a good moon rise if it means more soil moisture. (Mirleton, Chayote, Sechium edule. More at www.mirleton.org)

Back in the late fall I spoke to Brock, one of "the band of hippies", as I love to refer to my former students who travel the path least followed. I should tell you that I love my band of hippies, did I say that I love my band of hippies? Brock, a permaculturist,  mentioned the Wild Mirleton Patch on the ULL campus was in danger of going away, the way cool things do in the name of progress. 

He said it was in an overgrown corner along Coulee Mine, across from our Cajun Dome arena. I had already heard about it but been too busy to wade into it. Now they were clearing it away slowly to create more spill-over parking for big events. Seems this was an old employee homesite from when there was a cattle operation on the Ag Farm, pre-Cajun Dome, the Mirleton was 'escaped' from that site and was doing quite grand all alone. Sometime early January 2022 I made the effort with my potato rake and pulled the debris piles apart finding a plethora of really nice big Mirletons. I protected from the cold and set them in pots to have them ready to go in spring. "This is a good blood line and we shouldn't let it die", I can still hear Brock saying. It was a close call but I managed to save a few.

With our warm wishy washy winter so far, I have noted the Red Buckeye in my yard are in full bud swell mode. Red Swamp Maple is variable but many are showing signs of waking up. The American Elm around me, normally early bloomers, are still in tight bud formation. 

1-22-22 Patio, warmish day, 'baby yellowtail' (copperhead snake) dead, on back, looks cat killed.

1-25-22 Came home at dark to find our last and favorite cat missing then found her dead. We were quick to assume "the neighbor's dogs" did it.

1-26-22 Quick trip to the sweet Dr. Jackie our vet resolved the issue. Callie was 'fer-sher' car killed. Probably us as we left for our meeting. That makes us even more sad. For now, we will let the neighbor's dogs off the hook. 

2-13-22 We have a hole in the ground near our "burn pile", where we burn the large stuff that falls from our trees, mostly. I believe the hole to be an Armadillo burrow. In the side of the burrow entrance is a smaller hole, a hive of dreaded "Ground Hornets". Fast flying, quick to sting little buggers, mean as hell, very aggressive, I'll take a yard full of EHBs (European Honey Bees) any day. I often walk over and stand nearby to see what is up with these girls. Today, nothing was up. Something had grubbed out all the nest combs and the bees were gone. Armadillo? Not sure, but they are gone.

Hey Margaret, that you?

Some Days it's Enough to Wake Up

Finding my fingers
dipped--
green like guacamole--
in the soil of my life.

You place a candle on the table,
a small flicker of light
blessing the moment,
like vining ivy on a brick wall
tangles in on itself but never falls.

We are becoming
ancient copper,
stained hands
that have worked too long
in this soil.

We woke up alive today.
That's enough
for now.

Margaret Simon, draft

Oh Margaret, you are so right.

2-14-22 Margaret noted today in her blog that she came home from school to find 4 Monarchs emerged and ready to fly hanging from the roof of her butterfly hatchery net chamber in her house. She released two this afternoon and will release two tomorrow when it is even milder. 

Hey Margaret, I rode my trusty bike down Jefferson Street today about noon to my favorite coffee shop for a cuppa Joe and to read in the sunshine. As I sat there feeling the cool breeze on my face and hair, in the blinding sun under intense blue skies, a lone 'Saint Valentines Day Massacre Monarch' flew past me looking for that rare bloom to nectar on.  Go figger!

Read below the Haiku Margaret sent out in January. She still had a few caterpillars but they were running out of milkweed to eat because of the freezes, so she brought them in on tight and declining rations until they went into the chrysalis stage. Today she has 4 adults to release, YAY Margaret!

My January Kitchen

A net enclosure
holds milkweed to feed
future beauty-wings

Margaret Simon, (c) January 2022

2-16-22 American Elm are still tight in my world but the Red Buckeye are in full leaf. Swamp Red Maple are flowering like crazy, I even noted yesterday one with winged seed development, Yay!

We will raise a glass of tart red to your our friends and this Full Mirleton.

peace love possumhugs

BT