Books by the old Leather Chair

  • Snow In The Summer
  • My Bible
  • The Power of Silence
  • What Comes Next and to Like It
  • Encore Provence
  • A Year in Provence

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Rain

A wonderful soft rain all night and it continues. The scent of my herbs and especially the basil is so pleasant. A lot of of the small garden planted this Spring has come back to life.

Early this morning I tried to capture a picture of the wonderful view as I looked out over the garden and through the woods. The different shades of green were beautiful. I failed as I could not capture what my eyes viewed.

When the rain stops I will clean my small vegetable garden and will sow turnip green seeds. As a child I did not like them but now for many years I could eat turnip greens daily.

I sense Fall in the air. They are cutting tobacco and when that special scent from the barns - is in the air and I can see the smoke at dawn then I will know fall is truly arriving.


"Night is falling swiftly. The forest reverberate with the undulating buzz of countless crickets and the eerie rising wail of tropical cicadas. A few stars poke dimly through the treetops. Amid the gathering darkness there is a pool of warm light, thrown from a pair of kerosene lanterns, illuminating the open area below a hut raised up on stilts. Beneath it, in the glow, a couple of dozen people are gathered around a small, solidly built monk who is seated cross-legged on a wicker bench. The air is filled with a vibrant peace". Venerable
Ajahn Chah is teaching.

This description reminded me of my woods. It is the opening paragraph to a book I am beginning to read "Food For The Heart" the collected teachings of Ajahn Chah ...... Foreword by Jack Kornfield

7 comments:

Jessi Cotterill said...

I'm surprised that you had soft rain all night. I had pouring rain here too last night. We live in a different continent, so your daylight is my nighttime, but we have the same rain. :D :D

I'd like to know more about Ajarn Chah. Is he the late Thai monk?

One Woman's Journey - a journal being written from Woodhaven - her cottage in the woods. said...

Jessi, good morning. Yes, he is the late Thai monk. Born in 19l8, left home as an early child. Passed away in 1992. I am reading some of my son's books. He has quite a collection. I order my books online from Amazon.com.
But I notice his books are pricey or not available. You have a good day and I may email you later:)

Sky said...

i know what you mean about being unable to really capture what your eye sees. that always frustrates me, too. the shot you shared is lovely though...so much growth since you began. must make you feel very good at how the gardens have come alive!

i hated greens when i was younger but began liking them a lot in my late 30s or early 40s.

fall is in the air here, too. we went out to dinner, and there was such a chill in the air i went back for my shawl. last evening around dusk i was reminded of the way the evenings "feel" during halloween when we are setting out pumpkins. strange to sense this so early.

One Woman's Journey - a journal being written from Woodhaven - her cottage in the woods. said...

Dear Sky, I am like you about the color green. In recent years, along with lavender it is my favorite. I have totally changed in many ways. This is suppose to happen if we are growing.
Have a wonderful day and thank you for reading my rambling. Oh the garden - hard for to believe this is the first spring and summer.
It will have the look I want next year :)

Balisha said...

I loved seeing how your garden is coming along. Everything looks so healthy.Is that a Japanese Maple?
My tastes have changed as I have aged. I love greens and use so many different herbs in my cooking.I tend to toss the cookbooks and just do my own thing.
The words of the Monk were so descriptive and beautiful.I have a favorite author...Gladys Tabor...she wrote journals of her everyday life at Stillmeadow. I read one of her books every year.I think of her when I'm gardening or in my kitchen cooking.
Have a wonderful day. My weather is cooler, but we are getting ready for more heat. Balisha

Anonymous said...

Hi Ernestine, Southern Kentucky got your rain but I am in the central part and we missed it. I love the sound of a gentle rain and I know what you mean about tobacco cutting time, too. You can smell the tobacco in the field and hanging in the bars. Your garden looks great. I still have tomatoes and okra but my cucumbers are gone. I love cool fall days and walking in the woods.

One Woman's Journey - a journal being written from Woodhaven - her cottage in the woods. said...

Balish, we are much alike. I have a number to Gladys Tabor's books.
Love reading them. Also, most of time - I might look at a recipe but then do my own thing. Cooking for one is a challenge. Judy, I passed a number of big trucks this morning that were filled with cut tobacco. I can almost smell that special scent. It is too outside for me to work in the garden :)