Out in the yard

It seems like my fallback blog post is to take my camera out and wander around the yard until I see something interesting. I am falling back on those fallbacks lately because I am not doing a lot creatively at the moment. I am taking a break and focusing on other things. The other night at our High Fiber Diet meeting we were talking about creativity and Gerrie referenced a terrific blog post from Jane Dunnewold earlier this week. One of the things she mentioned is the importance of taking a break occasionally to renew your creative spirit.

You might remember me working on the mosaic for the garden last fall. Ray finally finished the little patio last week, where it forms the center. A place out front, under a big Douglas fir where we can sit, read, eat, contemplate. I love it and love that it almost looks like it has been there for a long time, though it still needs some planting around the edges. There will also be an outdoor fireplace adjacent to it.

While we have been focusing on the front garden, the back of the house has languished. The deck, where I had envisioned us spending a lot of time needed some kind of shelter from the sun. At dinnertime, when we could have enjoyed eating outside, the late day sun was so intense it was impossible, and so low in the sky that the umbrella was worthless. We planted bamboo to shade it, but it will be years until it is tall enough. Eventually part of our planned remodelling will probably include a cover for the deck, but that is a ways off as well. Last week, frustrated, I got online and found a canopy and promptly ordered it. It's a temporary measure, but not bad and makes it possible to sit outside in the afternoon and early evening.

It even lends a bit of a party atmosphere to the deck! Especially after I hung up my solar lanterns and an old windsock.

Summer is racing past us. I look forward to spending the rest of it outdoors as much as possible. I just bought this book this morning.

I think I'll get myself a cold drink and take it on out to the new patio. Ta!