iphone diddy

the house on its ridge

fixing the WINDMILL

the wind blows,

the pump moves,

water is extracted,

and sent to the top of a water tower.

after a long hiatus the windmill

is nearing a resurrection.

Anderson Valley

all these layers and crevasses

frames and rails,

it's hard to keep track, and

easy to lose control of where I am.

why that line goes 

there and not here.

definitely not there.

first BIG LONG bread

I've blathered on before about the grounding ritual of bread baking,

its power to feed, the steady framework that produces difference each time.

This is my first long loaf.

Only the thirteen inch pan was available, so I went for it.

Some call it a weapon.

I call it sustenance and the center line.

Looks like the bread has other ideas now that it has spotted

the bird nesting trailer,

ready to roll.

SWINGING

with Bob Ayers and the Boonville Big Band

readying for Saturday night's gig at

Lauren's.

In Philo, adjacent to the band's namesake, at nine.

Come by in time. 

Your soul will shine

like their swinging sound. 

the Corral

Freshly mowed grass, like the buzz of a new haircut,

sets ordinary fence posts up to glamorous roles,

organizing the twisted space of gnarly oaks.

GOPHER and GARDEN

or at least that's the best guess.

the gopher snake is alive and sorely needed, while the

little guy got stabbed by something.

Perhaps the hawk that circles RHYS vineyard spotted him heading

toward the budding grapes and did his job.

what happened to the chokes

The work to pleasure ratio is tested.

Lots of preparation - peeling and paring (still to occasionally find

those annoying chewy leaves while dining) for what admittedly 

was not my best pasta ever.

But it is seasonal.

When in Rome, go with the flow.

my first Fort Bragg farmer's market (this season)

The bell does not ring until 3:00 sharp so no money can be exchanged before that, but by then I knew all the vendors, well their wares anyway, and had made my selections. The mellifluous words of the only black farmer were seductive for sure, but the mexican women and their notorious strawberries (which are gone by 3:15 once June hits) steal the show.

Not pictured are the wonders of Lourdes (Lulu) who bakes the most delicious gluten-free almond cookies I've ever eaten. If the woman next to me had not broken off a piece of hers and shared it with me, I would never have gotten addicted.

Apricots and cherries need more heat and extended days.

But the baby artichokes (shown with a pencil for scale) were right on target and get a private post that chronicles their transformation.

RHYS Vineyard

new grape vines are more sticky than green

and sticks are made for measuring.

the humble barn 

radiates ridges

but holds still the rolling hills.

northern coastal city

some streets of Fort Bragg have an erie serenity;

a stage set by

simple gables snapping their silhouettes

against a radiant sky.

the iPhone as drawing machine.

L A Y E R S

single grass blades incise their presence

against receding valleys.

softness is an illusion.

grasses and flannel bushes

against the Navarro sky

single strands of grass

sway in a visual symphony

when the wind blows.

green fades to gold

peaking out,

 wondering if listeners

are still there.

another mendocino summer

launches.