Magic of June

In early June the world of leaf and blade and flowers explodes, and every sunset is different.

John Steinbeck

Heart of a Rose

nestled within her silky white petals

baby sunbeams reach

with tiny arms and fragile hearts

to their mother

June 5 fallen leaves caught by the petal of a Japanese dogwood blossom

June 7 Eastern Gray Squirrel chewing on a green pine cone

June 8 - A cluster of flowers on the mock orange tree, backlit by the rising sun in the front yard

June 8 - Robin building her nest in an old lilac bush by the driveway

June 10 - Cabbage White Butterfly settles on the wild herbs by the roadside

June 11 Tiny Pine Squirrel ate seeds fallen from the river birch outside the front door

June 12 - a bee sat, unmoving, near the eye of a wooden step

Spring being a tough act to follow, God created June.

Al Bernstein

It’s been a quiet week of gardening, resting and getting ready for summer here. Seeing flowers bloom. Watching the little wild things emerge and come looking for food. Walking down to the lake in the early morning. Wandering around the neighborhood. Summer will be here soon with all its busy activity and social commitments, and that will be good too, but for now I’m really soaking up the quiet.

Thank you for letting me share a few of my favorite moments of this week. Hope your week was beautiful too.

June 12 - A rainbow fragment unexpectedly appeared across the lake as I was walking back up the bluff stairs

Fall in Fanano (Italy)

Life is a combination of magic and pasta.

Federico Fellini

Fanano is a small town on the edge of Emilia-Romagna, just north of the Tuscan border. We were here just after the fall harvest of grapes and grains.

The first day, I wandered around the nearby farms.

A highland bull along my route just kept on chewing while he watched me pass (although it’s hard to be sure he could actually see me).

Not far to the north is the city of Modena, famous for its balsamic vinegar and fast cars- also the former home of opera singer, Luciano Pavarotti. I took a picture of the sign to help me find my way back to where I was staying.

The season was still changing while I was here - bees were sluggish, not flying from the Queen Anne’s lace, even when I was very close with my camera.

The vines were going dormant, with the grapes already harvested.

The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do.

Galileo Galilei

I loved wandering here, seeing the views of many small communities below me nestled in the hills.

Later in the week, the city of Fanano had an Autumn food festival, where local restaurants came to make dishes unique to the region; bands played, and lots of local wine was consumed.

The weather was unusually warm for October and it brought out the crowd. I’ve been to this town many times, but I’ve never seen so many people in the streets - and they were all eating, taking and laughing.

The band was really entertaining, inviting kids to come up and play instruments and involving the entire crowd in their music.

In another square some women reenacted the old method of stomping grapes to squeeze out their juice, while other local women sang in accompaniment.

Just after the women began to sing and dance, the sky turned dark and the air temperature began to drop. A sudden hail and rainstorm sent us all running for cover.

A rose after the hailstorm, surprisingly undamaged.

A view of the Corsini household (my husband, Tom’s, cousin) from above on our last day here.

Every house guest brings you happiness. Some when they arrive, and some when they are leaving.

Confucius

We had a great time here with Tom’s family, who took us in, fed us, and spent the week hiking, shopping and touring the local towns and parks with us. I feel really fortunate to know these generous people. Staying with them was a welcome rest after two weeks of hiking and moving around from place to place every day in Portugal and Spain. I hope I can return the favor someday.

Thank you so much for being here. I will see you next week!