The Long Way Home

~ rabbitpatchdiary.com

22561144_1718545158170445_43835878_o

I returned to the rabbitpatch on Sunday evening.  Brant rode back with me and it was a nice change to have company . . . especially his.  We were both somber as both of us had  enjoyed our time together.  For me, it was a mixed bag of emotions.  I had left Jenny with an empty laundry hamper, clean sheets on all the beds and her pantry full.  Brant had cleaned the house, down to the floors and hung fall decorations on the porch.  The freezer had several dinners in it, that would only require warming up and Lyla had enough “honey cakes for the week . . .but the fact remained that I had left Jenny. 

Now the other part of the circumstances was that I had sorely missed Kyle, Christian, my dog, Cash and the cat, Christopher Robin.  It seems no matter what,  I am always missing somebody.

736002a870fa82abd139b2ba6f012d4b

School has resumed, here. . . and the ginger lilies are blooming .  The fragrance of a ginger lily is unforgettable.  It is a romantic  and intoxicating scent.  One evening, more than a decade ago, I was on the front porch at twilight, and the air was thick with a scent that reminded me of gardenias . . and  oranges . . and honeysuckle all combined.  I could not for the life of me, figure out the origin was of this delightful fragrance.  I knew the rabbitpatch, like the “back of my hand” and hadn’t noticed any new blooms.  I smelled them the next evening too and I decided I would make it my business to find out what it was.  My neighbor then, was  Miss Jenny,  who was also the lady, I had purchased the property from.  She had lived here a good deal of her life and was an avid gardener.  Her yard was a showstopper and she was always tending it.  The next morning, I asked her and she laughed a little and said, “that would be the ginger lilies.”  And she showed me her bed of them.  They are  not so common in nurseries, but a year or so later, I found them.  They are pricey and the flowers themselves are unimpressive to look at, but to breathe in the scent of a ginger lily, will melt the heart of a gardener as much as any rose.

f31d8ba160c1f3b0e9c9ad83b8225c75

The floss flowers are blooming, too.  There are masses of them all over the rabbitpatch.  I love the fairy like blossoms but can never decide if they are blue or lavender.  

I plan to take some of the floral darlings with me.  It would be a good time now to pot a few up, but the mosquitoes are out in record numbers.  Just to walk to the car, requires constant swatting . . and the rascals are as big as I have ever seen them.  I do not trust mosquitoes and am convinced they are the root of all sorts of illness, no matter what the experts say. . .but what a shame it is to be cooped up in the house when a  full moon is rising over the field.

63c9e0f1b2d623833e5303e96db56db9

Officially, it is autumn.  Those who depend on a calendar will agree, but those who depend on nature, as I do, are only now seeing the faintest changes, and not fully convinced.  Not yet, has the maple shown any flame of color, but the dogwoods are at least hinting that the season is changing.  Here and there little flashes of crimson branches peek out and the berries are red, mostly.   The sycamores are beginning to drop leaves- and will do so for months, without mercy.  They are a messy lot most of the year, for they will also drop seed pods, the size of plums and they shed their bark as well. . .but when you sit in the shade of a sycamore on a hot day in July, you will forgive them readily for their many transgressions.

It is still hot here. Not yet, have we needed even a light sweater.  The window fan, still earns its’ keep.  According to the “Old Farmers’ Almanac”,  it will not feel like autumn, for a few more weeks.  Time will tell as it always does, but they are never wrong.  . .and neither is the maple.

91a01df8ba318affd101a8c4fe4dc942

There is a season changing, at least for me.  I am packing boxes, after all.  The laundry room is piled high, and several corners of the old farmhouse are as well.  Things are slowly falling in place and not yet do I not feel anxious, but I remain very curious as to the outcome. . . but I will say this –  The winding journey with all its’ twists and turns, does sometimes feel like I have taken the “long way home”.

 

 

42386882_269222573717564_3546619972530733056_n   42439073_2236361803252415_4803259615871500288_n  42296285_244919166171224_1083994705504501760_n (1)42322682_1898965023746198_8605247035173502976_n

25 thoughts on “The Long Way Home”

  2. I ached for you when you said you are always missing somebody, because your mothering heart is a tender one. I’m sure all your children and pets would agree to share you equally if they had the choice. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could be transported instantly to those who love us?

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  4. Welcome home. I’m sure Cash and CR were beside themselves. .No matter how wonderful a visit is it is always good to get home…even if home is about to change. Home is where the heart is anyway.
    I must find out more about ginger lily and floss flowers. Here the golden rod is finelly blooming and that is a sure sign Fall is at least thinking about making an appearance. Yesterdays and last evenings rain brought a day of cooler temps. It won’t last but most welcome. It has been a while since we had a good rain and we got a little over 3 inches. Wonderful…but some are complaining about the mud. Hard to please everyone. hope by now you have found the card for your new little miss. Mail sent over that way has bee kinda tricky. I also sent one to Becky Dingle and USPS says it is still in transit..It’s been well over a week.Of course it is going to take a lifrtime for somethings to get right in some places. My prayers are still out there. It is just so hared to even imagine .
    Enjoy being home and say hell to the Patch Nature for me. Love you. xoxo

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Dear Beverly, I did get that beautiful card and treasure it-I sent you an email-did you not get it? Oh dear, that card was the sweetest surprise and so lovely. It is going with me to the next rabbit patch! I am so sorry you didn’t know how much I appreciated it. Gosh I will check and see if it never went through-I feel awful!! love Michele

      Like

      Reply

    1. the dogwoods are trees that never grow too large. They are plentiful here and seen in the woodlands and yards. In the spring-around Easter, they bear white blossoms with streaked pink centers. legends claim, this was the tree used to make the cross, and so it stunted their growth-and the blossoms are stained with the blood of Christ. In the autumn they turn red and sport red berries. thank you friend, Michele

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

Leave a reply to rabbitpatchdiary.com Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.