I planted some of my morning glory seedlings under this planter. Two days ago, we discovered that the rabbits had eaten half of them. It’s not a loss I take lightly — hence the chicken wire.
Any morning glories that I planted in pots are now elevated. Others remain vulnerable.
Sometimes the rabbits’ destruction doesn’t appear to have anything to do with eating. The strewn plant matter gives the feel of a murder scene.
Stupid me. I didn’t put this geranium up on a side table after noticing the decapitation of a big blossom yesterday and this morning all the flowers were gone. Scattered about on the stone as if by a psycho killer.
After last summer when not a single iris bloomed, I’m happy to report there are flowers this year! Over by the black walnut tree too.
A new slaw recipe went well with pork chops and mashed potatoes last night. Toasted walnuts and crisp apples for variety.
These were thick chops, but I still could have overcooked them. It happens more than I care to admit. The magic method? Searing each side for two minutes stovetop, then sticking skillet in a hot oven (400 degrees) for 12 minutes. They were perfect. (Notably, I cut my chop up right away — had I let it rest as recommended it might have lost some juicy tenderness).
One sultry afternoon driving past the lake this week, I was flooded with the felt sense of Danny as a toddler. The days when “excavators” were “ekabators” and “snacks” were “nacks.” It wasn’t a memory per se, but rather a sensory experience of sharing the muggy heat and slight fear that sometimes preceded a thunderstorm. Holding him close.
One woman in our Parent Suicide Loss support group has been writing letters to her son for seven years. She has twenty notebooks full of them. I thought I’d give it a go and this week penned three letters to Danny. In the first two, every sentence began, “I’m sorry…”
No rabbits here that I have seen. Too wooded perhaps.
Do I remember correctly, that Danny wrote he was sorry somewhere?
Yes. Danny apologized for causing us this heartbreak and said we did not deserve it.
That was me, jude
Letter writing to Danny sounds like an excellent practice.
Yes. Partly because the “dialogue” matters. Also, because there’s no question but that they’re private.
My son just lost his entire crop of peas to voles. Pesky garden animals they are.
I once wrote letters for a long time to an old friend who died. It helped.
Oh no! Not the peas!!
I like that you’re writing letters to Danny and that only the first 2 started with I’m sorry. Although to write sorry that he’s no longer with you is OK .. sorry that you’re in any way to blame no that’s not OK.
I also really like that you have that beautiful garden .. even if the bunnies make you crazy. Seeing the different flowers come up and bloom .. reminds us how lucky we are to have another winter behind us.
Also have been devouring the book on grief you sent me. I started in the middle read to the end and now have to go back to the beginning. Yeah, I know.
Of all the stinky things to gravitate to, geraniums. and that wreckage – it’s more likely a wood rat. Do you let Finn pee along the fences? What would he do it he saw a rabbit or a rat. I know you wouldn’t cause a messy rodent death but maybe a strategically placed road kill might discourage them?
In my core, I felt and remembered coaching two toddlers through thunderstorms.
Finn gives the occasional bunny a chase and he pees all over the yard. Have not seen a rat in these parts for several years so not sure about the wood rat idea.
Dee~ Your garden is so uplifting, even with the bunny mishaps. The good with the not so good, eh? That’s what I’m thinking about my candle adventure last night – good or bad? I’m choosing good. When blowing out the two candles for the night, I knocked over the green one. It spewed down the table, across the floor onto me (my sweats, slippers…). You can imagine what I did for the following 30 minutes! 😂 Oy.
I too think the letter writing seems like a sound idea. You can say whatever you like, however you like and work your way through a lot of feelings.
Be well.
Well wax clean up is a pain but a fire would’ve be worse!
Your garden is glorious and I’m very sympathetic about the murdered plants. In our garden it’s the Steller’s jays that pick apart a flower just for the joy of it, strewing the petals about like confetti. In your second picture, do I see the variegated plant lamium galeobdolon (yellow archangel)? From being a small patch on our property when purchased forty one years ago, it has gone on to conquer vast areas and is even happily romping on down the road past our neighbors. Unless pulled quite early, it’s the most tenacious plant I know. I had to come to terms with my antipathy for it (or give in to despair) and admire its beauty. And I think writing letters to Danny is a good idea. I’ve also thought many times about what it must be like for Cary losing an only brother. That is also an irreplaceable loss.
Yeah I’ve pulled up a lot of that variegated ground cover. There’s no chance it’ll get ahead of me.
Cary lost his only brother who was his only sibling.