September 26, 2011 by ricki

my book, BeBop Garden, is here!

In case you didn’t know, I wrote a book about getting bitten by the gardening bug and the revelations and little observations that came with that new pastime (some might call it an obsession).

You can order one at the sneak preview price by clicking here. Or, if you just want to know “Why the goofy title?”, the first few paragraphs tell that story, and are included on the order page.

A couple of blogging buddies have written reviews. To read what they have to say, go to Danger Garden and Gardening With Grace. If you haven’t already discovered these two excellent gardener/writers, you are in for a treat when you browse through their blogs.

Please let me know if you would like to be in the loop for notifications of related events like readings, signings, etc. Just leave a comment here, including your email address. I promise not to bombard you with missives…just the occasional update when something new happens.

May 27, 2009 by ricki

the catbird seat

This birdhouse has been sitting on the porch awaiting repairs. Meet Boda, who apparently liked the feeling of enclosure. This cat showed up on our porch one day. He sat patiently until we relented and took him in. Richard read his behavior as Buddha-like wisdom and named him accordingly. Had we waited a bit longer for him to earn his name, it might have been Chauncy. What passed for wisdom is, in fact, a certain witlessness. Living on a country lane, we fall prey to abandoned former pets. Richard has an entire coterie of semi-feral felines who depend on him for shelter and regular handouts. Boda is the only one who got himself admitted to the inner sanctum, so maybe he has more smarts than I give him credit for.

December 25, 2008 by ricki

a snowbound merry christmas

Know the chances of a White Christmas in Portland, Oregon? 1%! All those years of longing have been more than fulfilled with the great snowstorm of 2008. We are living in a picture postcard world, and can’t seem to stop snapping photos, even if they barely approach the crystalline beauty of the real thing. I will share a few of the best shots.

Big juicy rose hips are even more luscious encased in ice and dusted with snow

The birds appreciate our offerings even more than usual.

This guy, color-coordinated with the apples still clinging to the tree, seems to have a Madonna-like instinct for posing for the camera.

And here is Sammy. She stands no chance of sneaking up on those birds, thanks to her stark contrast to the white world in which she finds herself.

When we were driving around New England a few years ago, we fantasized about spending a snowbound winter in Vermont. Now here we are, feeding the sparrows, reading by the fire…snow-flocked trees, hikes in the snow. So, from Merrie Olde Vermontegon…

Merry Christmas!

March 6, 2008 by ricki

lounge lizard

Last year, I ordered two of these lounge chairs for Richard. He is a tall, long-legged guy, so they don’t work for him at all. When I looked into returning them, it turned out the cost of the shipping was nearly equal to the original price. So much for the convenience of online shopping. I don’t mind too much, because they are so handsome, strategically placed on the lawn. Sammy obviously finds them comfy enough. She is such a diva…always placing herself in a spot and a pose where she shows off to best advantage. Had we allowed her personality to fully develop before naming her, we might have called her something more fitting: Nefertiti, maybe?

January 29, 2008 by ricki

This scene lasted for only a few hours this morning. I would have loved to capture it for a bit longer, but it is perhaps the fleeting nature of the scene that accounts for its poignancy. In that brief time I came upon many little vignettes where ordinary, or even ugly objects had been transformed by winter’s magic touch. The cats had ventured out before us, as they feel no need for the fortifying mug of coffee before the day can begin.