acceptance comes slowly

From: Caroline
Sent: Saturday, October 26, 2002 8:03 AM
Subject: acceptance comes slowly

If it weren't for the mass of frosted annuals piling up in the cart ready to take to the compost pile I would be in deep denial of Fall. As I write I can see tall spires of blue monkshood and white plumes of a second blooming of snake root(my reward for remembering to cut them back after their first blooming) waving in the walled garden and all surrounded by green leaves. The winter birds are back however and their appetite for the hulled sun flowers is amazing - I treat 5 pounds every other day with the hot pepper and so far no squirrels, so I know the birds are getting it all.

After a miserable bout with bronchitis followed by a sinus infection I'm back to riding - and I wish you could all be with me, its so beautiful. We ride on the crest of a hill and look down on Nonquit pond - of course its color is always changing but yesterday it looked like a blue plate tucked down among the trees. My horse is so good to me and I am getting more and more comfortable on her and finally know that she isn't going to spook at anything new. We had a new riding companion too, a huge black and white"warm blood" - part race horse, part work horse. She has only been introduced to a saddle in the last month and was as good as gold. She too is ridden without a bit as is Millie. When I say huge I mean huge. The top of my head comes to where the saddle is put. I have watched her being trained by a real cowboy, who looks and sounds the part in every way - tall, lanky, with a Texas drawl and a big hat. I purposefully did not use the word "broken" as he only uses his voice and hands and a long whip with which he points out the direction he wants.

My green house is a joy and I was able to take cress and lettuce to a friend just back from the hospital. Today a new orchid friend is coming over to help me fine tune the mechanics as there is a tricky thermostat to control the heat. It was last programmed by two MIT graduates and needs to be adjusted so that the heat doesn't go on at the same time the vents are open. Beyond me to do this. I have lots of plants in there and something is always blooming - and of course it was all set up with orchids in mind as I suspect I will be buying more as time goes by. I go to my first orchid show next Saturday and will hopefully learn to identify a few more species and get lots of advice.

Zoë's winter coat is starting to come in and at the moment she has new guard hairs which stick straight up and are like little gold wires. She is becoming a very good watch dog and is more independent in that she will go out in the morning and stay out while she checks the property to see who and what has been around in the night.

Well, no more late afternoon gardening after today - I shall have to re-arrange my daily routine so that I have something interesting to do once my tutee leaves at 4:30. Up to now I've been walking with Zoë but it will be getting dark by then. I might even settle down to knit that baby blanket for Miss Universe. My good friend Eileen has emphasized what an important keepsake this will be for her as she grows up.

Love to all