Saturday Meanderings

Welcome to July and an extra-special holiday weekend! Somehow we’ve already turned the calendar page to a brand new month, and while I’ll save my thoughts on the Fourth of July for later in this post, it does seem like the perfect time to pause and appreciate both the joys and challenges that come with everyday life. This has been one of those weeks where it feels like everything is breaking at once-and judging from conversations with friends, we are certainly not alone. Repairs are being made, checks are flying out of the checkbook, and we are all doing our best to roll with it. After all, what else can you do? So grab your favorite beverage, get comfortable, and let’s chat about all the bits and bobbles from this week as we wrap up June and celebrate the beginning of July and our nation’s independence.

My Poor Peach Tree

My poor peach tree. When I left Phoenix to head up to the mountains, my beloved peach tree was green, healthy, and standing proudly in the yard…or so I thought. Fast forward to this past week, and the tree looked as if someone had flash-frozen it into death. Every leaf had turned brown and shriveled, and most were still clinging to the branches. Wait…what? Did it not get enough water? How could a perfectly healthy-looking tree suddenly die?

After a bit of investigating, it appears the culprit is Cytospora canker, a fungal disease that commonly affects stone fruit trees, including peach trees. The frustrating part about Cytospora is that the disease often works quietly beneath the bark for months-or even years- before obvious symptoms appear. A tree can look perfectly healthy one week and then rapidly decline as the disease cuts off the flow of water and nutrients to the trunk and branches.

Unfortunately there is no effective chemical treatment to cure it. Stress factors, such as drought, injury, poor growing conditions, or competition from nearby tree roots, can make a tree more susceptible to infection. In our case, the peach tree was growing in close proximity to our neighbor’s very large ficus tree, which may have contributed to the stress that allowed the disease to take hold.

As heartbreaking as it is, the best course of action is to remove the tree and as much of the root system as possible. Gardening certainly teaches us many lessons, including the difficult one that sometimes, despite our best efforts, nature has other plans.

Adventures with Mr. Duck

During my few days back home in Phoenix, I spent time making life as beautiful as possible for my chickens and Mr. Duck. The hen house was cleaned from top to bottom, fresh rose petal potpourri was sprinkled into the laying boxes, and special treats-like fresh watermelon and green peas-were served.

I always pay extra attention to Mr. Duck. He is blind and, I suspect, mostly deaf too. This visit, his behavior indicated that he was not aware of my presence, nor did he engage in any of the treat-eating festivities.  We’ve had Mr. Duck since 2012, and I’m not entirely sure how old he was when he came to us. My best guess is that he is now 15 or 16 years old, well beyond the average lifespan of a runner duck.

As he nears the end of his life, I increasingly fear the day when I no longer hear his distinctive quacking around Bella Terra. I decided it was time for Mr. Duck and me to have a special outing.

When he was younger-and accompanied by the three other ducks we had at the time-there was a daily duck procession to our swimming pool. All four ducks would waddle over together, spend time swimming and splashing, and then return to the hen house in the evening. It’s been years since the other ducks have passed and years since Mr. Duck has been in the water.

So, I filled the bathtub in the well tower (originally installed for washing dogs), picked up Mr. Duch, and gently lowered him into the water. At first, he appeared completely confused about what was happening. But in a few minutes, something magical occurred. His inner duck kicked in.

Mr. Duck began swimming. He dunked his head beneath the water, flapped his feathers, and paddled around with enthusiasm. If ducks could laugh, I am convinced he would have been belly laughing. Watching him rediscover something so deeply ingrained in his nature, brought tears to my eyes.

As I lifted him out and dried him off a bit, he returned to the hen house with what I can only describe as an extra bounce in his step.Two days later, I realized that Mr. Duck deserved a bigger pond. So he and I went swimming in the pool. It brought me tremendous joy to watch this elderly duck behave like a youngster again, reveling in the water as if no time had passed at all. I have no idea how much time Mr. Duck has left, but I do know there, if I have my way, there will be more swimming adventures in our future.

Not a Winning Strategy

Trying to shop for Fourth of July decorations the week of the Fourth is apparently not a winning strategy.

Since we typically spend Independence Day at the cabin, our Phoenix home rarely gets dressed up for this holiday. However, during my brief stay back home this past week, I noticed that many of our neighbors had their homes bedecked with patriotic decorations. Suddenly, our home looks quite bare.

Determined to remedy the situation, I headed out in search of something festive to hang on our front gates. My quest took me to Michaels, Hobby Lobby, Target, and HomeGoods. Surely one of these stores would have something suitable, right? Wrong. What I found was Halloween and Fall decorations at Michaels (really?), nothing at all at Target, and the rest were either sold out, picked over or too tacky for my taste. 

So, I did what any determined DIYer would do. I purchased two grapevine wreaths, gathered a few faux flowers, and set to work. Fortunately, I had some red, white, and blue ribbon tucked away at home, along with various bits hiding in my craft boxes.

I didn’t plan on a DIY project that consumed far more hours than I care to admit. But, there was no turning back. In the end though, I’m quite happy with the results. They may not be store-bought, but they are cheerful and patriotic. What do you think?

Movie Recommendations

One of our summer goals this year is to actually get out and see a movie in a real movie theatre.  There is something wonderfully nostalgic about buying a ticket, settling into a comfortable seat with a bucket of popcorn, and watching a film from beginning to end without the interruptions that inevitably happen at home.

What I am especially loving about some of these recent releases is their focus on our nation’s history.

We recently saw Pressure, a gripping historical drama that tells a little-known story behind one of the most consequential decisions of World War II. Set during the tense 72 hours leading up to D-Day, the film follows General Dwight D. Eisenhower and his chief meteorologist, James Stagg, as they wrestle with whether weather conditions will permit the largest amphibious invasion in history.

The film captures the enormous weight of leadership and the reality that a single forecast had the power to alter the course of the war. Featuring outstanding performances by Brendan Fraser as Eisenhower and Andrew Scott as Stagg, Pressure is both suspenseful and deeply moving. Everyone should see this one!

Our next movie outing will be Young Washington, which is being released over the Fourth of July weekend. The film explores the formative years of George Washington, long before he became the Father of Our Country. Set during the French and Indian War, it portrays a young Washington as an ambitious and sometimes flawed soldier whose early experiences with war, leadership, and personal failure helped shape the man who would eventually become our nation’s first president.  Starring William Franklyn-Miller as Washington, along with Ben Kingsley, Andy Serkis, Mary-Louise Parker, and Kelsey Grammer, the film promises to offer a fascinating look at a chapter in American history that is rarely portrayed on screen.

Perhaps I’m just getting older, but I find myself increasingly drawn to films that not only entertain, but also teach us something about the people and events that shaped our country.

Thoughts on Our Nation’s 250 Birthday

As we celebrate Independence Day and begin the year leading up to our nation’s 250^th birthday, I have found myself reflecting more deeply on what America means to me.

One of the unexpected joys of this summer has been watching and listening to the impressions of international visitors attending the FIFA events across the country. In a media environment that often focuses almost exclusively on division, conflict, and bad news, it has been refreshing to hear so many visitors express surprise and delight at what they have actually experienced in America. More than a few have remarked that what they encountered here was very different from what they had been led to believe.

America is not simply what you see on the evening news.

America represents individual freedom, opportunity, and the enduring belief that one can dream, work hard, and build a better life. From sea to shining sea, our country has long been a beacon of hope and promise for people around the world. Yes, we have our problems-as every nation does- and we should never stop striving to improve. But we also have much to celebrate and be grateful for.

Our people are, by and large, kind and generous. Each state possesses its own unique character, traditions, and pride. We are a vast and varied nation, yet many of us share a deep love for this country and an appreciation for the freedoms and opportunities it provides.

As we approach America’s 250^th birthday, I have made a personal commitment to speak more highly of our country, to celebrate its people and accomplishments, to prayer for our elected leaders regardless of political affiliation, and to promote goodwill, abundance, and all the blessings that we have.

May we never take for granted the extraordinary privilege of calling America home, and recognizing those who made the ultimate sacrifice so we can be free.

Happy Fourth of July, my dear friends.