It’s Writing Weekend/ our monthly virtual retreat

 I’m not sure if I’ve written here about two of my very long-time writer friends and colleagues who I’ve been retreating with usually two times a year for 20 years. When Covid hit in March, we knew our time together would be seriously impacted, and I concocted the idea to have a monthly writing weekend where we meet virtually. 

Each month we pick a weekend, I select a location, choose a rental home, and send them photos with an elaborate and fantastical plan for how we’ll get there. It’s all make-believe, but it gives us something to look forward to. When the actual weekend happens, we meet via Zoom, doing the thing we usually do when on real writing retreat: gather for meals and discussion, write in between those times, and end with an after-dinner cocktail and critique session where we read work out loud to one another.

We’ve all come to treasure these weekends and I think we’ve all been surprised at how effective they are in terms of refocusing us on the writing work. We celebrate publications, discuss issues we’re struggling with, read out loud from what we’re writing, and hold one another accountable for meeting deadlines and digging out of stuck places. It’s wonderful.

So tonight I’ll be in the garret, sitting at my desk, with dinner and a glass of wine, ready to Zoom to Key West and a 3-bedroom, 2 bath houseboat. I’ll be sitting here:

But in spirit, we’ll be here:

November Hill farm journal, 108

We’ve had a lovely weekend with our family and some cooler weather. I shivered on the porch the past two mornings!

Our first guest run with the camper went very well. While the electrician is still looking for a part he needs to do our upgrade, we got a long heavy duty cord and ran it to the outdoor outlet on the back deck. It worked fine to power the camper and its AC unit. We hooked up the water and all went well with that. One thing I hadn’t thought of is that the new water hook up doesn’t run through our well filtration system. Boo! But I got a travel Berkey water filter tank and it will do the job nicely in the camper, for drinking water. 

Sadly the new mattress was delayed and is arriving today - after the guests have left - but at least I’ll have it set up for next visit. 

This is before:

And this is now:

When I find the right fabric, I’ll take down the mini-blinds and put up curtains. I’ll also be doing more work to open the space up, but for now, this has already made a big difference in the usefulness of this previously tight space.

This is before:

This is the sofa, folded down, with the fold-down desk the previous owners installed. (On the left, between the counter and the sofa) While it worked well when you were sitting down, it extended so far out it was a real hazard coming in the door, and I knew it wouldn’t work for us. I removed the desk and the really ugly mirror over the sofa, and the curtains and valences.

This is now:

For now, I’m using a comfy blanket to cover the sofa. Eventually I’d like to get/make a fitted cover for it that I can remove to wash as needed. The prints were inexpensive and add some color. The lamps on each side add a different quality of light than the overhead camper lights do. And with the curtains and valences removed, the whole feel is lighter and brighter. I’ll have curtains for these windows too once I find the perfect fabric!

This is before:

And now:

I’ve added an electric kettle so that it’s easy to make tea and French press coffee without turning on the propane stove. And of course, ditto the curtains and mini-blinds for the kitchen window. 

I forgot to take the after photo for the bedding, which is lovely! But I’ll do that for a future post, after I’ve got the new mattress in place and everything set up again.

There’s a lot more I have planned, but we’re happy to have a space for my son, daughter-in-law, and their Belgian Malinois Aria. And for me to go for some writing time. And of course for any other guests who come to November Hill once we’re able to entertain again!

In other news on the hill, the veggie garden is just about done with the summer produce. We still have a lot of basil, the odd cucumber, and the cherry tomatoes, as well as the sweet potatoes to harvest, but things are winding down out there. I signed on for an extra large share in our fall CSA, so I’m not sure I need to plant fall crops. I may just put a cover crop in the veggie beds for the winter.

I’m seeing a few trees starting to shift to fall color, which is exciting. The wild muscadines are ripe. I haven’t seen or heard any geese yet but that’s sure to come. In what has been a truly strange year, it’s a comfort to know that fall is on its way. 

Now that the heat is breaking, it’s time to do some dedicated weeding in all the beds and in Poplar Folly, so that’s going to be the focus this week and next. The projects never end, and I’m grateful for that!

In the barn: Cody had an itchy ear, a bout of hives, and an abscess brewing. All are better now, but Redford has a tender hoof. We’ll move through these things and I know every equine on the farm will be more than thrilled to see autumn hit full force. It’s been a particularly gnat-filled summer. 

I’m restored after getting to spend 5 days with my entire little family all together. In spite of everything, life is good. 

The very hungry caterpillars

 I planted bronze fennel in the potager specifically for the pollinators to enjoy, and while picking veggies yesterday evening, look what I found!

These were all up and down the fennel, in the process of munching away at the foliage. So happy to host them and if we’re lucky we’ll get to see cocoons!

Also, my mom had to go to the ER last night due to what turned out to be gastroenteritis. They ruled out stroke and other age-related things, and she is already back home. If you’re so inclined, please send her good thoughts and/or prayers - whatever you send I’m grateful for! She’s 87 this year and has been quarantining in her home where my brother takes amazing care of her. So grateful for him and the fact that she hasn’t needed to go into a rest or nursing home. 

Stay safe and healthy, all! 

Blooms and butterflies and bees: NY Ironweed and spotted horsemint

 It’s a busy week, again, and I feel like I’m ruled by the daily list of things to do. The car’s in the shop getting some routine maintenance and a few small repairs (thinking of Shawn Colvin’s album A Few Small Repairs, a classic that is still so wonderful to listen to), our amazing farm helper is making a larger repair on the barn door that Keil Bay kicked, and the electrician was here making a plan for some barn updates. I’m very happy that all this is getting done, but meanwhile the quiet of an average day on November Hill is just not happening. 

Yesterday in the midst of unloading grocery pick up, pet food delivery, and a heavy mail/package day, I stopped and walked along the pollinator beds to enjoy what’s blooming there right now. 

Butterfly enjoying NY ironweed.

Bee on spotted horsemint.

The colors, the layers, the joy.

Full shot of butterfly, oh how lovely.

I have to remember during busy times to stop and look and take it in, and soak up what I see. 

November Hill farm journal, 107

 The main thing I can report is that we’ve gotten some things checked off our list this week and last. The plumber was out and installed a hook-up for water to our camper, and then the well guy was out to install the hand pump so we can access well water when power is out. Yay! 

I’ve resumed work in the camper: moved some kitchen items from the house out there, and bathroom towels, and measured for and ordered a new/better mattress, bedding, and a little bit of decor. Some is already here, some is on the way. 

I also removed the dining table and have turned it the “long” way - until I can remove the bench seating and install a permanent meal/work bar with stools, this at least gives more room. I also moved two new yard chairs out there and I’m really excited to have made this progress.

If you imagine that the front half of the bench in the foreground is removed (I can’t remove the back half because the heat vents through there), and imagine the entire bench seat to the right is gone, you’ll get more of an idea of what my plan is. I’m going to get a new and slightly narrower table that will sit a bit further to the right all the way to that wooden wall, and two stools that will fit underneath, for the overall effect of a “breakfast bar” area for eating and for working on laptop. The metal pieces on the floor are over the vinyl flooring, so once I remove them there will be some screw holes that I can caulk and cover with a rug if needed. Changing the floor plan like this will open up several feet of floor space that will make the whole camper feel bigger. I think it’s nicer to face the window anyway, as it faces our barn, and who wouldn’t want to look out at Keil Bay’s handsome face? He and Cody go right up and peer in. 

Inside the house, I’m still waiting on the framed prints for the new work garret, and I have a couple of final, minor things yet to do in there but it’s for all practical purposes finished!

In other news I finally made it off the farm to a doc appointment for routine bloodwork and to my chiropractor for a much-needed adjustment. I was impressed with both places - one patient in the offices at a time, lots of precautions, including, of course, masks worn by all. I feel like a new person already - everything was out of whack chiropractically. I felt the endorphin buzz and odd but wonderful absence of “whack” after she was done. Whew.

Eggplants are getting ready to bloom, and we’re getting tomatoes, cucumbers, and basil. The kale and chard are actually coming back as our temps have cooled down some. I think the zucchini and yellow squash are done. Our fall CSA starts mid-September so we’ll be getting our extra large share of veggies each week until December, when winter CSA begins. 

I need to get the area for the new pollinator bed set up because planting and transplanting time will be here before we know it. So far I’m planning to:

Transplant tall goldenrod, purple coneflower, spotted horsemint, and rattlesnake master, and...

Add new Culver’s root, anise hyssop, blue vervain, and spice bush. 

Working on my order at the local native plant nurseries. 

That’s about it for the week. I’ve started my third remote session of Writing In The Dark with Jeannine Ouellete and Elephant Rock, and signed on for a ms revision workshop with her in November and December. I’m thrilled to have my writing time planned out for the remainder of this year.