When Humans Face the Elements

I was left at home with our friend Gail the day the Sisters went to see the petroglyphs in Jeffers, MN.  When I saw these pictures, I was glad they didn't take me along!  There weren't any other people at the historic site, so they felt free to dress in whatever was available to protect themselves from the wind and rain.

The writings on the rock ridge are over 7000 years old, according to the Minnesota Historical Society which maintains the area.  I would love to have known some of those people who lived in the area of that ridge and the native prairie which still survives today.    The rocks tell not only about the human life but also show the history of the earth itself.  These ripples in the sand were created through the work of oceans and glaciers, heat, and wind, and sun.  I wonder what work is going on yet today as I lie on the ground and listen to the energy beneath the grass.

How Do You Know I Don't Speak Spanish?

They say you should know how to speak Spanish if you are moving to Mexico.  My very good companion, Sister Janice Wiechman, is moving to Mexico and a part of me wants to go with her.  I'd bet anything I could be as well understood there as I am here.  I think human beings are separated by language  only when speaking with each other.  Other members of creation don't have such a barrier. 

Sister Janice's family spent a Sunday afternoon here to say goodbye to her.  Her parents and some of her siblings, nieces and nephews had a good time roasting hotdogs over the fire pit and visiting.  They all spoke "Wiechman" and I understood perfectly.  God bless you in your new home, Janice.  I will miss you and our playtime together.  You were so good to me!  I hope you find a good canine friend for the Sisters you will live with in Mexico.

Thanks for Missing Me!

I've had a busy and exciting summer.   Wind storms blew down many and large branches from trees all over Clare's Well.  This helps explain the many extra people who came here to help the Sisters.  I made lots of new friends with three groups of children from St. Ignatius' summer school who spent three mornings cleaning brush off the lawn and hauling it into the goat pasture.  The goats had a feast on the leaves and the bark.    While the children were here, Sister Maurita Bernet was also helping out and she led the groups in some fun singing activities. 

Then Doug McCarthy Beumer came and cleared out a bunch of brush.  I'm getting used to seeing him and his wife Marian -- they come often.  Doug also used his chain saw to cut up the larger pieces and some group will be able to split them and stack them in the shed later.Besides all the work with wood, lots of friends have come by to help with weeding, picking raspberries, pulling buckthorn (there's still a lot of that around!) and some even gave us a diving dock to put out in the middle of the pond where there are no weeds for those who like to swim .  (NOT ME!)  Some of our guests like that.  I see them take the paddle boat to get to it. It is one more refreshing addition to this already refreshing and renewing place.  Thanks to all who make it possible.

Smells Good Around Here

Everyone is spending as much time as possible out in the yard these days.  Carol, Paula and Janice have put the finishing touches on the garden and I hear them say they can start all over again with weeding.  All the rain is good for weeds, but let's concentrate on the good things today.  Look at this Spirea!    And the herb garden isn't just for herbs, though Jan really likes to pop out there when the soup needs something to spice it up.  There are flowers as well as a bench where I can sometimes find a friend to sit and rub my ears.  The bench is under the cottonwood tree which, Carol says, was only as tall at the farm house when she and Aggie came here in 1988.  Look what 23 years have done for it!

NOISY WEEK

I spent a lot of time on the farmhouse porch this week because of all the noise outside.  I get quite discombobulated when there is a lot of racket and I can't see to discern if it is safe to be around or not.  That would sum up this week on the farm for me.  Sister Carol made a lot of the noise:  mowing the lawn, weed whipping, and tilling in the garden.  But the worst racket, I think, was made by the men who re-shingled the dome hermitage.  This needed to be done because of the damage from hail last summer.  You know, most of that little building is roof!  It took them four days to do this work.  Their trucks were none to quiet either . . . .  I hope our guests enjoy the new look.  There are three of them in it for this weekend and one in each of the House of Clare and the House of Francis.  I enjoy having them around as much as they are enjoying being here.