Berryfest 2013

I couldn't let this year's berryfest pass without posting a few picks here. We made 18 pints of jam in 7 different flavors: peach spice, jasmine peach, blueberry lime, blueberry anise, blackberry cardamom, plum lime, and strambleberry. Enjoy!

Link to posts of berryfest past - http://era-errant.blogspot.com/2012/09/another-successful-bramblefest.html?m=1

Reading Viaduct

Yesterday I visited the Reading Viaduct in Philly. It's an old elevated train line that's been abandoned, but you can sneak up onto it and explore, and as you can see by the pics, many people have before. There's a lot of gorgeous graffiti, flowers (mostly weeds, but still), and fun swings that people have rigged up. There is a conversation happening in Philly about making this into a park like the High Line in NYC (readingviaduct.org) but there are property ownership and funding issues to tackle first. Enjoy the pics!

Maine, Revisited

People that build their houses inland,

   People that buy a plot of ground
Shaped like a house, and build a house there,
   Far from the sea-board, far from the sound

Of water sucking the hollow ledges,
   Tons of water striking the shore,--
What do they long for, as I long for
   One salt smell of the sea once more?

People the waves have not awakened,
   Spanking the boats at the harbour's head,
What do they long for, as I long for,--
   Starting up in my inland bed,

Beating the narrow walls, and finding
   Neither a window nor a door,
Screaming to God for death by drowning,--
   One salt taste of the sea once more?

- "Inland" by Edna St. Vincent Millay

Portland and Monhegan Island, Maine, May 2013

A walk in the woods.

Today was my first day off from work since Easter and I'm happy to say I made the most of it. I got to spend time outside with a few of my favorite family and friends, hiking in the Wissahickon, barbecuing, and eating ice cream. Perfecto!

Snow on Oaks

As promised, we had several inches of snow on Thursday and I had a snow ball fight with my fellow students (MFI-ers) and a gorgeous walk in the woods today before leaving Lied Lodge and Nebraska to fly home.  This has been a phenomenal experience for me and an invaluable investment in my professional (and I would say personal) development.  I feel incredibly lucky.

The front entrance to Lied Lodge.

The Morton Oak at Arbor Day Farm.

Over the river and through the woods, from Lied Lodge to Arbor Day Farm we go!

One of many quotes in the lodge from J. Sterling Morton, founder of Arbor Day.

The lobby of Lied Lodge.  What an amazing place to spend a week!

Planning for Planting in Nebraska

This week I'm immersing myself in trees and tree people at the Municipal Forestry Institute at the Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska City, Nebraska.  It's a week of intensive training on how to be a leader in the field of urban forestry.  It's pretty rad, and it comes at a perfect time for me in my career.  Plus, this place is gorgeous!  Check out the sunset pics I took yesterday.  It's supposed to snow pretty hard on Thursday, so I may have more photos of an entirely different nature at the end of the week.

Visit from Jaja

Jaja came to visit this weekend and we had a blast!  We went to an incredible workshop at the Center for Art in Wood, in Old City where we created a "cabinet of curiosities" out of a cigar box and with great instruction and inspiration from the staff at the center.  We created a portrait for the front, and of course I chose to draw my cats.  Yes, I'm a cat lady.  I really like how it turned out:

 

They had great supplies for us to use, and the boxes already had elaborately patterned paper around the edges that we could use as a jump off for inspiration.  Apparently cigar stores just smash these boxes and throw them in the trash, so it's easy to get them if you're there at the right time.  Which I will obviously be doing now that I know how beautiful these boxes are without any decoration at all.

 

We also went to a work day at Farm 51, which is run by my friends Andrew and Neal.  We destroyed some raised beds and harvested broccoli, then had a bonfire and ate delicious home made coffee cake and cookies.  Their house next door is gorgeous and another constant source of inspiration:

 

 

 

An amazing and inspirational weekend and a great way to start the new year!

Sorry

In front of the Municipal Services Building.

Daily Inspiration

From an ad on the side of a bus shelter.

Morning Sky

I'm trying again to stick to a morning schedule so I can get myself to work by 8 and leave at 4 when it's still light out.

Waking up in the dark is the worst, but the sunrise in my little part of West Philly is pretty spectacular :)