Garlic Harvest

I planted garlic cloves that came from the store last fall. Emily declared them done this week so we pulled them and let them dry. Here they are cleaned up and ready to use. Not very big, but usable.

A Quick Read

My daughter gave me a book title which I was able to find easily at the library: "Walking to Vermont" by Christopher S. Wren. The author retires from the NY Times and decides to walk/hike to his home in Vermont north of Dartmouth/Hanover, NH. He weaves into his tale his experiences as a reporter in various corners of the globe and in a wide variety of situations. He includes historical facts about many of the places he visits along his way north. It is a quick and enjoyable read. Look for it.

Historical Fiction

Wednesday night I finished reading an historical fiction that takes place in 1200. "The Canterbury Papers" has as its narrator the Princess Alais. She was a real person who was betrothed to Richard the Lionheart but ended up being the mistress of his father, King Henry, at the age of 16. The story takes place 20+ years after that time when Richard's brother John was king of England.

It was an interesting story that held my attention throughout. The author did a good job portraying the Princess as an assertive woman for the times. I'll look for other books by this author, particularly the sequel, "The Rebel Princess".

Pond Surprise

Do you recognize this flower?

I was spreading the last of the mulch this morning and in walking by the pond a flash of lavender caught my eye. The water hyacinths are blooming. I hadn't even noticed they had buds. The ones I had last year never bloomed. They are lovely. I hope they last for awhile.

Here's what else is blooming in the pond.