Bodger, our more or less tame wood pidgeon sits like this on the fence most of the day.
They are contemplative birds most of the time and remarkably timid for their size. I once saw a sparrow edge up to him on the fence only for Bodger to scuttle away sideways in surprise, like an elephant surprised by a mouse.


Today, there is a welcome smattering of rain. But its sobering to think that it will take several hours of rainfall to penetrate the first inch of soil, and now that we are forbidden the use of a hosepipe, our newly blossoming trees will need every drop they can get. 


Tomorrow we will begin our inventory in earnest; going through each room and noting down each significant item, piece by piece. The US customs forms for our house are daunting enough,  but the insurance form require an itemised list in detail. It will take several weeks I suppose, but what amazes me is how much 'stuff' we've accumulated in just a few years. We're giving away or finding homes for the dining table, the lounge suite, various electrical items that won't function on 110volts in the US and today, I will hand over a Bonsai tree to my niece. 
It is an acer or sycamore as its known in the UK and I first spotted it as a seedling in Hampstead Parish Church graveyard in London in 1976. It began life in a small pot on my windowsill three floors up and has survived all these years and today, stands nearly three feet tall. I've deliberately avoided wiring it or distorting it and so it retains a sort of natural character, even though the leaves look a little too big for its size. A constant companion for all these years I will hand it over to Anna with a sense of sadness, but also of a gift to her . She will be 48 years old when the tree is 72...


Nicholas

This was our garden when we first moved to our present house...nothing about it was inviting or inspiring. 




The soil was unhealthy, filled with broken bricks and stones, the stuff of a building site with even the grass planted struggling to find nourishment.






We knew this was a priority for us..

Only a few months later, this is a picture taken from the same angle, looking down the garden towards the conservatory. 


We sought the help of a landscape designer, Wendy Stokes. I began to research the plants I was most attracted to, we asked her to look at the garden from the dining room (doors on the left of this photograph) the conservatory, and my healing studio (above the dining room). We asked her to study Nicholas' paintings and she asked us how we met, what colours we liked, what we wanted and needed the garden to do for us. 


This was the result of her design. It has delighted us and provided hour after hour of wonder and reflection. I am thankful we asked for help to create this space; I am thankful for all it has taught me about growth and nurturance. In creating it we have created a sanctuary for not only ourselves, but a number of birds, fish, frogs, dragonflies, squirrels, and mice as well. 


Today it also reminds me that soon we will say goodbye to this gentle place of quietude and  face another blank canvas, another potential for creating beauty at our new home, which is also without a garden...which is also without a house!!! 


There is a path through our garden here in England and there is a path at Maple Ridge as well...but at present the latter exists only in our imaginations and our hearts. I am at peace with all that is yet-to-be and deeply thankful to have a before and after photo as a reminder that love and creativity will guide our steps now, just as they always have...