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Wednesday, June 1, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Commentary...
Of a certain age
Sue Stafford
Columnist
Gardening has always
nourished my soul, as have
hikes surrounded by the ever-
changing landscapes of forest,
river, mountain, and desert.
Standing dwarfed by tall pine
trees is my outdoor cathedral,
where Spirit is all around.
Perusal of colorful seed
and plant catalogs during the
cold winter months fans the
flames of my gardener’s spirit
until I am once again out in
the garden, nourishing the soil
as well as my soul. And then
spring arrives, with warmer
days and the unscheduled
overnight freeze, to remind
us here in Central Oregon we
need to be patient, not plant-
ing too early.
I love the long hours
spent in the garden tidying
the perennial beds, pruning,
planting, tending, and water-
ing. Daily inspections reveal
fresh green sprouts, promis-
ing tight buds, a fast-running
creek fed by melting moun-
tain snows, and new nests
being built in the bird houses
around the yard.
With the passage of years,
the hikes have become shorter
and the physical tasks of gar-
dening have begun to pres-
ent challenges, taking longer
to complete, and leaving me
with fresh aches and stiffness
in my hands, back, and knees.
Thankfully, what remains
unchanged is the rhythm of
nature, which only needs to
be observed, treasured, and
enjoyed.
The daily summer rhythm
begins at dawn with the silent
morning sunrise, when the
golden rosy glow paints the
world anew. At the end of the
day, the inky starlit sky pro-
vides the stage for the con-
sistently waxing and waning
moon and offers cover for all
the nocturnal creatures who
travel unseen.
In between, if we take
pause to notice, is the choral
background of chirps, tweets,
and soothing cooing as birds
flit from trees, to creek, to
fence. The deer silently pick
their way along the creek bed
pausing, ears forward in wary
alertness, for any approaching
danger. The alarm sounded by
vigilant neighbor dogs sends
them bounding to safety.
They will return, to breach
the fencing put up to protect
my perennial beds from their
repeated forays among tempt-
ing tender leaves and luscious
buds of promised color.
My plans now include
divesting myself of
a life’s worth of
accumulation
and memories.
The summer sun crosses
over my yard, east to west,
flooding my deck in warmth
at high noon, and casting
lengthening shadows across
the yard as it moves toward
twilight. The late-afternoon
rays set the barberry aflame
as they backlight the crim-
son leaves. And then the sky
above the pine trees begins
its nightly art exhibit, some-
times painted in pale pastels;
other times a raging palette of
reds and purples and oranges,
each an original breathtaking
creation.
The daily rhythms of
nature compound into
those seasonal rhythms of
rebirth, abundance, harvest,
and death. With each pass-
ing year, I find myself more
keenly attuned to the quicker
cycling of the seasons, aware
that I am in the autumn of my
life, needing to prepare for
winter just like I always have
as a gardener.
Flowerbeds need to be
cleaned out and prepared for
their season of sleep. Plants
and bulbs are divided and
either planted elsewhere in
empty spaces or shared with
family and friends. Tools are
cleaned and stored out of
the weather. Tender roots get
mulched against approaching
freezing temperatures.
During those annual prep-
arations for winter, I now am
touched by a sense of nos-
talgia with memories of the
wobbly legged fawns and
fledgling chickadees of early
summer, who so quickly got
their bearings and set off on
their own adventures, just as
my own little boys found their
wings and learned to soar.
My plans now include
divesting myself of a life’s
worth of accumulation and
memories, reducing the size
of my nest, and planning for
the inevitable day when the
spring full of promise and
hope doesn’t arrive; neither
do the warm, long days of
summer abundance, nor the
harvest of autumn plenty.
E a c h d a y ’s r h y t h m
becomes sweeter and more
dear as I feel the kiss of
sun on my cheek, and hear
the wind teasing the aspen
leaves in the back corner of
the yard, and see the bushy
gray squirrel scampering up
the ancient ponderosa, and
smell the earthy blend of pine,
sage, and warm earth follow-
ing a summer shower.
Nature’s rhythm is free for
my enjoyment. I can’t, nor
would I ever want to, control
it, although I might want to
just slow it down a little. It
is Mother Earth’s gift, freely
given, and I give thanks
every day for her generosity.
I only hope that as stewards
of her bounty, we will all see
the folly of our avarice and
destruction, and set about
repairing the scars before we
are beyond saving.
SweetGeorgia Yarn Twigs Gallery
& Home Goods
Passionate,
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Unapologetic
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541.549.6061 | 311 W. Cascade Ave.
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Furniture
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Bedding
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541-977-2744
thenestdesignstudio.com
413 W. Hood
Ave., #C
Twigs Gallery & Home Goods invites you to
enhance your home with products of Oregon art-
ists and artisans.
On display — and available for purchase —
this month, is the work of two of Sisters’ favorite
artists, Kathy Deggendorfer and Tonye Belinda
Phillips, including a wonderful collaborative piece.
Kathy’s cards and mugs are also available.
The gallery also features Hot Skwash by Daria,
made of real pumpkin or gourd stems and the fin-
est silk velvet; ceramics by Barb Campbell; exclu-
sive hand-crafted glass ornaments by Sisters artist
Edie Shelton; Nashelle Jewelry out of Bend; locally
crafted purses and much more.
Twigs Gallery & Home Goods is located within
Stitchin’ Post on Cascade Avenue. Whether you
are looking to enhance your home, or seeking a
unique gift, visit Twigs and explore all the color
and texture of Oregon-made arts and crafts.
The Nes t
Emily Head has a sense of style and an eye for
design that can create a space of beauty and com-
fort. Emily graduated with a degree in design from
BYU and after graduation worked for Neil Kelly in
Portland. She has been doing both interior design
work and designing and drawing plans for homes
for many years.
Working through her design studio, The Nest
in Sisters, she brings a unique look, mixing the
rustic style that is popular in this area with clean
lines and sophistication. Whether you want a real
“country” feel or a modern, sophisticated look — or
to combine the best of both, The Nest will help
you turn your ideas into reality.
The Nest carries beautiful bedding, new light-
ing choices and beautiful accessories.
They’ll be hosting an open house on Saturday,
June 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 413 W. Hood
Ave. Stop by and see how The Nest can help you
create the lifestyle you desire.