Bedlam Farm Blog Journal by Jon Katz

Flower Art
4 May

Fireworks, Photo Art. Flowers That Demand Attention, Feisty Flowers That Speak Out

by Jon Katz

Flowers are often associated with being gentle and soft, but that isn’t always so. As I explore the souls and feelings flowers give off, I find some with messages and speak out for attention.  Some are sad, some are angry, and some are defiant, coming to life just before dying.

I find them beautiful, intensely colorful, and spiritual. Above, the flower firecracker.

I’m signing off on a lovely day and hoping for another one. I look forward to seeing you in the morning.

These flowers gripped me; I hope you enjoy them. They are seething with feeling. Most were taken with my Iphone 15 Pro Max. The camera is uncomfortable being soft and abstract like the Leica, but it is excellent in detail and color. The two make a wonderful pair for me.

We’re getting up early to make some more Dandelion tea. I look forward to seeing you on Sunday. Sleeping late, there will be no Farmer’s Market this week.

Fire in the belly

Poppy in the garden.

 Poppy up close.

 

 

 

 

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Zip
4 May

Zip And Me, (My Cat Brother) Saturday, May 4, 2024. Loving, Hunting, Dozing With Zinnia, Heading Into The Deep Woods

by Jon Katz

Zip and I had a lovely meeting this afternoon on the farm. I learned more about his territory,  patterns, and habits.

First, he climbs onto my chest, gets his skin scratched,  and falls asleep in my arms. Then he hops off to battle with his nemesis, the savvy chipmunk in the stone wall. She or he has managed to avoid Bud for a couple of years; she isn’t afraid of any cat. Zip looks for her every day. Then he returned for more cuddling and headed to the stone wall where the chipmunk leaves.

He covers a lot of ground in a short time. I’m beginning to grasp his territory. He goes to the same places at the same time every day.

The chipmunk has a whole bunch of tunnels and, so far, has no trouble spotting him and avoiding him. He got tired of searching and headed out to the deep woods. (Photo above by Maria Wulf.)

Zip stalks the chipmunk every day by the stone wall. She seems well ahead of him so far.

He is the Prince; he loves to look out over his province.

I watched Zip jump out of my shoulder and head into the woods, home of coyotes, bobcats, bears, owls, and hawks. It made me nervous, but it didn’t make him nervous. He only spends a little time out there and goes pretty close. But he is a Barn Cat, and barn cats go where they want.

Zinnia and Zip have decided to be pals (Fate is having none of it; she and Bud have yet to meet face to face, and she stays away from the backyard. Zinna ran away from Zip for a while, and he liked to tease her. At some point, they just decided to become pals. I never thought I’d see it, but it is foolish to underestimate Zip.

He’s working on Fate now. That would be a miracle.

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Bedlam Farm Journal
4 May

Bedlam Farm Journal, Making Dandelion Tea

by Jon Katz

I recently learned that anyone who lives in the country, has a farm or walks in the woods can make tea from a hundred different plants and flowers, and it’s perfect. Maria makes mint tea all the time from things grown in the garden.

Today, Maria suggested making dandelion tea while we were reading and sitting outside looking at the birds showing up in large numbers (I’m taking my bird lens and tripod outside tomorrow if there is sun) for Spring. I jumped at it. I’ve never made my tea.

We spent the next half hour collecting a large cup full of dandelions and removing all of the green stems to keep the tea from getting bitter. Then we took the cup inside, dropped it into a pot of boiling water, put it through a sifter, let it steep for a few minutes, and had tea and scones for lunch (and tuna fish and quinoa).

The tea was delicious, and we had fun making it. I love learning things that lots of people know about but don’t. Anyone can do this; it’s much cheaper than buying those teas at the supermarket (which I also do sometimes).

I felt pretty civilized drinking tea that we made and scones that we love.

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My Spiritual Life
4 May

Maria’s Magnet: “I Have The Right To Be Happy…” Now For Sale On Her Etsy Page

by Jon Katz

A few months ago, I wrote in one of my spiritual musings, “I Have The Right To Be Happy.“

Maria loves that line and has mentioned it several times. She decided to make it into one of her popular refrigerator magnets, which sell for $7 each (free shipping) and are available only on her Etsy Page.

The magnets arrived yesterday, and I already have one attached to the side of my car along with her other magnets. People often pause to look at them and ask me about them.

They are two by 3 inches, cost $7, and shipping is free. You can see them and buy them here.

We all have the right to be happy; this song has become one of my favorite anthems. It has done me a lot of good. Sometimes, I need to be reminded. We all do, I think.

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