September 2016

The Gardener

From vegetable gardens to flowers the long awaited gardening season in all its glory is here.

Tomatoes, sweet corn, and berries, ah so much to enjoy !!!!

Fresh cut flowers to grace the kitchen table, the colors and fragrances endless.

For those of us that want to avoid the fight (bugs, disease, watering, weeds, etc.) the farmers market is perfect. A mixture of friends, crafts and FOOD all in one place, Plus you are supporting local vendors in the warm summer sun.

I had the great pleasure of working for a wonderful gentleman on Shelburne Farms a few years ago. Every Friday we would spend the day together. His gardens were the joy of his life. He was so proud of the beauty he had worked so hard to maintain.

He was diagnosed to have Parkinson’s Disease yet he would carry on with his gardening enjoying peace and quiet until he could no longer walk. The disease finally took his life. I wrote this poem for him.

The Gardener

He arrives with the morning sun
To his garden of pride and joy,
Captivated by his surrounding,
Following dreams from when just a boy.

His day spent among the flowers
Finding reward in work done:
Plants showing great beauty in color
And growing strong in the summer sun.

Only stopping to wipe away
Sweat that has gathered on his brow,
Never to tired or discouraged,
Fulfills his caretaker’s heartfelt vow.

The warmth of the day all but gone,
For the sun has now found the west,
He gathers up his cart of old tools,
Goes home, knowing he’s given his best.

Shelburne Inn

Home

Shelburne Farms has been my home for sixty two years. I have walked, biked and driven all over this magical, magnificent, peaceful landscape. My family has been connected to the farm for three generations.
I started working on the farm in 1968 as a grounds keeper, as assistant under the watchful eye of Darcy Patterson. I had the great pleasure to work with Mrs. Van Webb in her beautiful flower gardens. She would always meet me at 9:00 am accompanied by her short tailed pointer “Turtle”.
As I drive through the farm gates, the outside world is left behind. Many fond memories come quietly back to me as if it were yesterday. I have seen and enjoyed the landscape in all its moods, and enjoyed the abundant wildlife that also calls this home. From sunrise to sunset every day is different, and every day is a gift.
One summer day a few years ago I stopped for a little while to reminisce my life time spent on this land in “FIELD OF DREAMS”.

Hush

Hush o voices, listen
To the whispering summer breeze.
Listen to songbirds sing
Hidden beneath the shoreline trees.

Echoes of a calling loon
Will settle ones heart, soul and mind.
Finally found peace and quiet
Where I can just sit and unwind.

Small ripples stir the water
Sparkling brightly in country sun.
Green mountains surround the pond
And wait for the moon to make its run.

In The Garden – Shelburne Farms

Come sit with me awhile
And listen to the birds.
Come sit with me awhile
No need for any words.

The scent of flowers linger
In cool morning air.
Views of the Adirondacks
For you and I to share.

Brick and mortar witness
To history of these grounds.
Visitors soothed by the peace
Of country sights and sounds.

The inn stands as a sentry
For the sunsets in the west.
The weary traveler’s gift
Is solitude and rest.

Summer showers in the east
Leave rainbows arched overhead.
Come sit with me awhile
Watch the setting sun turn red.

My Roots

So many times I’ve come to sit
And look to the setting sun.
Ponder the life I’ve had here.
All the work my family has done.

Long after all the guest have left
And the curtains tightly drawn,
The last mower has run its course,
Now fewer footsteps trod the lawn.

There is still music from the birds
All the flowers are put to bed,
Yet soothing sounds of silence
Is comfort to my weary head.

This has always been home to me.
My roots embedded deep.
Its landscape still a treasure
Along with the memories that I keep.