Magic happens in every garden.

It’s Autumn harvest time at the farm.

Apples…

Pears…

and late fall peaches…

With Fairy Folk we harvest our fruits to bake, freeze and store for the winter.

Here on the north side of a small mountain in Maine Autumn has arrived in full glory. Days have grown shorter, the air has become a bit sharp and cold; leaves changed color, falling softly to the ground.

With the final passing of summer’s warmth the Home Place Fairy Folk retreat to their chambers deep within the trunk of an ancient oak tree where they will spent the long cold months of winter in a deep slumber.

It is said there is a long standing tradition among these Fairies. That if they are asked sincerely and politely enough by a human child right before the final leaves have fallen, they will emerge from their winter chambers one last time to perform The Last Dance of Autumn with that child.

The view from my bedroom window this morning as the sun rose in the east.

Wearing a moss green cape to ward off an early morning chill I set out early into my gardens with Paco to nibble on Arctic Hardy Kiwi and say hello to Old Horse.

Then I ventured into the forest, enjoying the painted colors of nature;

the majestic beauty of ferns and trees accompanied by the sound of leaves twirling as autumn fell down all around me.

I came upon a fairy boulder rising proud among the ferns, where dust scattered by the wee folk still glimmered and glowed.

After a while I circled round and wandered back towards the Fairy Wardrobe Chamber where mortal children enter and exit dressed up like the Fae.

As I headed back towards my little farmhouse I heard a creaking upon the walk of stone and spied three little Home Place Fairy Folk busy with their chores.

One Fairy pulled a wooden cart, another pushed from behind; the smallest of the three sat atop their gatherings tucked safely within.

Busy collecting provisions for the long cold winter ahead these fairies had no time to stop and chatter so just waved and smiled instead.

Across the roadway of interludes they went heading for the orchard where apples have ripened and the arctic kiwi grows.

After a long day of foraging and gathering fruits and herbs to dry the fairies headed down the road to Blueberry Hill where they say goodnight to the fading sun, dance in the twilight and greet the new moon.

I too climbed the hill just before dusk enchanted by the native blueberry barrens whose fields roll far and wide turning from shades of blue to leaves of scarlet, brilliant in hue.

Each and every day I am grateful for the opportunity to step outward and move forward, for the ability to look outside of myself and discover something new.

“Don’t you know that everybody’s got a Fairyland of their own?”

P.L. Travers … Mary Poppins

Last night on Blueberry Hill the moon rose just as the sun set.

Fairy Folk twinkled in the moonlight as dusk set into night.

Here is a north facing view of my  garden taken this afternoon from beneath the grape and hops arbor. Pink and magenta astilbe and brilliant red monardas are in full bloom.

Many things need tending to on the farm this time of year. The pithouse and glass greenhouse need constant monitoring and weeding has become a  daily meditation. At the end of each day I harvest fresh greens, kohlrabi, pok choi and tomatoes,  flowers, kale and herbs.

It’s finally raining here on the north side of a small mountain in Maine and the garden is filled with poppies much to the Fairies delight.

Papaver somniferum is a beautiful poppy and adds a burst of color on an overcast day.

Old Horse walks among the poppies communing with his Fairy friends.

Poppies come in a variety of colors, all shades of whites, reds, pinks, and lavenders too.

Fairy Folk are responsible for coloring the poppies here in my garden. This year they selected a palate of red and shades of pink. I  love surprises and long ago decided I was more than happy to let the Fairy Folk  do as they please and paint the petals whatever colors they wish.

After the rains pass the Poppy petals will fall exposing  large seed “heads” which the sun will dry. Inside each Poppy head thousands of teeny seeds will form.

Later when the time is right you can shake the Poppy’s heads and hear the little dried seeds rattle within. Now is the time to tip the heads and collect these tiny dark seeds which you can store in paper envelopes for planting early next spring, or sprinkle that very moment onto the soil where you want them just like the plants themselves do. Each little seed has her own internal time clock and she will rest on top of the soil gradually being worked in by the rains and later the snows that will come. The seeds will rest beneath the soil this way slumbering until spring when the weather is just right and the Fairies awaken them to once again sprout, blossom and grow. Poppies with the Fairies assistance and a gentle human gardener lending a hand will repeat this cycle over and over, year after year.

Sometimes if you look closely into the heart of a flower’s center you just might see a mischievous fairy face smiling back at you.

Bald Eagle whose Latin name Haliaeetus leucoephalus means “white headed sea eagle”.

Totem:  A natural object or animal believed to have great power and spiritual significance, often used as a symbol. Eagle as Totem: Acknowledged by Native Americans in their Medicine Wheel as a Spirit Keeper, a power animal who represents the East where the sun rises.They believe eagle is a visionary who brings the ability to stay focused and that those graced with meeting an eagle are said to receive the gifts of clarity, insight, wisdom and new beginnings. Eagle has keen vision, possessing a strong connection between earth and sky.

On the first day of June this handsome Bald Eagle swooped down upon two family members, a father and daughter as they stood in their dooryard. Startled they called to older sister and mother to come see this magnificent bird who after breezing past them calmly perched in a maple tree not far from where they stood. A short while later the Wizard and I arrived to find the two children sitting very still on a wood pile beneath this tree, their parents standing beside them, looking up in awe. The children frantically pointed upwards, too excited to speak. There calmly sat a proud Bald Eagle, unperturbed by our gathering. As we watched he quietly left his perch, swooped down low before us, then gracefully soared skyward, far above to the places all hopes and dreams go .

Bald Eagles are birds of prey also called raptors. They have excellent eyesight and can see for up to a mile. These birds have large hooked beaks and sharp talons on the ends of their toes designed for catching, holding and lifting prey as well as for defense. Their voices are high pitched and shrill, often described as twittering. Diet consists primarily of fish and small mammals, including dead and decaying ones. Bald Eagles fly up to 30 miles per hour and can dive at speeds close to 100 mph. With an average body length of 37 inches and weighing 10 to 14 pounds the females are slightly larger than the males and can have a 7 foot plus wingspan.

Bald Eagles live near coastal waterways, lakes and rivers as fish make up 60 to 90 percent of their diet. They mate for life, building nests together high in the tops of large trees. Nests can measure 10 feet across and may take over 2 weeks to build. Eagles are territorial and a mated pair may return to the same nest for several years. Females lay 1 to 3 eggs in early spring, usually 2, which incubate for 35 days and hatch in late May or early June here in Maine. Both male and females sit on the eggs and raise their young eaglets together until the juvenile eagles leave the nest after about 13 weeks. Young Bald Eagles are mottled brownish and white in color and it takes 5 years for their head and tail feathers to turn white. Mature eagles are dark brown with a pure white head and tail feathers. Bald Eagles are found throughout the continent of North America with the largest populations found in the Pacific Northwest. They migrate in winter to places where the water does not freeze over so they can continue to catch fish their favorite food source.

On June 20, 1782 the Bald Eagle became the official emblem of the United States, a living symbol representing our nations freedom and strength. Bald Eagles have been a protected species since 1940 and it is against the law for humans to hunt or capture them. These majestic eagles can live up to 35 years.

Fairies arrive at day break, sprinkling fairy dust all over and across the gardens. Every plant sparkles and the early morning air is thick with the sweet fragrance of Lilacs and the lovely Dame’s Rocket Phlox.

This morning I met two little Home Place Fairies down by the tower at the lake. I was there to measure them for the very special dresses they will wear when attending the upcoming Grand Fairy Spring Ball.  More and more the fairy folk are requesting that their “regular day” clothing resemble those of mortal children. However I am happy to report they still desire that I sew only the absolute fairy finest of dresses for their grand fairy balls.

Two fairies gather fairy dust as they wait to be measured for their dresses.

When I am finished measuring them for their garments, they politely thank me and then skip and flutter away into the woodland where they will tend to the forget-me-nots and ferns for the rest of the day.