Category Archives: podcast

authorpages, Flowers, podcast

Spring Cat & The Last Episode of my podcast

60 Comments

Because of a busy Wednesday, I am posting one day early. Sometimes schedules must be rearranged.

Much to my astonishment, my shady front gardens, where few plants like to grow, are looking pretty darned good as my Yankee husband would say. I chalk it up to the thick layer of rich compost they received as well as to the hoses for the front that we bought last year. Watering is ever so much easier than it was when I had to haul it in buckets from around back where the spigot is. Thanks, Eliza, for the hose suggestion. This has been a dry spring, and the hose has gotten a lot of use.

Right now, white and green are the predominate colors, and in a perfect garden, there wouldn’t be so much sweet woodruff. But as I indicated in the first paragraph, the front gardens are a far sight from perfect. While it would be an exaggeration to state that I let the sweet woodruff spread at will, I do let the plant spread, and right now it’s looking mighty pretty, a froth of white that spills through the beds.

The sweet woodruff even surrounds my garden cat who serenely keeps watch over the front yard.

****************************************************************

Today marks the last instalment of “The Wings of Luck,” Season 1 of my podcast, Tales from the Other Green Door. In “Blood Bond,” Episode 12, Jace and Thirret deal with Donod and the imps. They also worry about their jusqua child Iris, whose supreme self-confidence is sure to bring trouble sooner or later.

There will be more stories about the elves of Portland, Maine. As I mentioned in last week’s podcast post, we plan to drop Season 2 sometime in 2022, after At Sea, Book Four in my Great Library series, is finished. Until then, all the episodes of Season 1 will be available on our Hinterlands Press website and wherever you get podcasts.

Thanks for listening! And if you enjoyed this podcast, please share it with others who might like it.

Flowers, podcast

Plant-o-palooza & Episode 11 of the podcast

64 Comments

Is this a table at someone’s plant sale? No, it is not. This is my haul after going to a local plant nursery the other day. The abundance is courtesy of my generous daughters and son-in-law, who gave me gift certificates, allowing me to splurge.

I like most aspects of gardening. Even weeding doesn’t bother me. However, what I especially love is planting annuals in various pots and containers. Somehow I find the process soothing, and the promise of flowers and bounty never fails to lift my spirits.

From my back garden, a little something extra, a dose of perennial beauty. Love that mouth-watering purple. Irises are one of my favorite flowers, and lucky for me, they will grow in my shady yard on the edge of the forest.

**************************************

Speaking of Iris…here is “Reckonings,” Episode 11 of “The Wings of Luck” from my podcast Tales from the Other Green Door. In “Reckonings,” after dealing with Iris, Jace and Thirret take Donod and the imps into the woods. Episode 11 is the penultimate episode of “The Wings of Luck,”and next week, Season 1 will come to an end. We have plans for Season 2 to air in 2022, after I’ve finished At Sea, Book Four in my Great Library Series.

Flowers, podcast

No-Mow May & Episode 10 of My Podcast

73 Comments

Being Franco-American, I like things to be tidy and spic-and-span. Even though I don’t have the time or energy to clean the way I once did—writing, in various formats, absorbs much of my day—our home and yard are always neat and picked up. That way, when I do have the opportunity to clean, I don’t have to bother with putting things away first.

Usually, we start mowing the yard sometime the second week of May. Because we live in the woods, our lawn is spotty in the spring, but there are still areas that look downright shaggy. This nags at my Franco-American sensibility.

This year, however, we are adopting a new routine—no-mow May—and will be waiting until June before cutting the grass. In many places around the world, May is a time of abundant bloom. My blogging friends in warmer climates have posted many photos of all the glorious May flowers in their yards and and in wild areas near their homes. However, in the northern United States and in Canada, the riotous blossoming doesn’t start until late May or early June. In Maine, May is a pretty sparse time for all the pollinating insects.

Therefore, gardening and nature experts are advising northern homeowners to wait to mow until June when there are plenty of flowers for the pollinators. This we will do. After all, where in the world would we be without our pollinators? In tough shape, that’s for sure.

So for this month, I’ll try not to mind the shaggy bits in our yard. Instead, I’ll think of all the little buzzers who bring so much life to our town. Those dandelions and scraggly areas are there for you, my pollinating friends.

Heck, I’ll even go low for a picture of the violets that are dotting our backyard. Between exercising and losing weight, I can actually lie on the ground to take pictures and then get up all by myself. Progress!

*********************************************

Today, “Showdown at Crescent Beach,” Episode 10 of “The Wings of Luck,” is available on my podcast Tales from the Other Green Door. Two more to go until the end of this story and Season 1. In “Showdown at Crescent Beach,” Jace, Thirret, and Niall discover that Iris has tricked them and has put them all in danger.

podcast

Pink blossom against dried Leaves & Episode 9 of My Podcast

47 Comments

Last week, the rain came and beat down this pink hyacinth in leaves of the yet to be cleaned garden bed. It seemed to me that fall and spring, those opposites, were meeting for a final farewell before I removed the leaves.

*********************************

It’s Wednesday, time for another episode from my podcast Tales from the Other Green Door. Here is Episode 9 of “The Wings of Luck”: “An Elfling, a Grenog, and an Onnea Go for a Bike Ride.” Iris, surely one of the most confident elflings in Portland, Maine, puts her plans into motion. Onward, ho!

And for those who might need to catch up, here is a link to the podcast on our Hinterlands Press website, where the episodes are available in descending order.

Living in Place, podcast

Denizens of the Leafy Floor & Episode 8 of Tales from the Other Green Door

52 Comments

Because we live in the woods, we are surrounded by ferns, and I love seeing them come up in the spring. Like most young things, they are tender and fresh with a soft color that comes only with being new.

Here are pictures of ferns that are growing beside our driveway. I am pretty sure they are cinnamon ferns, but blogging friends, if you know otherwise, please correct me.

Let’s take a closer look.

I am fascinated by the fuzzy white overcoat that will go away as the fern matures and the coiled outline of the leaves tucked underneath.

So tiny and sweet.

In spring, I am always reminded of Wordsworth’s “Nature never did betray the heart that loved her.”

***********************************

I’m coming down the homestretch with “The Wings of Luck,” Season 1 of my podcast, Tales from the Other Green Door. This week is Episode 8: “What Iris Knew,” in which Iris takes matters into her own hands. Four more episodes to go!

Birds, podcast

Chickens in the Woods and Episode 6 of my podcast tales from the other green door

53 Comments

Late afternoon, when we sit on the patio, we hear their gentle scratching as they look for tasty tidbits at the edge of the woods. We raise our glasses to the chickens: Get those ticks!

*******************

Another Wednesday, and another episode of my podcast, Tales from the Other Green Door. In “Iris’s Flash,” Episode 6 of the story “The Wings of Luck,” Iris has a premonition of things going horribly, horribly wrong.

*******************

Finally, on another subject…for some reason known only to the WordPress gods, I have not been getting email notices of new posts from all my lovely blogging friends. When Clif and I checked the settings on WordPress, we noticed that the box for receiving email notices was not ticked. Why? Who knows? As far as I can remember, I did not go to that setting and untick the box. Anyway, the box is now ticked, and I hope I will resume getting email notices. Fingers, toes, and everything else crossed because for me this is the best way of keeping up with everyone’s blogs.

Living in Place, podcast

Words on Wednesday: Wee Stairs & Episode 5 of my Podcast

60 Comments

The snow has gone, and the ground is fairly dry. Time for yard work, an hour or two each day, tucked in among writing and other chores. While I resent vacuuming, and dusting, I never seem to mind work in the yard. Bring on raking, picking up branches, and clipping unwanted trees and plants. All are a pleasure to me. I suppose it’s because I am outside, under the sky, and all around, I can hear the birds singing their spring songs.

The other day, while I was picking up branches, I came upon these little beauties. They reminded me of wee stairs, and I could visualize sprites and other small creatures climbing them to have drinks on a stump deck. After all, winter keeps them inside, too, and spring is a time for getting out and rejoicing.

Because it’s Wednesday, it’s time for the newest episode of my podcast, Tales from the Other Green Door. In “Donod Ashglade,” Episode 5 of “The Wings of Luck,” Jace and Thirret meet the elf who is behind it all.

Living in Place, podcast

Words on Wednesday: After the Wind Blew & a New Podcast episode

67 Comments

On Monday, a storm blew in, bringing strong winds. The power flickered off and on, off and on, and Clif and I decided to abandon our day’s work that involved using the computer. The rain bucketed down, and we even had thunder. But no snow, as earlier forecasts predicted—a nor’easter bringing at least a foot. And, aside from the flickering, we never really lost our power. As we Mainers like to say, things could have been worse.

Tuesday was sunny, and while no damage was done, the wind left its mark on the patio.

Easy as can be to pick up the chairs.

If it’s Wednesday, it’s time for a new episode from my podcast, Tales from the Other Green Door: This week, Episode 4—“To Love a Human”—from the story “The Wings of Luck.” While Jace reflects on the vagaries of love, danger and destruction hit close to home. Very close.