from lake bratan to botanical bliss

Going through trip photos and loved this day where we drove from the north coast of Bali, south and east, towards the city of Ubud with a stop at Lake Bratan and the Botanical Gardens. 

a road-side stop to view the unabashed long tailed macaques beggng for peanuts and bananas. I'm so curious about these creatures. how did they get to this little island and how did they become so unafraid of humans?

lakeside

loved their fishing poles

then back on the road, take a right at the corn cob statue and you're on the right track to the Bali Botanical gardens

our first stop at the Bali botanical gardens was an eerie black Hindu temple with dragon gates--it was littered with the remnants of a big celebration but it was so very quiet and empty

but once inside the gardens it was so very lush. dense. so many layers of plants, epiphytes in heaven. 

there were gardens upon gardens from delicate orchids to a cacti fantasia and palm forest. I could've spent a full day in this quiet green space. layers upon layers of things to explore. mosses and tiny fungi, and the birds and butterflies!

cement sidewalk turned mosslandia

loved the ethnobotanical garden, taman usada, learning about all the medicinal uses of plants

and there was a surprise, a big park with people picnicking with a nice overlook of the lake. one of the few green open spaces we viewed on our trip. a luxury. 

noodles and loofas

come together in the garden

sprouting red noodle bean

ready to harvest! 

you will be a loofah! yes--I mean a loofah, the sponges you use in the shower! these are it's flowers, this plant is trellised and is probably over 8 feet tall right now. It's no joke. 

Today: made chili paste for some fermenting kimchi and roasting pan after pan of tomatoes with garlic for tonight's welcome home R & K feast. 

found: morning walk

loving my morning garden walk after letting the chickens out. found today: first fat red noodle bean pair. and a feather, the streak of blue catching the sun just enough to catch my eye. 

Reminded me of other walker-collector-writers that inspire me. My friend Allison collects plastic on her daily dog walks (I love this piece she wrote on public space) and David Sedaris collects trash on the english countryside. 

Weighing urban vs rural lately. Wanting urban with a dose of rural. Or is it more that I'm not sure there's really any rural left? Is it all just in various stages of suburban transformation? it isn't just about finding a spot where I can dig my hands in the soil. and ride my bike to work. its about finding a place of nourishment. of community, soil, where slowness is accessible, but the pulse of the city/diversity/culture is there too. 

For now, loving these morning walks. Dew on the grass before the heat sets in. first bees of the day buzzing around me while I tuck tomatillo branches getting burdened with their green buds and shake the tall green bean trellises to rid them of their sleepy japanese beetles. 

I'd drive through a blizzard to see you any day

...not just your birthday. Getting this photo in my inbox made my day! Love. 

soon you will be a bean and other adventures in farmette care

Every morning I walk through the garden amazed at how fast it's changing now

Hunting for squash bugs and tucking the tomatoes into their cages leave my hands smelling like the zucchinis and tomatoes to come. I look for the first versions of veggies, that first small blossom, still such a suprise for me in shape and color.

hello baby green bean

and geeta long bean

Digging garlic, the best olfactory experience yet. 165 heads a dryin'

Today: green bean and cucumber harvesting and pickling partying continues. 

lost and found

a few shots of SF in January. I miss you.