PARTRIDGE-PEAS: These semitropical plants have fern-like leaves and golden yellow flowers. About 30 species occur, most of them in the South in fields, roadsides, and waste places. They are also known as Sensitive Plants and Bee-blossom. The delicate, compound leaves, controlled by an unusual mechanism, fold slowly when touched. The hard seeds are eaten by quail. — Summer and fall. Pea family.
~ FLOWERS by Dr. Herbert Zim and Dr. Alexander Martin
Apothecary News: Final call for paid subscribers to sign up for this batch of Moon Mail (you can find all the details in the last newsletter)! Be sure to send me your mailing address for your print and letter using the form at the end of this newsletter. Substack doesn’t collect these so I have to do it separately. I will be printing and drying all of your woodcuts this coming week and will send out a message to our private chat when they ship.
Bend low again, night of summer stars. So near you are, sky of summer stars, So near, a long-arm man can pick off stars, Pick off what he wants in the sky bowl, So near you are, summer stars, So near, strumming, strumming, So lazy and hum-strumming.
~ Carl Sandburg, Summer Stars
The sky still clinging to the light, bless these endless days.
Harvesting fresh lemon balm to share, baby infusing his own fire energy in the leaves.
Plucking fresh rose petals to float on the tea.
A morning of storms and sipping said tea in the loft of a barn smelling of onions.
Then cackling with a circle of women and a cat after it had passed.
One woman gasps as we lay in the grass and look at all of the life there. “What magic!” she says, studying the dew droplets on clover leaves.
Picking wild strawberries and reveling in their flavor, believing I can taste a hint of basil or some other hidden layer there.
Weeding and begging for forgiveness from my garden.
Believing this day may last forever.
Happy solstice!
To the best of what may be,
Val
P.S. Moon Mail form below!