hurricane remnants stormed through our neck of the woods for three days with relentless rain and high winds. today it calmed down enough to go and gather some funnel chanterelles waiting in the forest, there's loads of them this year. we also have so many plums i was kind of relieved to see many of them fallen and eaten by slugs. there's still more than enough, and the old, lichen-bearded trees are bent over from the weight.

this raven flew by today. i think they spy on me, because they always pass right above. they've only been around for a few years, but already this image is home to me. comfort and security.

a few of my favourite things

for a long, long time i've been hoping to find a big fat toad residing in the garden, so it was heartbreaking to find one flattened in the middle of the road. the top photo is a close-up of a dead toad's belly, i'm sorry. after i peeled the unfortunate amphibian off the asphalt, i was tempted to try and preserve the skin, because it was almost intact and incredibly soft to touch. in the end i buried the remains under some nasturtiums instead, hoping the spirit of the toad would stay at least.

comfort and hope returned the very next day in the form of the tiniest toadling ever.
grow old and visit often, little one!

it's begun.

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