Scarborough Fair, Freshening Up, In the Night

1. I love to gather herbs from the garden. I pile the leaves into the palm of my hand or I use my apron, pinching and plucking what I need for our meal. After rinsing and patting them dry on paper towels, I snip them in a small bowl with my kitchen shears rather than chop them with a knife. It's easier and there is no cutting board to clean. The rosemary, peppermint and thyme are winter hardy here in Virginia. The dill profusely reseeds itself and the parsley and basil must be planted new each spring. (One parsley plant did overwinter, albeit bitterly.)
2. I bought paint for the exterior doors today. They've become faded and sun bleached and I'm excited at the prospect of freshening them up for fall. I'm even more excited about the door knocker I ordered. More on that when it arrives...
3. I'm awakened at 3:38 a.m. by an odd animal sound outside. I lie still and listen, trying to place what it might be. It's nothing I recognize or have heard before. I go to the open window, sit on the floor and rest my chin on the windowsill. It's a beautiful, peaceful night with a bright moon and a mist that makes everything appear ghostly. I feel privileged to be awake like this, alone with the night. I hear it again; a long, throaty growl coming from the woods. It's not deep like a big animal, but more cat-like. This time I wake Steve and he hears it too. The sound continues on, but it begins to move farther away and after a while I go back to bed. I dream that we've moved from New York to the wild mountains of Virginia.