A friend called: "Can I come over and will you take me to see the eagles?"
Oh my gosh, yes!
At breakfast, the second day of the Shepherds' Retreat, the discussion: "Can we abandon our normal routine and go see the eagles instead?"
Off we went.
It doesn't get much better than this: watching eagles, very large young ones-stone-still-in the high, huge nest alongside Red Rock Creek; Mom, or was it Dad, visiting the nest, then lifting above the trees and, together, the two floating higher and higher in the sky.
It doesn't get much better than this: friends open to experiencing the wonder and awe of seeing eagles, and knowing the value of wonder and awe for the well-being of all interdependent life on this one, living organism of a planet. (We wrote about both sightings on our blog.)
Thank you friends. Thank you Eagle family.

Yellow clover covers the berms on the slope below the prairie labyrinth. We are glad the honey bees have something to eat, as the drought deepens. The soil is dry, deeply. Trees planted there in the swales below the berms last January are due a good drenching, which, has not come in mid-May. Ann sets up her summer watering system: a five-gallon bucket with holes drilled in the bottom, one for each tree, and gives them their first drink.  

The plastic that has covered the high tunnel greenhouse for the last couple of years, begins to tear in the spring winds; those winds that blow but bring no rain. This summer, we'll add shade cloth only to cover the  

high tunnel-but not until the rains come.
For days, winds blow east and north, south and west; they hang overhead and let go of the usual 15 drops. May is historically our wettest month. And while we don't expect May showers to end the drought, we know they may be our best chance for watering the prairie. It is the next to last weekend that it comes: real rain. Three inches over two days. Every living thing, including us, seems relieved, gleeful. We aren't the only ones splashing, getting wet!

Guests in the hermitage this month enjoyed the springing. Chris, who helped out with the overwhelming amount of spring tasks, also spent time observing ant life and had a close encounter (but, thankfully, not a smelly one!) with two skunks one night while he lay under the stars in his hammock. His story is also on our blog.

Pat shared about Turtle Rock Farm's sustainability practices with and learned from seventh graders at Edmond's Cheyenne Middle School. With grant money, science faculty and students there have built an alluvial stream, greenhouse, raised bed gardens and keep chickens and guineas. It was a thrill to visit with these young people who are well on their way to learning the value of paying attention in this world of nature and learning sustainable practices. Thank you Michele for inviting us!

As we at Turtle Rock Farm continue to do our work in the city too, Pat also preached at Cornerstone United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City, telling the miraculous, wondrous story of how stars came to be and the miraculous, wondrous story of what that means for life-including human life-on the planet. Pastors take note: Pat is available to fill your pulpit to relate the incredible stories of the creation of the cosmos.

Back on the farm, we welcomed guests for the meditation and labyrinth retreat and Jane Taylor's first writing workshop. It was such a wonderful day with Jane, we're planning for her next workshop. Keep an eye on our website for that.

In fact, our website has been updated recently. The calendar link lists the schedule for the rest of 2014, including the Sixth Annual Green Connections Prairie Dinner and Concert. Chef Barb from Kam's Kookery, Woods & Waters Wine and Kyle Dillingham will be returning! Other workshops and events, details will be added, so keep watching.  

We're very excited to welcome Jeannie Martin back from Massachusetts for her third haiku retreat! It's June 14 and we're looking forward to another wonderful day together, reading and being surprised by others' haiku, going out into nature and being surprised there and writing our own surprises, and doing the collaborative writing-the renga-which is always a blast. Call or email us right away if you plan to join us.  

In June too, we offer another of our arts and nature retreats-photography, on June 28.  

June 20-21, we get to experience the planet and especially the prairie ecosystem better during the Women on the Prairie retreat. It starts with the Cosmic Walk, watching Earth roll up and the sun disappear, a sky full of stars, the prairie wake up and continues with a walk on the prairie and along Doe Creek. Jane Taylor will be on hand too, to help us connect the story.  

Meanwhile, Ann continues the planting, maintaining and harvesting in the gardens, orchard, pecan grove and aviary. You might just get a taste of delicious homegrown food when you come to visit!

We hope to welcome you soon!    

Beauty, Peace, Wonder, 

Ann and Pat

in support of

 

 

You may send tax deductible donations to Green Connections, 5900 CR 90, Red Rock, OK 74651. Or you can donate on the Green Connections website. Or, go to our website - www.turtlerockfarmretreat.com - and click on Green Connections, and use Paypal to send your donation.  

Meet our board members:

Green Connections: Kay Adair, Vicki Rose (treasurer), Elizabeth Box Price, Dorothy Gray, Pat Hoerth, Ann Denney, Mary Moloney, Claudia Scribner, Shauna Struby (president,) Tom Temple   

Turtle Rock Farm Advisory Council: Barbara Hagan, Bruce Johnson, Corey Williams