the wall is silence, the grass is sleep
tall tree of peace their vigil keep
and the fairy of dreams with moth-wings furled
plays soft on her flute to the drowsy world
~ ida rentoul outhwaite

::

legacy

dear gigi's LEGACY series continues at the magpie's fancy
where i am beyond delighted to be sharing

legacy and fairies

two of gigi's favourite topics!

serendipity

the moment i sent gigi my legacy piece yesterday
my phone rang ...

it was a woman who so graciously shared a bit of history
about a most magical garden in an old farmstead
that my friend carol and i
had just discovered the day before ...

as she spoke of her uncle j frank's beloved garden ...
how he tended it ...
 how the land meant so much to him ...
i had goosebumps on goosebumps ...

in telling me, you see, i felt she was passing along
a bit of uncle j frank's legacy 
of his most enchanted garden ...

a garden
carol and i both believe
is alive with fairies!

i know somehow that this discovery ...
gigi's legacy series ...
and her love of fairies are all connected ...

serendipity, don't you think?

come, let me show you what we saw ...

set back from the roadside
this old farm yard has intrigued me
for years and years ...

it must be fortuitous that my friend carol ought to mention
that she, too was fascinated with this particular spot
while we were out on an excursion this past monday.

we both love and respect and yearn to know stories 
of abandoned farmsteads ...
to imagine and envision what they were like
when they were alive.

it was a very rainy day ...
although the skies grey above us
the colours in the foliage were brilliant with wet ...

we ventured in for a visit ...

we set out to the house first
and were absolutely amazed at the carefully stacked
stone fence that graced the hedges surrounding the house yard proper ...
something quite unusual for the prairies ...
something that someone had put a lot of time, effort and pride in doing ...

the house, sadly is falling inward to the earth ...
a home to many a creature ...

as with so many abandoned yards with heavy overgrown grass
we knew to keep our distance for fear
of falling into an old well or coal shoot!

we meandered about the barnyard ...
mesmerized and musing at what it must have been like ...

sheds thoughtfully situated ...
a great amount of detail ...
built by a person of craftsmanship ...
a couple of old wagons sit silent ...
well weathered ... well worn ... yet sturdy still ...
a simple ring door pull ...
the door held true by forever-strong, hand-forged hinges ...
we were just circling the yard, making our way back to the vehicle
when i spotted something like a birdhouse on a pole ...
carol ~ what is this?
stepping closer, we could see ...
indeed, a log birdhouse on a very large pole ...
but look ...
attached to the pole is fencing ...
and it is lined with stone!
and in the far corner, yet another interesting birdhouse!
this entire, sizable rectangular space is completely enclosed
by a pole, wire and stone fence ...
a garden!
fascinating ...
and completely entangled and covered with gorgeous grapevine ...
at this point we were literally tip toeing through the enmeshment
of grasses and vines, passing by small trees
in the enclosure ...
spellbound ... giddy ... delighted
and oh so careful not to disturb the little fairies we were sure called this home!
never ever had we seen such a place ...
we knew it must have been so glorious in it's day ...
we knew how special it felt on this damp day ...

just look at the view the spritely pixies have of the house ...
they would surely know when to hide
should uncle j frank come along to tend to his strawberries! 
this sturdy, resilient windmill withstands the test of time
keeping watch over the entire yard ...
majestic in it's own right ...
back to the garden's entrance
we marvel yet again at the buildings
and what must have been ...
cement markings where the grass is golden
indicates the place where the 'big' barn would have stood ...

oh, the wonders ...

imagine when the snow is laden upon the garden fence ...
when it comes alive in green in spring ...

we were entranced.

we have a date to learn more about uncle j frank's homestead ...
to talk and share the stories of the love this man and his wife
had for their home, animals, yard, land ... and garden.

::

if we opened our minds to enjoyment,
we might find tranquil pleasures
spread about us on every side.
we might live with the angels
that visit us on every sunbeam,
and sit with fairies
who wait on every flower.
~ samuel smiles

xo