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These past few days I can feel a lifeline connecting myself today with myself as a child.  Creativity.  It has always delighted me.  But this entire yard project is my work of art – way too large to hang on some gallery wall.  It is the gallery itself – and so much more.

Here are a few pictures – not quite up to date as the garden gate itself continues to evolve.  It has faint orange flowers painted below the curve of the top oval now.  I had nothing ‘right’ to work with today – so time will tell what the rains create out of my intent.

I was most fortunate to discover a can of linseed oil and some tubes of acrylic paint as I dug through boxes in my ‘craft room’ (as every room in my house actually is).  Of course water and oil do not mix – which made my painting prospects so much more delightful and curious.

The wood is scavenged for the gate and the entry way that it will hang from.  Very old, very dry, it soaked up the oil like this desert will soon soak up the rain.  The pigment in the acrylic paint makes splashes and splotches – most delightful.

I bought 2 boxes of 100 little silver washers each today and hopefully as many one inch black screws.  These will be added to the gate tomorrow – it seems most likely on the bottom.

But enough of these words.  Here are some pictures:

I recently found out the reason why people knock on wood as per superstition:  To invoke the protection and aid from the wood spirits in trees.  Oh, and that’s the little goat house for the miniature goats I hope to have come live at my place come fall.  There’s an old plexi-glass window in their door – no latch yet.  My door is plumb, the pallet to it’s left was not square – oh well – adds character and dare I say, a certain CHARM!!

I found those spindles at our local thrift store 3 years ago, painted them and put them in their little frame WAITING for whatever it was they belonged to to appear!  I also bought heavy hinges and a latch today, pricey!!  Will have to get creative for handles….  I use screws, no nails!  I HATE working with nails, and as dry as it gets here in the high desert, I figure the screws will work better with dry wood — anywhere my 2 100′ extension cords can reach — I can work!!

I have been pondering a bit – what is the difference between a door and a gate?  How they are made?  What they separate?  One indoors, one outside?

“The Secret Garden” is one of my all-time favorite movies, and tells a story that could not have been properly told at all if there had been no garden gate!!

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