Late Autumn, November to be exact, the time of year the Home Place Fairy Folk have been waiting for.

All their seasonal chores are completed; their food lockers have been filled to capacity with delectable delights they will consume right up until Christmas at which time they will lazily drift off into a deep and dream filled slumber not to awaken until spring.

photo credit E.M.

The gentler days of November are their one last chance to sing and dance outdoors before the harsher winds blow and the snow flies.

Look what the Fairies left!

On the north side of a small mountain not far from the sea sits a fine little farmhouse as happy as can be.

Surrounded by meadows of hay, orchards of fruit, gardens of flowers, vegetables and herbs.

Old Horse is Guardian of the Home Place Fairy Folk who reside in the Enchanted Forest that borders this farm.

Our Foxy Friend and Fairy Companion, Caspian rests at the edge of the Enchanted Forrest as he contemplates the events of his day.

Fairy Lee checks that the greenhouse has been properly dusted with just the right amount of fairy dust as day begins to slip into dusk.

She double checks that all of the Toadstools have been sprinkled with precisely the correct amount of magical dust in preparation for the Cricket Band who will perform their symphony while standing upon them beginning at dawn.

The very first evening of each October, right at dusk the Fairies will venture from the hills where the little farmhouse rests and fly to the shore where they will sing goodbye for the season to their Selkie cousins who spend their winters further out at sea.

Later the the fairies will return to the meadow here at the farm and dance in the twilight of autumns cooling moon.

Nina Enchanted

Little Nina was in a predicament, she did not know what to do. All the other fairies were leaving the forest and heading as they always did towards the bright sunlight of their well tended gardens.

“As much as I enjoy tending these beautiful gardens day after day, I would like one morning where things were, well, different”, thought Nina. When suddenly one little fairy departed from the group and veered left instead of right, heading down a path Nina had not noticed before. Far in the distance a tiny beacon glowed. Nina could not decide what to do, as she had always followed the rest of the troop, never once had she ventured off alone. Suddenly very curious, Nina wondered how different her day might be if she too were to travel down this new path instead.

After much contemplation Nina adventurously set out alone. Instead of turning right like the fairies have always done, she turned left, stepping onto a path much less traveled. Nina walked for what seemed like a very long time, going deeper into the forest, further than she had ever gone before. The trees seemed much taller here and it was darker; less sunlight and lots of toadstools, but Nina was not scared. After a while she found herself in a small clearing, the fairy she had been following was nowhere to be seen. Surrounding her were common woodland ferns and mosses, lichen and assorted mushrooms all muted in pale greens and grays; lots of shadowy places, not the brilliant colors of the gardens she generally tended. “Why this is not so special”, she thought, wishing she had taken the path to the gardens instead. Disappointed, she turned back toward where she had come from, when she noticed a tiny flickering orb of light.

Nina gazed at the bright little orb in wonder and the little light politely asked that she step closer, and so she did.

The little orb said, “Look deeper Nina, not a me, but at what lays before you.” And so Nina did look around herself into what she had thought was just an ordinary wooded glen.

And what she saw was very beautiful. While Nina had thought she was surrounded by common woodland ferns and mosses, upon closer inspection she discovered that they weren’t so common after all. They were extraordinary and tucked in among them were hundreds of tiny flowers of a soft blue hue, the likes of which Nina had never seen before. These flowers whispered softly to her,”Please take us with you so we may cast our seeds far and wide.”

Nina gathered these little blue flowers together, wrapping them with tender ferns and soft spongy mosses. As she did this the little flowers began to shimmer with happiness and the dark woodland glen became illuminated with a soft golden glow, a radiant light, created by the joy of flowers who have waited so long to be seen.

Nina hurried back to the garden of sunlight, eager to share her adventure with the fairy folk and as she left that secret hidden woodland glen, the little blue flowers whispered “forget me not, forget me not”.

What if I fall?

Oh, but my Darling…

What if you fly?

Quote by Erin Hanson

The thing about dreams is

They color your life with hope and possibilities.

Dreams are transformative, offering comfort, and encouragement.

Be a wanderer…

a wonderer… a curious seeker of truth,

a courageous spirit

who is endlessly inspired.

Fairy Folk are clever and spry.

They are ageless, helpful, resourceful and can be mischievous too.

Fairy Folk have been around since the beginnings of Time.

Summer is when they reign in all their glory.

So take note some full moon summer’s eve, perhaps what you perceive as some tiny little firefly is actually a wee small fairy out dancing in the moonlight.

In late August when cooler days arrive at our farm the lovely green wide leaved annual herb Basil tastes especially fine and we traditionally make pesto to freeze for the winter months.

I plant our Basil in mid to late April from seed in my greenhouse and transplant the seedlings come late May into raised beds nestled up to colorful Cosmos Flowers; dry seeding Hollyhocks and lettuce. We like harvesting basil to use in salads, tomato dishes, soups, stews and stir fries.

Preparing to make some fresh Home Place Fairies Pixie Pesto a granddaughter removes Basil leaves from their stems and sets them aside. Then we begin gathering together our ingredients.

Home Place Fairies Pixie Pesto

Ingredients:

1. 4 cups packed full of fresh Basil Leaves, rinsed if needed, and stems removed.
2. 4-5 cloves of Fresh Garlic
3. 1/4 cup Pine Nuts
4. 1/4 cup Sunflower Seeds
5. 3/4 – 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
6. 1/2 cup extra virgin Olive Oil
7. Salt a wee bit to taste (and maybe Pepper)
8. Optional you could apply a small squeeze of Fresh Lemon, just a tiny nip!
9. Many folks add a tablespoon of melted butter, I generally don’t but you can

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients into a food processor or a blender. (I use a food processor) and blend on low speed, then medium, then high. Sometimes the basil leaves bunch up in which case, turn off your machine and rearrange the ingredients with a wooden spoon so blade will move more effectively. Blend until everything turns into a smooth paste. Presto! That’s it! That’s your pesto!

There are many delicious ways to serve Pesto. You can simply smear your Pesto on crackers or toast and top with freshly harvested cherry tomato slices. Try topping this with sprinkles of goat cheese and pinched tiny basil leaves and florets.

You can serve Pixie Pesto over cooked pasta, smear on roast chicken, fish or chops.

Pixie Pesto can be frozen for a late winter treat. I like to freeze my basil in little heart ice cube trays, or heart shaped baking sheets, or simple ice cube trays will do. Just smear Pixie Pesto into your tray, place in freezer uncovered and wait until frozen then remove and place in freezer proof ziploc bags, return to freezer for later use.

We might toss 6-8 (or more or less) frozen or thawing hearts onto a dish of hot pasta depending upon how much Pixie Pesto we are craving.

Yum!

By August the Home Place Fairies and I have been faithfully tending the gardens here at the farm since early spring. Late summer days in Maine can be hot and heavy and traditionally it is a time when I pause from my daily gardening chores to sit or wander soaking in the loveliness and bounty all around me. The fairies are playful little sprites who always find time to play and be merry.

Being fair little beings their fairy skin is tender to the bright sunlight of an August summer day so they tend to the gardens now only at dawns early light or just before the sun sets and a soft gentle chill sets in.

By mid day most of the fairy folk head for the enchanted forest and bask in the shade. Those few who venture out to the gardens take parasols creating their own protective shade.

Delphinia and La Rosa soar through the kiwi arbor as Nightingale approaches  suggesting they return to the forest to wait until the sun sets lower on the horizon.

A breeze picks up and Nightingale joins the other fairies frolicking beneath the shade of the kiwi arbor heavy with fruit. She  cheerfully sprinkles fairy dust everywhere she goes.

Delphinia is next as she glides to a landing.

Last is La Rosa with her wand all a glimmer.

“To the enchanted forest and the shade”,  she says. And so the fairies head to the forest and I am left alone in my garden with visions of fairy folk in my head.

August is the hottest of months in Maine and tiny wonders abound this time of year.

Late in the afternoon as the sun reaches her rise, little fairy feet retreat from the gardens and greenhouse entering into the Enchanted Woodland for the cool comfort of shade.

The smallest of the small are carried as Fairies march through the woodland to hidden chambers; resting during the hottest hours of each day.

Fairies work long hours from twilight to dawn ripening the harvest which will be gathered by mortals during the day.

Fairy sweetened tomatoes, ripen in the greenhouse. Yum.

Taking one last look around to see that all is as it should be,the last of the home Place Fairies flee for the day.

But do not worry they will be back again at twilight to work and play.

Early in the morning the Home Place Fairies Nightingale, La Rosa and Delphinia affectionately greet Old Horse.

Old Horse is their companion; the loyal guardian of all the Home Place Fairies.

Through the long cold months of winter Old Horse stands vigil guarding the entrance to the Fairies secret woodland chambers.

Old Horse was long ago enchanted by the Home Place Fairies

and though Old Horse ages, he never grows old.

The bond between Old Horse and the Fairies is very strong. Forged from integrity and respect as well as love and commitment the bond has solidified, becoming everlasting; suspended in time.

In the earliest hours of each and every August morning before humans are awake, the fairy folk greet Old Horse with hugs and kisses, showering him with fairy dust.

Later in the day when an old friend comes to visit, the fairies will have left the stable yard and gardens for the shade of the Enchanted Forest.

Old Horse will greet Nina who being magical herself in a Nordic gardening kind of way will never let on that she can see the fairy magic that  surrounds her dear old friend.

Together they will reminisce about the past as they walk into the Future of Possibilities.