Homely House Farewell

After five happy years, circumstances dictated a change and my family left behind "the last homely house" at the outskirts of the village. Finances, an aging old house, and a lot of maintenance featured in the decision, and we are settling in at a newer home in a different part of the island. It will in time become home, but not quite yet.

The last few months in the old place were beautiful, once summer storms let up September ushered in an Indian summer we are still enjoying, with warm sunny days and butterflies & blooms even now in November.

A pair of white-tailed does turned up in late summer, still so young the spots on their flanks hadn't faded, and they became regular visitors to the old apple trees. I never tired of watching them stroll around the yard, at mid-day and often at dusk, with late day sunshine glowing behind them. I hope they survive the hunting season, poor things not as wild and cautious as they should be.

My Sarah Bernhardt peony was, with some effort, dug up and transplanted to the new yard, its third move in the last 14 years it has travelled with me. Turned out some previous tenant had left the remains of a flower bed out front, so it was fairly easy to find it a new home.

My son grew up from boy to young man at the homely house, from 13 to 18, and the place holds echoes of airsoft gun tournaments, boys' late night laughter, music, bicycles, Risk and Middle Earth role play games, a host of growing up times. The years flew by so quickly. Sentimentally, I imagine the old house with its own sleepy memories now that it stands empty and quiet.

I miss the golden light on the garden in the morning, when frost shimmered on the Autumn Joy sedum and sparkled in the early morning sun. The apple trees, the tall hackmatacks, and the crows calling for their morning bread crusts, I will remember the peace most of all, stepping out into the morning light with a hot coffee and no company but the chatter of chickadees. It was just right for us then, now it's time to move on. So a fond farewell to the homely house - it was a wonderful home these past five years and will always be with us in memory, remembered with much love. So the Homely House Journal comes to an end.

Dog Days of August

Summer was late arriving, but when the heat wave hit last week it was as if there had never been rain. With a full week of 30plus temps and 100% humidity just ended, even the prospect of hurricane rain on Sunday sounds (almost) welcome. It felt like we'd been transported to the tropics for a while, though some of the garden responded by putting on rapid growth.

The first blackberries are delicious, plumped up by the rain and ripened by a week of sun (probably thought they were in Tuscany). Hummingbirds hover around the scarlet runner flowers when I'm picking the pole beans that grow overnight from tiny to "pick me now!!" size. Bees are delighted with the snow white borage blossoms, bright coloured snapdragons, and soft pink bee balm. I am delighted with the rose pink zinnias and (finally!!) reddening fruit on the cherry tomato plants.

Wet weather gave fungal infections a head start and it's a race between getting tomatoes ripened before the blight affecting much of the leaves takes them out. I've been cutting off yellowing, spotty leaves as fast as I can, but the problem is worse than usual this year.

I've had cedar waxwings, robins, crows, goldfinches, warblers, hummingbirds and a variety of butterflies around for the last month or so - painted lady & fritillaries most common of the butterflies. They enjoyed the milkweed, but almost no monarchs around, hope it's not a bad sign. Last year I had several monarch caterpillars and none this time around. It's done blooming now and the Autumn Joy sedum is just starting to turn blush pink at the tips, still mostly a soft spring green. Crickets have been noisy the last few nights, and I have a small garter snake who persists in wiggling into the crack of the cellar door. I have to check every time I close it for fear of squashing him.

It's not a good year for arachnaphobes - spiders everywhere. Every time I open the side door I have to brush away cobwebs or duck under them to miss the striped legged humbugs. At my sister's home there are gigantic spiders in the screen porch, amazing sized creatures. It's good to have them about to keep pests down, but they just aren't pretty. Fun to observe just the same.

I stayed up late watching for the Perseid meteor showers from my doorstep, got a few mosquito bites for the effort but did see one lovely silvery meteorite streaming across the sky. (I forgot to watch the first night & the second has a lot fewer.)

Here we are already wrapping up another summer and school opens again in a couple of weeks. The teens around here spent a lot of our hot days swimming in an outdoor lake that has a newly installed pontoon, which my son & his friends really appreciate. He's become a big fan of the German band Rammstein, so I'm hearing a lot of "industrial"rock. Sounds very dramatic and has a heavy beat, kind of catchy when you're in the right mood, interesting lyrics (in translation.)

Best book this month - The Savage Garden by Mark Mills, a good summer story, set in a villa near Florence, with a mystery of long ago alongside a more recent murder to solve, and the garden is almost like a character. Now reading an interesting history of honey and bees -Robbing the Bees by Holley Bishop.

Nine years this summer since my oldest son died, and this year again rosemary and moss roses are planted in his memory. Many of Millay's poems bring him to mind, like this one:

You go no more on your exultant feet

Up paths that only mist and morning knew;

Or watch the wind, or listen to the beat

Of a bird's wings too high in air to view, --

But you were something more than young and sweet

And fair,--and the long year remembers you.

-Edna St. Vincent Millay

Raindrops keep Falling

Here we are beginning the month of July, after the wettest June I can remember in recent years. For two weeks now it has rained almost every day - variations on heavy rain, thunder showers, drizzle and fog. Yesterday morning started with a spectacular crack of thunder, too close for comfort, and pouring rain that lasted about an hour. The phone began to jingle when lightning flashed, so I pulled out the connecting jack. Seemed like the whole house lit up with the wild flashes of lightning. Very relieved when it ended.

Despite the wet weather, we do get the odd few hours of sun here and there, and the container tomato plants are growing rapidly, as are the summer squash, scarlet runners and peas in the vegetable bed. I dare not touch the scarlet runners, as they are easily ruined if handled when wet. They're just beginning to latch on and vine around the bamboo poles. Unfortunately, the slugs love the wet and they are flourishing. Ants seem to be developing new hills all over the yard, very widespread this year.

The wildflowers are abundant, and swaths of daisies, red and gold Devil's Paintbrush, white blackberry blossoms and pink clover brighten the yard and the roadsides. My milkweed plant is growing gigantic, but so far have seen no Monarch caterpillars on it. Usually they turn up early in the season. The butterfly spotted most often has been the lovely Tiger Swallowtail, they've been around ever since lilac time. Autumn Joy sedum is huge, all green as yet and very striking. Right now the Sarah Bernhardt peony I've moved around with for years is in full bloom and though a bit bent by the rain it's still a beauty.

I noticed today while out walking that the foggy days have a beauty of their own, with delicate spiderwebs laced in dewdrops and birds singing, trilling and chirping all around. Great forests of ferns along the roadside ditches look prehistoric, like grazing ground for one of the vegetarian dinosaurs. Hedges of wild pink roses cascade along the rocky slopes above the ditch, fragrant in the damp air. The steady rain has resulted in jungle-like growth of grass, leaves, lush shades of green all around, overgrown of course, too wet to mow, so the yard blends with the trees and wild background shrubbery. It has a wild if somewhat unkempt beauty.

Wildlife spotted this last few weeks has included a mouse (trapped behind the bathroom door by the cat) and a very tiny ringneck snake, rescued from the cat (both were liberated outside). It's the second time I've had ringneck snakes turn up in the house, luckily they are quite harmless and don't even bite in self-defense like garter snakes will on occasion. Have also had a friendly stray cat visiting all week, obviously not a wild one, very affectionate, quite young, poor dear. I hope he's all right as I haven't seen him since yesterday and he's been pretty regular at suppertime. A few days ago I glanced out the window at dusk and a young buck was grazing in the thick grass that's grown up around my herb bed. He had two very small nubs of antlers showing, a handsome creature. Hope he stays away from my tomatoes.

Since gardening time is limited by rain, I've been reading more than usual. Recently finished The Sisters Mortland, a novel about three sisters made famous by a portrait artist. Told mostly in flashback, it was quite interesting, although the ending was not as conclusive as I would have liked. I'm not a fan of loose ends or unsolved mysteries, though I don't mind having some things left to the imagination. I also enjoyed The Other Queen, by Philippa Gregory. It's about Mary, Queen of Scots, and like all the royal series by Gregory is historically accurate and well written.

The long range forecast for this summer in southwest NB is for more rain than normal, so here's hoping we get enough sun to mature a few tomatoes and keep the spirits up. Lovely local strawberries, freshly cooked lobsters, tarragon & basil for salads - a few of the nice things that have come my way this week. Small pleasures much appreciated, of such things most of our days are made.

I am not bound for any public place,

but for ground of my own

where I have planted vines

and orchard trees.

And in the heat of the day climbed up

into the healing shadow

of the woods.

Better than any argument

is to rise at dawn and pick

dew-wet red berries in a cup.

"A Standing Ground"

by Wendell Berry

Drifting into Summer

So, here it is June and I skipped May altogether, too busy enjoying it to write about it. It was lovely, apple blossoms, wild pears in bloom, golden forsythias, birds flocking in, warblers, finches, woodpeckers, and lately hummingbirds. The world this last month has turned so green it reminds me of the tales of Ireland and 1000 shades of green.

Finally having warmer days, though the nights can still get chilly. As soon as it warmed up a bit, the blackflies emerged from wherever they lurk, so garden planting has been a challenge. I just put in most of my vegetable garden seeds yesterday, which is a bit late. Planted Swiss chard, Sugar Ann peas, gai lon (a sort of Chinese broccoli), golden beets, Scarlet Runner pole beans, Sunburst scallop squash, some dill and a few calendula and sweet peas for colour. I've had poor success with beets so hope these ones do better. My runner bean tipi is a little crooked so here's hoping it stays up, can't seem to get it quite straight.

Today I put two cherry tomato plants (Sweet Baby Girl) in an old lobster crate that I have filled with soil and compost. I tucked them in behind some zinnias started a while back that are still tiny but coming along. In the herb garden, the chives are blossoming out already and the bee balm is spreading madly. I have a big tarragon plant in the veg. garden - lovely herb, tastes wonderful with eggs, scrambled or whatever. Makes a nice vinegar too.

Soaked my one and only terracotta pot in water for several hours, then planted it with some new annuals I'm trying this year. My sister sells plants from her bookshop in spring, so I picked up a bright yellow suntunia (a lot like the Million Bells small petunias), a pink snapdragon with a yellow centre and a new (to me at least) plant called a Cascade Centradenia. It has lovely bronze tinged leaves and a small bright pink blossom, somewhat trailing. Put those three together in the terracotta planter & they look pretty happy together. Also got one of my favourite mints, the chocolate, which has a delicious fragrance and makes a great herb tea, especially combined with lemon flavour herbs.

On a walk the other day I noticed the roadsides are full of bunchberries, like carpets of white stars in the grassy side of the ditches. Forget-me-nots are in bloom and my neighbour's bridal wreath spirea is beautiful now. The lilacs are just beginning to open, and we're having a sunny week so they may last a while. Several homes along the road have old lilacs that are as big as trees, but still blooming well. If heaven has a perfume, I think it might be lilac.

One more week of school, the dreaded (especially math) exams and then summer vacation begins. Lovely to turn off the alarm clock and wake up when you wish (or when the cat wants breakfast, which is likely to be earlier).

Wishing everyone a safe and happy start to this summer and gardening season, this year of our Lord two thousand and nine.

If you would be happy for a week take a wife;

if you would be happy for a month kill a pig;

but if you would be happy all your life

plant a garden.

(mid-17th century)

with apologies for the sexism & to pigs,

there is wisdom to this.

Spring & April Showers

Spring has arrived on the Fundy coast, at least by the calendar. After days and days of heavy rains, including a night-time thunder shower, yesterday was like summer. The temperature went up to 20c, the sun shone, and a balmy breeze wafted through open windows. I was able to dry T-shirts on the clothesline, love that fresh outdoorsy scent. An interlude, as today it's back to 6c, gray overcast and drizzling rain, but it was a wonderful day.

At night now the spring peepers are loud, and mornings are alive with birdsong. Woodpeckers are pecking away at the old trees that surround the property, and the white-throated sparrow calls its three notes from the field. Purple finches, goldfinches, nuthatches and chickadees gather at the feeder, along with crows and mourning doves gobbling up what gets tossed on the ground. In the afternoons you hear the soft whoo-whoo call from the mourning doves, so haunting that Appalachian people said the spirits of deceased loved ones were calling.

On one of our sunnier days, I walked down an old woods road nearby, and was cheered greatly by the sight of yellow wildflowers clustered here and there by the ditches. Not sure what they are, they look a bit like marguerites. Also saw a mourning cloak butterfly wandering around the woods, a pretty thing.

One day last week, I saw two bald eagles soaring over the yard, an adult pair most likely. I also had a visit from a small deer herd, looked out the window in late afternoon to see six white-tailed deer grazing on the grass and under the apple trees. They took their time, eventually crossing the road off into the woods. They are lovely, but will be less welcome once the garden is underway.

A few perennials are coming up in my raised beds, bee balm, sedum, milkweed, Maltese Cross and chives. Tarragon seems to be spreading madly in the vegetable garden, may have to be cut back. It makes a tasty vinegar, as do the chive blossoms. The earth is still soggy or I could plant peas right away, may chance it soon. A few breezy dry days will help, doesn't take long for soil to dry if it just stops raining long enough.

The best book I've read this month has been a poetry collection, "The Unhinging of Wings" by Margo Button. Since she was from St. Andrews, NB originally, I was interested in the regional connection, though she's lived in B.C. for years. The poems are personal, a heartbreaking record of her son's journey into schizophrenia. He finally died by suicide, and the poems follow his illness and the aftermath. Beautifully written and painfully raw, the book will touch anyone who has lost a loved one or is dealing with mental illness.

These Poems
(from the introductory poem)

read the unwrinkled palms
of your silence while you
shift, fade, vanish. .....
These poems, imprecise asides, I hide from you....
I offer them instead of engravings on granite,
forgotten in a graveyard.
-
by Margo Button

Here's wishing all happy planting and time to be thankful for the world around us and our loved ones.
"Oh, world, I cannot hold thee close enough" (credit to Edna St. Vincent Millay) and doesn't that nicely sum up the feeling of a spring morning.

Spring Contemplations

After a long winter, it is lovely to see the earth emerging from the mountains of snow that have buried us for weeks. Even though the remaining snow is dirty, the ground sodden, and the thawing ground begins to smell, the somewhat rotting scent of earliest spring earth. The robins have returned, woodpeckers are becoming active, and squirrels chatter around the apple trees. The morning light is bright and earlier every day and I love the longer days after the time change.

Unfortunately, smaller rodents are also on the move in spring. Last night - actually this morning at 2:30 a.m - I woke to find the cat leaping around my bed, chasing the very much alive mouse he'd brought into bed. It ducked under the bolster on one side of the bed while I did some leaping of my own. Then the silly cat lost track of it altogether and so did I, so I ended up moving downstairs to the couch until time for the 6:00 a.m alarm. To top it off, he caught it again!! Since it was still very much alive, I tossed the creature into a plastic container and evicted it outside. The joys of rural living! I really have to get some mousetraps though I dislike using them.

Our area got hit fairly hard by the recent CBC budget cuts and layoffs, hoping none of my former J-school classmates end up getting hit by it. Many of my journalism class (King's College, 1989) went on to work with the CBC. Must confess I'll miss Steven & Chris, enjoy wasting time watching their show when I have free afternoon time during the week, a guilty pleasure I'll have to give up.

We've had so many deer around the region it's been a road hazard at times. Large herds are moving around together near the highways and it's hard to avoid the poor things, a lot of casualties. No serious human injuries, but I certainly wish it were easier for wildlife and humans to co-exist.

For readers who enjoy nature and gardening, the Birds & Blooms magazine is a real find. Their photos are wonderful. You can get free wallpapers from http://www.birdsandblooms.com/ It's part of a "family" of magazines, Country Woman & others, distinguished by few or no ads and beautiful landscape, nature and animal photos.

I'm enjoying a 2008 Joan Baez CD produced by Steve Earle, Day after Tomorrow. Her voice hasn't quite the range it used to but is still very melodic - the title song, written by Tom Waits, made me cry the first time I listened to it. It's from the point of view of a young soldier, and heaven knows we're losing too many of them almost every week lately. My prayers and thoughts are with them often, a hard, hard road for the ones left behind. Blessings on them all this spring, and the rest of us too as we head into the Easter season.

Just looking out the window now, I see the gray skies have cleared, I'm looking at bright sunshine and clear blue sky, and it's Friday too!! No 6:00 a.m alarm tomorrow. Think I'll take a walk before the school bus gets here, warmer days are too good to resist. Happy spring to everyone out there.

"A little madness in the Spring
Is wholesome even for the King."
-Emily Dickinson

February-The Shortest Month?

It may be that February is indeed a short month, one more week and it's over. But in our region we've been battered by storm after storm, the latest just yesterday. Somehow after storm number ten this year, the month seems endless. Today the sun is shining on snow laden evergreens and bare branched trees sparkle with a glistening coat of ice. It is beautiful in the afternoon light, but less so when shovelling the mailbox out (again) only to have the snowplow make another pass and undo the job. Oh, well, it's the Maritimes and it's winter, so it goes. I know a couple who've been vacationing in Hawaii this past fortnight, lucky souls. Last night the wind positively howled, snow drifted and spattered until there was no visibility at all out the windows. Perhaps spring will be early - one can dream.

Had a bit of excitement last week when a mouse climbed up behind the fusebox & hopped into the kitchen, only to be grabbed by the cat in a wild rush (broke a stem off my foxtail rosemary in his haste, the bugger)! The chase took place under the window & on top of the wash machine. Thinking to get the "body"away from him, I tossed the cat into the bathtub & a Mexican standoff ensued. Shaking, dripping water, holding his jaws, nothing worked - finally my son arrived home just in time. He separated cat from mouse, returned to the tub to find a revived rodent trying to creep up the bathtub chain! Popped it into a plastic pitcher & dropped it outside off the steps onto the crusty snow. You should have seen the little thing run, hale & hearty (except for cat slobber), made it to the birdbath & off to the woods like a greyhound. Country life, eh?

One day about suppertime, my son looked out toward the woods and three deer were daintily picking their way around the clearing, nibbling bark and downed limbs. They lingered a while and he took pictures that came out fairly well, given the window glass in the way. The biggest doe stared at us a while, decided we were no danger, and carried on with grazing. They are such lovely, graceful creatures. The birds - nuthatches & chickadees, as well as crows - are happy that I've restocked my bird feeder, have a glass one up as well as a seed bell in netting under the apple trees. The squirrels are also been enjoying them, of course.

I'm currently rereading some of Miss Read's stories, can't find anything new I like better. Right now I'm on "Winter at Thrush Green". Love the fine illustrations that brighten the stories. I don't know why pictures are thought by some critics to be something only for children.

Not long ago I finished an interesting novel called "Suite Francaise", which is about life in France during the Nazi occupation in World War II. It really brings that time to life without romanticizing or dehumanizing any of the characters. The story behind the novel is quite dramatic in itself, as the author, Irene Nemirovsky, was a noted Jewish writer until the Nazi invasion and the manuscript was only discovered recently by her daughter.

Sadly, Nemirovsky and her husband both died in concentration camps. One thing that stands out in the novel and the author's notes is a refusal to hate any individual as a representative of their people. She finds humanity even in the German soldiers occupying a French village. Sad that she didn't complete the trilogy it was meant to begin, but it stands alone without feeling unfinished.

That's about all my news worth sharing for now. I'm off to bake some chocolate chip-oatmeal quick bread, as my son's having friends over Saturday night. I figure they can always use something to eat aside from chips and pop. Just between you and me, the cooking starts with a mix, not from scratch, but they're tasty enough.

"A sad tale's best for winter. I have one of
sprites and goblins."
The Winter's Tale by Shakespeare

Into the New Year

Already halfway through the first month of the new year, back to everyday routines after the Christmas break. Up at 6 a.m for the school bus, then a bit of quiet time with a book & coffee before tackling the day's chores. The moon is still visible when I get up & has been very bright this week.

With the full moon, nights have been brilliantly beautiful, a crystal clear sky full of stars and trees casting long black shadows on the snow. In the moonlight, the snow has been lovely, dusted with diamond dust sparkles.

As I look out the window now, more snow is falling, just a light sprinkling for the moment. Last week the kids had two storm days in a row, school (wisely) called off due to snowstorms or freezing rain, a mix of both some of the time. I've had a few stray cats hanging around off and on, and I feel terrible for them on cold nights. I put out food which they come around for now and then, but have to hide it a bit or the crows make off with it.

My son has been experimenting with the digital camera he got for Christmas, making slide shows of trees, snow shadows, the cat, all kinds of things. Some wonderful photos. I'm hoping he may help me post a few to share.

Over the holidays, I picked up all the Christmas-themed books I could find that were on the lighter side. Several authors do a mystery or romance every year - Anne Perry, Mary Higgins Clark - fun to read if not memorable. There's an old Agatha Christie anthology of stories that is one I'd love to own, called Star of Bethlehem. The stories are thoughtful, combine faith, a bit of magic & just good storytelling.

The best non-holiday book I've read recently has to be Philippa Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl, a story about the sister of Anne Boleyn (who also had an affair with Henry VIII). It's one of several novels about the Tudors by Gregory. They look daunting, big books, but once you start reading they are so absorbing you get through them pretty quickly. (possibly neglecting the dishes, etc. while totally transported to Tudor England). For anyone who likes a historical novel that is both entertaining and accurate, the series is a find. The Constant Princess is about his first wife Catherine of Aragon, another of the series is about Anne Boleyn.

With the cold weather and no gardening to do (except the dream variety), this is the time of year to curl up with a good book.

As we only have two TV channels just now since MPBN went digital, I often read in the evening too. I think I will buy a digital-to-analog converter eventually so I can get MPBN back. I gave up on cable ages ago, can't stand reality shows. Since we use indoor antenna, options are limited, but cable users in our area just found out they're losing PBS access too, because Rogers Cable just dropped MPBN from their local lineup. It's the PBS carrier here, from just across the border in Maine. My mother is furious since it's her favourite channel. So it goes. Rural areas are not generally well served by the companies controlling internet, TV etc. services, not here at least. Is it the same in western & central rural Canada too, I wonder?

Thanks to Becky for the birthday greetings, & Happy New Year to all! It looks like a challenging one according to all the economic pundits, but I think we' ll get along.

Christmas Memories

Hard to believe Christmas is just around the corner again. Today is my birthday, not quite my eleventy-first like Bilbo's, but old enough to have a lot to look back on. Don't think I'm cut out for blogging. I find it more satisfying to pick up a pen and write thoughts down in a journal. A computer screen hasn't the same feel. It's the same with reading, more so really. I prefer holding a book in my hands to reading from a screen, perhaps because I can't relax with a cup of tea anywhere near my keyboard. In journalism school, having a drink near the computer was absolutely forbidden on pain of death (almost!!) Ironically,when I worked at a newspaper for a brief stint, everyone had coffee cups at their desks. Unbelievably vile machine-produced coffee is a vivid memory from that job.

This November and December our climate has been wildly erratic, with snow one day and rain the next, from -12celsius to +13celsius in 24 hours, freezing rain, wild winds, a bit of everything. The forecast for today included possible thunder & lightning, in December yet!!! Hoping for a few decent days in order to travel safely and finish my very modest Christmas shopping.

Got a bread machine for a birthday present and look forward to trying it out as soon as I get the right kind of flour. Keeping fresh bread when the stores only get delivery once a week here on the island is always a challenge. I liked making bread by hand, but kneading dough gets difficult with arthritis stiffening up the fingers, so this will be fun. The smell of bread baking is one of the homeliest, most comforting there is I think.

I feel a deep sympathy for the families of the three soldiers we just lost, beginning the long walk of grieving at a time when most people are celebrating. The empty chair, the absent loved one, is especially felt when the family gets together for celebrations. This will be the ninth Christmas since we lost my son Jamie and there are few moments of the holiday when his memory isn't held close. This time with the ones we love who are still with us is a precious gift. Hoping all who grieve find moments of beauty in the music, lights and children's laughter as we journey on through this Christmas season.

Autumn Shadows

October is almost over, and I wonder if anyone else feels their spirits falling with the leaves. Right now, a golden world waits outside my window. Hackmatacks, one of the few deciduous conifers, are glowing with shades of gold as they ready for winter. Days of torrential rain and wind have swept leaves from apple trees, and windfall fruit lies under every tree. Most are too bitter for humans to enjoy, but the deer, crows and squirrels have been feasting on them. One tree produces somewhat scabby looking but tasty fruit, and I'm trying to pick as many as I can while they last. Juicy, crisp, and tart, they are a treat far removed from the perfect apples at the supermarket, tastier but not pretty.

Today sunshine is gradually returning after days of rain, but with it the mercury is dropping. Temperatures of 15c are giving way to a cool 8c. Hallowe'en will probably be clear and cold, so the search for warmer, suitable costumes is on. My son and his friends want to be a group of hobo-types. Even as teens, they enjoy trick or treat, and since they know most of the neighbours, we don't have much trouble with vandalism. Maybe the odd egg or two, but nothing too horrid.

Hunting season is upon us once again, so walks in the woods are out for a while. Most people are responsible and follow the rules, but there are those few others so I stay clear until it's over. My sympathies are with the deer though I know too many of them isn't good for them or the community. Driving home the other night, my sister and I glimpsed a doe in the headlights, stepping daintily off the road en route to the lake. We saw another one night as we came into my driveway, eyes glinting as it peered over the hedge. I wish them luck & will be glad when it's over. I know stocking the freezer helps some fishermen in the off season, it's just not for me.

The melancholy of autumn is beginning to make itself known. There is something about the change in the light, the darker days, the leaves falling, bare branches - it all has a sadness. Putting the garden to bed, the death of flowers, reminders of mortality I suppose.

Hallowe'ens years ago, when my oldest son was still with us, come to mind. I think of him often in these dying days of autumn, took the summer flowers away from his grave after Thanksgiving and put some fall flowers there. Now it's almost time for a new bouquet. He liked this season - I have a photo of him standing by the water, autumn colours of trees reflected in the bay, smile as bright as the sunshine.

My youngest son and his friends are having a great time reading Lord of the Rings, keeps him up late some school nights. He avoids starting a new chapter if it's too late because it's just too hard to put it down. I recently finished reading Paris 1919, & for any reader who loves history it is well worth a try. It's a long read & I took a few breaks, but learned a great deal from it. The anecdotes are fascinating and so much of what happened at the 1919 Peace Conference has echoes in current affairs it's a great backgrounder. The Middle East, China, the Balkans, etc., recommend it to any student of history. On the lighter side, just finished Murderers & Other Friends by John Mortimer & it's a wonderfully entertaining, intelligent book. He's best known as the creator of Rumpole of the Bailey for fans of Mystery on PBS, & has a sardonic wit that is touching and laugh out loud funny at times.

Island Autumn

As I waited (and waited) to get to this site, I thought to myself that it's a good thing I'm a gardener. It helps one learn patience, and living in rural New Brunswick with dial-up speed access on the computer, patience is much needed.

The cooler nights of fall are here, but we are enjoying sunshine and fairly warm days, and the sky is a joy to behold. It has that clear blue that we only get in fall, cloudless - a glorious backdrop to the gold, copper and crimson of the trees. There is something exhilarating about a bright autumn morning.

Last week, I found a poor Monarch butterfly worse for wear after a very chilly night. A female (the males have two black wing spots), she huddled on the sedum in my lower garden bed all day. I hadn't the heart to just leave her there & let nature take its course, so I put her in a shoebox with some sedum & butterfly bush blooms. Up close, it was obvious she had a damaged wing that made flying awkward, so I didn't think she'd last long outside. A local public garden kindly agreed to give her a home in a heated greenhouse, so I dropped her off in style. Hope she thinks she made it south for whatever time she lives. I read that most non-migrating Monarchs live about four weeks.

Thanksgiving is just about here, and this year we're having an extended holiday since school professional development days come right afterward. Five lovely days of not having to get up at 6 a.m. - I'm as happy as my son & his friends about that. Since my sister does a big family get-together & considers turkey at Christmas more than enough, we'll be having a nice ham dinner there. I'm attempting to do a small turkey at home earlier, probably Saturday, & hoping my old oven will do the job.

A few years ago, I invited my mum for Christmas the first year we were renting this old house. I put a big turkey (thawed) in the oven and we waited all day and into the evening for the bloody thing to cook!! It finally did, but since then I do nothing bigger than 10 lbs. Just one of the things you deal with in older homes with unpredictable appliances. I've since discovered that the oven controls and actual heat level inside aren't always a match.

Looked out the window of my sister's house at dusk a few days ago just in time to see a big doe stroll across the yard and into the wooded area beside the path. Then as we were driving home, we saw a four-point buck standing under the trees in a neighbour's front yard.

The songbirds are enjoying the goldenrod bloom out in the field beyond my garden, often see sparrows & finches darting around the low shrubbery. Crickets have been singing non-stop now for a while, & I still see the occasional grasshopper. Most of my garden is done, though up to today I've been getting a few runner beans every two or three days. The gold & yellow gem marigolds are still blooming, if a bit shabby close up, and the sedum has darkened to a burgundy red that brightens up the lower garden. The peony leaves are a nice fall bronze next to the butterfly bush. It bloomed late and is attracting bees and the occasional late season butterfly still. It has creamy yellow rather than the usual purple buddliea blooms. Right in front of the kitchen window, makes it a perfect spot for watching the insect traffic. Today a Painted Lady has been vying with the bees to get at the nectar.

Bluejays have been visiting the apple tree out front for the past few days, not sure if the apples or insects are drawing them. I usually get more crows than jays, they've gotten used to getting the bread crusts & old stuff I toss out to the driveway for them.

Election time next week & here's hoping for a good outcome. Hope everyone who can gets out to vote. When I was younger, I travelled a bit & met people who risked their lives for the right to choose their own representatives, so I hate to see us as Canadians not use the hard won rights we have. Happy Thanksgiving, all!!

September Stories

Two weeks into the new school year and not too painful so far, though getting up at 6 a.m. is harder now that it's darker each morning. Summer lingers still, with ripening tomatoes and flowerpots overflowing & lush. I love the pineapple mint, a cream & green variegated variety that blends beautifully with dark burgundy coleus and white-green double petunias. Makes a nice iced tea too. The scarlet runner beans are producing so vigorously I can just keep up, have to pick and cook about two cups per day. Wouldn't be fall without powdery mildow on some plants, and the bee balm definitely needs cutting back on that account - it's getting shabby anyway.

For one dollar, I picked up a bright red New Guinea impatiens at a season-end sale, and it's blossoming out with lovely big blooms, looks pretty next to a pot of portulaca that's all shades of the rainbow. In the lower garden bed, pink Autumn Joy sedum has taken over as the star, so big it looks more like a small shrub than one plant. I have just a few sweet peas blooming now, but they are lovely, sweet scented Matucanas, a purple-lavender blossom that scents a whole room. My sister has sweet peas in tiny vases on every windowsill, in a mix of rose, white and purple blooms. Next year I hope to have more, love the mix of scent and colour.

The hummingbirds are still around, though not seen as often. One little female rubythroat was busy at the feeder yesterday, then tried the fuchsia, the rose impatiens and the yellow blooms on the butterfly bush. Bees are attracted to that as well, and the song of crickets is still noticeable on warm days. The field behind the upper garden bed is a swath of goldenrod, with songbirds darting in around it all day long and into the evenings. I've seen chickadees, common yellowthroats, sparrows and yellow-rumped warblers in the last few days. A pileated woodpecker often flies over screeching maniacally, and crows are better than an alarm clock as soon as it gets light. It's seldom silent, always a sense of life seen and unseen all around.

It's getting too chilly at night for tenting, so my son and his friends have reluctantly given up on their weekend campouts. All summer they enjoyed campfires on the beach and tenting out in the woods. Getting together for house parties doesn't have the same atmosphere, though they enjoy movies & videogames as an alternative. Games like Risk & Middle Earth Role Play are popular too - if only homework evoked the same enthusiasm!

I'm not enthused by the prospect of a fall election - a hypocritical attempt to gain more power and a waste of public funds to do it. It would be so much better to carry on with necessary business instead of squabbling like a bunch of poorly disciplined kindergarten children. So it goes, I guess. Real change comes along fairly seldom, and I must admit I envy our neighbours to the south the challenge they have this time around. Now that would be an exciting election choice!!

Recently read and much enjoyed "Extra-Virgin" (author's name forgotten at present), the story of two friends who moved to a small town in Tuscany, long before it became a trendy destination. Their attempt to restore an old place and fit into small town life make an interesting and at times humorous story, a good read.

Late Summer Notes

Much as I want to deny it, summer is on the wane. This August has been hot and humid when not rainy and humid, with frequent thunder showers. There are still glorious mornings when the sky is cloudless and a southerly breeze is as close to heaven as you'd want, but that late summer feeling is coming on.

In the garden, I have Early Girl tomatoes ripening fast, unlike the Patio and Tumbler in containers, still stubbornly green though plentiful. The Scarlet Runner beans are producing well, with a small crop every few days now. The hummingbirds love them and often buzz me while I'm picking, hoping I'll go away. I've had a few pattypan squash - for some reason a lot of blossoms dropped off before they could produce. It looks lovely anyway, with the scarlet runner flowers twining with sweet peas and a row of gem marigolds in front of the veg garden.

In the flower bed, the pink milkweed is done blossoming - found a monarch caterpillar on it just yesterday and it's still there today, has the whole plant to itself. Seems late in the season so I hope it survives. The Autumn Joy sedum is filling out to a shrub size, love the way the leaves hold dewdrops in the morning or after a rain. The china asters are just budding now so should add some nice colour to that bed. Every evening I like to go down the driveway just to catch the fragrance of the nicotiana - it's self-sown and comes back every year, striking with the tall white trumpets.

It's been a good summer for berries, partly because of the frequent rain. My mum says blueberries are always better in a wet year, get bigger. A five minute walk up the road takes me to a lush berry field, had a great time there with my mum, sister and her two grandsons. We had enough to make blueberry muffins and I tried a recipe for "summer pudding", new to me this year. It's very simple, just white bread, a bit of sugar and mixed berries topped with ice cream or whipped cream. My son enjoyed it very much! Raspberries are about done now, but the blackberries are just beginning to ripen and the canes out back of the shed are full of them. I'm looking forward to them a lot, enjoy walking out on a sunny morning and picking a dish to toss in with cereal for breakfast.

On August 12th, the Perseid meteor shower was visible so I stayed up very late hoping to catch the show. My son was watching the live Olympic coverage anyway so we had a late, late night. Best time for meteors was said to be about 4 a.m. and I was out on the doorstep watching the sky, which was a bit cloudy but with stars visible. Saw three or four out there, then watching form a west facing window inside saw a few more before I gave it up to get some sleep. Jupiter is very bright in the southwest now too, with good binoculars you can see the moons.

Though I'm not a big sports fan, the Olympics is pretty spectacular and you can't help but be impressed with some of the achievements and struggles the athletes go through. I watched the end of the triathlon & couldn't believe the effort Simon (Whitfield)? made right at the race end, amazing. Love the equestrian events too, glad to see Eric LaMaze make a comeback from the drug problems of the past.

As I write this, the skies have opened up and rain is splashing and pouring down the windows. It's so dark, at 4 p.m. that you need the lights on to read (or type). Since thunder is likely to follow, I'm going to wrap this up and shut down. Hope we all enjoy what's left of the season.

(For a good summer read, try "Harvest of Bittersweet" by Patricia Penton Leimbach, a book of the joy and sorrow of life on an Ohio farm in the 1980s.)

I want to capture summer
In the middle of a dawn,
Press it fast between two pages
now,
Before the magic's gone.

-Eileen Black "August"

Midsummer Musings

As always, summer is passing too quickly. Already the stores are flogging fall clothes and winter catalogues appear in the mail. I refuse to look at them for now. Why would anyone want to dwell on winter coats when the sun is high and the breeze is from the south?

I've been blessed with the first opportunity to meet my niece's new baby girl, Grace. One forgets how very tiny and delicate a newborn can be. Poor dear is minding the humidity and heat we've been having and was a bit fussy with heat rash. She did me the honour of falling asleep while I held her in the rocking chair. Little ones are so very precious it makes the heart ache. She has a full head of golden hair, softer than chicken down.

My son is off to summer camp, and decided that long hair was too much bother - so he shaved his head!!! A bit of a shock - he's lucky to have a dimpled smile and gorgeous brown eyes that keep him from looking like a neo-Nazi. Just had his 17th birthday, they grow up so fast.

In the garden, the scarlet runner blooms are beginning to develop beans, tiny summer squash are growing behind big yellow blossoms, the peas are done, swiss chard is producing a small second crop and the garlic chives are in bud. Bee balm has just begun blooming and the milkweed is almost open. I've seen a few monarch butterflies, but have no caterpillars on the plant. They are supposed to thrive on milkweed so I'm hoping. At least I'll get to enjoy the vanilla-scented pink flowers soon. Gold and peach daylilies are among the plants passed along from my sister's divisions, as well as several leftovers from the plant sales. I have pansies and violas here and there in both raised beds and in containers. Tomatoes are lagging this year. I have a few on each plant but they are far from prolific.

I've been making homemade iced tea from pineapple mint, lemon balm and lemon verbena and it's good, citrusy & sweetened a bit with honey. Borage leaf is good in tea too, but I discovered last year it has to be used very lightly. Has a pronounced laxative effect in larger amounts about which I will say no more.

At the edge of the yard, wild raspberries are ripening and blueberries are almost ready to pick as well. In back of the shed, masses of green berries promise a good blackberry crop later. Just up the road, an old woods path is a great spot for picking blueberries. If only the mosquitoes would stay away, being outside would be wonderful.

When I'm not busy, I love to sit by the window with a good book, pausing now & then to look out at the garden. The hummingbird whizzes by to hit the feeder again or to perch at the fuchsias. Butterflies drift around, birds call, and I bask in the peace and quiet. I've been enjoying Miss Read's stories lately. Her tales of life in an English country village are just the thing if you like stories about the everyday dramas of ordinary people. She has a keen appreciation of nature and the countryside and the seasons feature in the stories. I don't much enjoy writers who seem not to see nature around them, though I do like different types of literature. Also reading "The Proud Tower",Barbara Tuchman's history of pre-WWI Europe, heavy going at times but full of insight and fascinating anecdotes.

We've had some (much needed) rain & thunder showers the last few days, and on July 19th I watched a fantastic sunset after a storm. The eastern sky was blotted out by a mountain of clouds, shaped and layered with shades of lavender, rose and at the very peak backlit to almost gold, wonderfully dramatic. As I watched, jagged streaks of lightning flashed out from the darkest centre of the lower cloud formation. At the same time, the sky to the west was clearing to the bright blue of a sunny day, turning to gold and pink as the sun lowered on the horizon. A sunset to remember.

Watched an interview with Nelson Mandela and the celebration of his 90th birthday. My son is proud that he has the same birthdate as such a true hero (an overused word but true in his case I think). We could use a few more like him in this world. Makes me proud to have supported the Free Mandela movement in my student days, in a small way. Think globally, act locally & all that, not a bad way to carry on everyday life at all.

Gardens,Grace & Gravesites

Our most exciting family news is that my niece's long awaited baby arrived on July 5th, about a week later than expected. She is the first girl born into our family since her mother came along in 1980. Her great-grandmother may smother the poor child in pink dresses, but it's nice just the same, balances things up a bit with two older brothers in the house. Welcome to our Grace Ann!!! An old fashioned name for a 21st century girl.

Coming into high summer now and the weather is getting hot, hot, hot!!! Temperatures up to 30c are not at all unusual, and with our southern exposure it's hard to get the garden work done without feeling a bit fried at times. Today a good breeze is keeping things tolerable although it's another hot, dry day. Despite the heat, my shade loving impatiens and fuchsia are doing beautifully on the side steps. In shades of blush pink and rose, they cheer me up first thing every morning. The hummingbird likes them too. My Berries & Cream nemesia - a lovely scented hybrid - looks nice too, with bright and soft yellow mimulus that blend with the buttery yellow nemesia centres. Look out, Martha S.!!!

We've had a few snacks from the food plants, one harvest of mesclun (spicy lettuce mix) from the cut & come again planting; a few sugar snap peas; and the first leaves of swiss chard. It is delicious sauteed in a bit of oil with onions and tomatoes, then sprinkled with the tarragon/chive vinegar made from my chive blossoms.

Coming into bloom now are the gem marigolds - orange, gold, yellows; daylilies (a gift from my sister, so mystery colours till open, mostly gold varieties; antique shades pansies; rose coloured milkweed; and the glorious peony Sarah Bernhardt. Sarah's almost past it now, but for about two weeks has been a joy to behold, full of lush pink blooms. It's a plant I've had for thirteen years and has moved twice with me. I think when the time comes to leave this place it may be better off left behind, though dividing is a possibility. Perennials are a mixed blessing when renting, because you leave a bit of your heart behind with every garden you've made. At least I do. I still remember fondly a wonderful collection of Asiatic lilies from my garden in the city. How I'd love to have them again.

This time of year the wildflowers are as showy as anything in the garden. Out back in the unmowed meadow, purple wild peas, tall snowy daisies and red-orange devil's paintbrush are so beautiful they make me wish I could paint like Monet. The butterflies are frequent visitors, orange and yellow "flying flowers" that lift the spirits just by being. When walking to the store, I spotted a graceful clump of mauve and pink foxgloves just growing in the ditch - pretty as can be, and frustrating as I've tried to grow them several times without success. Wild roses and strawberries dot the roadsides too, along with feathery clumps of ferns. My son grows impatient when I stop to look at everything in bloom, still young enough to often be in a hurry.

As I walk in late afternoon, I often hear the soft hoots of the mourning dove's call from the woods. I've read that in the Appalachians, mountain folklore says that the spirit of loved ones passed over are calling. Life and death side by side always, and meant to be in the natural way of things, though parents are meant to be the first ones to go, not our children. Still, I find comfort in the many ways people of the world keep our loved ones in memory when they're gone. They are always with us.

I always make up a special container for my son's grave in the summer, and soon it will be time for Dad and I to take his rosemary and marigolds out, rosemary for remembrance as always. It's a peaceful place bordered by silver birches, and I like knowing my flowers are there by the footstone that spells out his name. Blessings on us all, especially the family of our latest fallen soldier. He grew up in Fredericton, where I lived for many years. May they all be at peace.

An Old Irish Blessing

May you always be blessed

with walls for the wind

a roof for the rain

a warm cup of tea by the fire,

Laughter to cheer you,

those you love near you

and all that your

heart might desire.

Summer Solstice Musings

The longest day of the year has come and gone, school has ended, summer is really here. While we've only had a few very hot days, they were enough to remind one why it is so nice to live by the sea. Seldom do we suffer the humid, heavy, smoggy days that bog down summers in the city too often. Notwithstanding, June 8th and 9th were tropically warm, muggy days, with the mercury hitting 30 Celsius, hot, hot, hot. I remember a college friend from Nigeria (many moons ago) telling me we in the West had to work with it, you can't fight the weather. "When it gets too hot, slow down,"he always said. Makes sense.

Most days now are pleasant, 20 to 23 Celsius. Some fog and rain but no more than average, and after a few days of sun the garden perks up with a good rain. My peas are growing fast, scarlet runners starting to twine around bamboo poles, have tansy and chives blossoming and lots of blossoms on tomato plants. Basil still not sure if life is worth living, looks pretty shabby. The thyme and summer savory are doing beautifully, with tiny pink thyme flowers a nice counterpoint to the antique shades pansies (soft pinks and golds). An African daisy was supposed to be bright cranberry and instead is peachy golden, but pretty anyway.

One moonlit night recently my son was away at a friend's house and it was very quiet. Suddenly the night erupted with howls, yiping, the quivering song of the coyotes. They were most likely down a woods road nearby, about half or three quarters of a mile away. We've had a small population on the island for several years and they seem to get along without much problem. There are a lot of woods and small wildlife enough to feed them it seems, though cats allowed to roam are at some risk. Our spoiled beast is a house cat only taken out once in a while on a lead, so he's safe enough. There is something wild and wonderful, and a bit scary perhaps, in the coyote's song. It's the second time we've heard them in the past few months. Earlier in the spring I was startled from bed hearing the playful yips and yaps made by a young coyote family passing close by, probably crossing the yard to the woods out back.

My yard is overdue for mowing, but the compensation is a riot of wildflowers, flame red and yellow devil's paintbrush, daisies, pink and white clover, feathery grasses, as well as the tiny purple plants that peek out from behind beds of bluets. Walking along the road, one sees masses of starry white bunchberry blossoms, and the roses are blooming now too. I pick a few not quite open buds, put them in a bowl of water by a window, and as they blossom out every little breeze carries a heavenly fragrance across the kitchen. I love classic old roses that haven't had the scent bred out of them by hybridizing.

On these summer mornings, I like to step outside with a cup of steaming coffee and listen to the birds waking up the world. I heard a biologist on CBC radio describe it as the "dawn chorus", a perfect name for the enthusiastic way they greet the new day. I've seen the merlin swooping down to catch an insect once or twice. Yesterday I watched through binoculars as a smaller bird (the merlin I think) dived and feinted at an osprey until it became riled and did a rollover in the air, facing talons up toward the smaller bird. She flew off then, thankfully, as it looked as though it might become a fatal encounter. I suppose the big raptor must have passed too close to a nesting site.

Just read last night that a favourite author and artist of mine has died, after a long and unique life. Tasha Tudor died at age 92 on the Vermont farm where she lived and worked. I have a delightful book, "Forever Christmas" with drawings and photos of the holiday as celebrated at the Tudors' country farm. There is a lovely documentary film about her life and work called "Take Joy" (a quote from Fra Giovanni that she admired). Interested readers can check out http://www.tashatudorandfamily.com/

"The gloom of the world is but a shadow behind it,
yet within our reach is joy. Take joy."

Apple Blossom Time

Spring is working its way into summer, slowly, with new sounds and scents every day. Foamy white apple blossoms have gently scented the air and the buzz of bees is audible when you walk close by the trees. Now the lilacs are opening, and how I wish our yard had one. On a walk down the road, I pass by the neighbour's wonderful cluster of purple lilac, pouring its fragrance on the breeze. By the roadside, low growing white flowers of the bunchberry show in abundance. Lupins - pink, purple, white - stand tall in the yard of what used to be our one-room schoolhouse, now a medical clinic. A brilliant cerise flowering crab tree in the house next door is a sight to lift the spirit.

My garden is still in its early stages, with the last containers planted up today. In the raised beds, scarlet runners are up, four Early Girl tomato transplants have been set out, one of the two summer squash has come up from seed, and the Sugar Ann peas are about three inches tall now. A few Swiss chard have come up, very small as yet, and borage from last year has reseeded itself in one bed with prolific (or wanton) success.

In containers, I have one healthy looking Patio tomato, a Tumbler Tom and a basil (the basil not so healthy looking, fussy herb). I never have managed great success with basil but still dream of growing enough for pesto. The herb bed is coming along, with chive blossoms just starting to open. I made three small jars of chive/tarragon vinegar a few days ago and it' s aging near a sunny window. A new lemon thyme plant is starting to show tiny pink blossoms and a lemon verbena is the most heavenly scented herb I've grown in a while. Butterflies love the chive blooms, and so far I've seen a Tiger Swallowtail, a Mourning Cloak, cabbage butterflies and a small blue of some kind.

The birds are well into their spring routines, with the songs and calls starting with daylight every morning. A female rubythroated hummingbird visits the feeder from early morning until dusk, scolding if I happen to be working around the front step when she wants to roost there. In a tall poplar out past the field, the hairy woodpecker pair are raising an extremely noisy brood. You can hear the young calling for food all day long, and the parents Pip!Pip! as they fly back and forth with caterpillars, grasshoppers, whatever. With binoculars the babies are easy to spot now, as they poke their heads out the nesting hole and call for more. They are surprisingly big already.

After a heavy shower a few days ago, my son called me to the window in time to see a glorious rainbow, arching over the sky as far as we could see and beyond, a rare beauty. Tonight the yard is wrapped in a light fog, blurring and softening the outlines of trees as the night falls. A peaceful time in a not so peaceful world.

The Merry Month of May

I'm writing on a lovely day, with a temperature of 21Celsius and a southern breeze bringing the fragrance of freshly cut grass through the windows. I spent a few hours yesterday raking up grass after my dad mowed while I was away. He's almost eighty-one now, but likes to keep busy and can't stand seeing a job not done properly!

You may wonder why I'm not out enjoying the sunshine or the garden on such a fine day, instead of killing time on the computer. In a word, the answer is BLACKFLIES!!!! I wonder if God or the goddess (whoever we can blame) really had to put them in the mix when creation was underway. At least I suppose they provide something for the birds to eat, just wish they'd eat more of them and do it faster.

With the help of DeepWoods Off, I have ventured into the garden and been out birdwatching too. Every day now some new migrant arrives, and I'm seeing a few species that are new to me, always a delight. On a walk in the woods a few days ago, I saw a little grey blue bird with a bright yellow chest, one I'd never seen before. It took a while to locate him in the bird book, but I found out it's a northern parula. A pretty, tropical looking bird. (the picture shown here is a parula, but doesn't really show how brilliant the yellow chest is)

I put out my hummingbird feeder two days ago, and within a few hours a female rubythroated was checking it out. It's the only hummer in our area. Yesterday I saw a little male gorging himself until the female spotted him and ran him off. Last year a female took over and the battles were wild at times. For a tiny bird, it has big ideas!

A pair of northern flickers has been around for a while, though I haven't seen them since the courting stage. It was fun to watch. The male poses, fanning his tail and bobbing his head, and they are both very vocal about the affair. One of my favourite songbirds has turned up, just saw a male common yellowthroat this morning. With the black mask, it makes me think of Zorro. Makes noise worthy of twice its size.

The trees are leafing out now, with silver green hackmatacks, almost lime bright birches and now the white flowering wild pears. When the sun shines through at certain times of day, it makes me wish I were an artist. It is just so beautiful with the backlit leaves and blossoms. The apple trees are just beginning to show a tiny bit of pink blossom. Because the owners of this place used to have an orchard, there are apple trees scattered out in the meadow, by the front yard, and off in the woods. Gnarled and old, when they bloom they are still lovely.

Driving home a few days ago, we took the long way around the island, and between villages had to slow down for deer in the road. Two does leisurely made their way across while two others waited undecided on the other side. When you see one, you have to slow down as more are almost surely about to cross. At dusk and on foggy evenings they seem especially fond of wandering.

In spite of pesky insects, I have done some of my planting. I have summer squash, swiss chard, sugar snap peas and zinnias in to grow from seed. Yesterday I made a bamboo teepee and put Scarlet Runner beans, sweet peas and cardinal vine seeds around it. I'm hoping the deer don't decide to check out the raised bed as they have so far left it alone, unlike my tulips. I plan to pick up more annual flowers, some herbs and a few perennials at my sister's sale. She has a bookstore and in the spring brings in plants for several weeks. I've already set aside a heavenly fragrant white nemesia and a fragrant lemony herb to put in a window box near the front door.

With the Victoria Day weekend here, I've assembled a mini-greenhouse on my doorstep (one of those shelf units with a plastic cover). I'm not putting anything too delicate out just yet, as the full moon isn't until next Tuesday, and a frost often hits about that time. The days have been warm this week, but it still gets a lot colder at night, so I can wait. Looks like I'll have to buy a few tomato plants, as the ones I have under lights are pathetic little things. We have Tumbling Tom available locally, and it's nice in a hanging basket or container. I hope if I can cover them at night maybe I won't have to share with the deer.

A May verse:

In the blossoming hedge the robin cock
sings,
For the sun it is merry and bright,
And he joyfully hops and he flutters his
wings,
For his heart is all full of delight.
For the May bloometh fair,
And there's little of care,
And plenty to eat in the Maytime rare.
(from The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, sung by Friar Tuck)

May Days

Today has been one of those lovely spring days that make you hate to stay inside. The sky was cloudless, with that blue clarity that comes with this time of year. Birds chirped and sang while they went about the business of feeding and declaring territorial interests. A flock of song sparrows arrived and spent the day hopping about under the apple trees, digging under last fall's dry leaves for bugs. They make a constant rustling that sounds like some creature is about to emerge from the dappled shade, the noise out of proportion to their size. There are white throated sparrows among them, and their three note song is distinct, repeated all through the day. The bright yellow eye markings make them easier to identify than some sparrows.

A few days ago I spotted a small hawk perched on the wires, across the road from the bird feeder. After checking the bird book I think it was a female merlin, and have seen it fly by a few times since. So far no sign that it has the feeder in its sights, and I hope it stays that way. Today I was walking around outside when the I heard the whooshing sound of wings behind me, turned expecting to see one of the crows and instead there was an adult bald eagle cruising low over the yard. I watched it with the binoculars as it went off to circle high up across the road, and noticed some smaller bird harassing it for a while. Couldn't see clearly, but it may have been the merlin. They will go at much larger birds, especially if they're nesting nearby.

A male hairy woodpecker has been making his presence known, hammering on the old poplar tree so loudly that I mistook him for a much larger pileated woodpecker.

I haven't done much in the garden yet, just pulled the grass weeds from one of my raised beds and raked up the soil a bit. Two tarragon plants, bee balm, lavender, tansy, chives and oregano are all coming back from last year. The bee balm is becoming a bit of a monster, dominated the herb bed last year. I have a yen for zinnias this year, had a lot of them in my community garden plot in the city and loved them. They make great bouquets and I love the bright colours. Have to start planting seeds soon. For now, the bluets are blooming down by the driveway, near my lower raised bed. They cluster in tiny patches, pretty little things.

In answer to a comment on the sketch in my last post, it was by Tom Kelley, an artist for the U.S. Fish and Game Wildlife Service. They have some nice public domain sketches on their website. I like the line drawings and charcoal sketches, they remind me of some of my old storybooks.

I'm on my own for a while this weekend (which makes computer access a lot easier!! Do all teens live on Facebook?) My son is off with his church youth group doing the World Vision 30-Hour Famine fundraiser. I hope it takes his mind off the advent of Grand Theft Auto 4 for a little while. He's a PS3 fanatic and can't wait to get the new game. I dislike violent games, but he and his friends do enjoy them and don't seem the worse for it. I think playing as a group is probably less of a bad influence than playing alone. I'd worry more if he didn't also get outdoor and do a lot of reading as well. Right now he's rereading The Lord of the Rings and enjoying it a lot.

My recommendation for a light, fun to read mystery series would have to be the Southern Sisters mysteries by Anne George. They are fun, laugh out loud funny at times. I'm also enjoying a book on disk version of The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. It's about Josephine Bonaparte and gets you involved from the first few sentences.

Here's hoping for sunny days and just enough rain to make things grow. Good gardening, all.