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.

Earth Day 2008

Earth Day here on the island started with a visit from a ringnecked pheasant, strutting his stuff in the morning sun, screeching now and then as he strolled around checking out the territory. I wonder if it's the same one that often came by last year. He used to march around the periphery of the yard, with a screech at regular intervals. Brought to mind the image of a soldier on drill parade. He's a beauty, the rusty breast, glossy green and white neck ring, very handsome.

The bird feeder is busy every day now with chickadees, nuthatches, a red squirrel, song sparrows and a purple finch. Juncos and robins flock around feeding from the ground, and in the evening the spring peepers are starting to sing. In the past few days, I've seen a heron flying over at dusk and three eagles circling against the noontime sunlight.

In the garden, weedy grass sprigs are working their way past the mulch in my raised beds already. The chives are growing green and the thyme plants have survived another winter. A few small tulips are poking up through, so far not eaten by deer. I tried digging in a bit of hair from a recent trim in hopes it will discourage them. Read somewhere that human or dog hair would deter deer. Hope so, as last year the buds were devoured as soon as they appeared. Yesterday I saw two deer feeding at the baseball field just up the road, out in mid-afternoon and not at all bothered by passing cars.

I'm trying to get a few tomato plants started from seed. The first sprig emerged today, six days after I put the seeds in small pots and set them in the warmest spot in the house. Two are Mennonite Heirloom, one is Ivory Egg (a cherry tomato) and one is a Burbank.

A few days this past week have hinted at summer, with a warm southwest breeze and temperatures as high as 18 or 2o celsius, lovely days that make you want to spend every minute outside listening to the birdsong and squirrel chatter. At times like this I am grateful to be living away from the noise and smell of the city. Happy Earth Day one and all!!

Spring is Here, Sort of

Okay, in theory it's supposed to be spring, but for every day of sunshine we seem to be getting two or three of rain or even (still...wet snow!) Ugh. A blue sky makes so much difference when it's time to get up in the morning. In a gesture of optimism, I bought seed packets of zinnias, Sugar Snap peas, and mesclun lettuce mix when I found them on sale at half price the other day. I want to work in the garden, but the soil is still soggy and cold, no use to rush it. Well, gardening is all about learning to be patient.

The birds have begun to arrive in flocks, with lots of robins in the yard on wet days like this one. Yesterday a noisy bunch of grackles spent the day squabbling and jumping up and down on the feeder, emptying out the black oil sunflower seeds in a few hours. Song sparrows have arrived - the nuthatch kept chasing one away from a branch it apparently had claimed as its own, close to the feeder. Both a downy and a pileated woodpecker were hammering away at the old poplar tree in the morning. With the rustlings of sparrows in dry leaves, squirrels chittering and grackles calling their rusty nail squeaks, the yard was alive with the sounds of spring. In the afternoon, a young bald eagle circled the yard for a while, and I spotted two adults flying much higher, keeping watch on junior is my guess.

A few days ago I walked by the kitchen window, glanced out, and saw two yearling deer frozen in position, staring back in at me from about ten feet away. When I kept still, they decided to ignore me and coolly returned to grazing the old yellow grass (too long because it didn't get a late fall mowing). After a while, they sauntered away up the path to the woods. They were quite lovely.

Just finished reading a memoir by Doris Grumbach, an author living in Maine. Dealt in an interesting way with the changes in life that come along as we grow older, not all sunshine and roses. Now hoping to find some of the other non-fiction works she has written. Discovered from her book that one of my favourites, The Education of Little Tree by Forrest Carter, is somewhat notorious for being the work of a former Klansman and speechwriter for racist governor George Wallace. Very strange, as the book portrays a native American viewpoint with humour and empathy. A good read (and film too) just the same.

Here's hoping that April showers really will bring May flowers. I for one am more than ready for them, and for warm days and sunshine.

Musings in March

I find myself wondering - how do people find the time to update blogs every few days? After the usual day of prodding reluctant son to get up at 6:30 a.m for bus, feeding cat, doing laundry, catching up on writing, making lunch, doing dishes, after school lunch, laundry, etc., I don't have much energy left to 1) Displace son from Facebook or messaging to use computer; and 2) Remember what it was I planned to write about this time. Oh, well, so it goes.

Spring is...almost....here, tomorrow on the calendar at least. The weather is giving freezing rain followed by about 25 cm of heavy rains for the next 24 hours. I hope the pump Dad put into the cellar is up for it, because the drain is still a) frozen or b) clogged - or both, anyway, not letting the overflow escape well at all. All a part, if not a fun part, of country living too!!!

Decided to try joining the local exercise walk at the school gym one morning this week and it was fun, sort of. Amazing how just walking around and around for 4o or so laps can make you feel as if it were a really long walk, sure gives muscles a workout.

Looking forward to a pleasant Easter weekend, two extra days to sleep in a bit, and a family dinner and get-together. My son is disappointed in his heart's desire of having Rainbow Six Vegas to play on the PS3 this holiday because Amazon is shipping it later than expected. Not the end of the world, I expect another game and a good book will keep him busy. My mum gives all the grandchildren new books as an Easter "treat". She talks of getting a "few little things" for them, which translates to books, candies, T-shirts, and so on - she loves shopping for grandkids and making up elaborate bags and baskets.

Current reading is Barbara Kingsolver's "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle", a thought provoking look at her family's attempt to live for a year using only food produced locally or on their own farm in Kentucky. I love her novels - The Bean Tree, The Poisonwood Bible - and have enjoyed her essay collections too. A piece she wrote about the 9/11 attacks was one of the most intelligent I ran across anywhere. When I get worried about the direction our world is going, it's good to know there are still people who care enough to try to make a difference. La lucha continuara!! as we used to say in Nicaragua solidarity groups!! (the struggle continues!!)

Happy Easter to everybody!!!