Thursday, July 23, 2009

grey sky week

Up at 6. Black tea and apple loaf, a warm alpaca sweater of D's, a toweled-dry dawg, CBC classical radio. It's a grey old day - dark and wet, chilly and windy. Feelin' bad for my love who's out working in it. He'll come home soaked to the bone and cold. Perhaps I should have the bath ready. And maybe some soup. Supposed to rain all week. So, opposite yesterday's post, I feel a little miffed at July!... a hot sunny day that much more missed on days like this one.

We've left scapes on several of the garlic plants, as an experiment. After the rains, we'll wait for the ground to dry out a bit, then pull 'em.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

fields and roads

Could be one of our coldest Julys, but I don't mind. Less swimming and shorts-wearing, but comfortable days and nights, happy kale. The summer is flying by! Our weekends are often busy - one of us in the city or we're visiting with friends and family. Next week, after a night in Toronto, I'll be driving north to my folks and then driving with mom to Massachusetts for a family reunion. Then Toronto again after that to record in the studio with the band. A total of almost 2 weeks away... great things, but wew!

These frequent stints away make me wonder about the possibility of having more animals on the farm. Chickens and goats being the current fascination/topics of research. Let myself splurge a little on books: "Chickens in Your Backyard: A Beginner's Guide", Rick Luttmann; "You Can Farm: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Start and Succeed in a Farm Enterprise", Joel Salatin; "Storey's Guide to Raising Dairy Goats: Breeds, Care, Dairying." I'll just be hanging on the beaches of Gloucester reading about milking goats. Sounds about right.

The earwigs have been bad this year. They are everywhere and totally freaky looking. Getting tired of squishing them! NAST.

What else? Ah yes, we've got horseshoe pits going finally. Think we'll have a round with the neighbours on Friday. Garlic soon ready to pull. It's smallish, but surely tasty. We'll prob be saving a large part of it for replanting this fall, keeping a lot for ourselves, and selling the rest cheaply to friends. It's been so easy to grow - perhaps we'll try planting even more this year. D talks about how it'll keep the vampires away - he's on a 'True Blood' (HBO show) kick lately.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

summer's day

There are days where I'm filled with the greatness of life, its possibility, hopes and dreams, happiness. This morning the birds are singing, the chimes are dinging, and the wind is so soft and warm.

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

when a month is a year

Rain falling, all week, from the sky. Just falling or sometimes with the wind, and then pounding against windows and roof. In the pauses I go out to smell the air, check the mail, pull the weeds. Briefly existing in the drenched outdoor world before going back in to make tea. Tho through windows, still bird song, drops falling from trees, the smell. Pets inside with noses tucked under paws. Sweaters and socks for me.

June was quiet for writing but deserves a few more words. July 1st, hold on a sec!

Number one is the garden failed (dang!), but in a way to teach me things. Snow and frost the first week of June killed many seedlings, mainly my tomato patch. Replanted, and a week later ravaged by animals (deer I think), nibbling the tops off everything. Those plants unaffected instead eaten entirely, and surprisingly quickly, by bugs. Also, Toronto commitments, bad weather, general exhaustion... things were put off, unwatered, unplanted. Oh yeah, and the tiller died. Strike one for year one but am not put off by it as things can only go up from here. Next year, soil will be ready, a fence built, and more frequent checking for bugs, surely. Also lessons in patience, dedication, timing... basically, things that had to happen now in order for the endeavor of growing our own food to move forward. And I should quantify 'fail' - we are still eating some stuff! Just not to the capacity I thought we would. Fresh herbs, green onions, garlic scapes, lettuces, kale... yum.

Also, I turned 30! It is a comfortable age. The birthday panics of my 20's absent this time around. Instead, infused with the feeling experienced in even earlier years; the milestone of knowing that life will become even more exciting, rich, enlightening, and inspiring from here on in. (hey, I learned a lot in my 20's, but most importantly, the importance of optimism). D & I were going to celebrate with a camping trip but with the rain that weekend, we instead went up to Minden and spent Saturday night in a little inn called the Dominion Hotel. Good food, good beer, CAKE, and turns out Minden is a neat little place to hang out. My actual birthday was spent in the city (work conference) but I managed to steal away the night of for beers at the Victory with friends, including long-lost girlfriends from highschool. Thirty rules.

June also included... a cottage visit, blessings from a priest, friends at the farm, a cat that came home (not raj - that would've been crazy! mo was lost for a day), a nice new bathrobe, a swim in cameron lake, a band practice in the basement, and other summery things.

Ok July, it's all yours.