Monday, September 22, 2008

whiskey!

Better photos to come, but check it out y'all!! We got ourselves a sweet little buddy over the weekend. A 3 year old yellow lab (tho we think he might be younger) from an ad in the paper. He's lovely... knows how to sit, lie down, shake a paw, come, etc. Doesn't jump up or bark too much. Likes soccer and fetch. We've been keeping him tied (one rope off the porch and one in the field under a tree) with frequent walks around the perimeter of the fields to get him used to his new home. Tho today I let him off just to see how it would go... he was great! So am hopeful he'll eventually be a well behaved off-leash farm dawg!

Friday, September 19, 2008

evolving

The mornings have grown chilly. New windows aren't in yet, not till mid-October, so cracks and rotted frames have inspired blankets, sweaters, and the odd touch of thermostat on the baseboard heaters (haven't received a hydro bill yet so the electricity fee has yet to scare us). We have a bit of hardwood piled, leftover from the previous owner, and some kindling from L&J, so if it gets colder we're okay. It's really not THAT cold, we're just still adapting, coming off the thoughtlessness of landlord-funded heating, and the insulation of Toronto's vast city-ness. We've agreed on investing in some wicked slippers and house-coats and maybe a bear skin rug by the fire... naw.

D ended up working today, so I'm left trying to puzzle out if I should keep the noon appointment I've made to go see a dog...! "Free to a good home" 3yr old yellow lab. He sounds poifect and am a little worried another family is gonna snatch him up, so maybe I should go for it solo.

Other than that, till up a bed for the garlic (4' x 12' ish). We ordered 5 pounds of Music and 2 pounds of German Red to get us started. This initial making of the bed will be hard work as our fields are full of ROCKS. Then later tonight, we'll drop in on the neighbours, beers in tow, and have a night.

p.s. Capital Letters!

Thursday, September 18, 2008

response ability

at times, a small pang of anxiety and fear. home ownership. responsibilities never-ending, stretching widely into the future. spending money. keeping warm and safe. feeling happy and comfortable. anticipating a future here, with children, pets, and gardens. will all be well?

is the well water ok? will the septic tank last? will the car start in -35C weather? will the crops grow? will the canned goods keep? is help nearby? are the sheep warm? is the wood dry? are the trees going to fall? is my back going to last? will our friends visit? is this what life is now? and so on...

lying awake last night, d says quietly: we have all the time in the world my love, and all we're doing is making things better.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

streets

just got back to the office, up several stories, up off the streets filled with people of all ages, all directions. noise, colours, movement now inspire not panic but confusion. distracted from my own thoughts, self, direction and often taking moments to collect and breathe, in a funny way, where i smile at my lack of flow here. like a little old lady, smiling in puzzlement, lost but in an okay way. settled by the idea of home, soon enough.

Friday, September 12, 2008

till your soil

the mantis mini rototiller - a little gem bought off the previous house owner. after a few pulls and fussing, it was good to go and plowed up a front garden in a jiffy. came away with jiggly arms and a new appreciation for powered tools. a little weed-wacking that afternoon sealed the deal. till (ha ha) now, have never really used such tools (as a grown up, doing things i want - lawn-mowing as a kid was a drag) and am quite pleased with how it can make yard work zoom. i know this is a very 'duhhh' statement but... it's just that i get it now!

purpose of this garden (aside from... gardening) will be to hide the cars a little and also inspire a happy 'i'm home' sigh when coming up the driveway. after wading through a zillion gardening photographs online in my time, have recognized that i'm a "cottage garden" type which is good because it should jive with our life & land. this little spot will have rudbeckia, echinacea, obedient plant, catmint... odds and ends basically, but tall, carefree and colourful.
oh man, the yard has a long way to go! but baby steps... will be fun.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

getting cozy

came home from a few days in the city to my love and our cat. lit the fireplace to get rid of the new autumn chill (and give the new insert a spin - works great). snuggled up and chatted. coming home never felt so good.

Friday, September 05, 2008

friday

it is with usual eager anticipation that i'm counting the afternoon hours till work is over and the weekend is here. seems like the first one in awhile where i'll get to be totally at home. which is actually sort of strange to anticipate as i'm -always- home, telecommuting into work. but tomorrow will be uninterrupted, guilt-free time in the garden, reading, relaxing, and doing small chores. will be solo too, as d is visiting his folks this weekend. sunday am off to the city for a few days... city visits lately being a very chill time spent feeling overwhelmed, if that make any sense.

the weather today is strange: wind wind wind (the chimes are rockin' on the porch - considering taking them down for a break as i'm getting chimed out). just waiting for the rain that doesn't seem to want to fall.

have been getting up with d all week ~6am. waking with a surprise amount of energy and vigor for life, happiness, not to mention extra hours in the day. this morning (after letting a skunk pass by) i was pulling cedar logs around at 7am in my nightgown. putting them along the end of the driveway to try and mark a separation between drive and yard. right now it's all blendy.

4 more hours!

Thursday, September 04, 2008

fall gardening

in a last ditch effort to get beautiful-ness happening in the yard, i've ordered some seeds from richter's for fall planting, with hopes that the springtime will yield more flowers and garden-y-ness with minimal effort.

some perennial flowers:
black-eyed susan (love)
catnip (wind her up and watch her go)
sage, russian (tall and purpley - my compromise for lavender which wouldn't be happy up here)
pansy (hardy to 6 - might wait till spring as we're 4b tho it's all an experiment right?)
tansy
yarrow, white (both bring happy bees and things to the garden i think)
lamb’s ear, woolly (soft)

also, for kicks:
daikon (d's choice)
lemongrass, indian (indoor cooking)
rosemary (ditto - maybe gifts?)

okay that's one distraction gone... time to work!

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

brain-storming

a campfire, a swim, a paddle-boat ride, a sunburn, a magazine or two, a visit with family, a big meal = a restoring, relaxing weekend in killaloe, staying at the cottage. benny's sale yielded a cheap, great pair of sorels (winter-prep in back of mind). returned with farm eggs, garden cucumbers, and a new bunch of ideas on how to pursue the upcoming year of our new farm-life. dreams so far. we shall see what happens.

despite heaping debt, can't help but ogle all of the beautiful bulb choices this fall, especially with the idea of a naturalized drift of mixed daffodils... or forced paperwhite narcissus. wonder how one finds deals on bulbs. might have to wait as we'll be spending a little extra dough on garlic seed!

tons of house flies getting in these past few days. ick.