blossoms and balloons

the scent of flowers fills the air, 

as does the joy of water balloons... 

watch out.  :)

downhill from here

the snowy weather returned after a mushy January thaw,

leaving an inviting layer of white over 

slick-icy surfaces.

PERFECT for a little lawlessness.

the downhills were exhilarating, and the back-up-the-hills were grounding.

not only is it lunar new year,

and celebration of our friend John's birthday, 

but also serves as the anniversary of our hard working wooden toboggan. 

 it was gifted to us, by John, 4 years ago.

I don't know how many years of service it provided to his family before then...

but we have certainly put it to good use!

cheers to John,

to more adventures at the arboretum

and to the year of the cockerel!

fire pit passion

the cottage is the perfect place to try out less conventional cooking methods:

 

 

 

the manly art of digging a fire pit.

there was much debate on how deep, how wide, how much fire, depth of coals...

but it doesn't seem to be an exact science in any case.

 

fire pretty.

 





 we eventually threw in the foil/newspaper/foil wrapped chickens,

laid down some lovely sweet fern for additional protection, and buried the lot.



six hours later, we dug for our supper.

 

proud cave man bringing home the chickens, trailer park boys' style.

the-non exact science outcome?

the poultry still had to finish on the bbq...but it was very fun endeavour.

 

next time, deeper pit, more coals, longer time cookin'.

'cause the WILL be a next time.

 



Garden file, #2

A small haul from my morning garden visit.

Garden community part one

it is allotment garden time again...

my plot last year was challenged by drought and weeds,

this year seems to be rain and flea beetles.

so far.

ok, let's face it. 

the wisdom of regularly driving 15 minutes one way, in order to dig around in the dirt, seems questionable most days. 

the tools, seeds and baby plants rattle around in an already chock-full vehicle,

and the hot sticky van interior is not the most inspiring start to a gardening adventure.

we also live in an area of town that has plenty of green space close by.  parks and small lawns, sports fields and large planter boxes dot our area with greenery.  we also have a small back garden with some herbs and hostas, and always plant a container or two of little tomatoes to savour.

downtown, even the cracks in the paving sprout life.

~

why, then, did I decide to tackle a 25x25 foot plot of clay and weeds so far away?

I can easily buy local organic veggies, either at a market, or through a CSA.

even the local big box grocers have a selection of Ontario produce this time of year.

~

well, I knocked the dirt off of a couple of this year's tiny flea beetle bitten radishes,

and found my answer.

~

it is simple. seeds are a bit of magic. 

 I never quite believe that those tiny little things contain a whole plant inside...every time I place a few in the ground, I fully expect them to fail.  and yet, without smoke or mirrors, a little green shoot pops up almost before my eyes.

so, those spicy little globes, pushing forth in spite of my inadequate ministrations,

the bugs and heavy soil,  encourage my feelings of hope and pride, and my belief in magic.

~

 if all other of my crops fall prey to hydration issues, weed competition or become bug snacks,

I have had my money's worth of magic already, as well as

a tasty little salad!

sunday.

birdfeeders

  a few of the greenbelt trails are excellent for having a closer relationship with chickadees and nuthatches...no, not just these two; i mean the feathered kind as well.

we walked a loop of a very promising trail, but didn't meet any winged friends...

until the very last few metres of our return leg.

a great spot to sit, take a break, be peaceful, and enjoy the little birds' company.

hitting the trail

we bundled up and headed to the visitor centre at

gatineau park today,

to learn a bit more about our local flora and fauna, and to let off a little steam!

adjacent to the visitor centre is the sugarbush walking trail,

 about 700 metres of mostly gravelled light hiking.

 there is also a short, more rugged detour offering some hands-on experience!

the girl was pleased to be able to find a spot of colour in a land prepared for winter sleep.

and david was bold enough to ask the professional photographer we encountered on the trail

(clearly hired by a cold but happy looking couple to provide engagement-type photos)

to take a quick snap of us; "free, and in the wild".

Olive branch

the shrubby russian olives in our neighbourhood are infusing the air

with their enchanting perfume now...

i have even adapted my route to work in order to accomodate my nose.

when i was a teenager, one of these trees lived beside the driveway of our rural home.

i loved the smell of june;

 the dwindling days of schoolbus tang, the scent of sunny lawn, tilled earth and rain,

and another arresting, yet transient fragrance which would greet me on my walk up the long lane.

being more accustomed to the "lilac" concept...big showy blooms and heavy bouquet,

 years went by before i finally identified that scrappy looking, crooked tree bearing insignificant flowers

as the origin of mysterious scent.  

now june smells of hot pavement, splashpad water, playground sand,

and the scent of trapped sunshine in the line-dried towels i wrap the children in.

i'm thankful the russian olive is here too, whispering summer is just starting,

and the possibilities are endless.

Peony please me, oh yeah...

By all means, stop and smell the roses,

but don't ignore the pleasures of the lovely peony.

If you know where one lives, race over, 

bury your face in her, and let the world walk by for a few breaths.

Perhaps a little personal, but she won't mind.

labadee

first port, labadee, haiti, was the kid's first experience with the ocean.

labadee, untouched by the earthquake, is a consturuct of the cruise line...

it employs haitians, but from what i understand is not so haitian.

there were two main beach zones;

this one, exhibiting a sportier side of the ocean waves,

(and alive with the whirring of zipliners whizzing past on wires)

and the lagoon side; better for sandcastles and sunbathing. 

also great for those passengers worried they might miss the boat...

i had forgotten how buoyant one feels in the salty water,

and how the sand was once coral, not stone.

a few bands of men performed what may or may not have

been the ancestral music of haiti.

regardless, it was hauntingly lovely.

we didn't miss the boat...even though esther successfully begged that we stop

for a "labadoozie" on our walk back.

this ceremonial beverage of labadee

is a tropical fruit/coconut based smoothie.

e + e had them without the traditional top-up of rum.

(the 'doozie' part?)

field study

our junior naturalist was thrilled with florida's variety of shrubbery



and majestic palm trees!

a drink and a show

the girl, juice cups in hand, dragged her brother outside

 to enjoy last night's sunset.

jumping with joy

thanksgiving holiday weekend up north...

the days were so beautiful, the nights so fresh,

only the yellowing aspens and amazed grown-ups whispered "october".

the sun, water, dogs and children still believed in august.

rock hopper

still

little minnows swim,

sun doubling their numbers...

casting shark shadows.

centipede

an urban insect inspected.

'look, mama; it has little ears!"

dandy lions

after an arboretum picnic,

foraging for dandelions.

guess what?  they found some.

 

dandelion,

dandelioness.

wooly bear season

these fuzzy fellows never fail to delight small fingers!

we really took this one off course...

found on a sidewalk blocks away, it was giggled all the way home.

it is hoped that it found a suitable place to live in our back yard;

 a quick google revealed that these little furries are isabella tiger moth caterpillars...

wouldn't it be so fun and educational to see
the transformation from cocoon to moth in the spring?
we could investigate life cycles, biodiversity, etc., etc...

~

but truthfully, we just want more tickley caterpillars, and you need the moths for that.

garden salad

esther often likes to help out in the kitchen by creating her own recipes.

 so this morning, at breakfast-time,

the girl, inspired by her new recipe for salad dressing, 

(a mixture of water, sumac, cumin and chile powder)

carefully chose greens from the backyard.

 the combination of colours and textures was quite convincing, at that...

it was gorgeous!

 she chose the perfect combination of 

chives, rue, boston ivy, mint, plantain, 

lily-of-the-valley leaves, parsley, berries and various weeds...

 the final concoction being both tempting and possibly toxic.

it was brought inside, dressed, tossed, admired, then 

returned to the garden to feed the slugs and squirrels.

it seems they know to pick out the foul bits.

bon appetit, critters!