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Showing posts from July, 2020

Snowy Speculations

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If I could paint, I would have tried to replicate the landscape very early this morning. Illuminated by the faintest hints of light and hours before sunrise, the cold, stark landscape lay completely still in its snowy blanket. Naked trees stood proudly and quietly against this backdrop, this palate of pure white an unforgiving place for any creature, big or small, to attempt to cross without drawing attention to its existence at this time. Even our ancient tire swing looked sleepy and droopy, suspended precariously close to the ground, as if the effort of hanging from a tree limb was too much for it. To the east, the only rays of light visible were the ones coming from the across the river, and even those seem hushed and muffled, like a child tired and murmuring not to wake them up just yet.  The young families down the road have gone all out with Christmas lights this year. Bright colours adorn the night skies and my neighbours even have a Christmas Cat and a Christmas Dinosaur that i
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Mornings...

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Mornings... One of the curses of no longer being young (I prefer that terminilogy to "getting older") is that mornings come earlier and earlier every year and getting up at five or six starts becoming a normal habit that you may as well just embrace. With the hot weather we have been experiencing all of July, the cool of the mornings has been pleasant and enjoyable at the crack of dawn. In December, waking up in the dark of a winter's morning does not get the same reaction! When our oldest graduated from high school a few years ago, he invited some friends to camp out at our place to finish off the year. Tents were set up and a huge bonfire was lit. We retreated and left them to their own devices, hoping for the best. The next morning, I got up around six and looked out at the side field to take an assessment of how bad the damage was. Besides the usual disarray of lawnchairs and some chip bags, cans and wrappers lying around, there was hardly any evidence that a
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Growing Weed(s) before it was Legal...

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Growing Weed(s) before it was legal... In our past subdivision life, our lawn was a sense of pride for my husband! On a strict fertilizer and watering regiment and mowed in perfectly straight lines (yes, pull out your ruler and your level), it was like walking on a lush carpet of green. Much to my husband's chagrin, having a fantastic lawn after moving to our cottage life-style, was not to be! Many rural properties have a cistern and well which supplies their daily water usage. So the choice between watering your lawn or having a long shower, especially if the cistern is getting close to needing a refill, hopefully leans towards the hygiene one. We are fortunate to be on municipal water, so really there is no excuse as to why our grass isn't as green as it should be. Because of the mass of walnut trees on our property and the difference between a 50' lot versus acreage, it comes down to one simple decision. Get obsessed with having a turf-like lawn or just sit back a
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Close the Windows, Hold your Breath! I can't say enough about how much I love living on a rural property. Looking out my home office window at the endless stretch of vineyards before me gives me such a sense of serenity and peace. I love my views of the Niagara Escarpment in the distance and am constantly mesmerized by its every changing  colours. On cloudy days filled with bursts of sunlight, you can see patches of dark and light where cloud shadows and sunlight reflect the skies above. Driving down Concession 1 or 2 in late fall, I am amazed at the plethora of fall foliage that looms before me as I drive towards York Road and its rustic beauty never ceases to take my breath away. But these views come at a small price. With vineyards directly across the street from me, we have the off-shore workers starting their day rather early and there is constant tractor traffic at various stages of the season. It does take some getting used to, especially if you are a light sleeper lik
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