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 th...
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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 and let nature do what it has been doing for centuries.
Yes, our "grass" is green. But upon closer inspection, the greenery doesn't really stem (no pun intended) from an actual blade of grass. Well, if you count crabgrass in that mix, then yes. Dandelions and clover are a big contender as well.
But what sets our property apart from everyone else's, is that we have is a mint lawn. Yes, mint. Decades ago, our property was owned by a Dutch couple with a greenhouse. As a result, we have huge spreads of low-growing mint that is like a fragrant pillow to walk on. We love entertaining and it's so funny to watch guests walking across the back "lawn" suddenly stop and look around in surprise, wondering why the air is filled with the fresh smell of spearmint and peppermint. Children have knelt down and petted the lawn in wonderment and then lain down in it as if it were a comfortable blanket! Mint is supposed to be a deterrent to insects which we are plagued with, but I don't really think the mint is helping too much in that regard.
Our lawn isn't perfect. Weeds provide their own beauty. Even at this moment, I'm looking across the road at the vineyard and see that every second row, left deliberately uncut, has a lush spread of Queen Anne's Lace. When our lawn is cut, it is like a piece of art to me. It looks neat and tidy, like a freshly cut lawn should. But upon closer inspection, it is a plethora of weeds that make up our lawn. The key to enjoying rural life is to let go. Certain things are a priority when living in a residential area. Growing weeds hasn't necessarily become ours. Not worrying about them has been liberating in a small sense...
Lolita Hale

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