Snowy Speculations

-
Image
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
Post a Comment

The Path Less Travelled

-

The Path Less Travelled

 


Morning walks along the Niagara Parkway with my ever faithful walking partner are my absolute favourite time of the day! We have walked that path in snow, rain, sunshine and humidity. Across from Tregunno Farms, most people choose the upper path, which still leads along the road. But we usually choose the lower one leading through more of the forested area, which ends up being a bit more challenging as we make our way to the top at the end. 

Over the last few months, we have observed the various stages of bloom and foliage as spring has turned into summer. And yesterday I noticed tiny red dots along the side of the path. Upon closer inspection, I was excited to discovery puny wild strawberries and quite a few of them. I picked one for myself and handed one to my friend. She looked like a deer caught in the headlights as she fervently shook her head. There was no way she was going to eat something plucked off the forest floor! I had a small chuckle and, without any hesitation, popped the second berry into my mouth. Wild strawberries are so different from readily available market ones! 

I noticed her studying me anxiously after consuming this unexpected snack as we continued our walk and decided to have a bit of fun with my city-slicker sidekick. At first I started clearing my throat a little here and there. Then I held my hand to my neck, shooting her worried looks. Then I told her that my throat felt really itchy. I knew I was crossing the line when she asked for my cellphone  password in case she needed to call 911, so I burst out laughing and watched the relief wash over her face.

This morning I walked the path alone as my friend was needed in Toronto for a few days. When I got to the lower area, I clapped my hands a few times, just in case some black and white furry creatures were still lurking around ready to spray me. A few minutes in,  I spotted someone standing just off the path and my heart skipped a few beats. As I got closer, I noticed a women picking wild raspberries and popping them in her mouth. I greeted her as I got closer and she laughed almost guiltily and joked that she was having some breakfast. In Anne of Green Gables' terms, I had a found a kindred spirit! I explained to her that I needed a few photos of the wild strawberry patch ahead for my blog. She, of course, knew what I was talking about as I'm sure she'd sampled a few already.

I turned and walked back up the path alongside the road and I couldn't believe the amount of wild raspberries everywhere I looked. I passed a wild mulberry tree, its branches heavy with fruit. It should be noted that I don't encourage just eating anything that looks edible when you're out and about. I had grown up picking these berries in my parent's forest and have the scars on my arms and shins from the prickly brambles to prove it decades later. A few weeks ago I had picked a wild morel mushroom off of my property. Even though online pictures confirmed it was edible, I could not convince myself to try it. One has to use common sense. But I was struck once again by the beauty around us in rural Niagara-on-the-Lake and how, if you listen and look, you can be continuously amazed by all nature can offer us!

Lolita Schimann Hale





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Snowy Speculations

-
Image
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
Read more

The Sleeping Giant

-
Image
 Well, our Septic Sagas have finally come to an end. Our 75-year-old septic system finally gave up the ghost and we now have a giant burial ground to commemorate its existence. For those of you familiar with the Sleeping Giant in Thunder Bay, we now have the Sleeping Giant of Niagara-on-the-Lake! Our once flat property now has the privilege of having a septic mound that is our daily view right out of our dining room window - lucky us!  The kid in me can't resist walking around our new Hale Hill. Every time I stand on top of the mound, I feel like Leonardo DiCaprio in Titanic yelling out, "I'm the king of the world!" But I haven't been able to trek up Mount Rushmore this week as my husband spent several hundred dollars at Minor Brothers on grass seed and is tenderly watering the baby seedlings, now just a mere green shadow on the brown dirt, with the hopes that the Hale Hill will soon be covered in a blanket of greenery and blend into the existing landscape. That
Read more

A scene from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation?

-
Image
 I was working in my home office at the front of the house early yesterday morning. The dogs had been taken out and fed and I was being quite productive already. All of a sudden I heard a little noise and assumed that the cat had come upstairs. Then Gus, our Pom-with-an-attitude, started growling. None of these occurrences were in any way different from any other day. Then the growling started again followed by his incessant, high-pitched barking and Sadie, our old lab who never does anything but eat and sleep, started growling and barking as well. I ran out to shush them both as the kids were still sleeping and heard another bit of scurrying in the living room. It had to be the cat, of course. I closed the pocket door between the kitchen and hallway and started heading back to my office to continue working when a small movement caught my eye. I turned around quickly to see a tan-coloured squirrel scurrying across the hardwood floors, past the grand piano in the living room (I would ha
Read more