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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Under Autumn Skies...

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I know Thanksgiving is a pretty big deal south of the border, celebrated later than our Canadian one. But I am happy that we can enjoy ours earlier, right at the end of the traditional harvest time when the last of the fall tomatoes are ripening, the pumpkins abound and the vibrant fall foliage is a background to our celebration! A big plus is that most years we can even enjoy afternoon appetizers outside in the warm autumn sunshine.

Last year's Thanksgiving took place right in the middle of lock-down and I wrote then about my previous outdoor Thanksgiving dinners where I enjoyed setting a festive table almost as much as I enjoyed seeing smiling faces gathered around it. There is such a selection of natural decor to pick from when you drive down our country roads. Purple branches, golden leaves and gnarled vines showcasing burnt orange foliage are abundant and merely the tip of the iceberg in terms of the natural selection out there to choose from!

I placed our outdoor table close to the ancient curly willow that is at the centre of our land and surrounded the table with an eclectic mix of antique chairs and outdoor seating. The century-old willow's branches have experienced quite a beating by the major winds we've experienced this last decade, but still it stands proudly. After storms, it litters the ground with a selection of twisty twigs that are gorgeous in displays in any season. This tree lost a major limb on the one side years ago and I noticed this week that the bark has grown over that section like a large patch of scar tissue covering its battle wound. I feel like I can relate to this tree sometimes, with all that our poor little world has been through this last while.

Every year, the Martha Stewart in me pours over recipes and table decor ideas, wanting this year to be even better than the year before. But this year I'm determined to keep the outside table simple, a mere  reflection of our surroundings. I grew the pumpkins and gourds in my garden. The pears are from our trees in the back and the background of the forest and the tree under which we'll sit will be a comfortable one. The wine on the table is made down the road and the apple cider that will be served is one produced by us last weekend. The herbs still flourishing in my garden will be put to good use in several of the dishes we'll be serving. Life is good!

The wind rustling the leaves above our heads is a serene type of music that humans can't truly replicate. If there's anything this pandemic has taught us, it's that we can't be confined. We need to be outside and feel the fresh air on our faces, smell the changing seasons and experience this beautiful piece of Niagara we call home! So while the grape harvest won't necessarily be able to take a break this weekend, the rest of us can gather around our tables, be they indoor or outside and give thanks for this beautiful region we live in!

Lolita Schimann Hale

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