Rural Living in Niagara-on-the-Lake

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Snowy Speculations

- December 07, 2023

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...

The Sleeping Giant

- September 10, 2023

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...

The Rooster Crows at Dawn (or not)

- August 12, 2023

I woke up just before five this morning. I couldn't sleep so I got up and opened a window just a little to look out at the darkened landscape. A sliver of moon illuminated the world just slightly. Down the road, several roosters were crowing in succession, trying to outdo each other. The air was cool and damp but the smell of a skunk nearby permeated the morning air. Summer has been undergoing a gradual change these last few weeks. Not just in the temperature in the morning and evening, but all around. Even the poplar and ash trees at the back seem to have been brushed with the hand of an invisible artist, bathed with a yellow glow as the leaves are starting to show the changing of the season. If you've read my blog before, you'll remember that I love growing pumpkins and gourds. I always feel like this is a frivolous activity because you can't really eat these delightful wonders the garden provides us. But they do make a beautiful display at Thanksgiving! Because of a...

A scene from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation?

- May 28, 2023

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 woul...

The Broken Lady

- May 24, 2023

The Broken Lady Before we purchased our home, it had belonged to a raku potter and water-colour artist. From what I heard from people in the area, she hosted artist's retreats and held seminars in the studio that we converted back to a garage. In the first few years after moving here, I continued to discover eclectic pieces in the flower beds after digging out overgrown plants and bushes. Items like broken pottery, several containers of gorgeous seashells, large fossils, a little Buddhist temple garden ornament, bones that looked like they may have been a donkey's jawbone and an angel with fragmented edges held in place by wire. Some items I kept, others I discarded. But one item always pulled me in on some unknown level. It was a broken statue about three feet high. We found her on her side in the forest. Her head had been broken off and hung dejectedly by just one thin rusty rod. She was made of cement and was obviously quite old. I couldn't find another statue like ...

Primavera

- April 22, 2023

Primavera It feels like the world has been breathing a sigh of relief these last few weeks. Granted, we all held our breaths earlier in the week when, like the unwelcome gift of underwear and socks on Christmas morning, some cold, white stuff fell from the sky. But I won't use that S-word as it is forbidden this time of year but will allow a hearty welcome to the other S-word: Spring! A quick google search of "Primavera" shows us that it literally means "first spring" - a fitting title for this beautiful week! There's been a frenzy of bird song and flight for weeks now from the crack of dawn to dusk and any plant that is able to pop out of the ground, has been pushing to the surface with all of its might. The splashes of yellow from plump daffodils and vibrant forsythia are a stunning contrast to the lush green grass wherever the eye can see. Every fall, we dump the soil from pots and urns that have finished blooming and have dried up into the compost pil...

Coyote Chorus

- February 04, 2023

Coyote Chorus (Remembering Susie-the Howler ) I felt like one the people in Twas the Night Before Christmas last night when I was "nestled all snug" in my bed. There were no visions of sugar plums dancing in my head though! And literally, not a creature was stirring that late at night. Well, that is, except for the coyotes. It's mating season and these creatures have been making quite a stir at dusk, dawn and all through the night. I hear their yipping in the vineyards all around us and see their footprints in the freshly fallen snow, evidence that our side yard is a footpath from the fields to the forest behind us. Each morning when I let the dogs out, they eagerly examine every bush and tree, almost incensed that another animal had the audacity to enter their territory. Gus, the male of our two dogs, marks every spot with intensity, reminding the coyotes that this is his yard. I feel sorry for the little pine in the far corner that has taken quite a bit of marking an...

Poop and Pine Needles...

- January 01, 2023

Poop and Pine Needles... It's a brand new year and like the once cheery Christmas decorations all around me, I feel wilted and tired. I ran the dishwasher this morning, threw a load in the washing machine and filled the deep tub for a relaxing bath to start the day and the new year in efficient relaxation. And what a start it was! As I opened the bathroom window to let in some cool air to clear the steam a bit quicker, my senses were immediately assaulted by the smell of sewage that I was very familiar with having witnessed several septic inspections first-hand in my real estate career. I immediately looked to the side of the deck where Jim had dug out the hatch to the holding tank just yesterday as we were waiting for our local pumping contractor to swing by in the next week. The neat and tidy hole in which the concrete lid had been clearly exposed just this morning, was now filled with murky water mixed with questionable contents and a silent row of bubbles rising on each ...

Sunrise Reflection

- December 14, 2022

Sunrise Reflection Our first house was a little raised bungalow in the city. We bought the house and were thrilled with the greenspace behind us. Just a few years into our marriage, this land started getting developed and we began looking for another home. I think that is one of the reasons I appreciate some of the open spaces around us so much. We are minutes to Old Town, Virgil and St. Davids. Every morning when I look out the window at the endless rows of vines that seem to stretch all the way to the escarpment, I am awed by the streaks of vibrant orange and red at the edge of the horizon announcing the start of a new day. The sunrise this morning is especially stunning and taking a picture on my iPhone never equals the true quality of what I see before me. With the Christmas holidays approaching quickly and my kids still nestled in their beds, I doubt that visions of sugarplums are dancing in their heads . But I do think that the world around me is still sleeping in peaceful s...

Bugs on the Table....

- October 23, 2022

Bugs on the Table A few weeks ago we celebrated Thanksgiving. It was a beautiful weekend and we hosted two dinners, one on Friday and one on Sunday. The menu consisted of a German dinner for my side of the family on Friday and a traditional Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday for Jim's side. Last year's Thanksgiving weekend was much different from this year's. This year we were missing one person. My sister-in-law, Kari, had really been the one person who had relished family dinners. She was the one who would be at our dinners without fail, regardless whether she had just been through a gruelling round of chemo or spent the last month in the hospital. But sadly her battle with cancer came to an end this year and our Thanksgiving dinner with the Hale side was a little quieter without her constant chatter. I've always gone a bit overboard with my Thanksgiving table decor, so much so that there usually was no room to put the food on the table. So we ended up setting up the me...

Feathered Friends... with Benefits

- September 26, 2022

Feathered Friends...with Benefits When our neighbours got chickens two years ago, our family was not receptive to the idea at all. Since we do not have a fence between our properties, we found ourselves having to coordinate letting the dogs out with when the chickens were not out. Just being honest here, but it was slightly irritating. Our puppy, Gus, was and still is feisty and has a natural desire to chase the chickens and ducks, which we couldn't allow. Especially in light of the fact that the neighbouring farmer's dog has already come onto their property and enjoyed six of these feathered fellows as his snack. It's terrible, but you just can't stop nature! Although I have always wanted a few laying hens of my own for several years now, my husband keeps reminding me that this will never happen. Of course I am picturing a little henhouse that is a mini replica of our home and is surrounded by a sizable, fenced-in run. But I digress! Slowly the irritation at th...

Home is Where Your Heart is

- August 19, 2022

July brought with it the usual yellow, dry grass that crunched underfoot and the necessity to water the garden and flowerbeds every day. May and June's lush foliage now drooped with despair. My old wheelbarrow missing the front wheel that had been converted to a cute flowerbed, looked bedraggled and sparse. Even the mint that usually covered every nook and cranny of its surface, had died and left dried branches and crackly leaves behind. But after July's desert-like conditions, August has managed to bring a few weeks of reprieve. The rain greened up the grass right before our very eyes and our vegetable garden seems to be producing a hundredfold, thanks to the cool nights and dew-filled mornings. As I was walking around the perimeter of our little property last night, I took a picture of the back of the house. As you can see, it is surrounded by trees and foliage and the grey/blue siding blends right in with the evening shadows. But what struck me as I examined the picture la...

The Giant Bug

- July 24, 2022

I love the end of July heading into early August. Although I was complaining yesterday that summer is too short, this is the mid-point where I try to focus on squeezing every bit of summer out of every moment. We have a whole month of my favourite season ahead of us yet! And while Facebook is dotted with people's camping and cottage posts, we are enjoying an equally beautiful serenity with all the comforts of home and zero packing and unpacking! Last night, Jim and I went outside to relax on the deck by the pool. It was a bit of a lazy evening and we just sat there, barely talking, taking in the scenery and sights all around us. Our neighbours were enjoying a soccer game with their kids along with the company of some friends who had come over for a last minute bonfire. The wind carried the comforting smell of woodsmoke over to us and was just strong enough to keep our masses of pesky mosquitoes away! The birds were flying all around, calling to each other and getting in their last...

Walnut Reminiscences...

- June 28, 2022

Walnut Reminiscences My favourite part of our property is the amount of walnut trees that we have. Planted strategically around the house and along the road, they give us shade and protection from the elements, especially with the strong winds that we have had these last few years. When we first moved here, after living on a new subdivision lot with one single tree planted on the boulevard, the fascination with these trees was great. We nailed some boards on a smaller walnut so that our youngest daughter could climb into the crux of the tree and sit there with her friends. The kids used leaves and branches in their creations in the sandbox or whatever type of play they were enjoying. Several teepees using thicker twigs were erected in the forest and the last one stood for over a decade. Since we moved here in the fall, we only really experienced the trees as they went through the colder season. But the next spring allowed us to watch the evolution as the trees came back to life. T...

The Great Butterfly Rescue!

- April 12, 2022

The Great Butterfly Rescue! After I had let the dogs out this morning and stayed with them on coyote patrol as they explored by the forest's edge, I eyed my empty clothesline and thought what a perfect day it was to hang out some clothes to dry. I grabbed a load from the washing machine, filled a basket and headed outside. After setting it on the platform, I went into the back garage to see if I could uncover my basket of clothespins from last year, hoping that no little inhabitants had made their winter home there. As I opened the heavy door, my attention was immediately drawn to a strange whirring sound by the east window. Very carefully I moved the stack of Amazon boxes that had collected there apres-Christmas and started as an unexpected brown blob threw itself against the window, frantically scrambling back and forth. The butterfly, I assumed it was one from the long, thin antennae and wing formation, kept getting ca...

Curious Coyotes

- March 15, 2022

Curious Coyotes As I drove down Highway 55 mid-morning yesterday, I had the privilege of witnessing a gorgeous male coyote make a mad dash across the road. The car ahead of me was barely driving 70, a fact which irritated me tremendously at that time until this magnificent creature made its way across the road and I was grateful that we were indeed driving much slower than was the norm. What really struck me was the way this coyote was running. He looked like a deer that was leaping in broad, graceful, yet slightly erratic, bounds. For a coyote that had just survived months of our harsh winter, he didn't look mangy or thin. In the seconds I watched him cross from one vineyard and disappear between the rows of the next, I noticed that he was a healthy weight and his coat was gorgeous. But the odd prancing stayed with me the rest of the day. When I stopped at my parent's house later for a short visit, I told my father about my sighting and about how odd it was that the coyote ...

Maisy

- February 13, 2022

Maisy On this cold morning with the snow softly falling, I am observing the sparrows, cardinals, blue jays and squirrels, hungrily devouring the mixed bird seed that Jim scatters on the asphalt for them every morning. We even have a resident rabbit who partakes in one or two meals on our driveway and it is enjoyable to see all these creatures co-exist without squabbling as they all enjoy some nourishment they didn't have to forage for on their own. As I look across the vineyards, I am reminded of a different critter that the kids and I used to visit and feed. The farmer down the road who owns the land behind the vineyards, used to pasture his sheep in the fields and move them to various locations every few days. One summer, he must have rescued an old mare from certain demise and I know that her last year on earth must have been enjoyable surrounded by the sunshine and greenery everywhere. He cordoned off a small area for her and the horse could be seen from dusk until dawn, a ...

Good Old VW Van...

- January 17, 2022

Good Old VW Van... With this winter's recent lockdown announcement, we decided that we were going to face it completely differently compared to last year. No bitterness at cancelled skating competitions or closed arenas. We were going to make the best of the situation! So on the first day of lockdown, I found myself making the trip to Hamilton to pick up an ice rink tarp for our youngest daughter. My husband ordered all the wood necessary for the rink and that evening we scrambled to see how we could get it all back to NOTL from Niagara Falls. Why didn't we wait and have it delivered, you ask? Patience is not a strong suit in this family. My husband called and asked if our oldest daughter could meet him at Lowe's in Niagara Falls at 6:00 to help load the wood into his midsize SUV. She drove down and called and texted her dad several times. No answer. Then she called me and told me she was sitting on a pile of lumber in the store without any idea of where her dad might be. ...

Cathartes Aura

- October 30, 2021

Along our morning walks this summer, my friend and I continuously passed by an abandoned house on one of the Lines. It was situated on a larger lot and it looked like someone had purchased it with plans to eventually build a home there. It was a tear-down if ever there was one! The windows had been smashed to pieces, the roof had huge chunks missing and the peeling paint on the old wooden siding looked tear-streaked as if the house had been crying in sheer loneliness and abandonment. As we passed the house quite early one morning, we were both astounded at the row of silent shadows perched on the rooftop. We both shuddered involuntarily at their presence. They looked like something from a horror movie, like black ravens against the blue morning sky, the stuff that would have inspired Edgar Allan Poe. My friend remarked that she had heard that they hovered around places where death had occurred, making us walk past the house at a much quicker pace than we had been walking un...

Under Autumn Skies...

- October 08, 2021

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 ...