Spring Explosion

A lovely start to the weather promised a great summer ahead. The forecast changed as rain came in for enough days, that people were commenting on whatever had happened to summer. It was a great beginning for plants though as the rain helped everything green flourish. Unfortunately living in 49 acres of hay, the result is being swallowed up by the height of the hay along our drive and surrounding acreage. We did do a cut around the house giving us some space and a path to the garden. The garden was enlarged this year set on the success on the last year’s crop. Alas it has been taken down by a cucumber bug and with help of a few chemicals, reluctantly applied, we shall have to restart the garden. It is some relief knowing we are not alone and others in the area have the same pests attacking their gardens. 

I did plant some more flowers and my daughter planted many bulbs. So here is hoping that they will add colour in all the green. The next item on the grooming of our home will be the bush hogging. We are trying to hold off as it is an expensive operation and required twice a year. It really is starting to become claustrophobic with the hay and time to bring in the farmer for space to breathe and roam again. Others insects seem to be flourishing as well. Carpenter ants are over embellished in numbers this season. We watch to be sure we don't bring them indoors. It would seem this season the live stock is that of insects instead of our former creatures. Once the hay is cut, I hope to see more of the deer and other animals. We know now we do have a skunk and a porcupine having seen them earlier in season but not lately. We suspect we did have an unseen visit by a bear. 

We did take a walk to the far side of the acreage before the hay grew and found our lot pins. There is a gorgeous path in the woods aligning our lot to two neighbours. the path leads deep into the woods and makes for a wonderful exploratory stroll. We plan to visit again. I did take some photos of the wood walk.

For myself, I am getting established in the area with new friends and contacts in the arts. It has made for a very busy season. My spouse has been on a lay back vacation with small jobs and distractions. He is now warming up to attack the basement conversion with the drywall and flooring. He is also becoming engaged in getting the bronze casting equipment tuned up for a new summer season. We wait anxiously for news of the sale of our house in our last home town. This will definitely cement the move here.

The Long Winter Slips into Spring

A New Season Reluctantly Arrives

My wrist free from a seven week cast, I am strengthening the arm to pick up my work where it was last left due to injury. With the stronger sun I can sense the warm days just barely from reach as a few icy blasts hang on to the old season. The fields are yellow with just a few patches of snow and the water gurgles along the ditches and streams. 

Crazy Deer

The deer were playing in the fields recently, springing high and running in circles and I guessed that was their way of kicking up their heals in celebration of the new season arriving. Birds are more active in number and a new hawk with a brighter orange tail has set up his territory here. 

My daughter has begun the garden seeds in trays around the rooms in the house and we are talking about bringing the deck furniture out and purchasing a few options for them. Tires will be exchanged in the next few weeks signaling the official end to winter. I am already sporting some new sneakers. My spouse is discussing getting my bronze casting equipment out to repair the furnaces and get then ready for a new season of bronze pours. I am back on the Nova Scotia Rally Map so expect some visitors and the bronze is always a highlight. My studio sign will be ready to place for the first time next to the drive coming up to the house.

Having met some of my local peers in this last month, I am in my first exhibition and had an article in the newspaper. I also was focused in a live auction event in the nearby university. So I am feeling at home in our newly adopted area, and expect to see my new colleagues more often during the summer. I am waiting on visits from my old friends also. We will both be going into our second summer season here with a more relaxed and familiar attitude enjoying the best of what we were introduced to last year.

There is still plenty of work to do in our new home. The basement was stalled so a fresh attack on getting the walls and floors together there will be an activity for my spouse. We will have to call on our plow man again to refurbish the driveway. It stood up well for the winter but two flood and ice days did wash out some areas and a new surface in a few spots will be required.  We will be waiting for the height of the hay to determine a call on the bush hog again. This year we may cut a little more into the second field so we can walk further to that tree line. Meanwhile, my camera will be nearby as our old residents return to our 49 acres.

New Hawk

A Real Winter and A Rare Visitor

February brought with it one of those old fashioned winters with blizzards, snow, and worse of all, the ice. A few weeks ago, as I was waiting for my grandson to get off the school bus, I noticed the wide thick extensive ice flows in our ditches. My grandson also noticed the inviting ice and decided to slide down the ditches once he got half way up our 1400 foot driveway. With giggles of delight he slid up and down the flows and although the thought occurred to me, that he should have safety gear on, I was caught up with his impromptu outdoor fun. All was fine until he asked me to push him harder on the ice as it wasn’t as fast as appeared on the surface. 

So I stepped on to the surface with care and for a few slides all seemed safe. Then without warning, and so suddenly, I was engrossed in pain and down on the ice surface. I knew it was serious and after 5 hours sitting in emergency with ice packs wrapped around my wrists, it was confirmed my wrists was broken. Of course, the break is with my dominant hand which I put out to break the fall. Fortunately, if one is looking on the bright side, it was a clean break and didn’t require surgery. With two weeks of pain and a reset and another week of pain, I am doing better and only have a few weeks left to wear this cast. There will follow a bit of physio I expect while I wait for strength to return. The only pain left is with my spouse who has had to take on my share of the work load.

I have continued trying to get on with whatever art projects that I can handle with my left hand but it certainly put a crimp in my plans. Now that the weather has settled down, I am drawn wishfully to the woods to take another photo of the old car swallowed up in snow coverage. I look enviously at the West River with a partial blanket of snow, ice and melted middle, wishing for a plein aire painting experience. One day, while looking out at the fields I saw a dark shape slinking across the field, stopping and crouching, and slowly moving forward. I knew it was too big for a cat, and hurried for my camera excited at the prospects. With the zoom, I could see a lynx or bobcat in the finder. Awkwardly holding my heavy Nikon, I clicked for the few minutes left before he melted back into the woods. It’s not the best of pictures as it was at the full length of my field, but it did encourage online discussion of the breed. I believe I have a shot of the elusive lynx. It appeared to be too large for a bobcat. I would have loved to gone out to that far area to see the tracks, but the broken arm was already telling me that I had extended its use for the day.

So while I await freedom from my injury, and from the indoor living I am restricted to, I plan my events for April and the onset of a glorious spring. It will be glorious to me despite the weather it will bring, as I shall be out and about with camera, paints, and walking the woods and fields. New and exciting initiatives also await me with April month and full use of my right arm again.

A New Year and New Season

Snows and Cold

Only after Christmas was celebrated and over, did it feel like we have entered a new time with our move into the house. The activity and bustle of Christmas, as enjoyable a break it is, upsets any routine and project work for about a month. Added to that, the season decided to remain warm and white-less. January brought in a freeze where we were finally convinced the winter had arrived and behind that the snows spread their carpet. With the tree unclothed from the ornaments and everything put away, my spouse and I braved the harsh cold and dragged the tree into the tree line to end its life where it began. 

Black Headed Chickadees

The birds have made a steady flight path to the feeder and tracks are always present from the pheasants to and from the feeder and into the woods. I’m especially intrigued with the circling motion made with the tracks around the feeder as if circling the pole is requisite for dining. The hawk arrived a few more times and lately an eagle has made the bare trees its station overlooking the fields. Snowmobile tracks carve a line down the far field to the drive and off along the road. Our neighbours were given permission because this has been a long time route for them and they are discrete and do not bother us by nearing the house or covering the whole of the fields. Our neighbour has also begun plowing our drive and we noticed he went of the track at one point. His speed with the truck is ominous as he comes up and down and disappears. We do have some driveway markers up but the pure while of the whole wide field can leave you astray from the edges of the drive after a snow fall. My spouse found collateral damage after the plow left in the form of a mouse in the drive. We have noticed mouse holes in the snow out in the field. Hiding in the snow may work against large flying prey but not a speedy plow.

Light  on Snow

I encourage the more mice taken by the birds because it is obvious a farmers hay field will have these rodents in numbers. My daughter discovered this after writing off her vehicle on a mountain road recently. The suspension let go suddenly in her vehicle but her cool head kept control and no one was hurt. The wrecking yard employees were intrigued with the nest in her wheel well and the bird seed shells left in large numbers. The car had become a home but I guess the mouse had left before the crash or definitely was left behind on the mountain. We check our cars now and are cautious leaving doors open in the house and garage. One morning as my husband was filling the feeder, a mouse jumped out from inside where he had nested despite a squirrel and the birds eating at the feeder. Maybe our victim of the plow was this former resident. We are giving a little more time to the birds to help them out but if we seem to be making our rodent population fat, the feeders will have to come down. The feeders were removed after a second vehicle was discovered to have a nest in the heater box. They will have to take care of their own needs as before, but I do miss watching the birds and photographing their visits.

Bright Day

When the freeze hit after Christmas our excursions into the woods and outdoors were limited. Promises of warmer temperatures and this new blanket of snow will have us out again in the woods for pictures of white carpeting in the trees. And I hope to paint the West River now that I see it freezes as well and the colours of streaking grays through the surface interest me. My grandson’s new sled should also be hitting the long slope from the house to the creek very soon now. I would expect that to be quite a thrill for him and await the day. Meanwhile the white fields and the tracks left each day are of a constant interest to me. I’m glad it also seems our herd of deer made it safely through the hunting season. With the seasonal festivities over with and as we settle into the winter regiment, we are relaxing and finally enjoying our daily activities and awaking to each new day with intrigue.

Decembers Celebration Preparations

The snow has fallen twice now. However it was just a powder covering that lasted a day or two on the deck. The snow on the fields disappeared fairly quick as the temperatures still variate at this time. We did have several mornings of frost however, which I enjoy because I don’t have to be concerned with driving. I’m sure my daughter who leaves in the dark to work would disagree with me. However what I don’t enjoy this time of year is the cold rain that still falls and the darkened sky in the afternoon bringing the day to an early end. Once the snow covers the ground in a more permanent blanket the white reflection will lighten the day making it longer. Then I can enjoy watching my grandson play in the snow and walk the fields and woods in white steps. I’m considering snow shoes this winter as an efficient investment. The walking may be easier through the fields to the tree line.

3 birds in flight

We did get out to the woods a few weeks ago to cut some boughs for the decorations on the deck. With the leaves gone from the trees the sun sent beams of light down through the limbs throwing lights and shadows on the tapestry floor. It made it a magical place and I was awe struck in the realization this land was ours. These trees which I looked up to the sky to view their tops were now ours. I used the excursion as a photo shoot and got some beautiful results that are more the result of the day and the subject matter than my skill as a photographer. One of the pictures I am using as a card motif. A few others would make great black and while photo illustrations. They are also a great memory for us later.

The deer are back and looking large and relaxed in our fields. I can’t believe the size those pheasants have bulged to and are regular visitors daily now. I’m waiting to see them burst at some point of expansion. The feeders are busy now as the weather changed and food sources are scarcer. The black capped chickadees lack any fear of us and we can get within feet of them while they continue their feedings. They come back and forth to the feeder rather than remain and feed continuously. Watching them dip and dive on their route with camera in hand becomes a test to catch them in flight. The hawk has returned after an absence of time. There is such a choice of so many fields for it to hunt in; it isn’t attached to one area. I enjoy seeing him hunt because I know there are mice in these former hay fields and am glad to see the hawk clean them out. It is also enjoyable to watch those huge wings spreading and floating and cornering in the air just above the ground as it tracks its prey.

The skies are a great delight to us as well. We have open area and a full view of starry nights as well as sunsets and sun rises that catch our breathe. But even more astonishing is the varied cloud formations in the wide sky here. The other day I saw the exact sky I had envisioned for my “woman on the horse” painting and hurried to get my camera knowing the clouds were moving fast and would change drastically if I waited. I did catch the formations I wanted before they adjusted to an entirely new cloud scape.

Look to the light

light in the trees

I await the snow fall now as my next experience with a new winter season spent in the new house. I am hoping as much as my grandson for deep fall. He will experience a long steep run from the house to the lower field.I hope to experience walking above the snow about the fields and into the woods again. I also hope to catch the West River again in paint showing its new seasonal cloak of winter.

A Better View

Autumn colours

The autumn leaves were not as brilliant or as colourful as I expected this fall. The temperatures were too fine well into the season so the expected frosts that make the colours bright with orange and reds did not come quickly enough. As the winds and rains, instead fell for many consistent days, the leaves went early with the weather. At the end we did finally reach many oranges and yellows but the majority of colours were the rusts. Still beautiful along with the changes, I enjoy this time of year the most. School is in and people are at their chores and making regular schedules. For me, it’s a determined effort to get back to my art with consistency. For the last two weeks it has been a panic to capture the colours of the leaves as they disappear and I was left with the darker deeper colours that cloudy days bestow on the autumn event.

Now the leaves are pretty much gone to the wind or on the ground drying into brown wrinkled skins that will crumble as they are picked up. The many straight pole like trunks of trees multiply in rows as you enter the woods edge. The more interesting gnarly twisted aged limbs and trunks become the showcase for the artist. The white birches are evident and lonely without their yellow canopy. But the true advantage for me is that I can see within the woods that were curtained before with thick impassable greenery. Now the depth of view opens up for me and access is made easier. 

More objects and the floor carpet itself becomes interesting and plants and mosses are a delight in their now individuality. I can see the old blue ford from the windows calling me in curiosity to investigate again. I had taken photos before the house construction as we explored the property. Now I want to go in closer, photograph the changes in the last two years and see deeper into the vehicle that I was hesitate to disturb as a newbie on the land. Of course there will be some caution taken in the investigation. After all, we now know our residents better. We have heard from neighbours on their larger traveling residents. Raccoons and mice are an obvious home owner here and I really don’t want to disturb a skunk. We have everything else and seen most of the animal neighbours here, but I suspect skunks are part of our menagerie. Much noise on approach and a bit of banging on the metal should move any critters onward.

We have also been asked by a few people in the area for hunting permission. We are close to the top of the hill and near the edge of our property line so we don’t relish guns in the vicinity. We know already our neighbours responses so as new residents, we will go with the majority because our land borders their property and we do not wish to open access to the neighbours who declined. It would also make me very nervous to be out and walking about our property knowing someone is in the area with a gun. We do suspect now that our 49 acres must have been accessed before to hunters by the requests and some cars or trucks part on sides of the roads around. Added to that, I have become partial to my animal habitants and we have become accustomed to their habits and they to ours. Leave undisturbed what is normal now and I believe we can all co-inhabit the area in peace.

West River /Water in Motion

September's End

Autumn Air

After the heat of the summer September month brought us the long needed moisture for the land. Rain however came in torrents instead of trickles, causing flooding in towns near water shed areas. We have a water shed area at the bottom of our acreage along the road. Almost everyone along here catches the mountain run off along the level road area. Tall grasses and bullrushes and a variety of wetland plants line the road. There are lowland marsh in the lower flat lands behind or between some of the houses. A river runs in back of the other side of the road. We can’t see it but know from he line of trees running along the banks where it flows. During two heavy rain falls the river overflowed the banks trapping some cows and their calfs and some of the horses at the barn. They were rescued by the farmer and the horse owner and brought off their little island sanctuaries of grass through the water. The horses remained in the upper fields near the barn for some days to allow for the drainage. I didn’t know that the water was bad for their hooves and one had soften feet but will be okay. 

Driveway wash out

The second rains came the next week and the same scene happened again. For us, it meant a wash out on the long drive way in two areas. The brook handling the upper field drainage overflowed at the culvert and the low wet lands on both side of the road were awash like a pond. The water caught up with the ditch on the right side bringing the water almost up to road level. The ditches were very deep there fortunately as this is where our drainage brook becomes a stream and runs under the road eventually to the river. We called our neighbour whom landscaped with the purpose of running off the water from our house. It has been successful except in those conditions. When we heard how others had fared, we were feeling somewhat fortunate. Our water drained off sufficiently fast afterwards to give us back out driveway in little time. However our neighbour will run another drain on the other side to catch some overflow when torrential rain hits again. It was stated on the news that the extra dry soil could not absorb the huge amount of rain, due to the long dry summer. The power of the weather is evident in the meandering deep ditches the water cut where the rain traffic was directed and are deep enough, although narrow, to reach down to the stones underneath. The stones have gathered with the rush and formed cascading falls all along the ditches. When walking down the lane you are accompanied by the trickling sound of water.

FallingApples

Another change is the deer accumulating in our fields. Where we had bush hogged to cut the hay and weeds it is coming back and now about two feet high. We do plan to cut again when the ground dries so that we head into winter with a close cropped field. Meanwhile the deer are enjoying grazing the fresh growth around the house. They were coming here and there individually all summer, but now with autumn upon us, they have formed a herd of six or seven members and move together. The fawns have lost their spots but are still small to the adults. In the mornings as I walk my grandson to the bus we have encountered a few flocks of geese in the “v” formation.   The trees are changing to brown while others are thinning in leaves. We haven’t had a night frost yet what with all the wet weather, but once it hits, the brilliant colours of fall will appear. We have been told several times of how beautiful it is in the area during the fall colours.

The garden is looking worn and dry. We did get another bunch of beans last week but everything but the tomatoes are done now. The rain did a job on the tomatoes where several are on the ground. However we are still picking some red ones off the bushes. The last remaining crop is the pumpkins now. We have brought one already to the deck. A perfect orange shape for the jack o lantern. There are about five other good size ones turning to that matte orange in the garden and will be the filling for pumpkin pies. With the wet we couldn’t reach the few apple trees on our property side so we waited a week and went out in boots yesterday to collect what was left of the apples. We got some lovely small yellow green apples that taste sweet and tart at the same time. There was a crab apple tree next to it and got a few unspoiled ones there. Then we walked down the perimeter searching for more trees. There is an entry to the neighbours trees where she invited us to walk the paths in the abandoned orchard. Very near the line was a tree with large red apples, many of which were on the ground. We felt she wouldn’t mind us picking some from the branches to salvage the fruit. They are beautiful indeed. My daughter plans next year to plant a small orchard near our present apple trees to aid in the pollination. Grapes are also on the horizon for the spring. Meanwhile we contemplate the four months and the summer we have lived here and feel good about our move. It is time now to prepare for our first winter in the area and in our new house. 

Apple pie on the way

This blog chapter is dedicated to our neighbour Rose whose visits and local stories and garden advice we thoroughly enjoyed. Her tenacity and strength of spirit is an inspiration.

Big spider web