Total Pleasure!

Saturday dawned in brilliant rose light. I delighted in the sight of the treetops glowing gold when the sun rose above the horizon. I lit my Cedar incense and the sights and smell gave me a rush of goodwill. Spring is coming; warm weather and gardening is coming!

Sheba and I drove all the way to Drumbegfor our walk to celebrate the start of what I knew would to be a wondrous day. 

Can you see how clear the water is? That clarity is what's
so seductive in the summer. It calls you in.

Then I began work on the vegetable garden.

I ordered the soil—all eighteen cubic yards of it. It cost $1,500. The beds, fence and soil totaled around two grand, plus there’s the cost of some  of the arborist’s work opening the forest canopy to increase the light on the garden. I’m going to be growing the world’s most expensive vegetables but the garden will be as much a playground as it is a source of food. I’ve not a cent of regret.

I turned on the radio as I started working; Jussi Björling was singing Nessun Dormaand (Link) it brought tears to my eyes. And then came folksongs from the British Isles with Lois Marshall and Judy Loman—two masters; one on harp and the other of voice. (Link.) Heaven! I’m going to buy the album.

I listened as I lined the vegetable beds. I did not want treated wood used for the beds, so they have to be lined with plastic. (How things have changed I felt guilty using plastic.) 

What an incredible amount of work this vegetable garden is! I’ve lined only two beds and the first of three loads of six cubic yards of soil, fish compost and peat is here to fill them. There’s a lot to do but I won’t get much done today. I’m going to Nanaimo to meet Tim for lunch and a chat.

As anticipated, Nosy Neighbour asked me why the RCMP was here. I said: “I’m sorry, but I can’t talk about that because the investigation is ongoing. And remember: Innocent until proven guilty.” (The police were here because I called them to ask them what to do with the Deer carcass on my property.)

Stacked!

Above is the wood I stacked yesterday. Some of the big ones are almost twenty inches in diameter. It’s green wood—wet and heavy and I’m seventy-one. My back made noises every time I lifted a piece and I could only take one or two pieces at a time in the wheelbarrow. At some point, I will have to split it; I assume that’s easier done when it’s dry.

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My new red leather recliner is a huge hit with Fred. He likes napping beside me. I’m thrilled, of course, that I can compete for his affection with the fire.

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Friday dawned wintery cool and dark. It was hard to get enthused about hauling wood. Doing yard work is tiring, but I enjoy doing it; I love being outdoors and how nice the yard looks when I’m done. Come Springtime, when the velvet moss grows, my yard will be a carpeted wonderland.

My last home was in a condo tower without a balcony, so having a private park right outside my backdoor is truly a wonder. And I’m glad I built my fence; it gives me a valued sense of privacy.

I went for a dog-walk with Judith at my side—sadly, I noticed no Spring smells for her—then it was back to stacking the bucked wood. And bonus: As I worked the day got progressively nicer until, at noon, there was not a cloud in the sky. The afternoon was glorious.

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Five Attorneys General calling for the RCMP to investigate the Lavalin affair. They’re all likely Conservative appointees, but they’re putting Mr. Trudeau’s feet to the fire in the media and court of public opinion. What the Hell is going to happen to Jody Wilson-Raybould for bringing such scrutiny to the actions of her party?

Is she a hero or a traitor? Is she motivated by impeccable integrity or political opportunity? It’s astounding to watch this scandal evolve during times when those in power believe more in the management of information than in it’s unfettered provision.

I suspect what happened with the Liberals happens all the time in governments across the land. I don’t think of politicians as pillars of integrity. 

This mess must be more complicated that just about Lavalin. There must be personal animosity between Mr. Trudeau and Ms. Wilson-Raybould at the heart of this fiasco; they’re both ambitious individuals. It’s a high-stakes game they’re playing; there’s going to be a winner and a loser.

The farce is hearing politicians calling for “the truth.” What they truly want is power—they want to gain it and see their ideological opponents lose it.

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The sky is full of stars as I write this early morning. It looks like we’re in for a beauty day so we’ll start with a walk and then I’ll level and align the vegetable raised beds and line them with plastic. I need seventeen cubic yards of soil to fill them; I hope to order it today. I suspect its going to be mighty expensive.

Fred Gives a Scare

Fred is sick and when a member of my family is sick, I feel sick as well. I watch him incessantly hoping to see behavior that gives me hope. When Ethel got sick, I went through horrid heartache and she had (very expensive) surgery. Plus, her initial recovery period was brutally hard to witness.

Poor Freddy started howling and puking at five am. I was short with Sheba who wants all  the attention all  the time and poor Ethel just got ignored as I shadowed my beloved monster Bengal. At six I found him in a favourite place and he seemed calmer, purring at the sound of my voice. 

I’ checked on him every five minutes after rising in alarm to the sound of him being sick; I’m a doting parent. By six-thirty I felt confident all would be okay; the howling had stopped and he was resting comfortably. 

The downside of adoration.

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Thursday was wonderful; it was truly a Spring-like day. The sun was wonderfully warm on my skin. I spent all morning working in the yard whilst Her Highness investigated the neighbourhood—always coming home when I called her. 

The yard is huge and I hadn’t raked since mid-Summer. I burned seven wheelbarrows full of tree detritus and dumped three more of dense Fir needles into the forest.  

My backyard is in stunning shape now! Mr. Tidy-Queen is hugely satisfied! And I’m half way through stacking the bucked wood; it’s very hard work. And when Darrell brings me the slitter, I’ll have more work to do on the big rounds, turning into quarter-rounds.

It’s incredibly satisfying to leave my cabin and step onto a deck void of forest pieces and, from there, onto a courtyard that’s ready for Spring planting. 

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Every morning, and often during the day, I light incense because I love my nose. I have acute smell and I like to feed that source of joy. This morning, I’m dog-walking with Judith because of my nose.

I’ve often remarked on the glorious smell of the forest since the snow melted. It’s as though the snow trapped the scent and a dense amount is now escaping the forest floor. I smell a wonderful sweet earthy fragrance. For me, it’s the smell of Spring, and Judith wants very badly to smell it so I’m her truffle dog for the morning today.

When we come home, I’ll get back to work on the yard. 

It’s going to be a decent day today, but it’s not dawned as inspirationally as yesterday. There’s a lot of cloud this morning and it’s cool; still, I’ve to finish stacking the bucked wood and that’ll finish all the tidying up I plan to do.

Next I attack the vegetable garden. First I’ll align and level the raised bed containers. Then I’ll line them with plastic and they’ll be ready for filling. I’m inspired and it’s highly motivating.