Evening Canoe Ride

The Weatherman had been fairly persistent predicting the end of our warm weather. Tuesday, so he warned, would usher in a cold front accompanied by rain. Bruce and I had been trying to get out on the canoe for weeks, but there had been so much work to accomplish at home. Wood to be cut in the woods, and brought home to be split and stacked- Vegetables to be harvested and "put up" (as my Gramma Perrin would say), as well as regular household chores. But with the approach of bad weather looming, we decided we just couldn't afford to miss the opportunity to get out on the water one more time. We decided to postpone dinner Monday night, and leave as soon as Bruce got home from work.It didn't take us long to put the canoe in the water and start paddling.




















The water was smooth as glass, and reflected the shoreline so perfectly, it looked like a double image.












We saw signs of beaver, watched a flock of
Canada geese, and disturbed an irritable Great
Blue Heron.






















The sky was ablaze by the time we turned to go home- an incredible sunset, colors so vivid it took your breath away. Instead of simply getting some exercise for our bodies, we rejuvenated our souls. I'm so thankful we made the time for this experience.

No Fair!

We set the alarm for 4 am, but Bruce woke at 3:50 am, and quickly checked the temperature. 32 degrees! BAD news for the garden. He ran outside and turned on the garden sprinkler, tossed a quick prayer into the Universe that this maneuver would work, and stumbled back into bed.

When we got up "for real" at 6:45 am, the temperature was down to 31 degrees. We had NOT covered the garden, and we hadn't harvested all the tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, etc. either. This freeze was a day early! We hoped turning the sprinklers on would save the produce, but when we went to check, this is what awaited us.....













ICE!!!

We didn't hold out much hope for the vegetables... and after all- it was ALMOST October. We really couldn't complain, but I did so very much wish I'd picked the last of the tomatoes and peppers. (I have to admit, I wasn't the least bit upset about losing the eggplant. Sorry Chelsey!)

Later that afternoon, I took the Shelties out to the garden to pull some carrots. I knew they had been spared- and Lo and Behold! The garden was STILL flourishing! Once the ice had melted, all the plants had perked up! We didn't lose a single vegetable! Even our fragile peppers were still growing. We won't have another freeze for a couple of days... perhaps long enough for some of the green tomatoes to ripen on the vine. And certainly long enough for us to make another meal out of the zucchini and yellow squash. This has been the longest producing garden we've ever had! I am going to miss it when it finally succumbs to Fall.

Connection Through Time

Walking down to the barn to feed the horses and chickens this evening, I was overcome by a deep sense of gratitude. I was smack in the middle of realizing a dream I'd had just about my entire life. I'd spent my weekend working through a bushel of apples- coring, peeling, and dicing the fruit to yield 10 small loaves, and 6 large loaves of Apple Nut Bread, and one spectacular Apple Crisp. The Apple Crisp, and one loaf of bread were left for my husband and I to consume. The rest were wrapped, labeled and stacked in the deep freeze. But apples weren't my only concern even while I was calculating whether there were enough apples left to make apple pie filling AND applesauce. I had also harvested tomatoes, peppers, yellow squash, eggplant, carrots and onions and turned them into a HUGE double batch of pasta sauce. This in turn was packaged, and frozen in preparation for the long months ahead when we had no garden to feed us. Leftover tomatoes were diced, packaged and frozen to add to soups and stews. But there was still produce left in the garden, and I didn't want it to go to waste.

While working in the kitchen, I could feel my mother and grandmother with me. Their presence, and camaraderie unmistakable. Their approval distinct. I was continuing the age-old work of country women. Preparing, and preserving the garden fresh food- food my husband and I had grown ourselves- in order to sustain our family through the cold months ahead. I was worrying about a predicted freeze, wondering how much I could get done in the days ahead, just as they had worked, worried, and calculated. I felt the link between my ancestors and myself... felt unified with women through the centuries.

Our dinner tonight consisted of grilled chicken breasts, the last of the corn fresh picked from the garden, along with tomatoes, sliced and eaten within 15 min. of harvesting. Dessert was that apple crisp, warm from the oven. Even my husband remarked on the meal, saying it just felt so "right"... eating fresh vegies in season. A simple meal packed with nutrition, lovingly prepared by the people who grew the components.

Which brings me full circle to where I was walking down to the barn after dinner. My two mares started whinnying at my approach, while the chickens piled into the coop to roost for the night. Our two Shelties joined the procession, barking, and chasing each other while they helped me throw down the grain, hay, and chicken feed. I had always wanted to live in the country, to be as self-sustaining as possible. I had always wanted to experience how my Grandparents lived, and their parents before them. And though it's hard work... (MAN! is it hard work!) I suddenly realized that I had accomplished this dream. Watching my husband as he split and stacked the 14th load of wood we would use to heat the house, I knew we would still choose this way to live. Working hard yields more than food, and heat. Working hard to provide for our family bestows pride and self satisfaction. It just feels "right". I am grateful for the opportunity to live this dream, and to connect with the generations before me who have, also, lived and worked in harmony with the land.