Ticks and Bush Hogs

This is a photo of our woods trail taken  yesterday. It is quite grown over and needs the low brush cut back.  To tell you the truth, I've been more nervous walking there this summer than ever before.  I watched a documentary on ticks and read an article about how people now think tick bites can cause long ranging health problems sometimes lasting a lifetime.
In the video I watched how the scientists wore long  pants stuffed into socks and tall rubber boots because ticks can latch onto bare skin just as you walk by.  I was amazed at how many ticks they were able to collect by trailing a piece of cloth over the ground for a half hour.  Because an unfed tick is the size of a poppy seed, it is so easily overlooked unless you take the time and effort and know what you are looking for.  We have always gotten proper tick preventative medicine for the dogs from our vet.  They wear these necklaces that supposedly repel ticks and we have never had a problem.  I've never thought too much about myself and ticks but I did this summer because the article also identified Ottawa as a high risk area.  And I think our land, the borders of tall grass giving way to trees and forest, with water on two sides, is apparently the kind of breeding ground ticks especially enjoy. 
Our walking trail definitely needs a good cleaning to widen it again so we can use it without worry about picking up unwanted little passengers.  This has set Hubby off on a little research for something called a bush hog, which he says we really need to do the job right.  Just yet another thing I'd never heard of before.  Like I said, so much still to learn...

My Largest Sunflower

It is a shame you cannot tell from this photo just how large this sunflower is.  It is my largest at almost seven inches across.  It was also the first in the bed to bloom, and it looks like none of the others will come close to being this size.  I've enjoyed seeing the sunflowers progress from seeds in the greenhouse to lovely blooms helping to hide the wire fence. 

My vegetable garden did not fair well this year, despite the hopes I held for it at the beginning of the summer.  I was away from it for a month mid-season and I like to think that even though hubby did his best to water things, somehow it all missed me.  What I would have been doing differently I don't really know.  The month of July was unusually wet and cool which may not have helped. Insects devoured almost all the tomato plants.  The potato, pumpkin and beet bed was continually rummaged over night by animals; I don't know what exactly but suspect skunks and raccoons.  We know they are responsible for the hundreds of small holes in the lawns all over the property; each night they roam it looking for slugs.

Nothing ate the mint or the green beans.  But everything else was sampled enough to stop the growth.  I guess this is one of the downsides of not using any repellents and I will just have to learn what to do next year to keep the critters away.

The flowers fared much better, happily.  I am pleased with the geraniums, morning glories, ivies, daisies, and aforementioned sunflowers.   After three years of trying, I finally have lupines growing well; no blooms this year but maybe another year will do the trick.  They seem to have preferred the latest location I tried them...in a busy part of the garden amongst hostas and ornamental grasses and I think somehow the competition in that particular spot made them thrive.  After all, this flower blooms and spreads tremendously well in the wild in all kinds of conditions so maybe it is meant to have to fight for its place in the sun.

To help compensate for the garden failure, the perennials returned in great numbers; the coneflowers, sedum, hostas, columbine, sweet william, lily of the valley, poppies, astilbe, allium, and marigolds have all served to encourage me by their continued blooming. 

So much to learn still and always but the good news is I am not daunted by this year's very mixed results.  There is always next year.

Time for Fall Fairs

You know you are in the country and it is autumn when all the fall fairs start.  It seems almost every little community host their own two or three day fair and most have been doing so for many decades.  Each year, it is more common to see lots of the downtown Ottawa city folks making the trek to the country side to take in the somewhat unique fair events.
Last Saturday we did just that...drove a distance to spend a few hours taking in the sights, sounds and smells of a real country fair. They all have barns with lots of domesticated animals and this one was no different...the cow and sheep barns were very popular with the children; adults seemed to favour the horse barn and the miniature horses, in particular, were a real hit.  We missed the sheep shearing contest and the milking contest.  I was interested in seeing the alpacas and donkeys. Both are popular on farms to help keep coyotes away from the livestock. 
There were also several buildings full of different kinds of chicken; I had no idea there were so many different types.  We took our time walking past all the cages and noting the beautiful feathers, colours, sizes of tail plumage, etc.  Baby grandson did not like the way the roosters would screech out their cock a doodles any old time just as you walked near them so we wound up hurrying through their section.
We had to examine all the tractors on display, some antique among the shiny new ones all lined up in one of the fields. We watched people trying their luck at all the games though we did not give them a go. Interesting how most of these seemed to be the same as when I was a kid, or perhaps variations of the same ones.  Your prize if you won was still a stuffed toy or doll. 
 Daughter and I were keen on visiting the vegetable and goods pavilion.  There we got to see the ten pound zucchinis and giant carrots, beautiful sunflowers with stalks the size of my arm, and an endless array of bottled vegetables, jams and jellies.  There was lots of breads, baked loaves, cakes and cookies.
The hand work section was disappointing with only a few entries in each division. Of the quilts only a few had been actually quilted. One lone cross stitched picture represented the whole embroidery category.  Someone told me that people are reluctant to enter their work because of the lack of security at these fairs. I guess there is a story that quilts go missing sometimes and with the hundreds of people walking through and no one keeping an eye out, it is easy enough to have that happen, unfortunately. 
I was happy to see the children had been invited to take part in the fair by submitting their hand made items on the theme of 'My World'.  This had produced a wide variety of responses...everything from simple crayon drawings to elaborate dioramas and posters.  It is cute to see children still incorporate painted macaroni and construction paper into their efforts. 
I did not go on the ferris wheel; I didn't want to test if I still have my fear of heights even though this one was not one of the super high ones you see.  I did go on the ride that flings you around in a circle; a little sentimental  moment because it was always my favourite ride at the fair when I was a kid.  I loved the ride but felt dizzy afterwards; I don't remember ever feeling dizzy like that when I was young. 
I guess we all have fond memories of fairs we enjoyed as children.  One of my grandsons has gone to his town fair each year since he was born, just as his dad has.  It's now a family tradition and that fair is now marking its 170th anniversary making it one of the longest continuously running fall fairs in Ontario.  What a fun piece of history!

Sunny Sunflowers

I drive past several sunflower farms on my way to one of my daughters.  I just love to glimpse them passing by.  The sunflower has got to be one of the happiest looking flowers and it is no wonder it is featured so much in stitchery projects, fabrics, and all manner of decor.  The opened blooms follow the track of the sun across the sky and I never had the luck to come upon this field when they were exactly facing the road.  Hubby pulled over one day so I could get as close as I could to take a photo and they were sort of facing me. 
Part of the daisy family, there are numerous varieties of sunflowers; in my photo  are one of the giant forms.  Sunflowers are found all over the world and provide food in the form of seeds and safflower oil.  I know the birds too prefer sunflower seeds of all I've put out for them; the feeder with the sunflower seeds is guaranteed to attract the greatest variety of birds. 

Dog Walking 101

"Movement is medicine."    Clara Hughes

Another birthday gift...fancy new running shoes.  I still call them sneakers and have to mentally correct myself so I won't seem too behind the times.  These replace a seven year old pair that I bought in a T.J. Max for $12.99; I didn't realize just how much of a bargain they really were because they are still in pretty good shape all those exercise sessions later.  It's great to get new running shoes at the start of the school year as it were just like all the kids do; for me a small incentive to stay committed to keeping moving.
I have been trying to train Murphy to walk properly on a leash.  That would be for her to not strain at the very end and drag me along on the walk.  I guess it is terrible that we have not attempted to do this before now but with lots of acreage for the dogs to run around here in the country, it didn't seem that necessary.
 I've been watching videos on Youtube on how to train your bigger dog for walking on a lead and I have found them very instructive.  This is now week 3 for us and Murphy is doing very well.  I think  I told you she has a strong sense of smell and lets her nose lead her when outside.  This is also a problem on the leash.  It is hard for her to not want to head to whatever it is she is getting scent of (I don't really want to know what that might be!).  I keep a pocket full of treats, try to sound more firm in my voice than I really feel when correcting her, and practice with her daily.  The day we went beyond our property gate and out onto the road was a big one for us.  Fingers crossed she and I will achieve this goal; I love the idea of being able to walk our country road safely with her.   

To Labour is to Live

My father used to always say to labour is to live.  I think he thought it was a quote from the Bible but I'm not sure about that. Here in Canada, we mark the first Monday of September as Labour Day and most people have a holiday from work.  Being retired it is no longer a bittersweet day, one that marked the end of summer freedom and a return to the work world. 
 While walking Murphy up the road on Monday, I  saw the farmers on both sides of us out on their tractors working in the fields.  I guess for them Labour Day was no day of leisure because a fine sunny day at this time of year is too good to miss a chance of working the land.  In fact, the tractor sounds were the only ones we heard that morning. It seems to be soya beans that are surrounding us on all sides and as far as my meager farming knowledge goes, it is growing quite well.
We have had several meals of fresh local corn and now the Ontario grown peaches are turning up at all the little stands. It is great to be able to eat food as it comes in season, especially if it grown in the area. Thanks to the farmers and their labour, we get to do just that.   

Birthday Talk

Here I am in my birthday caftan.  It is very lively with red and orange poppies and sunflowers.  Though it is not slimming, it is very comfortable and because it reaches to the floor, I can't do certain things while wearing it.  Like housework...

                    So here I am back and another year older.  Birthdays are strange events at my age.
                    I don't really like them and not because they mark another year older; I'm glad enough
                    of the privilege to be doing that and so aware of all the people who don't reach my age.
                    So, no it is not about marking aging, it is more about disliking the attention.  You
                    know the blowing out of candles and opening of presents with all eyes on you.
                    That is a small complaint really.  I'm just much more comfortable when it is
                    someone else being feted and sung to.
                    But that foolishness aside, I do feel blessed to have people who want to give me                      presents and  bake a beautiful vanilla cake with raspberry buttercream frosting for me 
                    to cut.