"One day I stepped out into the warmth of the afternoon sun, and was greeted by the fragrance of hundreds of summer flowers. The next day, I stepped out and ran into a miasma of Canadian wildfire smoke, tightening my lungs and making my throat ache." Our "summer fun" continues here in northeast Wisconsin. Now that the extreme heat has let up, outside time is still challenging due to high amounts of particulates in the air. We've been in the Unhealthy to Very Unhealthy range all week, with no...
8 days ago • 2 min read
"The sultry air draped over the countryside, making it feel like the inside of a giant Easy Bake Oven. Outside work wasn't pleasant. It didn't take long before you were soaked through with sweat. Still, there was a peace and healing in the heat, driving out the impurities from your system better than a high-priced sauna." The dog days of summer are toasty this year, but thankfully we've had enough rain to keep the garden from baking. Many of the larger storms have missed us and pond water...
15 days ago • 3 min read
"Stepping in from the brilliant sunlight to the cool interior of home, a subtle sweetness in the air caught my attention. It took me a moment to recognize the smell. It was a combination of honey and peaches. Duncan had been processing honey comb, and we had a bushel of fresh peaches spread on the kitchen table to finish ripening. It was a good reminder to savor the comforting bits in life, wherever you might find them." I read an article this week about water. In the article ("If Water Has...
22 days ago • 2 min read
"It was all so different! The days slipped into weeks, slipped into years, and somehow those tiny plantings placed into the ground with enthusiasm and a lot of hope turned into a bonified food forest. Now it was time to tame and nurture those trees, shrubs, brambles, and vines, lest they cross completely back into wildness." Harvesting and preserving season is ramping up here in northeast Wisconsin. It can be overwhelming at times (especially when many things need attention at once), but it's...
30 days ago • 3 min read
"Petricor" - such an odd word for such a fundamental, comforting aroma. The earthy smell of dry ground after a soaking rain is more than just bacterial secretions, plant oils, and ozone. It's life, springing forth, rejoicing, sighing in satisfaction at abundance after needfulness." I'm pretty sure some of the plants in the garden doubled in size overnight. We've had unusually warm weather, and not much precipitation to moderate it. There was enough to keep plants going, but not thriving. We'd...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
"The tiny killdeer chicks ran along the edge of the road, so small that they almost looked like toys. I'd seen eggs in a nest before, and adults, but never babies. They were tiny, fluff-covered bundles of energy, looking like miniature adults on stilts." We saw some precious little ones on our way to a friend's graduation party last weekend - killdeer chicks. I didn't realize this until I started doing some research, but these chicks are precocial, meaning they’re born ready to go—running...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
A few petite blossoms lingered along the path to the coop, strewn like shiny pennies in the sunshine. Though the main bloom time was past, the ever resilient dandelions still put on a bit color here and there, until winter's chill lulled them to sleep for the season. I realized this weekend that I sometimes take wild plants (weeds) for granted. I can't look at a dandelion (or plantain, or lambsquarters, or...) without knowing the plant like an old friend, and thinking about how I could use...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
"They looked other-worldly, almost prehistoric. First one enormous ghostly white shape alighted on the pond, followed shortly thereafter by four more. As they moved closer to the house and were no longer blocked from view by the island, their silhouettes became clear - pelicans! Our main pond is not that large, only about 1.3 acres, so we were surprised to see these large water birds stop in. They stayed for less than an hour, but it was a memorable visit." I also found out that pelicans can...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Like a bubbling brook creating music as it splashes over stones, so the trickle (and sometimes torrent) of flowers creates a panorama of color rippling across the landscape. Spruce buds and hazelnut catkins, honeyberries and apricot blossoms, apple blossoms and honeysuckle, a sea of autumberries, and countless other blooms adorn the yard. Time outside is aromatherapy. (As long as the neighbors aren't spreading manure or chemicals or burning trash, or Canada isn't on fire with the wind blowing...
2 months ago • 5 min read