After expecting dismal results from my experimental witches potion plant fertilizer, I am so happy to report that all of a sudden my little garden in the wilderness has taken off with an explosion of growth unlike any I have had before.
The tiny squash and zucchini plants that I was almost ready to pull out, have overnight become huge flourishing plants filled with bright orange flowers and little green and yellow fruit. The greenhouse is filled with bees and thankfully most of the dragonflies seem to have gone onto their next incarnation.
With such a bountiful harvest promised, I am tempted to start eating the green babies raw, which in my opinion is the very best way to enjoy zucchini anyway. I’ll save a few larger ones to grate for chocolate cake, which is the second best way to eat zucchini. Stuffed zucchini boats or battered and deep fried zucchini with homemade ranch dip aren’t bad either.
This time of year, all of us should be aiming to eat as much fresh food as we possibly can, adding them to recipes in whatever way our imagination can conceive. Veggies can lose a lot of nutrition over long winter storage so this is the time to eat fresh fruits and vegetables to strengthen our health in preparation for the coming nine months of winter.
The tourist season is in full swing out here in Reliance and every week brings in Twin Otter with a load of people. Some families have been faithfully coming every single summer for two generations now. I don’t mind watching the planes and boats from a distance, but unfortunately (or fortunately if you are a fisher) the very best, most consistent fishing is right in front of our house. It is quite disconcerting to walk out on to the deck in the middle of a private conversation only to realize that there is a boat full of people staring opened mouthed up at the house, having just heard every word through the open windows and doors. Believe me, we are not politically correct in Reliance and I shudder to think some of the things tourists may have heard in reference to those who are running Canada these days. C’est la vie.
Of course, it’s not like we keep our opinions totally private. A visit to our outhouse can be psyche shattering if you believe that the three things to never talk about are politics, religion and money. The walls are completely plastered in commentary on these taboo subjects. It was after a dear friend looked quite green upon exiting the outhouse I started to feel sorry for more sensitive people, so I put a warning sign on the outhouse door, “May contain offensive material”.
It’s been a busy week for wildlife crossings here at the Narrows, First a giant bull moose with a rack of horns rivaling a bull caribou in his full glory swam past and then a few days later, a beautiful blonde black bear crossed. We were a bit worried about the bear coming into the yard with all our yummy smells, but a few gun shots in the air scared her off.
This is the time of year when I do not go outside without calling for Miss Molly Greensleeves, my faithful Alberta farm collie, first. She moved to Reliance with me seven years ago when I adopted her as a puppy from the Grand Prairie SPCA. Responding to my two note whistle, with a great burst of speed and hackles up, she comes roaring through the open door, her loud deep bark warning off any visiting bears who generally do not want to tangle with a ferocious dog over a few compost scraps. Thoroughly and quickly scouting the perimeter, she comes back to let me know it is safe to advance forward to wherever my destination is.
The heavy soaking rains this summer are having the desired effect on the upcoming berry harvest and our 1/4 acre of wild raspberries is going to have a bumper crop in a few weeks. I honestly have never seen so many pollinating bees as there have been this year. Sitting on the front deck overlooking the raspberry patch, the loud hum of bees busily at work is perfect music to accompany my meditations.
The joyful seriousness with which they undertake their instinctual duties to support the hive regardless of their own short life cycle reminds me that our own life passes quickly and we all should be focused on doing good works that support and strengthen our local communities too.