Kajiji led me to Dartmouth, where I met an older man from Quebec, north of Ottawa. His eyes were blue with the white paste of age. He explained to me about making trails on his properties in Quebec. He would make trails for the deer and them hunt them. His friend next door had died last spring, and he seemed lonely. This neighbour and he would often tell jokes, drink and bush-wack together. The oldtimer pinted to the vacant townhouse two units away. He went on to tell me that he has many grandchildren. He spent 17 years with his first wife, then she left him. He was alone for a period, met another woman and lived with her for a while. Now, the first wife had returned and had been living with him for years. I don't know what happened to the other woman...
The oldtimer sold me a John Deere brushtrimmer. I gave him $75. I said 5 times, 'Count it, to make sure that it is all there,' He just crumpled up the wad of bills. He obviously didn't care about the cash. We started the machine with one pull. The who-stroke engine hummed perfectly. I asked what the mix ratio was and he told me 50/1.
At home I have been using the brush trimmer araound the property. I am making trails around the waterline through the overgrowth that has nevver been cut. WE are in the midst of a drought and the wet marshy areas are dry and crisp. It was fun to walk along with the brush trimmer swaying left and right, back and forth cutting a swath of trail. Every so often, I would turn off the moter and clear up the mess of twigs, grassess and freshly cut branches. I recall doing the exact same thing years ago with Ward, except that he had the trimmer and I would follow behind clearning the cuttings. I thought to myself, 'I need a Fletcher to move this brush...'.
The water is so low that new rocks are being exposed. Normally exposed rocks stand out more and attract birds who enjoy perching. One rock in particular has hosted many different species of birds. I always look out my kitchen window and see a different bird out on that rock. These are really short term mortgages, the turn over rate on this piece of real estate is fast.
The property produces a variety of fruits. Grapes, high-bush blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, apples and sugar plumbs. The grapes make great jellies and wine. The apples are tart and are wonderful for baking. The kids eat the berries every chance they can. We are also blessed with the two parenial vegetables; ruhbarb and asparagus. The garden is in full bloom this July. Lettuce, tomatoes, beans, peas, carrots, beets, squash and two pumpkins fill the raised beds. We are all appreciative of the bounty around us.
One of the sunflowers has broken in two. I don't know how it happened. The plant was growing beside the garden fence and tied losely to add support. It snapped halfway up the stalk. One of the kids was crying. This flower was started from seed in her class, and the way she was crying reminded me of a the passing of a loved one. I can only realize that this discomfort is a sign of appreciation towards plants, and life in general.
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