Still

Summer is finally here.

Late night walks with the dog are so much better than those past without one. I need to remember that when I'm complaining about him.

My town is asleep. Monday night at 12am.

I haven't seen a car or heard another person's foot falls in nearly 30 minutes.  Eerie.
A train grumbles and rattles it's way across the bridge.

I can't tell where my skin ends and the air begins.

The air doesn't move. Hot. Damp. Perfumed.

Lengths of my hair that didn't get caught up in my elastic are curling into spirals.
I reach up and pull on them, feel them bounce back. "Boing"... I even say it out loud. Thank you Ramona Quimby age 8, I'm never going to outgrow that joy.

We choose the side streets, overgrown sidewalks and alleyways, detour to go under low hanging trees, stop and smell every flowering bush, inspect yardsale leftovers... walk with the eyes of toddlers because the whole town is sleeping and we don't care.

August Rush

Whew!
Survived the summer.

Things that happened in real life: campfires, dinner parties, house concerts, heat waves, lake waves, walks, naps, too much netflix, camping trips, births, deaths, work, play, gardens, city trips, hospital visits, family,new friends, old friends, festivals.

Too many fun things to be written.

Tomorrow we're celebrating the life of dear Little Sue.
Sue was one of the first people I met when I started volunteering with GTI (now Greenwood Coalition). At first she terrified me a little... how could someone be like her? How could anyone survive her past... and her present life? Slowly I got to know her for the beautiful woman she was. We laughed... holy crap... we laughed a lot. We talked. I learned. She taught me. We both grew.

A little over a month ago we sat out front of her home, drinking her signature bad coffee, talking about the changes we'd both seen happen in the 5 years we'd known each other. A while later we got together to celebrate the end to her chemo and radiation treatments... and now we're gathering to celebrate her life.

I'm still processing what's happened.

Sometime I'll write about it.

(sue giving me her grumpiest of faces - generally followed by side splitting laughter- at my expense)

summer haiku

It is hot outside
Everyone is complaining
So am I, it's hot

1000 lb challenge update!

I've been on blog hiatus- The weather! the GLORIOUS weather! Honestly, I'm tanned like it's July... May was very very good to me and to my garden.

backtrack: May 31st and I have two tiny tiny tiny tomatoes on my tiny tim plants!
1000lb challenge you've nothing on me... so long as I remember to weigh my produce.

Tally thus far?*

Spinach: 600g

Hey, that's over a pound! WOO WHOO!


What's in the beds?
Bed 1: Garlic, beets (gold and red), rainbow chard, tiny toms, habinaros, eggplant, peas, spinach

 

Bed 2: Green Beans, mini sweet peppers, sweet alsort (peppers), carrots (purple and nantes), soy beans, brussles sprouts, ground cherries (cape gooseberries), tomatillos, basil, onions.

 

Speckled Roman (paste tomoato), Groseille (current tomato), Sun Sugar (BEST EVER cherry tomatoes!) in the front bed.

Strawbales: cantaloupe (something keeps digging it up though), spaghetti squash, buttercup squash, Fedierly (a weird paste tomato that is suppose to be a good all round variety too), Black Cherry toms... and space for the mystery tomatoes. Oh! and another Tomatillo, and a broken tomatillo from yesterday's storm- I dug up the root ball, it had three leaves below the break, we'll call it an experiment .

photo diary (or) how to end up with too many vegetables

Once upon a time there was a girl with a little too much time on her hands.... um. ok, that part is a lie.
Once upon a time there was a girl who was really really good at starting projects, not so good on the follow thru, and who was a little over-extended. She liked starting seeds.... so she did. Until eventually her sun porch was filled with seedlings (and with pieces of the kitchen that still needed to be installed)


One day, a kind neighbour made the mistake of letting her into his yard.

For some time, she planted and tended.... planted and tended...

... until things began to grow.... out of control. weeds, heat,rain.

... eventually, mother nature was kind to the poor wanna-be-urban-farmer, and the garden began to pay off.... in truckloads.

.... now her only problem is what the hell to do with all the fruit flies.

The end.

haiku just because

I got to spend some time with Stew this weekend. the following is a true story.

what's on tap she asked

well, there is Canadian

or Canadian

or I've got Guinness,

then a tractor drove past her

on main street small town

stew and some parsley

sitting eating greasy food

sisters catching up

chop chop

in celebration of the lock box coming off the front door (finally- I've had an open wound on my hand from whacking it going into the house) and the sale sign being removed.... we had a garden party last night.
wait.. no we didn't...
we attacked the garden, realizing that if the landlords hadn't bothered the entire time the house was on the market- they sure as heck weren't going to now that it was off the market.

Needless to say- it's nearly presentable.
Needless to say- the bushes can be seen past.
Needless to say- There is a HUGE pile of brush to be disposed of.
Needless to say- I'm covered in scratches.
FNT (Friendly Neighbour Tom) is the best thing EVER.

ummmm... I guess if I felt the need to write them down.... they weren't really "needless to say".

fire's burning

When PaSheff first came to me about this evening's activity, he touted it as "kumbia and beyond"- an evening of campfire reflection". Ok, maybe that's not what he said, but in my mind, that's what I figure he meant. 

We took over the Bean... took over... to the point that I even emailed Sue (the owner) and asked her to make an evening special to be served... s'mores with hot chocolate.... she came thru.

The stage was shared by a group of us, Jim Yates (whom I love... the same man that convinced me to buy my guitar... yeah... the guitar I don't play... BUT fully intend to) Shamus, Derrick Ballard (he of the Gene McLelland tribute concert forever ago- also of "the gentlemen husbands" - great band) Roy (security man Roy from SVFF), and some boys from Derrick's band. The guys all came baring guitars (well.. other than Mr.Yates, who also brought his auto harp). I took the evening in a slightly different direction ... 

The guys started their music, and sang lovely folk type songs, the type any campfire would have, covers of country... that sort of thing.... 

And then I turned it into summer camp.

Not even kidding. Call and repeat, action, and interaction songs. High energy. 

I felt like I was at the ranch- I spent 9 years working at that camp... 9 summers of camp songs- 5 of those, leading the camp fires... I could have gone on all night.

The two best compliments I got were from the older crowd. "I felt like I was back at summer camp" was the first, and the second was from Mr.Yates himself... PaSheff asked him if he'd be interested in doing another campfire night, to which he replied "Only if L.Bo is doing it".

ok. he didn't call me elbow.

Did I mention we packed the place? Standing room only at the back- people sitting on the floor. I'd do it again.

Also met one of the two boys who have been lurking the Bean lately. The one that has been stealing my favourite seat.

Post 1000 (plus 23)

Awww, finally got it done.

Please be patient as I add all the little things back.

Going camping tomorrow (finally) just until Sunday- got to get into camping mode in prep for Shelter Valley! Consider this a warm up round.

day by day.. play by play

ok, so the weekend went a little like this...

Friday- worked (ok, so I worked every day on the first 3 days of my "vacation") But, it was a party for the drama club... not really work. Then an evening of relaxation- uh... I actually can't even really remember what I did that night? (walked at the waterfront festival)

Saturday- headed out to the B&B, spent the time on the hammoc- burned myself when I fell asleep. "did I mention I burned myself extensively?"  Dad and Gale came out after I gave poor directions and we drank lime soda by the lake.

Sunday- slept forever. Had coffee in town with Mandamanda. Went back to the B&B, read on the couch on the porch in the rain, sat by the lake, had a BBq, caught a concert, went to a campfire, visited at the trailer... DIDN'T sleep.. made the mistake of drinking a pop and it kept me up.

Monday- Zoo- wished I was a baby spider monkey- remembered that I hate the Zoo in the summer, more campfire and trailer time, another concert, ate jerked chicken (mmm, spicey vendor food!)

Tuesday- hung out at home, watched cartoons, rode a float in the parade, had another BBq walked the waterfront, sat at the trailer, another BBq, had a campfire, squished a baby, saw some fireworks.....

no wonder I'm so frickin tired.

Happy Canada Day!!!!!


and now, back to your regular scheduled blogging....
(ug. and work)

how many tags may apply to the past four days? (you're limited to 200 charachters... shoot)

oooOOooooo

I feel human again.
well.. like a human with a sunburn anyway.

What a perfect August day.... errr. April?

There was much love and community happening in the 'hood today, pictures and story coming soon. I need to jump into that towering bed of mine.

slooooooow mover

I am wiped.
As in... I can barley do anything ... or think of anything.... without yawning.
I sit at my computer... and start to fall asleep. (hence the lack of posts)
Thankfully I'm not feeling too bad about not posting much about SVFF this year... I had a glance thru my archives, and it appears that every year I'm too done in to write... It's such an emotional weekend for a large group of us... a true LABOUR of love. We put our all into making it a success, and when we stop to look back at what we've done, no one can quite grasp it.

so many great little stories are jumbling around in my brain though....

Did you guys know there's a great grandmother who reads my blog???
Hey Barb!

the office

as in... the tv show.. and my new life!
ok, so I won't be there (in the office) in the future as much as I am now... but... for now, my reality is pretty similar to the show.
really.
I love it!
I was created for this environment... I have NO bloody clue what I'm doing (there's a lot to take in right now) but.... it's great.
so, if you think of it, pray for me. I'm trying to absorb a ton of info, in a limited time (as I have next week off for SVFF). Thankfully, it's not expected that I figure everything out right away... my boss said give it a month before any of it makes sense... so I'm clinging to that hope.

Ninjas, please pray for some friends of mine as they are on the hunt for a house!!! pray that the right thing for the right price would come their way.... and SOON!

I was looking at my calendar... it's the end of AUGUST!!!! how did this happen???? SVFF is only a few days away.... eeeeeeeek! so much to do... if I disappear for a little while... you'll know which field to find me in

stuff

there are days when you just want to scream.
there are days when you just need to cry.

the past couple of weeks have been pretty emotional.
and pretty hard.

I've been holding out for this camping weekend for awhile, knowing that it'd be a great time away, with some trusted friends. Spiritually, emotionally recharged, I'd be ready to face anything.

It's been cancelled.

So, today, we're going to talk about the practicalities vs the impracticalities of a little thing I like to call "ditch camping".

Ditch camping is when all else has failed, so you find a nice ditch somewhere in the country.
Choice spots should be relatively dry, and unditch-like :: there shouldn't be too much garbage, avoid dead animals and hobos.
Ditches provide shelter in wind and dust storms, and in the case of a tornado, you'll be below ground level and safer than most. Ditches DO often flood. So don't camp in the rain.
You don't have to actually put your tent up in a ditch.. you can just lay the tent over you while you sleep if that's easier. Also, you don't have to go far to use the bathroom, as more than likely, you'll be in some sort of biological mess/waste.

clocking in

Funnily enough.... this weekend, The Sheffs, the Sicilian and myself were able to clock enough of our hours.
Sorry yellow shirts, we're done all our work... you'll have to find someone else...




in other news, I got to play in the dirt this morning. I'm filthy, I'm content.

not much

I don't have anything to write...
but I haven't written anything in awhile. Not that I haven't written. And not that I haven't posted. I just haven't sat down with the intention of writing.
I miss writing.
I miss not feeling hurried.
There are so few places I've not felt hurried.
...where I've felt that summer feeling- like when you're little, when there is no time... The summers where you leave the house in the morning to play with your friends, when you sometimes remember you haven't eaten lunch... where you test fly kites off the highest pile of dirt in a field.... pound old apples with rocks and try to feed them to someone's dog... spent hours perfecting your cannon bomb in someone's pool... or constructed the most perfect ash tray and sun dial out of clay you've found (for your non-smoking parents)... or raced the wagon down the hill... or tried to really cook eggs on the sidewalk...
the smell of fresh dirt, and warm air.


... back to work....