Sucking on Sixty

... sixty years that is. Back in January I rolled out of my 50s and landed on 60. Now, I will admit that at the time, I didn't think much of it. It's just another number, you know? The one that follows 59. I can't say I really felt older cause, well the truth of the matter is that I've felt "older than dirt" for a while. The last 12 to 15 years have been a tough go, and each one of them made me feel like I might not survive them. But, stuff changes, time passes and eventually things start to go back to normal, and you feel like yourself again.

Until you start "doing" things. Things you always did. Then it catches up with you. You realize that you really aren't 30, or 40, or even 50 anymore. Your mind tells you one thing ... your body another. Take this past week. For the last month and a half I've been back doing regular workouts, and that's been okay. Oh sure, a few muscle twinges (that's from the weight bench), but otherwise, doing just fine, thank you very much.

The Neglected Garden

This past summer (2016) has probably been one of the hottest we've had in this area. Although the temperatures hovered around 32-37 celsius for weeks on end during late June and July, we also had next to no rain during these times. It certainly felt drought-like here.

Because of the lack of rain, I chose not to set up any of my water features this year. It's difficult enough to keep them water-filled in a normal summer, but during a summer with almost no rainfall, and constant sunshine it would be a daily chore I wasn't willing to spend time on. Besides the chore of doing it, there would be the issue of paying for it. In our town, you pay for water used ... twice. Once when it comes out of the tap or hose, and when it goes down the drain, you pay again. Whether it actually goes down the drain or just evaporates, you're billed twice.

Because of that, most of our neighbourhood watered lawns and gardens sparingly, or not at all. Most of those who watered, only watered vegetable gardens and, like us, neglected the grass and flower beds. Worse yet was the constant dust as the grass and some plants died, and because of the unfortunate fact that there seemed to be double the usual amount of construction in our neighbourhood, you could breathe in the dust and actually feel the grit in your mouth. The plant leaves always seemed to have a covering of dust, and watering only turned that dust into a thin paste, rather than washing it away. It hasn't been a pretty summer, but it certainly has been hot.

The Gardens I Miss

August 9, 2010

Front Porch Garden

While chatting recently with a new friend on a blog site I frequent I got to thinking about our old place, and all the gardens I had there. We had a narrow lot (only 45' wide), but it was very long (172'), with the house sitting at the front of the lot, almost on the sidewalk. That made for a lot of garden space in the backyard.

Along one side there was perhaps 140' of wide (about 3.5') border garden, and maybe 45' on the other. Behind the garage was a 12' X 12' garden with a pond, and another curved garden space in front of and beside the shed. At the edge of the flagstone patio, a narrow border containing rose bushes in various shades of pink, and bits of daylily.

Finding Gardening Time

June 25th 2010

Between trying to keep my own sites updated, and taking care of my aunt, liquidating her stuff, and building sites (believe it or not) for others (which I had never really planned on doing since I'm not a web designer) I seem to have little (very little) time to devote to my hobby(ish) sites, like this one, although the site is quickly becoming a little more than a hobby.

My Aunt in her younger years.

Family issues keep intruding on my schedule. That happens when your family gets older. Currently trying to care for my last remaining aunt (whose in her 80s) who fell on Saturday night in her kitchen and couldn’t reach the phone. She lay there for 24 hours before we found her. We’re very grateful she was still alive, although she had a broken hip and has just come out of surgery safe and sound.

A Spring Mix - Bulbs and Birds

February 27th, 2010

The last few weeks have been busy times. While we are still under snow - spring blooms here, and getting more, we are also heading slowly but surely towards spring. Gardeners are planning the changes to their flower beds and starting seeds indoors, kids are looking forward to outdoor activities without winter gear, and the snow shovelers are looking forward to stowing away their tools and readying their lawnmowers for the coming of the new season.

Me, I'm just looking forward to sunny days and balmy temperatures, the blooming of spring bulbs and the green of the grass. Summer days spent in the countryside or at the lakeside, lazing in the shade of a gazebo engrossed in a book, listening to the sound of the birds in the trees and breathing in the sweet fresh smell of growing things.

Planning and Planting

June 13th, 2012

With summer on the rise, I've been taking time to assess my garden and the plants it holds. Throughout this year, it's definitely time to add some new soil, along with appropriate feed for the different plants. It's also looking like it's time to split up some of the bushier ones and plant some elsewhere or give away the pieces. The hosta plants put into the raised bed at the front of the porch two years ago need separated already.

Last fall I pulled out the small Lilac that was in the front flowerbed and moved it to the backyard, realizing there just wasn't enough space where it was planted, although in the few years it was out front it bloomed every year except the first. It wasn't getting much larger though, because it's growth was hampered by the plants surrounding it, and the stonework and hard-sided pond it sat next to.  I moved it last fall (September) into the back and this spring, the wild roses have already taken over it's old spot in the front. Even more surprising to me is that the Lilac threw up a single bloom this spring, which was rather unexpected.  This particular little Lilac came from our old house. I started it from a cut off an old Lilac shrub in the house next door to us, carefully rooting it and nuturing it from it's single small "stick".  It had been moved a couple of times as it grew, each time it was moved, it wouldn't bloom the following spring, so I was surprised when it did bloom this year.

The Garden at Home

Nov. 11th, 2011

Before we head into the winter season  I thought I'd toss some nature photos - just a few. These images were taken without going out into the wild world of the natural habitat though...they were taken without leaving my yard. In one case, I didn't even get out of the chair at my desk.

A few of the photos here are from my shy little garden or pond frog. This little guy grew in the small pond installed in my small front garden. Don't ask me how, because I truly have no idea. Last year when winter approached, we decided not to empty the water from the pond, so it froze over the winter. In the spring when the snow melted into the pond...the water was very dirty. I have plants around the edge of the pond (mostly vinca) that have grown over the edge and into the water, and have developed roots in the water.