Saturday 1 October 2016

A Simple Life

It's a simple life filled with simple things.

The wood which spent all summer drying out in the sunshine has been re stacked in the shed.

After removing caterpillars, slugs and slug eggs and two nests of baby earthworms (ick) the last of the cabbages have begun the process of fermenting into sauerkraut.

More people are joining my sit and be fit class each week-word must be spreading on the entertainment value of the slightly dotty leader.

First meeting of garden club for the 2016/17 year which is the 50th in its current incarnation. A satisfying number of young people joining for the first time. I wonder what they thought of the heated discussion regarding two trees on different properties as to whether they were both goumi or both Cornelian cherry dogwood or one of each and if one was the offspring of the other reputedly brought over from Italy many years ago.

cornelian cherry
goumi berry
 
We graduated puppy school with the most improved award! Really, not hard to do when you consider where we started.

The neighbours replaced their chickens. The chickens were warned to start laying by Sept 6 or else. They are still there so I assume all is well. Unfortunately there are a couple of roosters in this batch. I'm a light sleeper, I like my windows open. I do not like being woken at 3am.

I scored a Lee Valley garden journal in near pristine condition at a garage sale for 50 cents (retails at $40). I'm not good at putting garden data onto spreadsheets but give me a blank page in a beautiful book and I'm set to go.


Temperatures have tanked. I've started lighting the woodstove each morning.

We go for walks on the beach each day there is a suitable low tide. Salmon have begun to jump, a little later than normal. The bears will be happy.

6 comments:

  1. Had fun at the Garden Club. I was surprised at the large group. I expected a small close knit group for some reason. Loved the panel discussion about the good, bad and ugly. I learned a few tricks along the way. It was fun to meet you face-to-face. I won't be able to get to all of the meetings, but should be in town for October at least. I found a small garden guide published by the Garden Club a few years back at the Economy Shop. You never know what will turn up. - Margy

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    1. It is not unusual to have a 100+ when we have an out of town speaker. It was lovely meeting you. What was the title og the guide-I'm trying to put together some things for our 50th anniversary?

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  2. wow, I've never made sauerkraut myself but my mom and her mom used to make it. I have many fond memories about the making of it and my view of the goings-on as a little girl. I don't know why I've never made it -- I preserve, pickle, and do all kinds of other home making -- perhaps this is the nudge I need to give sauerkraut a whirl. Sad thing is, I no longer have my mom's kraut crocks!

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    1. I'm getting to the point where I need crocks, currently it ferments in mason jars. Did I here something from you on CBC the other morning?

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  3. Sounds like a very satisfying wrap up of your summer. I'm glad to hear that the pups are finally starting to toe the line! I hope... I have never heard of goumi berries - do they taste like cherries? I am gearing up for my yearly sauerkraut stomping - it is so satisfying to mash the heck out of it.

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    1. I look forward to the mashing-very theraputic. The goumis have to be really ripe for eating but they make great jam.

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