Now for something completely different ... all about My Life! I have been married to the same great guy (Frank) for nearly 35 years. We have no kids, three cats (Josie, Cassie and Haffy) and a Chocolate Lab (Rosie). We are transplanted sort-of-retired city folk who choose to live in a rural area of Vancouver Island. We have learned that the very best eggs, chickens and turkey come directly from the farmer and John Deere tractors are pretty much a must-have on nearly 8 acres.
Our property was once home to grazing animals that decimated a lot of the native growth which we hope to regenerate with native plants we brought with us from our former home in Lions Bay. We want to create a park-like atmosphere throughout the whole property so we can meander about with Rosie and a nice glass of red or white (bottled at The Mission - I highly recommend the Muller Thurgau and Amarone!) and realize how truly fortunate we are. We have a large pond and an island which is not accessible without a small rowboat. I don't "do" small boats so I have not set foot on the island, but Frank has created a secret garden using HIS stash of saved and repurposed items. He is a very talented designer and has envisioned and created some beautiful outdoor spaces. Of course, I added my two-bits worth and helped ...
We are privileged and (still) delighted to share our space with a lot of wildlife - deer, mink, beavers (well, maybe we could have done without the beavers who chewed down 6 trees when we first bought the house and which have moved across the street to continue their "damn" building), squirrels, river otters, jack-rabbits, various and assorted ducks, a Great Blue Heron, eagles, hawks, California Quail, Great Northern Flickers and the occasional pheasant.
And frogs. Many frogs. Indigenous frogs and introduced frogs. We love to hear the indigenous frogs at night in the spring and autumn when, as we say, it's "frogging" outside. At times, the frogs are so loud they wake us up.
The introduced North Amercan Green Bullfrogs - not so much. The bullfrogs remind me of Jabba the Hut and sound like sick cows. Apparently if one is saving-native-habitat-minded, one can catch these frogs, put them in Ziploc Bags and then place them in one's freezer where they go into "permanent hibernation".
I have some problems with this process. Firstly, the catching. These frogs leap into the pond at the slightest shadow or vibration. Secondly, the bank of the pond area can be extremely slippery. Thirdly, Beaver Fever has been caught by people (an 8 year old boy) who have purposely or unwittingly gone into ponds in this area. Fourthly, and I don't know about you, but our freezer contains tasty, appetizing food. Butter tarts. Lasagne. Pork chops. A 20 pound farm turkey. Apple pie and frozen fresh peaches from our trees. Frankly, I don't think adding dead - ooops - "hibernating" frogs stuffed into Ziploc Bags sounds all that appealing.
There's a local person whose name is Ketcham (not kidding) who will pick up the HagenFrogs and take them to Vancouver Island University for whatever it is university students do with frogs. (I don't want to go there - not VIU - the frog possibilities.) I was in Grade 12 when it was still apropos to dissect frogs. My science lab partners (yes I remember their names) decided that I was best-suited to do the dirty work. On the last day, before we had to say "goodbye" to Mr. Frog, I announced (quite loudly), that I had done enough dissection and it was someone else's turn.
In addition to the forest, pond, secret garden, frogs, cats and dog, we have 2 hazelnut trees, 8 apple trees, 3 cherry trees, 1 yellow-plum tree, 1 peach tree, 1 pear tree and 2 butternut trees. When I was very excited about rural life (and a few years younger), I planned to make tasty preserved jams, jellies, salsas, pies, sauces, etc. and would grab my basket (or "panier") (after hanging out laundry on a clothesline for that fresh, outdoorsy smell) and prance gaily about the orchard, singing folksy songs ... sparrows and bluebirds perched on my left shoulder, kittens, bunnies and baby bambis dancing and frolicking about my feet.
Apparently, no matter how tasty and delish, the canned/jarred/bottled comestibles sit in sterilized Mason jars in the cupboard - uneaten. So, next year ... apples will be stored in boxes. Pears will be stored in boxes. Nuts - yep. Nuts to the nuts! Peaches will become smoothies and whatever is left from the fruit crop will be fed to the deer when it snows. I love being an earth-mom kinda girl, but I hate spending my time over steaming kettles and boiling cauldrons making stuff that no one eats.
I hope Ree Drummond at thepioneerwoman.com forgives me.
Love to my family and friends.
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