We walked country lanes several times during our time in England and Wales. While it’s difficult to tell, this lane outside Wooler led up a relatively steep slope, which we looked back down after gaining the top of the slope . . . then led us up another steep hill.
Another walk outside Wooler led us not only along laneways, it occasionally led through gates to paths through fields and pastures. We were glad that no path led us through the gate and into this field.
Faye and me recently spent a wonderful two plus weeks in England and Wales, and over half of our nights were in bed and breakfasts.
As you see, the full English breakfast, toast and coffee (or tea) is a hearty one indeed. It sustained us right past lunch all the way to dinner!
The veterinary network that our vet clinic is in sponsors a tree planting event for people who let go of a pet during the year. The municipality allows the network to plant trees in a public park, with the win-win-win of people honouring their pet, increasing native plant cover, and increasing shade over a largely unshaded park. Today was the day, a sunny and warm-ish morning, kind of a bittersweet day.
You can choose a specific tree from the available ones, all of which are native to southwest Ontario. We chose a Tulip Tree because a tulip tree seed sprouted unbidden and unexpectedly in our yard about the time Lucy also unexpectedly came into our lives.
Throughout the day and every day for more than two weeks, two immature and/or female Ruby-throated Hummingbirds contested the right to visit and feed from our feeders. Here is one of them, photographed from about 2.5 meters away. Image appears a bit out of focus due to shooting through the kitchen window screen.
The contests and visits abruptly ended about a week ago. We have seen no activity since, so we believe they began the long journey south. We will keep the feeders out and filled for any migrants that come this way during the next little while
From the beginning of the growing season in April through August, this 20′ x 20′ plot (plus a much smaller one in the back yard) has yielded (list below photo):
5.4 kilos of Chocolate Cherry Tomatoes
4.2 kilos of Piennolo del Vesuvio tomatoes
0.6 kilos of Purple Heart tomatoes
0.1 kilo of Beefsteak tomatoes
3.9 kilos of cucumbers
5.2 kilos of green zucchini
2.3 kilos of Cocozelle zukes
2.8 kilos of Kusa zukes
0.5 kilos of tomatillos
0.3 kilos of jalapeno peppers
0.4 kilos of Sugar Rush Peach peppers
0.4 kilos of Cayenne peppers
0.3 kilos of Scarlet Runner Bean pods (after a short harvest time we’re letting the beans go to
4.7 kilos of asparagus
2.2 kilos of haskap berries
48 bulbs of garlic (huge aromatic cloves, enough for replanting and for cooking well into winter)
An unrecorded amount of rhubarb
Lots of lettuce
More tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers, and *maybe* some figs are on the way.
And from elsewhere in the yard:
1.5 kilos of blackcurrants
An unrecorded amount of redcurrants
More rhubarb
Some pole beans
Some chives and green onions
We’re very unlikely to have bought this volume of most if not all of this produce. The green zukes alone would have cost around $40 at the grocery store. We will never be self-sufficient yet we know our produce is pesticide- and herbicide-free.
A much more productive, healthy, green, critter-friendly, use of 400 square feet than growing, and mowing, turfgrass.
From the garden, clockwise from top: a cucumber and three zucchini, Chocolate Cherry tomatoes, and Piennolo del Vesuvio tomatoes. We love the Chocolate Cherry tomatoes – they have good flavour, are a little crack-resistant in variable watering conditions, will ‘volunteer’ next year.
We recently journeyed with friends to Manitoulin Island, at the north end of Lake Huron, for a short holiday. There are two public ways to get there – via a bridge at the north end of the island, or via the Chi-Cheemaun car/passenger ferry from Tobermory, at the end of the Bruce Peninsula. the ferry made the most sense for us.
Here is approaches the dock at Tobermory, before our vehicle, along with many others and passengers for the 1 1/2 hour sailing to Manitoulin.
Fitzi is a handsome and friendly senior statesdog from his kind – four-footeds – to our kind – two-footeds.
Pollen-dusted from earlier harvesting, a bee works one of the Purple Coneflowers in our flower patch.
One can grow a lot in a 20’ x 20’ space. Around the perimeter, clockwise from upper left.
Tomatoes – 3 varieties, and tomatillos, with basil underneath
Zucchini
Thyme
Some flowers (forget the variety)
Cucumbers (1 so far, 4 on the way)
Sunflowers
More sunflowers
Another tomato
Small evergreen tree
Another zuke
Squash
Nasturtiums and marigolds
Sage
Inside the perimeter, again clockwise from upper left
Haskap
Sunflowers and oregano
Tomatoes and hot peppers
Some dill
Still more tomatoes
The bare patch: just dug up the 48 garlic plants
Asparagus allowed to grow (we harvested about 10 lbs this spring)
Rhubarb
previouslytexan 