The farm is old and needs a lot of work, you say. I hope you realize that 50 years from now your son will likely say the very same as he views your own weathered dreams, because farms, like people, never reach perfection. Yet every generation has a vision all its own, but sometimes in
Letter to a young farmer…
One noisy hitchhiker
After coming home from a camping trip, my husband and I discovered a stowaway had concealed his presence by hiding in some blankets our grandkids used in their tent. He didn’t let out a peep until darkness fell, and then just when overnight visitors were bedded down in the rec room, someone exclaimed, “There’s a
It’s a “boy!”
“Come right away!” I called to my husband at 5 a.m. Hearing the urgency in my voice, he scrambled into his clothes and came to join me. Together we were about to witness a miracle. Two weeks before, a neighbour had come to ask me for a large jar. “What for?” I asked. “You’ll see!”
Sweet smell of nature
This morning as I inched along on my hands and knees, pulling weeds from our waterlogged flower beds, I was not exactly happy with my chore. It would have been far easier using a hoe, had the ground been drier; but then I might have missed something. As I worked my way along, inwardly grumbling
Sunrise serenade
After years of hoping for wrens to take up housekeeping in a fancy birdhouse our son had given me, just one wren arrived early this spring. I suspect it may have been a lovesick bachelor intent on attracting a mate. No moonlight serenading for this guy, however. He was an early riser — 4 a.m.
Sounds of Canada Day on the Farm
A rooster crows, awakening us from the undisturbed sleep we enjoy in this peaceful country. A squirrel chatters as it hides away nuts, a reminder of this nation’s granaries and freezers and pantries full of food. A meadowlark sings, a celebration of Canada’s wildlife. A dog barks, a reminder of the much broader circle of
Gardeners beware!
Did you realize those veggies you plant are a scary lot? Don’t mess with those bad-tempered radishes, for instance. They can get pretty hot. The cabbage heads are so dense there’s no way you can smarten them up. Nor can you subdue those egotistical muscle men of the garden, the onions — they are that
Make a beach bag
Using materials you probably have around the house, this will be perfect to bring back those wet items from the beach. Supplies: • 1 large, round, plastic jug (the kind bleach or fabric softener comes in) • 2 pieces of cotton material, approx. 12×12 inches (31×31 cm) • 2 pieces, each 16 inches (41 cm)
Make a finger pincushion
A handy little accessory for anyone who sews By wearing this mini-pincushion on your finger while sewing, it will always be handy when you need it. Supplies: • Metal twist-off cap from bottle • Piece of stretchy cord approx. 5 inches (12 cm) long (the type used for gift wrapping —very narrow elastic might work
Three-generations quilt
“Here,” my mother said, handing me a quilt top pieced together in little squares. “I can’t get this to come out right no matter how I try.” I was not surprised. Somehow the idea of careful measuring and consistent seam allowances usually escaped her, especially as she grew older. Consequently the pieced quilt top she
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
