Canada Day Eh!

I AM SO PROUD TO BE A CANADIAN! I AM SO PROUD TO BE A CANADIAN! IAM SO


Today is Canada Day and Canada is 147 years old. A local radio station has posted 147 reasons to like Canada. My photo shows a few of the reasons why I LOVE CANADA! There are so many, many, many more. I have so much to be thankful for living in this GREAT COUNTRY that I call HOME. Not just today but every day BE PROUD to be CANADIAN.

Tree Hide Away

With the beautiful spring weather outside, I have taken the opportunity to get back on my
 bicycle. Farther and faster into new territory, are the goals I have set until the snow flies
 again.

This hollowed out tree, I believe, was at one time, home to some of God's creatures. Now
 it is a place where teens can sneak out of the house, away from Mom and Dad and have
 their own little  fire. I'm sure other things are happening in the base of the tree but I see
 no evidence of it.

The rotting of the tree at the base caught my eye last year. As I approached the cave I
was cautious, expecting an animal of some sort to jump out at me. Thank goodness none
 did and I can enjoy the beauty carved out of this tree.

Bicycle riding, not only provides an opportunity to see new sites, it also provides exercise
 and fresh air. Oil up your chains, pump up your tires and escape into the great outdoors.
 Don't forget your camera!

Final Rays

                                                        Final Rays


The setting sun casts its final rays of the day across the barn's face. A glorious spring
day, finished. Darkness, slowly creeps across the landscape.  Evening, a time for
 rest and reflection. Rejuvenation for the day next. Hope for days to follow.

Passion

                                                            

As spring nears I get restless and my hands itch. The garden calls me to come and plant. Manure
 spread on the land, announces spring is in the air. The smell clears my lungs. Fresh cultivated
 soil smells, tickle my nose.  The rumble of tires from large farm equipment on asphalt,
 catches my attention. I wave to a neighbour.

My son works full-time at an off farm job. After hours he's a cash crop farmer. Spring came
 late for farmers this year. The push is on to get the land ready for seeding.

Knowing my son will put meals at the bottom of the "to do" list, I offer to bring him supper.
He's working local so I'm able to connect with him. Spreading manure is not the most glamorous job in farming, but I'll take any time I can spend with him.  (Really, I want to be in his position...
.a farmer). 

From the buddy seat of the tractor and the landing outside the cab, I watch my son load manure
into the spreader. The passion I see in his eyes for farming overwhelms me. Inside I'm bursting
 with pride.

Spring Lake

On my day off, I'm usually found searching for photo opps to write about in my blog. Today
 was no exception. My plans for todays blog was to find fields to photograph and show how
 far spring is progressing.

The top photo is on the left side of the road and the bottom photo on the right side of the same
 road. With some drying weather the field in the top photo will be ready for cultivating and
 planting. The field in the bottom photo was seeded in the fall and seedlings have emerged. It
 will be a long time before what I call "Spring Lake" dries up for the summer.

Normally at this time of year, the roar of tractor's engines can be heard in the night air until the
 wee hours of the morning. The harsh winter, late spring and plenty of moisture have delayed
 planting by a number of weeks.

 The sunshine and warmer days bring hope. Hope of a good year for farmers. Good weather, bountiful crops and decent prices.

I found winter in April

                                                                      Its Still Here

Winter is still here. It may feel 20C outside but winter is still hanging around on the back roads
of Mapleton Township. Its Easter Sunday, April 20, 2014, and I found winter. Exciting for me, but maybe not for you. There is a method to my madness. I LOVE WINTER.

The crunch of the snow beneath my boots is a sound I never tire of. On a -30C night I can see the
snow sparkling and when I breath in, my nostrils freeze shut. The air is crisp, clean and clear. I'm dressed in my insulated coveralls, favourite knitted sweater, big green boots, down filled mits, Farmers Feed Cities hat, Toronto Maple Leafs scarf and I'm HAPPY.

Really, I love all the seasons. Spring brings new beginnings. The birth of lambs, tulips poke their
heads out of the ground and the temperatures are cool to warm. Fall is harvest time. A time to reap
what you have sown. Combines glean through fields, leaves change from green to beautiful reds,
oranges and yellows, and God's creatures prepare for winter.

 Gardening, lawn cutting, walking and bicycling occupy a lot of my summer. A dip in a friends pool or pond keeps me refreshed. The HHH's and I are not compatible. Heat, Humidity and Haze I try to ignore.There is only so much clothes you can take off before the laws of Ontario kick in. Although outwardly not showing how miserable I feel, I am suffering terribly.

The winter of 2013/14 was a true Canadian winter. One we haven't seen for a number of years.
I enjoyed it more than most. My unofficial "I LOVE WINTER CLUB" has five members and there
is room for new members. When the temperatures hit 30C + and complaints are heard, I
smile and think to myself....I LOVE WINTER.

Two Small Pie Plates

                                                                           

                                                             The Pie Plate Lady


The ad, Pie Plates For Sale, on a Facebook Buy and Sell site, caught my eye late one night. A quick reply to the ad, a few messages exchanged  and  a pickup time was finalized between the seller and myself. Another addition to my list of errands on my busy day off.

After a short drive to a nearby town, I found the house where I was to pick up the pie plates. A middle aged lady answered my knock on the door  and introduced her mother-in-law to me. Lily, an elderly woman in her early 90's welcomed me into her home. With the sale of the pie plates complete, I shared with the two women what the pie plates were going to be used for. My friend, Dale, attends a United Church that does a Turkey Dinner Fundraiser at Thanksgiving. The ladies of the church decided that they no longer wanted to use aluminum pie plates, as they found the pie crusts did not cook properly in these plates. Dale had mentioned on Facebook that the church was looking for glass, ceramic or tin pie plates for their fundraiser. I told Dale that I would be happy to help her collect pie plates as I visited  the three thrift stores in a nearby town on a weekly basis.

Lily, was happy to help out with my search for pie plates. She went into her cupboard and found another ceramic pie plate to add to my collection. She also added two smaller plates and asked me
if I knew how old these plates would be. My guess was 40 years. She replied, "Many more than that."
I asked  if it was okay with her if I kept the smaller pie plates for myself as they wouldn't be used by  the church. She was in favour of the idea.

I commented on how beautiful Lily's home was and she offered to give me a tour. I told her it wasn't necessary and I did have an appointment to get to. She insisted and I couldn't resist her invitation. As
I bent over to remove my boots she told me not to worry about boots. At her age she didn't care about a little dirt. I felt uncomfortable as I walked on her white carpets and area rugs with my boots on. I guess if I was in my 90's I wouldn't care either. As we walked from room to room, Lily told me stories about her life. The writer in me wanted to stay and talk longer but I had to continue on with my day.

As I drove to my next errand, I thought about Lily and her home. I was thrilled to have met her and glad that I took time out of my day to listen to her stories. Each time I look at the two small pie plates she gave me I will remember Lily, in her early 90's, healthy, vibrant and still living in her own home.