Summer Solstice and Beyond

Okay so no fire in the wood stove today but it is raining so it's a great day for blogging!

I just finished a rather introspective blog on my Nutrition Nuggets page which mentions the gardens but not the bounty that we have so far reaped from them

Last night we enjoyed the second of 4 heads of broccoli (in spite of Chuckie's morning raids) and the day before we had "bacon", lettuce and tomato sandwiches on my homemade honey oat bread. Imagine that--a tomato in Upstate New York before July! 

I'm thinking if I could grow rice up here I could be totally self-sufficient food wise until the snow comes. Even then, if I can preserve enough, who knows?

Since Chuckie was banished from the broccoli garden, he decided carrot tops and bean plants would be a fine substitute so now a second raised bed is fenced in. Chucks been respectful of the fence so no real damage done.  


I have a Cooper's Hawk that is ravaging my Mourning Dove population. I watched as a rather confused partner of the deceased bird flew down and stood among the feathers blown off in the attack. Then it flew back up to its perch and sat there. Sad..but that is nature. Sometimes I feel guilty for attracting the birds here where the hawks know they can find them, but it isn't really a very wide open space and is surrounded by trees and other protective hiding places so I guess they would be in danger where ever they were.


I haven't seen or seen sighns of the bear or her cub again since the original siting--hope they are okay. The skunks have been doing a lot of grubbng in the yard. Thanks to their work last year I have very few Japanese beetles competing for black raspberries and roses. Love those cute little creatures!


I noticed a peculiar silence two evenings ago when it was quite hot and I thought I should be hearing crickets. Shouldn't I? Is it too early? Certainly not too late?


As I mentioned before, the veery has not been heard. I thought I heard his haunting song one evening last month but he most of moved on in search of a mate. It is so devastatingly sad to know that that lovely sound may not be heard anymore. AS I was typing those words the devastation of the Gulf of Mexico came to mind. Everything and everyone is so negatively impacted by this disaster. And I don't think they will ever stop it completely. 


We felt the earthquake that rocked Toronto down here. Everytime there is a big, destructive quake I wonder if all we keep removing from the earth doesn't somehow make an impact on her inner core? It is easy to see, smell, hear and touch the destruction we have imposed on the surface, but what of the impact under our feet, out of sight?


I sit surrounded by life and beauty but can't help feeling sad and sending loving energy to the people and creatures and plants and waters of the Gulf. Please do the same in your own way.