Tom's Yellow Lady's

Tom's Yellow Lady's

Tom moved in two of these a number of years ago which had obviously been disturbed by recent highway changes. This year he has nine magnificent blooms. This species prefers a less acidic soil than the pink variety which bloom further into the forest - each year a pile of crushed egg shells is place up hill from the clump so the rains create a feeding of calcium which obviously makes them very happy.

Small Yellow Lady's Slipper
(Cypripedium parviflorum)

"Beaver Begone Spell" needed

The pond is full with all the rain; the trees are starting to leaf out - life is wonderful but IMHO it is time to do something about the beaver(s). Every year since the roads department reconfigured their culverts making what was once just a spring run-off through our property by the barn; into a year round creek - Tom has waged war with the beaver as they try to keep a dam on the creek by the barn solid and strong. As this causes flooding and a stagnant marsh area is created, filled with more mosquitoes; we do not wish the dam to succeed. Each night they build - each morning Tom removes. So until the creek dries up making the dam useless with summer's warmth ( should this ever arrive) the war with the dam will continue as it has done now for years.

Every 5 - 6 years these darn beasties invade our pond which is fed by bottom springs and a long way from the creek on the other side of the barn - a weeping willow which they trimmed the last time they invaded had just started to get some height once more and here they have now done it in again!

So much for making my dream of a huge weeping willow hanging over the pond come true.

All around the pond small edible trees are down - bark stripped and the sharp white bared branch pieces lay strewn everywhere to bleach in the sun. Edges of the pond are littered with sharpened twigs and it will take ages to clean up their mess yet again. A job much needing doing as this is the place our grandchildren spend many summer hours.. even we have been known to paddle about on a hot summers day.

I guess I need to devise a "Beaver Begone Spell" so they'll pack their bags and move on to greener pastures. Seems like way too much work for us is evolving quickly without our asking for extra.

Isn't life wonderful?? It is? - isn't it? YES!

Wind

Early May a wind storm visited our area; roaring in from the northwest; through the forest, whistling through the tree tops on the ridge, all the trees danced to the wild rhythm .

Fortunately our cabin is tucked down near the toe of the rocky ridge to the west of the house; keeping us from having to deal with anything but the odd finger of wind which pokes down towards us at intermittent moments.

Often Tom has smaller week rooted balsams to clear off the forest paths after such a wind BUT this wind was very strong; one of those manic gusty fingers flew over our roof top and caught and twisted one of our beautiful old spruce trees growing between the house and barn for at least a hundred years, and he crashed down with a thundering roar.

Tom has started to de-limb this downed soldier and move it's huge branches to the bonfire pile. The evolving log is straight as an arrow running constant for over 40 feet after the narrow top section was removed. It would make a wonderful beam 12" square If we needed one. I think if all goes well it can be milled into lumber - lovely wide planks which will be air-dried to be used in the nebulous future for a yet decided project.

It will take time as the Alaska Mill seems to get heavier and balkier as we get older. Over the years this has been an exceedingly useful tool. We were so wise to invest in it - and here over 30 years later both it and the large Stihl Chainsaw purchased at the same time work smoothly together.

Hopefully over the summer there will be enough interested young strong visitors who will enjoy helping Tom with this project.

Kismet

Personal Kismet meets Fly Fishing

Kismet: Fate or Destiny in Turkish and Urdu, a predetermined course of events,

from Persian qesmat, from Arabic qisma, lot, from qasama, to divide, allot.

Seems to me some of the strangest things happen when we least expect it. Sometimes it is hard to digest the happening until much later chapters in the story; as happened in this case.

Early last fall Tom and went as scheduled to get our eyes tested in Peterborough.

Tom's glasses were hanging literally by a wire put in place by yours truly the last time the lens popped out. The time had definitely come for him to to get a new pair.

During my examination - out of the blue my optometrist asked: " Are your toes swollen on their ends like you fingers? with curved nails? " To which I answered " yes " - this phenomena called clubbing had started in my toes about a year ago and my fingers joined in the change just the past spring. The resulting problems from the swelling and pain were definitely interfering with my every day life and my work in my studio. No one I had asked in the medical field seemed to have any idea why this was taking place.

He stopped what he was doing and looked directly at me and said; "You are seriously ill, you need to get in to see an internist right away - in fact I will make you an appointment with one I know and my office will call you with the date. It may take awhile as he is very bust but we will try to get you in as quickly as possible. "

He reiterated this to Tom also.

I waited a month for an appointment and decided to see if our local Nurse Practitioner could get me in to se an alternative internist sooner.. she did.

To cut a long story short a few weeks later it was discovered I had lung cancer - a largish tumor in the lower lobe of my left lung.

After the holiday season and a myriad of tests and much waiting; here now mid - May finds me 3 weeks into recovery after having my whole left lung removed. This has been an overwhelming journey which is still not quite finished but we are well on our way to dealing positively with the problem.

HOW I now wonder does one thank their eye doctor for taken time to observe - to ask - to act on an issue which in effect saved my life? The tumor was growing very quickly noticeable even during the time needed to do thorough testing. The cancer was going totally not noticed as there were few symptoms other than the clubbing.

I wanted to say/do something and spoke with the friends who had originally referred us to this eye doctor to find answers. As far fetched as this sounds - My eye doctor is also a doctor and had had a well known medical career before he sorta - down sized might be a descriptive way to state that he decided set day hours as a optometrist fit his life better. No idea why this took place - but I am sure thankful it did.

Just sending a card felt empty - though I will definitely make one in which to put heartfelt thanks from both Tom and myself. After talking with my friends who knew this man for longer time periods than we - I discovered that he was and still may be a fly fisherman - interestingly the only other person I have ever met who fly fished is my partner Tom. A rare gentle breed of extremely patient men.

From this knowledge base I worked with a simple silhouette design and passed it on to our good friends at Soundings http://www.soapstonecarvings.com/

and they sandblasted the design into a piece of "panda stone" for me. I think it turned out fabulous - I certainly hope he does also. It is not too large and can be used as a paper weight or sit in a corner quietly on a shelf.

I hope when looks at it a warm memory feel will pass through from me; as without his active participation I may not have been here much longer.

I have started my words for the card which will utilize the same casting design.

" Some people have a thoughtful way of living,

a happiness they bring to every day

in the helpful things they do for other people.

The caring words they say. "

That's as far as I've got so far; but as you see it is falling in place with magick - just as it was meant to evolve.

Bright Blessings

Sharon