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Ë®¹ûÊÓƵbodies - Glass half full?

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Published on Saturday, May 28, 2016

By Rita Friesen

The Neepawa Banner

This spring, the yard and garden work seems heavy. I have cut down on the amount of grass I am cutting. I thought long and hard about where the mowed boundaries had to be to give me peace of mind. I need the yard to look tidy and I need the grass cut around all the buildings. What I can let go/grow is a major part of the outer yard. May need to tie a helium balloon to my dogs’ tails just to find them in the long grass!

Thought long and hard about the garden too. Did I want to keep that area black? Till and weed just to keep it black, or plant and till and weed for produce? The practical part of me won. I cut down to twelve tomato plants, six of my favourite green bell peppers, three rows of peas, three of corn, a few plants of watermelon, cantaloupe and cucumber, a short row of kohlrabi, radishes and a few hills of pumpkin and squash. Oh, and a dozen potato plants. I have really cut back! As I planted the potatoes, I recalled the years we planted rows and rows of potatoes, carried them down cellar in fall and carried too many back up and out in spring. We used to plant at least three rows of two different kinds of corn. The difference is the ‘we’. I love a garden to graze and am no longer overly fond of canning and freezing the abundance we grew.  

It does look like there may be a good set on the berries. That late frost had me wondering. Other years, we – there’s that word again – placed a net over the saskatoons, not willing to share the harvest with the birds. This year, the bush needs a bigger picnic tent to cover it and the cost of purchasing one would allow me to buy more berries than I need! Not sure how I will face that fight. There is a tiny worm that hits the gooseberry bushes just when the fruit is ripening. Watching for them was never my job, just spraying them when I was informed it was time. Will have to make note to self to watch for worms!

There are days when I need to see my glass as half full. There is much for which I am thankful. The silence and the solitude of my home has become a refuge. Stepping out in the dark, the air heavy with the scent of the lilacs, the sound of the water feature a gentle gurgle and the swoop of the bats all gifts before I am far enough from the house to appreciate the night’s lights. As the dogs and I make our last foray of the day, I am filled with peace and contentment. Hold that thought until it’s time to mow – again!