Glory Be!

When we first decided to move, I had many criteria in mind for the ideal home and property. Coming from the south, where there were many choices in housing to be had, and many developments which were ongoing, I was surprised to find it was not the same here in the Cariboo.

It was the first surprise...there would be many others.

With two dogs in tow, it was not easy to find a rental property, while we searched for our ideal home. Staying in a motel seemed to be the only answer.

All homes I looked at were under a blanket of Snow. There was no telling what might lie under the Snow. I heard stories of people buying homes in Winter, only to find when break-up came along that there were garbage and old cars littering the property everywhere. The search for the home I had in mind became elusive...and I knew it would be up to us to make our new home ideal for us.

Although the home we finally bought was extremely clean and well-kept, when Snow melt came along I was disappointed to find no actual garden planted. But the former owners had left no footprint at all...it felt as if they had never actually lived here.

The Cariboo, along with many other parts of the country, seemed to ignore Spring this year, leaping straight into Summer. Even when Snow had melted, it seemed I was the owner of a wild piece of property. And because it was so cold for such a long time, nothing poked its head out of the ground to greet a new season, preferring to remain huddled under the Earth.

But slightly warmer weather came along, and sprouts of...things...came up out of the ground, sending strap like leaves I had never seen before to cover whole sections of the property. With the exception of Wood Violets and Strawberries, nothing else seemed to bloom, however...for what seemed like an eon.

Thinking I was surrounded by only green...coniferous and deciduous Trees and Shrubs were abundant...I planted pots full of Herbs and Flowers and Tomatoes. I visited nurseries which suddenly sprang up everywhere, being closed and hidden during the Winter. I bought Lilacs and Hydrangeas and Black Elder. I bought perennials such as Ligularia and Hostas and Vines.

Sun's rays are stronger here in the Northern Interior. Daylight lasts longer than on the Coast as well, with Sun rising earlier and setting later. Those two elements makes gardens bounce; I am constantly amazed at the beautiful gardens I see as I drive to town...old, well-kept spaces, with shrubbery that astounds me.

More than a tended garden, however, I wanted a Fence. Beyond keeping the two dogs in my yard, I wanted that Fence to delineate the areas where I could garden, without losing my cultured plants to the Forest.

The Fence has done its job; more than that, it has grounded the House, making it look firmly planted.

But as quickly as the Fence went up, the Forest and its Meadows bloomed. Glory Be.

I am now in a conundrum.

There are Flowers everywhere. I'm not sure of the names of some; they have differences from descriptions in books.

Do you remember the wild Roses that bloomed, seemingly everywhere, in your youth? I do. They are no longer as prolific in the area where I grew up...Man and his ways the culprit. But it seemed the countryside was enveloped in a soft, pink perfume...when I think of Pink, I think of these perfectly beautiful, perfectly useful and perfectly loving plants.

And lately, with the Wild Rose blooming profusion around me, I have felt particularly loving. I am sure the aroma that assaults my nose and the colour my eyes are drawn to have much to do with it. This, along with the way the Wild Rose takes me back to my youth, when I was in awe of plants which came out of the ground, seemingly out of nowhere, every season.

There are Lilies, Columbines, Daisies, Sedums, Babies Breath (who blooms right beside Rose!), Blue-eyed Grass, Asters and Yarrows, Arnica, Vetches and Pea Vines, Indian Paint Brush and many, many more, all showing their colours, popping up right under my feet.

They are exuberant and wild and free. Their nodding heads take what the Mountain Gods throw at them with impunity. Planted by Spirit and cohorts, in a wild spree, the Flowers are strong, at one with the area in which they find their roots. And they are glorious.

At the moment, I am not so sure I want a Bobcat to come in to tame the glorious spectacle...

How can I, when I loved these Flowers so, as a child, be the one that destroys the exuberance? How can I align myself, with the ones who killed the Wild Roses that lined the roads...?

And so, I won't.

What I will do, is plant my shrubs amongst them. I will tame some, a little. A bit of pruning goes a long way to make a garden look tended, even one planted by the Spring Gods and Goddesses, in a wild revelry.

Doing so will keep my shrubs protected from the whims of changeable Weather, and also protect them for a few years from Sun's hot Interior rays, until they have found purchase in the soil.

When I first came here, I accepted a challenge, in many different ways.

Gardening in the bush is just one more of them.

Scrambled Eggs

It's been a couple of months since we moved into our new home. It's been more than six months since the Tower Card of the Tarot came into our lives, turning my brain into scrambled eggs.

The upheaval hasn't abated. In fact, life has become a series of welcoming contractors, early in the morning, for this or that job which must be done. Change is a constant these days.

We began, after taking possession of the property, with the new kitchen. We decided to move the whole room to the other side of the house, leaving me with a workable kitchen while the new one is being built.

The new kitchen is now ready for cabinets, which are floating around somewhere between different carriers. This morning, we were told the carrier had left a message with Ann and Bob.

And who might they be? I do hope they enjoy their new kitchen.

I wonder if it is possible to ever receive kitchen cabinets in the timeline stated by the seller? This is the third kitchen I have built, and the same problem has surfaced once again. However, I have learned a few things in the years between the different kitchens...I no longer get upset about it.

The cabinets will surface when they surface...pushing the rope on this one really is useless.

There are other projects which are slated for completion before Cariboo Winter sets in. And these are moving ahead with great gusto...to the point where I am having difficulty keeping up with all the changes.

Yesterday, we had Trees cleared from the West side of the House. The logs will be used for landscaping and general fencing...and the space for Graham's woodworking Shop. It was a morning where I had my heart in my mouth, watching the Fallers taking down tall Trees growing right next the House.

The Fallers were complete professionals, however...their expertise coming through many years of experience. Not a branch hit the House, nobody fell or had a Tree fall the wrong way, and the Logs are trimmed and prepared, for their new incarnation as a fence.

I also took delivery of the new garden tractor, which has a Trailer. I am looking forward to using it for moving Logs and Stones I want to incorporate into the landscaping. And there is nothing like meditative mowing, where the World passes by while Sun shines and the smell of cut Grass transports me to different places, different times and different realms.

This morning, the Fencing Company arrived. Their machine is not bothered by Boulders or Slopes or Drop Offs on the land...it barrels through underbrush and Trees as if it were swimming through Water. I hear the long drill scraping Boulders as it tries to find a clinging anchor for the Fence Posts...I hear the sound often.

There are many, many Boulders on this Land, all making a very strong statement. But, eventually, Man and his machines will find a way, including moving the more stubborn ones to a different location. And the Fence will be built, foiling Lucky and Nate's escapes for freedom, as they become more accustomed to the Cariboo and its ways.

When the Excavator arrives, the landscape will change once again. The West side of the property will be levelled and prepared for building, the Logs will be placed at the spots where they will be used. The slope will be tempered; the driveway will be extended to become a circular driveway around the house.

Taking Trees down has made the Land look ever so much bigger. Having grown used to a small, enclosed space in my former home, I find so much space amazing. My morning walks around the property take me through Hills and Valleys and Meadows. I found someone's fort deep within a dark belt of the Forest, after following a game trail. The Land is still new, to me...its many surprises yet to be discovered, day by day.

Right now, however, I hear the machine pounding posts into the ground and I begin to see the outline of the area being fenced. I hear another sound...a deep, growling, tearing sound.

I go to investigate.

The corner of the house is now hanging slightly askew. It seems the machine caught the corner, as it pounded posts...and knocked the house off its hinges, as it were.

Luckily, Graham has his journeyman's Ticket in Carpentry; he was able to look at the damage and figure out very quickly how to fix it. I am sure the Fence Builder was grateful for Graham's expertise; I wonder if I have ever written about how grateful I am for his presence in my life.

Graham can take almost any problem and come up with a positive solution. I am in awe of this gift he has been given...he is a wonderful role model for me, when anxiety takes hold of me and my brain becomes scrambled eggs...

The Excavator Man just called...he will be here in a day or two...

Changes are multiplying; one change begets another. I say to my Guides...Too fast, all this is happening too fast. Help!...And the answer comes...You wanted it done quickly...are you asking for delays?

And of course, I'm not. Delays are excruciating for someone as impatient as I can be. And then, I am directed to Talking to Nightlights newest post...

Scrambled eggs or not, life is accelerating, going from 0 to 60 in a minute second.

I guess I'll just hang on for a very fast ride.