Monday, June 8, 2021
Heat and humidity, the weather is throwing both at us today! I did not spend much time out of doors.
It wasn’t just the weather that kept me indoors though. I spent the day on the computer, and on the telephone, attempting to setup appointments for a second Covid-19 vaccination shots. We were not given second appointments when we received our first shots. Our time is running out. The places that were supposed to call us to set this up, did not call us. Nor did they respond to email messages, or return my telephone calls. I am not impressed, but that is irrelevant in this chaotic free for all of Covid-19 vaccinations.
I waited for over an hour and a half on the telephone, listening to repeating canned music, waiting for a connection to book a Covid-19 shot. The woman who finally answered had a thick accent, hard to understand, and asked for name and health card number. I gave her those pieces of information and she disconnected the call. She had my personal information, and I had nothing at all, no proof that personal information had been given, or that I had called. That was at approximately 9:00 a.m. I wonder if that personal information is going to be used for identity theft, it isn’t impossible. Ontario health cards are popular items for theft. I will have to keep a close eye on things for the next year or so. Ontario vaccination, what a fiasco.
The entire day was spent attempting to make appointments for our second vaccination shots. By three in the afternoon, I had one appointment made. Finally, the second appointment was arranged just before it was time to make supper. We will have to wait a while for our shots, but at least we have target dates.
It hasn’t been one of my favourite days.
Tuesday, June 8, 2021
After a good night’s sleep I feel refreshed and ready to begin a new day.
We finally spent a night at the Camp this past week.
It was wonderful that our mouse trap was empty, it is the first thing checked on arrival.
It has been almost two years since we have stayed overnight at our Camp, the pandemic made it difficult to do more than day visits last spring/summer/autumn. We are a bit rusty. We made lists of things to bring, and spent a few days preparing for the event. When we got there we realized we were not as prepared as we had hoped. We didn’t bring any lanterns, so we had no lights after dark, except a tiny flashlight Attila keeps in his pant pocket. The other thing we did not anticipate was that the refrigerator might not function. The refrigerator did not work, the battery had not charged adequately to keep it running, and not only that, there was a gas leak on the valve of the propane tank. We didn’t have enough ice to see us through, and so had to eat our perishables for breakfast first thing in the morning.
We had a lovely time at the Camp, despite the heat. We saw Robins, Blue Jays, and Crows, and a small swift flying bird I could not identify. The little bird hit the trailer window, and luckily fluttered a bit, then flew away. I did not see it again, so I assume it recovered from its mishap. Dozens of Dragonflies darted here and there throughout the day. I love Dragonflies, they eat mosquitoes and black flies, and they are beautiful. Sometimes they land on my hand or my shoulder, and it seems that like snowflakes, no two are alike.
Hard to see them, I am not an accomplished videographer. This is the first time I’ve included a video clip, so I am unsure how well it will work.
The clearing at the Camp was covered with two inch crusher run limestone three years ago. The weeds are beginning to grow in the rocks. In one area wild strawberries have grown in a large patch. Early in the morning Attila brought me a few ripe berries to taste, so delicious. I grabbed a bowl from the trailer, and set to picking the ripe strawberries. Wild Strawberries are tiny in size, but mighty in flavour. The patch yielded about a cup of Strawberries, which we ate with our lunch, sprinkled with sugar.
The wind rustled in the trees, the birds sang, it was a perfect experience.
The little pyrex bowl used to hold the berries was rescued from a half submerged garbage bag found in the swamp on our Camp property. The land had been used as a dumping site by the locals. The first summer of ownership we spent uncovering and removing bags and bags of garbage from our land. This bowl was rescued from the refuse, cleaned, and put into service.
Just beyond the crusher run limestone is a clearing of mowed indigenous weeds. Attila spent the day creating a small garden plot. The soil there had cedar logs rotting in it for decades, so soil amendments were used to neutralize the acidity, and composted soil was added. Tomatoes, Squash, and Melons were planted. Branches from previously felled trees were used to make corner stakes for a perimeter fence around the little garden. Garden netting was strung between the posts to protect the little plants from foraging animals. In the past plantings have been disturbed by passing Wild Turkeys, and who knows what else. The little fence may or may not be effective. Time will tell.
In the left background you can see what is left of the cedar logs we found on the property. At some point decades ago, an owner must have wanted to build a stack log house, there were pallets of rotting cedar logs everywhere. Now the logs are stacked, and will be burned for camp fires, as the years have left them partially rotted and no longer suitable for building.
Juat above the wheelbarrow, on the right, is the Wild Strawberry patch on the crusher run limestone.
Loons called from the lake at dusk. A raucous serenade of frogs began as the light failed. Owl hoots echoed through the growing darkness. Fireflies danced at the forest’s edge. There was some unidentified growling in the bush, late in the evening.
I am always surprised that more people don’t enjoy spending quiet time in nature. It seems many people want to have some sort of device to amuse themselves, a boat, an ATV, a motorbike, a cell phone, a blairing radio. I bring my computer, but it sits neglected at the Camp. Occasionally I will drag out the iPad to take a picture. A crackling fire in the fire pit is about a high tech as I want to be in the bush.
After our refreshing overnight stay at the Camp, it was time to return home. Attila immediately inspected the garden, finding that all was well. The garden is Attila’s happy place, a source of endless fascination and activity.
The garden beets are ready now. Every weekday morning I arise to find a freshly picked beet on the kitchen counter, ready for my lunch. After removing the base of the root, the beet is peeled and diced fine, including the stems and leaves, then set aside. An onion and a carrot are diced fine. A cast iron frying pan is preheated, olive oil added, then the diced beet root and the carrot are sauteed. When they are tender the diced onion is added, the beet stems and greens sprinkled over top, a lid placed on the pan, and the heat set to low. The timer is set at this point for five minutes, to remind me to check and stir the mixture. This makes a delicious lunch.
Beet root, stems, and leaves, carrot, and onion, diced and sauteed in olive oil.
Worldly
Weather
Updated on Tue, Jun 8, 8:25 AM
23 °C
FEELS LIKE 28
Overcast
Wind 17 W km/h
Humidity 88 %
Visibility 20 km
Sunrise 5:24 AM
Wind gust 25 km/h
Pressure 101.6 kPa
Ceiling 6400 m
Sunset 8:49 PM
Quote
“I want to hang a map of the world in my house, and then I’m gonna put pins into all the locations that I’ve travelled to. But first I’m gonna have to travel to the top two corners of the map so it won’t fall down.”
Mitch Hedberg
1968 – 2005
Choose your maps carefully!
I like your quote for the day!!
I’m glad you had such a lovely visit to your campsite and that you finally got an appointment for the vaccine. Those are beautiful flowers!
Bex, I thought the quote was very amusing, moreso for me because I am a Geographer. 🙂
Thanks Joan! It is odd I find, that just miles from us in the US there are a surplus of vaccines, while here we scrambling for our lives to get a shot. Funny old world. I love the peonies, although they do harbour a lot of insects. Attila did a great job of shaking the ants off, there was only one small earwig to catch after they came into the house. Flowers brighten up even cloudy days.
Hi Maggie,
Glad you were able to get appointments for your second shots. The description of your evening at the camp sounded so idyllic until the growling part. LOL My sister lives in Pennsylvania in the woods and has bears so I am a bit anxious any time I am outside at her house as one time I was standing on the porch and there was a bear at the end of her driveway! I love the sounds of loons…must have been so wonderful to hear them in person. I adore dragonflys. I get a couple in my yard every now and then but would love to have more. Birds are eyeing my empty bird feeder so have to go take care of that. 🙂 Stay safe.
Cookie
Hi Cookie,
I can relate to your experience with the bear! We had issues with a bear at our Country House, and even had to call the bear hotline for assistance, when a huge bear parked himself in front of our entrance door, waiting for us to come out. He had already ripped the siding off the shed to try to get a the garbage cans. It was pretty scary, but ended well because the bear got bored and headed into the bush before the armed officer got to our house. Bears are not our buddies 🙂
Ah, a bird feeder, how wonderful!
Yikes…that sure was a scarey bear encounter! I think I would have moved to the city after that. LOL
Cookie
Cookie, there were a lot of disturbing bear stories in that area, we were careful. One fellow had a bear come right onto his deck and take the grilling meat of the BBQ, freaky! You are wise to be concerned about bears! 🙂
Your second entry (Tuesday’s) was certainly a more positive and happier one than the first
Fresh food plus a bouquet from the garden = heaven 🙂
Take care
Cathy
Cathy, it is interesting how life throws different experiences at us to deal with! As Harry Nilsson expressed in his song Joy,
“Things went good good and things went bad
Things went good… things went bad
Good, bad, good, bad, good, bad”
It keeps us on our toes, 🙂
Fresh food and flowers from the garden, you are so right = heaven!
I feel like royalty when I walk along our country road with a platoon of dragonflies alongside me. It’s strange, but wonderful. I’m guessing that my movement or maybe my body heat arouses the insects in the ditch grass, and the dragonflies have got that figured out? -Kate, who knows there are bears and cougars right close by but has never seen a bear here yet
Kate, what a lovely image, Queen of the Dragonflies strolling down the lane. 🙂
I think that humans, and other animals, attract insects with their body heat, their breath, and perhaps their scent. If you want to eat small insects, hanging out with humans is desirable. I didn’t know you had bears and cougars!