Good day DEAR Val:
Maggie and I have been home since Tuesday. There was excitement in the country Wednesday morning. The neighbors had put their garbage of lobster remains etc. in the box at the road and Mr. Bear came visiting. The large box was on its side in their driveway and the contents strewn up and down the road.
Maggie and I have been home since Tuesday. There was excitement in the country Wednesday morning. The neighbors had put their garbage of lobster remains etc. in the box at the road and Mr. Bear came visiting. The large box was on its side in their driveway and the contents strewn up and down the road.
We have spent some time weeding our large garden, harvested a last feed of asparagus and enjoyed it in an omelet. I spent a couple of hours strimming around the garden, the house, and several flower plantings. Wednesday Maggie took a break and walked to the lake and went for a kayak. Saturday cedar waxwings were gathered feeding on the honeyberries (haskaps). On a sad note, our 9 year old cat Foncee had lost a lot of weight and was listless. We took her to the vet Thursday and she was diagnosed with feline lymphoma. She passed last night and Bea (cat) and Daisy (dog) are as desolate as we are.
It is unimaginably wet here. The ground goes squish everywhere you step. It looks like we will not be planting potatoes this year (too wet), nor corn (too late). It is, however, warmer here most days than in Promilhanes. I will discover in a few days if it will be possible to mow our network of trails and open areas. It's hard to walk in the high grass, but big ruts from the tractor wheels are no fun either.
July 1st is the 146th birthday of The Dominion of Canada. God save the Queen!
Just a little factoid about Cape Breton Island; land area 3981 sq.miles, 136,000 population made up of 4 counties. The center of the island is a large inland sea called the "Bras d'Or" and Lake Ainslie (where we live) is the largest natural fresh water lake in Nova Scotia. Much of the west side of the island's English rooted population is only 2 generations from when Scottish Gaelic was the household tongue. Gaelic is in a revival period and is now being taught in some schools. The west coast north of Margaree Harbour is largely Acadian French as is the Atlantic coastal area of Richmond County in the southern part. There are Micmaw (native population) communities in all 4 counties. During the coal mining and steel making era (1900-1970) there were many immigrants from Belgium, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East giving us a rich and varied culture.
I will for now end with some pictures of the newly emerged showy lady slippers on our property. We have one of the largest acreages of this rare orchid in the province.
Bill McCarthy
Val says
Many thanks Bill and Malc looks forward to playing bridge with you and Maggie at the Caylus club even though you always win.
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| Rare orchids, lady's slippers |
