We're in the golden window of time between cold weather season and blackflies. For those of you who have never heard of blackflies, Beelzebub and all his hellish fiends look like doting grandmothers compared to these swarming insects. They appear suddenly as if by magic in mid-May and molest all warm-blooded creatures, especially gardening enthusiasts and joggers, for approximately 6 weeks. Rumour has it that they've been killed by the extremely cold temperatures this winter, but we all know better.
So this is the season for picnics (Will's lovely students, above), damming creeks, making wattle fences (no joke!), raking, expanding chicken ownership, and hopefully, finger's crossed, building our grow boxes for the garden. Hurray! We have a shelf full of leggy seedlings ready to go.
Homeschool is on hold because we have to carpe diem until the blackflies arrive. Then we hit the books in earnest.
I always enjoy your posts, and envy you your lifestyle which sounds so interesting and fulfilling. I live in New Hampshire, where we too are experiencing the golden, albiet chilly, window of which you wrote. And have to tell you - that's the BEST (and most accurate) description of black flies I have ever heard!
ReplyDeleteI just stumbled over here from Soul Gardening. This is such a lovely space. I'll certainly look forward to reading along! And now, off to the issue of Soul Gardening which arrived in my mail today, which, I have to tell you, I've looked forward to for a long, long time. Thank you, for what you've worked to create.
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