As if harvesting blueberries and acorns simultaneously isn’t surprising enough, I was really shocked to see this blueberry plant flowering. Yes, the climate is changing.
In the autumns of my childhood, blueberries were no longer ripening in September, color was past peak by mid-October, and witch hazel bloomed after their leaves and nuts fell in November .
I’m tempted to stress out over the political decision-making that has contributed to climate change (not to mention our economic woes), but it’s leaf season and as long as there are autumn displays, I will honor them.
I’m not sure if this is the same bear I encountered six weeks ago, but one whiff of me and the bear ran away. I moved on, knowing this omnivore has plenty to eat in these woods.
Like the bear, I’m convinced that staying in direct connection to the source of my food is key to survival. Like the bear, I’m aware of the shrinking daylight, the cooler nights and the changing food supply.
At the garden, I’m now preparing planting rows, mulching, and helping to put the garden to bed for the winter. It’s much easier to shovel mulch in cooler weather. Tomatoes and peppers are history. My share now includes kale, onions, and potatoes. Spring is the best time at the garden - all anticipation and time for taking photos. Once the growing begins, the planting and weeding never ends.
This week, I had to go to DMV for an eye test to renew my driver’s license. It has been a long time since I waited in a government office. Apparently TV monitors are used to pacify waiting patrons. Tuned to a cooking or garden show, I might have been able to tolerate the noise.
But 15-minutes of the Rupert Murdock owned TV “news” made me want to retreat into the woods forever. To my mind, there’s a real difference between hate speech that inflames a mob and campaigning.
I’ve participated in my share of community activism, so I know how daunting and exhausting it can be to fight the good fight. Time is precious and I’m a slow learner. I picture myself as one of those toothless old ladies the young ones will seek out to understand how to live without electronics. I hope I’ve really internalized nature’s lessons by then.
As I recopy the information in my notebook, it’s clear that with every workshop or class, I’m getting a vocabulary workout. Part of learning is putting the book info to the field test.
Part of field testing is practice. It takes time to develop basic ability - mastery requires focus and mental agility I wish I had. Fortunately, I have the next best thing in mentors like Sister Carole and Barry Keegan.