Harvest Moon - September 2024

We watched a full red moon rise from the back of the boat. An eclipse was promised for around 10:40, but it was slight and barely noticeable. What a relief to cast our eyes to the sky above instead of bending down toward our iPhone screens. Hours pass.

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THE LAMPS

Eight o'clock, no later,

You light the lamps,

The big one by the large window,

The small one on your desk.

They are not to see by -

It is still twilight out over the sand,

The scrub oaks and cranberries,

Even the small birds have settled

For sleep yet, out of reach

Of prowling foxes. No,

You light the lamps because

You are alone in your small house

And the wicks sputtering gold

Are like two visitors with good stories

They will tell slowly, in soft voices,

While the air outside turns quietyly

A grainy and luminous blue.

You wish it would never change - 

But of course the darkness keeps

Its appointment. Each evening,

An inscrutable presence, it has the final word

Outside every door.

Mary Oliver, 12 Moons

Yondering and the Summer of 2024

Yondering in and around the city this summer. We enjoyed bright skies, calm water, and pleasant breezes. Our mobile cottage on the lakefront. 

Can't beat the views of the city sky line from Hanlan's and QCYC. Love the summer dazzle on the surface of the lake, the view of the horizon, and of sails against the sky. 

For the first time in a long time we watched fireworks from the boat on Canada Day. Lots of swims in the lake on hot summer days; several cruises to Toronto Island, and one particularly eerie passage.

view of Toronto skyline from Snake Island

Ship's Log

Eight day sails, three stays at Toronto Island, two nights at anchor.

Around 20 days total taking the boat out - hopefully more often next year!

• Bluffers Park:  Shake Down Sail (May 19) - Mast up, boat rigged, and all is good to go
• Bluffers Park:  Sail Past (June 8) - Rob Emcee and Sheila visiting
• Outer Harbour: Canada Day (July 1) - Enjoying fireworks in the night sky with friends onboard (Joyce, Liz and Darcy) 
• Toronto Island: Queen City Yacht Club (July 7-9) - 2 nights reciprocal stay
• Bluffers Park: Anchor for the afternoon (August 1, 2, 3) - Eat. Drink. Swim.
• "Little Baha": Anchor (August 12-13) - 2 nights at anchor with Griskit (with Sunglimmer and Medina)
• Bluffers Park: Anchor for the afternoon (August 25): afternoon swim (with Liz and Darcy)
• Toronto Island: Hanlan's (August 27-29): 3 nights tied to the wall & 2 days exploring the Island
• Bluffers Park: Afternoon Sail (August 31): variable winds as I took the helm
• Toronto Island: Anchored at Ward Island (September 12): very eerie passage through fog & anchored overnite
• Toronto Island: Hanlan's (September 13, 14): stern to stern with Mike and Kaarina. Long dinghy ride through the fog & enjoyed brunch with a misty view of the city from the clubhouse. Hot days and the last hurrah of summer... Hanlan's Beach was more crowded than I've ever seen it. 
• Bluffers Park: (September 15) Sailed and motored back home, popped in to say hi to Sunglimmer in Little Baha, then anchored in a new spot just east of the Hunt Club (foot of the Bluffs). Avoided the jet ski noise and enjoyed the dazzle on the water.
• Bluffers Park: (September 27) A couple hours sailing in easterlies; a bit bumpy but a lovely afternoon,

Although the beach at Hanlan's was often crowded, there were often times we found it almost deserted.

August garden notes (2024)

Basically, I have a sailor's garden that has to make do with minimal care through the months of July and August. But I was at home more this summer than I have been in a very long time and had a chance to observe, appreciate, and tend my garden.  

Look how tall those roses are! (on the far left of the top photo). They are taller than the eavestrough. That particular rose bush is probably almost as old as the house, which was built in 1952. One of my garden visitors identified it as  'Rosa Queen Elizabeth', which would make sense for the period in question. We've admired it over the decades but haven't really fussed over it, however  Rob gave the plant a bit of fertilizer and they seemed to love the attention. Quite stunning! I'll have to research roses a bit to figure out how far back to prune these beauties, and when. I'd like them a bit shorter next summer so we can admire their blooms without a stepladder.

I love that daphne shrub! It is still flowering through August. The hydrangea is looking splendid. Both are non-natives, but attract lots of different pollinators. 

When the city limbed it up, I thought the spruce looked hideous and want to cut it and replace it with smaller natives like an Eastern redbed or paw paw. Since we haven't gotten permission to take it down,  I'm working around it and the Virginia Creeper vine is greening the trunk. I know some people are offended by the vine but the birds quite love it. Under the spruce, I planted a bunch of native seedlings, including echinacea, which didn't flower this year. Other plants keep dying under the spruce & I'm not entirely sure why. Acidic needles? I will amend the soil this fall.

Having fresh lavender and tarragon was a bonus and the violets were a lovely addition to cake and ice cream. The hummingbird sage actually attracted its namesake, as did the butterfly milkweed.

After morning Qigong in the backyard I'd spend some time weeding the moss between the garden slate. I never really understood that moss needed to be weeded until my trip to Japan. Now it doesn't feel as much a chore, as much as an exercise in mindfulness. 

I love sitting in the corner and looking at how green everything looks after the rain.

 

Supermoon - Blue Moon! August 2024

Rob and I were up at the French River, visiting Art and Chris. Enjoyed some great meals and tromps in the forest... Jumping in the river after a sauna with the sky full of stars above. As it happens, we also went fishing on the full sturgeon moon, but didn't catch anything (probably would have thrown it back into the lake anyway).

Now with each full moon I also count the moons of Nora! She was born on a full Buck moon and we are all already in her orbit! I am so impressed with how quickly Alex and Penny have taken to parenthood. I want to post lots of photos of her but am dialling back plastering her photos on social media, even though she is the cutest baby EVER.

Wondering how a blue moon could happen in the middle of the month? A seasonal blue moon is the third full moon in a season that has four full moons. In the summer of 2024, the full moons occur on June 21, July 21, August 19, and September 18. Therefore, the full moon in August, being the third in this sequence, was referred to as a blue moon. 

July Garden

I can't remember a July that I've spent as much time at home in the garden. Usually we are out and about on the boat, but Rob is taking this time to focus on some updates to prep for the boat survey this fall. Actually, good timing as we want to be near for Alex and Penny and Nora.

There are hardly any weeds between the flagstones in the back as I take the opportunity to pull them when I do my morning Qi Gong. The birds are getting used to me by the feeder and come while I am playing at movements like Wild Goose Flying and Hawk Glaring.

The front yard's expanded garden takes even less time to mow. I have actually been enjoying weeding, thinking of it more as 'editing'... The purslane has been part of our salads, and leaving the seeds to sprout from last year's dill has been a happy thing. Fresh dill in salads and dips, and sprigs to company. The seed pods are lovely placed in vases inside. A refreshing scent as we make our way to the front door. Black swallowtail caterpillars found the dill a feast. Also had a monarch caterpillar on the swamp milkweed (July 26). Bees absolutely loved the flowers on the hosta and are now discovering the hydrangea.

Rob and I have been thrilled to watch the evening primrose in the back, opening in real time, in 20 seconds. And the prickly pear flowered in the beginning of the month! I don't particularly like yellow flowers, but it does happen that many of the flowers I like just happen to be yellow.

The weather reminded me of summers in my childhood - hot days, cool nights. I was surprised to hear Kaarina remark the same - so it isn't only me. It was great while it lasted, as August grew quite sweltering. I wonder if it was the evening heat that triggered the bleeding hearts, poppies and dogwoods into their second flowering? 

The water hyacynth and water lettuce are growing like mad in the pond, excess being tossed into the back ravine for compost.

Dahlias are tumbling onto the front walk. I have to stake them sooner in the season!