A Story - "Ballerina Tulips" and Pulmonaria, Daffodils, and Sweet Basil

A Story

Ballerina Tulips

The colourful pictures of tulips were very enticing.  Mom and I leaned close together studying the catalogue.

"My favourites are the scented orange Ballerina tulips," she said pointing with her arthritic finger.  "They're really special."

When I visited in May, Mom declared indignantly, "I watched the groundhog eat three Ballerina tulips this morning."

"Too bad,"  I commiserated.  "Maybe I should put mothballs around them, or get a motion activated squirter, or..."

Mom gazed out the window and sighed.

"No, I don't want any of that,"  she said quietly.

"He's cute and," she hesitated,"he's company."

Pulmonaria is so pretty and it is an early plant for pollinators.  Even though it was chilly here today (last night was -3C) and windy,  I saw a bumble bees buzzing around the pulmonaria this morning.  Pulmonaria likes to grow in part shade but on my property it's not overly fussy and tends to spread more than I would like. It's not too hard to get out though.  My soil is on the heavy side and I think they really like that.  I never fertilize it and it's always vigorous.  The leaves have fine hairs on them,  slightly prickly, so it doesn't get eaten by insects.
 

This clump of daffodils is interesting as I never planted plain yellow daffodils.  I had some doubles that I got years ago and I think they have reverted to their two parent plants - a yellow and a pale cream. I find it fascinating how some plants will revert over time. Anyway, all daffodils are lovely and cheerful.  They come back every year and multiply, and no little creatures like to eat them.

I started this basil from seed in January. Basil does very well on a windowsill even in the dead of winter. I am always surprised that it doesn't mind the chill by the window and the lower light levels. I have pinched off some of the top leaves to use in soup so it will branch out a bit more now.  

I accidentally bought some cinnamon basil (this is sweet basil) and I also planted some of it but I found the leaves had a strange chemically aftertaste that I didn't like.  I just watched The History Guy on Youtube and he had a video on saccharin  - the history and chemistry, etc.  Very interesting.   In the comments, some people said that saccharin tasted bitter to them and others said they liked the taste. I don't like the taste of Stevia. It's so individual how we taste things. I find cilantro tastes like the smell of skunk. Yuk.  If you haven't discovered The History Guy yet, definitely check him out .  He covers a whole wide range of history topics and produces them very well.

Connect Disconnect

In this time of Covid19, there are so many contrasts. The front line health care staff, grocery and drugstore staff, the truck drivers  and other essential workers risk getting the virus every day. On top of that, nurses and doctors and long-term care staff deal with the trauma of suffering and death every day. Yet here we are, my husband and I, snug in our little house in the bush with nothing more demanding to do than to stay home. Stay home, plant seeds, knit, cook, read, do puzzles. A life with fewer risks than we normally have.

The loss of work is very uneven. Dentists, optometrists, physiotherapists who normally always have work are suddenly needing government support to buy food and other necessities. Random businesses can work remotely so their workers are still paid and also saving on commuting expenses.
Some restaurants have begun selling groceries to try to stay in business. AirBnB is crashing (yeah!)

Some cities have manageable numbers of infected people, other similar cities are overwhelmed.
One thing that is certain is that life is never safe  and no one is guaranteed a long and healthy life even without Covid19.

As we who are quarantined at home pause, I am so thankful for the natural world that keeps singing, growing and reassuring us that this is just another season in history. It's not the first time our world has been shaken.

Hope you are all well

Old Newspaper

Our local paper, The Glengarry News, is celebrating 125 years of publication this year. In honour of this occasion, they have reprinted the first published paper (a 4- page spread) dated February 4, 1892.
The first thing that strikes you is the small size of the print.  I put a current paper next to the old reprint so that the difference would be apparent. I guess paper was expensive so they crammed as much on to one page as possible.  Imagine doing the typesetting for that!
It's quite fun to read the old articles.  One is an action packed account of two trappers who were chased by mountain lions.  It reads like a novel.  And then there is a genuine piece of fiction which would have run over a period of time keeping the reader in suspense from one week to the next. This story takes place in the exotic West Indies.
I'm still working my way through the pages but I came across some interesting tidbits:
a story about little Prince George being in a huff and taking his clothes off under a dining table and emerging in the buff, an article speculating on why some people live longer than others- some things never change-, an item encouraging parents to not overstimulate their children, a cautionary tale about a woman who killed her two children probably because she became overly depressed from drinking excessive amounts of TEA. The range of topics is extensive from politics all the way to how to get married in Paris. 
In the classified section, ads promote a variety of lawyers. Just the same as today, enticing ads for potions to cure whatever ails a body proliferate and offer false hope. I like this ad:  Gentlemen requiring artistic Overcoats, Suits or Trousers should call at J. O. Simpsons. I was surprised at how competitive the local stores were with their sales: "We will sell for next to nothing", "The greatest clearing sale ever",  "We sell Leather Belting cheap"," If you are looking for a bargain".
I'm giving my eyes a rest, but eventually I will read the whole paper and enjoy all it's variety and liveliness.