CANADA'S BIG 1-5-0

We are a people who like to mark milestones.  From the birth of a baby onward we count first the days, the weeks, and then the months until the first year is feted by poking a candle in a cake and singing a song in celebration.  Our years tick by in a succession of such celebrations while we grow and learn and mature.  Time flies by.

As adults we focus less on the individual years and more on measuring by decade. Our friends and family begin to make a big deal out of when we reach "the big 4-0".  And then "the big 5-0".  And then, barely the blink of an eye later, "the big 6-0" and "the big 7-0" too.  By this time the field of competition is starting to thin out; these big days become even more note-worthy.  Before we know it the milestone of 100 years has been achieved and some reporter is sticking a microphone in our face and asking us how we've made it this far.  Who would have thought it was even possible when we uttered our first cry a century ago?

One hundred years is a significant thing when measuring a human lifespan, but in world history it's nothing.  Even in recorded history it barely counts as a blip.  If you compare one measly century with the age of such things as Aztec ruins, Egyptian pyramids, or the mystery that is Stonehenge our time as a country is puny and of no consequence.

And yet, here we are, celebrating our country's birthday: Canada's big 1-5-0.  And puny as that number is, this a big deal and one deserving of celebration.

Countries aren't made - they form.  They coalesce out of the common needs and aspirations of the people who populate the land.  Whether it be the primitive cave-dwellers of the past or the sophisticated 21st centurions we think of ourselves as, our safety, security, and prosperity are still the common focus that bring us together.  The specific threats and currencies have evolved over time but our very nature is wired to understand that there is strength in numbers, power in diversity, and richness in culture when we work and live together in peace.  This is as true now as it always has been - we band together under common goals to make all of our lives richer.

What is different about Canada and a handful of other countries is that we have an actual birth certificate.  We were "born" on July 1st 1867: we know how old we are.  Our formation was not like that of the ancient nations of Europe and Asia, done over millennia.  But,our Fathers of Confederation did take into consideration all the lessons of world history and tried their best to prepare a path into the future with this new experiment of Canada and we formed our wonderful country out of our desire for strength and unity and the wisdom to follow their leadership.

To be sure we are a work in progress; we have made mistakes but we have gotten some things right too.  As nations go we are just barely cutting our baby teeth but we are healthy and strong and other nations look up to us.  As we step into the future we are poised for a leadership role.

Typically when we observe a birthday it tends to be a look back at the journey that has brought us to this point, but as we sing Oh Canada in celebration this year and take in the fireworks at the end of this day it seems like the perfect time in history to turn our attention and look in the other direction - toward the future.  Let this be a celebration of where we are headed as Canadians.

                                 HAPPY CANADA DAY !

                                                        COMFORT ZONE

There are perks afforded to country dwellers that people who live in towns and cities can only dream of.  Of course there is the fresh air, acres of green space, and every day interaction with Mother Nature's creatures to name a few, but the best thing for me is the privacy. 

I don't say this to make it sound like our neighbourhood is high end exclusive or that we don't want visitors because folks are always welcome to stop by for a cup of coffee or a cold beer, depending on the day.  My meaning of privacy is very laid-back and unpretentious and probably not an easy concept to explain to people who live surrounded by other people.

Although we live seven miles from town we do have neighbours who live closer than that ... like two miles away.  We can see their yard lights at night and hear their dogs bark if we're outside and the wind is from the right direction.  Otherwise we are alone with the foxes, coyotes, gophers and the odd moose or deer who wander through.  When the pond at the low end of our yard fills with water we have ducks calling it home, and we wake each summer morning to the soft coo-cooing of Mourning Doves and the cheerful chirping of Robins.  Our deck is like Grande Central Station for hummingbirds all summer long between the flowers and feeders I have out there to invite them into our space.  While I was preparing lunch an hour ago there were at least four of the tiny warriors trying to claim ownership of the airspace between the two feeders.  I love to sit and watch them in the afternoon.

The feeling of privacy isn't all about being simply far enough away from population to have lots of wildlife though.  It's more about the comfortable solitude we enjoy on a day to day basis.

My favourite thing to do after I pour myself my second mug of coffee these days is to drink it on the deck.  The rose at the back door is in full bloom at the moment and the scent is everything a rose is supposed to be.  I check the state of my planters and decide if they will need watering and then wander on to my rock garden to see how things are growing there, pulling the odd weed as I go.  Before I know it I am in the back yard assessing which of the vegetables I've planted will be the first one to be ready ... I'm betting the radishes will win again this year but the lettuce and spinach aren't far behind.

Since I've got that far I turn toward the big garden/orchard east of the house and inspect it for weeds and potential strawberry readiness.  By the time I am done my coffee I am a long way from the house, which is nothing unusual except that I'm still wearing my pyjamas.  There is no worry about being caught at this too-lazy-to-get-dressed-yet game because in the quiet of the countryside I can hear any vehicle coming from miles away and have plenty of time to make my way back to the house should I need to.  They say that your home is your castle, and where city dwellers can claim that kind of comfort within their walls we rural people can expand the luxury well beyond our doors.

Many years ago I had a conversation with a guy from Toronto who was filming a documentary about rural issues.  We were standing in our barnyard and he was trying to capture the illusive sizzly sound of grasshoppers and crickets in the grass in late summer.  As is usual with city visitors he asked how much land we owned and I was trying to explain what a quarter section was.  He told me about the duplex he lived in and how much it cost.  What he said next has always stuck with me: gesturing to our yard - large lawn, gardens, house and out buildings that every farm has - he said that this is what millionaires sought to own.  To be this far away from the noise and hustle of the city, to have the green space and natural surroundings, and above all the solitude and privacy - these were the things wealthy people spent their money on.

There are two ways to measure value: one is by using the measuring stick of the almighty dollar.  And the other is by merely recognising how lucky you are to have something that you love. 

I'm no millionaire, but when I'm on my early morning pyjama stroll I sure do feel like one.

                                                   ANTICIPATION

We are ready.  We are so ready.

The month of May has come and gone without a drop of rain in most places.  Farmers were out there in the fields as soon as the ground was warm enough and had a clear month long run of seeding.  Mother Nature just sat back and let them get the crop in the ground.  On the one hand it was great to have day after endless day to do the work, on the other hand it was one endless day after another with no rain-induced down time.  But, as everyone who gathered for beer and pizza on Wednesday night to celebrate the end of seeding agreed - it is sure great to be done.

There is all kinds of residual moisture in the ground.  Last fall had a lot of rain and the snow pack this winter was higher than normal too.  Our basement sump pump has slowed down some in the last week or so but still cuts in regularly; the water table is not that far down. 

In the past few days though, our weather has gone from super, crazy windy and a little on the chilly side, to just plain hot.  I got my first sun burn of the season mowing grass yesterday because it was just so nice not to have to wear a coat and mitts that I never even thought I would need a hat and sunscreen.  I'm paying for it today.

Whether it be lettuce and tomatoes in the garden or canola and barley in the fields, everything could use a big drink of cool rain now.  Even though there is moisture in the ground we farmers and gardeners have turned our attention to the sky ... well okay, that's not exactly true any more.  The old fashioned way was to look to the skies, now-a-days we open the weather app on our phones and try to peek into the future that way.  It's every bit as reliable as cloud watching but the little video showing those coloured radar images moving across the blue dot that is us inspires high tech hope.

With the temperature at 32 degrees and the sun glaring down today we are investing a lot of hope in the weather forecast video.  The actual warnings are for Manitoba but we only live 10 miles from the border so it's easy enough to mentally include our farm under their clouds; surely they will share? 

The best kind of rain is a day long soaker - a gentle, steady rainfall that gives the ground time to drink it all in, but the weather system that they are talking about for today is not that.  Their warnings are all about unstable air masses and cold fronts which spell out thunderstorms in the weather world.  It means long odds, hit and miss possibilities, a downpour five miles away and not a drop at our place, being able to smell the rain, but not taste it.  Who needs to go to Vegas to gamble?

Beggars can't be choosers though; we'll take whatever we can get ... and if all we get is to watch the light show, feel the thunder, and smell the rain ... well, we'll take that too.

This family is a bunch of storm watchers and we have the perfect deck for it.  About two thirds of the deck is covered; the perfect place to sit and appreciate the power of a summer storm.  Rain, hail - it doesn't matter because we're safe under the roof.  It's like having the best seats in the theatre, and the door is just a few steps away if the wind turns on us and suddenly gusts out of the south or east.

Through the window above my computer screen I can see the clouds forming and I'm tempted to check the weather app again to see if anything has changed.  Or, if I went outside would I be able to hear thunder in the distance?  We've stacked the odds as much as we can think to do ... I watered my flower beds and Glen spent last night and this morning pumping out the slough at the bottom of the yard so it can dry up and I can mow it too ... now we'll just have to wait and see if we get anything out of it.

But we are ready.  We are so ready!