July 18, 2014,     NIMBY

During sex, these critters (Japanese Beetles?) were interrupted, sealed in a zip lock bag, leaf and all then into the green bin to be interred with the lettuce scraps, bad bread, potato peelings and other fancy food they will take with them into the afterlife. Sorry Japanese Beetles. Not in my backyard.

 July 14, 2014,    And so the countdown begins..... three weeks and counting

Mikesjournal soon moves to the country. We will be based on 28 acres of Ontario Maple bush. North Muskoka. There is a hunter's cabin and 1200 feet of shoreline on the mighty Magnetawan River and a very nice plot of land 28 acres behind us on which we can do many things.

The forest is pretty wild. It looks as though it was heavily logged 80 to 100 years ago and they took almost everything so it was taken over by maple. It is overgrown with large to midsized maple trees and a swarm of saplings and ferns. There are several ancient oaks though and a rich variety of native plants.

The first five year plan is very ambitious. But this fall I will change practically nothing. We will be mapping the property and taking an inventory of the flora and fauna. We may begin marking trails and planning sightlines when the leaves fall. It will be easier to see where to remove the saplings and side branches when you can actually see what you are looking for. We would like to preserve and enhance the rare native species and the ancient trees. This was crown land less than 10 years ago and is still quite wild. We will step lightly in an attempt to share the nature spirit. That involves somewhat a park like setting. Gardens can be formal and can be wild. We should have both. Existing structures, like 90 foot oaks with trunks so big even a tree hugger could not touch their fingers together on the other side, will be preserved. The mapping is to plan walking paths and places where we will transplant native perennials.

As for the photos this should be a good chance to do landscapes and nature photos while documenting new and interesting ways to move off the grid. Wait until you see the solar powered water heater and the irrigation system for the gardens !

June 08, 2014 

The rain is softly falling. Work at the Art Gallery is done. I have not taken a photo since last October. Now it is hard to get back in. It is a good rain, very soft, warm and comforting I am sure, for the greenery. I walk the garden under the shelter of a red umbrella; one I purchased as a prop for the novella. There are no more Koi.

Lost in an exceptionally cold winter probably do to my own negligence. I accept responsibility and offer fourteen candles and a lot of joss sticks for Buddha. Oh sure I could blame the racoon for disturbing the bubbler but I was the one supposed to either dive into the ice to retrieve it, to search around onto the freezing void like Mike Nelson until I found it or spend 15 minutes and two-fifty at the pet store where they carry bubbling wands, buy a new one and reattach it to the neoprene line, with the help of hot water if necessary but I didn't and the Koi are gone.

The livestock water hole ice melter did not help.

So now we are doing goldfish and flowers.

Goldfish and Flowers

March 21, 2014 Muskoka Chair in the Snow