Lilac Season is here again

Hello again! Jai is off on another Halifax run today. This has been a very busy week, as I try to get ready to leave for two weeks. On Sunday, I am off to Maine to take a course with Michael Hosaluk - one of my very favourite woodworkers. As part of the business loan I took out last year, I received an education grant, which is going to cover the cost of the course, as well as the room and board. I'm bringing our shiny new laptop with me, so I'm hoping I will be able to update you on my progress as I play and learn. It's not very often that we take time to just play with wood, so I'm pretty excited.
Sadly, though, it looks like I will miss the peonies blooming, and most of the lilac season. Just yesterday as I was walking around town running errands, I caught the first whiff of lilac blossoms wafting through the air. Almost every yard in Bridgetown has at least one giant lilac bush, so it's an amazing time of year to walk around town.


I've been trying to get as much gardening done as possible before I leave, so Jai doesn't have too much extra to do while I'm gone. I put the tomatoes and the basil into the ground already, so I'm hoping they're wrong about the frost warning that's on for tonight! It's 17 degrees out there right now, and has 20+ forecast every day for the next week, so it should be all right (I hope!) I planted a ridiculous number of tomato plants and basil, and a ridiculous number of leeks and potatoes, so I can already guess what we'll be eating this winter! My two favourite soups... You know, there is something so neat about actually having four different seasons. In Victoria, it is so temperate that you pretty much only get spring and fall, with a little taste of those other two. But here, even though we've only been here for a year and a half, I can already feel the cyclical nature of the year, and I absolutely love how that affects our lives, from our activities to our diet and even our wardrobe - everything is transformed.


We're still busy getting all the beds ready for the rest of the veggies and flowers. Jai took a couple of hours yesterday to weed all the paths, and spread newspaper and straw over them, so hopefully there won't be any more path-weeding this year. And Sarah just told me she might have a lead on some free bark mulch, so that would be great.


And I've finished up all my custom orders that needed to get done before I leave. Including. . .
Aunty Janet's bench! I'm very happy with how it came out, and I received your card in the mail today. I will try and get it packaged up, so Jai can take it to the post office on Monday.


Also, a couple of new books, although I'm taking a bunch of paper and waxed linen and leather with me for my course, so I hope to get some new book styles created while I'm gone. It's a good thing I'm driving, I think the car will be stuffed to the gills!

Tomorrow Jai's band "Dayliner" is playing their second show ever. So we'll have a little party tomorrow night, and then I'm off on the Digby ferry, which leaves at 8 am. Wish me luck!