The Water Feature

One of our fantasies in moving to Nova Scotia was to have a water feature where we live. Like many dreamers, we thought we could move to Nova Scotia and buy an oceanfront property or at least something on a river.

Bear River looking towards the Bay of Fundy

Fortunately for us oceanfront meant “too expensive” because ocean winds are unbelievably cold in the winter. We discarded the idea. When we ‘found’ Bear River we hoped to find a waterfront property but that didn’t exactly pan out either… or did it?
We bought our house last year late in the summer. The full-to-the-brim gargantuan reservoir should have been a big clue to us that we had lots of water!

Ferns growing in the lawn were more evidence of water.

For a little village that has no municipal water source it’s ironic that there are streams running through the ground here and through the rocks. The water that trickles through the far end of our two acres starts way up at the top of the hill across the road through a couple of other people’s properties and it continues through our property down the hill past the neighbors then eventually finds its way into the river and out to the Bay of Fundy.

"I just want a little water feature, please".

Recently several neighbors got together to talk to our local provincial member of Parliament, Harold “Junior” Theriault to find out if some of that water can be diverted into a sewer system before it travels over and through our yards. I am quite skeptical about whether anything can be done knowing how short of cash the province is, but it was interesting to meet him and to meet our neighbors and to go sloshing through wetlands wearing rubber boots.

Entertainment- rural style.

We figured this could be a great opportunity to ‘turn a lemon into lemonade’ so we hired a fellow with a backhoe to dig us a ‘little’ pond.
It is amazing how one thing leads to another and a little thing like a hole in the ground morphs into a 3 day production while the meter ticks.

And before you could say 'waterfront property'...

Surprisingly, the water never stops flowing and the other day after a huge downpour it was like Niagara Falls. There is a naturally occurring hole in the bottom of this pond that drains down through the rocks but when the downpour came the pond filled faster than it drained and Larry had to siphon some of it out to prevent the banks from collapsing. Our Bear River adventure indeed!

The water sinkhole.

Our friend Don came over to check it out and the three of us were out in the rain getting soaked, laughing, wading in the water and looking like grownups on the outside but feeling like kids playing in the puddles on the inside.

Don pretends to study the water level, but actually wants to jump in.

The next day the rain was over and the pond was empty — it had all drained out! It’s certainly going to be a work in progress to figure out the drainage logistics.

Apple tree reflections

I could see amazing reflections in the water though and I’m quite excited about being able to plant some water plants there and practice painting reflections. I’m having visions of Monet’s water lilies but without the black flies.

Cameron Lake, watercolour, c FloraDoehler

This innocent ‘water feature’ is currently a big mud hole in the ground. Still, I keep collecting plants that love water and judging by the raccoon footprints in the mud, the wildlife are excited about it too! In future, I’ll have to pay closer attention to what I wish for!

The constant trickle to the sea.

Melting

Here is a quick weather report for you. It’s late on Monday night and it is pouring rain outside. The mountains of snow have shrunk so quickly as to not be believed. There are probably many basements with puddles in them tonight.

I took a walk around (with icers on) outside the house that we are renting in Bear River East and listened to the sounds of the ice in the trees melting and dripping on the crust of snow underneath. I rushed back into the house to get the recording device and the camera so that I could share this with you.

Last night we had an ice storm with freezing rain pellets, but all the ice has melted.

This morning Larry pulled our garbage and recyling down the driveway with 2 sleds.

Back from garbage duty.

Spring is on it’s way. I know this because I can smell the earth again!

September Rains

It rained today and when it stopped for a little while, I walked down the path behind the house to the beaver pond and took some pictures. Everything is still very green because of the regular (but not excessive) rain we’ve had in August. Here is the path.

I noticed that the deep greens of August are giving way to a touch of yellow.

This is the prefect time of year – no bugs, warm days and cool nights.

The crickets are singing – night and day. A few leaves are starting to turn too.

Summer will soon transform into fall.

It’s a nice time of year to have a visit from Dianne and we sure aren’t going to let any September rains get in the way.

Dianne loves lakes and oceans and swimming, so yesterday we drove down to Mavillette Beach on the French Shore of Nova Scotia, just as a BIG FOG was rolling in. We could hear the fog horn and somewhere in the distance, the sounds of ocean waves. I think of Dianne as a daring person–she has riden the steppes of Mongolia on a horse and treked through the jungles of Hawaii and hosteled in Bejing- and that’s just this year!

So, I wasn’t terribly surprised that she would want to plunge into the frigid, churning waters of the Atlantic in fog conditions.

 I was a little worried about things like rogue waves and undertows when suddenly, the clouds parted and to allow enough sunshine to clear out some fog.

I watched her so intently that I forgot to take a picture of her in the water.

Next winter when we are loading wood into the wood furnace, I’ll remember September rains and fog and watching Dianne taking the plunge. I’ll smile to myself and I might even wish I’d braved those waters with her.

Gardening Teachings

One reason that I was so eager to live in a rural Nova Scotian community was to fulfill my years-long yearnings to grow vegetables and a few flowers. I’ve done some city gardening before, but most city lots are small and don’t have the full sun conditions that plants need. As a result, my old garden was limited to shade-loving plants and sadly, I could grow no vegetables.

Sunflower planted by the birds

My garden here is pretty modest compared with some of my friends, but it is huge for me and so far it tastes great! But besides enjoying the taste of the fresh produce, gardening is teaching me mindfulness.

It turned out to be a lot more work than I remembered and more time consuming too. I have become mindful of my body and it’s limitations. I believe now that active gardening is as effective as a regular gym workout due to the constant movement; the bending, stretching, squatting, lifting and physical exertion. A big surprise for me is that my hands are stronger now….and I KNOW that it’s from pulling weeds!!

Blue Lake runner beans mid June.

Eight weeks later the beans are tall and producing.

Blue Lake runner beans in early August

Gardening has taught me to be mindful of the weather. I have never been so aware of the amount and frequency of rainfall as I have in the last 6 months. I have enormous respect and reverence for independent farmers and the crap-shoot they go through every season with the uncertainty of the weather. Drought conditions aren’t easily fixed when you’re using well-water or when your fields are far from a tap! An intense short hot spell can make your lettuces bolt and spell the end of cool-weather crops..even when the heat disappears. Too much rain will bring out slugs that chew up your cabbage leaves.

Marigold and Basil

Now that I am reminded of the mindful work and tending of plants that goes on in order to produce a bean, I am astounded that farmers can make a living. It has become even more important for me to buy local produce…..indeed it seems ludicrous not to support farmers in our own community. Because apart from wasting resources by trucking in food that is grown here, I really want to make sure that the small farmers in the Annapolis Valley (or in Niagara or the Holland Marsh if I was in Toronto) will still be growing food for me when I can’t or don’t do it myself. There was a protest about this in New Minas this week.

I wanted to give you a visual tour of what was growing in my garden today.

Right now as I type this, I can hear the rain tapping on the red metal roof and sliding down to collect in the rainbarrel. This will give me a place to dip my watering can so that I can provide drinks to the plants in pots around the porch. I can almost see the plants stretching up to receive the rain. Like gardeners everywhere, tomorrow I will marvel at the growth spurt I see because no matter how much rain you can collect or how much you water, nothing has the magical growing effect of a summer’s rain.

Here is a little video showing the progress of the flower bed I dug into the front lawn. Rain has made all the difference.