September Pastimes

Printer-friendly versionMy last entry was August 3rd, and it seems that time has flown this last month. Friends and family visitors have left and our house has become quiet. I did go swimming on the last day of August and found the water exquisite and the beach deserted. When swimming out in the bay, I saw a seal who popped his head out of the water and snorted with its big nostrils. Many years ago when I encountered a seal while swimming in Seymour Bay, I was alarmed and swam back to shore. Now I know that seals are just curious and would never threaten me. – Yesterday I went down to Miller’s Landing and found the water crystal clear, just a tad to cold for swimming. The weekend may be a better time to try it again. But I did find fresh seaweed (the kind that has the colour of young lettuce) and collected some for the compost. Time outside becomes very important for me at this time, knowing that the shorter days are ahead of us.

Blackberry picking, my other favourite pastime in September, is not very lucrative. I have to go long distances in order to get enough berries to make one jar of jam. The harvest came to an abrupt end when the cooler weather started. Berries were ripe much earlier than usual and I am glad that Lilo and Jeannine were here when we found a bountiful crop and picked two buckets full. This will have to last us through the winter.