It’s March in Ontario after all, so anything can happen; and it will.

It’s not over yet, Mr. Massey Too

The forecast today for the Bruce Peninsula area calls for freezing rain, ice pellets, snow and north-east winds for the next couple of days. Environment Canada’s weather forecasting service has issued a “winter storm warning” for the area. School buses are cancelled all over the Bluewater School Board area that includes all of Grey and Bruce counties. I understand from the news it’s the same story all over southern Ontario.

And here I am at the end of long and vulnerable phone and electrical lines, down Cathedral Drive and through the forest along an unopened road allowance. I’d say the prospect of fallen lines and a power outage is more than likely, for me here, and possibly lots of other people on the peninsula. We’ll see. But our local “hydro” crews always do all they can to help us get back on line.

If the phone lines go down I’ll lose my dial-up internet connection for a while. So, I thought I’d send out a quick hello and some photos.

I fooled myself into thinking I was in the clear, that I had survived a relatively mild winter without at least one power outage, and all would be well. I should have known better; and to some extent, I did: I was tempted to unhook the snow-blower from Mr. Massey Too, but thought, no, I’d better wait just in case. Good thing too, because  I’ll know doubt be out there blowing the driveway tomorrow.

I was all set as well to plunge right into spring a couple of weeks ago and have the summer tires put back on my van when the temperature reached double-digits over freezing and most of the snow melted. But I thought better of that too.

In the great scheme of things in this troubled world, these are small problems indeed.

Naturally, I’m disappointed the seeds I started indoors a couple of weeks ago, which have already sprouted into lots of little broccoli, basil and tomato plants will die if the temperature goes below freezing. The propane furnace won’t run without electricity, and I don’t have a back-up power system yet, or a wood stove. There are plans though; there are always plans.

I have a friend who is so sensitive and alive to all living things she can’t for the life of her set a mouse trap. While visiting a week or so ago she delighted in seeing my seeds had already sprouted. She hovered lovingly over the trays of little seedlings like they were children, and worried they needed a little more water, which they did.

temperature tender basil safe under grow lights

I’ve learned a lot from her about loving life and living in the moment. It may seem like a small thing, a moment like that. But it never is, you know. Such moments are rich beyond measure.

So yes, if the power goes out and my little plants die, it won’t be that much of a problem to plant some more seeds and start over, not compared to what’s going on in “the greater scheme of things.”

But I will mourn my brave, little plants as I plant more seeds of hope.

And if it doesn’t come to that, if the power stays on, and they live, I’ll even talk to them, yes I will, and tell them how proud I am they are survivors too.

I’m allowed to be foolish, even childish, in that way. And so are you, my friend, whoever and wherever you are.