According to the the weatherman, Spring arrived Sunday evening. Monday morning I woke to rain and the birds singing their hearts out. This is something we haven't heard for months. The robins are back as well as the mourning doves and today we saw our cardinal at the bird feeder. She is just too skittish to capture on film. But don't put away your winter boots if you live in Ontario - we are expecting snow again on Wed. We all keep asking - will it ever end?
We drove to Acton, ON Saturday to attend The Ontario Woodlot Association AGM. We drove there and home by country roads and found it was a very interesting journey with the sun shining brilliantly all day. We left here at 8 a.m. and took what the GPS said was the shortest route. "Betsy" was mistaken but we saw new territory and many beautiful country homes. We came home our usual route and made slightly better time!
Although the country side still looks very drab, matted and brown there is now and underlying hue of soft green coming through. Most of the streams and rivers are swollen and running free - we even saw several fellows out fishing near the Holland Marsh! Not sure what you would fish for at this time of year but there they were. We also noted that many of the trees were taking on a yellow-green tinge as well. So they will soon be breaking into bud.
This is the first woodlot meeting we have attended and I certainly learned a great deal. Our cottagers' Association has a membership and we attended as representatives. I learned about controlled burns and how they renew the forest and grasslands. Many times vegetation returns to what it has been years before as seeds that were buried beneath debris are freed to germinate and grow. Some undesirable species, though, are made stronger with this technique so it isn't full-proof. And here I always thought that fire was the biggest enemy of the forest.
Another speaker had been to Easter Island. He told us about how the people who had settled the island many, many centuries ago had depleted the forest and how this had been their downfall. Very briefly put, his point to us was that we, as members of the human race, need to be very thoughtful in terms of our environment, how we use it, abuse it and care for it. We should be thinking ahead by generations not just where the next dollar can be made. Funny how it all relates back to simple things like keeping our woodlot thriving.
There were several other speakers but I won't bore you with their topics. I went just to keep my husband company but I think I have become sufficiently interested to go again next time to learn more.
I've been sewing when possible between all the other things that have happened this week (the wedding couple were here for four days) but haven't accomplished a great deal it seems. Here is the boy's jacket over the girl's shirt and kilt. Just have to make up the tam now and I will have the full set done as a white Christening outfit for boy or girl.
This is the first woodlot meeting we have attended and I certainly learned a great deal. Our cottagers' Association has a membership and we attended as representatives. I learned about controlled burns and how they renew the forest and grasslands. Many times vegetation returns to what it has been years before as seeds that were buried beneath debris are freed to germinate and grow. Some undesirable species, though, are made stronger with this technique so it isn't full-proof. And here I always thought that fire was the biggest enemy of the forest.
Another speaker had been to Easter Island. He told us about how the people who had settled the island many, many centuries ago had depleted the forest and how this had been their downfall. Very briefly put, his point to us was that we, as members of the human race, need to be very thoughtful in terms of our environment, how we use it, abuse it and care for it. We should be thinking ahead by generations not just where the next dollar can be made. Funny how it all relates back to simple things like keeping our woodlot thriving.
There were several other speakers but I won't bore you with their topics. I went just to keep my husband company but I think I have become sufficiently interested to go again next time to learn more.
I've been sewing when possible between all the other things that have happened this week (the wedding couple were here for four days) but haven't accomplished a great deal it seems. Here is the boy's jacket over the girl's shirt and kilt. Just have to make up the tam now and I will have the full set done as a white Christening outfit for boy or girl.
So here are the two versions - girls' with the ruffled shirt and kilt and the boys' with the pants and bow tie. I skipped the buttons and buttonholes on the jacket so it would do for both. But on the kilt I did make it so it could lap for a girl or for a boy. All that is missing is the kilt pin and a flower or bow at the neckline.
This is just the stepping-off point for this little pattern. There is just so much you can do with it so I better get on with it, right?, so you can start creating and sewing with it too!! On that note I will close and return to writing.
So till next time.....
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