June 1, Wishing for Summer

Hello anyone who might still be reading this. I've been on a self-imposed isolation for the last week or more. As always, this time of year is a busy one for those in my profession. I have been doing last minute marking and writing of second term report cards. Twenty four students x sixteen different subject areas = three hundred and eighty-four comments. Our elementary report cards require written comments, not the old fashioned "Good work!" type, but tied directly into the curriculum expectations. I've been staring at a computer screen a lot. However, I've been at this now for twenty-nine years, so it's nothing new and I have many banked comments that I can alter and manipulate to suit to what I've done, and how each student is doing, so I'm ahead of my new colleagues, for whom this is an arduous task. Our school year wraps up right at the end of June. Sigh. One and a half years to go.

Life continues on around me. Here are some images from the past several days, including this Saturday morning where the sun (what is that??) is shining and the birds are singing and life is pretty good.

I spotted this little fellow when I was weeding the front walk way. It's a leopard frog.

I might have squealed with joy when I saw this about a week ago. One of my new pullets laid her first egg. Look at how cute and tiny it is compared to the others! I can't bear to eat it, it's so adorable. The other three should be laying soon as well.

This is the one time of year that I love this old apple tree. It is practically vibrating with bees right now. I've also been catching a rare glimpse of an oriole every once in a while, feeding from the blossoms. My new header photo is this tree.

Simple perfection.

It has been a full two weeks since I brought the four new pullets home and it is only now that they are somewhat accepted in 'general population'. The three older ones will occasionally give chase and grab a feather if they are fast enough, but the fact that the new ones will come out of the coop (or are allowed to come out of the coop) is a very good sign. I've set up wooden barriers for them that they can go behind without being trapped or cornered and it helps them to be a bit "out of sight, out of mind".

They have a little chicken playground, with many things to perch on and scratch around. Note the burn barrel in the background that is slowly disintegrating and collapsing. Time for a new one.

The rhubarb has loved all the rain. It is giant this year. I haven't done anything with it apart from cutting some to take in to work to share with those who don't have a giant rhubarb plant of their own. Maybe this weekend. Pie? crisp? Pudding cake?

It's a bit too early for most of my flowers, but the phlox is doing well. This is one nice little patch that doesn't have a ton of grass growing up through it!

I have one patch of these tulips. They always look so delicate and pretty.


Today will be a weeding day. At least with all of the rain we've been having, the weeding is quite pleasurable. All it takes is a trowel to lift some soil from underneath, and you can follow the giant white roots of the twitch grass along for quite some distance! Very satisfying!
Son was at a two day C.W.O.S.S.A. soccer tournament out of town (well, everything is out of town!) which stands for Central Western Ontario Secondary Schools Association. His team did so well they headed to the O.F.S.A.A. tournament (Ontario Federation of School Athletics Association) later this week, where they'll stay in a hotel in another city and play over a series of three or more days, depending on how well they do. Of course, I can't be there to watch, but he'll text and let me know how they are doing. I'm so pleased for him, and others on his team, who had their own little highschool close on them (thank you, board of education and the province), and are now in their final year of highschool. It's such a wonderfully positive note on which to end their highschool careers!