I don't believe it - the sun is shining today! I'm not the sort of person that gets depressed if its cloudy and rainy but I do know, when I see the sun and feel its heat upon my back in the early morning, its prominent presence brings a smile to my face. For the past few days, I've been running a fever, sweating so much, my shirt was like a second skin. And cough; I've coughed so much my sides ache and the amount of gooey stuff that's been oozing out of my nostrils would put an ox to shame. I'm the type of man who doesn't believe too much in taking pharmaceutical concoctions and pills to remedy what ails me so I knocked back a few hot whiskeys and soaked in a tub full of hot water until I was redder than a boiled lobster. At the moment, I sort of feel like I'm on the way to recovery - not sure if I should do too much physical work today - I'm one of those sort of guys that pushes himself to the limit and then beyond. If I was feeling 100%, I'd trek on up over Green Mountain to where a large slab of concrete was dumped off into a ditch; take a chisel and a sledge hammer, score the concrete into big squares and then break the sections off - the barn I'm going to be building soon is in need of a strong foundational support - apparently the frost can be a real problem.
I received a rather lengthy and very informative email from a friend of mine by the name of Ian who lives in Nanaimo, BC. He told me that instead of the stories I'd been writing over the winter months, he was more interested in reading my journalistic writings; my day to day living experiences at Golden Unicorn Farm. I've known Ian for many years and although we were never really close friends, there has always been a camaraderie between us; a sharing of appreciative mutual talents. I never knew he had a brother with the same age difference of 8 years as my brother and I and that like us, they had never grown up together. It's nice when something I've written hits home with someone else because even though Ian and I are now thousands of miles apart, I now somehow feel closer to him than when we lived only a few short miles apart.
The weather today has turned from windy and rainy to warm and muggy, which weather wise is fine but within probably only short hours, if not sooner, the air will be filled with a multitude of black flies and mosquitoes - apparently the birds, frogs and the bats haven't been able to contain them. The black flies are undoubtedly the worst and unfortunately they just love to feast on me. I didn't think they were worse than mosquitoes but my face looks like it did when I was a teenage boy - swollen bites that look like big red pimples and oh how they itch. I tried not to scratch at them but like a flea to a dog; I couldn't help scratching, which of course only inflames the bites and makes them even worse. I can see, that if I do anything outdoors today, I shall have to wear the mosquito netting over my head, which a person would think, since it's a mesh, it wouldn't feel that uncomfortable. However, even though tiny holes exist all through the netting, my breath makes it fee hot and stuffy.
My friends George and Margaret who immigrated from Germany many years ago have given me several glasses of their homemade black currant and raspberry wine whenever I've visited them. I was so impressed with the flavour I asked for some cuttings from their bushes and have since replanted them here at the far end of our soon to be garden. I'm pleased to say that they've all taken to their new locations and are coming along splendidly. Since there are still quite a few cuttings remaining, I'm going to replant them at a couple of different locations on the acreage - whether or not we will ever harvest them - I know the wild birds will enjoy their tastiness and I can hardly wait until I get the recipe to make my own homemade black currant and raspberry wine.
Although I'm feeling much better than yesterday, just sitting here at the computer, by the feel of my sweating brow and damp shirt, I can tell I still haven't totally recovered. I was hoping to do some work outside but since it's probably not a good idea to exert myself too much, I think I'll work on designing some postcards of the Fosterville area and some of my artwork and put them up for sale in my wife's wee coffee shop, which incidentally is becoming an increasing hit with the locals. I've still got more wire to stretch, a barn to build and a garden to put in, so if I take the next day or two to fully recover, I think I'll be doing myself a big favour - besides if I get really ill, none of the things which have to be completed soon will be completed and I know besides me, the dog, goats and chickens will be really disappointed.
No comments:
Post a Comment