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Blue Heron is Back

3/24/2011

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Hi, Reader,
Good news!

The Great Blue Heron has returned! In fact, there were four of them on the lake a few days ago.  They are magnificent creatures!

Yesterday morning there were 5 or 6 deer in the back yard when I raised the blinds. At first my eyes didn't even see them as they fit into the landscape so well. Then they moved and I saw some white. One  stag was quite large and he left right away. Finally there were only two left - a female looking straight at me and not moving, and her younger son (or daughter). We stood quite still, both of us looking at each other for the longest time. Her son moved a bit as he was noshing on something on the ground, and get this! she raised her foreleg and actually gave him a shove! I thought I might have imagined it, but there! she did it again! It was just like a human mother giving a push to her wayward son! Amazing! Then they both trotted off.

Lots of ducks and geese on the lake, too. Spring is surely here, even if it doesn't feel like it!

If March continues to be cold, at least we can count on April. My seedlings are growing along. I keep transplanting them in bigger pots and soon I will run out of room. Yikes! The weather better warm up early this year so I can get my tomatoes, peppers, etc. into the ground early!

I'm still working on the Spray Drift pamphlet. It's turning out really well. The Illinois Organic Growers Association website is up now. Anita and I are co-chairs of the spray drift sub-committee. All these committees and subcommittees are something else! If I start speaking in "bureaucratic speak" then slap my wrists!

Seriously many feel that spray drift incidents are 'way underreported, because most people don't know how to go about reporting an incident. In fact, one retired Univ of IL ext gentleman suggested only 10% of the spray drift incidents ever get reported. With the aid of our "Pesticide Drift in Illinois: How to Report a Pesticide Drift Incident" pamphlet, affected growers and citizens will now know what to do. We think Illinos Dept of Ag should be aware of the extent of the problem.

If you know of anyone who might be interested in this information, or want to give a copy to your library to use as reference material (as Paw Paw Library is doing), please contact SDEN (Spray Drift Education Network) at 815-988-2628 or go to our website at www.spraydriftillinois.com

Have a wonderful partly sunny day, dear Reader!
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Scenes on the drive to Dixon, Dirt Delivery

7/8/2010

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Thursday evening:

Such beautiful vistas today as I drive to Dixon along Flagg Road, a scenic country route.  Multitudes of blue cornflowers line the roadside, like parade viewers. In the fields, the corn grows so tall entire farms look as though they are somehow sinking.

In the distance, the dark rounded green forests stand between the corn and the sky. Gigantic red-tailed hawks balance on telephone poles looking for food. Farmhouses are dressed up with daylilies and hollyhocks. Large red historic barns with white trim stand majestically over the landscape. Horses graze calmly in meadows and the sky lightens up and sunshine comes through. There's a soft laziness now that it's the middle of summer.

I meet lovely landowners who let me take photos of their hard work, like the older couple at "Flower Lane" farm, (photos 1 and 2) and a lovely Ashton garden (photo 3) on the way home. A part of my trip back from Dixon followed the old Lincoln Highway. And horses! Lots of horses, even if they aren't real! A horse painted on a barn, tiny horses pulling a wagon in a garden, and metal sillouette horses.  I thought you would enjoy them, dear Reader.

And, would a trip be complete without flags - especially near the Fourth of July? As you can see from the photos ... other flags are represented, too. After all, we ARE in Illinois!  What would a true Cub fan be without displaying his favorite team flag on his porch? (Jeff, this photo is especially for you, as an early birthday present. Just because  you're in L.A., doesn't mean you can't pretend you're in Illinois!) 

Dear Reader, so much is going on I can hardly keep track of it all. I am getting closer to having a septic put in.  I have received a quote on a cement slab for the new garage. Little by little, step by step.

I had black dirt delivered (and some clods of clay, I'm afraid) on July 4th (see photos below). That's how Dave and  I spent the holiday...sweating and shoveling dirt. It was the only day Dave could work here. Notice the pile of metal taken from the "dump." Dave will take it to be recycled. If worse ever comes to worse, I know I'm sitting on a gold mine (so to speak). It's right beneath the surface. After the earthmover's roughing up the soil, amazingly Dave found a small china bowl all in one piece. He suggested I clean it and put it in JJ's chapel when the chapel is finished. I found two small bottles, perfectly intact, too. The chapel photo below was taken in the early morning, July 4th. Very relaxing there.

Most of the Land is ugly right now (yep! sorry to say). But it will come around, never fear! It IS paradise, after all. And I have so much more roughing up to do...I am about to tear down the greenhouse, dispose of the old shed, keep the new shed (but move it)l, and build a small garage. I have to move my bees, who won't appreciate it, so they will be out of the way of  construction. It is a busy summer!

Kary, Dan and family can't come out this weekend as planned.This gives me time before they come out to clean up the Land...or maybe make more of a mess! These things take time. And I haven't yet found the right windows for JJ's chapel, let alone started on the "house-on-the-hill!" No shortage of work here, dear Reader! But it's all fun!

As I write this blog tonight, I hear rustling right outside my long windows. I stare out at a very nice looking - and very lethal looking - skunk! I am not moving at all right now...and scarcely breathing. I wouldn't want to upset him, would I dear Reader? And don't expect a photo, either.

A few nights ago I saw Mama Raccoon in the backyard with four - count them! - four little babies. All the babies ran away as soon as they saw me, but not Mama. She continued to eat as though I wasn't there. She knew I wouldn't hurt her. We mothers stick together!

And last but not least, did I mention that two Great Blue Herons magically dropped from the sky right in front of my windows several morning ago? One never knows what to expect out here in Paradise.

These last few nights have been really sticky and humid. It's especially sticky right now, but I'm not sure if it's the weather ... or the thought of upsetting the skunk  that has me sweating!

Sleep well, dear Reader, sleep well!
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Rains and Spring

4/8/2010

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Early, early Thursday morning (in the wee hours)

The rains come and give life-enhancing water to the seeds recently planted in the ground.  Such is the way inherent to the growing season. Although it is hard to give up that wonderful sunny warm weather we just had, the rain is vital to growth.

The Land is coming alive! More water fowl (although the black-and-white duck is gone), more buds on trees and green, green everywhere. It is the beginning of one of the most beautiful seasons here in Paradise. (see photo of Blue Heron above)

Things are moving along as they should be. I temper my impatience with the thought that all the chores (how can we call such exhilerating work a "chore?"), will get done...that there is always time enough. Always time enough...

Yesterday I helped Alana at Junene's farm one last time. Dave was there,too. It was good we were all together. Dave found some felt paper that will be used underneath the roof of  JJ's chapel. Everything helps!

Again we see the world though different eyes as the brown barrenness of winter gives way to vibrant pink and white blossoms and the green grass of spring. (see photo taken of blossoming tree outside of Rochelle in a small town.)

Welcome Rains! Welcome Spring!

May you, dear Reader, be experiencing the same joy of spring!
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A Birthday Party, The Blue Heron and More Brush Burning

3/23/2010

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Tuesday night

Saturday's snow is long melted and the days are warming up again. Today was almost perfect for a March day. Very little wind, sunny and fairly warm. I re-started the fires again this morning which Dave and I began yesterday across the creek.  (See photos #1- Dave crossing the creek -  and #2 above.) Just so you won't forget how beautiful Willow Creek is, I took a photo from down in the creek. (Photo #3) It is amazing to me how many downed trees there were on the east side of my creek. Dave and I cleared lots of branches hanging over my eastern fence. We have many more to go!

While we were working on the fires, the great blue heron was standing so still (and so folded into itself) next to the lake, that at first I couldn't tell what that dark blue object was. Only by zooming in with my camera could I tell it was the blue heron. (see photo #4 ) What a magnificient bird!

Speaking of birds, while Dave and I were busy with the fire yesterday, several large ducks from Kyle and Jeff's farm came  floating up the creek to see what was going on. They must like fires, for they didn't seem bothered by the flames at all. They didn't want to miss any excitement!

This past weekend I attended a birthday party for Dr. Jones,  a friend of Michael's at the Country Club in Geneva. That might sound hoity-toity, but it was just a wonderful group of friends. I enjoyed it greatly! That's Michael and Dr. Jones in photo #5. They are best friends and also happen to have been outstanding surgeons. The whole group of us is seen in photo #6. We laughed a lot. Our laughter and the fire in the fireplace warmed us on that cold, snowy Saturday night.

David is home from Cleveland after his heart surgery. He looks great! Amazing how well it all went. His friend, CJ, is helping take care of him, along with Ken. David even walked to and from the post office in Paw Paw today! Unbelievable!

 My friend, Linda Turner, in Santa Barbara emailed me that she loved the blog. It makes me feel so good to know she (and you, dear Reader) are reading my blog and feeling like you're part of what goes on out here on The Land. It keeps me writing, even though I'm so tired I could drop!

All is well here. I put in two more rows of peas just as dusk was settling in tonight. The wood in the woodstove is crackling keeping off the chill. Tonight is a clear sky which makes for a colder night.

I hope all is going well with you, too, dear Reader. Nighty-night!
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    Author

    Jane Heim is a writer and lifelong activist for sustainable living and organic growing. She is author of The Directory of Working Women, What to Do When the Stock Market Falls, and Car Living Your Way.  She is also the author of Chemical Cowboys, an article that has recently appeared  in Acres USA.  Ms. Heim is also the author of an upcoming article on www.motherearthnews.com
    Ms. Heim originated and developed the Organic Education Center for Oregon Tilth in partnership with the City of Lake Oswego, Oregon. She Co-Founded Spray Drift Educations Network in 2011, IOGA original board member.  S
     he presently lives in the Midwest in a cottage overlooking her lake.

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