Herein lies the tale of "Rodeo."
You must remember, dear Reader, how biased I am against pesticides and herbicides. Actually anything that has "cide" in it (meaning "to kill"). Yet, when the fish biologist suggested I buy a chemical called Rodeo, which is aquatic "safe" to be used on the numerous little swamp willows around the lake, I decided to follow his suggestion. Especially because I was to use a brush and only paint Rodeo on the tips of the recently cut willows. How harmful could that be?
Yesterday I stopped in Scarboro at the fertilizer plant. (Don't you just love the name "Scarboro?") I bought a gallon of Rodeo for about $85.00. Now I know why the chemical companies are filthy rich!
Back to the Land I go, passing through my gates which (much to my chagrin) reminded me this is "Willow Creek ORGANIC Farm." I started cutting the willows around the lake with the idea I would go back to the garage and get Rodeo when I had finished cutting a sizeable group of willows.
As I worked along the bank, I started to dread the idea of putting on plastic gloves and a face mask and being careful not to spill any of the chemical, and be sure to be upwind, and...
After a while I realized I was never going to use Rodeo - no matter how Western-John Wayne-macho it sounded. Today I took Rodeo back to its rightful place and feel a huge weight off my shoulders. I may seem like I'm over-reacting but I truly believe in maintaining harmony with the cycles of Nature. Chemical spraying in not in harmony with anything, no matter what Monsanto tells us. So I feel better.
The Land is organic. (Except for the one time I sprayed RoundUp on the suddenly appearing poison ivy near the boundary with my toilet neighbors from Wheaton.) Keeping the Land organic means that everything on this property, and everything that leaves this property will not harm anyone or anything. And if children play out here, their parents don't have to worry their kids will come in contact with some deadly chemical spray, unless it's drifted from my neighbors who do spray.
No Rodeo for the Land. I feel relieved and so does the Land.
Speaking of children playing out here, I can't wait until Angela's nephews come out. I took some photos from the purple picnic table (see below). Not only will the boys explore the lake and the creek, but they will be able to see huge windmills surrounding the Land on the west, and my neighbor's planes on the east (see last photo). What excitement on the Land and all around for Gavin and Jake!
The snow on the lake is getting slushy. Ice fishing will be ending one of these days. How I will miss the excitement that goes along with ice fishing! Especially watching and listening to Chris and Smitty when a fish is on the Tip Up. Regular fishing is fun, too, but its simply not like ice fishing. Yet I'm ready for spring and picnics at the purple picnic table overlooking the creek!
It's getting late, and I guess I'm just a little grouchy. It's time this non-chemical, plain Jane stays in harmony with the cycles of Nature by going to bed.
Pleasant organic dreams, dear Reader!
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