Wednesday, September 9, 2009

sage, mint and nettles


I went for an early morning walk today, before sunrise. There was no wind and the lake by the shore was calm. I have no idea what monster waves lurk beyond this breakwater, beyon the bay of Thunder, past the Sleeping Giant. It's not called a thundering bay for no reason.

The sun came up after awhile. It's amazing, really, how quickly the ball of the sun emerges. As the earth hurls through space at 107,218 kilometres per hour or 67,000 mph, it is no wonder the sun rises so fast. Forget about watching the sunrise from this spot next year as this is where the "development" will sit, a hotel and condos smack dab here, blocking the view.

The name of this sailboat made me laugh: Concubine. It's an old boat. Even the name and paint are faded. The name has an Orientalist flavor. Taking a mistress out to sea? Other names of boats I saw: Blue Angel, Hedonist, Knot-e-Buoys, Gone with the Wind. Such carefree names. Next year where will they dock? The majority of boaters are not happy as they will have no slips available at the marina next year. Construction.

Back at home, the petunia I put inside the old wooden toolbox that my dad salvaged from somewhere, which I tipped on its side on my deck, cheerily looks out. It doesn't really like the plastic pot I put it in, hence the shortage of blooms. I try different plants in that plastic pot every year and none of them like it. I guess I need to get rid of it. I just hate putting more plastic into the landfill.

The mirror I have in the garden reflects back on another petunia that I put on top of an old Manitoba Maple tree stump that sits in our rock garden, which is behind the hops, which creep up the house. People like petunias, especially in short northern summers, because they continue blooming all summer. They just don't stop.

The sage my husband planted in the herb garden is doing well. Sage is very good drunk as a tea, especially for menopausal or post-menopausal women. It can make you sweat. A few leaves are also nice in salad.

I picked the mint already as our cool nights have some of its leaves beginning to show stress. So, I've got it drying in our sunny front porch, in a baklava pan. We mostly use dried mint in ground beef and salad.

I am also drying some nettles, which grew wild in our garden. You need to pick them with gloves on otherwise they will sting you and you will burn terribly. Once it's dry, the nettles no longer sting. I will make a hair rinse for it, mix it with some rosemary to help darken the hair. Not for my hair, though, as it is blonde. I need calendula.

A spot of joy in my garden. Or a joy stone.

3 comments:

Merche Pallarés said...

How delicious these posts of yours about flowers and herbs!! Beautiful pictures. Hugs, M.

20th Century Woman said...

How sad about the development. Lovely pictures of herbs. My sage looks like that too. It goes really well with pork, I think.

northshorewoman said...

MP, yes, gardens are healing places. One only need walk amongst the plants for rejuvenation. The shrubs are alive with birds, who come to bring their grace to city dwellers like me.

20th C Woman, yes, the so-called development is terribly sad. Today on my morning walk I was asked, did you read the paper? As of Monday half of the marina walkways will be closed off. Wilson St. headland path will be put behind the barricades,too.

Where will I walk the dogs after next Sunday? I'm not sure if the road to the furthest bay will be closed, too. Most likely everything west of the old train station will be off limits to citizens--who paid for this waterfront municipal park. Now our tax dollars are going up to pay to subsidize private industry's "development."

All the walkers were abuzz with this sadness. Angry, too. What to do, what to do? The earth shovels and the Manshield office trailer have moved in, waiting for Monday. Most of the photos I posted recently of the waterfront, especially of the boats in their slips, are the last of their kind.

It would've been great if those in power in municipal office would've had some sage advice, instead of this obscene travesty of urban development.