budding birdhouses & frolicking foxes

Good morning! Or evening – whatever time & space you are reading this.

Things have been growing on the farm! Wow, weeds coming in hot.

I love it.

I can’t help but delight in everything booming, even the weeds. Funny thing about the weeds is they’re slowly becoming self-sown annuals we have cultivated in previous years. So instead of thistles coming up, we now have tomatoes, herbs, brassicas and even hot peppers getting weeded out of beds!

I never thought I’d be weeding out peppers! They always seemed like such a sensitive crop that couldn’t overwinter in any form. This is certainly not the case. I believe this is mostly because they come from a parent crop that has spent an entire season growing in these conditions, so they are naturally a little more accustomed to the climate. STILL – hot peppers just popping up on their own – makes me question seeding them in trays so early in the season.

I’ve also heard of people overwintering their peppers as perennials! This, I have not yet tried, but surely will. How neat – nature showing us ways to make things more passive... “have ya heard of permaculture, Jess?” 

We’ve been getting rather close to our resident fox lately. We see him on our morning runs, in the yard, wandering through the farm, and now: with his mate & pups down by the lake. I was able to actually capture a shot of him frolicking on our insect netting this morning. Jakoby’s morning routine currently consists of fixing/re-shaping our hoops and insect netting that the foxes play on all night, and this morning – right after Jakoby fixed them – the fox came back and was scratching, rolling and laying on one of them.

He let me get quite close with the camera, actually. We have a mutual understanding that he is safe when he is around me. Jakoby feels the same. Kai, on the other hand, not so much. She likes to be very vocal with the fox. And we likely wouldn’t see them as often if she was out back, loose all day. We keep her either on leash or with us when we are in the fox areas.

He’s been coming closer and closer though, starting to make the garden his little hangout spot! I may have written this here before, but we can totally understand how canines became domesticated. This beautiful, wild fox is just as curious about us as we are about him. If we had food in hand, I’m sure we could eventually make physical contact. Funny – this morning when I was filming him, I had this strong urge to say “sit!”, like he would have understood me. “Sit for the photo, please Mr Fox”. Not there yet, perhaps one day.

We’ve always had wild animal companions, specifically red foxes, but this one has felt a little different. Something about his eyes – loving.

It’s really special and I feel grateful to get to see him regularly. And lemmetellya these kits are ADORABLE. Watching this little one run across the yard in the long grass was just about the cutest scene I could have ever imagined. What a delight.

Our domesticated canine is also adorable and doing well. She’s four years old now and has definitely settled into this life. She's patiently awaiting the spring kohlrabi harvest (the first veggie she ever tried as a pup!).

She’s indeed a veggie lover.

As am I! Lots of spring salads right now and fresh alliums. The bok and pak chois are coming to a close; as the nights get warmer, the brassicas flower. Lots of stir fries.

What have you been cooking lately? Anyone have an asparagus patch? It’s a nice addition to the garden, though we do have difficulty keeping the patch clean the rest of the season. This is partly due to the fact it was already here when we moved to this farm & it was surrounded by a field of weeds, so the weed seed bank is full. Last year, I sowed a cover crop in early spring, in hopes it would suppress the weeds, and to some extent it did, but it's a long-term plan, not something that can be turned around in one season. I would do things differently next time, let’s put it that way. So many lessons each season.

Every plant has a life cycle – times of growth, times of budding, times of bloom, times of decay, and times of rest. I imagine even in warm climates, plants still have active times of year (ie. not just continual growth). <--I don’t think anything in nature behaves that way, hey? Everything experiences cycles of growth & rest. Ebb & flow.

The reminder: enjoy where you’re at. Respect the part of the cycle you’re in.

You might go through this cycle on a daily rhythm (as many cultures do), as well as seasonally.

Morning: budding with energy, growth

Mid-morning: blooming, manifestation in motion

Mid-day: rest

Afternoon: manifestation circling back

Evening: completion

Night: rest

Morning: spring equinox

Mid-day: summer solstice

Evening: fall equinox

Night: winter solstice

Always in motion, always in cycle.

*gaze gently fades in peaceful reflection*

Oh ya, hey! 

As we are in a budding/growth time of year, there are many new projects on the go. Lots of wood turnings being made – specifically birdhouses and bowls!

These birdhouses are adorable and are made with locally salvaged wood. Jakoby is curious to see if the Carolinian Wrens that live in the woodshop will move in to one of them! He is always interested in making functional art; items made with intention and high-quality materials, that can be used in practical settings, such as the garden and kitchen.

let's see 'em

We will report back once we find out! For now, treat these birdhouses like you would any other wooden item – out of direct sunlight & water.

We use the birdhouses as décor and tree ornaments. They seem to be seasonally timeless, as they bring a playful energy to the space in spring, and a cozy, nest vibe in winter. The choir of birds I hear right now validates the fact that Windsor-Essex County is well-known and loved for bird-watching.

We saw a pelican yesterday! Just a single pelican flying overhead – peaceful. It’s neat seeing them fly as a flock too, in the signature “V” formation. I wonder where they nest? In trees? In marshland reeds? I know I could just look this question up right now, but I’d love to hear from one of you if you know the answer! Drop it in the comments below!

Sometimes it’s nice to not know everything instantaneously, yaknow? Sometimes it’s nice to let the answers naturally find you, on their own time. It encourages a certain magic to the learning. Like the question is heard, and the answer is on the way, and you will find each other in perfect serendipitous timing.

So I will await my answer: where do pelicans nest? Specifically, the American White Pelican - Pelecanus erythrorhynchos <-- looked that name up ;)

DO THEY EVEN NEST?! Maybe they just perch in trees.

Omg can you imagine just perching on a branch and SLEEPING? What a funny world that would be.

Alright y’all, we're getting unhinged – check out Jakoby’s birdhouses, they are gorgeous and he has put a lot of great work into them – talk to you soon.

love jess

:::