PRICELESS LIVING (coninued}

WATER

Our well water, originating at the confluence of four underground springs, flows through thousands of feet of gravel left by glaciers. It regularly tests at PH 7.2 alkaline. It contains no chlorine or fluoride and is the tastiest and purest water you will ever drink.  PRICELESS!

STORMS

Storm watching is at the top of our list of favourites. We unplug anything vulnerable to a nearby jolt of lightening and sit back and enjoy the fireworks. Most storm cells split and go to either side of the hill on which the house sits. During our 15 years here we have never experienced a direct hit. We follow the storm on its way across the great Lake Superior, coming or going. During the day we are usually blessed with a huge rainbow as well. Night or day, it is always spectacular.  PRICELESS!!

NIGHT SKY

The night sky lends itself to stargazing 101. We have three different telescopes for viewing all the mysteries of the night skies. During the full moon Ron enjoys taking small groups along the night trails, silently, listening for forest night life. Some folks find this experience 'life changing'. Friends have raced to our location, with other friends in tow, to view the northern lights. No one is ever disappointed. Ron has observed that after a particularly vigorous display of the aurora borealis, there has usually been a corresponding earthquake somewhere on the planet.  PRICELESS!!

TRAILS

Over the years Ron has cleared approximately 5 km of trails on the 158 acres. Following existing animal trails, he found the best routes for viewing and exercising and providing us with a choice of  gentle or challenging cross-country skiing or hiking. These trails are truly an artist's or photographer's paradise. Along the trails Ron has cleared approximately fifteen different areas where we had hoped to build cabins for a business. We wanted to share the rejuvenating experience that would assist others with environmental issues. Unfortunately that part of our plans did not materialize. We are artistic visionaries but there is only so much that two seniors can accomplish. We pass this along to our successors.  PRICELESS!!

FRUIT

We have a plum orchard that dates well back into the early 1900's. It displays a small plum that produces delicious jam, jelly and wine but you have to get to it before the bears and birds. There are several plum trees around the property thanks to those seed spreading bears and birds.
We also have several chokecherry and Saskatoon berry bushes as well as high bush cranberries. All provide delicious jams, jellies and wine. I've just finished making four batches of chokecherry jelly and there are still trees bursting with berries ripe for picking. It's wonderful to be able to share this bounty with family and friends.
There are also several hazelnut bushes that our little red squirrels manage to commandeer each year. One has to be alert and quick to share in these delicacies.  PRICELESS!!

CHAGA

We found a huge chunk of chaga on one of our birch trees and so will enjoy our chaga tea for years to come. Google 'chaga' to discover how valuable it is. It is far cheaper than chemo or radiation and the only side effect is improved health.  PRICELESS!!

LAUNDRY

There is nothing as intoxicating as the sweet smell of clothes fresh off the clothesline in the country. No rinses or dryer sheets can ever duplicate that smell. Many urban locations have prohibited folks from hanging their clothes outdoors. They must incur the cost of a dryer and the energy to run it. We know that the dryer sheets that attempt to give that 'outdoorsy' odor are toxic to the 'sniffer' as well as the wearer. I mention this seemingly minor activity because I've just carried in a load of laundry with my nose buried in the luxurious smell of fresh air and I feel so blessed for this gift.  PRICELESS!!

GARDEN

Every year I'm a little more confident with the garden, trying new veggies and flowers. This year, because of the preparations for selling and moving, I've stuck with standard plants. Everything is so lush and green. We had a bumper crop of beans and they are pretty well finished producing but we have several meal packages in the freezer. We usually have enough peas to enjoy as snacks throughout the day but this year I'll be freezing some of them, too. The cucumbers always produce an abundance and this year is no exception. they have just started producing and I'll have to start pickling soon. Fortunately there are friends to share this abundance with us. We will also have a great crop of tomatoes. I have a wonderful recipe for spaghetti sauce that I can every year, attempting to produce 52 two quart jars, one for each week of the year. I try to use only organic veggies so it is an extremely healthy concoction. I use it for so many different dishes besides spaghetti.
This spring I bought seeds from a local seed swap gathering and they have greatly contributed to the success of the garden produce. The seeds were locally harvested and thus hardy to our conditions. Most of the plants have come from these seeds and   I will make a point of getting to next year's seed swap as early as possible. I was expecting not to be harvesting the veggies from my garden this year but to be leaving the harvest to our successors. There's still time for that to happen with cucumbers, tomatoes and onions.  PRICELESS!!

Our friendly, neighbourhood ground hog, Gordie, devastated my spinach, kale, broccoli and chard before I caught him at it. The chard and kale came back but Gordie has disappeared.  The groundhogs go into hibernation in August and we do miss him. We had three families last year but Gordie was the lone one this year.

We have four 4' x 16' raised garden beds in front of the house that house the bulk of our veggies and 5 more in the south garden along with three 4' x 8' beds. We planted potatoes in  one of the larger beds but the others are fallow for this year. There is plenty of room for expansion for gardening. We'll even reveal our secret for keeping deer from helping themselves to your flowers and veggies. That's part of the sale of the property.

We have perennial flower beds along the sides of the house and a larger independent bed on the east side . We have hostas, roses (dark and light pink) peonies (pink, white and red), tiger lilies, burning bush, bleeding hearts, irises, and some unnamed beauties. I also planted some wildflowers in these beds and they are growing nicely, drawing butterflies and bumble bees.

We've planted several pine and spruce trees along the northern perimeter  to provide some wind protection. Every year MNR sponsors a sale of seedling trees in the spring and we've taken advantage of this opportunity. The trees have grown very well over the years. 

It is all so PRICELESS!!