Preparation for Migration
Now we start the process of packing up our household and get ready to drive north in two weeks. Somehow I never seem to get the idea that it will take me at least that amount of time to begin to organize myself, the fur-kids and John to make the trek to Canada. Always thought I could do just a little bit every day and then voila it would all come together at the last minute. It never seems to work out that way. We have a delightful woman who rented our house last year and is coming back again this year. There is something comforting in knowing the person who will be staying here while we are away. She loves the house, has a well-behaved three legged cat who doesn’t claw the furniture and who loves to explore our yard. I am always so conflicted about leaving here. I love our little house here and our easy way of life. I love our church family and will miss all of them while we are away. I won’t miss the super hot weather however. We have been in the 90s for the last few days and are very grateful for air conditioning and the swimming pool although the water in the pool is up to 90 now too. I fill up the outside dog bowls with lots of ice cubes which amuses the pups no end. I even filled up their pool this week too. The puppy had no idea what it was but Wyke remembered and while too big to really get in the pool he did put his head under the water and got at least three of his four feet cooled off.
Puppy Update – She is 13 weeks old now!
We have had a good week with the puppy, Little Bean. She is actually starting to tell us when she wants to go out which is wonderful. She continues to sleep really well at night and takes good naps during the day. We are getting more comfortable about leaving her for a couple of hours while we go and play golf or, in the case of one afternoon, to the pool for a swim. She likes her crate and behaves herself very well. She is definitely not a complainer and doesn’t cry or bark which is a pleasant surprise. The big news is she is trained to the invisible fence and it took about one day. She is a very smart little pup. Told her no, she got buzzed once and now she doesn’t go anywhere near the little white flags. Just in case you worry, she is wearing the collar we used to use for our cat so it is a very gentle reminder that you don’t go off the property. It’s more of a vibration and I have even held it in my hand to make sure it wouldn’t hurt the cat or the puppy. We have done quite a bit of socialization this week too. There are two other English Cream Golden Retrievers living on the island and she met both of them this week. I think they were a little afraid of her because she is so small but she loved them. She greets everyone as if they are her new best friend and she doesn’t bark at them at all. We are making progress.
Exercise is Good for All of Us
Slowly but surely we have worked our way up to about an hours walk in the morning. I am so happy to be back to walking with John and the dogs. It is not the training walks that I have been doing but more the social walking that I have enjoyed for years. No more races for awhile so I am content to walk the dogs and to chat with friends and to check on all the goings on that happen on this, our island home. The walking is definitely contributing to the dogs happiness as well as ours. They both are so content after they get to explore their neighborhood and visit with friends. Well, it’s good for all of us actually. Just get out there and move, you will feel much better and, who knows, you might discover something interesting in your neighborhood. At this time of the year the rookeries are very active. We stopped by the one that is used by the egrets. First of all it doesn’t smell very nice thanks to what they leave behind but it is fascinating to watch them on their nests and with their babies. Some of the babies are learning to fly which is quite comical. Not sure how they keep it all straight. Which nest do I go home to after hopping from branch to branch? They are very feathery and very pretty to look at.
The gardenia bushes are in full bloom but the heat is making them bloom and then die pretty quickly. I have cut lots of the blossoms and brought them into the house to fill my Carolina Room with their wonderful scent. When I walk by the bushes I purposely brush up against the branches so I can inhale the perfume. One thing about this part of the world is that plants grow and they grow fast. We put in a lot of plants in the fall and I thought we had lost them all because of the unusual snow we had this winter and the fact that it was also very cold on more than one occasion. I despaired of ever seeing them again. Not to worry, they are all doing well and I discovered that the ones I call tractor seats (officially Ligularia, Giant Leopard Plant ‘Gigantea’) actually bloom. The first picture was taken at the end of February, the one on the right is today.
Food for Thought
As we head into summer, it is time to take a look at lighter meals. The heavy stews and soups that sustained us during the winter months give way to salads and simple suppers. Our local farmers are starting to produce wonderful fresh vegetables and one of our local stores is importing peaches from inland South Carolina. It is a wonderful store that sells just about anything you can think of. They have sections in the store that are rented to different vendors and the items change pretty regularly. In addition, they are an outlet for a marvelous place called The Kitchen. Their slogan is “Home cooked meals made in our kitchen for you to serve from yours”. I have tried a number of their items and have been pleasantly surprised. I’m not a fan of fast food or quick fix meals but these ones I make an exception for. A staple of my diet is Caesar Salad and I’ve been reluctant to make it because of the recall on the Romaine Lettuce. However, it appears that it is localized to lettuce from out west. Our local Romaine is fine. I have made Caesar Salad with kale and it is very good but rather hearty for summer. My tastes are running towards a spinach salad with fresh strawberries and some goat cheese with a light lemon dressing. In fact, anything with veggies will work. I found a great recipe from a wonderful site called “Oh My Veggies” for a cucumber mango salsa. I have provided the link to the recipe on their site but here it is if you want to try it. Enjoy!
Ingredients
1 ripe mango, diced (about 1 cup)
1/2 small English cucumber, diced (about 1 cup)
1/3 cup diced red onions
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
Juice from 1 lime
Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Stir together all of the ingredients in a medium bowl. Serve with tortilla chips, tacos or burritos, or as a mix-in for cooked quinoa or millet.
