Ontario

Great Lakes

Posted on August 10, 2012 by Laura

My nephew and niece as well as her boyfriend are visiting Canada from Germany, and are leaving shortly for a bit of a tour around the area to see a little bit of the Great Lakes.  Their plan reminded me of Great Lakes song by the band Harlan Pepper.  The video above is not professional, but from 2009 and at the time of this the kids are still in high school in Hamilton, Ontario.

I like the feel of this homespun video, a more professional version of this song Great Lakes is on their 2010 album Young and Old.  I love the setting that they use because it reminds me of my own family gatherings.  You know, there is nothing like sitting on the porch in the summer singing and having a few beer with friends.  I guess, unless it is sitting on a porch on a Tiny House on the Allegany Mountain (part of the Appalachians) and having so much talent.  The whole thing is pretty sweet I think.

I have seen Harlan Pepper play live a few times now, and I am a big fan of what they sing as well as their laid back homey style.  I guess it is odd that I love them so much, given the wide age difference, but the singer reminds me physically of young Bob Dylan; too the lyrics are snappy and while the music sounds new it is grounded in all the music that I love best.  Of course it is not much of a leap that I am a fan of these young musicians.   I think a lot of their charm is that they seem like the kids next door and I guess in my case they really are since my Hamilton place is around the corner from from them.  I don’t know the young musicians but our kids went to the same school for a time many years ago.

While I was thinking about them, I checked in at their website today.  I am mighty pleased, because I notice some movement and think that there may be a new album in the works?  If you like the sound, they have a lot of shows coming up: all in Canada.  If you want to catch them live you will have to get up here to Canada for a visit.

As for my visiting family, I hope that they enjoy the trip North. I also hope that they see the lakes in the way that Harlan Pepper and I see them.  I love Great Lakes!

Gute Reise!

Categories: Family, Magical, Music, Ontario | Leave a comment

Tiny House Nuisance

Posted on August 5, 2012 by Laura

There is one thing about living in a Tiny House that I never once considered.  Absurd as it is, it is something that drives me bonkers!  The source of this nuisance is a common house fly. It is not as trivial as it might sound because in a small space they sound significantly louder than in a large one and there are plentiful places to hide at THO.  The fly here has evaded me for two days and is as loud as a B6 bomber… Okay, I am exaggerating a lot, I admit it, but the silly thing is getting to me with all its flitting and flying and buzzing about!  Perhaps another reason that it is so loud is that there are no other sounds at THO, such as a television, radio or even white noise from a fridge.  When the windows are closed to the weather as they are today (rain Woot!) this fly and my breathing are the only sounds.

Further annoying is that it let me photograph it several times but then hid again when I set down the camera and got the fly swatter.  I am not sure how flies know that you intend to squish them to death with a fly swatter, but they seem to always hide when ever I pull one out.  Has anyone ever noticed this?  Perhaps they have some sort of ESP?  

This photo also tells me that it is certainly time to dust THO.  I really hate dusting, so I am thrilled that THO is so Tiny!   I am also happy to announce the fly’s passing.  I finally found success!

Categories: Forest, Off Grid, Ontario, Simple living, Tiny House Ontario | Leave a comment

The Back 50

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Laura

Yesterday after the first rain I tootled out of THO and went down the back road to see what the forest looks like from the other concession road.

I think it looks surprisingly good!

This is the back 50 of the original farm, but this was subdivided a long time ago.  The ten acre parcel that belongs to us, is all forest and starts here where the corn stops.  This entire tree line is ours and it goes back about a kilometre from the edge of there.  It is a good bit of land for one TIny House!

I can’t emphasize enough, that it is nice to have had the rain!  I feel so much relief for the sake of the trees and thus my worry subsides for the time being.

Categories: Drought, Forest, Ontario | Leave a comment

Celebrating Rain

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Laura

The forest was green and soft this morning when I woke.  A hazy soft light covered the woods as far as I could see and the leaves point upward and danced in the light breeze.

We had two good rains yesterday afternoon.  Both were not called for as far as I understand, but yet they came.  I had left my dishpan out in the cloth porch kitchen and there was a full two to three inches of depth in it!  Enough rain water to wash the coffee cups that were in there!  Enough rain to rebound much of the drought damage in the forest, where it is too late for many gardens and most fields.

In the year that I have been there, I have been talking about the way that the light is here.  Finally, yesterday afternoon when the rains ended and I took a photo which I believe captures the light. I imagine that the forest let go of its secrets because it was too busy celebrating!

Categories: Drought, Forest, Magical, Nature, Ontario | Leave a comment

No Green Man

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Laura

There was not enough rain at THO for the blue chalk lines to wash off.  Or at the very least, the roof overhang is wide enough to protect the building from a lot of moisture, so we wiped it down this morning.

Thankfully, there was enough rain to halt the immediate crisis that the forest was facing, but still not enough to hold it off for long.

All over there are signs of the water shortage on the land and forest.  There are also a significant number of dry wells.  For those of you who do not know the climate in Ontario, August is our dry month and we are on day one.

Categories: Drought, Forest, Kingston, Ontario, Tiny House Ontario | Leave a comment