There is only two things to do on Canada Day weekend. You can either get out of town, deep into the bush, or stay hunkered down at home, don’t even try to go out and get a coffee, or beer or groceries or anything else. All the locals know it. The area is taken over by revellers from the city. We’re told we need them. I certainly can’t blame them for trying to escape the city. Most have manners, but some are hell bent on partying and tearing the shit out of the countryside and waterways. The latter all have big toys, four wheel drives, ATV’s and loud motorboats. The business people jack up the prices on everything from a loaf of bread to a litre of gas. This is the good time, they say.
We have elected to stay hunkered down. The garden needs weeding. Lisa is going to pickle the garlic scapes. I am looking forward to cracking a jar in the winter. They are going to be good. So good I probably won’t be able to stand myself.
Willow will miss the bush this weekend but she will have plenty to bark about around here. Yesterday, she caught a young bird in the garden. She killed it, of course. Once I clued in to what was going on I stopped her from eating the small bird. She wasn’t happy with me. My old Wire-Haired, Slinky, was a master hunter, unlike rodents birds never agreed with her upsetting her stomach until she purged herself and vomited feathers. Willow is much more delicate than Slinky so I didn’t want to take a chance. There is nothing worse waking up to the sound of a dog trying to get something up.
Thinking of Slinky, this was her least favourite weekend. All the Canada Day fireworks scared her. We would try to spend most of these weekends in the bush, so she wouldn’t have to put up with it. Willow on the other hand can sleep through thunderstorms and fireworks.
Slinky. Scraped or not never slowed down.
A good rain today. The garden is coming. I got the foot long grass mowed before the skies opened up. I am hoping all the moisture will be good for the huckleberry crop. Cooper loves huckleberry jam and he is depending on me.
Palliser Pass 
Jim R
Independence Day here must be a lot like Canada Day there. It gets noisy, crowded, and expensive. We are going downtown this weekend to enjoy a jazz festival before things get revved up for the 4th.
Many years ago we had two cats, Maggie and Stuart. They stayed indoors. Maggie would nibble on her food through the day when she got hungry. Stuart thought he was supposed to eat it all at once. He was a card-carrying member of the clean plate club. More often than not, he would go to another room and barf up the whole thing and eat it again. Gross cat. He had a sweet and loving personality, just not very bright.
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underswansea
Hi Jim, that sounds like quite the cat! A Jazz concert sounds like a lovely way to celebrate Independence Day. We watched the fireworks last night. Our son Hunter was home for the weekend and he had a few friends over. Wishing you and Melanie a great Canada Day!
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Jim R
Thank you. The two concerts tonight were awesome. Melanie said thank you. 🙂 On Wednesday, wish yourself and Lisa a great Independence Day from us.
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underswansea
Hi again Jim. Good to hear the Jazz concerts were awesome. I love listening to live music. A few years back Lisa and I went to San Fransisco. It seemed we always finished our night at a little spot called the Mason Street Jazz Bar. It was right beside our hotel and we listened to the performers until the wee hours. If you listen to podcasts a good one is In the Groove, Jazz and Beyond. I listen to it often working in the studio. Take care. I hope you have your firecrackers ready for tonight.
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Jim R
Thanks. I’ll check the station out. I might have one firecracker.
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InnerDialects
love the ambiance of your blog and story here, thank you for the share
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underswansea
thank you
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Julie@frogpondfarm
Great photos Bob .. good to know you love your garlic 😃 When do you pick the scapes? That looks like it would have been a nasty wound!
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underswansea
Hi Julie, it was a very nasty wound, Slinky was a tough little dog and back to normal in no time. I pick the scapes when they are about ten inches long. I planted a lot of garlic so had a lot of scapes to figure out what to do with – thus the pickles! Too bad you hadn’t come to Canada, as you previously planned, you could have helped me weed the garden. 🙂
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Julie@frogpondfarm
Save those weeds for me 😉
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