Nothing, I believe, captures the essence of life’s beauty, wisdom and enchantment, quite like nature. When I was a little girl, I spent quite a bit of time on my nana’s farm, traipsing through the woods, building forts and rafts and playing in the gully with my sister and my cousin. In the fall, my favourite time to explore, I loved the hearing the crunch of the harvested soybean fields under my feet, climbing on top of hay bails, and admiring the colours of the surrounding trees. Spending time in the country at an early age meant that as an adult, I’ve been able to respect and appreciate the secrets that can be found in a fall day, a field or forest. It’s a great gift.
This weekend we were blessed with some of the early-fall weather one hopes for on labour day weekend. Warm sun, low humidity. Gentle breezes. Evenings cool enough to demand a sweater and a pair of jeans, days warm enough to do, well, just about anything you feel like.
My nana’s farm has just been sold, and this weekend I went out one last time to explore. I was accompanied by both my parents. We spent our time collecting wild elderberries for a pie, and my mom helped me pull together a nice collection of wild flowers, which I will experiment with, by drying.
We collected enough elderberries for at least 2 pies, which we will make for Thanksgiving. To preserve them, we picked off all the berries from the stems, placed them in an air-tight plastic bag along with a paper towel to absorb any moisture, and froze them.
This weekend we were also blessed with the opportunity to see some wildlife. While we were eating dinner one evening, we looked out the window and saw a beautiful hawk, sitting at the feeder. He wasn’t feasting on bird seed, but was eyeing a much more satisfying treat – the plump, naughty chipmunks who like to gorge themselves on, well, everything in the feeder.
Earlier that day, as my Mom and I sat outside, reading magazines in the sun, a hummingbird buzzed between us, circling around my Mom’s head. I’d never seen a hummingbird that close-up before, and hearing its little wings whirr like a piece of machinery was a true treat.
At the farm, I also discovered a black and yellow garden spider, an orbweaver apparently common to this part of Ontario and frequently found around this time of year. It loves goldenrod, and a big patch of goldenrod is exactly where I found it. Normally, I am deathly afraid of spiders, but somehow this majestic insect captured my attention in an awe-inspiring, rather than panic-inducing, way. Its colours, interesting web, and unique shape and size, are actually quite beautiful and fascinating.
What many of us are seeking in our lives can really be found quite easily, quite simply. It’s easy to always want something more – a luxury vacation, new clothes, more stuff. But truly, we make life more difficult than it really needs to be. A lot of peace and fulfillment can be found in a field of goldenrod, an elderberry bush, and even, if our hearts are open enough, a spider web.
what a beautiful post! Thanks SQ
Great post SQ.
My thoughts go out to you as you gather more memories in your mind. How wonderful it will be to pull them out and rehash the good times spent at your Nana’s.
It’s always sad to watch a beloved place go but I think you will have years and years of beautiful memories to help you to perhaps not miss it ‘quite’ so much.
We are enjoying a bountiful crop from the Mennonite market here….hope everyone else is too!
I love the fall – and I especially love going for walks in the country as it is such a relaxing feeling to just watch nature. I grew up on a farm, and did what you describe as well. We still live in the country, and my two girls love to go for nature hikes. A great way to appreciate life! My family farm was sold years ago, and when I drive by now, I have wonderful memories from it, but it is also sad to know that it’s not mine anymore. Keep those treasured memories safe!
Okay, call me a city girl… but what is an elderberry? and what does it taste like? I have never heard of such a berry!
Asian Pear….
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Elderberries are very tiny – about 1/4 the size of a blueberry. They are very tart. They grow on a bush and they are a pain to pick. Half the world loves them, the other half doesn’t.
Many years ago my girlfriend (who lives on a farm) gave me bags and bags of stems with the berries on them. It took me hours to pick them all off. I very carefully bagged them all in ziplock bags and put them in the freezer. I decided to give my family a treat and made an elderberry pie (the first to go at all country church suppers) and not one of us liked the taste of the berries. So…lucky girlfriend got lots of ziplock bags of ready-to-go berries for her pies
Hm…..just rechecked SQ’s pictures and her berries are huge! Check out the bag…you’ll see all the stems with berries and why it is a pain to take the berries off.
SQ: Your post about your Grandma’s farm led me to thinking … what are some of your favourite frugal tips that you picked up from your Nana, whether by osmosis or by direct teaching? Any from your parents?
Asian Pear – Catherine is right. Elderberries are indeed a big pain to pick. However it turned into a lovely memory. My mom, dad and I all went to work picking them off the stems while watching episodes of Till Debt Do us Part! I carried my laptop outside in the evening, so we could watch the show while doing this tedious work and we simultaneously enjoyed the nice evening air.
It’s not surprising you have not heard of them as they are becoming quite rare. Catherine is right that they have a very tart taste but many people do enjoy them in pies, tarts, or in jams.
Catherine – the berries actually look bigger than they really were, thanks to a zoom lens!
Anonymous – I think this would make a great blog post in itself, so I’ll think more about this one and then answer your question in more detail!! Thanks for this excellent suggestion.