PLANTING SEEDS

from Hello Country Magazine - May 2021 Edition

PUBLISHER’S NOTE...p

LOUELLA MARTIN

& Nadine the Cow

How does a seed become a plant – a flower? It is really nothing short of a miracle, mostly performed in the dark, where no one can see.

Much of gardening is really an act of faith. We fling the seeds into the soil, cover them up tenderly, pray for rain and hover closely waiting and watching for the first shoots to pop through.

Would you garden if you knew everything that went into it when you first started? The careful watching and wondering, the weeding, the hoeing, the watering, the harvesting. And you do it all again and again and again.

Would you do it?

How does a baby become a child – an adult? How really does it happen?

Much of parenting is really an act of faith. We tend to our fragile little babies so carefully, rock them, feed them, cuddle them, watching and worrying over them. Yet in a sense, it is a lot like flinging seeds into the soil, praying over them, and hovering closely. For how long? Years?

Would you choose to become a parent if you knew everything that went into it when you first started?

The careful tending of helpless life, the sleepless nights, the messes, the crying, the toddler meltdowns, the shrill voices, the never-ending noise. And it all happens again and again and again.

Would you do it?

Would you garden if you knew everything that went into it when you first started?

Oh, but have you ever tasted fresh peas, straight off the vines? Carrots with the dirt hastily brushed off? Sun-ripened tomatoes still warm? (OK ,well I don’t actually like tomatoes but fresh strawberries??!). Have you ever straightened your aching back after an hour of weeding and hoeing, picking and watering, and looked around yourself and thought, “This grew under my care. I planted, God grew, I’m harvesting this bounty.”

Would you do it?

Would you choose to become a parent if you knew everything that went into it when you first started? Oh, but have you ever had little hands wrapped around your neck, experienced the joy of first smiles, first steps, first words, small hands tucked into yours? Have you ever gone on a walk with a small child and really listened to them and have seen the world through their eyes?

How does a baby become a child – an adult? How really does it happen? It is really nothing short of a miracle.

We have a long way to go before our first child nears adulthood but we’ve only blinked a couple of times and she’s already almost five.

Would you do it? I know my answer!

LOUELLA MARTIN Azure Highlands Family Homestead Markdale, ON azurehighlandshomestead@gmail.com

Louella lives on a small regenerative farm with her husband and two children. Besides writing, she loves farming and raising high quality meat products from well raised animals. She can be found at their farm, probably outside somewhere. Find more information by going to their website, www.azurehighlandshomestead.com

Spring has finally sprung and with the current discounts available at Huron Tractor, now is the time to get into a new riding mower.

With great cash discounts, no payment, no interest options and great financing options, a new mower is now more affordable than ever. With many options to choose from, we are sure to have a mower for every yard.

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TYSON RIER

Salesman Huron Tractor - Chatsworth 226.668.8757

12 MONTHS, NO PAYMENTS, NO INTEREST* X300 Series Lawn Tractors

CHATSWORTH | 802802 Grey Road 40 | (519) 794-2480 HuronTractor.com | The Right Choice

*Offer valid from 02 March 2021 to 03 May 2021. For purchases on your Multi-Use Account. Offer is unconditionally interest free for the first 12 months. After the 12-month period, for eligible purchases of goods and services: 1) a minimum monthly payment of 2.5% of the original amount financed is required (see example below); and 2) finance/ credit charges will begin to accrue immediately on amount financed at 17.9% per annum. Minimum purchase and finance amount may be required. No down payment required. Monthly statement of account provided. Representative Amount Financed (“RAF”): $1,000, at 17.9% APR/ACR, monthly payment is $25.34 for 60 months, total obligation is $1,520.40, cost of borrowing based on RAF is $520.40. Monthly payments and cost of borrowing will vary depending on amount borrowed and down payment. MSRP cash price based on highest priced product in series as of January 1, 2020 is $9,149 (includes delivery, freight, set-up and a $50 documentation fee), plus taxes. Representative amount does not guarantee offer applies. In the event you default on this or any Multi-Use Account transaction, interest on all outstanding balances (including all Special Promotion Transactions) will begin to accrue immediately at 19.75% per annum from the date of default until paid in full, and you will be required to make monthly payments on this transaction equal to 2.5% of the original amounts financed plus interest. Dealers are free to set individual prices. Additional dealer fees may apply. Financing on approved John Deere Financial credit only and dealer participation. See dealer for details. Limited time offer which may not be combined with other offers. Discounts or other incentives may be available for cash purchases. By selecting the purchase financing offer, consumers may be foregoing such discounts and incentives which may result in a higher effective interest rate. Supporting Local Farms & Businesses In Grey Highlands

“Museum Rob”

I love finding old stuff for free on the curb in the Springtime. I mount these paintings (oil on board) by removing them from their frames (which are almost always heavily damaged and bulky) and using frameless mirror clips and screws. This method is simple and cheap, and it allows the painting to speak for itself.

This first painting is oil on board, and was found for $4 at a yard sale in Flesherton. The seller had put it out for sale for 4 years consecutively with no interest. I love it. It’s probably from the 1950s, and I enjoy the rocky, Tom Thompson-y vibe.

This next painting is deeply textured oil on board, found for free, curbside in Durham. I love the colours, texture and motion. This final painting was found, appropriately, near the shore of Lake Ontario in Niagara on the Lake. It was put out with the recycling for waste removal. It’s hanging in the laundry room, and I love the image, which reminds me of a road trip to Peggy’s Cove.