Yup, it’s the time of year to take some time off, relax, have fun, do a little gardening, cottage time, day trips, head to the beach, campfires, read a good book, you get the idea.
I find my business slows a little as people indulge in their right to vacation and take time out while the weather is great. And that’s a good thing. It gives me time to sit back, relax, reflect, get creative and just be in the moment.
Smoke On The Water…
On our vacation this year we went up to Manitoulin Island once again. Our second day the winds and haze started, got a sniffly nose, sneezing and dry throat. Took some allergy meds, then later on got a massive headache and went to the closest gas station and picked up some headache tablets for a crazy amount of money, but hey, whatever works at the moment. My senses were off and I was forgetting things and couldn’t find what I had just put away a few minutes earlier, what the heck was going on? This was not me, I am usually right on top of things and it was a little disconcerting.
Felt much better later in the evening. Next morning I woke early and the sky was a weird red from what I could see lying in the tent. I woke my hubby and suggested we should pack up because I thought a storm was brewing (and anyone who has camped knows that’s the worst when you have to break down/set up camp in the rain). He said wait a bit, so a little later it was still weird, so I checked weather on my phone and saw the news releases about the wildfires in Quebec and near Thunder Bay and read about the effects they have on health. Ohhhh, that’s what it was, and what caused my issues.
After we broke down camp and travelled north, all the way through the sky was eerie orange and ghostly hazy. Even our car lights came on it was that dark. Very weird feeling. As we drove north to our destination of Chutes Provincial Park, the skies cleared a bit but still a little smoky until later evening. We were able to have campfires there as it wasn’t as dry as on the island.
I thought of my friends and clients who have respiratory issues and hoped they were able to stay indoors with the air conditioning on. It is quite something to experience that, and am thankful that I am in good health.
Garden Treasures
It’s coming to that time when tomatoes are going to ripen very soon (and I’m not ready!). We’ve already pickled beets, braided onions and garlic, chopped and froze turnip for stews, made our jam for winter, made zucchini bread for an elderly friend, and had our salads laden with little red radishes, kale, different varieties of lettuce and herbs from the garden.
So once the tomatoes are ready it will be making spaghetti sauce, soups, and when tired of that, canning the rest up. When I get tired of canning, I will just blanche, chop and freeze in zipper freezer bags to save for another time, probably in winter when we make lots of stew. You know, those freezing cold days when you don’t mind the stove and oven being on most of the day. They will come soon enough, so for now, I will enjoy the heat.
August Highlites
Don’t forget to check on my Promotions page to see the special I have for August. Hope to see you soon! Enjoy the rest of your summer! Sandra
Sandra A. Murphy Reflexology 