Hilary Clinton’s now-famous quote — “I believe in a zone of privacy” — made at a press conference to promote her 2003 memoir, Living History, referred to the media’s exposure of public figures.
But in the country, privacy is about your neighbors. Our nearest visible neighbor is across a field about 150 yards from our house. 
We lost a couple of trees in Hurricane Juan (2004) and Read the rest of this entry »
Part of rural living, especially in more remote areas, is the simplification of your approach to life. Living so close to the natural world–hanging out clothes on the line, growing your own vegetables, watching the deer in the fields–makes you aware of things that are not real.
Take toys, for example. Read the rest of this entry »
I missed National Hang Out Day this year (April 19th) because I was sick. No, I wouldn’t have been hanging out with my girlfriends or hanging around the local mall.
National Hang Out Day is an effort supported by Project Laundry List to promote cheap, low-tech, easy to install solar dryers – that is, hanging out laundry to line dry.
You may not like the idea of seeing your neighbors’ undies flapping in the breeze. Read the rest of this entry »
One of the bonuses of our rural community is that it is on the Atlantic coast. (In Nova Scotia most of us are not far from the ocean. The province is very nearly an island.)
The government of Nova Scotia limits the fishing seasons and rotates them throughout the various areas of the province. Although lobster is being fished throughout the summer, the fisherman in our area have only May & June to haul them in. So lobster season is here on the North Shore! Read the rest of this entry »
On a quick run to the village today, I saw two separate groups of deer – perhaps two dozen in all. This time of year, they are seen frequently, foraging in the open as the weather improves & the supply of food in the woodland is exhausted from winter feeding.
I still get a little thrill each time I see these graceful creatures. We sometimes spot them in the open field across the road from the house, or in the hay field out beyond the back of our property. They don’t come near our house too much – I think the scent & sound of the dogs keeps them away. So I don’t have to worry about losing my garden to these ruminants.
Others aren’t so lucky. Read the rest of this entry »
In the cities of the northern hemisphere, early April’s milder weather often brings an end to wearing boots – especially for adults who won’t be playing in the mud.
I remember that I couldn’t wait to get out of winter footwear & place my daintily shod feet in new spring shoes directly on dry pavement. Or wet pavement, for that matter. It hardly made a difference unless there was snow – and it was actually accumulating. Oh, I suppose there might be a few who still actually wear town boots
with the stiletto heel & fine leather uppers.
Spring footwear in the country, though, is a different game altogether. Read the rest of this entry »
Last night we were storm-stayed again–for the third time this month. Isn’t that a charming term? We’re made to stay inside by the storm.
In actual fact, all the doors are snowed in at least knee high and the path to the car is drifted to my chest. (If, indeed, the car is out there – we can’t see any sign of it anymore.) So storm-stayed we are.
All of our friends in urban, commerce-driven Read the rest of this entry »
