WATER, A GIFT, A RIGHT, A COMMODITY

I've been complaining about the rainy weather lately. It reminded  me of a poem I wrote on November 18, 2005.  All this rain has played havoc with our hay harvest and we are not alone. Many of my outdoor plans had to be put on hold until the rain stopped. While we have frequent rain, somewhere on our beautiful planet, there are places where it has not rain for a long time.  Thursday was sunny and dry with a beautiful breeze,  and today is starting out sunny as well but we're supposed to get showers and a severe thunder storm so I got a lot of yard work done already this morning...

In November 2005, I was at a retreat at Villa Madonna Retreat House in St John N.B. and I was looking for some guidance from my spiritual advisor at our first one on one meeting. I had some expectations even though I can't remember what they were at the time, but instead she told me to write a poem on water.

Prior to the meeting we had a presentation on the misuse of water and the selling of bottled water. Big companies are reaping huge profit from selling water. I wasn't prepared to write a poem. I wanted something more earth shattering. None the less,  I reluctantly obeyed and retreated to a rather small bedroom which had a single bed, a chair, a desk with lamp and a sink.  There was a crucifix on the wall  and a window.  No distraction there so I took pen to paper and one word came at a time. Just like a slow drip, drip, drip. I was trying to think of anything that had to do with water, more like brain storming...

I wasn't impressed in the least. When it was time to meet with my spiritual advisor again I said downheartedly,  I'm sorry but I just couldn't come up with much.
She asked me to read it to her anyway. So I started to read. After a little while I look up to read the expression on her face and I saw that she had her eyes closed and her hand was flowing in rhythm to her heart, taking it all in. I felt a bit more encouraged. I had never written a poem like this before so it was all new to me. I'll share it with you today for those who have oo much rain and those who don't have any.

WATER, A GIFT, A RIGHT, A COMMODITY
Oceans, seas, lakes, rivers and streams
Babbling brooks, water falls, puddles, wells and pools
Geysers, clouds and rain torrents
Currents and waves, drip, drip, drip
Glaciers and ponds, hot springs, cool springs, juices, ice

Who will give me water for my tears?
Who will provide water for my precious cargo? Dehydrated womb
Who will provide water for my blistered hands and feet?
My tongue is cleaving to my palate. Thirst

Who will provide water for my pused pimples, for my sweat?

Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink
Contaminated, dehydrated, salty, dirty, mineral
Gurgles, spittle
Who hears my cry? I have no tears left.

Lines and lines of bottled water,
Profit margin, stocks and bonds, truck loads
Warehouses full.
Soft and hard, clear and fresh. Who will buy my water?

Soaked, drenched, down pour
Going under, swimming
How will I get across?
Where will I go for a cruise?
Mirror image, glass full or half empty

Water, a gift, a right, a commodity

Baptism, Holy, shared and poured
Come bathe in my pool.
Come and get the water of Life, refresh yourself
Pool of miracles, well of salvation

Here, let me wash your feet

Millions of snowflakes falling, glistening and not two the same
Snow angels, foot print to follow, season of hope
Frozen breath, storms, ice pellets and snow banks, slippery, thawed
Smiles on children's faces, skating, sliding, building snowmen
Curses from grumpy old folks, chilled to the bones

Flushed down, sewers, gutters, lagoons
Muddy trenches, face down, drowning, sinking down below
Foggy night, sandy deserts
Dams, submerged land once fertile
Obstruction in my path, lack of water

Open the flood gate, widen the canal, built a power plant
Irrigation, heavy water, nuclear waste
Floating, drifting, message in a bottle, tossed over board
Lost at sea, watery grave, tidal wave
Boat wrecks, desperate family waiting, hoping

Parched land, cracked, wilted green
Merciful gift from heaven, drizzle, rain, coming down
Renewing, refreshing, life giving
Renewed resources millions of years old
Thankful hearts, dancing, quenched

Drunken stupor, bloated, swollen
Caffeinated, decaffeinated, coolers
Spirited water, tea, Coca Cola
Can I offer you something to drink?
Something hot, something cold?

Water fountains, washing machines
Golden faucets, whirlpool bath, hot shower, sauna
Which one to choose,? Water bills, hydro bills
Which one to pay?

Luxurious eau de toilette, bubble bath, dish water
Soapy water, boiled, distilled, potable, deep shallow
Come fill your bucket, come fill your jar
All this for you at no cost
Gift from the creator, oasis, clear blue

Douse the fire, put out the flame
Rinse your hair, sprinkle the kids
Cool your drink, hose down the lawn
Bucket empty, well dried up
Desperation, smelly armpits


Water, a gift, a right, a commodity

By Julia Bourque
November, 18, 2005

POWER IN A BOTTLE OF HOT SAUCE

These last two weeks, we had rain and sunshine, rain and sunshine pretty well every day. Today it's been raining quite a bit but it seems that the rain is over for now. Still a very wet gloomy day.  Since I can't be outside working and it's Canada 150th Birthday and it's also Canada Day, 1st of July, I'm taking a bit of time to post on my blog. What a slacker blogger I've been...

On Monday June 26, in the afternoon, I mowed the front lawn and the side by the house and brought the mower to the back lawn. It was time to go to the barn to care for my calves and check if one of the cow had calved. I left the mower in it's tracks with the intention of finishing the job after supper.

We had a new calf, I came home from the barn extremely tired as it was hot.  I had some garlic bread and leftover spaghetti for supper, sprinkled with parmesan and some hot sauce that my daughter Christine and son in law Joe gave me.  I love hot sauce...

I hope the name doesn't offend anyone but it's called Gator's Squeezin from The Pucker Butt Company and rightly so... This sauce is very hot as it's made from Carolina Reapers hot peppers. These peppers are the world hottest peppers on the Scoville scale. We eat a lot of Cayenne pepper because it's good for our health but this sauce is much hotter than Cayenne pepper.

 So after supper I said to George, "I'm too tired to finish mowing the lawn. I'm just going to put the lawn mower in the Gazebo for the night  because it's going to rain tonight and  I'll finish the job tomorrow".

I put my hands on the handle and thought to myself, "Maybe I can mow a few strips before I put the mower away. The moment I pulled the string, the mower started and I pushed and to my surprise, I had lots of energy left and I cut the whole back lawn and even a strip around the back garden behind the hedge.  I still had some energy left... Pucker Butts Power I thought and I started to laugh out loud to myself.

I ended up with 2 bottles of this hot sauce because the other bottle was for our priest, Father Maria from India . I made him taste it on the end of a tooth pick and he found it too hot. I'm wondering how Bill my son in law has tried his bottle.  Here in Canada they are available in Ottawa at $10.00 a bottle.  If you're interested in hot sauce, you can check  the Pucker Butt Company.  They have won many awards for their hot sauces.

Now for petals and what is growing in my vegetable garden.

These photos were all taken on Monday, July 26 and the garden has grown more since then. My potatoes have blossoms on right now.

Tomatoes, parsley, sweet basil, sweet peppers, cabbage, broccoli, romaine lettuce and onions.

My end of the garden was a weed patch at one time after the strawberry patch was abandoned to weeds. I reclaimed a little part last year and again this year and I will reclaim yet another last section that you see there at the end where the tall weeds are.  I has intentioned of weeding that part last fall but it did not happened. It's full of burdocks, angelica, wild oat grass, creeping charlie, wood sorrel  and many others.

Roma tomatoes,  one cherry tomatoes and one low acid yellow tomatoes, cucumbers and zucchini. Not shown are my beans and carrots that I planted very late.

My gazebo is a messy place as I use it to shelter my gardening junk from the rain. I have soil all mulch all in bags on the seats so I have no place to sit yet. My swings are in need of a good scrub and painting. These photos were taken today in the rain.

I have two of these John Davis rose bushes, one each in memory of mom and dad. My dad love roses.

A William Baffin tall arching rose bush desperately wanting more sun.

A Grootendorst with two tones.  It's just starting blooming.

This one is called Blanc Double De Coubert and is very fragrant.

Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving a comment. It means a lot to me when you do. Gardening is hard work but I enjoy the beauty in each different flower and the goodness of fresh veggies.
Have a safe and Happy Canada Day and 150th Canada Birthday to my Canadian friends and families and happy 4th of July to my American friends.
Smiles & hugs, Julia