When city life gets tough - daydream.

sea snail on bladderwrack, originally uploaded by Oceanwood.

When the grind of city noise and speed start to erode my sense of well-being, I find it is time for a sentimental daydream. I suppose I could go for one of those Grand Dreams of becoming rich and famous, or embarking on a round the world trip, or envisioning how clean and tidy my house could be if I dedicated a serious bit of time to the task. But those seemingly impossible-to-obtain daydreams don't transport me out of the hustle and bustle of city life.

My daydreams -- the ones that really pour therapeutic ointment on the "blisters" I get as I rub up against traffic, concrete, and deadlines -- need to be tiny, perfect, little moments in my memory -- like this little snail I observed one day at low tide. It was one of the first warm days of Spring; and the seaweed was absolutely fresh and glistening in the almost setting sun. Heron and gulls occasionally flew by. It was a quiet moment. The ferry was across the sound. There was only a slight wisp of a breeze. The ocean barely made a sound as it kissed the shore.

And right there -- right on the seaweed in front of my foot -- was this little world of sea life. Many tiny snails slid across huge-for-them bladderwrack pillows. And in particular, this little snail caught my attention and posed for a photo. It was so small that I could not bend down far enough to see its body outside the shell. I needed to see this photo before I could really see the tiny creature. Now looking at the photo I am there --back on the beach -- once again receiving the gifts of the Ocean's tidal abundance, the Air's gentle salty fragrance, the Sun's enchanting sparkle and warmth, and the Shore's peaceful, rocky presence.

Of course, I plan on continuing to cultivate and perfect my Grand Dreams of what accomplishments and treasures this Life could have in store for for me. But when I need to heal my body's city-weary aches and disconnection from Nature, I will set aside the Grand Ideas and, instead, reach for a tiny, little daydream to soothe my Soul.

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*******           Oceanwood Chronicles                                 credits and links             *******
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Photo credits: Photos by Jessica at Oceanwood.

Oceanwood Chronicles, copyright 2008 - Jessica at Oceanwood. Creative commons attribution, non-commercial sharing only (translation: feel free to quote me in context or use this entry but please always credit me for my work, thanks.) http://oceanwood.blogspot.com/

Do deer eat daffodils?

When we first moved part-time to Denman Island, we naively planted a garden of peas, corn, rhubarb, an apple tree, and some flower pots. In one night, while we dreamed of our summer harvest, the local deer said, "Yummmm, thank you very much!" and --except for the rhubarb --not a single sprout remained. The Denman deer must love new residents and rookie gardeners who spread out such extravagant buffets of new plants -- perfect pleasers for the discerning deer's palatte.

When we sang our surprising-to-no-one lament about our ravished garden, our wise neighbours counselled us to plant daffodils because "deer don't eat daffodils." Eager to be once again be communing with the land, we planted three varieties of daffodils. What success! We are happy to say that every year the daffodils come up wearing their glorious colours and celebrating the arrival of each new Spring; and as far as we have observed these beautiful sign posts that Winter is truly over steadfastly remain in their pots and not in the belly's of hungry deer.

So now we successfully grow daffodils, dandelions, and rhubarb -- not the crop I imagined when starting my Island garden but one that has been approved in negotiations with the local deer committee. We have since discovered that not every Denman Island daffodil gardener is so lucky. Ask around the Island and it is not hard to find stories of deer eating daffodils. So "do deer eat daffodils?" ...the inquiry continues ... but in the meantime we have discovered that asking the question is good grist for deep philosophical debate amoungst Denman Island folks.

Stayed tuned for our next rookie Island gardeners inquiry into, "Do deer think rhubarb is rhubbish?"

Read a plaintiff letter to tulip-eating-deer at http://librarianavengers.org/2006/04/06/letter-to-the-deer-that-ate-my-tulips/

Read about varieties of deer resistant plants at http://www.deer-resistant-plants.com/

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*******           Oceanwood Chronicles                                 credits and links             *******
***********************************************************************************************************

Photo credits: Photos by Jessica at Oceanwood.

Oceanwood Chronicles, copyright 2008 - Jessica at Oceanwood. Creative commons attribution, non-commercial sharing only (translation: feel free to quote me in context or use this entry but please always credit me for my work, thanks.) http://oceanwood.blogspot.com/

Wild beauty

Open up to the Wild Beauty of Denman Island.

"Wild broom blossom", originally uploaded by Oceanwood.

Do you sometimes find your eye has grown fatigued by the regimented standards of beauty we are bombarded with by the popular media? Have you wandered city streets and carefully groomed suburbs and felt uninspired by the "curbside" views? On Denman Island Mother Nature invites you to slow down and take in her Wild Beauty.

For example, the wild broom is an "invading species" that is now happily asserting its rights all over the globe. Many folks curse the dreaded broom and try to quell its zest for multiplication by uprooting it whenever possible. But heedless of humans' attempts to influence its spread, the broom proliferates abundantly with "exploding" seed pods and celebrates unabashedly with gorgeous sun-yellow blossoms. The photo here shows an unusual "spicy" red variation to the traditional yellow blossom.

I think there was a time I would have walked past this plant and just thought, "hmmmm, weed -- must remember to dig that out..." But on this day, with my camera in hand, I was riveted by the exquisite beauty and spicy individuality of this lone broom on our land. In many ways, the plant life on Denman Island offers similar "exquisite beauty and spicy individuality" if only we trade in our city vision for a fresh Island perspective. So while you are on Denman Island, slow down and really take in all the wild beauty surrounding you.

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*******           Oceanwood Chronicles                                 credits and links             *******
***********************************************************************************************************

Photo credits: Photos by Jessica at Oceanwood.

Oceanwood Chronicles, copyright 2008 - Jessica at Oceanwood. Creative commons attribution, non-commercial sharing only (translation: feel free to quote me in context or use this entry but please always credit me for my work, thanks.) http://oceanwood.blogspot.com/

Oceanwood Waterfront Home opens!

We are off to a great beginning!

"Leap of Faith", originally uploaded by Oceanwood.

We are opening our family retreat on Denman Island so others can share in the magic of Island life. This blog is for you if you are interested specifically in making reservations to stay at Oceanwood Waterfront Home or if you are just wanting to learn about natural living on a B.C. island. There's lots to learn and love about life on Denman Island.

Come back frequently to this blog to read, see photos, or listen to podcasts about Island life. Topics will include: water conservation, natural gourmet and vegetarian cooking tips, flora and fauna on Denman Island, social events, Island etiquette, the bliss of the Reusable Store, ways you can protect the sensitive Island environment, etc.

I hope you will find these blogs informative and fun, so without further ado, our blog begins...

Yours sincerely,
Jessica

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*******           Oceanwood Chronicles                                 credits and links             *******
***********************************************************************************************************

Photo credits: Photos by Jessica at Oceanwood.

Oceanwood Chronicles, copyright 2008 - Jessica at Oceanwood. Creative commons attribution, non-commercial sharing only (translation: feel free to quote me in context or use this entry but please always credit me for my work, thanks.) http://oceanwood.blogspot.com/