After a Boisterous Wind

For three days the wind has been boisterous, which is bad enough. For most of that time it also hurled rain about on a whim. It was at least relatively mild temperature-wise. You learn to count your blessings with the weather up here especially as it goes into winter which is noted both for the long dark and bad tempered winds.

It was the first chance to make the acquaintance of the winter winds in this new house. The settleing or resettling of wood and floors compounded by the fact that we are sitting fairly exposed meant that doors would open and close with the gusts. Not desperate banging of doors just quietly opening and bouncing a bit as it settled back into equilibrium. Our joiner has been working away at the doors to get them settled into alignment, so it should be a relatively easy and quick fix.

The previous owner, by her own admission, was not a gardener so there is little to break the window and this is not the season for putting too much into the ground. Hedges and trees and bushes will help in time but just now I find myself watching the willow trees dancing a tarantella in the boisterous wind. The previous owner no doubt planted them with great hopefulness for their rapid growth and sturdy habit, even in our blustery climate and they have done their best to accommodate, but they need a little help. I am reluctant to trim them because I like watching their wild dance and prefer even that little buffer to the winds. Without bidding, the image of my little acer planted in the shelter of the walled garden comes to mind. It went from one leaf to three and last year it even changed colours with its few leaves looking for all the world to me like a Canadian flag. I hope the new owners will recognize the virtue in a little tree and encourage it as I will work with these willows here.

We planted two rowans--gifts from dear friends--in the tradition that rowans keep witches away, or, perhaps of more immediate use the fact that they are sturdy, beautiful, and offer shelter and food for birds. Right now those two are riding out the winds like the masthead on a sailing ship. I need to get some protection for them if I expect them to return the favour.