Seasonal adjustments

Recently, tomorrow’s planned activity was going to be spraying Roundup on the poison ivy that’s growing along the wood’s edge on the hill behind the house. After reading a suggestion that Roundup kills ivy best if applied in early summer, I’m contemplating deferring spraying for at least a week. Meteorological summer begins Saturday, June 1. That’s also the last day of our community supported agriculture [CSA] farm’s spring greens season. Summer CSA shares start on June 15, and summer solstice is less than a week later on Thursday, June 20. All of which suggests to me that the week before Father’s Day might be a better time for ivy spraying, if we get some dry days. There’s plenty of other activities that need my attention between now and then.

the dawning of a new season?

Photo by J. Harrington

I’m working at adjusting my approach to life so I don’t constantly bounce from one perceived critical deadline to another. As Lao Tzu tells us “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” Another wise soul, Heidi Barr, shares insights with us at her newsletter, Ordinary Collisions. Today’s issue, Signal Fires & Dark Times, Collisions of Declining Baselines, struck me as being particularly relevant to the times we living through. You might want to follow the link and take a peek. I’m becoming convinced that my “natural response” to much of what’s going on in the world could well be counterproductive. Reading Barr and others like her helps me reground myself so I can try to accomplish something worthwhile and not just complain about all that’s wrong. Who knows, someday I may even manage to get my stacks of books organized. 

To return to the question of when summer begins, today I bought ice cream to make ice cream cones. Once I’ve eaten the first cone of the season, summer has officially started in our house, at least for me. Will I eat a cone tonight? Check back tomorrow to find out.

Bleezer’s Ice Cream

Jack Prelutsky
1940 – 

I am Ebenezer Bleezer,
I run BLEEZER’S ICE CREAM STORE,
there are flavors in my freezer
you have never seen before,
twenty-eight divine creations
too delicious to resist,
why not do yourself a favor,
try the flavors on my list:

COCOA MOCHA MACARONI
TAPIOCA SMOKED BALONEY
CHECKERBERRY CHEDDAR CHEW
CHICKEN CHERRY HONEYDEW
TUTTI-FRUTTI STEWED TOMATO
TUNA TACO BAKED POTATO
LOBSTER LITCHI LIMA BEAN
MOZZARELLA MANGOSTEEN
ALMOND HAM MERINGUE SALAMI
YAM ANCHOVY PRUNE PASTRAMI
SASSAFRAS SOUVLAKI HASH
SUKIYAKI SUCCOTASH
BUTTER BRICKLE PEPPER PICKLE
POMEGRANATE PUMPERNICKEL
PEACH PIMENTO PIZZA PLUM
PEANUT PUMPKIN BUBBLEGUM
BROCCOLI BANANA BLUSTER
CHOCOLATE CHOP SUEY CLUSTER
AVOCADO BRUSSELS SPROUT
PERIWINKLE SAUERKRAUT
COTTON CANDY CARROT CUSTARD
CAULIFLOWER COLA MUSTARD
ONION DUMPLING DOUBLE DIP
TURNIP TRUFFLE TRIPLE FLIP
GARLIC GUMBO GRAVY GUAVA
LENTIL LEMON LIVER LAVA
ORANGE OLIVE BAGEL BEET
WATERMELON WAFFLE WHEAT

I am Ebenezer Bleezer,
I run BLEEZER’S ICE CREAM STORE,
taste a flavor from my freezer,
you will surely ask for more.

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