March 2026 - On The Mountain

Thank you so much for reading, commenting, liking and subscribing 💫

For the first time in six winters, we didn’t get snowed-in.
My cheeks tingle as I warm up by the evening fire, sun-kissed and wind-whipped all at once. My rosiness is caused by a combination of bright, cold and windy days. It comes as a bit of a surprise, but I’m glad spring is here, in all of its unpredictable glory.

My 4-foot fences never disappeared under the snow. ; we put tire chains on the truck only once, for fun. The snowmobiles are parked for the summer (I was still riding until April 19th last year).
Being isolated and stuck for at least a couple of months had become my normal. This year, the mountain is teaching me something different. I don’t know exactly what, yet.

The light spectrum is noticeably changing. Blues and greys are being replaced by pinks and yellows, and the world is becoming vibrant. Plants need different light spectrums, and watching the world shift colour makes me even more excited for this year’s garden.

Nature decides what can be done and when. It’s taken time to learn to read the signs and grasp opportunities as they present themselves, but now it feels natural. The early bare ground has brought an opportunity to get a head start, and though winter wasn’t what I expected, I’m glad I allowed myself to winter and took a break before things get very busy.

Though the ground is still frozen, the grasses and underbrush are dry, making it the perfect time to do more burning and fire remediation. Cutting and dragging trees and branches to the fire for days on end is a bit tedious, but seeing more area open up for gardening is downright thrilling. It’s a long day’s work, but once the snow is gone and the grass has dried, burning will be too dangerous.

Naturally knowing what needs to happen at particular times feels good.

I enjoyed a quiet week to myself while Curt went to the coast to see family and take care of things. Days were spent splitting firewood, filtering drinking water, and dealing with the inevitable curveballs this mountain throws at me when I’m alone. The week came with a jolt of cold weather, snow, and wind, allowing me a reason to stay indoors. I spent my spare time prioritizing future projects and keeping up with daily chores.

With false spring finally behind us, days are consistently warm, but nights are not. The soft, mucky ground in the yard freezes overnight, thawing midday. It makes getting around tricky and a bit chaotic. We’ve both taken a couple of tumbles, which thankfully still means brushing ourselves off and laughing about it.

The upper spring flows during the day and has filled a 1,000L water tote over 3 days.

With no snowmelt left to catch, having it is a relief - we’re down to 250L and only a couple of showers away from empty.

Putting the dried berries I picked up the hillside from the house into my oatmeal has been okay, but I just found the best way to use my big jar of dried Thimbleberries and Huckleberries. Mixed with quick oats, peanut butter, honey, and vanilla, then pressed into bars, it really highlights their flavour. The thimbleberries have a nice crunch, while the huckleberries have a great chew and get stuck in your teeth.

The time is here, and I am thrilled. I went through all of our seeds, organized them and set aside the first ones to start. Tomatoes, perennial herbs, some melons and gourds are all started in the front window. Curt started a bunch of peppers, since I love spicy food, I really hope they germinate.

I started sweet potatoes by half-submerging old sweet potatoes from the pantry into water. I started them too early, but at least they make a beautiful houseplant. Even before April, some of my cucumbers have already sprouted from saved seeds.

Three of my rabbit does (Heather, Foxy, and Tart) are due to kindle in the first week of April. In preparation, I made them new nesting boxes. When I gave Heather her new nest box, she excitedly began pulling out fur - a sure sign little bunnies are on the way. I noticed in her excitement, she completely balded a spot on one of her forelegs.

So that she wouldn’t have to pull too much more fur, I picked dried grass for her to use in the nest. She eagerly grabbed it from me in a big bunch and put it into her new nest box. How many will she have? The last time Foxy kindled, she had fourteen.

If Heather, Foxy and Tart each had ten, the bunny population could quickly jump from 6 to 36.

I’m feeling more comfortable than ever on the mountain. When I need to do something like making new nest boxes, I feel competent picking up the tools, naturally knowing which criteria need to be followed and getting the job done without frustration. It’s a good feeling, being comfortable and at ease on the mountain.

Starting from bare land and now having places (like the wood shop and barn) to put things is a dream. Beginning to put focus on more aesthetic things, like placing rocks around garden beds, is an amazing feeling. I never want this place to feel ordinary, but finding a rhythm here, something comfortable and close to normal, feels great.