Here's to you, Ruth Shipman.
I was roaming around back country roads the morning of
this writing, camera in hand, when I spotted a broad-brimmed straw hat, just a
bit higher than the charming picket fence surrounding a luscious garden. Someone
was working in their garden - what a great photo op! I braved the barking dog
to make my way to the garden. Halfway there, I heard someone calling my name.
Surprise! The behatted gardener knew me.
Second surprise! It was Ruth Shipman. Ruth and I were
fellow marchers in the World March of Women in 2000. That's where we met. And
then we made contact now and again over the years - just often enough for me to
know that when Ruth meets a worthy cause, she tackles it with alacrity and
energy.
And she has found a new cause: Milkweed and Monarchs.
Yes, someone did read the Rachel Writes column of two
weeks ago - Thank you, Ruth! I wrote about how the Monarch butterfly migration
to Mexico and back is on the point of collapse. And about how we contribute to
that collapse by so diligently destroying the one plant they depend on -
milkweed.
The Monarchs lay their eggs on milkweed plants. As
caterpillars, they eat the milkweed leaves. That's where they cocoon, and
that's what saves them from being eaten by predators - their milkweed food
makes them taste so bad no one wants to eat them.
I remarked how diligently we cut down roadside
vegetation, including milkweed. Ironically, on my way to Ruth's place, I passed
the monster mower doing its job along her road. And that's the first thing Ruth
said to me. "We should have talked to them before they mowed!"
Milkweed likes sunny spots to grow in. That explains
its affinity for roadsides. But not all the plants have been mowed down, and if
you look for them, you can find their broad leaves and distinctive seedpods.
Ruth had already researched how to collect the seeds for planting next year.
The window of opportunity is about right now - you have to act with alacrity to
capture the seeds before they sail away on their silky parachutes, or comas.
They sail away as soon as the pods split open.
Here's what to do. Once you've located a plant, check
it every day. As soon as the pods have turned brown and before they split open,
put a bag over the pods and shake the seeds into the bag. You can also tie the
bag over the pods and come back to retrieve it later. Another trick is to tie a
rubber band or zip-tie around the seed pod. That prevents the seeds from
ejecting when the pod splits open.
You
can't rush it. If you squeeze a pod and it doesn't open easily, it doesn't
usually contain mature brown seeds. If they're not brown and hard,
they won't germinate next spring.
If you've picked a whole pod, the next step is to dry
the pods in an open area with good air circulation. Strip the seeds and their
comas from the pod before they fly away, and put them in a paper bag. Shake the
bag vigorously to separate the seeds from their comas. Then cut a small hole in
a bottom corner of the bag and shake out the seeds.
Store the dried seeds in a cool dry place protected
from mice and insects - for example, in a sealed plastic bag or other container
in the refrigerator.
Next week, I'll explore the next step - the mysterious
vernalization. Or you can read all about it at www.monarchwatch.org.
And next spring you can find Ruth's abode by the
border of milkweed plants alongside her lane. And, we hope, the Monarch
butterflies in her garden.
MYRNA'S YOGA
Myrna MacDonald's light yoga classes start Tuesday,
September 16, at 10 a.m. at the Sawyerville Community Centre, 6 Church Street. Bring your own mat. Info: 819-875-5393.
GARDEN YOGA
Jennifer McMullin continues the outdoor yoga sessions
at the Sawyerville Community Garden every Monday and Thursday at 7 p.m. Bring
your own mat or blanket to lie on. Everybody is welcome, and it is free.
GARDEN VEGGIES
The Sawyerville Community Garden is offering its
surplus vegetables free for the taking. Look for the box on a table in front of
the garden, and gratefully take what you need. I hear there's "a ton of
tomatoes."
ROAST TURKEY
The Sawyerville Annual Roast Turkey supper is afoot.
There will be turkey with all the trimmings, homemade rolls, pies and
beverages, thanks to the Sawyerville United Church. Their kitchen is abuzz with
all the preparations for a feast for some 400 people. It's at the Sawyerville
Catholic Church, 6 Randboro Road, on Thursday, September 4, starting at 4:30
p.m. All for the little price of $12 per adult, and $6 per child aged 6 to 10.
Yum.
CHURCH SERVICES
Anglican: All are welcome to a Deanery
Service at the St. Barnabas Church in North Hatley on August 30 at 10 a.m. No
Anglican services will be in the Haut-Saint-François on that day.
Starting in September, Sunday services are at 9:30 a.m. in Bury and 11 a.m.
in Cookshire. And the annual harvest celebration is at St. John's Church in
Brookbury on September 7 at 6 p.m. - the last chance this year to worship at
this beautiful little historic church. Visitors welcome (819-239-6902).
Baptist: In
Sawyerville, the worship service is at 9 a.m. in French, and 11 a.m. in
English. Sunday school is at 10 a.m. in English and French. The bi-weekly and
bilingual Children's Community Club meets on Saturday August 30 and September
13 and 27, from 2 to 3:30 p.m., at the church, 33 Cookshire St. (819-239-8818).
United: Sunday service and Sunday
school are at East Clifton United Church on August 31 at 10:30 a.m. Check
message at 819-889-2838 for service location on September 7. Also, the United
Eaton Valley Pastoral charge is now on Facebook. Use it to learn about upcoming
events and more, or to contact the minister, Rev. Tami Spires.
Do you have news to share? Call
819-300-2374 or email ra.writes@gmail.com by September 2 for publication September 10 and by September 15 for September 24.
