Swan Sanctuary

There is something about an October sky, so clear and so blue. The brilliant colors of turning leaves create a striking contrast to the cerulean blue. Early last week we had such a day, ahead of a severe drop  in temperature and a long, soaking rain. Rain turning to snow is what they had predicted, but fortunately, we were spared from the white stuff. We had our first fall frost on the 13th, nearly a month later than our “average first fall frost.” We are seeing more and more evidence of global warming. We are heading back into the 70℉’s today and into Indian summer; which to be politically correct, we now refer to as second summer.

Second summers are a gift bestowed by the gods. We are given extra time to complete our preparations for the long months of winter. For me, this is the time to get garlic and spring flowering bulbs tucked snugly into the fertile earth. It is the time to make an extra effort to appreciate the present moment. It is the perfect time to take long walks and feel the sun’s warmth on my face. 

When I was growing up, fall was the time to delve into deep cleaning. Windows were washed in order to have a clear view out of them while winter weather kept us house bound. It was the time to store summer bedding and pull out the warm blankets and quilts. We traded our sleeveless summer nightgowns for flannels.

I still try to uphold some of those fall traditions; but I am taking time to enjoy the October sky and to listen for the Sandhill cranes as they fly overhead to reach their wintering grounds. The thought crossed my mind this morning: what if this is the last autumn I will ever see? None of us knows how much “time” we have. Now that I am in my 70s, I know it is more important than ever to savor the moments. I am in the autumn of my life, the time for slowing down and the time to revel in second summers.

For the past four and a half months I have spent at least half of every day out of doors. Gardening. This past week I have been in a race against time, to complete projects and bring in outdoor decor, hoses, and other things that require protection from winter weather. My work included implementing three raised beds, filling them with compost that had been cooking all season long, and then filling them to the top with soil. They should be perfect for planting when spring arrives again.

Last night, I watched a program on PBS about Maine. People who live in Maine love the cold. They don’t hole up in their houses all winter long. They get outside, brace for the cold, and experience Nature at her best – or worst – depending on your point of view. As one woman explained, you put on layers and layers of clothing until you almost can’t bend over. These people actually go out and have fun – skiing, ice skating, snowshoeing, even working – doing almost every winter activity you can think of. One group of women actually walk out, in swimsuits, into 40 degree water, in the middle of February, affirming that it is healthy for the body and the soul.

I spend more time outside than the majority of people. I love to be outside. Even when I was caring for swans, filling feeders in the frigid cold, I did not mind. As long as I was moving about, I stayed relatively warm. I think it is sad that so many people spend nearly all of their time indoors. They are completely disconnected from nature in an artificial environment. It is almost as if they have Velcro attached to their bottoms, keeping them tethered to their sofas or their desks, while their eyes are glued to their computer screens, TV’s, and smartphones.

We all need to get outside more. In fact, we should make it a point to spend time out of doors every single day. We all know intuitively that interacting with Nature keeps us grounded, keeps us happy, relieves stress and anxiety, and ensures a better night’s sleep. I could never be a “Mainer”, but if I am to remain healthy and not descend into gloom and despair over the coming months, I will need to find ways to make friends with the cold. Instead of resisting the bitter winds, I will head into them. I have always wanted to go snowshoeing. Although I would prefer to do so in a forest, I will not let the lack of trees here deter me. This winter, I intend to get outside and give snowshoeing a try.

I have grown increasingly disturbed by the number of wars being fought around the world. These wars are based on political agenda, ethnic cleansing, and religious disagreement, as well as gang violence, terrorism, and drug wars. Every day the news is filled with conflicts and death tolls. Nearly 7 million refugees from Syria, and 6 million each from Ukraine and Afghanistan, are fleeing from their native homes to safer terrain. New fighting has now broken out in Israel and it seems that there is no end to these wars. Turkey, parts of Europe – especially Germany – the United States, Canada, and some smaller countries offer refuge to those fleeing for the safety of themselves and their families. Many of these countries are overwhelmed by the volume of people entering them. 

Our world is becoming “smaller” not only because of the sheer number of human beings living on it, but also because those places that have been blown up by bombs have become uninhabitable. Added to all of the human caused devastation, are the frequent natural disasters. It is a grim situation. I listen to NPR News or BBC World News only a few times a week. I listen only in the evening because I do not want to begin a brand new day with so much depressing news. 

The wars around the world are concentrated mainly in smaller countries and in Africa. Most of Europe, North America, and Russia are not engaged in these wars – at least not on their own turf. However; they remain involved in these foreign wars, either actually or monetarily.

The U.S. has provided military aid in the form of  nearly $100 billion dollars to Ukraine, to buy weapons and ammunition. Ukraine continues to ask for more. This, in my mind, is the problem. We have used Earth’s resources to make guns and bombs. Bombs, unlike face to face combat, destroy life for miles around. They do not destroy only human life and human surroundings; they destroy trees and most every living thing in the vicinity. In short, they destroy life. 

The billions of dollars spent on military, guns, and other lethal weapons, might have been spent instead, to fund environmental agencies wishing to heal our planet, to replant forests, and to bring back biodiversity. They could have been spent to feed the hungry. They could have been spent to spread peace instead of hate. 

I am fortunate to live in a country that is not war-torn, but, I wonder, for how long? How long can we remain insulated from the violence that is all around us? How do we stop it from infiltrating the minds of our youth, through social media? With the increased violence in our schools, is it just a matter of time before that violence escalates? With a divided political party and politicians who stoop to verbal assaults, instead of having mature conversation, is it only a matter of time before it turns to real fighting?

Many of the refugees have looked up to our country as a democratic ideal. This is why so many have chosen to emigrate here. This is now our opportunity to show the world what we are really made of. Will our country be everything they had hoped for – or will it become another nightmare?

While I remain focused on chores I still have to do in the garden, before the weather puts an end to my endeavors, I must occasionally stop to survey all that I have accomplished. In just four months, I have transformed a small space of a handful of weed species and sickly grass, into a thriving polyculture. The soil here is the worst I have ever encountered. It consists mostly of rock, ranging from pea sized to as large as a cantaloupe. Almost completely devoid of life, except for an occasional worm found several inches below the surface, it seemed almost futile to attempt making a garden. The only insects that I encountered were emerging grasshoppers, pill bugs, and a slew of house flies. Where, I wondered, were the bees?

Having learned from past experience that cardboard alone does not inhibit grass and weeds for long, I hand weeded the entire 400 square foot backyard. I added soil amendments and designed in-ground garden areas for perennials, herbs, and vegetables. Slowly, but surely, the pollinators and predatory insects began to arrive. It was not until late August that I finally saw, to my delight, a bumblebee.

During my spare time I have been reading about hymenoptera (bees, wasps, and ants.) I now have a much better understanding of these indispensable garden companions. For instance, I now know that it is the bumblebee, not the honey bee, that provides pollination for tomato plants. And, it is most likely the reason my one tomato plant, that was loaded with blossoms, never produced tomatoes. I had not had the time to begin tomatoes from seed, as usual; so I purchased one on clearance in late spring. I did get plenty of green beans, loads of cucumbers, and of course, an ample supply of zucchini. Having come to understand more about pollinators and the vital service that they provide (for free) I am seeing my insects in a whole new way. I learned that bees have 5 eyes! I learned that you can tell a male bee from a female by the number of segments on its abdomen (7 for males and 6 for females.) It is only the females that sting and only a few species that sting. The males often die after mating, which is their sole purpose in life. Some species, like the honey bee, are social; but many are solitary. Certain plants require host-specific pollinators because they have just the right size and shape mouthpart to access the nectar and pollen within the flower. In other words, it takes several different plants to satisfy a variety of different insects, thus the importance of planting many different plants together.

My own yard now boasts over 45 different plants. In a couple of weeks I will be adding six spring blooming flower bulbs, and also garlic, to keep my insects happy and provide them with plenty of food when they emerge in the spring. I have transformed this yard, this monoculture of grass that is surrounded on all sides by more monocultures of grass, into one that is literally buzzing with life. If I can heal this small, damaged space all by myself, think what a lot of people could do for our planet, with a little effort. When we give Nature a chance, she can rebound at a startling pace. We just need to invite her back.

Years ago, when I took my cat to be spayed, I asked the vet why they could not do a simple tubal ligation, instead of removing the entire uterus and ovaries. I was told that the tubes could grow back together and the cat could still get pregnant. Here is the thing though: I had a female cat who was pregnant while I was pregnant with my youngest daughter. Her kittens were born first. While I was giving birth (at home) she lay at the end of the bed, nursing her newborn kittens. It was a beautiful moment. Shortly thereafter, I took her to be spayed. To my dismay, upon her return she would have nothing more to do with her kittens, in spite of the fact that they were not yet weaned. I gave away one of the two kittens, but the one I kept was needy and insecure.

Fast forward several years and that mother cat became insatiably hungry. I took her to the vet, thinking perhaps she had worms; but I was told she had hypothyroid. The thyroid apparently is where hormones are (or are not) produced. The doctor prescribed a pill which I then had to give her for the remainder of her life.

I currently have a two year old male cat. I (dutifully) had him neutered shortly after I adopted him, when he was about six months old. He has been exhibiting the same behavior as my previous female cat, acting like he is starving regardless how much I feed him. These days we have Google at our disposal whenever we want to know something. My search told me that hyperthyroidism occurs mainly in older cats. I have been giving him ground pumpkin seeds as a dewormer, in case the problem is parasites, but it is not helping. Time to consult Google again.

It turns out that the main reason veterinarians do not perform the less invasive tubal ligations and vasectomies is because they are not taught to do them in vet school! The truth is that tubal ligation and vasectomy on cats can be easily accomplished with the proper knowledge and instruments, but they will not do these because (their excuse) is that it doesn’t remove “hormonally influenced behaviors.” Not all pet spays and neuters result in hormonal imbalances, but I suspect that many of them do. I think it may depend upon the timing in the cat’s hormonal cycles that affect the outcome. Women who undergo hysterectomies are required to take hormones for the rest of their lives; but cats are run through the factory of the vet’s busy day and sent home. Clearly, the pharmaceutical giants are behind this. Women taking hormones, and cats having to be on meds for life, is ensuring their profits – not to mention that major surgeries cost considerably more than the less invasive ones.

I have managed to steer clear of medical doctors for most of my life. I am angry and frustrated now that I know the veterinarians in which I had entrusted the care of my cats, have actually caused their suffering. There are three possible ways for treating hyperthyroidism in cats. The least expensive (costing between $600 and $900 a year) is the administration of the drug methimazole. The second choice is injecting radioactive iodine (costing between $1,685 to $1,910.) The third choice is surgery, which may require multiple surgeries (costing several thousand dollars!) I will, of course, seek out a holistic vet and natural hormonal supplementation for my cat; the fact that I have been lied to yet again has put me on high alert.