The planet is happy. Upshot of slowing down our lives to flatten that curve. The air and water are cleaner. Soil is richer. Birds I’ve never seen before. Seals popping their shiny, curious heads up at my secret swimming spot. The bees don’t seem to give a fuck about the pandemic - my beautiful Queens are laying up a storm and the colonies are bursting. Splitting hives and adding honey supers to keep ahead of the rascals.

And my garden. Lacinato and curly kales. Spicy mustard and mesclun greens. Pac choi, chard, lettuces and herbs. Wild arugula and spinach. Red Russian garlic - so close. Tomatoes for fall canning. Clary sage, echinacea, borage, hyssop and lavender to attract the pollinators. Cabbages and sweet peas. Sunflowers - just because they’re so damn pretty. Zuccini and radishes. Butternut squash. And a small miracle: my favourite red Kuri squash. I discovered some seeds I’d tucked away in the pocket of an old blue sundress a few years back, the first time I ate one. Heart full of love and it tasted so good. I thought there was no way they could be viable now. But patience and my stubborn streak paid off. A few rounds of trying to sprout them, and on the 3rd try, a single seedling, transplanted and growing strong now.

Growing veggies and greens, raising bees and harvesting honey. Filling bowls and jars and bellies. It’s a pleasure I don’t have words for. But I do know this: Mother Earth is a total babe…