Yesterday I had a visit from a young lad, Trevin and his Mum, looking for some good things to ease them through the last of the summer months. I well remember how - at age 11 - it seemed that summer stretched on forever. Not any more... 

It's amazing that it was over 15 years ago that I started the Cowichan Lavender Initiative - and the Cowichan Festival of Lavender - largely because it's such useful and hardy plant in our dry summers. Little did I know back in 2000 that we'd be experiencing the worst drought in over a century in 2015. 

The extended drought here in Cowichan at least meant that (for once) I fully beat the rain and harvested and distilled all the lavender - whew! Here's the last of many hundreds of baskets' worth, cut in the peak of the heat (45 celsius on my deck for days!) - that's gotta be worth a few calories burned!

So the plants and I were able to really soak up the downpour when it finally came this weekend and feel no regrets whatsoever. It was a perfect day to get caught up on production - lip balms, presided over by one of my Kitchen Goddesses - the Gay Obachan - who reminds me to find joy in wearing an apron (and other Small  Things)... 

After the weekend's rain I can hear the lawnmowers starting up around the village for the first time in months.... nothing much beyond 'clocks' to cut. But the Montbretia certainly appreciated the watering, along with the rest of us. 

Fortunately, I managed to get my wee pond into healthier shape (plants plants plants!) so I haven't been troubled by mozzies since the June swarms. But that gave me the opportunity to check (yet again) the efficacy of Bug Her Off! and I can attest that it really does work! So given that the last bottle went off with young Trevin and his Mum yesterday, I think that has to be up next on the production list. Back to the apron... 

http://dragonflydreaming.com/products/bug-her-off