June 2026 - On The Mountain
Wildlife, giant rabbits, gardening setbacks, and finding joy after loss.
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Having worked out the literal and figurative kinks in the water system, June started strong. The garden was growing, the days were long, and it finally felt like we could settle into summer on our little off-grid mountain homestead. Then, right at the beginning of the month, we got news that a close family member had passed away.
Wildlife Therapy
The month began with a serious low. We went for a walk to the top of the property the afternoon after hearing the news. I began to process the grief, and my mind felt fuzzy. On our walk, Curt noticed something bright yellow sitting on the tire of the truck.
”Is that a tennis ball?” he asked
I crept over to it and watched as it swayed with little fluffy breaths. In typical Amy fashion, I gave it a little poke. From behind a wing, a little head appeared, looking less than impressed. It continued to sit there, glaring, as we backed away quietly.
Deer always avoid my yard, having ample space to go around and stay out of eyeshot. One morning though, for the first time ever, this pretty doe decided to come say hi. I had no idea the cats would growl at a deer, but that’s what they did. For the following weeks, the natural world kept lifting my spirits with exceptionally magical moments and giggles from the cats.
Duck Swap
Duck eggs are amazingly nutritious, but for Curt they’re a little too nutritious. The different protein and rich yolk were too much, so we decided to replace the large egg-laying ducks with less practical but much cuter call ducks. Though cute, they still have a job - to hopefully seal the pond with their poop. So far it appears it might be working (?!). Though not full to the brim, the waterline is higher than last year.
Luci on a Leash
Summer Solstice
Though getting away from our responsibilities can be tricky, seeing our friends who live a few mountains over is something I really look forward to. Without planning - it often happens on Solstices. They live similarly to us, without power or typically running water, growing their own food and taking in the natural world around them. We met for a dip at a swimming hole they showed us last year.
As it turned out, it was the summer solstice, so we got to celebrate our way of being inadvertently tied to nature's rhythm.
The Growing Garden and Cucumber Failure
I had to try to put my cukes in the ground - they were getting too big, but now my cucumber starts are entirely gone. There were 8 - none survived. Lesson learned. Other plants did survive, however. The tomatoes nearly died in the night’s cold; the brassicas (kale, broccoli, cabbage) are thriving. Thankfully, I started more tomatoes for the greenhouse, and the ones outside look like they still might make a go of it. The fruit trees are content, which makes me very content.
We bought something new for the garden space we call ‘the orchard.’
Can you spot it?
A bowl for us and a pile for the bunnies
Big Buns
Knowing exactly how much feed would be a normal amount right now is difficult because some of my bunnies are surprisingly large. At less than 3 months old, they’re topping 7lbs! I’ve been working to selectively breed rabbits from the auction, and it appears to be working. From a rabbit I named ‘Twunny’ and another I called ‘Big Brown’, I think I’ve found my ideal meat rabbit.
Every morning I pick ‘weed’ the garden and give the bunnies the ones I know are okay. In addition to their regular store-bought feed (something I’m hoping to eventually get away from buying altogether), they’re eating Lambsquarters, Grasses, Mallow, and more. It’s cut my feed bill in half. Not only are the weeds feeding them, but they’re also feeding us some of the best salad I’ve ever had.
Mini-Panther Adventure
If you’ve been here a while, you might know - early into this adventure on the mountain, we recruited Luci, the assassin. Her job, to deal with mice, squirrels, and anything else making our life nearly impossible. When we left the snow-covered mountain to celebrate Christmas with family, we couldn’t leave the kitten to freeze, and so she came with - on the snowmobile. I packed her little kitten self into a backpack, and away we went.
She got surprisingly accustomed to it.
Now, when we leave for town, she sits on top of the backpack looking both hopeful and resentful (typical cat). I figured I was overthinking it, but after it happened enough times, and feeling a bit guilty, I decided to try taking her for a little drive down to where the backroad meets the nearest actual ‘neighbour’.
She loved it. Not all cats would, but she was very clearly excited. I wouldn’t suggest trying that to everyone who has a cat - Gandalf gets terribly carsick. I think I might need to bring her along on more mini-adventures.
Moving into July
I’ve never appreciated quite as much how healing the natural world can be as I did this past month. Swifts have begun building a nest over the door to my house, bringing daily entertainment as they swoop overhead and perch on the string of lights just outside. New plants have even emerged from the freshly delivered gravel, giving me something new to identify and figure out how they might fit into life here.
Though I’m deeply saddened by the loss of a close family member, I know they’d be happy to see me living these days exactly the way I want to.
The new ducks have settled in, the rabbits are happily munching on weeds, and the garden has turned green in a way that feels almost overnight. Losing all of my cucumber starts wasn’t ideal, but it hasn’t dampened my excitement. I’m more optimistic about the future on the mountain than ever before.
A fact to keep in mind is that phosphorus is just as needed as nitrogen in the soil by the plants. That’s why the grass is greener in the cemetery. Bones decompose and release phosphorus in the soil. Grinding them help releasing this element. Make an experiment in a corner of the vegetable garden.
I’m sorry for your loss.
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