A day in the wild...

Let me start by saying that this post has nothing to do with cooking or gardening...so you'll just have to bear with me.

After 7 weeks away in Ottawa, I really had to come to terms with the amount of time I had just spent away from my family and my home.  One of the things I had no idea I was going to miss was just being in nature.  It was such a simple thing that I missed.

The ability to go somewhere without hearing man made noise.

Fortunately, I am able to drive less than 20 min from my home and find such a place.  Even more fortunate am I that I have wonderful family that invites me to share in this place.

I drive the long country road that takes me to this place on a grey day that was threatening rain.

I feel not just that I have escaped from the city, but that I may have been transported back into the times of the settlers.  This may have been my backyard as an early pioneer in these parts.

Paddling around a secluded lake on a day without work.

Its actually the backyard of the hunting camp that is a part of my husband's family.  This day trip was not about hunting though.  It was about reconnecting.  With family, friends and nature.

The hunting camp started with humble beginnings but now features such luxuries as indoor toilets and a tv.

I was excited to get out on the bikes.  I haven't been on an atv run in a long while.  Its a popular past time with my in-laws...so I get to visit with them while exploring a raw and rudged landscape that swings from bold and beautiful to other-worldy and alien.

The familiar trees were oak and sumac.  Amazing that these trees could grow on top of not much more than rock.  The ground cover plants started to take on alien life forms.

Down a pine-needle filled pathway we discovered the gateway

to Scanlon Lake (or as some maps say Sexton Lake). 

The lake was misty and quiet.  Like glass laid in front of the rocks at the shoreline.  I could picture native gatherers crossing this body of water in stealthy canoes.  

We took our lunch break and enjoyed the peaceful quiet.   I could image early settlers fishing in small boats or playing one of the first recorded games of hockey. 

This was a relative of mine back in the early 1900's (picture actually taken in the Tweed area I believe).

I could picture this as my home.  I could be a hunter/gatherer and live in this land.  My mind began to race with the possibilities.  Is there enough in this rocky area to survive?  Our tour pressed on and my eyes were trying to spot the possibilities...

I suddenly wished I had spent the last 7 weeks reading Steve Brill's book call "Identifying & Harvesting Edible & Medicinal Plants in Wild (and not so wild) Places"...as I have no idea what these berries were.  They had a kind of spike on their leaf...so I took the hint and moved on.  It was on the verge of rain all afternoon...so I was glad that I HADN'T brought the book with me.

Mushrooms are another thing I know virtually nothing about...I can spot a puffball and a morel with confidence, but that is where I draw the line.  These white suckers were enormous!  Probably could have made a meal out of each of them....but I was smart enough to take pictures now and do the research later.

One of the great things about this property is the personal history.  There is a monument built to my mother-in-law's parents Chester and Sarah.  It represents a spectacular view of the property and a connection to nature that is being passed down through the generations.  Owen is the next family member in our wee family that has yet to see the monument. 

On the plaque is the phrase "Some people go their whole lives, without seeing anything like this".  A pause to reflect how true that statement really is.

At what felt like the peak of a mountain, the landscape started to feel alien.  The groundcover plants looked like they should have been grown in an aquarium.  The textures of these plants were spectacular!  Spikey stars with bright orange mushrooms erupting from them. 

Like coral but on the surface of a rock! 

Wild strawberries and their runners in action.

Moss that looks like shag carpeting...

Juniper berries by the bucketload...but not quite ripe enough.

Moss that appears to form little higways aross the rocks...

I could imagine pioneer beaver trappers traversing through land like this to make their wages.

The rocks suddenly changed the colour of the landscape!

We could see the rain coming in the distance and decided to head on back to the camp. 

I had one last commune with the landscape before it was time to head back to my home in cottage country.  My mind was filled with thoughts of early settler life, getting back to basics and reading that encyclopedia by Steve Brill.  I vow to know more edible plants the next time I get invited back to the hunting camp.

What do you do to escape the urban sprawl and get back in touch with our natural selves?

Earth Day 2011

I'd like to tell the tale of our Earth day this year...as a family.  I promise it won't be preachy...or make you feel like you should have done more.  Everything has to have a beginning.  We certainly don't plant forests every year, but after this year...why don't we do it?  It was a great gathering!  What our family experienced was not a usual event, but I certainly hope it becomes one.  It was one of those things that make you feel great on all levels and it happened to be really fun to boot!

Our family drove 3 hours away (there's irony...we burned a lotta gas to get there...but a movement has to start somewhere) to our friends Doug and Traces.  I've known Traces since public school.  


The farmhouse at 6:30am...ready for the day to begin

 They live in Omemee, Ontario.  That's where they operate their business Green Side Up Environmental Services. 

Doug was a guest on this blog recently in the attached link.  Doug recently got a grant from the government to reforest his farm land.  I find it all pretty amazing since not a short while back in Canadian history, our lives depended on clearing such land as fast as humanly possible...by hand.  Times change and here we are putting the trees back in...by hand.  On the eve of Earth Day 2011, we're all excited to get doing the work.   I'm sitting by the fire with good friends in the fresh country night air. 




The nighttime shot had way more beer bottles in it....so I opted for the PG image

 The following morning was a rush of preparing the trees for planting. 


My husband (right) Ches being such a good sport.


Digging out the seedlings and getting them in pots on the trailer.  1500 seedlings to be exact.  They had a ways to go before they would get to their permanent home in the back 55. 

Signs were made and spare rubber boots, gloves and shovels were gathered for the unprepared.  I took turns taking different groups of people to the planting area.  We had several local politicians drop in for the event too.  Two different riders for the Green Party and a local Liberal representative joined in.  We were so fortunate that everyone didn't arrive all at once...as the earlier folks got tired, a new flock of helpers showed up to take up the slack!


Tall and small...all came to help in the field!

 After lunchtime, when most of us had thought we had planted enough...a new bunch showed up and it started all over again.  Everyone planted more trees than Doug could have hoped for and still the volunteers kept coming out of the woodwork!




future xmas trees

 It was an exhausting day of wonderful fulfillment.  Everyone had grins on their faces for what we had accomplished.


Noah and Ches personally planted 75 trees

 The smaller kids were lucky to get all the way back to the planting zone...and for the wee ones, there was still lots to take part in.  My boys were keen to check on the chicken coop.  Noah would come running out with a fresh egg every few hours.  Owen just loved chasing the rooster around the coop...silly boy.



What a handsome fella!

 For those kids who STILL had too much energy...there was a huge trampoline.  Kids of all ages gave it a whirl.



Owen gets some airtime.



Traces had boiled a few dozen eggs and early afternoon the kids got into painting them.  Another friend set up a face painting station!  Owen was an easter bunny...tee hee.  Of course the kitchen was a buzz of coffee and snacks all day long.  The kids spent almost the whole day unplugged and taking in the fresh air.  Burning off calories the old fashioned way. 

All in all, it was one fantastic day.  Mother Earth was kind to us weather-wise.  The kids all pitched in.  The adults really gave it their all.  Now next year....there better be a prize for he who plants the MOST seedlings!

What did you do for Earth Day?  Tell me all about it! 

The Sugar Shack

When we found out our neighbour's son had never been to a sugar shack...we HAD to go.  Not like we weren't going to go on March Break anyway...that just increased the imperative!  We MUST go!

I always enjoy a good stroll through the sugar bush.  Its something so uniquely Canadian.  Its something so seasonal.  I had read all about the settler's experience with the sugar bush in Suzanna Moody's book "Roughing it in the Bush".  It was in the 1830's when settlers were shown the wonders of the sweet water that flowed in the early spring from certain maples.  It was the Irish immigrant workforce that had the patience to try this task at home.  A grueling few cold nights spent stoking the fire and stirring, stirring, always stirring for fear it would smoke out the landowners home in sulphury clouds.  It was a labour of love, for each person to try a piece of maple sugar or real maple syrup...are rarely ever the same after.  This was before mass production and super markets full of ready to eat items.  Maple syrup was a treat only enjoyed once a year...and I try to impart that on my kids today.  Its the only time I indulge in maple sugar and the sugar shack syrup always tastes better after a cool hike in the woods.



A beautiful day in the woods...the kids always let their spring fever loose!

We hike to the sugar shack at the Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation area in Kingston through a winding trail...happy to be outdoors after what feels like a lifetime of freezing cold windy days.  The boys enjoy a nice reprieve from winter's friend, cabin fever. 


On cold sunny days, the sap runs fast!



Owen is introduced to the sweet water....big brother Noah makes sure the whole arm doesn't go in.....

A history lesson in nature with a tasty ending....what more could you ask for??? 

Can you imagine the time and effort this stuff used to take???

Now a days, the sugar shack is a bit more industrialized...





Hundreds of pancakes served up each minute...they had it down to a fine science...a well-oiled machine!



Served up with equal amounts of whipped local butter



And a look of satisfaction that no store-bought toy, video game device or mass produced food item could provide...mmmmm...

PS.  all four boys (ranging in age of 4 yrs to 13 yrs) were very quiet on the drive home...almost too much fresh air...

If you haven't had the chance...or never thought about taking a trip to the nearest sugar bush...what are you waiting for???

Enjoy some good old Canadian culture, some history and some fresh air...you really will not gain a single calorie from eating fresh pancakes after all the activities to be had.  The Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation area also offered horse drawn wagon rides to the sugar bush!  Nothing signals spring's return like a touch of maple madness.  Oh yeah, that and the robin's sweet song!  

If you need more reasons to indulge in some maple syrup, check out my previous post (original post on December 5, 2010) called "Maple Syrup and the Winter Blues".  It has a scrumptious recipe for protein-packed Quinoa Pancakes as well as a whole bunch of nutritional information about maple syrup as a natural sweetner!

Dig in!



The Farmer's Market

This is the beginning of a series of posts...they will last all year...popping up along the way...
It was the first Saturday back at the Farmer's Market here in Verona since before the holidays.  Owen and I went to see which vendors had come out to share the inside space of the Lions Hall.  In the summer time, the farmer's market is outside and housed in outer buildings.  This is an enduring part of country living and I'm glad to share this with my kids. 


Owen checks out the home made bling




preserves of every kind

  The feeling of the farmer's market changes with the seasons.  Right now, in the winter months, the market has a feeling of old times.  Of perserves and baked goods.  Dried herbs and spices.  In the spring, I'll buy some of our garden seedlings there.  Summertime means we'll get some locally prepared entrees, some odd vegetables we aren't already growing, as well as gift cards with beautiful local photography.  In the fall its a great place to get fresh apples by the bushel and pumpkins...I'll never forget the first time Noah and Ches saw a white pumpkin or a pumpkin that took up the back of a pick up truck...only at the farmer's market. 



spices and rubs





locally grown garlic the size of my fist and kettle cooked popcorn


The variety of crafters seems richer in the colder weather...quilts and tapestries.  Various handmade items for sale, but each one is one of a kind....and every week it changes...

handbags aplenty



the vendor we get our tourtiere from, but the kids only know it as the one with the peanut butter balls

 Everyone has their own experiences with a farmer's market, and it really does depend on your population.  At the Verona Farmer's Market, you have a lady selling spanakopitas, one who makes and sells goat cheese (that melts in your mouth).  A family who sells meats for your freezer who's kids are often helping behind the table. 

You get to meet who is growing your food, not just knowing where in the province or country it came from.  I remember when Noah had a tiny crush on one of the beef farmer's daughters...thinking this is going to make one helluva country song! 

The kids will grow up with their own memories of these Saturdays "spent shopping" at the market.  The best times we had were just being there....not even shopping...because there always seems to be something different each week.  Something to learn...something to see....something to taste...as we always appreciate when vendors offer the free samples....and almost always they win me over and I end up buying.

But its shopping I can feel good about....I'm helping support my local economy....I'm buying food with a very small carbon footprint...I get to meet the people who are growing or raising my food.....I can teach my kids about where their food comes from....and I mostly I get to eat really great stuff!

The Great Dandelion Coffee Experiment...

My husband and I are great for trying anything....especially when it comes to cooking and gardening!

My son Noah always called them wishing flowers...he always hated it when we mowed the lawn....bye bye wishing flowers!  Lawn maintenance aside, we all know how much people have grown to dislike the lowly little yellow flower. 

Wishing flowers in action!

This summer I was fortunate enough to get a hold of a copy of Susanna Moodie's novel "Roughing it in the Bush".  This woman wrote of her own experiences in the first hand regarding the settling of the Cobourg/Douro area of Hastings County (Peterborough for the sake of argument).  One of the best statements made in the book was "Necessity has truly been termed the mother of invention".  This became my mantra during my unemployment of the past year.

During the winter of 1835, a particularly scarce and difficult year, Mrs Moodie discovered that dandelion roots provided a better coffee than could be found in stores.  Now that was in the 1800's, prior to international trading on a large scale.  Juan Valdez's coveted beans were probably not in the store Mrs Moodie was shopping in.  Her description of the discovery and the process for procuring the drink was so interesting that we HAD to give it a try.  She mentions that dandelion coffee has the opposite effect of coffee beans, allowing the drinker to be calmer and more apt to sleep.

While digging up our parsnips, we were able to find a few dandelions that had survived in the warm fall weather this year.  The long, slender taproots are very similar to parsnips.  They were also all about 5-6 inches long.  We cleaned the taproots gently, as Susanna suggests, so we didn't scrub off the delicate brown skin that gives the drink the flavour.  Once cleaned, we laid the roots out to dry for 2 weeks in a warm spot on our counter top.  We then attempted the roasting.  There were no instructions in Mrs Moodie's book about the particulars...as she was roasting over a wood stove.  After having roasted our roots on 200 degrees F for about an hour, we ground the roots and straight into the coffee percolator.  Ches brewed the drink twice just in case.  Again, Mrs Moodie talked about brewing the drink on the wood stove until it was thick and dark like the coffee beverage, so we were trying to get that same consistency. 

Result:  If you've ever had the Celestial Seasonings "Sleepytime" Tea, you'll know what flavour to expect from your Dandelion Coffee.  It was very aromatic and floral. 

Things we learned:  Perhaps the next time we try this we'll skip the coffee pot and try the stove for the brewing.  Also, we have since discovered, in other resources, that the roasting should be done for 4 hours instead of one.  Note to self for the next trial!

I'd like to take the opportunity to thank Gayle, who loaned me the book in the first place, as well as Mrs Susanna Moodie herself for writing about her adventures, trials and tribulations as a testiment to the Canadian spirit.

Susanna Moodie 1803-1885