Almost Gourmet!

A chef I am not, nor do I aspire to be one.  In fact, if I had my druthers I would be waited on and served, never having to cook again.  That is a dream, and in the meantime, I still have to eat an so does Chris.  Every now and again I surprise both of us with something quite tasty.   Two times this month I have prepared boarder-line gourmet meals.

  This one above was spur of the moment - a little pasta tossed with olive oil, crushed garlic and chives, topped with grilled scallops,salmon and zucchini, and fresh shrimp. Pretty darn good if I don't say so myself. The next one was chicken parmigiana, though I may have made a bit too much!!

I think the recipe I used was to serve 6!   Not to worry, a little leftovers never heart anyone.  I served jasmine rice and asparagus with this one.  Very yummy indeed.

Lovely Lemon Tree

Well, not really. It's a lemon broom bush. My favorite backyard spring shrub. Not sure if the lighting from the camera does it justice, but it is an amazingly beautiful shrub.

It's a Dog's Life

While watching Jake chewing on this beef marrow bone, I smiled as I thought how blissful the experience was for him. There appears to be no better canine sedative than a bone to gnaw on. Ultimately he will actually eat the whole thing. Such simple pleasures in a dogs life.

Our Little Plastic Greenhouse

Besides always wanting to have straw, I have always wanted a greenhouse.  Our last trip to Home Depot resulted in a very inexpensive version of the real thing.  Plastic!!  Oh well, it is something to practice with.  But hey, we will get some use out of it for sure.  We can use it for some of the tomatoes, and to protect some tender vegetables.I may also put my cacti and other winter tender plants in it come November since they don't tolerate heavy rain storms and occasional snow that well.

Frenzy of Feeders

 We have 3 hummer feeders this year, 2 at the front and 1 at the back.  This week,  I have been filling 2 feeders once a day.  We are talking a fair bit of sugar for sure, if you look at the size of this particular feeder

We typically have an abundance of hummers each year, but this year is a record setting year.  We are averaging 14 hummers per feeder at a time, and they seem to be most active at dusk. Feisty and fierce is how I would describe them.   These 2 shots were taken from the kitchen window... hopefully you can see them if you click on the photo to enlarge.  

Watching these little darlings is better than TV.  The show these birds put on, and the feisty activity of the males is never ending.  Tonight, when I went to hang the "refilled" feeder onto the hook, I had to duck several times to avoid being bombarded by several of the anxious males.  It is just like star wars at our little hummingbird hollow!

The "fast-food" feeders are not all they eat - they do eat flying insects as well.  Funny, in some ways the birds themselves remind me more of an insect than a bird.  Their wings move so rapidly they are a blurr to the eye. They can hover as to appear fixed in space, as though sitting on an invisible perch. The can turn quickly and fly away like they were launched from a rocket booster.  I just love hummingbirds.

Patio Guest

Meet Con, our new Tiki man!

 He is a solar man, and his eyes and torch glow at night! 

He is very cool.

A Party of Three

It's not always easy to get a shot of the 3 critters together, but this time I was lucky to have my camera in my pocket as I was working out back near the wood storage shed. Smoke, Jake and Gypsy - supervising the work being done, or simply hanging out.  Despite the spats, they really are good pals!

Back Yard Birds

The Pine Siskins are back in droves this month. They are the calmest of all finch breeds and have little fear of humans, hence the ability to walk right up to the feeder for a photo opportunity. This little guys is one of many that usually fill the feeders rungs.  They often line up, 8 at a time to drink from the patio fountain as well.  I have to be careful with the feeders though, as they are susceptible to illness if the seed gets moldy, or contains mold.

STRAW DOGS and BERRIES

Strawberry:  the name goes back to the Anglo-Saxon meaning of streaw (“strew”), and alludes to the fact that the plant spreads or scatters by means of runners.  Well at least that is one interpretation, but that has no bearing on the fact that I have always wanted a bale of straw.  Real country folk have straw for one reason or another; or at least that is what I always thought. So to complete one of my bucket list items, we purchased a bale of straw last week to line our strawberry bed.

 It was bigger than I expected, and  in transporting it from the saw pit to the garden, I managed to get it all over the grass, but eventually I made it into the vegetable garden and ultimately over to the strawberry bed.

Jake did not know what to make of the straw, but wanted to be part of the project, often getting covered in straw-dust, until he finally settled down to watch the show.

Typically you would lay the straw on your beds before they start to come back in the spring, but we are late, and the plants are already popping up so it was a bit of a challenge to work around them. The project was successful, and the strawberry patch is blanketed in straw, which will help to keep the berry off the soil and prevents molding of the fruit.

Can't wait for this year's crop of berries!

This is Now and That Was Then

 A snapshot of our early spring veggi garden on April 21st.  The rhubarb will be harvested tomorrow to allow for more harvests throughout the season.  The raspberries are producing their leafage and the leeks are ready to eat as well.  Still a bit early to be sowing the rest of the summer crops, thought, maybe just a few more weeks and we can start to fill the empty beds.

 Now turn back the clock to 2009, and you will be surprised.  Chris had a great vision, and that vision has been realized.

The veggie garden is a peaceful place for us humans and our critter too! 

There is a Lumberjack in all of Us!

Wood is a fantastic heat resource when you have the option of heating your home with a wood stove.  I never thought of myself as one who would covet, but by jove, I see firewood and it excites me.
Our island neighbors have recently cleared some land and they have a few logs ready to be tackled.

 

So what is a girl to do?  Call the log-buster!  Terry - my brother-in-law.   A forester and bush man extraordinaire.!!   We were lucky to be able to have one fir log, and Terry agreed to come with his chainsaw.

Of course I would choose a log sitting on the ground, so we first had to uncover its protector.  Terry cut and split and I did the second split and loaded into the truck.  We got her!

Amazingly enough though, I was surprised to find that all that wood we cut, split and loaded, turned out to be only about 1/4 of a cord once we stacked it.   Who knew!!  I now have a much better appreciation of  what goes into harvesting wood.  Plus a lot of bark as you can see in the front row!

Cactus Kitty

Not much to say here, Gypsy is part of the landscape. Right at home with the succulents.

The Pond is Calling!

It is spring, and this weekend it was all about cleaning up the pond for the coming season. Only 22 fish have survived the winter.  Fred is well over a foot long now, and there are a number of fish sporting large tummies.  The marsh marigolds are in bloom, as is the water hawthorne.

 Donning my gently used hip waders I explored the pond, cleaning out the dead leaves and reconnecting the fountain. The ponds edge is harbouring a good number of Caddisfly larva.  I remember spotting these amazing little critters a few years ago and didn't know what they were since they clad themselves with pieces of bark, and other debris in the pond.  Cute as larva, but creepy as adults.   I also spotted a newt when I disturbed a grassy ledge it was basking on.

 Since we uncovered the pond in 2007 is has evolved into an amazing echosystem, with a little bit of everything. So much happens in and around the pond that you just don't want to leave. As I turned to walk away, a beautiful snake swam across!

Spring has Sprung!!

As the sun peeked through the clouds today, we made a quick wander through the garden. Spring is so upon us, my favorite time of year., and the first sign is the rhubarb.  It won't be long to harvest!

 The raspberries are showing off their new leafage, leading us to believe it will be a good crop for 2013.

   My most favorite is the Amandi! This fragrant, spring blooming clematis outdoes itself every year!             

While the frogs are as vocal now as they are in the peak of summer, we can't wait for the pond to be more alive.

Critter Buddies

These two critters are such friends. Who would think that a 110lb shepherd and a 7lb kitty could have that kind of bond. But here they are, Jake and Gypsy, in their favorite snoozing positions in front of fire and TV. Gypsy is the TV watcher, Jake loves the fire. We just enjoy what they have together. Smoke, as you can see, is not in the picture. Ruins the dynamic and I think the old boy knows it.

The Hummers are Back!!

Just like clockwork, the Rufus hummingbirds are back for 2013!  Typically it is April 1st they arrive, but it was March 30th this year, perhaps due to the warmer weather.  The Annas hummingbirds stay here year round and I do feed them through winter, but the Rufus migrate to Mexico for the winter and are hungry when they arrive back to our little hummingbird hollow. I increased my feeder bottles by 2 yesterday and am already having to refill them.  I can't imagine spring without the hummers!

Mr. Smoke's Favourite Chair

With the hot weather this March 31st weekend, Chris set up the outdoor bar area and we got the patio ready for the season. Hopefully it will not be too premature, and the weather will continue to lend itself to outdoor living! Our Mr. Smoke lost no time in reclaiming Chris's bar stool. This is a chair the two of them vie for on a regular basis. Smoke seems to have the patience to wait Chris out, and always claims it.

Easter in March and Early Summer

March 31st, Easter Sunday, and the temperature soared to 20 degrees celcius!! A record for sure for both Easter and for March 31st. The whole long weekend was like this. Folks had to change their Easter dinner plans from traditional roast lamb or baked ham, and instead the BBQ hats came out for outdoor cooking. Chris and I strolled own to the beach for an Easter cocktail and to watch the boats and kayakers on the water. What a day!

Broccoli in March?

The sun was so beautiful today we couldn't help but get out into the garden and do some tidying. A trip up to the veggie garden brought a smile to our faces. Somehow, we have broccoli coming up and this one little guy is even sporting a flower head! Even more exciting was seeing all the leeks that have survived over winter, and almost ready to eat. If this weather keeps up for the duration of our winter, the garden will be ready to go in no time at all.

February Long Weekend & Boat Show

This weekend is BC's first ever "Family Day" long weekend, and today we made our annual excursion to the Vancouver Boat Show. A stunning day for a trip overseas. We caught the 10:30am ferry from Bowen to town, and made our way to English Bay where we parked and boarded one of the little False Creek ferry boats which took us to Granville Island.

We love this mode of transport, no fussing with parking or traffic, just zipping between English Bay and Granville Island, enjoying the iconic harbour views.

This year,Granville Island offered one of the largest selections of in-water boats in Boat Show history. How they were able to manoeuvre and get so many boats docked into the marina was beyond us. It was a great place to start the show, as it is right in the prime location of the Granville Market for food and drinks. It's fun to look at the boats, which are totally unaffordable, but it is more fun to just enjoy the harbour views that surround False Creek and listen to the buskers playing their music and entertaining the crowds.

From there we caught a shuttle to BC Place stadium for the undercover trade show of exhibitors, products, boat displays and more.

Chris almost bought a new crab trap for the boat, but we didn’t want to have to carry it around. I almost bought a pair of deck boots and a nautical clock, but decided to save my pennies. We stopped for fish and chips on the way back, or rather, Chris did. I displayed amazing won't power, and had a small piece of smoked salmon instead. Our return ferry to English Bay was a little choppy as a bit of wind blew in, but once on the other side and back to the Bowen ferry, the seas were calm again, and our ferry connection was seamless. For a late afternoon on February 10th, it was amazingly beautiful on deck, and a lovely day all in all.

Finding the Pleasure in Fog

The past week we were gifted daily with a wonderfully moody atmosphere of fog banks drifting in and out and through the island, bouncing back and forth off the shores of the continent. So much is hidden during these fog-ins, and much is left to the imagination. If only it was that easy to hide our life’s little hardships, and imagine them on the other side of the fog. On this late afternoon, sun setting in the west and during the ferry ride home from work, the fog clung closely to the coast, like a bold cloud settling in for the night. Hiding the mountains and hovering over the sea, this fog was somehow warming and friendly in the distance.

Blazing Trails in the New Year!

 

Recently I was invited to help blaze a trail from a friend’s elevated property down to the ocean.   Now this may sound like a simple enough venture for the average individual, and it did so to me, but I had no idea that the terrain we were about to conquer was of unimaginable vertical proportions offering uneven surfaces, unstable earth, and slopes so steep you could only traverse via a rope.  Had I asked "why, why would you want to do this?", I can only imagine the same response had I posed a similar question to Edmund Hillary "why would you climb Mt. Everest"?  

We started out, many hundreds of meters above sea level, and little did I know what we were about to navigate and put ourselves through to reach the ocean below.  Our team of trail blazers included yours truly and an orchestrator, an up-and-coming Sherpa guide, an eagle-eye rock spotter, a super trooper, and of course our 2 trail shepherds Cologne and Jake.

Enthusiastically at the start, we began fossicking for rocks to strategically place as steps down the slopes, snipping branches, and laying broken logs to mark the path. . As we descended to steeper and steeper terrain, the trail blazing waned some and it became more important to remain vertical.  We all managed a fall at one point or another, but nothing serious, all par for the course.  

We brought rope with us and our "sherpa" managed to display amazingly advanced skills for knot tying by securing rope to trees so that we all had something to hold onto when descending to the depths of the Black Forest.  Amazing!  Talk about a survivor team! We all used the ropes to scale some tougher parts of the terrain.

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Our shepherds were feeling challenged as well, and while they might think they are mountain goats, the loose earth and steep slopes slowed them both down, but we all persevered. Hugging trees was not uncommon, and when one of the team took another fall hands first, we christened the spot as "Piercing Point".

After what seemed to be hours, we came to a rocky bluff fairly high above the water's edge, but open enough for us to see the ocean and know that we were almost there! Here was another tricky part. The bluffs were covered in fairy moss and lichen which made things slippery, so we used the old switchback method to descend safely and make things easier for those of us less able to bound like goats. Hundreds of feet later, and no slips or falls, our Sherpa, along with our shepherds, made it to the rocky shoreline and called up to us, telling us it was easy and to hurry up. And then there it was before us, "Collingwood Channel", and a part of the shoreline that could only be accessible from this new trail, or brave kayakers passing by.

  

The trail shepherds would have been quite happy to spend the rest of the day on the rocks by the water, and were in no hurry to lead the way back up the side of the Black Forest. I was a bit worried about the Jake-Meister, as he is not in shape for such terrain. Throwing sticks for him to fetch in the ocean did not seem to work, he was not going to get all his parts wet in the frigid ocean water. Part of me was relieved we were able to rest a bit at the waters edge and watch a curious seal trying to check us out from a few feet away.

I was amazed at the seal barks being imitated by my fellow hikers to attract it closer. Where do they learn these things, and how can they make it sound so real? They also demonstrated their ability to cry like an eagle and call like a raven. It was very peaceful and quiet at the waters edge, and the fact that we had actually made it down was a feat in and of itself that made me all the more focused on being able to get back up! So, like all good stories and old sayings, what comes down, must go up!  And up we did go!

Back at the ranch the critters collapsed in exhaustion.  Jake actually slept that night from about 8pm until I made him wake up the next morning around 9:30am. Totally knackered he was.

It was a fun day for sure, and a great athletic way to start the new year with my new left foot - no cast, and no pain.   Sign me up for the next boot-camp please!!

The Old Year's Night - 2012

Also known as the new year's eve, but we prefer the old year's night. A time to reflect on what worked and what didn't, and how best to gear up for new challenges that will present them selves in the new year, and to rediscover the strength and faith within ourselves that will allow us to embrace what lies ahead, and to enjoy the simple pleasures of life.  Chris cooked up fresh crabs, and we made an amazingly delicious ceasar salad, and cooked jasmine rice with butter and green onions.  Top it all with fresh bread, and you have a wonderful way to end the old year.  Here is to 2013.  Thanks for visiting my blog this past year.