Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from this Old Bat!

Come Wander Down Yon Golden Bower...

All last week it rained; then on Friday, gentle snow flakes fell -- just enough to cover everything -- and the temperatures were low enough to sustain the snow that had fallen. But Saturday morning when I drove home from the local market, the sun came out from behind a cloud and THIS is the scene that met me. 

The vibrant orange of the deciduous trees against the snow-covered fir trees was brilliant and beautiful!

So, even before I ate lunch, I dressed and took myself out for a walk on the old rail line walking trail behind my house. 



It was so lovely! Crisp and cold enough for a head covering and gloves but oh, so toasty warm while walking. The walk up that hill to get to the trail is a difficult one as the incline is so steep. But just a few steps onto the trail, and this is what greets you. As I stood there panting, inside my head I heard the beckoning cry of "Come wander down yon golden bower". So off I went. 




As I walked, I listened to my IPod. I've been using my walking time to listen softly to whole albums rather than just favorite songs, and I've been finding some lovely tunes that I've overlooked in the past.

The whole walk takes me about 45 minutes most of which time I'm surrounded by trees and nature. The white snow and white/grey sky were the perfect backdrops for the remaining leaves and bushes. I passed no one on the trail but heard a dog bark, someone chopping wood and then smelled wood smoke from an outdoor fire ... someone burning brush. It was a magnificent day for a walk!


It rained Saturday evening. Then I woke to freezing rain early Sunday, and it rained for the remainder of all day. So, not only is any snow gone, but most of the leaves have fallen. (Winter comes early to Newfoundland.) 

The world was harsher than usual this weekend. Or perhaps I feel it was harsher because I already feel raw and this latest cut is so close to home. But my heart aches for those of you in the U.S. and with the Jewish community. My heart aches. 

I'll leave you with the Ahn Trio and this beautiful, plaintive music.

Shalom! 

Fly Your Autumn Freak Flag!

 When I think of the perfect autumn day, it involves crisp cold air, lots of color, and warm, soothing, comfort food. My weekend involved all of these and more.

It was Pride week here in CB. So, in anticipation of the Parade on Saturday, I painted my hair several colors. (It washes out after half a dozen shampoos.) This was met by lots of positive comments by co-workers and other like-minded people. Unfortunately, most of Saturday was pretty heavy rain, so I didn't venture out to walk; instead I cleaned house and cooked. I made granola bars and my favorite energy balls; and I used the leftover melted chocolate to coat some pretzels. Then I made a delicious pot of beef stew with a thick, aromatic broth. 

The secret to my delicious broth is that I add a single cube of Japanese curry/ flavor stock. These cubes make an amazing, dark, rich, sweet curry. But .... if you just want to add a touch of rich flavor and color, tossing in just a single cube (or even  half) does just that. Perfect for fall and winter meals.

 Sunday morning I woke early, and at about 10 am, the sun came out. So, before Mother Nature had a chance to change her mind, I took myself on a long rambling walk on the trail behind my house. The brooks were overflowing after all the heavy rain; I stopped twice to take in the mini waterfalls. 

The trees were so thick that at times it was like walking through a golden bower interspersed with shades of green, orange, rust and the occasional red. Near the park bench where I usually stop, I found these little treasures atop a boulder. 

And in spite of Mother Nature preparing for her long, barren hibernation period, she still presented me with a wealth of beauty; so at this time of year, whenever I walk I pick myself a bouquet to brighten my own home. People in rural Newfoundland tend to be pretty conservative and certainly set in their ways. Most walkers will greet each other as they pass; and although we exchange hellos, I've gotten quite a few 'interesting' looks from others. 

After it happened twice yesterday (dressed in my bright teal hiking sneakers, black and white polka dot leggings, burgundy jacket, red headband, tri-color hair and carrying a mixture of dying leaves and flowers), I laughed to myself and thought "I guess I'm going to be 'that weird old lady' that lives down the road!" Doesn't every small community have one of those?  

But ya know what? 

I really don't mind if that's what people are thinking! 

This is me! Sometimes I'm weird! 

And fortunately, at this age, I have enough self-confidence to be comfortable in being who I am and to embrace my own wonderful weirdness.  

Autumnal and Canna- Bliss!

Well, unless you're living on another planet, you know that as of this past Wednesday, October 17th, cannabis is legal in Canada. I personally think that this is welcome news. I know it's wonderful for pain management, and I have many friends who have been using it for a number of years for everything from arthritis and fibromyalgia to skin cancer with fantastic results. I have no problem with people using it recreationally as well, but I'm super, super excited to see what medical research will uncover in the coming years. 

I've been quite busy with my 88 yr old father for the past month. He's in really good health, but like all of us going through the aging process, he has great ideas but little stamina to follow through all the way. So, we've made pickled beets together, racked his wine, flipped his mattress and re-arranged the bedroom, and hung out and laughed. He's such a character with a wild past and lots of great stories to tell.

I had another 2 week long bout of 'hiraeth' for Nova Scotia; I viserally ache for my other home, for the familiarity of daily life there, and for the people and the things we'd do together. July past marked 2 years back here, and I'm pretty sure that I'll stay put here in Newfoundland: I'm getting better at seeing and acknowledging the blessings of being home as well as acceptance for 'la différence'. But the nostalgia and longing still hit me ..... and so I mourn.

The leaves are almost all yellow now; the temperatures are colder, and I saw a sprinkling of snow on cars this morning that drove into town from the mountain. Brrr! The flannels are on the bed, throws on the couch and I'm wearing socks and enclosed shoes. (Drat!!)

But ahhhhh! There's such freshness and crispness in the air that I don't mind the change at all. Ciao bellas! Happy Weekend!

Autumn in CB

Autumn comes swiftly to Newfoundland; there is no gentle easing from summer to fall -- it's more like wading in the water and suddenly coming to a ledge where you fall into the depths. It's cold out there! All those dressy capris I'd been saving to wear for work only got about a week's use as then it was just too cold to go bare legged!

Last weekend, I exchanged most of my summer clothes for fall, welcoming my 'old friends' back into action (and those surprise, forgotten thrift store and garage sale purchases made over the summer). I've lost 16+ pounds since I last saw most of them, so they either fit perfectly once again or need to be replaced. But that's okay: I'm sure I'll find what I need at tomorrow's big yard sale and the Sally Ann shops when they re-open with their winter stock. 


What I miss most about wearing a summer wardrobe is sandals: my feet rebel dramatically about wearing shoes. Poor tootsies! But now I get to wear my red Converse, my silver, sparkly Ugg sneakers and my lovely fall boots. And it is ever so nice to put on my warm fleece hoodies and soft leggings and walk in the cold, crisp air. I'm ready for this change of seasons.

The leaves have only begun to change color here. And I'm hoping to get in at least one more big hike before the snow flies. 

In the meantime, I'm enjoying this season where life slows, food is richer and TV viewing picks up again. 

Ciao! It's time for a chai latte!

When it's okay to be a Lady Camel!

Last Sunday morning, I took part in a "Wild Edible Plants" hike with our local environmental group. They did a hike in the spring, but of course, there's a different 'crop' in the woods now. And with Fall fast approaching here in Newfoundland, we only have another month before things will begin to die off quickly. 

It was a beautiful morning and about a dozen people showed up. We began with a little show-and-tell lesson on the various wild plants that we can find anywhere in NL such as: 

    

Plantain:  The young leaves can be eaten raw, and the seeds can be dried and ground into meal or flour -- good to know for when the apocalypse comes [AND the only time I'd ever try this]. As well, you can chew the leaves and apply the spittle as a poultice that is good for burns or stings.

Also, apparently wherever you live and whatever pests, bugs and/or irritants you have around you, you will also find the remedy nearby in nature! There's a fine, hairy leaved thistle here in NL that burns and stings if you touch it; the pain can last all day and over the counter creams, etc do little to quell the pain. But growing next to this thistle is usually Plaintain; and this will immediately take away the burning and pain. Mother Nature provides all that we need!

Pearly Everlasting:  This pretty little plant always reminded me of wild chamomile but when compared, I can easily see the difference. The young leaves and plant of Pearly Everlasting can be cooked and eaten.           

Clover: This is a pretty versatile plant. The flowers themselves are very tasty; you can pull out the 'fronds' of the flower and add them to your salads. Any part of the above ground plant can be eaten raw. And the creeping roots and stems can be cooked. However, one site I check out says not to eat in the Fall as it contains more alkaloids and can cause bloating. (At my age, I'm well familiar with that problem!)

And this is Newfoundland's "Crackerberry" plant, otherwise known as a Bunchberry. It's rather tasteless and kind of spongy but harmless; we used to eat them all the time as children. I was pleased to find out that the berries contain a lot of pectin and can be dried, ground and added to jams and jellies to help them gel. The berries can also be lightly chewed and pressed over a burn as a poultice.

We discussed a few other plants and bushes. But for most of us, the real jewels of the day were the wild mushrooms.

This is a Coral Mushroom. White to soft yellow in color, these are pretty, frilly little things and are extremely fragile. So, it was suggested that they be added to a dish once the dish was cooked and just before serving.

And these are Chanterelles. (My Ex loved them but they didn't grow where we lived in NS so I never got to try them.) These are quite small and dainty looking, but Chanterelles can be much bigger. There are lots of recipes online for this much sought-after wild mushroom. 

After the workshop, a few of us walked along the river trail until we met up with the Yogi Trail, about a 2 km hike. It was a warm, sunny day and a good opportunity for us to search for more edible plants. 

I really enjoyed myself. But although I don't think I know enough to ever eat wild mushrooms, I loved the information about the healing properties of these plants. 

You can bet that from now on, I'll be chewing and spitting as needed in my own back yard! 

Happy weekend everyone. 

Staycation Joys!

My last week of August and into September, I took time off and enjoyed a great "staycation". I did lots of walking, a little hiking and a lot of little side trips to pretty locales. My house is clean and organized; and I returned to work fresh and rejuvenated.

One of my favorite hikes (and also the most challenging this year) was the Alexander Murray Trail. I'd been wanting to do this hike for over a year; and my daughter and I decided to do it together and make a day of it. She wore her FitBit which recorded a total of 9 km (return). The site also says that we climbed 350 m and walked a total of 2,200 steps. Yes, that's right: 2,200 steps! 

Needless to say, we took our time, made lots of stops. My favorite of these stops was halfway up: there was a slight detour (32 steps) down to part of the Corner Brook Stream. We were hot and sweaty and beginning to feel the climb. So, we stopped for a snack and a wee dip in the icy cold water of the gorge. 

Then rested and refreshed, we finished the climb to the top where we ate lunch. 

We made it! 

The views were spectacular!

The climb back down was just as difficult (and just as pretty). 

My poor knees! But what a climb! 4 hours after we'd begun, we reached the bottom. And we were more than ready ready for a wee reward before going out to dinner together.



So, we drove into Springdale, picked up some light and non-alcoholic beer and headed to Glassy Beach, a little known treasure of a place. We did the short hike through the woods with a beverage each and sat on the tiny, beach-glass covered beach and listened to the waves and the occasional sound of a crow or gull. It was magic! And everywhere you dug you hand, you came up with beach glass.

T'was a grand day! I will probably never do this hike again, but I'm ever so glad I got to experience it this once.