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Cattails in the WInd

Cattails in the WInd

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SkyWatch Friday!

Posted by Lorac Friday 31 July 2009 13 comments

 
I have always loved the colour combination in this shot. The elements exude power! This is Old Woman's Bay on Lake Superior. Lake Superior is a very large lake and has been the undoing of many ships and boats as it can become unnavigable in minutes.

We had a lovely sunset last night. A day with lots of sunshine, no rain! One of the only humid days so far. I sit on my back porch and enjoy this view.

 
 I like the orange and grey combination in this. I had pulled over onto the side of the road to take this picture. A minute later another car stopped for the same pupose! 
Please go and check out all the wonderful posts and hosts at SkyWatch Friday!

Posted by Lorac Thursday 30 July 2009 1 comments

There has been so much rain this summer. Unusual for Ontario but I have heard the weather is acting strange in many places. We are normally into heat waves with high humidity. The kind of weather that makes you want to run to the cottage and go swimming every weekend. I will always want to run to the cottage but haven't even been in the water this year. It is about 10 degrees cooler than normal. In our great West Canada they are enjoying an unusually hot summer with out rain. Seems like we have gotten our weather reversed!

I have noticed with the change of weather an abundance of mushrooms are growing on my lawn. Since it is usually very hot, mushrooms don't tend to develope.
Some species I have never seen before!

 
Some are more of a fungus than mushroom.

 
This one was glistening with the morning dew.

 
These look yummy ! At least something thinks so as they have been nibbled on.
There are a patches of mushrooms, not just a few here and there, but dispersed throughout my lawn. Never witnessed this before. Maybe I should get a book on Mushroom and Fungus and prepare for the changes with global warming cooling?

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Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Posted by Lorac Sunday 26 July 2009 9 comments

I have a video at the bottom of my blog, Canadian Please! In part of the video they talk about the zipper and Insulin being Canadian inventions and it got me thinking. ( Not always a good idea) What else did Canadians invent? There are slew of items, some have served to help people world wide and some are particularly for colder climates as Canada is for 5-6 months of the year.

  • The undersea telegraph cable invented by Frederick Newton Gisborne in 1857 changed communication worldwide.
  • In 1922, Frederick Banting, J.J McLeod, Charles Bestin had a major breakthrough in the study of diabetes with the invention of the Insulin process
  • John A Hopps in 1950 developed the Heart Pacemaker. 
  • The G-suit or Anti Gravity Suit was invented by Wilbur Franks in 1941, a suit for high altitude jet pilots.
  • Actar 911 Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Manikins were invented in 1989 by Dianne Croteau . I taught with these for many years. They made CPR training portable.  
  • Java, a software programming language, was invented in 1994 by James Gosling. 
  • The snowmobile is huge in the northern countries. Invented by Joseph-Armand Bombardier in 1958, it remains a big ticket item to this day! 
  • An absolute must to get around in Canada in the winter is the electric car heater invented by Thomas Ahearn in 1890. 
  • Add in a little something that we all use every day, the lowly zipper.  The zipper was invented by Gideon Sundback in 1913 and I thank him for that!  
  • From screwdrivers (the Robertson) to apples (Macintosh) there is a very impressive list. The world is filled with so many brilliant people and inventions! I found out a lot of information when I googled Canadian inventions. Do the same for your country .
My question to you, my fellow bloggers: What inventions were developed in your country?

Ye "Old Seed House" Garden

Posted by Lorac Friday 24 July 2009 5 comments

Just a few years back in Georgetown there was a mail order seed house. The seed house had about 20 acres of land "smack in the middle of town" and grew flowers for seed, roots and bulbs. It was well known in the area and many a visitor to Georgetown was very pleasantly surprised to see the sea of flowers and wave of colour.
It came to pass, that the original owners passed away and the family, after a few years decided to sell the property to the town. An extremely lucrative arrangement. The town folk were mighty sad to hear this bit of news but became slightly less so when they heard that a "specialty" shopping mall, park with a skating rink and park area with a pond were going to be built.
A few more years past and many write ups in the newspaper about what the town proposed to do with the land. The story changed many times. I suppose that the Shopping plaza and the parks would not bring in the kind of "dough" that was wanted needed, so the plans changed. First a Catholic High School was built on the grounds. Well, we actually did need another high school in Georgetown. The Catholic students had to bus to a nearby town. Building this one would benefit many.
A couple of more years, sporadic work here and there by the town, making ,what I supposed was the memorial garden to the seed house. Didn't look like much from the roadway. Just this spring they built a park for children with play equipment and a little water park and picnic area. It has been well populated with kids this year. So part of the towns plans have come about.
I decided I would go and take a look at this memorial garden on the far side of the park. I was pleasantly surprised! There is still a little work to be done, but it really is a lovely spot. The kind of spot I would love to have taken the kids to in their stroller and sit and mediation while they slept.
There is a nice parking area, not too big and well kept. A pathway starts into the garden and down the path, over a nice little bridge. A small boy there told me there were trolls under the bridge. I said I would be very careful! There are a few benches to sit on scattered around. A strong young Oak tree stands guard before the bridge. Many hardwood trees have been planted in the park and will one day reach great heights. Spirea and Euonymus flank the bridge.

After the bridge, the walkway takes you into an alcove. Here is a tinkling tiny waterfall topped off with a lavender bush and a pond with several coy fish.
Two little coy and water plants. I would think that in the late fall a home would have to be found for the coy and the water plants which would freeze.

 There is a back path from the alcove with the pond. It takes you around behind the bridge. Lilies, Shasta Daisy's, Brown Eyed Susan's and Lavender all flanked the walkway.

 Going left the pathway became this gorgeous open formal garden! I love Lavender and there was lots of it. One Eyed Daisy's, Bee's Balm, various Lilies, Salvia, Phlox,Gladiolas and many more! Standing tall, a Gazebo tops off the garden as a place to rest in rain or sunshine and gaze at the soothing gardens.


 There are two iron benches in the gardens, off to each side. I sat down for a bit.The smell of Lavender and sweet flowers drifted in the afternoon air.

 The front of the Gazebo invites walkers inside to sit in the cool shade on the benches all around.

 
 The promised pond is there, below the gazebo. If you enlarge the pic you will see that the pond is half covered in water lily's. Planted all around the park are trees of various types. Wild grasses and Queen Anne's Lace surround the pond. I have only shown about half. It looked quite pretty in the sun.
 
Turning to go back to my car, I see another storm is brewing. We have had an inordinate amount of rain this year and quite cool temperatures for Ontario in July.
 Back at the car I saw another garden plot. This is a public garden for avid gardeners who do not have their own land to toil.

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SkyWatch Friday!

Posted by Lorac Thursday 23 July 2009 19 comments

 
I love those evenings when the sky is reflected in the water of Kawagama Lake and everything turns rosy!

It can go from the lake looking like glass to rough and choppy in minutes.


 
Some summer days the heat of the day is just reflected in the setting sun. 

 Or the sun may be as a star in the early night sky!


Waiting for the storm to hit. Can't you feel the power that lays within?

 Lovely days when going to look out in Dorset is well worth time.

Go check out amazing skies at SkyWatch Friday!

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Posted by Lorac Monday 20 July 2009 1 comments

An Inuit Legend


 http://www.firstpeople.us/pictures/polar-bears/polar-bear-profile.html

 The Woman and Her Bear

Long ago in the far north, there lived a village of people known as the Inuit. They lived on the shores of the icy Arctic, and they depended upon the bounty of the salmon and seal and the creatures of the snow to feed themselves. All the young men of the village were hunters and fishermen. One old woman lived alone She had no husband and no sons to hunt or fish for her, and though her neighbors shared their food with her, as was their custom, she was lonely. She longed for a family of her own. She often walked along the shore, looking far out to sea, praying that the gods might send her a son.
One cold winter day, the woman was walking by the sea when she spotted a tiny white polar bear sitting all alone on the thick ice. At once she felt a kinship toward him, for he looked as lonely as she. His mother was nowhere in sight. "Someone must have killed her," she said softly, and she walked onto the ice, picked up the cub and looked into his eyes. "You will be my son," she said. She called him Kunik.
The old woman took her cub back to her home. From that day on, she shared all of her food with Kunik, and a strong bond grew between the two.
The village children loved Kunik, too. Now the woman was never lonely, for her son, the bear, and all the village children kept her company all day. She would stand by her igloo and smile as Kunik and the children rolled in the snow and slid on the ice. Kunik was gentle with the children as if they were his brothers and sisters.
Kunik grew taller and smarter. The children taught him to fish. By springtime he was fishing on his own, and every afternoon he came home carrying fresh salmon for his mother, The old woman was now the happiest of all the villagers. She had plenty of food and a son she loved with all her heart. She was so proud of her little bear that whenever he returned home, she would say proudly to anyone nearby," He's the finest fisherman in all the village!"
Before long the men began to whisper among themselves. They knew the bear was the most skillful fisherman of the village. They began to feel envious. "What will we do?" they asked each other. "That bear brings home the fattest seals and the biggest salmon." "He must be stopped," one of the men said. "He puts us to shame." They all turned and looked at him. They nodded slowly for although they were envious , they knew how much the old woman loved the bear. "We'll have to kill him. He has grown far too big," one man said. One by one the others agreed, for their envy made them stupid and mean. "Yes" the others said. "He is a danger to our families."
A little boy overheard the men talking. He ran to the old woman's home to tell her of the terrible plan. When the old woman heard the news, she threw her arms around her bear and wept. "No," she said, "they must not kill my child." At once she set off to visit every house in the village. She begged each man not to kill her beautiful bear. "Kill me instead," she wept. "He is my child. I love him dearly."
"He is fat," some of the village men said. "He will make a great feast for the whole village." "He is a danger to our children," the others said. "We cannot let him live."
The old woman saw that the men was determined to kill her son. She rushed home and sat down beside him. "Your life is in danger, Kunik. You must run away. Run away and do not return, my child." she wept as she spoke and held him close. "Run away. but do not go so far that I cannot find you," she whispered. And though her heart was breaking, she sent Kunik away. He had tears in his eyes, but he obeyed his mother's wishes.
For many days the old woman and the children grieved their loss. And then one day the old woman rose at dawn and was determined to find Kunik. She walked and walked , calling out his name. After many hours, just as the old woman feared she would never find him, she saw her bear running toward her. He was fat and strong, and his coat was shimmering white. They embraced, and the old woman whispered, "I love you."
But Kunik could see that his mother was hungry, and so he ran to get her fresh meat and fish. With tears in her eyes, the old woman cut up the seal and gave her son the choicest slices of blubber. Promising to return the next day, she set off for home, carrying her meat, her heart filled with joy.
The next day, as she had promised, she went to visit her son. And every day after that, the old woman and her son met, and the bear brought his mother fresh meat and fish.
After awhile the villagers grew to understand the love between the woman and the bear was strong and true. And from that point on, they told with pride and respect the tale of the unbroken love between the old woman and her son.

There are many more pictures and stories at:  http://www.firstpeople.us/pictures/polar-bears/polar-bear-profile.html

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Seeds of Thought

Posted by Lorac Sunday 19 July 2009 5 comments

One of my favorite things about the north country are the Birch trees in the forests and at the cottage. There are Paper Birch, Yellow Birch and Silver Birch, all beautiful, but my favorites are the stark white Paper Birch. I am cheating today as these are not my pictures but the poem is. Today I need to focus on too many things and so need to be absent , somewhat,  from the web. I will look in later to see your comments, good or bad! I hope you enjoy "Seeds of Thought"
Seeds of Thought

Through the leaves,
Just like a jewel,
Shining bright,
Emerald cool
 
 As I walk,
The elusive sun,
Enlightens a web,
Silver spun

At my feet,
A fern unfurled,
The tip as yet,
Tightly curled

Across my face,
A feathers blown,
I see the bird,
From whence it's flown

My hand caresses,
Smooth white bark,
A woodpecker,
Has left it's mark

I turn to go,
I hate to leave,
Through the cool glade,
My footsteps weave.

Splashtacular!

Posted by Lorac Saturday 18 July 2009 13 comments

I LOVE waterfalls! Natural, man made,whatever. I have always loved the cool rush of the water, the stars flying off the mist as the power of the falls reveals itself. Or it may be the musical trickle as the water from a small falls finds it's way to the lowland. Regardless, I love falls. I have captured a few too many in  my travels that I would like to share with you.

This was found on a back road not far from my place. I had just driven over the bridge. This is known as Silver Creek. An archaic arch, centuries old worn stone in the river bed, that when stepped on, is warm on the soles of the feet.


  On the other side of the road, a tinkling falls, one of the quiet ones. A small pool below filled with shades of tan and green.


I walked along, following the creek upstream. I thought I could get some pictures of some running water or wildlife and found this area to be a waterfall paradise. Multi-tiered, it flows gently, with just a whisper.

Changing directions, I went downstream and soon came upon this. The water chimed, a sing song as I walked along the banks of the creek. Water and water sounds calm me, lull me into further investigation.



 Further on, another treasure! Leopard frogs jump from the banks into the cool water. The pool has a sand bed and you could see the little minnows swimming about!

Still following this little creek.So lush, so green! Look at the ferns and the moss growing by the waters edge and onto the rocks into the creek.

 Silver Creek flows through the land well behind my property but down stream it comes out just down the road.The people who live close by have built up little water falls. In the pools are silvery minnows and lots of little green leopard frogs. None of them would oblige with a picture! I have seen a muskrat running along the banks as well. I drive past here almost every day and have seen it gently making its way to Lake Ontario, peaceful on a summers day or raging down stream, swollen and tipping over the banks with the spring melt of ice and snow.
 
This is a beautiful little river I found while I was just out backroading. I have never been able to find it again. I spent a few hours here following the stream and getting photos. I would love to go back! If any one recognizes it, let me know! It is north west of Georgetown and on the Escarpment.
It was a noisy river with a few smaller water falls as well. It opened up down river into a large pool. Look at the stone.Typical limestone of the escarpment. Much of this limestone has gone all over Ontario to build Parliament buildings, churches and houses.



Long shot of the same falls

This is in the town of St Mary's in southern Ontario. I spent a lot of time there, working and fell in love with the quaint little town. This is a huge river called the Thames River It flows west 273Kilometres (169 miles) through southwestern Ontario and  runs right through town.
This one, just outside of Bracebridge, is known as High Falls.
 
One of many Hollow River falls outside of Dorset, Ontario

Also Hollow River

Just a few for you to see! Hope you enjoy them as I do! To view a magnificent falls go into the archives and look for Kakabeka Falls.

At Home When at the Cottage

Posted by Lorac Friday 17 July 2009 13 comments

 I gaze out upon the water,
And feel home, 
Surrounding me,
Enveloping me,
Loving me,
As I do it. 
Peace and tranquility,
The water gives to me, 
A place to belong.

Sky Watch Friday

Posted by Lorac Thursday 16 July 2009 8 comments



It's Sky Watch Friday! View from my porch in Ontario. Hazy lazy days of summer! I love this view. In the spring I watch the fields being plowed in the distance. As I am up on a hill I can see quite a ways. It's gorgeous during a lightening storm.


One fluffy marshmallow cloud in an sky so blue! The lake water colour is striking against the backdrop of the various greens of the forests of Haliburton Highlands.
Distant sky adds to the melancholy of this scene. Clouds gathering will soon block the stars in the water of this river in Muskoka.
Please go and look at all the beautiful pictures at http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Sorry friends! I forgot an important part of the recipe and can only claim mind fugue with the extent of everything going on right now. Very busy time for me.
I forgot to add 1 can of diced tomatoes to the recipe. How could one forget tomatoes! I realized it when I was thinking about Tomato Porridge.  (http://ahazymoon.blogspot.com/see ) Tomatoes are essential for this gumbo. I have revised the post below. I hope you didn't all run out and buy the ingredients yet.

So what is going on that I have the mental capacity of an 90 year old with some timers? I am trying to utilize a government incentive for people who have been laid off to go back to school for training. They only allow this if it will further the skills you already have or can prove to them that the skills you have are either not going to get you hired or that you can no longer physically do that line of work. I am going for both!
1)You have to find the course you want to take. Apply to the different colleges that host that program and get accepted into the program.
2) List all the jobs you have applied for and been turned down. (We are not hiring just now, but if you want to try again in six months we may be taking applications then))
3) Prove why you need a change of career.( Because I am way to old to play anymore, being as past jobs have left me with a really bad back and there is no future in my past line of business)
4) Meet with career counselors and college intake persons. This means a lot of traveling.  Also a lot of time spent on the computer.

I am still dealing with the specialists and going to appt's with them as well. Of course the specialists are miles away so they take a full day for one appt.
In a nutshell, swamped!
So please forgive my error and try the recipe with the tomatoes. You will love it!

That's a Crock!

Posted by Lorac Tuesday 14 July 2009 4 comments

I love to BBQ but not all the time . I know it's a traditional meal at the cottage but there are days that I am too lazy even for that! A rainy day isn't very pleasant standing out BBQing as well.For these days I bring out the crock pot or slow cooker depending where you are from. My all time favorite meal in a crock pot is a gumbo. This recipe I have done many times and never tire of it. I like to do the slow cook so I put it on in the morning and then forget about it until dinner time. Or wish I could! The aroma as it is cooking is delish!

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup All purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup Oil
  • 2 cup Water or chicken broth
  • 12 ounce Smoked sausages
  • 2 cup chicken cooked, chopped
  • 2 cup okra sliced
  • 1 cup onion chopped
  • 1/2 cup Green pepper chopped
  • 1/2 cup celery chopped
  • 4 clove garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 can of diced tomatoes (796 ml or 28 oz)
  • cooked rice for serving

Instructions

For roux, in a heavy 2-quart saucepan stir together flour and oil till smooth. Cook over medium-high heat 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium. Cook and stir constantly about 15 minutes more or till a dark, reddish brown roux forms. Cool.
In a 3 1/2, 4-, 5-, or 6-quart crockery cooker place water. Stir in roux. Add sausage, chicken, okra, onion, green pepper, celery, garlic, salt, pepper, tomatoes and red pepper. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 10-12 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 1/2 to 5 hours.
Skim off fat. Serve over rice.
You can substitute zucchini for the okra and use different kind of sausages. We really like Oktoberfest sausage in the gumbo.
I have found really low fat chicken stock, as well as low sodium. I like to use this .

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Lorac
Georgetown, Ontario, Canada
I have lived in Georgetown for 37 years but have traveled around a great deal. I own my own business which takes a lot of my time but try to blog as much as possible! I love to take pictures, no training, just a love of photography. Enjoy the pics but please do not copy them.
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Copyright ~~All content and photos are original to Carol Merten, Ahhh...The Cottage Life! and are copyrighted. Please do not copy, or download any content without express written consent. All content and photos remain the sole property of Carol Merten.

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