the cynical cyclist

Why?

2014-10-04T08:05:00.001-07:00

We had such a wonderful experience this past summer. My daughter was chosen to be a Junior rider for the Tour de Rock. The TDR is an annual fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society in which 24 riders from the RCMP, Military Police, Municipal Police, plus two media riders, complete a bicycle ride from one end of Vancouver Island to the other. They visit most every community, big or small, along the way. Schools and community centers welcome them with generosity, adrenaline pumping cheers, and delicious eats. I am so proud of the local riders that completed this amazing journey. They have become our friends, and, although a slight bit jealous of the adventure, so amazed of the hardships and mileage they endured in these two weeks, not to mention the months of training to build up to it. Great job Team!

Natalie decided early on in the Tour involvement that she would shave her head! Her mom set up a fundraising site on the Canadian Cancer Societies web site and the dollars came pouring in. In one month she raised $2500 dollars from her friends and family. What an accomplishment! Kind of shocking the generosity that they all showed in helping her give such a large amount. Natalie bravely sat in the chair on a gorgeous, sunny Thursday morning and had her blonde braid shaved off. The lady doing the work asked if Natalie wanted to donate her hair for wigs, and she said yes right away. She smiled the whole time, and before long was sporting a close trim, like her dad! A great experience for her young life, one that promises to be full of being generous and wishing to help others.

The evening before we attended the "Red Serge" dinner, a fundraising event, when the Tour team rolled into Courtenay. 400 people were in attendance, it was a packed house. Many corporate sponsors, volunteers and guests willing to open their wallets in support of the cause. The event raised some $35,000, a huge success for the riders efforts. Again the generosity and self-less gestures were incredible. People willing to shell out cash with little regard. It was so awesome to see a community come together to support a great cause. I feel lack of community in my life. That could be just my inability to function well in large group settings, but I saw it at this function. I commend everyone at the event, the Riders, the support crew, volunteers and the thousand of folks on Vancouver Island who came out the raise money for the Tour De Rock.

While watching the goings on at the "Red Serge" dinner, I began to ponder something. My mind, like always, goes into preventative thinking , versus Western "fix it after its broken". As amazing as it was for the willingness of the participants to open their wallets, how many of them take into consideration why do we have cancers? The epidemics of the disease are mind blowing. I am sure you know one, two or more people who have it, have fought it or died because of this disease. It seems to strike with little regard of age, sex, race, or health. Cancer seems, in my mind, to be increasing rapidly. Lots of energy is being put into finding cures for it, and we need that to be sure, however I would love more self reflection on the individual level on what is actually causing it. Giving to the Cancer Society and continuing to smoke. Promoting a fundraiser in to community while coating your skin in perfumes, make-up and soaps. A quote in this blog from Natalie, where she stated "Why would they use motorcycles to raise money for cancer, wouldn't the burning of the gas just make more cancer?" Paraphrasing a little bit, and that quote was reminded to me by Katie DeRosa, as she interviewed me for the Victoria Times Colonist. I had forgotten about that one, an eight year old having that logic. Where is ours?

Our systems are broken. As a whole, especially in the west, are eating nutrient deficient food, laced with toxic herbicide, pesticide, and fungicide, grown in dead soil. Our micro-biome has been destroyed with all the antibiotic medications and cleaners. We never eat fermented foods anymore. We are bombarded with vehicle emissions, airplane "chem-trails"(if they are real) and exhaust, tailings from manufacture, mining and other industry. People do not get enough exercise, fresh air, sleep and have far too much low level stress. This is a scary world. Is the only solution to add more chemicals to our bodies to kill the cancer cells that are likely caused by our environment.

There has to be a better way, and their is. Naturalpathic disease fighting is real, and it works. However it isn't covered by our Social medical system. When dollars are involved the ones with the most zero's win. And that is Big Pharma. Of course they lobby for their products to be covered and used mainstream, they profit billions. There is a place for the western drug treatments. My daughter might not be here if it wasn't for those treatments. I am not trying to be hypocritical, I would like people to be able to choose there method of treatment on equal footing with those that go the pharmaceutical, conventional way. We need to work towards food production systems that are de-centralized, local, and beyond organic. Building our soils back to the vibrant eco-systems that science is just beginning to understand. Communities based on alternative modes of transportation, other than fossil fuel burning ones. We all need interactions with nature, soil and sun. Barefoot walking and grounding to the earth. Primal exercise, plus short bouts of high levels of stress and adrenaline. The solutions are there, but the current system has been designed for us this way. Are you ready to step away?

And I would love to live on a planet that is healthy, which would created disease resistant beings on it. We are the earths micro-biome, all the living elements on her. It is a pattern, can you see it?

G.M.O. argument

2013-06-10T20:22:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted on this blog for over six months. I have found it harder to share lately, possibly burned out from so much writing the past couple of years. The urge to write came the other day. Upon reading a horrible letter to the editor in the Comox Valley Record on June 4th, praising Genetically Modified Organisms. Snap!! So here is the letter that made me freak out(click this link), and then you can read my rebuttal.

"I couldn't hold my tongue any longer. After reading Lorne Hepworth’s letter to the Editor in the June 4th edition of the Record I became angry! I am just a regular guy with no agenda, who happens to have a passion for healthy food and supporting the local economy. After breaking free of the industrial food system, I have lost 50 pounds, regained my health and quality of life. My eyes were opened to the atrocious agricultural model several years ago, and I can’t stand having a bio-tech lobby group stating such blatant lies in our local paper. I wish to encourage people, especially in an area where we are blessed with such diversity in our local food shed, to smarten up and to stop supporting the huge chemical companies who are essentially calling the shots in the food we consume.

I would like to clear up a few things for folks who may not understand what is going on. I am no scientist, but I do understand how the natural world works. G.M.O. foods are not food. They have been altered in a laboratory, at a genetic level, by people in white coats. Now if there were people in lab coats selling tomatoes at the farmers market, good chance they would not have a very successful business. These seeds are sold(marketed) to the farmers by the wonders of the seed being herbicide resistant and the ability be sprayed with Round-Up to kill ALL the weeds(which aren't actually weeds, but pioneer species trying to re-build damaged systems. Weed is such a negative term) so the product will have less competition. The chemical company also says the herbicide is inert once it hit’s the soil. I call a big BS on that claim! Then we eat the residues of the awful chemicals. And plants are so weak unless they are completely grown in mono-culture they will not produce. They need absolute human intervention. Nitrogen, Potassium, and Phosphate petro-chemical fertilizer(yes made from fossil fuels) are tilled into the soil. The soils are void of life from the tilling and poisoning. The claim by CropLife that not tilling is good for the soil is true, but spraying pesticides and herbicides in definitely NOT! Soil that is treated right is full of amazing life, minerals, and beneficial beings. Our soils are so depleted that the food we get from a mono-culture is essentially dead. Couple this killed earth with top soil loss from erosion and the catastrophic collapse of bee colonies, the food system as we know it is doomed.

Lobby groups and marketing firms work so hard at selling us this garbage food at great cost to our health and environment. CropLife claims that “Canadian save 60% percent on our grocery bill”. What is this compared to? We must take the true price of these savings into account. Depleting of the fossil waters across most of the agricultural areas of North America, leading to drought and massive crop loss. Heath care costs rising every year, due mostly to illnesses that are, in many circumstances, reversible with proper diet, including type 2 diabetes, chronic inflammation and obesity. These create a whole new set of complications that could be fixed by a change in diet. There are thousands of stories out there of people who have reversed the diseases of agriculture on the internet. Do a little research in to the Weston A. Price Foundation, Robb Wolf and Dr William Davis. Society hasn't yet even began to see the long term heath repercussions associated with G.M.O. foods, as they have only been on the market since 1996. Not even 20 years of these “franken-foods” being on the market. Many older folks remember when doctors advertised cigarettes. Hmmmmm, do we see a pattern? What is going to happen as the reserves of fossil fuels are being used up? What will be used to fertilize the field, harvest it, transport the product to market? Major problem.

I am also very concerned with animals being fed G.M.O. feeds. Cows are un-naturally fed G.M.O. corn and soy in horrible conditions in Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (C.A.F.O.), getting sick and fed anti-biotic. What is changing inside their bodies that are detrimental to our heath? The stress hormones course through the animals blood streams, passing on the consumer. Pork, and poultry are not any better of an option in the industrial model. Eating a completely vegetable diet, in my opinion, isn't with our its own set of issues, mostly because of the way vegetable proteins are grown. We MUST get animals back onto the pasture, locking in carbon, building soil and creating the safest, healthiest and sustainable food possible.

We are sick, scared and un-happy in life. This is the way the mega-corps want us. Sick and scared people are trainable, and un-happy people spend money. A return to a more natural and sustainable system for all would be the way to go. It is has to happen, or man-kind will fail. It is just common sense. Think about it! We are running out of resources. Mother Nature didn't need all these false inputs for the past few million years, why do we? Take charge of you own life, don’t listen to the advertisements. Only YOU can fix this, and if enough of us fix ourselves then the awful situation will change. Please don’t wait for the government to change anything. That is an exercise in futility. Buy organic, buy local, and get to know your farmer. And say NO to G.M.O.!"

Any comments. Did I make a point and this organization can take a hike. I would like to see some comments on my letter. Thanks for reading.

Adventure 52- Home Butchery

2012-12-30T09:59:00.002-08:00

This isn't how I envisioned the finale of this journey for Natalie and I. I am sitting home, listening to Jack Spirko, sipping a coffee, alone. Natalie has been invited on some cool adventures with her mom, and who am I to step in the way of that. I really wanted to finish this writing project in 2012, and she will not be back with me until the new year. In this regard we are out of time to participate in one last grand adventure for this year. I know over the years we will be undertaking many great trips, and see any number of wonderful things around Vancouver Island and beyond.

Going back through my mind as I recalled other adventures that were not recorded in this blog, and the one that has stood out since it took place, happened right here in my kitchen. Or as I call it Scruggs Chop Shop and Smoke House. My kitchen has become the focus of my life, finding great comfort in fresh meal ideas and learning processes for interesting sauces and preserves. As I wrote about in 730, my diet and passion for local food has increased incredibly, with canning and preserving high on the list for keeping these products out of season. Natalie has begun her interest in cooking as well. She has been making her own oatmeal for breakfast for months now. She is no longer scared of the stove, and is learning to us a knife. For Christmas I gifted to her a cutting board and two knives, one a Santuko and the other a pairing knife. I hope her to help me with prepping meals and canning, teaching her the importance of being prepared and the skills involved in with storing food.

I had a fantastic deer hunting season, luckily harvesting three deer. I take pride in looking after all my own processing, the only thing that I am not able to do at home is the hanging, and that is fine to leave somewhere it can be hung in a proper environment. My last deer I took on a rainy, windy early December morning, on a farm property that I was very fortunate to be allowed access to hunt the 100 acre property. The deer was not a wall hanger, but a fantastic eating animal that I was very grateful to be able to take for the deep freeze. I field dressed the animal, loaded it in the truck, and brought it to my uncles home to hang in his shop. I usually hang an animal for at least a week, but because of the circumstances, I just left it over night. Being a young deer, the worry of gamey venison was not a concern, so I broke it down and readied it for transport home in a couple of coolers. Next season I hope to do a more detailed blog post about how to take a deer apart, into primary cuts. I can do so in about 45 minutes and is really quite easy, just don't wreck the backstrap!

I prepared the kitchen table by washing and wiping with vinegar to sanitize it, and sharpened my boning knife. Natalie showed up just as I was getting ready, so I invited her to help me. Her eyes lit and she grinned "Sure Dad!" I reached a cutting board from the shelf, popped a pairing knife from the magnet and slid it along the steel. I was about to trim out the backstrap, so I gave her the tenderloins, and explained how to cut off the fat and trim off the little bits for the burger bowl. She went to task and had the "sweet meat" done in record time. I was de-boning a shoulder, so I pulled the rib cage from the cooler and tossed it on her board. Giant eyes again. I explained how to strip the meat from the bones, cutting out from between the ribs, and neck. I don't think that I have seen her have that much fun in a long time. She worked on that the whole time it took me to finish up the shoulders and hams, as well as wrap it all up. She would poke around, finding blood vessels, coagulated blood, investigate how the bones were attached to the others. This is a biology lesson, your text book in front of you, in 3D.

Natalie did so good at stripping that carcass. I ended up helping her to get the last bits from between the ribs. There was no complaining, not gross outs, no boredom. It was interesting for her the whole time. I am thrilled to pass on skills that I did not have the opportunity to gain at her age. I saw a very few deer cut up as a youth, so for her to learn this stuff at 9 will carry through her life. I hope to bring her hunting with me more next season, so I can show her how to field dress and skin. She did help me make sausages during my first attempt doing so in October, and I can't wait to get her plucking ducks. I did learn this at a young age, with my uncle, who would take me along with him on lots of duck hunting trips.

Most of all, it is about learning traditional skills, self sufficiency, and common sense. To be able to provide for yourself, even if she never hunts, she will know what good food looks like, and what food looks like before it is wrapped in plastic and styrofoam at the grocery store(I hope she has better choices than that) We learn a greater appreciation for what is offered to us as food when we have a hand in taking care of it, not wasting and honouring our food. I am so proud that she has shown interest in butchery, and hope she follows in my footsteps with this great skill!

I guess that wraps it up. 52 weeks, 52 adventures. There were peaks and valleys this year, much frustration, much laughter, many firsts and changes for both of us. I am excited for the base this year has laid down for our relationship, our working together, planning, trying to cope with adversity, and giving us something to focus on each week. I am also looking forward to not having the task of writing every week, and hope to writing more about building self sufficiency, gardening, playing in Scruggs Chop Shop and Smokehouse, prepping and building 13 skills. 2013 will be another great year in my house, and I hope to share more of that with you all. Find Adventure!

A New Direction

2012-12-29T08:00:00.000-08:00

After five plus years of immersion in a certain website called Facebook I have decided that it is time to pull the plug. Recently the news that Instagram had changed their policy on photos, so that any photos posted to the site would be property of Instagram and they would be free to sell them, without telling the photographer or compensating them in any way. This made me furious. But it was also eye opening. I realized that being a part of social media and getting more and more plugged in all the time slowly made us hooked on these sites and creating false realities, friendships and social circles.

The Instagram headline(Facebook owns Instagram) made me upset for the most part because the powers that be in Facebook are already worth billions. Is it that tough to make it work that you need to pull the wool over the public eye and basically steal their content. To me, it is the same as me using someone else's blog content and not crediting them for it. Plagiarism is very illegal and in bad taste, maybe Facebook doesn't see it that way? I loved using Instagram for a while now, sharing food porn with like minded people, the filters gave my shots an interesting effect. I cannot stomach the idea of supporting a business that would rule like this.

I am also getting tired of knowing what is happening in so many peoples lives. Not that it is bad, for the most part people are doing good things. I have gotten a little bit frustrated with constantly hearing "I saw on your Facebook" or "Did you see that thing on my wall?" I am no saint obviously, and I am not trying to be hypocritical. I would kind of like to meet friends and have something to talk about. I am one who is very observant and can remember things that people tell me very easily. So if you post it on your status, good chance I will remember it. Then when we have a conversation, I feel like I can fill in the blank when people are talking about their lives. This is a good time to bow out and I will be leaving on January 1st.

This maybe a bad move, since I have been involved with creating a social media based projects with this blog and with the Edible Valley podcast. I appreciate everyone who has found my content because of Facebook. My stats will suffer as a result, I know this. I encourage you to sign up for email notifications for new posts to the blog. It is easy and you will be informed each and every time that a new post is published. If you are on Twitter, please follow me @cynicalcyclist. Also consider subscribing to Edible Valley on itunes. Every episode will be uploaded to your device as it is published. We have so many ways to stay in touch. I don't wish to post my cell number or email address on here, but if you email me through the blog, I will get it.

Thanks for the years of fun Facebook, but I cannot support your endeavors anymore and I wish to build community face to face, the old school way.

Adventure 51- Ice Skating

2012-12-28T19:36:00.001-08:00

Waiting to go on the ice

This adventure was a few weeks in the making. Natalie had asked me for sometime to take her ice skating at the Comox Valley Sports Center. It was planned a couple times but because of the pace of the holidays we didn't make it before today.

Such big smiles!

I am no expert skater, that is an understatement. Ask anyone who has watched me play hockey. I have never had so many bruises as I did one time playing ice hockey without any gear. Falling down more than skating back and forth. It was a good gag, but I sure paid for it the next day. Natalie had only skated once or twice over the years, and used roller skates a few times. I was unsure how this would play out, for both of us.

A little hesitant

Due to circumstances Natalie and I arrived late to the Everyone Welcome skate at Arena 2. It was over at 3 and we arrived at 2:20. We quickly paid and got our rental skates. Ice skates are tough to get on the foot. They are a tight fit to say the least. Once my foot was slipped in, they felt much better. I helped Natalie tie hers, making sure the laces were cinched up to give her the best stability. On the ice we went. Natalie was scared to leave the boards, and we did a lap with her holding my hand. She only fell down once and then decided that she wanted something to help her out, so she grabbed a tall traffic cone and tried to use that. The cone didn't want to slide easily, that got left behind after one lap. Natalie took a break and I did a lap by myself. I was impressed with the ease I had of gliding around. For not being on skates in five or six years, that was pretty comfortable.

Progressing

We did a few more laps in the short allotment of time that we had left. Natalie tried using a "skate tutor" to help out, and it worked really good for her. She built confidence and for the last lap left the support on the side and was doing some short glides and letting go of the boards. She had a huge grin and was so proud of herself. As we left the ice Natalie kept telling me she wanted to skate more and she was so sad that it was over. We will be going back to the rink for sure. It cost $11 and change for admission and rental. Fantastic price for potentially two hours entertainment and exercise for a mid-afternoon winter activity. The patrons were a mix of children, teens and grown-ups, and most were pretty casual. Only a few that were skating really fast, showing hockey skills. They only were doing this in short bursts and were not getting in anyones way. Go skating, Find Adventure!

Ya! What What!!

Adventure 50- Union Bay Coal Hills

2012-12-28T19:10:00.001-08:00

Nice and calm

As much as the snow has been quite nice this holiday season so far, there is something about getting out and visiting somewhere that had little snow, see some greens and browns again, and get close to the ocean. It is amazing how quickly ones eyes get accustomed to all the whiteness and the relief that comes with seeing the colors that are more normal for our climate. As the day matured today the brisk of morning revealed a warmth as bright sun glistening off the snow, bringing a heat that can only be appreciated after two weeks of coastal December.

Barely hanging on

The original plan for the day was to participate in an "everyone welcome" skate in Courtenay at the Comox Valley Sports Center, the same place that we watched the Glacier Kings game. With the need for Vitamin D high on the priority list for these shortest days, itinerary changes rapidly with the weather. I wanted to see the ocean and the sun, to get a little exercise for Natalie and Marshall, also to just get out of the house. I can easily occupy myself in the kitchen all day, and leave Natalie for her own devices, which often includes her ipod, and you tube. Now that she has received her own knives and cutting board as a Christmas gift from me, maybe she will encourage her inclusion with more regularity and pass on some hard won knowledge.

Happy beast!

After bouncing around a few ideas, the Union Bay Coal Hills were the destination of choice. It was sure to be sunny and quiet, and located on Baynes Sound, with its mix of sea birds, driftwood and related treasures. I invited my dad along with us, as Poppa used to walk these shores daily, even after moving to Cumberland. We drove down to the Bay, observing the gradual lessening of snow as we descended the hill. How beautiful for the eyes to see the greens, yellows, and browns of winter, mixed with small protected patches of white snow.

Waiting to Superman jump

The parking area had several vehicles in it already as folks were out enjoying the day. Unfortunately the skies were not as clear as anticipated, low cloud cover blocking out some of those so crucial rays. Cumberland must be above the clouds, and now we were underneath. It was still wonderful out, slightly cool, calm and still. Cormorants, surf scooters, various sea gulls and ducks rafted or soared over head looking for security and a meal. We walked the shore close to the quickly receding bank, that is being rapidly being eroded by winter storms. Every time I visit the road that we used to drive in my youth is getting narrower, and soon will probably not be passable without some major bush whacking. Marshall bounded about like he does, looking with madness for a stick and someone to toss it for him. Without hesitation he was in the salt-chuck, swimming, not care one for the temperature of the water, and ready to have it launched away again. Natalie investigated some tree roots exposed by the erosion, a small cave appearing in the bank.

"So thirsty"

We crossed onto the inland area and over the top of the mound that gave this place its recognized name. I explained to Natalie how different the place is from how I remember it as a child. More and more trees are popping up constantly, Mother Nature trying to re-claim this place that was a waste dumping ground for decades during the coal mining hey days of the Comox Valley. This horrible pollution is being swept away at a steady, uncontrolled rate, coating the floor of Baynes Sound and potentially destroying natural sea floor habitat. This is the results of a mining operation not looking after its due diligence and cleaning up after it is finished operation. Lets not see this happen again in our area.

This one didn't make it

We brought Marshall over to Hart (Washer) Creek to play a little bit and wash off the salt water. He leapt in once, struggling hard in the current, and was successful in getting himself out. I thought that I was going to have to lend a hand to pull him out. Natalie decided at one point she was absolutly thirsty and needed a drink. So I encouraged her to grab a sip from the creek. She managed without a problem and didn't get wet. Nice job! It would be a cold slip if that happened.

Weird reaction to a Doug fir cone

Visiting places that meant so much to me as a youth with Natalie has been so special over this year of us doing adventures. The Coal Hills were very much an everyday part of my life. We could see them from my house, we swam and fished there in the summer, hiked with various dogs and rode our bikes. Multi generations of my family spent time on the Coal Hills and it is seated deep in my being. Find Adventure.

Pretty mushroom

Adventure 49: Cumberland Snowshoeing

2012-12-24T20:43:00.002-08:00

Trail Head

The Comox Valley and in particular, Cumberland, was inundated with an intense winter weather front that came on Sunday night and dropped eight inches of snow. We were given a break on Tuesday, but that night it began again, with strong, gusting winds and more snow, that closed schools in Cumberland and cut our power. Another six inches of snow fell before it stopped, the skies cleared and made lots of ice. The roads were suspect and a little treacherous. Saturday morning welcomed yet again more snow, and it was falling all day. Dinner plate sized flakes dropping adding yet more depth to the already impressive Cumberland snow pack. I was actually not that upset with the snow this year, having a truck with four wheel drive and brand new, snow-rated tires, gave me confidence to travel around. Natalie was loving it of course, as any kid would.

Goofy face. Hope it doesn't stay like that!

For years it has been my wish to snowshoe from my front door and walk in the woods behind Cumberland. Even before I had shoes, this was a dream. After spending so many hours hiking around the deep snow over the holiday season on the trails, using shoes was my fantasy. Natalie and I were fortunate to both receive them as Christmas gifts last year, so now this dream could become reality.

Took this one behind my back

We had a busy weekend of socializing and eating at three different holiday parties. Santa came to our annual Christmas party at the Logan's. This event has been going on for eight years, and it is neat to see how the kids are growing, and new ones are arriving all the time. After that gathering, Natalie and I ventured out in the snow to drive south to Qualicum for a dinner party at our friends place. There was potential to have a large gathering, but with the weather being what it was, many were not prepared to make the trip. It was a very good time, great food and company, and I got to bring home an absolute windfall of food. As we drove home an idea for an adventure came to mind. Lets do this snowshoe trip! We got a late start since Natalie spent all day cleaning her room, and I was busy canning turkey meat and doing other kitchen stuff(weird huh!) I was stoked.

Happy beast!

The road was plowed so we did not put on our shoes, electing to walk in our boots instead. Approaching the swamp crossing, I forgot how much of a mess the beavers have made at the crossing. The dam that was built recently has flooded the trail on either side of the bridge. Natalie and I both got soaked feet as we tried to negotiate the flowing water and trees. We almost called it quits, but she decided to give it a whirl and see if her feet wouldn't be too cold. We strapped up and carried on. Marshall was with us, and he was being insane. He was deer bounding around the snow, chasing anything and everything we threw in the woods, hound baying at me to toss more objects. He was just a little obnoxiously loud if someone was hiking for peace and quiet. However, Natalie and I had lots of fun watching him recklessly leaping about.

Concentrate Daddy

We found ourselves on a trail called Tied Knot. This trail is full of mountain biking stunts, including skinny logs, ramps, bridges and gap jumps. Tied Knot twists through the Cumberland Community Forest, a beautiful, community owned chunk of woods. Over the years, Natalie and I have spent many, many hours wandering these woods looking for mushrooms, geo-caching and biking. Tied Knot was really awesome. Walking with snowshoes on the stunts was very challenging, balancing and trying to maintain traction on slippery logs invigorating. Not as adrenalin filled as two wheels, just slower and more methodical. One has to be careful not to step accidentally on the rear shoe and trip. Falling would hurt regardless of transportation method. Natalie did really good trying the traverses. She attempted everything I did, needing just a few helping hands. I was impressed how she walked so far with soaking wet feet. It really began to bother her the last little bit, but goes to show how merino wool can help out. With cotton socks she would have been ruined.

You can do it!

I plan on doing another snowshoe tomorrow for my annual Christmas Day hike. It was wonderful for Natalie, Marshall and I to enjoy this excursion so much. We have a week to finish up and undertake three more of these adventures. Wish us luck!

Always a mushroom shot. Turkey Tails

730

2012-12-19T18:13:00.000-08:00

Here it is, a milestone, a celebration of a re-birth, an anniversary to be proud of, two years without alcohol. It has come with little fan-faire and excitement, but is reflected back on to what has come in the second year of the best decision of my life, I am amazed with the changes and accomplishments that have been gained. Re-reading what I had written from last year at this time to remember how it felt after 365. At that time just the satisfaction to have made it one full year without falling off the wagon, but no word on how my life had changed. This year was just incredible and this is what this post will entail.

If you have been reading this blog, or know me in person, pretty good chance you know that I adopted the Paleo lifestyle about six months ago. Again, my friend Russ, inspired my immersion into Paleo, by sharing his success with it and passing on information. The results have been spectacular. I have lost close to 60 pounds, just by adapting away from a high carb, grain based diet to one of protein, fat and vegetables, with some fruit and nuts tossed in. I have fully switched and cannot imagine ever going back. My energy levels have never been higher, body been trimmer and sculpted, digestion this good, and testosterone levels sky high. I was even featured on robbwolf.com. Robb is the guru of the Paleo lifestyle, and to be part of the community has been massive. Social media has allowed me to connect with many like minded individuals, sharing ideas and "food porn". This has led me to all sorts of new ideas and inspirations due to my vastly increased confidence and social capital building.

Edible Valley was an idea that was proposed by myself to my good friend Jon as a way for us to re-connect our friendship. Little did I know how much this podcast would change my focus on life to be almost completely independent of imported food and building of friendships with local farmers and chefs. There are now dozens of wonderful people in the Valley that I can now call my friends, including some of the most successful chefs, renown farmers and food writers. We also were offered to record our podcast in a radio studio, with the producer helping us out and doing the edits for us, which has been a huge blessing and now I call many people from Jet FM my friends. We are constantly getting wonderful feedback about our little show, and being modest, down playing it all the time. I am really proud that Jon and I have been able to keep this thing together, and so grateful for the support of so many. Thank you all deeply.

Edible Valley has also ignited my love of cooking. Hanging out with a chef one night a week, visiting the farmers market near weekly, and building inventory of my own hunted, fished and gathered foods have made cooking exciting again. Also learning the unique recipes that can be created using Paleo ingredients to mimic traditional dishes has been so rewarding. I had great success with salmon fishing this summer and also was lucky to take three deer this season, plus butchered half a hog(Tannadice Farms) and a bunch of chickens(Ash Berry Farm) that were purchased from farmer friends of mine. Scratch cooking is so rewarding with ample opportunity to secure amazing ingredients, stuff that most aren't lucky to get. The Comox Valley is Paleo paradise and I hope to expand on this coming in 2013. Stay tuned.

I learned to make sausages, pepperoni, cured deer ham, and pickled eggs. My canning went from a few jars of peaches to include salmon, tomato sauce, chutney, pickled beets and cukes, and salsa. I tried and had success fermenting cukes and cabbage into sauerkraut, and also made kombucha. In the spring I hope to do some kind of butchery demo and sausage making class at one of the local retailers. I really want to help people learn to build self sufficiency in their lives, getting away from the "system" of corporate control of our food, health care and well being. I wish for folks to have practical skills and common sense, and do for themselves. I have joined 13skills.com and have pledged to work on 13 individual skills in 2013 to enhance this freedom in my life. Teaching is one of those skills. The words of Jack Spirko have influenced me in so many ways opening my eyes to the realities of the world, encouraging myself to build self sufficiency, and to be prepared for emergencies large or small. The Survival Podcast has become a massive part of my education, and working on 13 skills is very exciting.

My blog has been rolling along nicely. With Natalie and I into the last stretches of our 52 weeks of adventures, I am feeling burned out, and unmotivated to write about it. Not sure how many words have been written over these weeks, but there have been so many, and photos too. We have done some pretty cool things this year, including cycling, camping, hiking, foraging. Many of these were firsts for my girl as well. She recently helped me butcher a deer, and I will be helping her build those skill for herself in '13. I want her to start life with the ability to do for herself the things that I had to learn as an adult.

In my personal life, aside from all the social media and homesteading stuff, it is going well. I am single now, since June, and have adapted well. I am sometimes lonely for short periods, but working to embrace that and enjoy the time alone, trying not to fill in all the empty spaces doing things constantly. Twitter and Instagram help with that. I am steady sharing my pictures of cooking and other foodie stuff with the Paleo community. I have connected with some really great people as I previously stated, including another Paleo gentleman in the Comox Valley, as well as new friends in the Edible Valley circles. I also have re-friended someone from high school and that has become a very important relationship. Natalie is doing amazing and she is such a great kid who doesn't bat an eye at all the "weird" stuff her dad is doing all the time. She is very happy to follow along with me and I hope she can spend more time in the field with me hunting in the years to come.

What path would life be on if I had not stopped drinking? There is no answer, but I can honestly say that these accomplishments would not have happened, without a doubt. The crutch of alcohol would have gotten in the way of the openness I feel in my ability to communicate with people. My shyness has disappeared and the ability to approach strangers is gone up exponentially. The future looks bright for this guy, and am so proud to be able to say that. I am on a path to greatness, even if I never blog, pod or use social media again, because I have a shelter, food, heat, water and love. What else does one need? Just the confidence to know that there is nothing to be afraid of, and I can overcome any obstacle in my way! To another year of excellence and Happy Holidays to all my readership. Thank you for coming on this ride with me!

Adventure 48- Goose Spit(a fictional experience)

2012-12-15T12:18:00.001-08:00

Wow the weather was incredible today. The wind was blowing strong like a dragons wings stroke. Natalie told me that this was perfect weather to search out the mythological beast of the sea. We undertook the voyage from one side of the valley to the seashore. We crossed paths with a gang of rabid, mangy stags, an angry troll who wished to steal our food(Natalie showed him a mirror, the sight of his ugly mug caused him to break out in tears of fright and run off back into the woods), and a smelly goblin. His magic was powerful, as was his musk. I told him to find a bath and he proceeded to begin a spell, pointing his magic beaver stick in my direction. From the sky came a winged coon hound to relieve the goblin of his scepter that could have caused me much discomfort I am sure. We beat hastily from this area to get to the seashore, and away from all the troubles of the valley bottom. This area is a natural funnel for the evil doers to intercept those looking for a short cut from the foothills down to the misty oceanfront. The winged coon hound followed us, soaring just above our equine transport. We were dressed in heavy full grain leather suits to help shed some of the downpour, with an under layer of warm sheep's wool, knitted into the finest sweaters and leggings. Our heads were covered with rabbit-lined fur skull caps for warmth. This late fall weather was unpredictable and being in the open was perilous and vexatious.

Approaching from the north was the only way to enter this place. Natalie was very specific on where to find the goose spit she needed for the certain potion she wanted to experiment with. This potion would be applied it to a piece of chewing gum and the flavour of the gum would last for days, not just minutes. I was unsure how she would find such a unique ingredient. Apparently the goose would chew on the sea asparagus, and leave little trailings of drool on them. She would just capture the drool in a small glass jar to be brought home. Nerves were on edge as the wind made it challenging to keep watch over would be aggressors against our task. Certain witches disliked our spells and potions. We were trying to do good for the world, polar opposite of the witches modus operands. We gained the beach in a slow and methodical way, eyes on the prize and on the skies for marauders. The sea was an angry torrent. The tide was lapping the boulder lined shore with frothing fury. The winged coon hound was now walking because the gusts caused him all kinds of problems.

Suddenly from across the way, a terrifying sound. Men flying in the sky, being towed with giant kites. The witches sensed our location and sent in henchmen. They screamed in like banshee and tried to attack us. Natalie went into action. She began to dance and call out a spell, conjuring magic to protect us from the witches cohorts. Her face became glowing crimson with the power of words. Sea foam began to dart and dive, smelling slightly of crab farts, like the Time Bandit. Joining into a massive ball reminiscent of the Stay Puff Marshmellow Man. The ball lifted off and soared at the henchmen, knocking them from the sky and into the waiting mouths of Two finned sharks that were known to frequent the same seas.

Adventure 47: Oyster picking in the dark

2012-12-15T12:16:00.000-08:00

I am really running out of steam with these adventures. Time constraints with the holiday season has put excess pressure on the ability to undertake these little trips. If I could plan it again, we would have started in the spring, and run it through the year. Winter is limiting on our outdoor pursuits, where I prefer to take Natalie to learn and explore. We will complete the adventures but the writing maybe somewhat less involved for now, and maybe it will be explanded in the future.

I had been wanting to go to my favorite oyster beach for a few weeks now. Fresh harvested oysters during December are wonderful. The caveat is the best tides are during the night. So to participate in this fishery, we needed to get out later than either of us are normally still awake. I was going to get out two weeks ago, but the incessent rain had created a closure on shellfish harvesting in the area I pick. Last week the closure was lifted and the tide was prime for a harvest. How to get out so late? My sister invited us to an open house at her house on Friday night, so a slight detour on the way home would result in a pile of delicious, wild seafood.

Natalie and I grabbed our headlamps and boots before leaving for a paleo feast at Mandy's house. We ate amazing food, including some surprising, paleo friendly, cupcakes. I brought some pepperoni and smoked salmon to share with family and friends. Natalie got to visit with her cousin Livia and I had a great time talking about local food and paleo with interested folks. Soon it was time to go, before it was too late to stay up. We hit the beach around 10:20 and by 10:30 we had our limit of my favorite mollusk. Natalie had not the opportunity before to search the beach by headlamp. It was a good adventure in harvesting local food, and on Sunday I will be teaching her how to shuck and cook them. Find Adventure.

Flour-less Chocolate Cake

2012-12-08T07:39:00.001-08:00

I found this delicious recipe while listening to the The Survival Podcast with guest Chef Keith Snow. Keith is a hobby farmer, chef, prepper and family man who's goal is to help people to eat healthy, nutritious food, and to cook in their own kitchens from scratch. Growing your own food is also something he promotes and he talks about these subjects on his pod too. Jack Spirko of TSP has had Snow on for the past few years to talk about cooking Thanksgiving dinner and the trimmings. It was an awesome show and I was listening with mouth watering interest. I badly want to cook a turkey, something that I haven't done in years. I am sure that this will happen at some point in the near future.

The highlight of this interview was Snow mentioning a dessert that is light, slightly sweet, very easy and grain free. My interest was piqued and when I arrived home the google helped me to locate a YouTube video of Chef Keith preparing the cake. As I watched and recorded the ingredients list, my heart was filled with joy of finding a dessert that was mostly Paleo (probably a little too much sugar for some), and easy. A missing piece of information from the video was the quantity of chocolate for the recipe. So I emailed Chef Keith, and he messaged me back in short order. What great service! I highly recommend listening to his podcast "Harvest Eating" and check his site for recipes and other great information. Thanks Keith.

I served this dessert to a friend and she coined it a "chocolate omelet". That is a funny, but pretty accurate description of this cake. It tastes like cake, has the mouth feel of cake, but it should be more like an omelet by the ingredient list. We served this with thawed local berries and whipped cream. The cake is thin but could be used as any other sponge for what you wish to make with it. Give it a try, maybe include it in to your holiday celebrations!

Here is the recipe and process for Flour-less Chocolate Cake.

6 free range eggs
1/2 cup of sugar
6 ounces of high quality chocolate
a few tablespoons of black coffee

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F

Separate your eggs, set the white aside. Add the sugar with yolks and mix together until it is creamed together and turns a tan color.

Use a whisk or electric hand mixer(as I do) and whip the egg whites until the peaks are stiff

With a double boiler, place the chocolate to the bowl and melt. Add the coffee to get the chocolate liquidy.

Slowly combine the chocolate to the yolk/sugar mix so the hot chocolate doesn't cook the egg yolks. Put in a few tablespoons at a time into the yolks, mix in thoroughly, then add more. This technique is called tempering.

Once all chocolate is mixed in, fold in 1/3rd of the whipped egg whites into the mix. Gently mix together and then add another 1/3, fold, then do the last bit.

On a sheet pan, spray the pan with a food spray then apply a sheet of parchment paper. Smooth the paper on the pan and press into the corners. Now spray the paper. The high protein content of the cake could cause the cake to stick really badly, so use precaution.

Pour batter on to the sheet and bake for about 10 minutes until a toothpick is clean. I leave my cake on the sheet and paper until serving, but one could make a layer cake with it and serve it on a nice platter. Enjoy!

My Appearance on Robb Wolf.com

2012-12-05T21:02:00.001-08:00

A few months back my sister began investigating the Paleo lifestyle for herself after seeing my striking results in weight loss, as well as disappearing aches and pains. She was browsing Robb Wolf's website and was reading the Testimonial page. She suggested that I do one and send it off. I pondered writing a few paragraphs explaining my journey to health and the truth of our "system" run by the food, drug and insurance companies. So I sat down and put words on the screen and sent it off. Within a few days I was contacted by "Squatchy" Chris Williams, who works on Robb's team for the blog and podcast, about my testimonial and told me that it would be added to the list. I was thrilled to be included on the list. I assumed that it would be months before the essay would be up. Low and behold it came online this week.

Wow, how cool. To see my writing on the same pages that I spent so many hours working through, learning about this lifestyle, getting motivated and finding new recipes. During this conversion to Paleo I have connected with so many wonderful, like minded, individuals. The twitterverse has a massive community of Paleo practitioners and bloggers. I have so much fun looking at everyones pictures, habits, mistakes and other random thoughts. This Paleo life is a good one, I am so blessed to live somewhere that I have access to clean water, clean food, clean air and room to roam the woods to forage for wild edibles and exercise. I never set foot in a gym, my exercise comes from the natural world and the physical labour of my job. I am living the Paleo dream, and it is here to stay. I hope to bring a few of you along with me! Thanks for reading and listening to my spiels.

View my testimonial here

Adventure 46: The Good Old Hockey Game!

2012-12-04T21:31:00.000-08:00

Always loves getting her picture taken

Late fall brings the excitement of outdoor adventure down to a crawl, at least in our house. We don't ski, or snowboard. Of course snowshoeing is always an option, but the purpose of this challenge is to try different things and see new places. We have already gone snowshoeing several times during this year, last winter. With only a few adventures left our focus has turned to the indoor ice rinks in Courtenay. Courtenay has two ice rinks and offers public skating at various times of the week. I wished to bring her this week to give skating a try, but I was blessed with the harvest of another blacktail mule deer on Saturday morning, and by the time I was done dealing with the animal, I needed a break and we made other arrangements for the night.

My kid is a dog!

As most folks around the world know, Canadians are nuts about hockey. It is our unofficial national sport, with ice hockey at various levels being played coast to coast to coast, inside and out, from recreational beer league mens teams, youth as young as three years old and professionals making millions. When I was growing up, hockey wasn't a part of our family. Some of my youngest memories include hearing the familiar sounds of the C.B.C.'s "Hockey Night in Canada" theme when we still lived in Naka Creek. It was the lone channel that we could fuzzily pick up on the 13 inch black and white screen in this remote area, and Saturday afternoon it was hockey time. To think, that if I could remember, the New York Islanders and Edmonton Oilers were in their heyday, Gretzky and Bossy scoring like demons. Once a teenager I was introduced to sports by my classmates and became a huge fan of all, hockey being on the top of the list. Natalie and I are now casual fans, and, if you have been reading this blog, know we went to a Vancouver Canucks game last winter.

Face-off

Now with the N.H.L. in a lockout, with billionaires fighting with millionaires and making all us hockey fans suffer, our thirst for frozen rubber and curved blades has been growing. The silly thing is the Comox Valley has lots of hockey happening, including the Comox Valley Glacier Kings. The Kings are a part of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League, which plays 48 league games a season and the players are all high school aged. These players have the opportunity to move up to the Canadian Hockey League and if very successful, be drafted into the pro's. Craving the sport and looking for something interesting to do, I went to a game a couple weeks ago with some friends from Jet FM. It was a wonderful time. Great action, up close and personal. I instantly wished Natalie was there with me.

Book time

I checked the schedule and sure enough the Kings were home on Saturday night playing Oceanside. Perfect. Since I have been wishing to spread my wings around to the Valleys dining establishments and had no interest in cooking dinner, I asked Natalie to join me for dinner at Atlas Cafe. My friend Jon is the chef at this fine eatery and I know many of the employees there because of it. We had a nice meal of cheese pizza and pork tenderloin(guess who had what) and Natalie made a paper airplane with the coloring menu. And she really wanted to test it out. Silly kid! Off we went to the hockey game for the 7:30 start time.

Watching the Zamboni. Shameless plug for Jet FM

Going to a Kings game is completely different than a big league match. You can freely bring in your own food, coffee, and beverages. The two of us cost $16 for our tickets and we were entertained for two and a half hours. Try and do that at a movie theatre, or many other outings. Natalie was so fun to have at the game. She brought a book in case she got bored, and she did read a fair amount. She also went down to the glass to get a closer look at the players and the Zamboni. She was very brave and went out to the lobby by herself to buy a puck for the "Huck A Puck" contest. That is an interesting, bordering dangerous, game. Spectators toss their pucks on the ice and the closest ones to targets on the ice win prizes. Natalie was much to strong with hers and it slid clear to the other side of the rink! Another lady beside us way under tossed it and it nearly hit a kid standing by the glass! Oooppppssss. She went red faced and let the kid send it at the target. The most funny thing happened while we were waiting for the puck toss. Several young kids asked the P.A. attendant to play the song "Gangnam Style". They went to the balcony and danced to the song. We were laughing like crazy, it was so funny. I am not sure if Natalie was embarrassed for the performers or she really wanted to be up there. I told her it was okay if she wanted to, but she was too shy.

"Oopa Gangnam Style"

At the beginning of the third period, Natalie asked me for candy. We both celebrated "NO"vember and refrained from eating processed sugar for the month. She was so good at keeping away from it, so I allowed her to go fetch a bag of nickel candies from the concession, on the condition that she shared with me. She was pumped and ran out to grab it. She paid with her own money even. That was cool! The game didn't go the way the Kings fans were hoping, they lost 7-3. It was a pretty tough loss, giving up three short handed goals. The fans were a large mix of every demographic. Teenagers watching their classmates play, retirees out for an evening, middle-aged parents with their children, and everything in-between. A good number of kids Natalie's age were in the rink. I have no idea how many people were watching the game, but I would say the turnout was pretty good, but there were still loads of seats available.

Huck a Puck

Supporting the Kings is a fantastic community supporting event that is family friendly, no alcohol, inexpensive, and above all, fun! Don't forget that there is more hockey to watch than just the N.H.L. Junior hockey will never have a lockout and the owners are just regular people trying to make a living doing what they love, not multi-billionaires using it as a tax right off. I felt very Canadian at the game and proud to be so. Find Adventure and support your community!

Adventure 45- Wildwood

2012-11-25T18:54:00.002-08:00

Trailhead

It had been months since Natalie and I had been out on two wheels together, so strange since we rode constantly all spring and summer. With the change in the weather and with all the hunting, gathering and processing that we have been doing, cycling adventures have been on the back burner. My lack of lone cycling has probably contributed to this as well. Very little riding in my life as of late, and that will probably continue until February, when I start commuting to work again and battling the snow.

Inky Caps

This week we ventured out to Dove Creek to check out a new to us area called the Wildwood Interpretive Forest. Located on Piercy road approximately two kilometers from either the Inland Island Highway exit or the four way stop at Condensory road, this interpretive forest is 682 acres in size and contains second growth Douglas Fir, hemlock and spruce trees. I am a little disappointed that our adventure did not go as planned and we must return to this park better prepared for the weather.

EGGS!!

We needed to visit Dove Creek to see friends Allen and Heather McWilliam at Tannadice Farm. As many of you know I had purchased a side of their wonderful pork several weeks ago, butchering it from a whole side in my kitchen. What a cool experience for me and just today my first attempt at creating homemade bacon turned out very well. I also had promised my sister that we would meet her out at the farm so she could pick up some beautiful meat. She has adopted the Paleo lifestyle and wants to avoid shopping for meat in the grocery store. So after confusing set of instructions from Google maps she finally arrived at the farm and loaded up with protein. Natalie and I had a nice visit with Heather and picked up some pepperoni for the road.

The "trail"

I took the long way out of Dove Creek, down along the Tsolum river on the hunt for eggs. I found a cooler with six dozen in it at Rusty Gate Meadows, $3.75 a dozen. Add that one to my list of spots to check when I need the chicken hens marvelous gift. I pulled three dozen and pushed twelve dollars in the money box. I feel that four dollars is a great price and it is easier to send the extra quarter that carry around so much change. We rolled back up Piercy road and parked along side the road the the trail head.

Nice grassy puddle

Natalie argued with me before we left about wearing warm clothes, especially gloves. She decided that, with no worries, her hands would be plenty warm and she needed to bring nothing. I disagreed and warned her. Alas she did not believe her dad and brought no gloves or mitts of any kind. Silly girl. She wore her merino gear so the rest of her was warm, but having cold hands can easily ruin an adventure.We began the ride through a mature forest with decent sized trees and pretty under story, and a little bridge over a creek. We happened upon a fork, with my choice being left, hers being right. Guess who won? Yep the girl. Unaware of the trail situation in the area I agreed and we rolled down hill along a road bed. I didn't realize that this was outside of the park and this is actually a service road for the gas pipeline that continues north and south along the B.C. Hydro transmission tower right away. The coast down the hill was pretty easy and un-interesting. Soon little Miss Natalie's hands were like icicles. The day was below freezing and we were not in the sun what so ever. Her folly was assuming it would be warm because the sun was shining. Being in the truck made it appear to be toasty. Nothing was further from the truth. We originally agreed to come back up the hill and take the other branch, but by the time we came back up the hill she was finished. Too cold and apparently tired(what else is new), so back to the truck.

Hemlock on a nurse stump

We loaded up and drove into Courtenay. Natalie wanted to stop at the Comox Valley Farmers Market and procure a bottle of love, namely some Island Soda Works product from our friend Mandolyn. I dropped her off and parked the truck. Natalie had a mini adventure shopping in the Native Sons Hall alone with the hundreds of others packed in. She did well and came out with two bottles of delicious beverage.

So thirsty, must have soda....

It was a brief adventure, as most have seemed to be lately, but we did get to stop at a new location, visit with friends and family and support local businesses. In my books that is a perfect morning regardless of anything else. Find Adventure.

The Egg Hunt.

2012-11-23T18:37:00.002-08:00

I have a new foraging item that has become an exciting, and sometimes frustrating, search. My whole life I have noticed these little "eggs for sale" signs out all around the Comox Valley, and practically everywhere else in my travels. Anywhere that there is rural areas, you will find people who are raising backyard chickens. From four hens in a chicken tractor to several dozen, complete with roosters, egg "hunting" is something that is accessible to everyone and there is probably one close by your own house.

The pure thrill in opening up a cooler at the end of someones driveway, seeing it chocker block full of cartons of eggs. Four dollars a dozen! You have to be kidding me. Wow. Look at those eggs. They are beautiful. Oh look over there, I see the hens. They look so happy. They are scratching for bugs. Nibbling grass. They are so healthy. The rooster looks so proud of his brood. Oh man, how much change do I have.

These are the thoughts that go through my head when visiting one of these roadside egg "stores". The product is so wonderful. The whites are thick, and stand on their own, the yolks are bright yellow and plump. The ability to purchase all this incredible protein for a very reasonable price from someone in your community is a marvelous introduction to buying food outside the grocery store. Many times you would be able to meet the people who are raising the hens, ask them questions about the birds, go look at the housing and yard( the chickens, not the property owners). If that isn't something the seller is interested in, maybe have a look for another vendor. Transparency is not usually a problem with small local growers.

If you are someone who is interested in foraging, but are not sure where to start, searching for eggs in this way is considered foraging, in my opinion. In Paleolithic times man would search high and low for eggs of various game birds. Especially in the spring, when wild birds do their breeding and hatching the young. We are lucky that most of the year we can access eggs from chicken hens without having to climb trees to raid nests. Get in the car, or better yet, the bicycle and go explore. Load up with some twonies and loonies and some way to transport the delicate orbs. Once a good spot has been located, other products maybe available from the same grower. I know egg vendors who also sell cut flowers, fruit, vegetables and many also sell frozen cuts of grass fed meat that are available with a quick phone call.

When I find some eggs, I often will buy two, three or sometimes four dozen. Eggs will stay fresh in the refrigerator for two weeks. If I am not going to use them all that quickly, I will pickle them. Pickled eggs will be fine in the fridge, packed in vinegar and water, for months. These make for a quick snack or lunch on the run. Mixed with some local vegetables, regardless of the season, fresh eggs will yield a delicious omelette or fritata. I usually add ham or bacon to mine for a little extra punch of protein and wonderful flavor. Of course you can make other great dishes with eggs, including some of the best sauces, like hollandaise, mayonaise and ceasar dressing.

Once you have established an egg source, I recommend finding a couple more. Since most places will only have a few dozen at a time for sale, they sell out quickly. Many times I have emptied someones cooler, and wished there were more available. More sources builds food security in your life and helps to create community by supporting those who work so hard to make our sustenance. Regardless of what you think about the price of food, we get a bargain when shopping locally. Even if the eggs cost $6, we are still ahead. Ignore the price at the grocery store. Most high production facilities use subsidized corn as feed, and subsidized fuel usage, so the true cost isn't passed along to the consumer. Read this article of a young lady in Colorado and her experience poultry farming. In a way the costs are passed on, in increased tax burden and health care costs. We don't generally think about those costs, but they are there and very real.

For your health, the health of your community, and health of the earth sourcing more of your food locally is so crucial. By switching some of your spending slowly but surely, you will gain confidence and realize how easy and varied the products that are grown and available in your community. I thank each and everyone who makes the effort to grow delicious food for us.

Super funny video about pickling! Thanks Mado:)

Adventure 44-Nymph Fall Regional Park

2012-11-12T19:29:00.003-08:00

Fish Ladder

Holy smokes did we ever get a quick burst of winter this weekend. We awoke to a dusting of snow on the ground around the house on Remembrance Day. Big shock to most to have snow this early in November, as we don't usually have any snow until December. Natalie was invited to participate in a choir performance in Courtenay for the Remembrance Day ceremony, so we bundled up in anticipation of standing out in the cold weather. And it was pretty chilly. Natalie did really well and sung in the choir, each experiencing the emotions of the day in our own ways. I was really feeling it, such pride with the knowledge that my grandfather and great grandfather served for Canada in the World Wars. The ceremony was really well done, and soon we were heading back to the vehicle. We discussed doing our adventure after-word that morning, but with already chilled bones, we opted out and re-scheduled for the next day.

Candid shot.

The choices for adventures are really starting to get tougher. With the ho-hum fall weather, and short days, motivation is waning. I am struggling to figure it out every weekend. Maybe I am over-thinking making the choice. We have so many parks around, and beaches that have yet to be experienced. We only have seven left to wind down this year long challenge, so the easier I make it, the better chance we won't skip any days and finish it up. Nymph Falls was on the original list, but it seemed almost too easy. Finally after all these weeks, it was time to explore this park off Forbidden Plateau road. First thing I realized upon leaving for our adventure was my camera battery was dead. I think Natalie was using it and left it turned on for too long, and I failed to check. Steve Harris's quote "Two is one, one is none" plays in my head, and having my iphone gave me redundancy and allowed me to still take pictures. If the quality isn't quite to par, that is the reason.

Mickey?

Nestled between Forbidden Plateau road and the Puntledge River, Nymph Falls envelopes pretty river vistas, large second growth Douglas fir and red cedar forest, hiking trails and mountain biking routes. We stuck to the hiking trails, that I would offer are wheelchair accessible. Wide and compacted gravel make for pushing a child buggy a snap. The park is for the most part a level landscape, with few moderate hills to get down to riverside. As the name suggests there is a pretty waterfall, actually more of a cascade than a true fall, a sculpted fish ladder to help salmon and trout to ascend the fall to the upriver spawning grounds. Trails criss-cross the park and connect with the B.C. Hydro lands to the west, and mountain bike rider built trails on Crown Land that continue under the Inland Island highway to the east. I have found some tricky stunts while out exploring these trails including a teeter totter that scared the heck out of me.

A certain bunny?

Natalie and I spent our time alternating between running races and looking for symbols in the rocks and stumps. We walked cross-country and along the main trails. We walked out on the rocks and looked for salmon in the pools. Many folks were out and about in the park, surprising considering the weather. While not really awful, it was pretty cold. The rain held off for the most part so our adventure was a dry one. Natalie tired of the cold pretty quickly so we cut the walk short and vacated back to the truck.

B-girl stance

I am looking forward to the time when Natalie is more sure on her bike and she can accompany me on these trails. This area is probably as close to beginner riding as we have in the Valley. While I don't usually frequent the typical places that the crowds do, Nymph Falls is a popular place for summer swimming too. Go Find Adventure in an area park, regardless of the season.

Home Butchery

2012-11-09T20:40:00.002-08:00

Gothic pig turns into...

For those of you who follow me on Twitter, Instagram and my personal Facebook account probably came across an strange, gothic picture of a pig on a table. Laying on a sheet of clear plastic, eerily resembling something from the cable T.V. show Dexter. This was an attempt to de-sensitize people to what their food actually looks like before it goes on a styrofoam tray, wrapped in plastic and pasted with labels advertising the company behind the meat, but little information regarding the actual animal, who's flesh is contained in this mass of garbage. Where was this animal raised? Who was the farmer? Where was is slaughtered? What is the food safety record of the abattoir? Was this animal caused undue stress and anxiety before it took it's place on the food chain? Not a chance. Reason why? Because no one cares. Broad spectrum of consumers really don't care about the actual animal they are eating and would rather not think about it. Usually they the price point is the main factor in which package is peeled from the display(ever notice how the styrofoam and plastic wrap sticks together, making that unnatural sound). Food with a face and a soul scares people. I am not sure why? This is a completely natural cycle that must take place for humans to thrive. Sure we can be kept alive by eating third world proteins like nuts, seeds, and grains along with fruit and veg. But to really fuel us to perform to our utmost potential we must consume protein and fat of an animal origin. It just is. If you don't agree then you probably shouldn't be reading an essay about home butchery. Thanks anyways.

Wow, not to be a jerk, I just feel this strongly about my belief in the consumption of animal fat, muscle and organs, along with my passion for sourcing local animal products that are raised in a happy environment. I know that through my research and travels, the ability to purchase these well raised, well fed and small batch animals are within my grasp. I like to take this one step further in the security of my food. I prefer to buy these animals whole and fresh from the farm. They have been through the first step in the processing plant, which is slaughtered and cleaned. Taking it from this point isn't for everyone, but it sure is a wonderful way to get a lot of meat, for a reasonable price and take some pride in how you feed your clan.

This, which turns into....

I started learning about butchering when I was about 18, working at the Kingfisher Inn. We often had to trim up whole pork loins, de-bone turkeys and fillet fish. My first exposure on a large scale was in the helping of butchering of two veal that our sous chef brought in for his own personal use. I offered to help in exchange for a few cuts and a pint of beer. It was somewhat intimidating, but he was easy going about the process and gave me instruction on de-boning, trimming and wrapping. Fond memories of the slow cooked ribs that were our reward of a job well done at the end of our hard work. This is still part of my tradition of the harvest, always cooking some kind of delight for a feast upon the final wrap of paper. I have smoked backstrap, grilled tenderloin and slow roasted dry rubbed ribs for this meal.

Hunting for deer is something that I really enjoy. The ability, with your own hands, to harvest, then process right down to the last morsel of flesh feels ancestral. Not much goes goes to waste. Bones for broth or dog treats. Several organs go in the larder. The fat for rendering for candles or soap. I endeavor to keep the hide for leather, but have not found a use for that much yet. With the purchase of a meat grinder and sausage stuffer has made the process completely in house. I can grind my own burger and make delicious dinner sausages with little more than salt, pepper, garlic, and onions. I have total control of the cleanliness of my kitchen and the ingredients of my product. I can also easily make other preserved meats, like jerky and biltong, bacon and salami.

To this. The rewards of hard work.

Home butchery will probably not in the long run save much money. Professional butchers are, in my opinion, very inexpensive. That is not why I choose to do this. I do it mostly for the skill building aspect and the challenge, along with the pride in telling people "I did that". I am a sponge for information on subjects that appeal to me. Instead of spending money on a hobby that really has no end result, like golfing or golfing, I end up with a freezer and pantry full of food that can be served with no worries about e-coli, salmonella or lysteria.

If home butchery is something that interests you, just try it out. Start small. Purchase some chicken legs with the backs attached, and work at separating those. Learn how the bird goes together on a one that has already been broken down. Soon you will have the knowledge to move up to a whole, fresh bird. Take it down into pieces, toss some rub on it, grill it and have a feast. You will be in love. Please don't be afraid of ruining it. How can you? It is still meat, even if it has a knife mark, or some missing skin. It all ends up looking the same a few hours after eating it anyways.

So far, in 2012, I have butchered up 10 chickens, 16 salmon, three deer and half a hog. I will continue to be making sausages and jerky on and off for several months. I am pretty confident that I have about six months supply of protein in my freezers. Having that much food on hand is empowering. If something unforeseen happens, like a job loss, accident or sever weather event, we will be fed in this house for quite sometime.

I am always open to helping a novice who is not sure where to start. Feel free to send me a message, or a comment, and I will try my best to help you out. As the old Nike ads used to say "Just do it"!

Adventure 43- Boyle Point Provincial Park

2012-11-04T18:53:00.004-08:00

Trail head

Hornby Island was on the original list of awesome places to visit in the Comox Valley right from the start of this undertaking, way back in January. Very few trips for me outside of work have been taken, with the prohibitive costs of the ferries being the main reason that we spend very little time at this gem of the Salish Sea. Hornby is blessed with gorgeous, sandy beaches, bordered by some of the warmest swimming waters this side of Hawaii, old growth forests, funky homes, cycling paths and mountain biking routes. As a youngster my uncle owned a cabin on Hornby and we would visit it a couple times a year. That was before it was really discovered by the wealthy and made property values skyrocket. First choice for this adventure was to visit Hornby Island and hike the unique terrain of Helliwell Provincial Park, on the south east side of the island. But because of Mother Nature, and my own cautious nature, we didn't actually make it.

Where did you go? Good camo N!

I checked the weather forecast for the day shortly before leaving to catch the B.C. Ferries from Buckley Bay to Denman Island. The report called for winds gusting up to 60 kilometers per hour. That is pretty strong. Not a wind warning for the area, but still strong enough that the little "rubber duck" of a ship that makes the run across Lambert Channel from Denman to Hornby, may not be able to make the crossing and sailings could be cancelled. We paid for the full trip across just in case. The breeze was beginning to pick up as we waited to cross Baynes Sound(or as Natalie observed B(L)aynes sound), so I wasn't too hopeful. The biggest issue would be having to sleep over in the truck on Hornby, missing time at work and school, if the sailings were cancelled. Always wanting to be prepared, a sleeping bag and extra water were packed in the truck as a redundancy, just in case. As we waited for 30 minutes for the boat, Natalie challenged me to a few games of Memory on her ipod. She kicked my butt every time. Old age I tell ya!

New angle on Chrome Island

We crossed the Sound with no problem. Immediately upon driving up the hill on Denman, the wind was picking up rapidly. Trees were swaying, leaves getting tossed about. Gorgeous colors of fall painted the landscape of the small farms that dot the island. We even saw some Highland steers. Que the Corb Lund. They are massive animals with huge horns. As we drove I explained to Natalie how the wind can wreck havoc on the ferry system, and the risk of having to sleep over if for some reason the boat couldn't go. She agreed that it would be better to play it safe, although she did think that sleeping in the truck for the night would be better than going to school! Once the view unveiled Lambert Channel, the choice was simple. White caps were rolling from the strong south easter. Having been caught in more than my share of these winds, I know how brutal they can be. It was always in a much smaller craft than the B.C. Ferries vessel, including one memorable weekend aboard my friends sailboat.

Eagle Rock

So now what to do? From my geekness of reading the Backroad Mapbook, I knew a Provincial Park was located at the very southern end of Denman. Boyle Point is a 125 hectare site that meanders through a mature second growth forest to the look-out that gives a wonderful view of Chrome Island, and the Strait of Georgia. This day the view was impeded by the low cloud and we could hardly see Hornby for it being so socked in. The vantage point is special allowing a great open look at the Chrome Island lighthouse. Continually manned since it first began to signal mariners of the treacherous rocks and shallows surrounding the rock. It is a symbol of my childhood as we spend many days fishing the waters around this part of the the coast. The bright white buildings are a classic symbol of B.C.'s marine history.

Turkey Tails

Another short trail veers off to bring hikes to a view point to Eagle Rock. I also was lucky enough to spend a few visits to this "island" in my childhood. At low tide one can walk from Denman to Eagle Rock, and it's unusual rock formations. Many cormorant sea birds nest and habituate both Chrome and Eagle. I remember the water being very clear in this area and we could look over the gunnels and witness starfish, urchins, anemones and various crabs. I would assume that the scuba diving would be really spectacular around here.

Not sure, but it's pretty

Our walk was really nice today. The breeze was quite powerful, but we were in the trees for the majority of the time. The fall colors were amazing, big leaf maple leaves in the various hues littered the ground. I was searching for any kind of wild mushrooms to look at. No chantrelles around, of course. We heard eagles calling loudly to each other, saw a smashed up wasp nest and smelled the misty sea air. Although were just had a short visit to this park, I would love to re-visit it in the summer and explore down the precarious cliffs to get a better look at the inter-tidal creatures. Anytime we get to spend quality time outside, not doing chores or being distracted by electronics, is amazing. Find Adventure.

"Hair in my eyes...."

Adventure 42- Hunting with friends

2012-10-30T19:17:00.001-07:00

No you can't drive it!

We had tentative plans to partake in different adventure that got cancelled because of "The Wiggles" show in Vancouver. I found out mid-week that we would have to re-organize our Sunday excursion. A idea to go check out some back roads and do a little road hunting figured to be a great plan. A trip with friends would be a fun time, so with a text to my old friend James to see if he and his son Kaiden were available to join us, we had some company in the truck.

A different perspective of a "boxed lunch"

We left my place at 8 a.m. to make a drive into the Upper Quinsam Lake area of the Gold River highway, west of Campbell River. I had been to this area a half a dozen years ago for a exploration trip with another friend. That time was mostly spent driving the main roads and looking for camping spots. I was surprised how much different it was in this country this time. Much more logging had taken place, and the roads had better signage. Timberwest signs abound, and I wonder if this is a recent purchase by Timberwest or maybe it just was not identified so before. Much more logging seemed to have occurred, but like I said, we didn't venture of the beaten path last time. The side roads have ample slash to look for black tail deer and black bears.

The terrain

James and I have been friends since we were in grade 4, the same grade that Natalie and Kaiden are presently in. That is fun to know that these kids could be friends for a long time, just like their dads. James and I have wanted to hunt together more in recent years, but didn't make it happen. When we were in our early 20's we used to spend many hours driving around in the woods, looking for deer and grouse. Usually coming home empty handed and less gas in the tank. It was a wonderful way for a couple of young guys to hang out and stay out of trouble. Unfortunately the local area is very limited in places that we can reliably travel to hunt, because of private land and gates. We have a real problem with the amount of crown land we can access, leaving the few places that are open to hunting completely over run with other outdoors minded folks. Not just for hunting opportunities, but fishing, mushroom picking, berry picking and hiking.

Shaggy Mane

The first road we spurred off onto had evidence of a fresh killed deer. It was probably from this weekend, maybe even at daybreak of the same day. This seemed like a good omen that deer were around and maybe we would have a good day. This didn't come true for the fact that we wouldn't see lots of animals. We did see four doe's and a fawn. No bucks, grouse or bears. I did get a few arm loads of firewood that someone had left on the side of the road. Prime Douglas fir. We poked around for mushrooms a few places. I spotted two shaggy manes on the roadside, but with out a way to cook them pronto, I left them behind. As I started the truck after looking at the mushrooms, James spotted a deer running through the clearing. The deer were watching us the whole time. Horns just would not appear no matter how hard we tried in the binoculars, and we carried on.

Big Grapple Yarder

We had a great day even without any grocery's brought home. Driving and exploring the side roads are such a fun way to spend a day with kids. If we had more time, we would have liked to have a lake side fire and try to catch a fish. Maybe we will save that for a spring time adventure. Find Adventure!

Adventure 41- Puntledge Fish Hatchery

2012-10-21T19:35:00.002-07:00

Coho and Natalie

We had another busy weekend. Natalie had a sleep over on Friday night at Hanna's house, I went hunting. No luck in that attempt for me. Then I went for a mushroom pick Saturday morning, with out very much success there either. Tough weekend for the hunter/gather. I still always am having fun and do not get frustrated, so it keeps me coming back for more. Today, as every weekend, I had some things to accomplish in the kitchen. No canning this week, but yesterday a big pot of chicken stock was percolating away in anticipation of a cauldron of borscht being assembled. Before this Natalie and I spent an hour outside playing with tools. After my interview last week on Edible Valley with my friend Arzeena, I got the bug for winter gardening. I decided that a cold house would be a good idea to help get some seeds to germinate. As I was assembling this project, I cut some boards for Natalie to play with, trying to drive nails with a hammer and sink screws with an impact driver. The cold house turned out quite well, and is a small scale model of the chicken coop I wish to build over the winter.

Diversion Weir

After our construction project we decided to head in to town to attend the open house at the Puntledge River Hatchery. Since we missed out with the hatchery last week it was a perfect opportunity. Looking at salmon is so interesting to me, and the life cycle. How incredible that they have to over come so much adversity to return to their natal streams to spawn. The hatchery has a mix of chinook, coho and chum salmon, plus some small cutthroat trout mixed in that follow the salmon around to feast on lose eggs. The pink salmon are already spawned and finished now so they are absent from the hatchery now.

Flying fish on the sorting table

Several community groups had booths set up around the hatchery. Tsolum River Restoration Society, Salmon Enhancement society and another group doing stream work on the Puntledge were in attendance to relay information to interested folks. We got to see inside the incubation room and some newly fertilized eggs. The hatchery has a piece of equipment that can automatically pick unfertilized eggs from a batch. What a time saver for the staff. Of course we wandered down to the viewing room to see the salmon swimming back and forth. The purple tiger striped chum, bright red coho and monstrous chinook. We also got to watch the hatchery staff sort the adult salmon. One guy was right down in the tank, corralling the fish into a large hydraulic brailer that would lift them onto the table so the species could be sorted. It was very interesting for the masses. We didn't get to witness an egg harvest, but I think that they were doing some during the event.

She caught the big one!

The fish hatchery program is vital to the strength of the salmon runs on the south coast. The amount of habitat destruction and alteration has not left the wild fish with enough healthy eco-systems to propagate on their own. Some rivers with out enhancement can keep decent runs, but many have a tough time, especially on the east coast. Habitat loss due to logging and development in the 60's and 70's have taken a toll. Fish are an important factor in the decision making of the government when allowing industrial, commercial and residential development. Our coast is under siege from industry that wishes to transport fossil fuels by sea from Alberta and mining operations close to the ocean. I see tough times ahead for our wild salmon and all other wild creatures in B.C. if these projects are allowed. The current federal government seems hell bent on getting these projects through. I just hope that they can be delayed long enough to have a change in government in the next election.

Shark fins

We may still have a few more salmon adventures under our belts this season. Once the salmon are gone, what will we do. The days are getting shorter and cooler. Natalie has requested an adventure on the bikes again. These last eleven could be the hardest or the easiest, I really can tell. Find Adventure.

The Survival Podcast

2012-10-19T21:30:00.002-07:00

This past spring I stumbled upon this podcast by sheer accident. I can not recall the circumstances that led to this discovery. Suddenly I am listening to a man with a friendly, southern accent getting wound up about tax day, and the state of Michigan hunting down farmers heirloom varieties of hogs, claiming them to be feral. There was talk of weapons, protecting your property and family. I also heard about techniques for raising rabbits for a protein source, propagating tomatoes and growing a food forest. Who was this guy? I didn't know what to think at the time, but I gave it a few episodes, almost forcing myself to listen. It turns out this happenstance turned into one of the best of my life.

Jack Spirko is the man who's voice resonated in my ears those early days. Jack began T.S.P. about four years ago as a frustrated corporate man who would record on his commute into work everyday. The early episodes are a little rough, but considering the recording studio was a diesel Jetta, pretty respectable. The content is where the quality is. Seeing the "sheeple" following in a cycle of work, spend, work, spend, get into debt, eat un-healthy food. Their social skills, their community, and all common sense skills to survive, disappearing, Jack had a message to convey. He could see the economic meltdown of '08 coming quick. People did not have the necessary abilities to look after themselves any more. Self sufficiency was out the door. Not many folk had savings, cash on hand, food stored, and a plan if things get really bad. Starting from those meager beginnings T.S.P. now has over 45,000 downloads a day and Jack gets to spend his days spreading the message as a full time job.

The T.S.P. is not just about Jack. The community is very intelligent and helpful. The guests that are welcomed into the podcast have incredible knowledge to share. I have listened and learned about such a variety of topics from permaculture(and learning what it is), aquaponics, fighting your local government on backyard chicken hens, bug out vehicles, homesteading skills, lacto-fermentation, and making fuel from algae. The message is to bring yourself into self sufficiency and to stop relying on the system. Should those systems fail, you will be up a creek with out planning and being ready to look after yourself, your family and your community. Planting a garden, preserving food and storing necessities like water and fuel are huge parts of prepping for disaster. The ability to cook and heat(or cool) if the power goes out for more than a few hours is also something to be ready for.

I have been so greatly effected by this podcast. Jack has inspired me to build community with my own podcast "Edible Valley" and help build food security for our area by promoting the ones who produce what we eat. Paleo has become a large part of the prepper community and helps me for new ideas and motivation. Hearing others peoples successes with the lifestyle is reassurance that is it is the right way to go. I have stepped up my food preserving. I would love to have six months or more supply on hand at all time. My pantry probably has around a month of food, plus what is in my freezers. It feels so good to always have something to eat, just in case. Firearms have once again become important to me. I am planning on tripling my garden space for next growing season so I can have more things to preserve without laying out the cash for it. I will include annuals and perennials to the mix. Chicken hens may also be in my future somewhere. I am motivated to make positive changes, creating a better environment myself and those around me.

I encourage a listen to the Survival Podcast. Jack is not a fear monger, or tin foil hat wearing conspiracy theorist. He understands economics and the real threats to our personal liberties. The ass clowns in federal and state(provincial) politics are ruining all that we hold dear as "free" Westerns, and the growing police state is taking those freedoms away more and more every passing day. Please keep some food on hand, be conservative with your spending(something I have a tough time with), save, grow food, and look after each other. Start small because when shit hit the fan you need to be ready. Catastrophic events, be it an economic collapse, terrorist strike, brutal weather event, or just a flat tire on the way home from work, be prepared and build self sufficiency when ever and where ever you can. The revolution is you. Thank you Jack.

(The Survival Podcast just this week reached a milestone of 1000 episodes. Episode 1000 is over 4 hours long of listener calls explaining how T.S.P. has changed their lives and awoke something inside of them. It is very moving and I was lucky enough to have my call played as part of Episode 1000! It was a special thing to hear.)

Adventure Number 40: The circle of life

2012-10-14T19:32:00.001-07:00

See any fish?

Ever since Natalie was a year old, every fall her and I have taken a trip to the Puntledge River. Regardless of the weather, the circumstances or what have you, a father daughter trip to see the salmon in the river is a special time for us both. It has been neat to see how she reacts to the life and death struggles of the various species of Pacific salmon as they fight the odds to return to their natal rivers to spawn, die and nourish the surrounding area, bringing nutrients from the vast Pacific Ocean hundreds, sometimes thousands of kilometers inland.

Puntledge River

Our afternoon started off with a great time going bowling with our friends Amanda and Niam at the local alley. We rarely participate in this sport, and you know, we found it very enjoyable. It is not that expensive compares to many other activities, like going to a movie, more on par with a trip to the swimming pool. With far less people and screaming children. My kind of place. Plus you get to toss a big ball around, made out of rock. Awesome. Maybe I should join the league. We talked about running up to the Puntledge River hatchery to visit the salmon, and observe them in the viewing room. Unfortunately the hatchery was just closing as we arrived so we had to change plans spur of the moment. I suggested going to Puntledge Park to see the salmon in a natural habitat and we could get close to them as they struggled to swim up Morrison Creek.

Spawned out Pink salmon

It has been a very tough fall for our early arriving salmon species. We basically no rain for around three months, the rivers were running at hardly a trickle. The water that was running, being so shallow and slow, has the potential to be fatally warm for the fish, as well as being low in oxygen. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans had just shut the river down to sport fishing to lower the stress on these fish that had entered the river. I am not a participant in this fishery for many reasons but it is quite a tourist draw for visitors to come and sample do it yourself salmon fishing. Locals like it too, as it gives some a chance to harvest a few for the smoker, fish they other wise would have no chance.

A dead crawdad

The odour of decaying salmon was apparent immediately as we open the truck doors. The familiar smell of fall that all of Courtenay is draped in come early November during a strong chum run. These large salmon come in the thousands and leave a mass of nutrient rich corpses that take several weeks to compost enough to alleviate the odour. Natalie did not appreciate the smell that hit her nose. I explained what it was and she still wrinkled her freckled sniffer. As we wandered the free stone banks of the flow, I explained the life cycle of the various salmon, why the pinks were smaller than the springs, the name of a spring is really a chinook, how the bodies of fish feed the forests along the river, along with the insects and, in turn, the alevin after they emerge from the gravel in the spring. She seemed slightly interested in the facts and the circle of life. But then she would say "Ewwww" as she observed a fish with no eyes or fungus growing on its carcass.

Peaking at the chum in Morrison Creek

We walked along the edge until we were forced back onto the trail because of the foliage growing over the riffle. We meandered our way towards Morrison creek and the shallower water so we could see the fish in action. The fall colors in this municipal park are amazing and to be seen. Big Leaf maple, red alder, and cottonwood all line the banks, along with Douglas fir, Grand fir and various shrub species. To our excitement a dozen chum were moving about we had a great view of their actions. Natalie got close as she could with out getting right into the water with them. Years ago she never would have been that brave and scared away. Her maturity and growing bravery is making the adventures much easier and so much fun for us both.

Big Leaf Maple

We played around a bit on the walk back. This adventure was not long, one of the shortest to date, but we still got out and did something that is so special to us both and we got to have a nice relaxed day around the house today. I can't believe we only need 12 more to complete this year of adventure. What will we attempt next week. Stay tuned. Find Adventure.

Paleo Paradise

2012-10-14T16:42:00.001-07:00

As this year progresses I am becoming more and more aware how wonderful the Comox Valley is. Of course we have all the recreation that one could ask for. World class mountain biking, snow sports, salmon fishing, beaches, sailing, golfing, hiking and camping are, with out question, what this area is already famous for. People come from all around the world to experience these adventures, and the Valley has quite the powerful tourism industry. Having lived in the Comox Valley my whole life the recreation prospects have kept me in the area and involvement in them has grown and evolved over the years. I had never thought too much about food and agriculture being a draw for folks from outside the area. With my relatively new passion for food security and "getting outside the system" this type of tourism has gotten on my radar, as it has with so many others. My involvement with the Edible Valley podcast is a result of this awareness and passion.

This spring I became aware of the Paleo/Primal lifestyle. (I am not going to talk to much about this subject in detail as I have blogged about it before.) Sourcing happy, local protein became a priority for me. Low and behold the Comox Valley is home to dozens of producers growing grass fed beef, pastured pork and chicken, as well as free ranging turkeys, and other fowl like pheasant and partridge. Along with those critters we also have bison, and fallow deer. Wow a modern caveman paradise! I found world suddenly opened up to the ideas of only eating locally and consuming meat raised how it would naturally feed. No C.A.F.O.'s in this area. We even have a local abattoir that processes most everything that is grown here, so the animals have limited travel time in a trailer, cutting down on stresses and damage. I often wonder how many roadside egg stands there are in the Comox Valley. I know of about half a dozen. Free range eggs are often just a quick drive or bike ride away. Oh my gosh, it just gets better and better.

If you want something a little different, say some seafood, Baynes Sound is the number one shellfish growing region in British Columbia, if not Canada. Our oyster beds are world famous, being shipped to Asia, Europe, America and Australia. Clams, mussels and scallops are also farmed in the clean waters of the Sound. One can, with the appropriate fishing license, harvest wild bivalves on the public beaches. You can participate in a true hunter/gatherer pastime, and have a delectable protein source. Dungeness crabs are commercially fished close by and can be purchased from on of the area fishmongers, plus they can also be wild caught with a trap. During appropriate seasons all five species of salmon, along with halibut, black cod, lingcod and red snapper can be purchased direct from the fisherman down at the dock in Comox. You can not get much fresher fish than this, and you will probably get a good fishing story to go along with it.

With all the amazing farmed and commercially caught proteins, the Comox Valley also boasts a legion of devoted vegetable farms and fruit orchards. In fact one can usually pick as many apples, pears, and plums for free as one household could need. Old orchards abound in a variety of locations as well as trees on private land that often grant permission to harvest fruit by ambitious parties. We have a dedicated non profit that organizes groups to pick trees, with partial harvest going to the food bank, the pickers and the land owner. Some of the bigger vegetable farms in the area include Seifferts in Comox, and organic farms like Freedom Farm and Pattison Farms, both located north of Courtenay, in Merville and Black Creek respectively. If you can imagine it, the vegetable probably is available. Some plants just don't do very well here because our growing season is not quite long enough. I have not yet found a source for yams, and citrus is not going to happen, but basic requirements are easily met, and a vast variety of other vegetables make life interesting. Kale, cabbage, broccoli and chards all grow really well in our climate over the winter. With a very rare long spell of freezing weather, winter gardening is very achievable, allowing for fresh vegetables all year long.

For those who are inclined for forage for themselves, as I am, wild berries, plants and mushrooms grow in the forests around the Valley. Blackberries, blueberries, huckleberries, raspberries, Oregon grape, and cherries all grow wild in different elevations and terrain. I have picked stinging nettles, burdock root, dandelion, chickweed, and some other not correctly called "weeds". I am no expert on the subject and I endeavour to learn more about wild harvesting. Mushroom picking is one of my favorite hobbies, so fulfilling to "hunt" for a basket full of golden chantrelles, delicious food, good exercise and feeling like one with the world. Foraging is a great past time and a rewarding way to introduce children to the outdoors.

I love where my home is. The food community is growing in numbers and awareness for what is right and healthy. And paleo/primal is really gaining momentum as the way to eat, no matter what the food pyramid says. Where is your "Paleo Paradise". If you wish to have more information on the Comox Valley as a food destination, please leave a comment or send me a message.

Adventure 39: Camo, Coffee and Corb Lund

2012-10-08T20:31:00.001-07:00

Elk Bay

The title of this adventure may be a little deceiving. Corb Lund didn't actually join in on this trip. We did listen to his music for hours and hours today. This adventure was not on the list that we had created earlier this past winter. I did have the idea of going camping over Thanksgiving weekend somewhere that we had not been before, thoughts leaning towards the Tahsis area. Things didn't work out for that to happen, which is too bad since the weather has been outstanding. I cannot remember such a warm, dry fall in all my years. Sure it has happened before, but it has stood out because of my disappointment in that lack of chantrelles growing anywhere on the east side of Vancouver Island. Instead of camping, a scouting trip into unfamiliar territory was in order. Stella Lake, Elk Bay, Rock Bay and Little Bear Bay area was the destination, along with a few firearms, snacks, coffee, camo and, of course Corb Lund.

Elk Bay looking North

With the delivery of our new-to-us F150 a fort night ago I have been wanting a reason to head off-road and see how it handles the rough road. This truck rides so smooth and quiet on the pavement, it needed to be shaken about. I also have no idea what the gas mileage is going to be, and if I am going to be going on off road trips, that is knowledge critical to a worry free trip. It was nice this morning, not waking up super early to go hunting. Natalie protested a 4 am wake-up call, and I laughed at her as I teased the before dawn start. Not much point in going that early. Without an accurate rifle, deer hunting in the forest is a tough ordeal, more than Natalie is prepared for. A box of buckshot was included in the days kit, along with several boxes of .22 shells, bird shot and Natalie's B.B. gun. We had not shot together for many years, and she has very little experience around guns. I need to improve that.

Stella Lake

We fueled up before leaving Cumberland, and I am glad I did. We complain about the price of petrol in the Valley. Gas was around $1.38 a liter in the River City. Brutal. I pulled into Riversportsman but we were too early. Not wanting to wait around, we carried on north on the Island Highway. We turned off the pavement at the top end of Roberts Lake, on to Elk Bay Forest Service Road. This road is in decent shape, with some rough stuff, few potholes and steeper hills. I would recommend not taking a car with little ground clearance on this section. Most S.U.V's and pick-ups would be fine. I made many stops along the way, checking some wonderful looking second growth forest for chantrelle mushrooms. No luck. The ground is as dry in this area as it is in Cumberland.

Stella Lake

Our first destination was Elk Bay recreation site. After our experience at Naka Creek I am looking for more road accessed campsites on the ocean. I find the saltwater so much more exciting, with more wild edibles, creatures to look at and constant views of watercraft cruising by. This is a very nice little spot that I am sure is quite busy during the best summer fishing days, and also looked promising for the ability to fish from a small craft, or even from shore. Put this place on the list for a future visit. We left the sea and back tracked inland, towards Stella Lake. Stella is a real gem. It has an interesting shoreline, with many bays and arms. This lake would be fun for exploring in a canoe or small cartopper. I have never fished it, but am sure that it would be pretty consistent with most lakes on the north end of the Island. Cutthroat and rainbows, best caught in spring or fall. We stopped at Stella Bay rec site for a look around. Two or three sites, probably best with a small group as all the sites are close together. A dock compliments the lake access. The lake has some nice sandy beaches, which are unusual for other area lakes, and this site is no exception.

Trying for a bullseye

Natalie was getting excited to shoot her B.B. gun and was growing impatient in the truck. She spied an side road that traveled through a slash that would work perfectly. I balanced a cardboard target on a stump and gave Natalie a few strict instructions about handling a firearm, and let her have a few shots. She hit the cardboard a few times and was pretty happy about it. I pulled out the .22 for a couple of pokes. While attempting to adjust the sight, it was discovered that the screw holding down the rear ramp sight was not the correct one and it wouldn't hold together. I must get is repaired. It was too bad, plinking is so much fun. Without sights it is futile. She tried a little bit more and decided that it was time for a sausage.

Little Bear Bay

Corb Lund guided our way along to Bear Bight road. We were "Getting Down on the Mountain" traveling once again to the shores of Johnstone strait. Little Bear Bay is a rec site at the mouth of Amor de Cosmo creek. There were some salmon moving in the shallows and decided to make a few casts. A decent school of dark pinks were cruising, waiting to move into the creek. I made several casts with out success, and decided to give them some peace. We need rain so bad for all creatures, fins, fur, feathers and fungi. We climbed on some challenging rocks to attempt to access some deeper water for fishing. It was futile as the shallow water continued for as far as we could safely maneuver. Back to the truck we drove over to the bridge over the creek and could see hundreds of pinks schooling in the pool underneath. We made the drive into Rock Bay, to the private campsite. It was not my idea of where to spend my recreation time, so we passed through and carried on. Along the road I saw a tree that was covered in Artist Conks. Natalie expressed some interest in wood burning on them like her Grandma Kelly, so we collected a dozen of various sizes and shapes. They will make for hours of creative fun this winter after they dry by the woodstove.

Little Bear Bay

We had visited all the places that I wanted to see, shot our guns, ate homemade sausages, and, best of all, spent some quality, undistracted time together. I made a point of not allowing Natalie to bring her Ipod so she would have to look around, talk to me, and to just think. So many hours of my youth were spent doing just that while driving in the woods with my dad, and they were some of the best days I had. To share these experiences with Natalie feels so good. Find Adventure.

There is shit in the meat.....

2012-10-03T19:37:00.000-07:00

I start this post with a quote by Eric Schlosser in his book "Fast Food Nation", first published back in 2002, was one of the first books to bring exposure to the general public the truth behind the fast food industry and the corporate control of our food systems. This book, along with a few others that I have previously mentioned in other articles, helped shape my look at the foods that I eat and how they impact my body, the environment and the general health of the people on this planet. The above quote sent a shiver through my spine, and made me question how the government could allow this to happen to us. Don't they have inspectors for such things? Just gross that one hamburger patty from a fast food restaurant may contain as many as 2000 different cows. With plants that are so huge that they can process thousands of head of cattle a day, mistakes are bound to happen. While I am not an expert in micro-biology, medicine or pathology, I am a nerd for information that satisfies a curiosity. I wanted to give explain a little about how e-coli works and why being scared of this bacteria should secure what I have been talking about for a long time.

E-coli is a naturally occurring bacteria that all ruminants have in there gut. Cows, bison, and deer all have e-coli. And this e-coli is not dangerous to humans. I should expand on that. It is not harmful to us if the animals are treated well, and fed their natural fodder. Grass-fed ruminants eat what these animals have evolved to eat over hundreds of thousands of years. Grass is the perfect food for all of these animals. The grass-fed cow has an alkaline rumen, which is where the digestion of the grass takes place. The correct bacteria must be present to break down the cellulose in it, including e-coli. The problem happens when ruminants are fed something that is not their natural food. They get sick. Antibiotics must be added to the feed to combat the same bacteria that are supposed to help them digest. Corn and other grains are used to feed cattle as it helps fatten the animals to add weight and grow faster. These foods will change the stomach to an acidic environment, and the e-coli adapt to these conditions.

Now when some shit manages to get onto the meat in the processing facility this is how e-coli is spread to humans. If the cow is eating grass the alkaline adapted e-coli will die in our highly acidic stomachs. No problem. It is still gross, but it is not the end of the world. The bacteria from a corn fed cow doesn't get killed by our stomach. It can live and reproduce, thus making us sick. E-coli is also killed with heat and is most often to be a problem in ground meats, not so much in cuts like steak and roasts. Unless it has been tenderized with infected equipment in the plant. If you eat an undercooked burger or steak, less than 160 degrees, the e-coli will not be killed and can cause the same problems. This bacteria can also be spread by unclean cutting boards or other kitchen equipment. Food safety in the home is a very important aspect of keeping us healthy.

My solution to the issue is not to stop eating meat. I have heard a few folks panicking about turning vegetarian. I really don't care what you eat, but this bacteria have also been found on some vegetables, like spinach and romaine lettuce. Under composted manure is spread on vegetable fields, and the e-coli has not been killed by the composting process. There is shit on your lettuce too! Solution. Eat local meats. Stop shopping at box stores and most grocery stores for your meats. Most of the meat that you will find in them are from feed lots, corn fed cows. Un-happy animals and acidic e-coli. Bad news. Look for grass fed beef where ever you can. It will taste a little different, may cost more, but would you rather get sick? I can not put a price on my health. Grass fed beef has many, many health benefits beyond the e-coli issue. I have written about that in the past , but to me the biggest benefit is keeping money in your local economy and breaking the chain of the corporate food system. You can make your own choices. Give butchery a try. It really isn't that tough, and you can often purchase a quarter of beef for much less than buying it per piece, even at a box store. Then you know the cleanliness of the processing facility(aside from the slaughter). If you do not have good access to a farmers market or farm gate, deal with a butcher shop and ask questions. Don't be afraid. This is your health remember. Most people will ask many questions and do hours of research into their next cell phone, but what about what goes into dinner? Not enough.

Please do not be afraid. Be a part of the solution by influencing with your dollars to boost the local economy and support farmers who will become your friends and who care about how they raise their animals and the people who consume them.