The Goat's Lunch Pail

Photo-Finish Friday -- Exploding Summer Edition

2009-07-17T03:15:00.001-06:00

This explosion of life in bloom offers summer in her grandest colors.
I hope this brightens your day.

Bloom Like an Egyptian

2009-07-15T02:38:00.001-06:00

And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.

-Anais Nin

Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
--Dr. Seuss

Our Egyptian onions are about to flower. They are the first out of the ground in the spring offering a welcome green to the bare earth and a welcome flavor to the evening meal.

Please click, enlarge, and enjoy.

Thanks for stopping by.

It's Twofer Tuesday Time

2009-07-14T03:19:00.000-06:00

I’d wondered the other day where to mine the sentences I’d read from for this Twofer Tuesday. The answer came, as it so often does, while I was busy doing something else.
The something else in question was debating which bit of writing chocolate I ought to have. It was an important question yesterday as I hadn’t gotten around to doing the day’s writing yet.
Should it be a promise? Or a reward?
Promise won, of course and I had some Lindt. As I was going through the varieties I had on hand I decided the sentences ought to come from one of the packages.

From the Lindt dark chocolate with chili we find this compelling prose:

“Lindt Excellence Chili is a unique and sophisticated new taste experience from Lindt’s Maîtres Chocolatiers. Enjoy this combination of Lindt’s finest aromatic dark chocolate with the well balanced spice of premium red chili.”

This is good chocolate, but in the end I went with the company’s milk chocolate and caramel offering yesterday.
Disclaimer: I don’t work for the company, and no one has paid me to say this. Dammit.

In keeping with the theme, albeit a thin one, of sustenance, here’s something from A Fly on the Wall. In it, Brelyan has just returned to this century. He’s traced his mirror to a recycling center and has to wait outside overnight.

“Mosquitoes of the 21st Century were vicious, bloodthirsty hooligans. The spread-on skin covering that protected him in the future did nothing in the current time.”

For more, or to find out how to participate, please see the Women of Mystery.

Gratitude Monday - Sunday Morning Well Spent

2009-07-13T01:12:00.001-06:00

We spent a sunny summer Sunday on a nearby lake doing a spot of fishing.

We paddled around then took a short break. We were away from the few other fisherfolk on the lake and it was quiet. The lake is carved out of the bush and thus surrounded by trees.

We spent more than four hours on the water chasing after northern pike. The lake holds perch, too, so it is claimed. I haven't seen one.

I had a too-small jack on my hook for a minute or so. It set itself free, saving me the trouble. It was a thoughtful fish in that way.

Our only other fish-related excitement was when a pike hit us at ramming speed. It was scary.

I suspect it was a sign that we weren't supposed to be fishing. We ignored it.

We canoed down this inlet just to have a closer look. It was a pleasant and soothing side trip.

Our world is filled with wonderful spots to enjoy. No special equipment is required as Nature is there as She is. Fishing is an enhancement and an excuse to be out, and I'm grateful for the chance to do it and enjoy the abundance of our natural world.

Photo-Finish Friday -- Alberta Sunset

2009-07-10T00:51:00.004-06:00

Astotin Lake, Elk Island National Park

Alberta has beautiful sunsets. The further north one goes away from the mountains, the longer the sunsets last.

It is a peaceful time of day. Life winds down for most of us while the night creatures stir. At the lake loons call, coyotes sing, and the lake empties as birds return to their nests.

In Elk Island Park the sunset was long and easy. We set out in our canoes after 10 p.m. and returned to shore just before 11 p.m. Here, the sun hides behind a cluster of spruce trees on at the end of its journey.

Modern Muskrat Love

2009-07-08T18:51:00.005-06:00

A muskrat cruise through Astotin Lake.

The bump in the water is a muskrat. We saw a few of the little critters as we canoed on Astotin Lake in Elk Island National Park last weekend.

They seem so happy. Whether they are or not depends, one assumes, on the muskrat and what kind of a day it’s having. This one went about its important muskrat business and barely took notice of us.

It was so peaceful to paddle on the lake and watch the wildlife. I found it soothing to see the muskrats float by us. Maybe they were busy, maybe they were doing patrols of their lodges, or maybe they like to come out and laugh at the silly two legs who float on top of the water instead of in it like sensible souls.

He also reminded me of other times. When I was young I was a tomboy. I took more of an interest in the farm and the outdoors than cooking, or clothing styles, or talking about boys, or personal grooming beyond keeping my hair combed when I thought about it, or other activities commonly associated with females. In short, girly stuff bored me senseless. In all frankness it still does.

What I loved to do was go out with my dad on the long spring evenings to check for beaver and muskrat in the creek about a quarter-mile up the road. Our farm was more than a half-mile off the highway and surrounded by trees. This made it quiet for us and a haven for the wild things.
Dad hunted muskrat and beaver in those years. The creek had plenty to offer, we believed, and taking out a few a season was just something we did.
We’d mimic the sound of a beaver slapping its tail on the water by dropping a rock off the bridge. Later, if dad’s .22 was true, we’d throw rocks in the creek beyond the poor thing’s lifeless body so the ripples would send it to the shore. Dad was a damned fine shot. He did not miss.

I lost interest in this around puberty. Dad did too. It’s been nearly 40 years since I went hunting with him in the evenings. Today I have no desire to kill anything. I’d rather watch the critters go about their lives.
I’m neither proud nor ashamed of the evenings at the creek. It happened. It’s there. It exists as part of my past and watching the muskrats on the lake brought those days back to me. I do not miss the hunt, but I miss the time.

Twofer Tuesday - Another Sign, Another Prohibition

2009-07-07T03:01:00.002-06:00

In this installment of Twofer Tuesday I'll share with you yet another sign. This time, I hope someone can explain to me why our National Park Service is so dead set against this.
My two sentences that I read, and I have the sign to prove it, are:

"Please do not use feet to flush the toilet."
"Push and hold the handle to flush!"

While I'm sure the Parks have a reason for this it brought out the rebel in me. I followed the regulations, but I tell you what, I sure wanted to use my feet.

As for my sentences, well, I was away for a few days so I haven't added much to A Fly on the Wall recently, but I managed to put a few words together.

My two:

“Soap opera?” Brelyan’s brows threatened to meet in the middle. “Soap sings? It has a story to tell?”
His eyes widened and his brows went back to their proper places. “There’s so much about this time I have to learn. So much.”

For more, please see Women of Mystery.

Gratitude Monday --Bison Camping Edition

2009-07-06T01:05:00.003-06:00

This past weekend was our annual camping trip with our friends. We went to Elk Island National Park which contains a herd of buffalo.
This park is east of Edmonton about a half -hour drive, if that. This is the second time I've been to it and the first in summer.
We spent a great deal of time on Astotin Lake. We saw a wide variety of bird life from sandpipers to pelicans.
At one point during a paddle we saw a heron. Behind him, a buffalo.

Later that day Mike and I drove around the park and checked out the bison loop. No bison were about, but as we drove back to the campground it started pouring rain and two of them were out enjoying the shower. Here's a wet buffalo:

We came home on Sunday and were treated to this sight along the road. Here's a dry buffalo:

And here's a field full of them. They were across the road from the bison loop.

I am so happy to have finally spent some time in the park and to finally see some wild buffalo roaming.

Photo-Finish Friday -- Around the Horn

2009-07-03T03:33:00.001-06:00

The general Cape Horn area. Cold, empty, lonely, and one of my favourite spots in the world.

Evening in Skookumchuck

2009-07-01T02:21:00.001-06:00

The Burger BarN was a lovely spot to eat. That's good, because it was the only spot. The restaurant across the road is open for breakfast and lunch, but closes for the day at 2:30 p.m. Outdoor seating, all it has, offers a soothing feel. The area itself is scenic and peaceful. We were alone for most of our meal and it was quiet enough to hear the birds.

What you see in the photo across the road is a flea market. I wanted to have a look around, but it was closed when we got there and stayed so until after we left. The restaurant/gas station is beside it.

This was immediately behind our motel room. We heard plenty of robins and siskins and I heard a small woodpecker at one point, but the soothing sound of running water was the best. There was even a duck in the water down the stream.

And in the morning:

We enjoyed ourselves there. It was an easy getaway for us and we'd go back in a heartbeat. If you ever get a chance to go, do so. It is scenic and soothing and well worth the effort.

I've seen Skookumchuck spelled different with a "c" and without one. I suspect it's because there's no real spelling in English for a Chinook word.

Disclaimer: I am not now nor have I ever been employed by Skookumchuck or BC Tourism or anyone connected with same. This is my opinion. If the place had been awful I'd have said so.

###
HAPPY CANADA DAY!

Two Tuesday-- No Drunk Dogs

2009-06-30T01:48:00.006-06:00

There's something about having these prohibitions together than really, really bothers me.

It's Twofer Tuesday again and that means I get to tell you all about this sign. My two sentences that I read are rendered above:

"Liquor and Nudity are Prohibited."

"Dogs are Prohibited Beyond this Point."

Now that we've established there's no getting the dog all likkered up at this British Columbia hot springs we can move on.

From my "A Fly on the Wall":

“No picture. In fact, nothing at all. It’s blank.” Mrs. Ingetuckle looked puzzled.

“This happened once before to me. I got so excited. Thought I’d been rendered invisible.”
“We could ignore you and pretend you’re invisible if it’ll make you happy,” Mrs. Phlebos offered. “We love you that much.”

For more, or to find out how to participate, please see the Women of Mystery.

Gratitude Monday - Moose Edition

2009-06-29T02:55:00.006-06:00

A cow moose and her calf.

We took off for a quick weekend getaway on Saturday. We drove down the Icefields Parkway then went south through Banff National Park to Kootenay National Park and beyond.
It was a lovely drive and very relaxing. We soaked in the healing waters of Radium Hot Springs and spent a quiet night at a motel in Skookumchuk, BC.
The place has a lovely feel to it and who can resist that name?
If you're curious, Skookumchuk is a Chinook word that means strong or turbulent current.
It was good to get away for a mini-vacation and to see something different. Change is good.
But more than anything else I am grateful to the mother and baby moose for showing themselves. I've passed by this muskeggy lake many dozens of times. I've always said it needed a moose. On Saturday I got two of them.

ETA: I originally left out the first "k" in my first reference to Skookumchuk. Sorry for any confusion.

Photo-Finish Friday -- Faery Silhouette

2009-06-26T03:13:00.003-06:00

Fog and rising sun bring out the extraordinary in the ordinary.
Usually this is a normal hawthorn tree with leaves and branches. Against the early morning sun we see the other side of it, the magic side.
See the branch in the centre toward the bottom? There's a faery with an arm raised and a leaf held high.
Tell me, what else do you see?

Blooming Buckbean

2009-06-24T01:43:00.004-06:00

Buckbean

This is one of my favourite plants. It grows in wetlands and looks so very happy. I found this buckbean along a boardwalk at Twin Lakes. The boardwalk goes out over a wet area to some raised ground. This outcropping has some benches and trees and on the side opposite the boardwalk there's a floating dock.

It's a fine spot to visit on a warm day. It has pleasant energy, it's a good thinking spot, and if nothing else one can sit and watch the fish jump.

In a good year there are frogs in the wetland, many more plants, and water that comes up over the boardwalk to tease your feet as you walk. Not this year.

I hardly saw any buckbean and even less of the other plants. But there were some and I spent a wonderful half-hour or so sitting near the trees getting my head clear and refreshed for writing. It's a good way to spend the time.

Twofer Tuesday -- The Bloom is on the Rose

2009-06-23T03:45:00.004-06:00

A rose in bloom. It's Alberta's provincial flower. The photo is completely unrelated to the post. I just think it's pretty.

It’s Twofer Tuesday time. I have done some writing, but not much reading.
We’ve been devoting our time to getting through the complete Firefly collection on DVD. It has crisp, wonderful writing and sharp, witty characters. I consider it a writing class.

Here’s something I read:

“ 'Why’n’t Eddie bake a cake?' he suggested. 'Eddie used to be a fry cook at the San Carlos for a while.'
The instant enthusiasm for the idea drove from Eddie’s brain the admission that he had never baked a cake. "
-John Steinbeck, Cannery Row, Bantam Books, 1971 (originally The Viking Press, Inc. 1945)

Here’s what I wrote in A Fly on the Wall:

The mirror had the occasional flash of independent thought. It wasn’t sure what to do with it.

For more, or to get in on the action, please see the Women of Mystery.

Gratitude Monday - Rain is Good Edition

2009-06-22T02:05:00.004-06:00

Raindrops accentuate the leaves of a blooming hawthorn tree in the early morning.

It finally rained. We had some on Friday night/Saturday morning. It perked up the leaves and grass and made everything smell fresh and clean. It was a start.
The rain, liquid hope from the sky, returned Saturday night and kept up for much of Sunday.
It was a reasonable soaker. We desperately need it.
Several counties and municipal districts have declared agricultural disaster due to drought. Any area which has benefited by this rain now has some hope.
I am grateful for the rain.

**
Today is the new moon and you know what that means.
Whip out your chequebook and write yourself an abundance cheque.
The new moon is at 1:35 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time. Cheques can be written from that moment forward all the way until Tuesday, June 23 at 1:35 p.m. MDT.

Photo-Finish Friday -- Fuzzies Edition

2009-06-19T03:08:00.002-06:00

Baby Rockhopper Penguins of the Falkland Islands

We were fortunate to see many varieties of penguin during our South American cruise. The timing was such that the babies were out and about, but still fuzzy.

Athough many were rapidly losing the fluff in favor of adult feathers, these were still in full fuzzhood.

Deadly Differences

2009-06-18T02:07:00.003-06:00

This is a Death Camas. Do not eat it.

Wild onion or garlic. These you can eat. I apologize for not knowing which one it is. I did not sniff or taste it.

Onions grow wild here, so do chives, and so does garlic. I've had wild garlic on some escargot done on a campfire. It set them off nicely.

Death Camas and White Camas also grow here and they look eerily like the garlic and onions. It's easy to get confused and throw a few in the stew.

I would not take a chance on harvesting any of them myself. I let my botanist husband do it.
If he says they're edible, then we eat them.

The most efficient way to tell the difference is to rub a bit of the leaf and sniff it. White and Death Camas do not have the distinctive onion or garlic odor.

If you're not sure or you nose isn't working, then go ahead and assume it is a killer and discard it.

In a related matter, there's an unrelated plant called Blue Camas that grows here and is edible.

Elephants and Butter

2009-06-17T01:33:00.002-06:00

Elephants Head

Butterwort

We went for a drive on Sunday and took a walk along the North Saskatchewan River at the Saunders Provincial Recreation Area. Many plants were in bloom and still others had blooms still pending.

I took a few pictures including the above butterwort and an elephants head nearby.

It made for a pleasant way to spend some time, and it's always good to see nature in full color riot.

Twosday Reading and Writing

2009-06-16T03:40:00.000-06:00

It’s twofer on Tuesday again. It means I get to share with you what reading I’ve lost myself in lately.
And I get to throw out two or so of my sentences that sprang from my mind and out my fingers. This makes me happy.

Here’s something I read:

“During the millenia that frogs and men have lived in the same world, it is probable that men have hunted frogs. And during that time a pattern of hunt and parry has developed.”

-John Steinbeck, Cannery Row, Bantam Books, 1971 (originally published by The Viking Press, Inc. 1945)

Here’s what I wrote in A Fly on the Wall:

“Mrs. Ingetuckle, I think he ought to have a bit of capsaicin with it to boost his circulation.”
In a few minutes, fortified with hot pepper and chocolate, Brelyan began to make sense.

For more, or to get in on the action, please see the Women of Mystery.

Gratitude Monday - Still Standing

2009-06-15T02:42:00.003-06:00

It stands forgotten, but it still stands.

Sometimes the only thing that matters is that we're still standing. No matter what we've done, or think we've done, as long as we're here we can make up for it, live it down, or shrug our shoulders, smile, and say to hell with you.

All that matters is we've got the time to learn, to grow, or do nothing at all if that's our choice.
It's another day with nothing in it yet to do with as we please.
What say we make the best of it?

Photo-Finish Friday - At the Dance

2009-06-12T02:41:00.005-06:00

The forest of Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina. I believe I caught the trees dancing.

The magnificent forest of Tierra del Fuego is one of my favourite spots on Earth. It is relatively undisturbed as it is a national park.
I would love to wander there and spend time in the forest. Yes, I'd talk to the trees, and I have an honest belief that if I could take the time I would hear their response.
Perhaps they might ask me to join their dance.
I would.

The Wapiti and the Sandwich

2009-06-11T01:54:00.005-06:00

This is an elk. It probably doesn't want a sandwich.

We took a drive the other day from Rocky south to Banff and then up the Jasper-Banff Parkway to Highway 11 and home. It was a long day, but a good one.
We hardly saw any wildlife. In fact this elk was the only big wild critter we saw. He browsed along the side of the highway and let himself be photographed. Elk are good that way.

It reminded me of the time my mom and sister and I went out to BC with an aunt and uncle. It was Easter and snowy and gray. Somewhere along the highway between Banff and the BC border we stopped to view some elk by the side of the road.
This was more than 40 years ago, before anyone heard about not feeding the wildlife, so we did. They came right up to the van window and poked their noses in.
Whether it was my idea or someone suggested it I've long forgotten, but I offered it a salmon sandwich. It was not a hit. I'll spare you the description.
If I recall correctly they liked the beans.

Today I shudder to think how we regarded wildlife in those days. The last thing we need to do is get them used to humans. It leads to all kinds of trouble on both sides.
Fortunately we've learned and most people are sensible enough to obey the law and let the wildlife fend for themselves.

For as wrong as it was, I can't say I regret it. It's another life experience and because of it I can say without hesitation that elk don't eat salmon sandwiches.

A Trip Back in Time

2009-06-10T03:01:00.003-06:00

A lake along a loop drive in Banff. I was going to write something metaphorical, but it's too much work.

I had a reasonably misspent youth, and I mean that in the good way. Reporters, we heard in J school, are supposed to have life experiences. I can’t remember the exact reason given though it is moderately obvious. The more you experience, the more you know, and the more you will question. You’re less gullible if you’ve been around a bit.

You never know when an experience from the past will work its way to the surface and be exactly what is needed.

My current WIP is about a mirror. This lets me write short bits in the lives of many characters. It’s fun and I get to use fragments of life from overheard conversations to stuff that really happened.

For example, back in the Pleistocene epoch my best friend and I stumbled into her house at 4 a.m. stoned out of our gourds. Our tummies cried for attention. We sacrificed dill pickle potato chips to the munchies gods and giggled in terror that the crunching echoing in our ears would waken her dad.

I’m tickled silly that I can now call this moment research.
I suspect as the writing continues so will the mining of the past as well as whatever I can scavenge from the world around me.
Everything has a purpose; it is just a matter of discovering what that purpose is.

What about you? Has that thing you did all those years ago proved to be something you need now? Or as you still waiting to see the good side of it?

Twofer Tuesday and a Photo

2009-06-09T01:34:00.004-06:00

A pair of red-winged blackbirds decorate the edge of a lake.

Another wonderful week of getting some reading done and even a bit of writing. It’s not as much writing as I’d thought, but in the great scope of the world that hardly matters.
I read this:

“The faintness of the voice was pitiable and dreadful. It was not the faintness of physical weakness, though confinement and hard fare no doubt had their part in it.”
-A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens. (Dent: London Everyman’s Library, Dutton: New York, reprinted 1964)

My efforts over the past few days put toward A Fly on the Wall:

“A nice mirror, my love. For the bedroom?”
Mora stared at him. “You want a mirror like this in the bedroom? Are you reading those magazines again, Sid?”

For more, or to find out how to participate, please see the Women of Mystery.