Wascana trails and fire side cider

In my opinion, Wascana trails is the most beautiful place to visit that is within a half hours drive from the city. If you have not yet graced the trails with your presence then i highly suggest it. last winter we went out there at night to have a campfire and listen to the coyotes. open fires and night time visits aren't allowed at the recreation site but really, whats the harm done when you bring in your own wood to burn.

aaaanyway! yesterday me and my friends Ali and Josh went out in the direction of the trails to shoot some skeet along the way and hike around the river. The mighty wascana was in full rut when we arrived from all the rainfall we have had this month but it was still very tame compared to its ferocious spring white water(which by the way... you can canoe if you hit it at the right time). We took in the sights of the trails, seeing no fawna but enjoying the flora instead then headed back to town for some fireside cider. The previous day saw me bottling my cider reaped from the brances of a lone crab tree along the banks of Wascana lake. Its a little sour but overall its still pretty damn tasty.

Cider pressing link- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0fvkiSHOsY

Wascana trails link- http://www.trailpeak.com/trail-Wascana-Trails-Provincial-Recreation-Site-near-Regina-SK-2717

first picture explanation

the picture from the first post was taken on a canoe trip i did with my friends, Bj, Riess and Adam. We split the distance from crooked to round lake into an evening and morning canoe. Added to that we had a camp out along the shore of the quappelle. The sand bar we found there was honestly world class and made for one of my happiest sleeps this summer. That and there is no better sound than coyotes howling in total darkness. WAIT! There is one thing that is better. Howling wolves. This past week i was able to hear wolves for the first time in my life.... which i will expand on in the next post.

here is one more pic from that eventful canoe trip this summer-

you may be asking, why is that shirtless man so happy? well the answer is very simple. he is BBQing fried balonie right on the canoe while being paddled down the crik.

currently listening to- best of buffy ste. marie volume one.

the harvest king

well here i am with my loving girlfriend, our stray cat turned best friend, Wolfgang, and the harvest i reaped from my backyard and the surrounding countryside this year. I have decided that there really is no better feeling than picking fresh vegetables from your garden and accenting your dinner plate with them. You don't grow a garden because it saves you money, you grow a garden because it puts you back in touch with yourself, your surroundings, the outdoors and most importantly with your food. cultivating your yard is not rocket science, if you want something simple that you do not have to water or really take care of either, plant carrots, beans, onions, lettuce, rubarb and raspberries. These plants require almost no work. If you feel ambitious, plant some corn or some tomatoes. As for me, with some hard work and the help of a few rain barrels, i was able to avoid the grocery store this summer like it was JD's on a Friday night. The rain barrels worked very well and i was able to get away with using the hose only a hand full of times over the whole summer. then again this year wasn't very typical in the precipitation category. even Noah's dinosaurs would be impressed with all the rain we had this year. so without further talkings, here is what you see in the photo.

in this pic we have from my garden-

pickled beans

pickled beats

pickled zucchini

canned salsa

corn

pumpkins

zucchini

potatoes

onions

peas

tomatoes

hot peppers

in this pic from my parents garden i have canned-

sand cherries

oodles of tomato soup

sliced apples

elsewhere-

crap apple cider from a tree along the wascana

crap apple jelly and apple sauce from a tree at the beach

wild hazelnuts picked above my parents cabin on echo

Saskatoon jam and the tastiest fucking wine ever picked from a secret location

currently listening to- the 1970 big sur county folk fest.

first post

Hello children and unmarried men and women. This will be my first blogging adventure. Why i decided to join the blogging wave is beyond me. perhaps i feel i have some knowledge to pass onto others....or not. It may either be that, or my insatiable need to satisfy my giant ego by talking about myself as i sit alone on the couch. I like to think that i can better spend my time rather than squandering it on the Internet, but perhaps that is not the case.

So, onto the purpose of this blog. Sometimes i like to think that i was born in the wrong century. My persona and outlook on life is much more suited to say.... being a voyageur, or a one eyed pirate. That being said, this blog is going to document my attempts at bringing back lost traditions. Past times that have been forgotten by most city dwelling folk my age. It is in these practices that i find the most joy in life and it is these adventures that i will share with you.

currently listening to- Deja Vu composed by crosby stills and nash