Last Kick at the Can

So I had my last kick at the Wascana the previous Sunday, April the 18Th to be exact. That means I had a window of opportunity this year of 16 days, 4 of which I managed to get out for a paddle. I suppose the water was open a couple days before my first trip and would have been doable a couple days after my last but all in all the river is still only open for maybe three weeks. On Sunday you could tell that she was starting to dwindle. Paddles started to drag ground and rocks started jumping out at every corner, one of which I managed to not avoid and ended up rolling the canoe. To top it off it happened on the same corner I rolled it last time.... fuck. I'm not sure what it is about that bend but it really has it out for me, two totally different situations not ten feet apart put me in the drink this spring.

So while it is bye bye to the Wascana until next year, it is hello to the Qu'appelle for the rest of the summer thanks to directed runoff from the Lake Diefenbaker reservoir and hopefully it is howdy dowdy do to some Northern rivers this summer, but who knows what will end up happening.

Until next time, stay rustic, start planting your onions, peas and spinach and go listen to the Highwaymen.

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.