On Saturday I went to the McVean farm in Brampton to do a course called The Dirt on Soil offered by the Farm Start program. It was my first course as I figure from the ground up is a good place to start. I learned a lot and I'm looking forward to getting out to the land this summer and implementing what I've learned. It will be neat to know what kind of soil we have and what we can do with it.
The fields haven't been farmed in years so I'm counting that as cover cropping and hope to get all that mulched in later this summer or in the fall. Not sure if I want to hire a farmer to do it for me this year or to buy a tractor and implements so I can do it myself. Of course I'd rather do it myself but then I would have to store the tractor all winter.
It seems that getting healthy soil is going to be a lot of work but that it will pay off in the long run. So it's just like everything else.
I've started my cider quest. My first sampling was Bulmer's Cider and an uninspired selection it was. It tastes like a fizzy drink you might give to kids who can't handle actual soft drinks. Although due to the alcohol content I do not officially recommend this course of action.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
I hab a cold
At this point I definitely consider Physh camp 2010 a rousing success. I am in day 4 of the late May cold I usually suffer through in the woods. I wonder if tis seeming annual cold is in part the result of an immune system weakened by my allergies?
In any case It has me thinking I will want to keep Physh camp on the early side.
In any case It has me thinking I will want to keep Physh camp on the early side.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Back in the saddle
For those of you who have not guessed I've been off the Paleo diet for about a month now.Pizza, beer, potato chips, chocolate bars and sugary snacks galore and I've dicovered something. I've decided to go back to the Paleo diet b ut in all honesty I donot recommend you try it.
The Paleo diet is ike an expensive bike or fine whiskey - it makes what you once thought was good intollerably bad. There is no joyously riding aound on your Raleigh bike with a bottle of JD in your pocket after you've cruised down to the liquor store on your Cervelo to pick up a bottle of JW Blue. And essentially thats what has happened to me - the S.A.D. diet is the Supercycle of the dietary world - cheap and convient aand better than walking but the ride is shit if you know any better.
The conclusion I've reached is that I still like my sweets but they are not worth the general feeling of malaise that I didn't even realize I was feeling before. I used to blame city life and a lack of caribou meat and apparently I was half right. Grain fed beef and farm salmon is nutritionally no substitute for wild caribou and salmon.
So I'm going back to the Paleo diet but with some adjustments. Mainly I'm tossing out the no indegenous American plants and just eliminating the foods that have a scientific reason why they cause problems. Basically potatoes are back on my plate. I'm also keeping coffee and will allow an occaisional cheat for beer on social occaisions. I'll try to stick to wine and mead and running to wash away the occaisional waves of depression that are the legacy of urban life. The Big Smoke is NOT a bike friendly place so the urge to ride is not very strong here - tinged as it is with a feeling of the suicidal.
The Paleo diet is ike an expensive bike or fine whiskey - it makes what you once thought was good intollerably bad. There is no joyously riding aound on your Raleigh bike with a bottle of JD in your pocket after you've cruised down to the liquor store on your Cervelo to pick up a bottle of JW Blue. And essentially thats what has happened to me - the S.A.D. diet is the Supercycle of the dietary world - cheap and convient aand better than walking but the ride is shit if you know any better.
The conclusion I've reached is that I still like my sweets but they are not worth the general feeling of malaise that I didn't even realize I was feeling before. I used to blame city life and a lack of caribou meat and apparently I was half right. Grain fed beef and farm salmon is nutritionally no substitute for wild caribou and salmon.
So I'm going back to the Paleo diet but with some adjustments. Mainly I'm tossing out the no indegenous American plants and just eliminating the foods that have a scientific reason why they cause problems. Basically potatoes are back on my plate. I'm also keeping coffee and will allow an occaisional cheat for beer on social occaisions. I'll try to stick to wine and mead and running to wash away the occaisional waves of depression that are the legacy of urban life. The Big Smoke is NOT a bike friendly place so the urge to ride is not very strong here - tinged as it is with a feeling of the suicidal.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Morning Rain
I’ve often said that camping in the rain is more like work than fun. Now that I’m back to work I think I might have to eat those words.
On Physh camp I woke up to the bladder alarm in the hours before the dawn, the sound of steady rain drumming on the tent, visions of my breath and knowing full well that my tauntaun would likely freeze before I reached the first marker. Right now I’d have to say I’d take that start any day over this morning – waking to the radio alarm (purposely set to an annoying morning show) to get ready and head out for another day at the office.
Sure, there is something to be said for being warm, dry and well fed but apparently it’s not everything. I appear to be living in the progress paradox (see: The Progress Paradox: How Life Gets Better While People Feel Worse by Gregg Easterbrook). The crux of the idea is that all the comforts money can buy will not provide satisfaction.
It’s no secret that I’m not a fan of the sprawl that is the Big Smoke and since I’m here for the foreseeable future so I think I need to pilfer an idea from Tenacious V. I need to try to shrink the sprawl by only every using a tiny corner of it. At least limit myself to Mississauga. A suburban warping of her metropolitan idea that I’m sure would have Tenacious V cringing. But really, thanks to the vision and longevity of the mayor Mississauga is on a path to become a city of its own someday (hire me!).
So the conclusion I have reached is that I need to stop pussyfooting around find a new job, something closer to home and something where I can learn new skills. It will mean drop in income that the Boss won’t like. For my part it probably means no long hikes again this year :(
On Physh camp I woke up to the bladder alarm in the hours before the dawn, the sound of steady rain drumming on the tent, visions of my breath and knowing full well that my tauntaun would likely freeze before I reached the first marker. Right now I’d have to say I’d take that start any day over this morning – waking to the radio alarm (purposely set to an annoying morning show) to get ready and head out for another day at the office.
Sure, there is something to be said for being warm, dry and well fed but apparently it’s not everything. I appear to be living in the progress paradox (see: The Progress Paradox: How Life Gets Better While People Feel Worse by Gregg Easterbrook). The crux of the idea is that all the comforts money can buy will not provide satisfaction.
It’s no secret that I’m not a fan of the sprawl that is the Big Smoke and since I’m here for the foreseeable future so I think I need to pilfer an idea from Tenacious V. I need to try to shrink the sprawl by only every using a tiny corner of it. At least limit myself to Mississauga. A suburban warping of her metropolitan idea that I’m sure would have Tenacious V cringing. But really, thanks to the vision and longevity of the mayor Mississauga is on a path to become a city of its own someday (hire me!).
So the conclusion I have reached is that I need to stop pussyfooting around find a new job, something closer to home and something where I can learn new skills. It will mean drop in income that the Boss won’t like. For my part it probably means no long hikes again this year :(
Friday, May 7, 2010
Physh Camp 2010 report
We all got out alive so I'm calling Physh Camp 2010 another success. Not much luck with the fishing though but that;s not unusual. Our fly fishermen did manage to provide a meal of trout but there was no action at all on the spinners.
We had some rain and according to the park ranger I talked to it was a good thing as the lakes are already at August water levels.
In my opinion the corridor is probably a better area for travelling than fishing. The portages are very well maintained and there appeared to be lots of campers. Even in early May we saw over 20 interior canoeists.
My fitness level was not too bad. I'm just hoping I can hold out as long as my Dad who portaged our canoe over the Devil's Staircase and went back for more at the tender age of 72!
A few photos:
The main man of fishing with our only Bass of the trip (released):
The Physh Camp 2010 crew:
We had some rain and according to the park ranger I talked to it was a good thing as the lakes are already at August water levels.
In my opinion the corridor is probably a better area for travelling than fishing. The portages are very well maintained and there appeared to be lots of campers. Even in early May we saw over 20 interior canoeists.
My fitness level was not too bad. I'm just hoping I can hold out as long as my Dad who portaged our canoe over the Devil's Staircase and went back for more at the tender age of 72!
A few photos:
The main man of fishing with our only Bass of the trip (released):
The Physh Camp 2010 crew:
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