Studley Tool Chest

Oliver made a giant bread paddle for the parents in dad's workshop. Made the Lego Studley Tool Chest in the house. Fine specimens, both.
In case you don't know about Studley, check here: 
tool chest

The 20 minute toasted sandwich challenge.

The verdict? They must know.

I like them both equally, she said.



And another fine episode of the 20-minute toasted-sandwich challenge wraps up for the week.

Cypress Hills 25th anniversary escapade

This dragon fly thinks he's hit pay dirt and Oliver is his wasp.

Hike up old baldy with the crew.

Holy mackerel!

Heplers and fish heads go hand in hand.

Never a dull moment when cousin Theo visits.

Write books with magic in them.

A quiet weekend in Devon.

A short hike in the River Valley.

  















A lemon cake.

Some reading.



Why read?



You read to get away. 



That's why you should write books with magic in them.

Schultz Camp out and Club Cafe reverie

Oliver, Jim and I were charmed this weekend at Schultz's camp out near Endiang. For over 30 years Ken and Eleanor and their family have invited one and all to enjoy the country and company, camping out in the shelter of their farm the third weekend in July. I became friends with their daughter Kris in grade 6, the same age as Oliver is now.

Friday evening, on the way down to Endiang, we stopped in Stettler for supper - smorg at the Club Cafe. All the tables were full like when I was a girl and every week we ate there when Mom and Dad came to town. Sitting at a booth, so hungry by lunch and fervent about ordering a plain hamburger and chocolate milk to drink. The waiting seemed endless. Waitresses put the cups and plates away on the wooden shelf behind the grey counter with the metal trim, wrote up orders on scratch pads that I dreamed of holding, rang in orders and split the paper on a nail by the till. Sometimes the burger came with relish. I learned to qualify every order by explaining that a plain hamburger meant no relish or ketchup (although if mustard and pickle came, that was okay).

About grade three I was old enough to get a spot on the bus for July swimming lessons. Twice a week on public swim days, I brought lunch money and after lessons in the morning, walked downtown to the Club. Then, I sat at the high red stools at the counter. I ordered hamburger deluxe. By the time I made it back to the pool the unruly line up was out to the street in the hot sun and floating poplar fuzz and they opened at 1:00 PM sharp. Through the turnstile, in the slap and echo of the change room, I donned my suit, put my nickel in the small square lockers, grabbed a shower and took up position in the corner of the pool, crammed beyond the brim with screaming kids. Two hours of alternating bopping in one place with hugging the side, living in terror of being taken down in a dunk mob, and trusting not the lifeguard to save me.  


But this blog is supposed to be set in the present, enough drifting down memory lane. After our meal we were back on the highway heading out of town, and had to detour around a stalled Prairie Steam Train. I thought of Grandpa in this new country, making his living on the section, on the track of the train that brought him out here. It's hard to stay in the now.

We made it to the camp out before dark, set up the tent and enjoyed the campfire. On Saturday we celebrated O.M.H.S's 12th birthday, set up Sunday's Frisbee-golf tournament, had potluck supper, sat out a wicked thunderstorm in Kris's trailer, sang around the campfire and were awed by the Fireworks at midnight. 

On Sunday morning after pancakes and deep fried breakfast sausage, we each let go a helium balloon. The colours billowed southeasterly for a brief prayer, bright against the cloudy sky, before lingering away. This weekend gets my vote for our best adventure yet.

Mud is right.

   "I'm just going to see where this trail leads to, okay? I'll be right back. It leads down to a stream. Here is a place where we could cross the stream if you want to."

     "That's okay."

     "It's barely deep at all and you could step over it."

     "Oh, let's just keep going."

     "I haven't been entirely lying when I say I know where we are." 

Oliver found me a walking stick. While examining it, I stepped into a very deep puddle and lost my shoe. Oliver retrieved it, heroically, and washed it off for me, scraping his knee. So you see: adventure. And mud.

Volunteering for the Words on Wheels Van day in Rocky Rapids

Weaving with the WOW van (Words on Wheels) at Rocky Rapids.

Some say cheese, some say curd.

Lemon Cheese

8 eggs

2 ½  - 3 cups sugar

2-4 tbsp grated or slivered lemon rind

1 ½ cups freshly squeezed lemon juice

200 grams butter

Crack eggs into top of double boiler and beat. Add sugar and remaining ingredients. Heat over boiling water until mixture is thick. Pour into sterilized jars. Chill. Not suitable for freezing. Makes about 6 cups.

Bagels, brothers, gelato...the Works.

Road trip to Edmonton on June 21. Putting in time until we go to the airport to pick up the rest of the family. Stopped for bagels at Strathcona Farmer's Market. Then down to Stanley A. Milner Library to check out the makerspace. Turns out the big draw was still a comfy chair and Garfield. Checked out the design competition display at "The Works" in Churchill Square. Over to Oliver Square for gelato at Chocolate Exquisite. Then back to Devon to prepare the fire pit. All family members home by midnight on solstice. 

A link to some solstice photos including a Belarussian fire jumping at Ivan Kupala Night:

fire jumping

Zombie Run, Voyager Park, Devon.

Muscle and blood and Zombie racing. What more can I say. A very successful adventure, indeed.

Last night we also had a great time trampolining and playing music at the neighbour's. Willbert, Star of the Northern Aces, down from Grand Prairie and hanging out in Devon. What a treat to play old time music with a Master.

Mosquitos at Ministik Lake

We hunted for Oliver Lake at Miquelon Game Bird Sanctuary. Found frogs,but a few more would have been nice. "As large as a Ministik mosquito," means pretty large, mister. 

Saw a number of Lots for Sale signs. Didn't check my GPS, but I took a picture of what I think was looking west across 113 degrees longitude. We will have to make another trip out there to check my hypothesis. Jim identified the coots as American. I saw more blooming strawberries than I could have imagined. Will was an expert frog spotter.They were hopping all over the trail. What a great place! I think we should move there.  The boys are not so sure.

 
 Book:
Backroad Mapbook: Outdoor Recreation Guide for Central Alberta.

What an inviting forest

The tamarack leaves are just coming out at Wagner Bog, South of Highway 16 on RR 270. It was raining this evening. We were there at 8:30, but the frogs weren't out yet. Spring, so heavy in the air, I just smiled disbelievingly. 

Ellen Munroe taught me to knit a moebius strip scarf and I finished it on the 1/2 hour drive out to the bog because Jim drove. There was a yellow bog flower blooming, a yellow clematis, a tiny pink flower, 2 white flowers, and a flower that looks like it was on a rosemary plant. I'm sure I can do better than that and I will find out their names shortly. 

Son was the only one smart enough to wear his rubber boots. It's quite wet in the bog....as you might expect.

My favourite part of The Wee Free Men is when Tiffany politely tells Rob Anybody when they will marry.

Audio Book:  Terry Pratchett
Title: The Wee Free Men
Published: 2003

Where's Oliver? River fun.

Both Mom and Son vowed to spend more time on the river this year.  Stumbling problem? How to tie the canoe on to the vehicle, on our own. This Canoe Tie Down video helped! We completed the task and were about to set off when a thunderstorm blew in. Then it was lunch. Son nearly abandoned all hope. However, a window of opportunity presented itself in between the noon and the 4pm hail storm. Enough time to hit the river, get our bearings, float down, do a couple of cliff climbing excursions, eat a peanut butter sandwich, land at Lion's park boat launch, call Dad to bring the car and help us portage the canoe about 300 meters, retie the canoe and come home. 

While on the river we saw a guy catch a beautiful silver coloured fish right along the Devon bridge. Then two guys panning for gold, right beside each other. During one of the stops for scrambling Son says, "I'm just going to run up there for a hike and if it's family friendly I'll come back down and take you." It reminded me of father duck announcing "I'm just going to see what the rest of the river looks like," leaving mom with the newly hatched family. 

I think the phrase "I'm just going to....." would make a good story starter for writer's group. 

Book:
Make Way for Ducklings
Author:
Robert McCloskey
1941

Buffalo Lake Provincial Park

Son and Mom had left home an hour behind the scheduled 1PM on Saturday afternoon, without the campfire sandwich maker - a potentially fatal error. Arrived at Rochon Sands,walk-in tenting spot #33 - what a lovely spot. #32 and #31 would have been perfect too.) The big problem was the fish were not biting a bit. What to do? Quote some Corner Gas and make campfire pies in the cast iron. Use cherry pie filling, cream cheese and a large marshmallow for the middle.

Oliver tried fishing. After our cucumber and sausage supper, we found old friends sitting at a propane campfire who taught us the "white rabbit, white rabbit, I hate white rabbits" saying for when smoke gets in your eyes. 

In the night the hard and drunken party people wrapped it up early with some encouragement from security. Coyotes yipping echoed off the water so loud it sounded like they were camped in the spots beside us. The urgent chatter of birds hung pleasant in the air.

My eyelids closed before I spied the stars, but there likely were few to see in the night's cloudy sky above roller coaster hills out in cow and rock country. We found the drizzly weather perfect for our first night tenting this season. 

Recommended Corner Gas Episode: Lacey Borrows. In particular, 
Emma: "You know who I blame,I blame myself..." 
Oscar: "Oh, I was going to blame the hippies, but if you want to take the rap for it, fine by me."

Nice day for a diabetic coma

Think of lemon meringue pie, without the lemon, without the pie. Oliver, the insatiable, was sure about this recipe. He found it in "The Way to Cook." Adults in the house scoffed - that's impossible - you can't have just the meringue. But Oliver prevailed, and they actually taste good.

Author: Julia Child
Title: The Way to Cook
Year: 1989
Recipe: Italian Meringue

The challenge begins

A summer challenge. Son and Mom post weekly from May through September, about a sporty something they undertake and the books and resources they mull about. 

To begin:

Clifford E. Lee Nature Sanctuary near Devon, Alberta. Mother's Day brought at least 20 cars to the parking lot. Happy folks strolled around. We oogled a coot. Looking forward to returning and seeing some baby birds, we didn't spot any today though.

We're reading:

Author: Michael Scott

Book: The Alchemyst: The secrets of the immortal Nicholas Flamel

Year: 2007