Thursday, May 27, 2010

Hi again to all,


And yes I am writing two days in a row... shock horror does this mean “the week that was” is winding up again into its former glory...

So there I am riding my bike to work this morning (yes you heard it correctly) I ride a bike to work, it was a balmy 22 degrees at 6.30am... I chose to ride through the beautiful old Toronto University as it brings out my inner academic. As I ride I quote Shakespeare and hum Wolfgang's early works (or as I know him Wolfy) I also ponder the theory of relativity “general relativity” that is..........

(General relativity is a theory of gravitation developed by Einstein in the years 1907–1915. The development of general relativity began with the equivalence principle, under which the states of accelerated motion and being at rest in a gravitational field (for example when standing on the surface of the Earth) are physically identical. The upshot of this is that free fall is inertial motion; an object in free fall is falling because that is how objects move when there is no force being exerted on them, instead of this being due to the force of gravity as is the case in classical mechanics. This is incompatible with classical mechanics and special relativity because in those theories inertially moving objects cannot accelerate with respect to each other, but objects in free fall do so. To resolve this difficulty Einstein first proposed that spacetime is curved. In 1915, he devised the Einstein field equations which relate the curvature of spacetime with the mass, energy, and momentum within it).

........and low and behold I round the corner and come upon this picturesque nature vista (see attached photo)...

two things are strange here;
(1) is simple... Racoons are not usually out during the day
(2) Why do Racoons always look like they have been caught in the act and or like burglars...?
Regardless of that he was so hot and thirsty that apart from keeping an eye on me the little fella let me get about 10' from him before lifting his head and snarling...

For those of you who are obviously wondering (and will more than likely ask) what is the other Theory of Relativity?? It is “Special” now there are some big words in here so some may have to do homework... there will be a pop quiz tomorrow...

Special relativity is a theory of the structure of spacetime. It was introduced in Albert Einstein's 1905 paper "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies" (for the contributions of many other physicists see History of special relativity). Special relativity is based on two postulates which are contradictory in classical mechanics:
1. The laws of physicsare the same for all observers in uniform motionrelative to one another (principle of relativity),
2. The speed of lightin a vacuum is the same for all observers, regardless of their relative motion or of the motion of the source of the light.
The resultant theory agrees with experiment better than classical mechanics, e.g. in the Michelson-Morley experiment that supports postulate 2, but also has many surprising consequences...
.....you look it up as I’m sick of telling you everything...

So that’s all for now, I look to the fore to communicating with you all presently... and no I have not been drinking...
Cheers
Toronto Pip
Global Bloke of Ambiguity

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Moose Hunting in Algonguin Park

Its spring, the perfect time for Moose Hunting (avec camera NOT gun) in Algonquin Park. Early Saturday morning we gathered the girls next door, Happy and Susie, their two dogs Snoopy and Zora, and our Mcgregor and headed for Huntsville, just north of Muskoka , southwest of Algonquin, the huge wilderness park on the Canadian Shield, with eyes out on stilts for our first view of a gangly fifteen foot Moose. (Our quest for Moose began in 2005, though we've hunted them in Cape Breton,Nova Scotia; Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, upstate New York, Ontario and Quebec, we are still without a sighting!)

First stop (and unlikely Moose sighting venue) was the newly zooped up area around the wharf at Lake Muskoka to see the RMS Segwun, the oldest steam ship still operating in North America. In 2005 we took a gentle 3 hour cruise on her with my parents and happily discovered the joys of a Canadian iconic beverage served on board.....the Ceasar a mix of clam juice, tomato juice,vodka, spiced with Tabasco, the glass rimmed with celery salt and garnished with lime and a long stalk of celery avec leaves.

Muskoka is the heart of Cottage Country. Everyone has a Cottage (bach at the lake) and everyone bails from the city Friday night and heads for Cottage Country ( to get away from the fetid humidity of the city during July and August when temps can hover easily for weeks around the 30+C.) It's the thing to do and magazines, TV programmes and books stock the shelves at this time of year purporting the coolest and best for your cottage this summer.

Families spend up to 8 weeks at their cottages while the kids are off school for the months of July and August. Canadian Mums really know how to take summer break with the kids, graced with reliable heat and fine skies. There are huge family traditions attached to these cottages and it all revolves around the outdoors and lake, socialising in party boats, around fire pits and grilling (bbqing in our speak......although bbq up here is smoking your meat off direct heat, low and slow, spice rubbed then mopped with sauce to blackened smokey deliciousness). It's not uncommon to see float planes peeling off to land at remote or close by bays, the family pouring out with dogs while Dad ties the plane to the dock or mooring! Celebrity hideouts and the tucked away retreats for local multimillion/billionaires abound amongst the more modest cottages, with over 600 lakes even the most world weary celeb can hide out up here and do!

Needless to say our float plane remained parked in never never land  and we took the more usual route via four wheels on Hwy 400 to Cottage Country.

There is more water in these parts than land so finding a cute lake to hike around the first day was easy peasy. Huntsville, now famous as the site for the coming G8 meetings, is a quaint lakeside village with open public access to beach and the waters edge. Teens were swimming from the town dock whilst smart fizz boats tied up at lakeside pubs and restaurants.


After poutine and a burger grilled lakeside at the "Cabin" (a local burger shack) we headed for a walking track nearby which took us through pretty woods carpeted with forget-me-nots and wallflowers along the lake edge. Not officially summer yet, this was our first chance to break out the swimmers and both Pip and I took advantage of a floating dock attached to the walkway to chance the black lake waters for a swim. My boyfriend took the plunge first, meaning I had to save face and follow. A kid further along the dock was trying to get her big brothers to go in with her so she and I teamed up and jumped in together....brrrrrrrrrrrrr!! it was pretty frosty beneath the surface but after another couple of jumps we were having fun. Air temps were already above 26C so pretty yummy really.

Pub on the Docks at Huntsville; Pip and Ju apres swim with Snoopy, Mac, Susie and Zora the Sheltie

With no Moose sightings to report and the doggies tired out from walking and swimming we left them sleeping at our digs at days end and headed to town for dinner. We scored a table on the top deck of the Pub on the Docks, drank cooling beer and ate pub grub until the sun set behind us. The view (our stunning blonde waitress added to Pip's enjoyment of the event) and warm air were so lovely. Its hard to describe how amazing it is to sit out like this over the water when you live in a downtown building with 120 other families surrounded by high rise every which way you turn. Being out in the countryside, amongst trees and water is shockingly wonderful. Also shockingly wonderful was our stop at the Nutty Chocolatier for gelato and ice-cream for the afters! (Our second stop there that day...ooops!)

Next day dawned perfectly and we loaded up our tribe of Moose Hunters and headed for the Algonquin Park. Our drive took us past Delta Grand View Resort Golf Course which look fab set along the lake, Native Indian stores and Lakeside lodges and campgrounds. All of which we hope to explore later this summer.

Sadly no browsing Moose loitering along the highway but hopes were still high.


Canoe Lake Map
Fifteen dollars buys the park permit needed to drive in the park, another thirty bucks per canoe saw us set for our adventure on Canoe Lake. Kitted out in life jackets we hefted the doggies amidships in each canoe and set forth for Tom Tomson's Cairn about 4ks up the lake, where a headland sporting a totem pole is dedicated to Tom, the most famous of all Canadian Artists.

Canadian canoeing is not the most comfortable sport I've ever undertaken, more partial to the one man kayak than this upright one sided paddling action. Anyhooo its a great way to see the great outdoors and means that Mac, to his complete horror, gets to share our adventure. Settled unhappily on his 'faux fur' rug he panted the whole day away desperate for the torture to end, poor darling, though once ashore he was a pig in it getting dirtier than Snoopy (tiny black poodle) or Zora (very pretty sheltie) within five minutes of his swim.

Idling the day away paddling, we cruise past two famous Algonquin Summer Camps for kids (just exactly as depicted in all those movies..the girls camp on one shore and the boys camp on an island just a damn good moonlight swim away!) These old camps were wonderful and in six weeks time will be thronging with city kids getting their summer vacation sans parents and concrete jungle.

Lunch at Tom Tomson's cairn; our canoes; views south on Canoe Lake

Wildlife, which you would expect to abound in this wilderness park, seems very sparse and shy. Birdsong is ripe in the air but no waterfowl yet, whatever birds that migrate to this lake haven't got here yet! We reach our camp spot for lunch without sighting even a flutter of Moose ears and set up camp. Pip spots a fish in the clear water by the dock and the dogs swim like mad. Once again the Big Boy beats me in so once again I inch my way into the copper brownish lake water, this time its a lot warmer...maybe its shallower than yesterdays black depths.

We chat to passing canoeists returning from 5 day excursions, portaging their canoes (carrying between lakes) to 6 different lakes, camping out in the wilderness. It sounds so romantic but...not so sure about the carrying the canoe and all the gear bit!

Later we hike up to the Totem on the hill and take in the still lake view. The air here smells like fresh air...something Happy remarked on in the car driving here this morning. "I like that smell" she said sniffing at the open window.  I replied.,"That's called fresh air!" Crazy but when you get into a fresh air zone you really really can smell the difference. Then its exaggerated when you drive past the groves of wild Lilac on the roadside which perfume the air like some exotic paradise.

Pip hiking to Totem Pole; Dirty little white dog; lunch; Mac sunbathing; chowing down on the dock.

After lunch we paddled across the lake to an inlet well known for browsing wildlife. We came upon a Loon, preening itself in the sunshine. The call of these birds is the most Iconic sound of Canadian wilderness. Its eerie high call sounds across the lake in the evening and morning. Their long beaked heads and distinctive black and white markings are unique. Apart from our Loon we flushed out a small family of Canada Geese and some songbirds in the trees but alas no Moose.

At the end of the day I was glad to see the Portage store appear around the corner. We gave back our sturdy double ended aluminium canoes and headed for the beach to swim and let the dogs have some more exercise.


Portage Store; campers returning; Pip in the swim; Susie; Pip and Zora

After a cultural stop for the benefit of Quebecers Happy and Susie at the Kawartha Dariy Company for more ice-cream, (famous in these parts) Pip steered our chariot homeward and into static traffic..suddenly our 3.5 hour trip was looking scarily like 5-6  so we hightailed it off into the countryside at Barrie,(Lake Simcoe) and drove all the way home down Yonge Street (we live at Yonge and Isabella). Supposedly the longest street in the world Yonge Street took us through grain farms with huge old barns and soaring silos, then the upmarket suburb Forrest Hill then down past the Toronto Ladies Golf Club and into our neck of the woods.

Celebrating Victoria Day and commiserating on the lack of Moose we drank a little wine on our balcony, grilled (bbqued) some hot dogs and onions, smeared these between bread with mustard and ketchup, pickles and sauerkraut and called it a day!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Mothers Day and other more ordinary events


Mcgregor has a new BDF (best doggie friend). Meet Henry Briscoe from across the street. Henry and his mum Lori join us for walks around the streets and parks of Rosedale and Yorkville . Its soooo nice for Mac and I to have friends to walk with! Henry is up front in the shot above, Mac is looking a bit sulky in the back coz Henry just scarfed half a brie from the cheeseboard while we had our backs turned and he missed out! A few days after this shot Pip and I took the shears and sissors to Henry and gave him a spring clip. We've been grooming Mac for years now but this was our first 'other dog'. Pip does the shearing with clippers then I do the tail, ears, head, skirt and legs with these lovely blunt ended curved sissors. Now the two westie boys look very smart, like twins, though Henry has one floppy ear which is the giveaway!


Monday night Pip hit the kitchen and whipped up THE most delicious pork tenderloin stuffed with prunes and gouda, sweet potato mash and salad with balsamic dressing. OMG...so yumpalumpious! Ontario pork is the best we've ever tasted (unlike the lamb which is not), its so luscious and lean and delish! My boy cooked this to perfection....no recipe... just winged it. Gotta love a man who can cook like this!!


Making the most of the warmer weather we dined outside again, this time it was my turn to produce. I love making these little pizzas using whole wheat tortillas for a super thin crusty base. Homemade parsley and coriander pesto, goats cheese and finely sliced beef made a good combo, as did chipotle red sauce,  caramelized onions, red peppers and goats cheese.  These little gems are my lazy night option, using whatever I have in the fridge to create diff combos each time. My super fav is tiny nuggets of pork sausage, caramelized onions and fresh sage over a chipotle bbq sauce!


Our lovely neighbours Happy and Susie invited us for an Indian Banquet on friday night. The night before I'd gone with them to a Halal market to buy the ingredients. Very Cool. This place was mecca for spices, flours and rice and a whole range of veggies and herbs that I'd not seen before. We came away with bags of Gram (Besan) flour for the Pakora, spices to make garam masala, beautifully decorated cotton bags of rice, fresh chutneys like the very green hot mint chutney, sweet chunky mango, deep smooth hot mango and tamarind. Last stop was the dessert store where for $8.00 a pound you choose from a selection of luscious, syrupy tiny cakes, some gilded with silver leaf, others with hints of coconut or rosewater.

Happy,a Punjabi from Quebec, showed me how to make the best Pakora I've ever eaten. With her bare hands she mixes the gram flour and spices like garam masala, cumin, tumeric, paprika, chili, coriander seeds (which are the singing note in these crispy vege treats), coating finely sliced onion, potato,eggplant and spinach. She gradually mixed in water and plain yogurt until she had a fairly runny batter. Deep frying little clusters of veggies in batches until deep golden brown, she sopped up the last of the batter mix with bread cut into cubes and fried these too. OMG. This is a true good for you bad for you mix. All those veggies spices and yogurt balanced out by the frying but the end result is soooo divine. Served with a mix of chutney's and spiced yogurt they are a meal in themselves.


We celebrated Mothers Day on Saturday (NZ time) with breakfast with the girls. This time Happy's flatmate Susie cooked us French toast to die for. Susie is French Canadian from north of Quebec city and it showed. Her french toast was sublime. Her secret was to use one egg per slice of bread, just a dash of milk, cinnamon and a tablespoon of maple syrup which helps to get that incredible crisp carmelized crust and soft delish centre. Served with bananas, Maple butter from the Isle d'Orleans,Quebec and real Maple Syrup it was the perfect taste Quebec.


My Mothers day outing with dog and dogfather was to the Big Bass Pro shop!!! The mecca for outdoorsmen (and women) in North America. This huge store, kitted out like a hunting lodge displaying  wildlife, game and fish native to these parts was actually very cool. All animals displayed, except the fish like the longnosed Gar seen above swimming in the huge freshwater tank, were long dead!!


We were quite taken by the cute raccoon, especially as Pip had just encountered its very large cousin on the way to work one day this week. We occasionally see him stealing eggs from nests in the trees behind us! Moose are the big deal up here too and its sad to say that hundreds are shot for sport each year. The Moose get their own back and kill a few motorists everyear in the spring. These funy looking creatures who browse in lakes and marshy areas, can be seven feet high at their shoulders, their heads massive and can be as tall as fifteen feet!!


The Big Bass Pro store is so huge this seaplane was dwarfed. There were speed boats, canoes and kayaks, party boats (glam floating pontoons set up with all around seating, tables and booze fridge), atvs that looked liked jeeps, more fishing rods and lures than is sane, guns, guns and more guns!!, crossbows, hunting fashion gear, decoys of every type of wildlife to use for target practice, a laser shooting range, camping gear with rows of tents set up, amazing smokers that look like small steam engines, huge fish tank, etc etc etc.!

We'd thought we'd buy a fishing rod for the lake but were bamboozled by the selection. Some research is needed before we make a purchase. We saw 15ft surf casters for $80 which seemed very reasonable and these great reels that have depth counters and covered spools so no tangles. Pip left muttering someting about a shopping spree before we return to NZ!