Year Two Day Nineteen - That Place in Carnarvon

Dear all, 

We were back up at the cottage and after a day hauling junk ready for another dump run, we were sad to see that Jay and Anita at The Firehouse, (our fave spot: http://www.firehouseresort.com) were closed for the evening but we were starving after such a big day of action and Darren suggested trying out the local eatery in nearby Carnarvon instead..

The restaurant is know as 'That Place in Carnavon' (makes giving directions very easy) and is at the heart of the 'down town' area (A Cross-Roads housing a gas station, convenience store, bowling alley and 'That Place') all looking over Mirror Lake.  http://www.thatplaceincarnarvon.com

 I must say, I liked everything about it immediately; the decor, the vibe and the smell of food comin out from the kitchen was instantly appealing. Darren and I made a beeline for the bar and menu; The first thing that caught my eye was the Perch and I couldn't ignore the calling so, on Darren's advice, I went for the Perch dinner.

I am frustrated that I didn't take more photos but in all honesty, we were too busy chatting, tucking into a heavenly cold lager and guzzling down our fabulous feast! 

The perch dinner was very good; it came with a 'never-ending' salad bar ( that even had an 'Olive' section * hurray*), was piping hot, flavorsome, fresh and delicious. I opted for the baked potato ( that ended up coming home with us along with a piece of fish) and freshly cooked vegetables. I loved it. Darren had the burger; It was awesome and the fries were crisp and very more-ish. 

A total treasure and great find. That Place at Carnarvon is wonderful! 

And in other news:

1. We had a most extraordinary experience today when driving up to the cottage and it coincided with me telling about that awful accident on Highway 400 when a farmer lost all his pigs to the motor-way when his trailer door opened whilst driving at 100km/ hour [very sad and imagine how frightening to see multiple pigs flying out the back of a truck]. 

Anyway... we were driving leisurely along highway 11 and suddenly realized that there was a road block up ahead with several flustered looking young gents running around chasing what looked like  *dramatic pause*  a cow. We passed by rather puzzled and then 100 metres up the road spotted a *cow* trailer, on the hard shoulder, and could almost hear the driver beating his fist against the dash board from our truck. Yes folks, the cow had come flying out of the truck and was now galloping down highway 11 at top [cow] speed! I mentioned to Darren (horse sense) that that cow was not going back near that truck/ near that farmer/ near any human or truck for a long, long time....  

Year Two Day Eighteen - Celery Seed

Dear all, 


Potato Salad is one of Darren's favorite things and on the eve of a wonderful visit from Bob and Mary Lou, Darren suggested I whip up a bowl of a classic North American side. 

I found this recipe online after googling ' potato salad' and 'celery seed'. I was careful to follow the recipe pretty much to the last milli-gram of salt ( although I added 4 eggs instead of two and left out the pickles..;it is almost impossible for me to follow recipes)

1 cup Mayo

1 teaspoon mustard

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

4 cups potatoes, cooked and cubed

2 boiled eggs, chopped

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/2 cup celery, sliced

1/2 cup sweet pickle relish

Combine mayo mustard, celery seed, salt, and pepper; mix well.

Add potatoes, eggs, onion and celery, mix lightly. Chill.

I was interested to read that Celery Seeds are in fact very small fruit which yield a very powerful and valuable oil used in perfumes and also containing the organic compound 'apiol'. Celery Seed is widely used in North America as a seasoning ( Bloody Mary's, Popcorn) or mixed with salt *Celery Salt* and used widely as a spice and condiment. 

Celery seed is not however widely used in Western herbal medicine, although it has been used medicinally for thousands of years elsewhere. Many moons ago, Ayurvedic medicine called for celery seed in the fight against colds, flu, water retention, poor digestion, various types of arthritis, and certain diseases of the liver and spleen. Today, Celery see is primarily used as a diuretic, for treating arthritis, reducing muscle spasm and inflammation and calming the nerves. Interestingly, celery seed is also very effective as a mosquito repellent *hurray*. Other studies have hinted that celery seed maybe useful in lowering blood pressure and cholesterol and well as protecting the liver from potentially damaging substances such as Tylenol. 

Anyway, long story short, it also tastes great in potato salad! The salad was a huge success and is nearly all gone ( despite the fact that I cooked waaaaay too much). For all those keen to experiment further, one of Darren's favorite snacks is Celery Seed sprinkled on Garlic bread... try it and see [it's pretty sensational}.

Year Two Day Seventeen - Strawberries

Dear all 

Today we went strawberry picking *hurray*! It's the season and what a joy to get out into the fields and pick abundant juicy red strawberries!! I had never seen a field of strawberries as big as those at Meesters in Collingwood and they are open for business!

Darren is a a die-hard strawberry connaiseur, he knows strawberries and I am keen to learn all I could from the master. 

He gave me a couple of tips after we had been assigned our own 'row' *eeeek*, no green ones, no white tips, no mould and no soggy strawbs. Pick everything else! Done deal; off we went! 

As you can see, Darren was better prepared than I for our afternoon challenge; Darren was dressed in comfortable clothing, I was wearing a {new} dress {that mutter sent me in the post and will already be annoyed that I wore it even though I didn't get it dirty}. I did however prove my worth and fill my carton at great speed and manage to avoid too many duds. 

 We filled two trays in no time and on leaving the farm, parted ways with a grand total of $8 [1/20th of the price you would pay at the supermarket]. Let the berry fun begin!

As you can see, we got right to it. Yet again, Darren excelled in the berry preperation; we hulled the strawbs, halved them and then added a generous handful of sugar. 

After a good mix, using hands add a dollop of Ben and Jerry's, 'Cherry Garcia' Ice cream.... Heaven on berry-Earth! 

Year Two Day Sixteen - Dock Spider

Dear all, 

We are back up at the cottage; Summer is officially here!!! The water line on lake is higher than I have ever seen it after copious rain and a treacherously long winter.  We had been up several trips over the last couple of weeks (boat delivery, boat launch, reconnaissance trip)and we were now ready for action and the initiation of the *Phase 1* of dump runs and I was ecstatic to start work on the renovations. 

We came equipped with bin bags gloves and as always when crossing the lake over the the island, I was the happiest I could be driving over on that boat to the cottage, Lake Nora is so beautiful. 

We arrived at the dock and as Darren was chugging slowly up to the landing pier, I suddenly yelped as my eyes caught sight of a something the size of a small bird scurrying across the damp wood. On closer ( but still far away) inspection, I realised what we were staring at was a MASSIVE SPIDER. 

My fear of snakes has been well documented but I am fairly rational when it comes to confrontations with the family Arachnid. This little blighter was rather bigger than I had expected finding in the Muskokas; Australia for sure, but not Canada! The spider was as big as my hand and moved around with unnerving speed. Darren was extremely calm and explained that it was 'only a dock spider' and 'totally harmless'. When I suggested picking it up to try and cure me of my mild phobia, he stopped me in my tracks saying that 'oooo ummm, not sure....'. I took this as my cue to not pick up the spider and watched it scuttle over the rocks and into obscurity, disguised brilliantly in the brush. 

So, we carried on without out eight legged friend... (they eat mosquitoes.. they are therefore friends despite looking positively terrifying)

And in other news:

1. Bob and Mary Lou have found the biggest strawberry known to man! Check out this beauty! (Darren was saying that our recent combination of rain and hot days has meant a bumper strawberry season.. yum!) 

Year Two Day Fifteen - Nachos

Dear all, 

After a long day of driving up and back to the cottage ( with a quick break to launch the boat), I was in the mood for a savory snack and once again, Darren stepped up to the plate and turned over a late-night culinary triumph!

Darren insisted he held the key to perfect nachos: Cheese ( and lots of it)! I had purchased some 'Restaurant quality' nachos form Metro the day before [purely by chance, they were 50% off] so to start, I layered a baking tray with the chips while D finely chopped onion, jalapenos and grated a [large] block of mature cheddar cheese. 

 ** we had the obligatory Corona on site to aid the creative juices. Check out the new bottle design; quite the summer treat!

On top of the first layer of nachos, we sprinkled the chillies, onion and a healthy dose of cheese. We then popped this in the oven for 5 minutes or so until the cheese had melted. 

Out of the oven, and a second layer of nachos was engaged along with a truck load of cheese, feta, chillies, fresh tomato and onion. The tray was then put back into the oven for the final push et voila: The best Nachos in town!

They were delicious; the ultimate savory snack! 

Year Two Day Fourteen - Ravenna General Store

Dear all, 

This is such a great find; Ravenna is a *tiny* village just outside of Blue Mountains on Grey Road 2. I had driven by a countless times on my way on the back roads to Thornbury but had never though to stop in. Lovely Heather insisted we should pop in during our lunch break from painting class, we off  we went. http://www.ravennacountrymarket.ca/

The General Store could just as easily be a tiny shop in the middle of nowhere, but the moment you open those doors, it's like a whole new world opens up in front of you. Ravenna General Store is Georgian Triangle's version of Wonderland ( not the theme park, the emporium of all things magical) and I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw what treats awaited me. 

 This place is alive with exciting things to browse, sample and admire. It is a small establishment but still manages to fit in a high end cafe which also churns out 5* restaurant quality meals that are packed and sold from frozen. 

 The cafe has no menu.. just an inspired chef who tailors makes your sandwich while you talk through options with him. The cappucino was one of the best I have ever tasted ( I know.. it's big) and the sandwich and soup that we shared was exceptional; white chedder and zucchini soup and a turkey sandwich with red pepper mayo, pea shoots and fresh lettuce. It was an exquisite lunch!

 I couldn't lave without picking up a little pressie for Darren so (after much deliberation) chose this small jar of home made Blackberry jam; it was absolutely incredible!

What a treat this place is! If you are in the area, I urge you to pop in; Ravenna Country Store is worth it!

Year Two Day Thirteen - Carpe Diem Gardens

Dear all

Our final day at the office was to be held at the famous Carpe Diem gardens just south of Thornbury. http://www.ruralgardens.ca/mempgs/dykstra/carpediem.htm. I had driven past so many times but had never thought to venture in and what a treat I had in store.. these gardens are simply heavenly. 

John encouraged us to be 'lose' and 'free' with out brush and use the beauty and colour of the gardens let our paintings evolve without feeling constrained by details. I love this concept but it is still hard to remove yourself from being focused on the end result and this is something John has been very good at explaining during the week; it's all about the process, don't worry about producing a master piece.. that will come in time. 

We had a daily critique which was extremely useful and constructive where John discussed every single painting produced during the day, highlighting strengths and weaknesses.

For me, confidence is my biggest hurdle and I am determined to banish all negative thoughts and concerns out of my head and paint away until my brushes are calling a strike to demand shorter working hours. Success is all in the mind so I need to stop worrying that I am going to be a dissappointment and believe I can do it; our mind is an extremely powerful tool. I am going to reach for the stars!

It does help of course, to have a fabulous muse to paint like this incredible poppies. Here is one of my poppy paintings that I rattled off in about 15 minutes. I am very inspired to paint more and as John says, 'Paint what you love'! How can you not love these gorgeous blooms, they are sublime!

Year Two Day Twelve - Slabtown

Dear all, 

Today we were all sent to Slabtown! Not, however,  a 'town', I discovered quickly on sailing down Grey Road 13 looking for a collection of 'houses' or maybe a church. No, Slabtown is in fact the smallest 'town' I have ever seen. From the out set, it consists of two houses and a waterfall ( albeit a beautiful waterfall), with yet another deceivingly small road sign that meant I drove straight past it and only realized when I started seeing signs for Eugenia and Kimblerly (i.e way off track). 

Slabtown is a favorite spot for artists in the area due to it's stunning scenery and vibrant variation in the landscape ( fields, river, waterfall, bridge, gardens etc etc). I had never painted 'gushing' water before and knew it was going to be a challenge but managed to rattle of a couple of pictures of a neighboring barn to build my confidence up first. 

John, as always, was a fabulous inspiration as the teacher. He is so talented and I have learnt so much from him during the week; just watching him paint is such a treat. 

 I am definitely getting more confident throughout the week; having never painted outside before and just scraping the surface with landscapes, I am starting to pick up some useful tips which are allowing me to conjur up a vaguely representative painting rather than a sea of mud. 

Here are my mini-barn paintings.. the one of the left needs some last minute tweaks but all in all, I was pretty happy with them. 

Year Two Day Eleven - Thornbury Harbour

Dear all, 

Today I met my fellow painters at the famous, Thornbury Harbor for a day of boats, reflection and fore-shortening. I was equipped once again with a large coffee and some grapes and was extremely  enthusiatic from the get go. I had a quick browse  online and found out the following salient points about the harbor and it's facilities (Is is always important to know where one can find ice during the summer months)

• 250 docks
• Maximum length: 100'
• Transient Docks
• Shore Power
• 7' Draft
• Fuel: Gas, Diesel and Pumpout

Thornbury Harbour also offers the following amenities:

• Washrooms
• Showers
• Drinking Water
• Ice

In conclusion, Thornbury harbor is glorious and we had magnificent weather which lifted every one's spirits. I was so excited to start painting and eager to absorb every echelon of information I could absorb from John in order to try and conjure up a vaguely representative painting of the lake. 

Can I just say that painting boats is frighteningly difficult! I spent 8 hours straight trying to paint the hull of a beautiful sailing boat lying innocently in the harbor but to no avail; I ended up with everything from a scoop of ice cream to a military tank. I learnt an awful lot though ( especially during the roller coaster ride of emotions the revolved around me, myself and the World at large) and am now determined to get that boat on canvas and to make it look beautiful!

There are sadly no photos of my work worthy of the blog... hopefully tomorrow I will be able to churn out something more appealing to the eye!

Year Two Day Ten - Redwing

Dear all, 

Today, day 2 of my painting class, we were told to meet in the [small] hamlet of Redwing at 8:30am. Thinking I was now a connoisseur of the rural 'back roads' [huge mistake], I set off in the morning with a vat of fresh coffee beside me, sun glasses engaged and a 'rough' idea of where I was heading. Well, turns out that the rural back roads of Georgian Bay all look exactly the same and I had absolutely no idea where I was going and got lost immediately. Fortunately, I have a good grounded sense of direction and managed to navigate myself back to base by using the Magestic Blue Mountains as my guide and once back in the safety of Thornbury, I consulted the map. Still not much use I might add... but I managed to find the class, albeit 15 minutes late. 

My class, on the other hand, was an absolute triumph. I loved it. It was 25 degrees. We were painting at a fantastic location on a farm on the hill; it was glorious. The farm was located in Redwing [**see Title] so I thought this a worthy topic for Day Ten having fought so courageously through the morning 'traffic' to find it.

I did a little Internet based research focusing on Redwing and all I could find was reference to a brand of  work boots, The Detroit Redwings (Hockey?) and 'Turdus Iliacus',  a member of the 'Thrush' family [bird, not yeast infection].  

Redwing is so small that I would have missed it had I not been stuck behind a tractor and therefore spotted a [very small] hand written sign saying 'Redwing' on the side of the road. It is gorgeous! So small and so charming and there is a hill ( i.e. drama and definition in the landscape).

Redwing was truly a fabulous muse and I excelled ( for me) today. I worked hard on various techniques very new to me: trees and perspective, and I think it paid off. 

Here is one of my paintings from today ( My sister said she loved it apart but complained that I hadn't included the port-a-loo *Fair point*)

Nothing comes for free these days and today I succumbed to a mighty dose of sunburn after forgetting(??) to put on sun cream. Darren has already picked out my outfit for tomorrow and it involves a lot of light weight fabric and a facial sheild. I look like I am wearing a permanent white T-shirt. Gaaaaa 

Thank you again John for another fabulous day of painting!