I was working on my canoe outside, when I noticed a large shadow cast over me and disappear into the nearby gum tree. This curious visitor wanted to see what I was doing.
Photo taken with sony a6000 and sigma 100-400 mm lens
Author: John
Originally born in North York, Ontario. I now live in Virginia. I post stories mostly about canoeing, expeditions, camping and life in the RVA.
Earth Day Weekend in the Blue Ridge Mountains
When I think of spring in Virginia, I envision the Blue Ridge Mountains. The beautiful pallet of light greens that paints the waking forest after a long winter slumber makes the sunlight radiate even brighter. The clear skies, are once again open to busy birds going to and fro, getting ready for the season. The sound of the rivers and creeks in the mountains as they flow and meander through an endless course, feeding life along the way. It is a special time.
I can’t believe it has already been one year since our last Earth Day weekend get-away. Last year in 2024, we spent it the Allegheny Highlands canoe camping at Lake Moomaw.
This year, we took a slightly slower pace, with a cabin just west of Charlottesville. The mornings were certainly still chilly at around 35F, but the days quickly warmed in the radiant sunlight. Everything was waking up and it was special to experience this time of year.
I wish everyone good health and a happy spring.
Shot on sony a6700 with Tamron 17-28mm lens
Happy Spring Equinox: Gardening with Kids (inspired by the book: the Gardener. By Sarah Stewart)
Spring is always such an inspiring time of the year for me. The bright sunshine and longer days never fails to evoke in me a feeling of rejuvenation and excitement for what is time to come in the next months. So last Spring we started a garden on the deck.
One of my daughter’s favorite books of all time has got to be “The Gardener” By Sarah Stewart, Illustrated by David Small. The story takes place during the Great Depression and centers around a young girl with a passion for gardening. Her parents’ strained financial situation forces her to go live with her uncle in New York City until they achieve some stability. In the busy and sterile, concrete jungle of New York city, she finds a way to bring gardening to her uncle’s apartment building. He shares her love of gardening to her uncle and the customers to his bakery. The story is presented as a series of letters written home from our protagonist, over the course of a year. It is a beautiful and heartwarming story and the illustrations are stunning.
Feeling inspired, my kids wanted to start a garden on the deck of our house. So in March, we began researching, planting seeds, flowers, trees and started our own little garden. Everyday brought new discoveries for the children. There was always something that was sprouting, new colors to see, new scents to take in and something tasty to try. All of this continued into the fall!
Overall, it was a memorable and fun experience for them. Happy Spring everyone. Go outside and plant something.
Winter hike (short video)
When things get busy, stressful and hectic…..go for a hike. This was footage from one year ago, we did a short loop hike in Lake Anna State Park on a mild winter day.
Filmed on Sony a6700
Baking Bannock (winter holiday version)
Bannock is a popular food item for us to make on canoe and camping trips. It is a simple, warm and tasty bread that can be easily baked over an open fire / oven. From the recipes of the First Nations people to the Scottish, there are innumerable ways to prepare bannock. Some involve leavening agents and some don’t. Some people bake it and others fry it. Over the years, I’ve learned to keep it simple, light and fluffy.
Over the winter season of 2025, Richmond, Virginia received snowfall on January 5-6 (approx 3 inches) and then subsequently January 10-11 (another 3 inches), we decided to was the perfect chance to make some winter holiday bannock (with cranberries). The kids did not mind the extended holiday break. Let’s get started.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups of all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1/4 cup of pecans
- 1/2 cup of fresh cranberries
- 2 teaspoons of brown sugar
- oil
- 1 cup of milk (can also use dry milk powder and water as a replacement)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Dry mix the flour, baking powder, pecans and brown sugar
- pour in the cup of milk and add the cranberries
- gently mix all of it together to disperse the milk evenly. (You don’t want to over mix it because this will punch out all of the gas)
- If you’re cooking with an oven, oil the cast iron skillet and get the oven temp to 350F. Place the contents into the skillet and bake until ready (usually approx 25min to 30min)
- If you’re cooking over an open fire, keep your skillet facing the fire, you can usually use a stick to prop it up. Based on the weather conditions, it will be done when it’s ready, the surface will become slightly brown and hardened.
- FINISHED
ENJOY
Enjoy! Hope everyone stays safe and healthy this winter!
Outdoor baking tip: (consider a reflector oven!)
If you spend a reasonable amount of time baking outdoors, you could consider getting a reflector oven. The reflector allows for a more even heat distribution and easier to control temperatures than an open fire. Svante Freden of Sweden, makes an excellent, lightweight, aluminum reflector oven for baking in the outdoors. https://www.canadianoutdoorequipment.com/reflector-oven-by-svante-freden.html?srsltid=AfmBOoqjuGjAky6FZN4tMEjufelaGKQlVISv6CPWfuRRWCOc3bn41gn-
Over the years, we’ve gotten alot of use out of our reflector oven from Svante Freden.
Merry Christmas
Wishing everyone, a beautiful, safe, healthy and happy Christmas. Merry Christmas to all!
Building a Wooden Key Rack
Tis the season to get organized. After countless searches around the house for our keys, ID badges and wallets, it was time to put an end to the madness. We needed a key rack.
I did a quick search online for ones to purchase and I was just never thrilled about the look of any of them. A while ago, I purchased a board of english brown oak that I was originally going to use for some shelves but ultimately felt that it didn’t quite fit the dimensions of what I wanted for the job……. it would make a perfect key rack though.
Originally I was planning on buying some brass hooks to insert into the wooden key rack, but ended up findings this gold plated one on amazon and felt like it would go well with a wooden base.
English Brown Oak is interesting. It’s actually not a different species of oak at all. It is a species of white oak, that succumbed to a certain type of mushroom species. While dying, the mushroom produces an acid, which turns the wood into a milk chocolate to dark brown color.
After giving the board a quick run through the planer, I cut the pieces down to size. I knew that I would want a small compartment on this board to keep mail and knick knacks. I was fortunate enough to purchase this old school Delta planer for only $300 on Facebook marketplace. It is built like a tank, and weighs a ton, but has been reliable so far. This little beast is 1hp and as a result requires a 220V outlet. After carefully researching online, I found the appropriate extension cords to run it from the garage to the driveway so all of the shavings could be brushed into the forest.
Using a router, created a slot for the mail compartment. I also used the router and chisel to create the insert for my metal hardware.
I also used the router to chamfer the edges. This was absolute necessary to prevent the wood from chipping and cracking in the future. This wood was already quite dry and brittle, so chamfering would prevent it from splitting or cracking if it gets dinged on the edge.
On the back of the key rack, I decided to use key hole shelf brackets. These would be more than sufficient to support the weight of the rack and everything it would hold. I used a portable drill press and a Forstner bit to drill out the holes for the keyhole inserts. They slotted nicely. I predrilled the holes to make sure the wood would not split.
The Milescraft drill mate is an incredibly useful little tool. I haven’t been able to justify the space for a drill press in my workshop, and the miles craft drill mate makes me glad that I never got one. It is portable, easy to use and allows me to drill perpendicular anywhere. Definitely check it out if you’re considering purchasing a drill press.
After gluing everything up, I gave the key rack a nice coat of danish oil and bees wax. Oak is quite porous so this drastically changed the color of the whole project to a nice deep rich chocolate color.
Overall, I was really happy with how the project ended up. No more searching for keys and wallets!
Happy Winter Solstice and Happy Holidays everyone! Stay safe, Be Healthy, and enjoy your time.
Paddle for the North – (Documentary)
I hope everyone is having a safe and happy holiday season. Things can be especially busy and hectic this time of year so don’t forget to take some chill time, relax, go outside, or watch a canoe documentary. I found this one recently online and it’s pretty awesome. This one features 6 friends who spend 2 months in the Yukon and Peel watershed. Happy Holidays everyone.
“This documentary is a captivating documentary chronicling the 1,500-kilometer, two-month canoeing expedition of six adventurers through the pristine wilderness of Canada’s Yukon and Peel Watershed. This thrilling journey traverses six rivers in three canoes, capturing not only breathtaking landscapes but also the profound cultural and ecological significance of the area. A chance encounter with a First Nations family transforms their adventure into a mission to spotlight the urgent need to protect this fragile and unique ecosystem from industrial development. The film blends the grit of exploration with a heartfelt environmental message, showcasing the resilience of nature and the enduring traditions of those who call the North home.”
Fall time 2024 – Robious Landing and Joseph Bryan Park
The temperatures are finally starting to get cooler. We took the opportunity to get out and check out the local scenery at Joseph Bryan Park and Robious Landing.
Wishing you all, a safe, healthy and peaceful fall time.
