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Anne's blog
Winter on Bowen Island
Winter here is not nearly as exciting as in places where there is snow and people can ski or where it is cold enough that you can skate. Here, in the rain forest of the north-west, winter has many shades of grey and brown, but you can also find greens in the sword ferns, the moss and the little ferns all the way up maple trees. And then, when the sun comes out, the colours come back and we leave our houses to catch some sun rays and stand at the beach, watching the whitecaps on the water.
Solar Cooking
Our local community school has a solar cooker which we used this year with Andrea McKay's grade 4 class to make apple sauce with local apples. Kids cored and chopped apples, we added some honey and cinnamon, and, despite the late October sun, the heat was sufficient to cook the apples to the consistency of apple pie, which was even better than apple sauce. Just as the recipe said, it was delicious. Kids asked for seconds and thirds.
In our climate, solar cooking is hardly possible in the cooler season, but it can work from spring to fall, provided you have the patience to find a sunny spot and wait for the sun to do its job.
Mushroom in the City
Renate spotted this striking mushroom growing next to a hedge outside MacDonald School at Hastings and Victoria in Vancouver. I don't know much about mushrooms, but this one looks like the deadly "Fliegenpilz".
Exploring Vancouver by bicycle
I've been taking my bicycle to town frequently. Buses or sky train transport me and my bike along the winding and narrow Marine Drive in West Vancouver and the busy stretches in Vancouver. That leaves me enough energy to cross Lions Gate Bridge, ride along the seawall of Stanley Park and enjoy the bike streets and lanes in and around Vancouver. I always stop at the top of Lions Gate Bridge to catch my breath and enjoy the view. On the way home, I take the bus all the way to Horseshoe Bay.
Red and White Currant Picking
Recently I've picked 50 lbs. of red and white currants for making jelly, cakes and juice. Berries were plentiful and the picking was great, thanks to our little scout who found the best spots. I wanted to go back and pick more, but there are still vats of berries staring at me when I open the fridge. When I ran out of sugar and jars yesterday I had to make a special trip to town so I could continue. While they are still fresh, I add them to crepes and salads. No, I won't go back to pick more until next year, especially with plums from the Okanagan coming next week.