Fishing at Jacko Lake

Looking back at these photos, it's hard to believe that this was not even a month ago.  Today my garden is a snowy winter wonderland.  This is a beautiful place to live, regardless of the season, but I especially like our autumns.  Because of the rain-shadow effect, we receive the least amount of precipitation in our province, so our fall months are overwhelmingly crisp, clear, and sunny.  Gold and blue are the dominant colours of the landscape.

This was a terrible year for fishing.  I'm not sure how everyone else did, but we caught absolutely nothing this time. There were a few factors working against us, the main one being that we don't have a boat, or fly fishing equipment.  Another is that it's trickier now that we need to schedule a babysitter to make it happen.  We used to take Little Forager along in a carrier, but now he's too wiggly and isn't content if he can't be out exploring.  When he's older we can take him and teach him how it all works, but for now it's just much easier if we go by ourselves.  Still another thing - more specific to this summer alone - was the oppressive smoke from what was British Columbia's worst ever season of wildfires.  

I knew the beautiful weather was coming to an end, and so I enlisted a friend to watch Little Forager so Mr. Forager and I could head out to Jacko Lake for a few hours one afternoon.  I'm so glad I did because I'm fairly certain that this was the last warm sunny weekend of the year!  Like I said, now everything is frozen, and likely to remain that way for a while!  It's possible we might have another warm spell, but I'm not holding my breath at this point.

Still no fish for us, but it was so nice to spend a few hours alone with my husband.  Fishing is so relaxing.  This spot at Jacko was a perfect place to relax in the sun even if it was a little disappointing not to be bringing home any trout for dinner.

Jacko Lake is in the centre of a big controversy at the moment, because the land is held by a local mining corporation, but is also thought to be a culturally significant site for the Tk'emlups and Skeetchestn Indian Bands.  In the Secwepemc language the area around the lake is called Pipsell, and is thought to be where the legend called The Trout Children took place (see the link at the bottom of this page if you want to read the legend).  

I love this place, and personally it is hard for me to imagine it disappearing from public access because of the proposed nearby open pit mine.  I'm not very well versed on the politics of the situation, but I would certainly grieve the loss.

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For more information:

The Epic Tale that is Jacko Lake

What Exactly is Jacko Lake?

Secwepemc Stsptekwll "The Trout Children" 

MakeShift Workshop: Himmeli

Something rather special has moved into my neighbourhood, and I really want to tell you all about it. For the past several months MakeShift (Brianne Sheppard and Calli Duncan) has been running these incredible DIY workshops.  Topics range from weaving to terrariums.  They have created a beautiful space in the Dallas neighbourhood of Kamloops where they run their workshops and events which is also available for private rentals.

When they offered their himmeli workshop I was so excited because it finally worked out in my schedule to attend.  Closer to the date however I realized I wasn't going to have childcare that evening, but I needn't have worried.  Brianne and Calli were totally happy to have me bring Little Forager and a play pen, and even helped entertain him when he started getting upset about not being part of the crafting action!  There he is below trying to see what we are all making, and also playing with some cups and someone's keys.

Himmeli are traditional Finnish ornaments that are usually associated with Christmas.  They were originally made of straw from the previous year's harvest.  Legend has it that the larger and more ornate the himmeli the better the following year's harvest would be.  Our himmeli were made from more modern material - in this case thin copper and brass pipe with wire to hold it all together.  Another more modern feature was the air plant that sits perfectly in the geometric ornaments.  These himmeli look beautiful hanging or just sitting pretty on a shelf or table.

If you are local I highly recommend making it out to a workshop if you can!  Check out their website and sign up for their mailing list to be the first to find out about upcoming workshops and events!  Tickets tend to go quickly, so sign up early if you see something you want to be a part of!

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This review was not sponsored by MakeShift.

Local Fun in the Spring

My last post was all about our adventures traveling around what I like to call the "bottom left" of BC.  This time I wanted to update you all on some of the local fun we managed to squeeze in between all the road trips.  This first one came about because Little Forager is in love with all the chickens and other farm animals we watch almost every day in the Instagram Stories of the farmer and homesteader accounts I follow.  As soon as he sees chickens (or any largish bird, actually) he starts crowing like a rooster, and when he notices a cow he'll be mooing nonstop for at least the next five minutes straight.  Five minutes might not seem very long, but you appreciate the full length of the time when the background music is a toddler mooing.  Clearly this kid needed to visit a farm in real life, so we were grateful that our friends were more than happy to have us come visit.

I'm happy to report that he enjoyed seeing the animals as much in real life as he does in Instagram.  I also have to say that we are so lucky in our friends.  These are the same that we bought our pork from.  It's a pretty small operation they are running almost as a hobby while they both work other jobs, so there isn't a website or anything I can point you to, but if you are local and interested let me know and I can pass some information along.  When we got there - lucky again - we found out that a calf had just been born that morning, and while the mother cow was occupied with eating they took us up to see it.  They had also delayed collection the eggs so that Little Forager could have a crack at it (no literal cracks were had - he was actually a very careful egg collector).

One of the other fun things we got to experience was the Easter festival at our Church.  This was the first year we put it on, and it was a lot of fun.  The bean bag toss was a big hit with Little Forager. 

The Collective is a relatively new space in our neighbourhood that houses some photography operations, MakeShift, and is also available for private rentals.  A while back they put on a pop-up shop event with lots of local vendors, as well as offering a "DIY succulent bar" where visitors could pick a container and pot it up with succulents of their choosing.

I was so glad that I had time to visit and make up a little planter of my own.  They supplied really beautiful, unique containers, and the quality supplies and posted instructions made the process basically foolproof.  

MakeShift is something really special, and I will be posting on Monday about one of the workshops I attended there.  Please come back and read all about it and - better yet - sign up to attend one of the many workshops yourself!

Being that we live on the outskirts where the properties slowly start turning into bigger and bigger ranches, there aren't very many local businesses around.  Those that are here are quite special, and another local gem is The Pond Country Market.

This place is one part garden centre, one part antique store, one part unique gift shop, one part restaurant, and all of these parts come together to in a place that is beautiful enough to be - and in fact has been - a wedding venue.

I am always so happy when we have a reason to stop here.  The staff are friendly and knowledgeable, the food is delicious, and the atmosphere is beautiful and easy to let Little Forager stretch his legs (under supervision) and explore.

A couple other things our town boasts is amazing pizza and breathtaking fishing spots.  Both of these photos were from this past (incredible) Mother's Day.

I've got lots more waiting in the queue to write about, but until next time I'll leave you with this insanely cute photo of Little Forager chasing bubbles!

Kamloops Farmers' Market Vendor Spotlight: Berry Sweet Garden, Farm Gate Market, and Laughing Swan Farm

If you know me, you know I love the Kamloops farmers' market.  Every Saturday feels like a little holiday.  We head downtown, pick up the freshest, most beautiful produce you've ever seen and then spend some time walking around downtown either shopping Victoria Street or walking in Riverside Park.  Over the past two years since moving here we have gravitated to a few different vendors at the market and I wanted to introduce them to you. 

Three vendors graciously agreed to answer a few questions for me this time, and I am hoping for a chance to interview a few more before the season is over.  I thought I had come up with some pretty boring - albiet open ended - questions, but I was really surprised by the variety of answers I received.  These three are special to us - we make sure to stop by every time we are at the market - and the more we talked the more I realized why we keep coming back.

Emma Molina - Berry Sweet Garden

berries, eggs, assorted vegetables, dry beans

What is your favourite thing to grow?

Berries.  Raspberries and strawberries.  I like growing them because they are unique.  They are special and delicate.  Not everyone can grow them.

Why did you decide to farm?

We have a passion for growing.  My husband likes to grow, and I like to sell.  Harvesting is so wonderful - it is so amazing to plant and then later to pull up a potato.  It is such a great process, to grow.

Why are markets like this so important?

We are able to sell to local people, and then the local people get the freshest stuff.  This way the money also stays in the community.

Mike Bayley - Farm Gate Market

assorted vegetables, strawberries into October

What is your favourite thing to grow?

I am an experimenter.  I love challenges and learning things.  I love to push the envelope to see what I can grow.  We'll have strawberries here at the market until October.  I've tried ginger root, sweet potatoes, and peanuts - all will grow here but it takes work.  I tried sugar cane, but that didn't work.  Light isn't an issue here.  In Kamloops we have the same amount of light in the spring as the equator but the problem is heat.  For me the growing year starts in February and I have things growing year round. 

Why did you decide to farm?

I've been gardening since I was 12 years old.  I have an attachment to nature - you have to pay attention.  I love the wild, but I love to be able to participate.  Generating abundant food is a wonderful gift but you have to be aware - we're not the master.  We think we are too smart and sometimes we mess it up.  I am very interested in permaculture and housing.  There should be a smoother blend, a transition into nature.  Humans shouldn't stand separate from nature - we are a part of it!

Why are markets like this so important?

Local food.  The structure of industrialized food is incredible, but the distance from people is a problem.  The focus on cheapness causes the consumer to suffer.  Health is integrated into that as well, and if you don't have health what do you have?

Shirley and Ken Wells - Laughing Swan Farm

tomatoes, garlic, mushrooms, shrubs, perennials, ornamental grasses, seeds

What is your favourite thing to grow?

Tomatoes!  We have 110 varieties.  My favourite are the black tomatoes.  They are rich and complicated.  The way some people feel about wines is how I feel about tomatoes (Shirley).  Afghan Rumi is a favourite as well as Purple Calabash.  I like the orange and red ones (Ken).

Why did you decide to farm?

My family have always been farmers.  Where my family comes from - the Black Sea - if you didn't save your seed you didn't eat.  Knowing what you are eating and that it is fresh is important so you are not held hostage by the grocery store.  I like to say 'There is nothing more local than growing your own, and the second best is the Farmers' Market'!

Why are markets like this so important?

One on one connection with the consumers, and the potential for education.  It's all about teaching people.  When they come here sometimes they get a botany lesson.  My goal is to change peoples' lives and to inspire them.

Canada Day Long Weekend

We kicked off our weekend in my family's traditional style with a big pancake brunch.  With my mom's special recipe; homemade rhubarb curd and candied pecans; Tree Island yogurt; and fresh local eggs, bacon, and cherries it certainly was a feast!

I believe these are rainier cherries, but they are redder than most I have seen, and tastier too.  I think they must pick them earlier for commercial sale.  Maybe they do this with most cherries, but on the rainiers the difference is really pronounced.  One time in Lake Chelan I bought this type of cherry from an orchard and they were also this colour.  The taste difference is enormous and if they are allowed to get to this point I think these cherries are some of the best for fresh eating!

Last year I had access to a huge amount of free rhubarb from a friend, and I made all kinds of different things with it.  One of my favourites was a rhubarb curd and I still have a couple jars in the freezer.  Obviously it is not at its peak flavour anymore, but it is still so delicious!

Little Forager enjoyed hanging out on the grass in the park and trying his first taste of watermelon.  Despite his rather thoughtful expression he really enjoyed it!

After brunch we headed down to Riverside Park for the Canada Day festivities.  I was so excited to see that the Korean Church had their booth set up since their bulgogi beef is really delicious!  To me Canada Day is all about everyone sharing our different heritage and culture, and celebrating how a nation of immigrants and indigenous people can come together as one nation.

There was a lot of different international food on offer as well as "Canadian Food".  Mr. Forager finally had the Chinese food he has been craving for months!  (I'm not sure why it took this long, but for some reason we haven't tried any of the Chinese restaurants since moving here!)

Since we have been working through about 60lbs of local cherries, I made an attempt at making some naturally fermented cherry soda, and it worked!  Since it was red and bubbly it seemed like a fitting festive drink for the evening before we headed out to watch the fireworks.

The next day was a great family day where we shopped at the farmers' market, and had our breakfast at PDK Cafe.  This place is named with one initial from each of the owner's children, and they make some of the best doughnuts around!

Then it was off to Lac le Jeune for some BBQ, fishing, swimming, football, and fun!

We hope you all had a great weekend as well and a happy Canada Day!