47.5

Your favourite virtue: AUTHENTICITY
Your favourite qualities in a man: THOUGHTFULNESS
Your favourite qualities in a woman: WISDOM
Your chief characteristic: HONESTY
What you appreciate the most in your friends: GRACE
Your main fault: JUDGEMENT
Your occupation: URGENTOLOGUE
Your idea of happiness: DOING THINGS AT MY OWN PACE
Your idea of misery: RUNNING OUT OF TIME
If not yourself, who would you be? RESOURCE LIBRARIAN, GURU
Where would you like to live: ON MORE LAND
Your favourite colour: PEACOCK BLUE
Your favourite flower: ANYTHING GROWING IN MY GARDEN, ESPECIALLY SURPRISES IN MY LAWN
Your favourite bird: CARDINAL
Your favourite prose authors: ELIZABETH GILBERT, ANDREW SEAN GREER
Your favourite poets:VERLAINE
Your favourite heros in fiction: TELEMACHUS
Your favourite heroines in fiction: LIZBETH SALANDER
Your favourite painters: KLIMT, MODIGLIANI, SUSANNE STRATER, CAROLINE OSTIGUY
Your favourite composers: MOZART, TCHAIKOVSKY

Other interesting questions:
Your favourite occupation (e.g. horseback riding): BLOGGING
Your favourite heroes in real life: ATUL GAWANDE
Your favourite heroines in real life: RBG
Your favourite food: LENTIL CURRY
Your favourite drink: CAPPUCCINO, APEROL SPRITZ, Cabernet Sauvignon
Your pet aversion: NARCISSISM, INSINCERITY
Your favourite names: AMALIA, ETHAN
What characters in history do you most dislike? HITLER, NAPOLEON, TRUMP
What is your present state of mind? CONTENT
For what fault have you the most tolerance? WEAKNESS
Your favourite motto: BEAUTY IS NOT OPTIONAL, YOU NEVER KNOW

PROUST'S QUESTIONNAIRE

Your favourite virtue:
Your favourite qualities in a man:
Your favourite qualities in a woman:
Your chief characteristic:
What you appreciate the most in your friends:
Your main fault:
Your occupation:
Your idea of happiness:
Your idea of misery:
If not yourself, who would you be?
Where would you like to live:
Your favourite colour:
Your favourite flower:
Your favourite bird:
Your favourite prose authors:
Your favourite poets:
Your favourite heros in fiction:
Your favourite heroines in fiction:
Your favourite painters:
Your favourite composers:

Other interesting questions:
Your favourite occupation (e.g. horseback riding):
Your favourite heroes in real life:
Your favourite heroines in real life:
Your favourite food:
Your favourite drink:
Your pet aversion:
Your favourite names:
What characters in history do you most dislike?
What is your present state of mind?
For what fault have you the most tolerance?
Your favourite motto:


This is a regular feature in The Next Chapter, a CBC radio show with Shelagh Rogers interviewing authors.

It was a questionaire filled out by Marcel Proust in 1890, in the form of a "confession album" that were more common at that time, and in his case, in English.

It is meant to be filled out on different occasions, given a sense of who you are at a certain point in time, and over time.

BOOK REPORT: LESS

Less is an exquisite read. It is meta, talking about an impossible novel with an unsympathetic protagonist while you are actively reading it. Less is a poignant story of middle age. Less is a marvel of writing wit. Less is Eat Pray Love as a gay man travelling around the world in seven stops (Mexico, Italy Germany, France, Morocco, India, Japan) instead of three (Italy, India, Bali). Less is Arthur's last name.

JULIETTE ET CHOCOLAT, VERSION ESTIVALE

Although everything here is tempting, the poster with kitchy names including POP (Aretha POPlin, ElPOP John, Ella POPgerald, Michael JacksPOP, POP Dilan, and POP McCartney)
brought us in off the street to get a decadent ice cream bar treat. Nutella ice cream and salty caramel dip for us both. It was wonderful, and with the paper plates under, no part of the pop was lost!

Nos Pops Stars

SASKATOONS

Saskatoons are my favorite berry, but I have only ever eaten them when I return to Saskatchewan. So it was amazing  that two years ago, my city was giving away bushes for free on earth day. Amelanchier alnifolia. My own Saskatoonberry bush. I have rarely met people outside of Saskatchewan that recognize the berry. I figured out, on the label of a jam jar, that the french version word is l'amélanche, but still I met no one who knew the berry. 

I sent my friend who grew up in Saskatchewan also a picture of the daily handful, and he found me a nearby possibility and a new name: Juneberry.  Juneberry Farm is on my list of things to do. Until then, every berry from my backyard is precious!

ANCIENT ARROGANT

Next time someone uses a phrase when it is intended to make you feel dumb, it might be from ancient arrogant! Sounds better than it reads. For example, tabula rasa may be from ancient Latin or it may be from ancient Arrogant!

CANADIAN CENTRE FOR ARCHITECTURE

I have driven by the CCA for the last 15 years on my way to work. The Guy exit off of the 20 passes by a sculpture garden that is associated with it, and the building from Rene Levesque is the Shaunessy House, a  National Historic Site of Canada. The architecture part of the museum was surprisingly subtle. I couldn't even find out basic information about the buildings style. This was explained by one the founder, Phyllis Lambert (daughter of Samuel Bronfman and founder of Heritage Montreal), on the museum's website, "We're not a museum that puts things out and says, 'This is architecture.' We try to make people think."

I have to be honest: I was a little disappointed not to have a little architecture, at least of the building I was in. Coming in on Baile Street where the entrance is, however, the grounds and addition from 1989 to the original Shaunessy House (built in 1874) was quite impressive.

The architecture is described in the style of the Second Empire (think Napoleon) and Montreal Greystone (I thought that was a New York term!).  The symmetrical house was formed when two semi-detached house merged into one. The East House was owned by William Van Horne, and later, owner T.G. Shaughnessy, were associated with the Canadian Pacific Railway. The west house was the guest house of Lord Strathcona (Donald Smith), who added the features I loved the most: a semi-circular conservatory and mahogany-panelled library, in 1890.  Most notably, the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York (the future King George V and Queen Mary) were guests of the Stathconas in 1901. The houses were connected by a corridor by that time. 

The roof is mansard (named after a French Baroque architect of that name) with "iron cresting pierced with tripartite dormer windows." The mansard roof slopes on all four sides of the house; a hipped gambrel roof. The conservatory is to the west, and for me was the jewel of the whole place. Although all the rooms were decorated with detail, the functional rudimentary tables where we were allowed to picnic did not give a very good impression. The conservatory, and the room adjoining were detailed, floor to ceiling, and despite the ugly modern furniture, could be. nothing short of charming. The interior is all the original decoration and finishes, and a few of those exquisite details are shown below. 

Facing "Dorchester"Street, in the cementwork of the conservatory

Iron work drainage for the thriving plants (tropical hibiscus)

Grates along the floor of the conservatory

A little sun magic

Lion motif

Is this tiger wood?

The roof looks 2D but in real life it is 3D.

The floor, in its extraordinary finery.

MCTAVISH LIBRARY ART GALLERY

Every since I got this lead from Heather Dubreuil, I have walked up the floor flights of stairs many times, only to find myself staring through the window. Finally, I arrived at a time when it was open, and here are a few pieces that spoke to me:

"Snow Fight", etching, Moe Reinblatt (1917-1979)

I love how the positive space is like a deep snowbank!

"Crow Series", mixed media, Mary Martha Guy (1936-)

It's an odd juxtaposition of emotions, with seemingly irrelevant crows.

"Restaurant Interior", Harry Mayerovitch, oil on canvas, (1910-2004)

The first time I walked by, I didn't like this. The second time I anchored on the turquoise near the centre of the painting, and then the oranges and yellows made sense, and I fell in love.

"Portrait of a Woman", oil on canvas, Herman Heimlich (1904-1986)

On so many levels, this painting is remarkable. I loved it immediately, and wished I could have painted it!

"Woman Before a Window", oil on canvas, Edwin Holgate (1892-1977)

It's always thrilling to see a work from the Group of Seven!

"Untitled", acrylic on canvas, Kevin Pee-ace (Cree and Saulteaux)

This one was chosen by Princess Pirate, who obliged me my detour from the Redpath museum, that turned out to be closed anyways. It feels like the first star of the sunset, although I am not sure if the child is placing it, or capturing it.

"Shaman Surrounded by Ancestral Spirit Totem", Norval Morrisseau (Anishinaabe 1931-2007)

A truly great artist, with an unmistakable style. Some artists I know by their body of work. Morriseau I know by his style. There is no one like him.

Map of the Night Sky - Southern Hemisphere?

This was on the floor at the entrance to the gallery, but it drew my attention for its artistic merit. With all things being Greek, we recognized a few characters, but I never could find the North Star of the Ursae Major and Minor.

BOOK REPORT: USBORNE'S GREEK MYTHS

I am starting to realize that the key to a good book report is starting to write it when you start to read. If you wait until the end, all the good ideas in the beginning are forgotten. Still, the book has to be read to its completion before it can be properly reviewed.

I pulled out this collection of Greek Myths for a perusal after watching Percy Jackson and reading the second book (when Princess Pirate was finished with it!). It was a good overview of some of the best stories, and some were so primordial: the creation of man and animals, temptation, creation of the seasons, curse of the spider and the daffodil, the feats of Hercules (not Greek: in Greek it's Heracles), the golden fleece, king Midas touch, the sun chariot, and Odysseus adventures.

Some myths overlap others so familiar: In this creation story, Epimetheus creates animals, but Zeus asks his brother Prometheus to make man. He makes them out of clay, breathing on them to bring them to life. He loves them so much that he steals fire from Zeus to give to them for warmth and cooking and is punished for hundreds of years due to his immortality. The story goes that an eagle tears out his liver every day, and every night it grows back.

How can a myth so old be so right about this organ that to this day amazes with it's regeneration power? Did they know this, before surgery was even a common thing?

Pandora's box is so much like many temptation stories - the fall of Eden as an example. It's strange that anyone would keep a box that you should never open. Just don't keep it around! The end was interesting, because since the box unleashed all sorts of evil, the last thing to fall out was hope, so that in all of it, humans would never despair.

EASY RISOTTO

Not a bad quick version, but probably 1/4 of the rice package
170g:450g 

BULGHUR AND BEAN VEGGIE BURGERS

Veggie Burgers with Tahini Mayonnaise

FOOD April 2017 p 153

1/2 cup medium grind bulgur

Cover with 1 cup boiling water. Let sit for 30 minutes.

14.5 oz pinto beans, rinsed, drained, and mashed. 

1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs

4 scallions (replaced with chives)

1 egg

salt and pepper

Combine and form into 4 patties.

Heat 3 T oil and brown, 5-8 minutes per side.

Serve on english muffins or buns. 

Try tahini mayo

1/2 c mayo

1-2 T lemon juice

1 T tahini

Whisk together and  serve on veggie patties with lettuce.

A little fragile in the pan and a little bland. Could try again with tahini mayo.

Served on a bun with 2 year aged Balderson cheddar cheese and with a green salad

A little salad with ketchup on the side

TITANS, GIANTS AND GREEK HEROS

It's all Greek to me! The Greek alphabet, constellations, architecture, Percy Jackson, Disney Princess. Everywhere I look now I see Ancient Greece. Turns out it's been there all along but I just couldn't see it.
Built from 1675-77 by Gaspard Marsy, this fountain has haunted me since I saw it May 27, 2009. The man seems in agony, buried in rock, with water spouting out of his mouth like a scream. I wondered if it was myth, and whether or not he was throwing them at something in the sky, only to be burying himself further, with a moral warning in its story. Now on a Friday night July 19, 2019, I found the story on the glorious website Chateau de Versailles under Enceladus Grove. It is the giant Enceladus, and he is a Titan, buried under the rocks of Olympus by the gods they had intended to dethrone. The grove was elaborated in 1706 by Jules Hardouin-Mansart, and restored between 1992 and 1998.

Enceldadus Fountain, Versailles

BUCKET LIST 2019

In retrospect, this list is a reminder, thanks to 2020 and over a year of COVID restrictions, to just do it, or you never know when you will get another chance!

Strawberry picking (deferred to 2020)
Putting edge (still time!)
Montagne d'argent and climbing with PP (deferred to 2020)
Hike Hautes Gorges and Grand-Jardins (deferred to 2020)
Beach at Malbaie/Ste Irenee (deferred to 2020)
Camp Mauricie (deferred to 2020)
Lincoln Lafayette (deferred indefinitely)
Hike Mount Orford (done!)
St Felicien zoo (deferred to another year)
Granby zoo (done!)
Regina/Saskatoon (done!)
Apple picking in Rougement (we ate apples in St. Bruno. almost?)
NYC Central Park, Natural hx museum (deferred)
ACEP Denver (cancelled for Halloween and budget)
Louisville inn with vegetarian menu at 100 St. Laurent, Victorian style B and B half way to QC (maybe next time)
Medieval feast/castle in TO (deferred indefinitely)
Cozumel snorkelling (deferred indefinitely)

INSIGHTS INTO PRINCESS PIRATE

Slowly but surely
I don't know means I don't want to tell you

HANDMADE GNOCCHI

I found two recipes, one from Martha in her cookbook The Original Classics p. 203 and the other from the Cake Boss Cooking Italian with the Cake Boss p. 145 (always respect an Italian cook!). Both did different things with the potatoes, but essentially 2 cups mashed potatoes (2 1/2 lbs baked Idaho potatoes in their skin  was suggested but white worked boiled) mixed with 2 cups flour (I am tempted to try basen or semolina next time) and 2 eggs (yolks were suggested by  make a dough. Knead gently until smooth. Divide into 4 and roll out. MS says 3/4 inch thick and slice 1 inch pieces. These became monster size, so I would definitely make them half the size unless you like your gnocchi enormous. I combined with stirfried chicken breast pieces and Genovese (nut free) pesto for Princess Pirates 13.5 year birthday bash, and there was no complaining. Only needed to dip into my portion to satisfy the demand for seconds, and after feeding 6, there were zero leftovers to this recipe. Except for some mashed potatoes. Which went well with corn on the cob and chicken Schnitzel. But that's for another day!

4 balls, roll into four tubes

Not quite uniform, but happy to save the plastic packaging on this occasion!

Cooked like a quick perogie! Divided and coated and combined with pesto chicken to serve!

TEEN SUMMER BIRTHDAY PARTY

I tried to feed them every two hours, but I didn't have time for the chips or candy course!
We had fruits and veggies, bococcini-strawberry brochettes, homemade gnocchi, and cake!
There was music, drawing, sprinklers, a tent, and FUN!

To Do list

Music makes the world go round!

A fan favorite and local strawberries are in season

Sprinkle cake from a box - just add water and bake in an angel food cake pan bought at a garage sale for 25 cents! Cover with chantilly cream (whipped cream sugar and a titch of vanilla), and you have a party ender that will make parents wait or join in for a piece!

ASPHALT AND CONCRETE DRIVEWAY ALTERNATIVES

In this era of climate change, concrete and asphalt driveways seems like poor options. With scarce precious resources of sand and oil, carbon emissions of concrete and environmental toxicity of oil, it's hard to know what to do with a driveway that is starting to look like it needs mowing.

This is actually an answer! There is a new type of parking pad that both drains water and requires neither. The plastic can be a recycled source, and the repetitive patterns pleasing, coming in hexagonal and round.

Alternatively, permeable pavement is an urban planning option when green options are not possible.
Locally, with some skepticism for the ecology of rubber and VOC potential, a company offers resurfacing with a surface that is nice to walk on.

GOURMET GIRL, NOT

I can clearly see why I have a handful of hits and others are making millions in the blogosphere. This is an irratically written document mostly trying to follow my thoughts and a few culinary triumphs. In reality, I rarely keep up with the dozens of interesting thoughts and facts and events that happen in a week, and rarer still present my culinary efforts, successes and failures.

Here is how it is done:

DARING GOURMET

Shanghai noodles for dinner!

HOW I DID IT:

Marinade 350 g diced tofu in:

 1/3 low sodium soy sauce

1/4 hoisin sauce

2 T sugar

1 1/2 T fresh sliced ginger.

Cook fresh thick 227g Chinese noodles. 

Heat 2 T cooking oil

Fry 4 cloves diced garlic,

a handful of chives, chopped, and

2 handfuls of fresh spinach. 

Dissolve 1 1/2 T cornstarch  in 1 cup veggie stock, and add to stirfry. Stir in 1 1/2 T sesame oil. Stir in cooked drained noodles. Serve and enjoy.

DEMETER, MY CHOSEN GODDESS FOR SUMMER ADVENTURES

WHITE WINE

I grew up without knowing the term but being a teetotaler. My parents were purists in this, so I didn't see a lot of alcohol being used reasonably. They were so cautious about the appearance that they actually declined champagne at a wedding.  I think there was a stash of sherry in the cupboard for "cooking", and although I truly think it was for cooking, I can't recall what dish it was used in. Usually, the examples I saw were in the extreme of drunkenness at parties,  with a few exceptions of beer being kept in my grandparents fridge, or drinks at a party that were enjoyed and not in excess. My first drink was in my 20s living as a nanny in France. Wine was a common adjunct to a meal, and  they probably offered me nice European wines, but I didn't get the interest. My first drink that I actually finished was a homemade almond liquor made by friends in Alsace. That led me to ordering a dessert wine in a French restaurant that they hid behind the decorations on the table, because I had foolishly ordered it to drink with dinner! My palate developed as my income increased, and I have come to love fruity robust wines made largely of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Shiraz varietals. I tend to find a wine I find affordable, that lasts with a great taste for several days, so that I can drink a glass for a few days even living alone (many fail this test so I am loyal ones that don't). But white wine and rosée are often lost on me, but in the summer that is what most people prefer. Certainly, although her standards were low in food terms, and her local restaurant tended to serve her what was convenient to the Hungarian owner more than the customer, I was always a little jealous of Kinsey Millhone's habits of a daily 3 mile run and her enjoyment of a glass of white.

Last time I had adult guests and I had already opened champagne (actually my neighbour opened it because the last time I did, I was so slow that I scared her in the process), I was gifted a white Chilean wine, which I chilled but we never opened. I wanted to share it, but after a couple of weeks of invitations to dinner were declined where I had planned to share with others, I felt like opening it for myself. It was refreshingly cold and it didn't take long for it to reach the ideal temperature on such a hot day. I took out my cheatsheet, and looked it up on the Societe des Alcool site to enjoy it to its fullest. I was looking for grass notes, but to be honest, what I smelt was the essence that permeates the air of every hairdressing place that has ever done perms. The palate was a little more akin to grass, but nothing in this wine convinced me that, years ago, when I chose a sweet wine over a dry one, I had done anything but a bright thing. I guess I'll still to iced tea and lemonade until fall comes back around!

HAPPY AS A PIG IN MUD

While I reading the second Percy Jackson adventure called Sea of Monsters in the back yard where we had set up the tent and slept in overnight, my 13 and a half year old Princess Pirate was in the front sitting on a shaded step, making mud. She had picked flowers and served me a beautiful mud pizza and dessert dotted with hydrangea blooms and fresh greenery, and I went in to make supper. She would periodically come stand in front of the window where I was working, and each time she had a little more mud. When I called her to dinner, she was covered with stocking and long nearly shoulder high gloves of mud and more than a few strands of her hair had drying mud. When your kid is a cautious 3 year old, you have to allow that risks at 13 are overdue. Although she had gone too far, literally, and had shorts to clean that will never be the same, and wasn't allowed in the house until she washed off. She made the experience fun  in the sprinkler, and had no regrets for pushing the limits on this hot summer day. A shower after dinner al fresco, and her skin is as soft as if she had been at the spa!

RECYCLING, COMPOSTING, AND GARBAGE

All recyclable

Lightly stained, the strawberry box and muffin box can be recycled. 

Paper napkin and cupcake liner can be composted

CAMPING TRIUMPHS

My storage area is not terribly small, so I was able to accommodate the spacious 4 man tent, even when it didn't get back in the bag. Tonight, with thunderstorms threatening, I was determined to figure out the instructions and get the tent back in the bag.

The trouble is, over time, if you forget how it went, there is no easy way to relearn it. So, like the genius required to build the pyramids, the pattern to return the tent, fly and poles conveniently in its orginal packing was lost. It seemed like history was about to repeat itself, following the written instructions to fold the tent to the WIDTH of the bag. But with that seemingly impossible, and the folds clearly never achieving that small size, I resorted to thinking outside the box, and OPENED the tent to the LENGTH of the bag, and the pole bag, as it turned out, folded the fly symmetrically and as close to lengthwise I could manage. With the fly in the centre of  the rectangle of the folded tent, I rolled the pole bag in, and was happily surprised (and shocked completely the doubting teenage Princess Pirate) to fit it back in perfectly to the bag.



How easy camping will be with the items so neatly stored! Princess Pirate singlehandedly managed the thermarest mattress with impressive finger strength and maintainance of the roll depleted of air. We are ready for camping this summer, even if it is just in the back yard!

 

FOOD TRUCKS AND THE LAST NIGHT OF THE JAZZ FESTIVAL

It was a nice night and the very last day of the jazz festival. I don't know how it goes so fast every year. It is a distant memory since I lived downtown and went several times in a summer. I do, though, always make a note of it, and made several attempts with different people to plan to leave the suburbs and bask in the atmosphere and music, but nothing had worked it. It was down to a day that I had to work. The weather seemed great, but given the unpredictability of the time my shift would end, I could only reach out to people after it was over. It wasn't too late, but I was a little tired, having not slept just under 7 hours the night before, and hungry. My two leads were both out of town, and I needed some exercise, so I left my car at work and walked to Place-des-Arts in search of a show and some supper. The usual steps were under construction, so the stage I had expected was absent. I couldn't here music anywhere, but I walked along Ste-Catherines where several food trucks were parked. It was a tough choice, with very little to indicate the food items or how they were served. It's become obvious to me that single serve plastic is as maddening as the idea of farmed foods, so I walked up and down several times hoping to choose something tasty, vegetarian, reasonably priced with minimal garbage. I googled a place that looked plant based, but they had pictures of the van and the guys in it, but not one of their menu or any review of the food. No one was leaving with a serving I could ask about, so after loitering for a few minutes, I returned to a taco truck that I had seen before and had a line up with small paper dishes that would be guilt free garbage. 

Grumman 78 is the name of the truck, and has a unique history in being Montreal's first taco truck. Not so many years ago, food trucks were banned in Montreal. If I not mistaken, the year that changed, my foodie brother visited and we crossed a green knoll adjacent to Place-Des-Arts to feed his fix.  Fast forward 8 years later, I was eating from the same truck, and now the need for lobbying their existence is gone, and the truck has led to a brick and mortar restaurant it was supposed to compete with, and food trucks seem here to stay.  The choices on the board were explained by a bilingual friendly guy, and the rice and beans appealed but required a fork. I settled on a flavour I have had little experience with, and the $8 taco looked small, but ended up hitting the spot. On a warm corn tortilla lay a bed of rice and beans, covered in a generous layer of mildly spicy jerk pulled chicken. The cilantro and sour cream and lime made the dish sublime, and I ate it sitting by the fountain where both children and adult both played in the spray, and amazingly no one fell in spite of running on the slippery stone. 

After feeling a lot better with a full stomach and the transfer of joyous energy, I went in search of what was missing: music! As I made my way up towards President Kennedy, through the play space I have loved well over the years for Princess Pirate, I felt nostalgic passing by the percussion studio and the mango flower stand, but by then I was starting to hear music! Samantha Martin and Delta Sugar were just starting their show, and I found a low stone wall to sit on since the grass was damp. She was dynamic, and her voice a little gravelly. She had the stage filled with her band, and was flanked by two singers, all of whom had great energy that transmitted to the crowd. As the day cooled, and the sun began to set, this music set was just the energy and vibe I was hoping for, on the last night of the jazz festival.

Grumman 78 Jerk Chicken Taco

FUNNY MOMENTS AT THE POOL

I was talking to a mom, and it was a pretty serious conversation. She kept trying to get her 11 year old son not to hear, so she asked him to go somewhere (and indicated somewhere out of earshot where his brother was) for two minutes. He came back and what he did next made me laugh! He approached us and turned his wrist to look at it. BUT HE DIDN'T WEAR A WATCH! I asked, did you just pretend you were looking at a watch to get you mom to stop talking. Yes, he admitted! Kids really are like little adults!

I was swimming laps and taking frequent breaks at master's swim practice. A bug I had seen before was on the edge, about to fall in. I remember reading that it was Quebec's largest beetle, so I thought I'd rescue it. Unfortunately he didn't need rescuing, and he was a water bug. As I looked for something for him to climb on, he jumped on me and buried himself quickly in the bosom of my swimsuit! I jumped back and screamed, and had to later apologize to my teammate for potentially showing too much of my cleavage in a wild attempt to get the bug out of my swimsuit, that was designed more for hiding flaws than aerodynamics, so there was a concerning amount of material he could hide in! Later, after I could not see him, I tried to swim again, but I ended up wondering if he was still burrowing in, so I soon jumped out and stripped in the bathroom cabinet to make sure. I looked it up afterwards. It is called a Giant Water Bug, and you are not encouraged to touch it, as apparently it can bite. Luckily he saw me as a means to rescue and not a threat! I still look for him when I swim in the deep end of the pool!

LIBRARY BROWSING:TRIPLE THREATS TO THE NATIONAL ROCKY MOUNTAIN PARK

One of the bonuses of a lift pass at Sun Valley was a guided tour of the mountain. What was clear to the mountain guide, and reiterated by my ski buddy, was that the forest had more and more dead conifers, and this was mostly due to the introduction of the Japanese beetle. Here was another Rocky Mountain area with similar threats, more elicitedly explained. 

LIBRARY BROWSING: IMMIGRANTS AND THEIR ECONOMIC VALUE IN THE USA

This is from National Geographic. The circles are the top 100 US companies. The coloured circles are those founded by an immigrant or their first born children. The colours correspond to eras. I thought the graphic was fascinating. I wish more of my learning was based on such incredible visual art!

MISTAKES ARE HARD TO MAKE

It was a hot sunny day and we were just leaving the market at Ste. Anne's by the boardwalk. There was a nice shady place to sit on giant stones by a water fountain, so we sat after getting a drink. We saw a colourful tiny spider and I was instructed to take a picture. In an attempt to give scale, Princess Pirate put her finger in the shot, but did not properly judge the distance, and accidentally killed the spider where it had moved. It was a devastating act, with a severe reaction from the teen ego. Some lessons are harder to learn than others. 

One sad teen

BELARUS

I have met two people from Belarus in recent memory, and they were both interesting people. Like a Georgian man with a Russian accent, each were surprised when I could locate their country without instruction, much like in Canada we travel and say we are from Canada, because confusion often arises if we introduce ourselves by province, territory, or worse, city or town. But location aside, I don't know much about Belarusa. Minsk, its capital, is known to me from a longtime possession of a riddle book titled, The Chicken From Minsk.

So this weekend, in meeting a tourist from Belarus I asked her the highlights of her country. I was reminded that it was ruled by a despot, which did not seem surprising given that Alexander Lukashenko has ruled for an impressive 25 years. There are two national languages, Russian and Belarusian. As I expected, the country reached independence soon after the fall of the iron curtain, declaring itself sovereign July 27 1990. What I had not expected though, was the image of wild bison roaming in an ancient forest, but this was what she told me.

Here is an article I found that confirms that Belarus, whose national animal is a bison, still has a forest with wild bison roaming free. In fact, like North American bison, the European bison was hunted to near extinction, but in the 1930s, a few were introduced into a forest preserve from those bred in captivity. After years of seeing and imaging bison roaming the prairies, the forest bison puzzled me so much as to cast doubt in my teller's English vocabulary. Anastasia, you had the correct animal. There are indeed bison in your forests!