All posts by Jane Chambers Evans

Plants & Flowers

Drying herbs – a first for us

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Tom and Heather are here for 2 weeks working on their house so Heather and I raided her herb garden and my pot of herbs (given to me by Sheila) and decided to try to dry them and continue to use them over the winter.

We had chives, parsley (2 types – curly and flat leafed), oregano, mint (way too much mint!!!), two types of sage(regular and pineapple) and thyme. We used the oven drying method and laid the herbs in a single layer on cookie trays and put them into a 170 degree oven for 1-2 hours. In the end we had enough dried herbs for each of us to last the whole winter at least. They smell great which tells me that lots of my current herbs may just be really, really out of date. The parsley even retained its nice green colour.  Heather has so much mint that we did two methods and dried some in the oven and then each of us hung a bunch to dry naturally. We hung the bunches Tuesday and mine is just dried now.  I have no idea what I will do with all the mint but obviously time to look at making mint sauce and buying some lamb to go with it!!

Freshly picked ready to go
Freshly picked ready to go
Readied for the oven
Readied for the oven

 

Hikes

Nov 2 L’Anse à la Barque

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Not really wanting to make you all jealous but,  in fact, we walked in to L’Anse à la Barque today. What a beautiful site. A friend, Karen Egan was here with us so we walked in for hot chocolate on the rocks. What a treat.  Yesterday was Nov. 1st and we saw a minke rolling in the bay and two seals as we walked the bay and on Adele’s beach. We haven’t seen many whales lately so it was nice to see one.  It was -1 this morning but that is the first that it has been below zero.

Enjoy a spot that I know so many of us love.

Starting across the bridge across the lake
Starting across the bridge across the lake
Path along the lake
Path along the lake
View from the look out
View from the look out
Ella watching the birds
Ella watching the birds
The bay of L'Anse à la Barque
The bay of L’Anse à la Barque
Ella and Shannon swimming in the very cold water - crazy
Ella and Shannon swimming in the very cold water – crazy
Ella keeping watch
Ella keeping watch
Hot chocolate on the rocks
Hot chocolate on the rocks
Shannon daring the birds to come closer
Shannon daring the birds to come closer
Random thoughts about what we are doing

An unbelieveable Hallowe’en in Tadoussac

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What a great day today. Crisp and cold and lots of very creepy people about.

First there was the village itself.  Lots of fun decorations at the hotel, at Cotés and  on the boardwalk. I have put pics below.

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using up dead sheets!!
using up dead sheets!!
Serious grave work
Serious grave work
either too much to drink of a dead zombie
either too much to drink or a dead zombie
I think he has a CAT head!!
I think he has a CAT head!!
Great fantom of the hotel.
Great phantom of the hotel.
The door of hte hotel
The door of the hotel
Right side guard of the hotel door
Right side guard of the hotel door
Left hand guard
Left hand guard

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the gazebo just in front of hte Gibard
the gazebo just in front of the Gibard
Four characters prepared and put up by the students of the primary School
Four characters prepared and put up by the students of the primary School
The black spider moved its head just as i took theh picutre and scared me to death!
The black spider moved its head just as i took the picture and scared me to death!

 

Truly the most amazing thing was that on Wednesday the Principal of the school called to say that there would be a lot of action near of us and hoped that would be ok. What an amazing community event. A group of teachers and parents created a haunted forest on one of the cross country trails right near us. It took 2 days to construct and was superb. Today, Hallowe,en, the primary school from Tadoussac and the one in Sacre Coeur had all their students come in costume with teachers and parents also in costume and they went through the haunted forest in groups of 3-4 kids and one adult. About 200 kids in total.  All the bigger kids went first (4-6 grade) and then they significantly altered the level of “trying to scare the crap out of the kids”  for the grades 1-3 kids.  Totally awesome. I have put here a whole series of pictures of the kids and teachers in their creative costumes.

 

Witch who created all the kids and they had to get a candy out of her cauldron before she caught their fingers in the pot
Witch who greeted all the kids and they had to get a candy out of her cauldron before she caught their fingers in the pot
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Teachers getting their directions prior to the event
Sacre Coeur gang
Sacre Coeur gang

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Teacher as witch
Teacher as witch
i would have loved to have had a pirate as a teacher
i would have loved to have had a pirate as a teacher
Sara Brisson from the bank as a lion tamer. Needless to say the "lion" was a big hit.
Sara Brisson from the bank as a lion tamer. Needless to say the “lion” was a big hit.
So in character as a goth type witch that people were walking around her
So in character as a goth type witch that people were walking around her
2 parents
2 parents

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I went through the haunted forest with one of the groups and it was amazing and I was as spooked as the kids. I wish I had had the skill to video the event but no not in the cards so here is a photo sequence of what I came across in the forest.

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An hour after the event I walked the trail with the dogs and not a single trace of the event existed. The kids were totally in to this event and had such a great time.

What I really loved was that all the kids and teachers and parents knew each other. This is the type of rural world where I grew up. Very, very secure when you are a kid and a pain in the butt when you are a teenager!!

Happy Hallowe’en to all of you.

Boats

How to pull out your engine – again

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Taking an inboard engine out of a boat is supposed to be a rare event but this is becoming annual.  The only good thing about that is we’re getting good at it.   The motor weighs about 160 lbs and my back is not even close to being up for that.  Simple mechanics (simple enough even for me) saved the day.  Fortunately it is light enough to slide sideways on the horizontal quite easily.

The engine is lose and pulled forward...
The engine is loose and pulled forward…
...so that the chain hoist from a saw horse on the cabin top...
…so that the chain hoist from a saw horse on the cabin top…
...can get at it and hoist.
…can get at it and hoist.
Up at deck level it is placed on a plank that extends...
Up at deck level it is placed on a plank that extends…
...out to a scaffolding that is standing in the trailer beside the boat.
…out to a scaffolding that is standing in the trailer beside the boat.
Once on the scaffolding...
Once on the scaffolding…
...it's the principle of the inclined plane...
…it’s the principle of the inclined plane…
...going from one end of the scaffolding to the other, one step down each time.
…going from one end of the scaffolding to the other, one step down each time.
And then we're there!
And then we’re there!

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And if it doesn’t run any better next spring it can look forward to a new career as the number one anchor!

Random thoughts about what we are doing

Oct 28th Just returned home after 10 days on the road

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We have realized that we are country people! It has happened very quickly. We had a crazy 10 days in Tewkesbury,  Montreal,  Renfrew, Peterborough and Montreal again seeing family and friends and buying pocket doors!!. It was really fun but we were really glad to get home as well. I guess that is the best of all worlds.

What we did realize is that they are calling for snow here for the Friday night  – just a dusting – same as in Montreal, but Monday morning we said we are not yet ready so we have had a busy couple of days trying to get the rest of the wood stacked, composting around all the bushes, getting the furniture put away and finding our winter boots.

Alan has been working on the basement and we figure we will be done in a month – so let us know when you want to come.

So many people ask us “do you feel like you are retired?” I think we are starting to. We have been talking about the fact that it is not always easy to figure out what the day to day will look like.  We have about a million things that we want to get done but sometimes it is not so easy to accomplish things when you are used to have such amazingly structured lives.  I am really glad that I am no longer living that crazy life but I need to figure out how to get things accomplished now without the structure.

So we are creating some new structures – start the day with yoga, walk, breakfast and at least finish the day with long walk, drink and dinner. Pretty nice life- I recommend it.

Some road trip pictures:

Eddie up and at it early in the am.
Eddie up and at it early in the am.
Hide and seek
Hide and seek
A lovely dins to celebrate Susie
A lovely dins to celebrate Susie
Susie's birthday cake
Susie’s birthday cake
Eddie's 2nd birthday - the cake was 'Hulk' green and Spiderman was the hero of the day.
Eddie’s 2nd birthday – the cake was ‘Hulk’ green and Spiderman was the hero of the day.

These last pictures we have taken the last two days when the sun actually shone!!  Enjoy

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Mr Hovington's new Hot tub gazebo!
Mr Hovington’s new Hot tub gazebo!
My tree is finally leaf less
My tree is finally leaf less
All the leaves are now gone and now we are actually seeing these beautiful trees
All the leaves are now gone and now we are actually seeing these beautiful trees
A beautiful picture from John and Denise's lawn :))
A beautiful picture from John and Denise’s lawn :))
Look at how this tree has grown in such a weird way to get to the sun. I have walked by this a hundred times but never seen it.
Look at how this tree has grown in such a weird way to get to the sun. I have walked by this a hundred times but never seen it.
Boats

Sailing Season Finale

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Taking my punt for a walk!
Taking my punt for a walk!

The last 6 years the dry-docking of the boat has involved a marathon work week-end coming down here after work the day before and trying to get everything done in two or three days.   Then hammering on home late to be ready for work the next day.  Those days are gone.  This year the process has been very leisurely starting with pulling up the moorings.

Actually we were bringing the mooring ashore
Actually we were bringing the mooring ashore
The reason the punt was so low in the water is it had four anchors, two buoys and about 200 feet of anchor chain in it
The reason the punt was so low in the water is it had four anchors, two buoys and about 200 feet of anchor chain in it
Blue dinghy heading home
Blue dinghy heading home
Sails coming off
Sails coming off
Demasting hoist
Demasting hoist

Lowering the mast has transformed from terrifying experiments in amatuerish physics to the current highly evolved, and reasonably safe, method.  That’s a chain-hoist on the end of a steel brace hooked on the top rung of a wharf ladder and all tied down firmly.   Low tide gives us enough height.  Jane operates the hoist and I encourage the mast to land where we want.

Mast step supports on the receiving end
Mast step supports on the receiving end
And voila!
And voila!
Coast Guard trainees towing docks to the Cale Seche
Coast Guard trainees towing docks to the Cale Seche

Every year the marina asks for volunteers to tow the docks around to the dry-dock but in recent years the Coast Guard has held a training session at the right time so they get to have all the fun.  Finally I was available to help and all I got to do was tell Phil when they were leaving on the VHF radio.

They like to practice on inanimate objects
They like to practice on inanimate objects
They're off!
They’re off!
Heading to the dry-dock. It was a bad year for the engine so I arranged to have an engineer on board...
Heading to the dry-dock. It was a bad year for the engine so I arranged to have an engineer on board…and a spare motor.

The dry-dock is wonderful.  Open the gates at low tide.  The boats all float in at high tide.  Shut the gates again at low tide, and we’re dry for the winter.

Heading through the gates
Heading for the gates

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Our turn
Our turn
Waiting for the tide to fall
Waiting for the tide to fall
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And it did!
Hard aground till May 2015
Hard aground till May 2015
Boats

Visiting boats and ships

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The Fair Jean - a Brigantine from Ontario
Fair Jean – a Brigantine from Ontario

We get quite a few interesting boats and ships through the area so we’ve tried to get pictures and names as much as possible.  It would help if they would phone first to tell us they’re coming!

A private yacht...
A private yacht…
Europa showed up one day and anchored sending quite a crowd ashore.
Europa showed up one day and anchored sending quite a crowd ashore.
Europa leaving after their Saguenay cruise
Europa leaving late afternoon after their Saguenay cruise
Another passing city
Another passing city
Sedna IV, an environmental research ship
Sedna IV, an environmental research ship
The Coast Guard taking time off over Thanksgiving
The Coast Guard taking time off over Thanksgiving
Hikes

Heavy Rain high tides October 8

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We, like everyone else across Ontario, Quebec and onward, had very heavy rains today. Very cool here as it is coupled with the high tides. The highest tide is tomorrow night, Thursday, and so the boats go into the cal sèche Friday evening. Is it ever nice to not be racing down here after work and hoping we make it in time. We will post separately about the boat extravanganza.

I took a series of pictures after the rain when we were dog walking (euphemism for yet another chance to take pictures). The paths had obviously had deluge strength water, the colours were so heightened with the dusk and the skies were magnificent.

You can also see how high the tide is. At the marina there is no slope at all on the ladder to the docks. Take a look at the wharf picture with the Cost Guard crews. There are couple of crews here doing maneuvers but if you notice in the picture the tide is so high that their heads are level with the top of the wharf.  Also Indian Rock (Pointe d’Islet) is almost but not quite an island.  Quite spectacular.  For those of you who know the bay Alan was able to walk to his dinghy at low tide and bring it in so that is the big difference between the two tides.

Thinking of all of you who don’t get to be here.

Puddles at the edge of our driveway
Puddles at the edge of our driveway
puddles just past Gomer's on the way to Landfall
puddles just past Gomer’s on the way to Landfall

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Deluge down the path from Pointe Rouge to the beach
Deluge down the path from Pointe Rouge to the beach
Along the path walking down from the main path down to Pointe Rouge
Along the path walking down from the main path down to Pointe Rouge
On Pointe Rouge
On Pointe Rouge
On Pointe Rouge
On Pointe Rouge
Taken from Pointe Rouge
Taken from Pointe Rouge
Tom these clouds are for you
Tom these clouds are for you
Amazing picture up the river
Amazing picture up the river
Tudor Hart path
Tudor Hart path
I have taken this shot so many times but this tree right at the corner of Tudor Hart and us is so amazing.
I have taken this shot so many times but this tree right at the corner of Tudor Hart and us is so amazing.
Tudor Hart path
Tudor Hart path

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Marina at high tide
Marina at high tide
tide right up to the top of wharf
tide right up to the top of wharf
Coast Guard crews getting ready for maneuvers. Look how close to the top of the wharf
Coast Guard crews getting ready for maneuvers. Look how close to the top of the wharf
Sedna 4 in Tadoussac Bay October 4th
Boats

Sedna IV visits Tadoussac during 1000 jours pour le planète

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This beautiful research ship visited Tadoussac on the weekend. It has been here before but it is in the process of a large research/education mission called “Mille jours pour la planète” which is research and education related to climate change. They have an amazing website and in conjunction with Radio Canada have done a mini series of their trip and the episodes are available on the site. The website is in both English and French and has a ton of educational material that would be useful for teachers. Check it out here.

Sedna 4 in Tadoussac Bay October 4th
Sedna 4 in Tadoussac Bay October 4th