Five Roses Flower Pancakes

A friend of mine from the Ultimate Blog Challenge, Kebba Buckley Button, asked for more information on pancakes and the Lake of the Woods Flour Mill.

I worked in the mill in Keewatin, Ontario for a few months after high school and before moving to Toronto to study electronics.

1953 edition

Here is a picture of the cook book 📖 they published in 1953. It replaced the previous, second edition, published in 1931. This version was published because they were now selling the new vitamin enriched bread.

This cookbook is my go-to book for my preferred pancake recipe. Now that I have taken a picture of it, I can use my phone or tablet to pull up the recipe and save some wear and tear on the book.

Don’t forget the milk

I often add a little more milk and an extra egg to get a thinner crepe like pancake instead of the thicker cake like ones.

Like all good cook books they have a lot of other useful information. Here is a note on how many ounces there are in a cup. In North America, 8 oz. = 1 cup. However, in the U.K., they use an Imperial Standard of measuring and if you buy a measuring cup there, it will show 10 ounces to s cup. If you look carefully at the chart below it shows an Imperial pint is 2 1/2 cups and an Imperial Quart is 5 cups.

Useful conversions.

Now, what do you put on your pancakes? For me, it is Real Canadian Maple Syrup. Not that colored modified corn syrup that is labeled “pancake syrup”! A little butter melted on top first makes them taste creamier.

Dedicated to pancake lovers everywhere.

Pancake Tuesday is coming up February 21 this year. You may know it as Fat Tuesday or Carnival. The end of Mardi Gras, and the beginning of the Christian season of Lent.

– Where do you want to go this year? –

April Reflections

Reflections on April Challenge

Here are a few reflection on the April Ultimate Blog Challenge (UBC)

Most of this month’s posts are based on photos I have taken while walking on the local trail. I started late because I could not decide if I wanted to take on a challenge this month. However, I was missing the community and needed to enforce some discipline into the month.

This is the sixteenth post of the month. It is the first time I have added regular posts to this blog in about ten years.

Usually I post to my travel blog for these challenges. However, I have not travelled recently and did not have any photos to draw from. That forced me to become a tourist in my own neighbourhood and walk around with a camera and my mind and eye focussed on finding photo opportunities.

Here are a couple of pictures of reflections of the trails this month.

Visit my travel blog at https://jarvie.ca

Stumped

A day late for Wordless Wednesday. I’m stumped.

Fallen Trees

Fallen Trees on the Aurora Trails

The Aurora Trails are maintained very well. The pictures show that there is no litter along the sides of the trails. There is more to be found along the sides of major streets than can be found in this trail system. The trails are covered with crushed limestone “Screenings”. This provides a stable surface for walking and allows water to drain through it.

You will notice a lot of trees that have broken or been cut down. Their trunks are just lying everywhere. The ones that are close to the trail and have been cut down were most likely cut when the trail was cut through the valley.

Other trees like the ones closer to the stream, have mostly fallen from disease, old age or not being able to stand up to some strong wind storms. All of the trees have been left where have fallen unless they were blocking the trail. They are left where they have fallen for several reasons. They provide a habitat for all forms of forest life that we normally do not see. perhaps because they are too small for us to notice, or they may be nocturnal and not around when they hear us tromping through their territory. The old stumps and leaves are allowed to decay naturally to provide nutrients for all of the young trees that are growing up and stretching for the available sunlight.

Fallen Trees in the Aurora Trail System

Fallen Trees in the Aurora Trail System

Sometimes the trees near the trail have to be trimmed or cut down if they pose a danger to people using the trails.

This is what the valley looks like where the trail has not been built and the stream has not developed yet.

Trail Walk 2

This post takes you on another walk through the Aurora trail system. This time we will climb out of the valley to the street above and take a little look around.

Sometimes I meet a friend on my walks. We talk from a Covid-19 respectable distance.

At one point on the trail, the street is so much higher, or the bank more unstable, that stairs are provided to make it safer to make use of the trails.

Stairway to the street.

At most access points the ramp down to the trail is more gradual, but still requires caution.

The ramp to another street.

To the left of this residential street is a major four-lane street that separates our town form the neighbouring town. It is a prominent farming community with a lot of expertise in horses.

That is why the trail has this sign posted for people, dogs, and horses.

Do you like the YouTube videos?

A three minute video of the trails

Trail walk 1

This post includes a short video about the sights and sound of the trail system. Let’s start with a quiet walk together.

come walk with me

Some parts of the trail are straight and dry.

Just a quiet walk

Sometimes the most interesting things are just off the trail.

Turn up the volume to hear the birds, the dry leaves crunching under my footsteps and the bubbling brook.

The video below will take you off to youTube to see a longer video.

Would you like a trail like this in your back yard?

Trail Bridges

Aurora Trail Bridges

There are a couple of bridges on the trail sections that I have been walking this week. I have separated their pictures out for you and included another structure that looks like half of a bridge.

This bridge is located near a busy intersection of two trails. It is located here to allow access to one of the town streets and is a popular spot for people to get onto the trails.

This is a view of the same bridge from the other branch of the trail and it shows the trail heading up out of the valley to the street above.

This bridge has no railing. The drop is not very far to the water and it is not deep at this point. Isn’t it considerate of the planning team to think that it may be necessary to cross at this point and that people on bicycles might have difficulty jumping across the creek?

OK, the picture above is not a bridge. It is just a retaining wall with a railing to stop people and all of the sand on the trail, from falling down the hill into the valley. Did you notice the little red squirrel dancing on the rail?

Spring trail

Spring Trail Walk

There is a trail in our town and it is only a few blocks from home. It follows the stream that flows through the ravine. From time to time it is necessary to climb out of the ravine to cross over a street and then carefully walk back down into the ravine.

Spring trail

The culvert for the stream.

The stream flows under the road through a culvert. For some streets, it requires something more substantial.

More than a culvert.

mind your step

The trail is quite wide but you have to pay attention to where you are walking so you do not trip over one of these stones.

A step up from those little painted rocks.

Depending on the time of year and the amount of precipitation, the water may be washing over the trail or at least accumulating in puddles beside the trail.

Sometimes there is a bridge to cross over the stream. In the evening the light makes for interesting photographs.

Usually, the stream is off to the side of the trail. sometimes it can be seen, and other times it can only be heard babbling to itself.

What clever comment can you make about the following picture?

I am stumped.

??? Insert comments below . . .

Painted Rocks

Some say that we are living in rocky times. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? What is said is often not what is meant. For example, describing something as sick could mean cool, or hawt, or fabulous according to the slang dictionary.

In the last month, I have seen more rocks and it is not just because the snow has melted. The ones that I have been noticing are painted and intended to inspire and uplift people who are aware enough to notice them. Perhaps there is a trend to becoming more aware, or using the new vernacular, “present”. So maybe these painted rocks are meant to be a present.

The friendliest ones were collected together like a family beside a busy sidewalk.

The Rock family.

They were a popular group and soon they had neighbours. The Stone family of four moved into the adjacent lot.

The Stone Family of four.

It wasn’t long before the grandparents moved in with the family so they could be close to the grand-pebbles.

Not all of the painted rocks sat around with a family. Some were cast out to live on their own.

This one was stumped. He didn’t know why he was a castaway.

Love is More Important

The lonely one above was hanging out near the edge of the bridge wondering what the future had in store. She could use a caring hand up.

All Kind, Be Kind.

The ones above found strength in being together in their own community and were able to set themselves up to help inspire others. They encouraged the one below to show the way to the path ahead.

Soon I will have to show you the trails and troubles.

Whether you call them painted rocks or painted stones, do you think they are “cool” or “hawt” or if they really rock?

Creative neighbour

Delightful Decoration

There are some creative people in our neighbourhood. I have taken a walk around this corner on several occasions to admire this window and even one day just to take a picture.

The love window

I actually walked by this evening to see if I could get another picture but the lighting from the setting sun would not have made a better picture so I am showing you the best / only on that I have.

It seems to me like this is an Easter themed decoration but other signs are acknowledging from line workers who keep our essential services operating.

Have you seen any creative decoration in your area?