May
13

Happy Mom’s Day!

 

 

 

Happy Mother’s day, Mom!!
All the restaurants are “Fluoride” seating today!  And by that I mean, (see Professor Luke) unless you got reservations, yur butt is sitting on the floor!
So enjoy the day, and don’t forget to call your mom tell her you love her and ask her how it was in the “good old days”.
Because before you know it, there will come a day when you wish you could.

Apr
30

Beltane

Beltane

Beltane is a cross-quarter day, marking the mid point in the Sun’s progress between the spring equinox and the summer solstice.  It is a time of new beginnings and optimism after the long winter.

The waxing power of the Sun is symbolized by the lighting of bonfires.  Bonfire mark a time of purification and transition, heralding in the season in the hope of a good harvest later in the year.
Like its cross-quarter partner, Samhain, Beltane is also a time when the veil betwen the worlds is particularly close at hand.
Beltane marks the beginning of the pastoral summer season when herds of livestock are moved to summer pastures and mountain grazing lands.
Some activities you might want to do to celebrate the season is to gather the first wild herbs of the season; go “a-maying” by going to the woods and fields to gather flowers and take a picnic lunch; make a wreath of spring flowers and bring cut flowers into your home.
A seasonal meal:
   Wine
    Nettle Soup
    Roast Duckling in Orange Sauce
    Broccoli and Cauliflower with Cheese Sause
   Gooseberry Compote

Mar
29

Sunday With the Bears

 

Don’t Feed The Bears

The beautiful 78 degree sunny Sunday in March yelled at me to get my butt out of the house and do something.  I have always had exploring the Red River Gorge in the back of my mind, but just never acted on it.  Several times I have made the right hand turn off the Mountain Parkway to Natural Bridge State Park, but on this Sunday, I turned left and headed into the Gorge.  This trip was a recon mission since we had no idea what to expect or exactly what we would find to do.

The first indication  we weren’t in the city anymore was a huge sign warning “Alert!”  Bear Country.  Put all food in metal containers inside a hard top car.  (I wonder what people driving convertibles do — or worse yet — what do motorcyclists do)?  After the first bear sign (there were several bear alert signs), a large “Tunnel” sign appeared.  Oh, neat, a tunnel!  Now, I must digress here a moment.  tunnels have never bothered me.  They have usually been kind of fun.  Well, except when you get stuck in one for an hour because of some wreck ahead of you.  This happened to me more times than I cared for in the Norfolk-Portsmouth and Norfolk-Hampton Roads Tunnels.  But, the problem with those tunnels  was car exhaust fumes, not claustrophobia.  However, the Red River Gorge tunnel — the Nada Tunnel to give it its proper name — made me extremely anxious.  It had no (zero) lights and was only 12 feet wide.  The car headlights seemed to just be absorbed by the rock walls.  The tunnel is only 900 feet long, but it seemed like forever.  900 feet.  And I had to survive it twice.  But once I got through the tunnel, the scenery was fantastic.  The rock formations, arches, and the sheer cliffs towering above you and straight down off the road to the gorge far, far below were awe inspiring.
We pulled over at one of the many scenic stop areas and took in the beauty of the  area.  We were not prepared to hike any distance or any difficult trails so we walked back a “civilized” trail — after carefully stowing cokes and snacks in a bear proof (is there really such a thing) container in our hard topped car.
We will return to the Red River Gorge fully equipped with our hiking gear for a back country jaunt.  First, we will e-mail the bears that we are coming so they will give us a lot of room.  If you don’t hear from me in awhile, alert the National Forest Bear Patrol.

Mar
20

Ostara

Ostara

Today is the Spring Equinox, that moment each year when night and day are of equal length.  As Spring reaches its’ midpoint, night and day stand in perfect balance - with light now on the increase.  It is an enchanted borderland time outside of time, where a magical seam joins dark with light.  From this point on, the Sun begins its’ journey of increasing light and warmth, overtaking the darkness of Winter until it reaches its peak at Midsummer.

The Spring Equinox begins the season of rebirth, renewal and joy.  Imbolc’s promise of a fresh beginning has been kept.  It is a time of new fire, a season of fertility and growth.  It is a time to plant seeds and to start an herb garden.  Take a long walk in Nature with no intent other than reflecting on the magic of Nature and her bounty.  Go ahead and dye eggs and bake hot cross buns.

Traditional foods for Ostara:

Roasted Spring Lamb with Herbs; Leafy Green Salad, Deviled Eggs and Easter Breads.

 

 

 

 

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