finding fiddleheads

Last week my pal Karen and I spent the day with travel writer Sandra Phinney and fiddlehead expert Melvin Nash  foraging for fiddleheads. The young furled ostrich fern that looks like something from a Tim Burton movie is a spring delicacy in these parts.  You can read all about my adventures on the Fredericton Tourism Town Square Blog and find out more about this dish I prepared with the wonderful Chef Lizzie Stewart of The Blue Door Restaurant and Bar, one of the top 50 restaurants in Canada.

easter weekend, grand manan

  With the coming of spring, I am calm again. 

Gustav Mahler

This winter's been a bit gruelling and there are a lot of changes ahead this spring so I was glad to get away for a few days to spend Easter weekend on Grand Manan.  Lots of ocean air, good food,  a little beach-combing, a few walks and many, many hands of this with my mom.  I also got to see my grandfather sing in church on Easter morning.  He turns 90 this year and I think this was probably his singing debut.  A great memory! How did you spend your weekend?

I always sleep really well near the ocean so I'm usually up to catch the sunrise over the cove.

A walk down Shore Road to check out the beaver pond. They've been hard at work already this spring adding a second small dam.

Beach-combing yielded a few treasures.

Easter morning at the Anchorage. 

 

Relax.

it's the weekend... share a laugh.

Gilda Radner and Madeline Kahn

 Happy Friday!  I hope you had a wonderful week.  I am having a little Friday afternoon dance party at my desk as I write this.  The sun is shining and we are enjoying pretty mild temps after a real cold snap.  Just in time to get out celebrate the weekend!  Tonight I'm heading to check out the art at two new exhibits opening at the UNB Art Centre and then it's off to celebrate the great local food folks from Real Food Connections.  Tomorrow I'll be cheering on my cousin Danielle in some high school basketball.  I'm also finishing my first script treatment.  As part of my script-writing class we are each writing a one-act play in five weeks!  It's a little daunting but also exciting.  As my friend Lori says: "Doing is believing."

And, of course, I'll be making some time to get out and enjoy the great weather.  How are you spending your weekend?

Here are some fun links to end the week.

* giggle. How Parks & Recreation is secretly Fraggle Rock (scariest fact in this story? Fraggle Rock premiered THIRTY years ago!)

* guffaw. If this past Sunday's Downton Abbey took place entirely on Facebook.

* oooh.  Loving these Design*Sponge florals inspired by the Joni Mitchell album Blue See all their past album-inspired collection here. This definitely helps me fulfill my New Year's goal of making time to look at beautiful and inspiring things.

* awww. My name is Heather and I'm a sap-a-holic... a group of old men get together at the local Tim Horton's to sing barbershop renditions of a Disney song.  Commence ugly crying.

december

Milk glass and apothecary jars, vintage ornament from my grandmother and letters from my dad's old anagrams set.  These are a few of my favourite things.

And just like that December is upon us.  We've had more drizzle than snow so far but that hasn't dampened my holiday spirit.

I've hauled out my advent calendar and started to trim the house a bit for the season. 

In recent years I've decorated in a style best described as "vintage tinsel explosion."  I've loved it but this season I'm finding I'm craving simplicity from the music I play to the gifts I'm choosing.  So I've enjoyed creating a cozy oasis of found items from around the house and the backyard.  When I bought this house five years ago, I loved the stand of cedars at the very back of the yard and was excited to use them in Christmas decorating.  I finally got around to it.

I'd rather wander in my backyard than a big box store.  (The mercury glass inspired ornaments are from last year's #bringitdowntown trip to Savour Decor)

No need to pack away this cozy corner after the 25th!

Our local markets are in full swing for the holidays.  I wish there was some way to capture the fragrance of the Christmas tree and wreath stalls.  I splurged on a wreath of boxwood, juniper, cedar, pine and fir.  It was a touch pricier than a standard fir or spruce but the mixed greenery means it doesn't require any extra decoration. 

On Saturday afternoon, I picked up my Uncle John to help him out with come Christmas shopping downtown.  We live in the same city but don't get to see one another very often so  in the past few years this has become a nice bit of uncle-niece bonding.  Of course, I had to stop at Urban Almanac - Ben whipped up a Choclatea for me.  It might be my new favourite drink.  

Sunday brought more markets and more wreaths as Denis and I hit the Boyce Sunday market and then the Northside Market.  (I finally tried the Ethopian food - it didn't disappoint.  Can't wait to introduce it to my dad!)

D. at the Boyce.  (and modelling his birthday hat - one of my favourite recent knitting projects)

How was your first weekend of December?  Have you started decorating?

a day in the country

With our first show of the season opening this week and a world premiere heading into rehearsals on Friday, leisurely Saturdays are a luxury.  Last weekend Caleb and I decided to hit the road in search of "old things and wine" in Cambridge-Narrows.  The hour long journe down the 105 to Cambridge Narrows is one of my favourite drives and I try to make it at least once a summer or autumn.   And a stop at  9J Antiques is always a must:  two floors and a large back building packed to the rafter with treasures!  With bigger budget (and a bigger car!) I think we would have happily trucked back some great furniture pieces but in the end we each found a few little items and even a hard-to-source prop for next spring's big musical. 

to the lighthouse

Swallowtail Light is one of the iconic symbols of Grand Manan. Not only because it's undeniably picturesque but I think too because it's the beacon greets everyone arriving by ferry and it's one of the last landmarks you see as you leave. No matter the purpose or duration of your stay on the island, sailing round Swallowtail bookends everyone's Grand Manan experience. 

The light was first lit in July 1860 following increased calls for a new light on the northern end of the island after the January 1857 wreck of the Lord Ashburton.  (The light was originally fueled by porpoise oil!)  Swallowtail was destaffed in 1985 but unlike many destaffed lighthouses the keeper's buildings - house, boathouse, etc - remain intact. 

kayaking

It wasn't until my last full day on Grand Manan earlier this month that my dad and I finally made it out onto the water in the kayaks.  While I enjoy a nice sunny paddle, fog gives the rugged island coast a beautiful atmosphere.

We headed out at high tide.  It's my favourite time to kayak.  Not only does it mean we can very nearly launch the kayaks from my parents' front lawn (no lugging kayaks over slippery bladderwrack-covered rocks!) but it also affords a unique view of the coastline.  Since Dad and I began kayaking a number of years ago, I've gained a new appreciation for how diverse the island can be and how quickly it can change from imposing rock formations to soft sandy beaches.

We came upon a trio of deer running and jumping on the bog.

Slipping silently through the water at high tide also allows you to get up close and personal with the local wildlife.  (As an aside: Did you know Grand Manan has no bear, moose, coyotes, skunks, porcupines, or poisonous snakes?)  For my birder friends kayaking is a great way to get those shorebird shots.

Canada geese are messy and we discourage them from coming above the high tide mark at Mom & Dad's cove (using a bell or "Shoo!") but I still enjoy watching them.

High tide kayaking also gives you the chance to thread the needle through some very narrow spaces (although I seem to always find the barely-submerged rock to fetch up on.)

After a slightly soggy but enjoyable paddle and some sea heather gathering it was time to head for home.

just another tuesday

st. andrews by-the-sea

I've been on vacation this week but as belts are being worn a bit tighter these days, I've been sticking close to home.  Lucky for me one of the most stunning little coastal towns is just a couple of hours away from Fredericton.  St. Andrews by-the-sea is a postcard perfect and never more so than yesterday with cloudless blue skies, sunshine and a refreshing breeze off the water.  My mom and I got an early start to head down and spend a few hours in this historic seaside resort town.

salvaged sunday

I woke up at 7:20 Sunday morning to the sound of half a dozen men in hard hats loudly setting up pylons to block part of my street.  It quickly became apparent that sleep was out of the question.  And then they started sawing... the... pavement. I decided that since a rare lazy morning was off the agenda I should be productive.  By 9:30 I had finished a batch of blackberry jelly.  By 9:35 the jack-hammering had started.

Relief came in the form of my friend Hetty who had been following my plight on Twitter (I normally don't like to use social media to air my grievances but sometimes a well-placed rant pays off!) So I gathered my knitting and my dog and headed to the peace and quiet of her house at the edge of Odell Park.  We sat in the sunshine overlooking a little stream, drinking tea and eating freshly baked Speerville trail mix cookies (thanks to her husband!) and enjoyed a few hours of knitting and good company.  

And when I got home the work crews were gone and life was tranquil once more.

it's the weekend: freshen up

 Elizabeth Taylor - gorgeous even when she wasn't glammed up.

watch.  Did you watch Mr. Rogers growing up?  I sure did.  PBS Digital studios has done this remarkably touching and humourous remix of some of his wisdom.  "It's good to be curious about many things."



listen.   The twee pop of Dream Diary is such a throwback it makes me feel like a girl of 17 again...



admire. Julia Rothman's Farm Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of Country Life makes me want to pack up and move to a farm.  Informative and charming at the same time.  I like that.

make. On Sunday after my lovage revelation I was chatting with my grandmother about it and she informed me that if I could find a use for chickweed, we'd be in business.  And then this recipe showed up in my Twitter feed.  Not sure that I'll be making the River Cottage chickweed pakoras any time soon but it was a funny coincidence.

breathe. Vienna-based photog Akos Major's series Still is a visual vacation from the over-stimulation of ever day life.

the secret garden

On Sunday, before the truly depressing weather and not one but two flu bugs set in,  I escaped my kitchen adventures (see here and here) to get some fresh air in the Fredericton Botanic Garden.  Hugging the southwest edge of Odell Park, a wander through the Botanic Garden is a great way to clear your head (and snap some lovely photos.) 

june

it's the weekend: get out and shoot things

Jimmy Stewart. With a camera. That is all.

Watch.  This week we got our first look at what promises to be an epic screen adaptation of Les Miserables.  I'm not going to lie, watching this for the first time with my theatre chums nearly led to some ugly crying. 

Listen.  And on the theme of ugly crying, May 29 marked the 15th anniversary of singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley at age 30.  His only complete studio album, 1994's Grace,  remains one of my top summer evening soundtracks.  Here's one of my favourite tracks.  The bridge will tear your heart out.

Admire.  I am just so taken by this book of: Lists: To-dos, Illustrated Inventories, Collected Thoughts, and Other Artists’ Enumerations from the Collections of the Smithsonian Museum  If you follow my Facebook page you know that's I was particularly smitten by architect Eero Saarinen's list of his wife's attributes - so candid and honest and real; I'd take it over a sonnet any day!

Make.  As the warm weather moves in and clothes get lighter, my patience for bulky purses and wallets is in decline.  May be time to whip up a simple vinyl billfold.  

Breathe. I'm playing hooky this afternoon and heading here.  The weather was inclement during my last visit so I'm look forward to enjoying it in the sunshine. 

a perennial favourite

It's become one of my favourite rites of spring: the Fredericton Botanic Garden annual plant sale.   Last Sunday after platefuls of eggs and hummus and our favourite quattros and rodrigos at Cedar Tree Cafe, Denis and I headed to the Boyce Farmers Market for the sale.   While I love my planters of colourful annuals, perennials are the "set it and forget it" plants of the garden and this sale is a great chance to pick these up at a low cost.  An added bonus is the chance to chat with some of the city's most avid and knowledgeable gardening enthusiasts.  And the proceeds from the sale go to the ongoing development of the Botanic Garden.

Interestingly, the smart phone has become the must have plant sale accessory among younger attendees.   Saw more than a few people looking up various plants on their iPhones to determine if a plant was a good match for their garden.

The annual sale may be over but there's still an opportunity to take advantage of the garden know-how of the FBG folks with their Talks in the Garden. Here are the sessions I'm looking forward to:

• June 21, 2012: "Cooking with Herbs" by Marg Routledge.
• August 16, 2012: "Eating and Preserving Local Produce", by Margaret Langille.
• September 20, 2012: "Storing Vegetables for Winter Use", by Karen Davidge.
• October 18, 2012: "Forcing bulbs Indoors for Spring Bloom", by Mary Pugh.  

And I'm crossing my fingers for some good weather next week to take a wander through the gardens and snap some shots particularly of the rhododendrons.

salamanca

 

In the spring of 2011 I started making regular drives to the TNB Studio along Lincoln Road. I became intrigued by a round lattice gazebo and even more so by the trail that wound down past it and seemed to disappear into the river itself. Even though I'd lived in the city for 15 years, I'd never really noticed the trail before. 

What I was seeing was the Salamanca Trail. Beginning at Morell Park at the east end of Waterloo Row, the 1.2 km trail is an easy 10 minute stroll each way and ends at the Princess Margaret Bridge.

In October 1783, nearly 2000 Loyalists fleeing the American Revolution arrived to settle St. Anne's Point (what's now downtown Fredericton) "Salamanca" was the burial ground for those who did not survive the harsh northern winter. 

The nearly 230 year-old Loyalist Cemetery near the entrance of the path. 

Even though you are just metres from the backyards on the first stretch of Lincoln Road, this bucolic woodland path feels far removed from one of the city's busiest thoroughfares.

The low-lying area typically floods each spring leading to lush vegetation and towering trees that seem to spring from the river bed.  It's become one of my favourite short walks in the city.

blossoms, dearie

Last evening for a few hours we had a respite from the rain and drizzle that's plagued us for the past 10 days or so.   It was still overcast but I grabbed my camera and walked the half block to Wilmot Park to take in the blossoms covering the trees along the pathways.  They were beautiful and fragrant and well worth aggravating my spring allergies.  I'm glad I took the opportunity as it's dark and rainy again today.

I love this path from the east end of the park to the bandstand and in a couple of days it will be lined with crab apple blossoms.  Let's hope the rain stops soon!

back to nature

I grew up on an island where the Bay of Fundy meets the Gulf of Maine so while I love city amenities I need  nature nearby.  It's one of the great blessings of living in Fredericton.  I live equal walking distance from the galleries, music, shops and restaurants of downtown and 400 acres of woodland at Odell Park.

Near the main entrance at the park's north end, you can take it a leisurely pace with rolling lawns, the duck pond and picnic areas.

If you're looking for something a little more rugged meander up the hill and through the wooded multiuse trails.  (For the very hearty there are nearly 3km of primitive trails throughout the park.)

If you visit in the summer months plan to wander through the developing Fredericton Botanic Gardens at the southwest end of the park. 


Strolling along The Green, cycling the trails or cross country skiing in the woodlots, Fredericton is made for outdoor lovers.  If you visit from June - September stop by the Small Craft Aquatic Centre (63 Brunswick Street behind the Victoria Health Centre) where you can rent kayaks and canoes for about $10 an hour.  A  paddle down the St. John River is a gorgeous way to rediscover the City.