Mystery of life

After I came back from canoe-camping with my eldest daughter I had noticed my AE shorts with the lace were missing and my black Aerie bra was missing.  Today I also found my green cotton lace cami is missing. All 3 were items I took canoe-camping at Lac Temiscouata. My daughter assures me they did not find their way to Halifax.

So
1) My clothes decided to just vanish *poof*
2) Someone went through our tent while we were out one of the 3 days, and took my clothes
3) It's hiding somewhere in my truck
4) My daughter might find it at some point in her things [Highly unlikely]

For the record I've already replaced the black bra and the shorts. I've just realized I'm missing the army green cotton cami today and pretty annoyed.

12ft Sportspal canoe = Happiness

Love my 12ft Sportspal canoe

12ft canoe is small but it can hold 500lbs

Will be getting barrels to drag to have more room in canoe

Takes me 5 minutes to take it off the truck, 15 to put it on.

My Karma ran over your Dogma!

I was supposed to go canoeing again on the Riviere des milles Iles on Sunday but there was risk of severe thunderstorms for the entire Montreal area. It also rained a fair amount. So we decided to keep the canoeing for another day.  After seeing the damage to l'Ile aux Juifs, there was no way I was taking a canoe along there with a projected storm.

I will be going to a festival in a few days with some friends and I look forward going there as a single woman. I can look, I can flirt, I can have fun!  I also don't think I'm going to get involved in any exclusive relationships with any male in a long while to come. I'm very turned off exclusive relationships. I usually am after being involved with someone possessive.

I'm really enjoying being alone in my house with my cats. I don't feel the need to close all the doors all the time or to hide in my own house to find quiet or peace.

Animals around the Riviere des Milles Iles

Beaver

Painted Turle

Damselfly sitting on turtle

Groundhog

Bridge over the river near the dock

Canoeing in the Riviere des Mille Iles

A month ago I went with one friend to canoe on the Riviere des mille iles. Yesterday I went again. Went to the same island for a picnic and walk. I was stunned by the damage caused by the wind storm last Friday. THey seemed to get a mini tornado there. Huge mature trees uprooted or cracked about 10 feet off the ground. The damage to the lookout on "L'ile des Juifs" was terrible.

ADHD as described by dr Hallowell

What is it like to have ADHD? What is the feel of the syndrome? Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. First of all, I resent the term. As far as I'm concerned, most people have Attention Surplus Disorder. I mean, life being what it is, who can pay attention to anything for very long? Is it really a sign of mental health to be able to balance your checkbook, sit still in your chair, and never speak out of turn? But anyway, be that as it may, there is this syndrome called ADD or ADHD, depending on what book you read. So what's it like to have it?

Some people say the so-called syndrome doesn't even exist, but believe me, it does. Many metaphors come to mind to describe it. It's like driving in the rain with bad windshield wipers. Everything is smudged and blurred and you're speeding along, and it's really frustrating not being able to see very well. Or it's like listening to a radio station with a lot of static and you have to strain to hear what's going on. Or, it's like trying to build a house of cards in a dust storm. You have to build a structure to protect yourself from the wind before you can even start on the cards.

In other ways it's like being supercharged all the time. You get one idea and you have to act on it, and then, what do you know, but you've got another idea before you've finished up with the first one, and so you go for that one, but of course a third idea intercepts the second, and you just have to follow that one, and pretty soon people are calling you disorganized and impulsive and all sorts of impolite words that miss the point completely. Because you're trying really hard. It's just that you have all these invisible vectors pulling you this way and that, which makes it really hard to stay on task. Plus, you're spilling over all the time. You're drumming your fingers, tapping your feet, humming a song, looking here, looking there, stretching, doodling, and people think you're not paying attention or that you're not interested, but all you're doing is spilling over so that you can pay attention. I can pay a lot better attention when I'm taking a walk or listening to music or even when I'm in a crowded, noisy room than when I'm still and surrounded by silence.

What is it like to have ADHD? Buzzing. Being here and there and everywhere. Someone once said, "Time is the thing that keeps everything from happening all at once." Time parcels moments out into separate bits so that we can do one thing at a time. In ADHD, this does not happen. In ADHD, time collapses. Time becomes a black hole. To the person with ADHD it feels as if everything is happening all at once. This creates a sense of inner turmoil or even panic. The individual loses perspective and the ability to prioritize. He or she is always on the go, trying to keep the world from caving in on top.

Lines. I'm almost incapable of waiting in lines. I just can't wait, you see. That's the agony of it. Impulse leads to action. I'm very short on what you might call the intermediate reflective step between impulse and action. That's why I, like so many people with ADHD, lack tact. Tact is entirely dependent on the ability to consider one's words before uttering them. We ADHD types don't do this so well.

Many of us with ADHD crave high-stimulus situations. In my case, I love casinos, the high-intensity crucible of doing psychotherapy and having lots of people around. High stim situations can get you into trouble, which is why ADHD is high among criminals and self-destructive risk-takers. It is also high among so-called Type A personalities, as well as among manic-depressives, sociopaths and drug users. But it is also high among creative and intuitive people in all fields, and among highly-energetic, highly-productive people. Which is to say there is a positive side to all this. Usually the positive doesn't get mentioned when people speak about ADHD because there is a natural tendency to focus on what goes wrong, or at least on what has to be somehow controlled. But often once the ADHD has been diagnosed, and the individual, with the help of teachers, parents and colleagues, has learned how to cope with it, an untapped realm of the brain swims into view. Suddenly the radio station is tuned in, the windshield is clear, the sand storm has died down. And the child or adult, who had been such a problem, such a nudge, such a general pain in the neck, starts doing things he'd never been able to do before. He surprises everyone around him, and he surprises himself. I use the male pronoun, but it could just as easily be she, as we are seeing more and more ADHD among females as we are looking for it.

Often these people are highly imaginative and intuitive. They have a "feel" for things, a way of seeing right into the heart of matters while others have to reason their way along methodically. This is the person who can't explain how he thought of the solution, or where the idea for the story came from, or why suddenly he produced such a painting, or how he knew the short cut to the answer, but all he can say is he just knew it, he could feel it. This is the man or woman who makes million-dollar deals in a catnap and pulls them off the next day. This is the child who, having been reprimanded for blurting something out, is then praised for having blurted out something brilliant. These are the people who learn and know and do and go by touch and feel.

These people can feel a lot. In places where most of us are blind they can, if not see the light, at least feel the light, and they can produce answers apparently out of the dark. It is important for others to be sensitive to this "sixth sense" many ADHD people have, and to nurture it. If the environment insists on rational, linear thinking and "good" behavior from these people all the time, then they may never develop their intuitive style to the point where they can use it profitably. It can be exasperating to listen to people talk. They can sound so vague or rambling. But if you take them seriously and grope along with them, often you will find they are on the brink of startling conclusions or surprising solutions.

What I am saying is that their cognitive style is qualitatively different from most people's, and what may seem impaired, with patience and encouragement may become gifted. The thing to remember is that if the diagnosis can be made, then most of the bad stuff associated with ADHD can be avoided or contained. The diagnosis can be liberating, particularly for people who have been stuck with labels like "lazy," "stubborn," "willful," "disruptive," "impossible," "tyrannical," "a space shot," "brain damaged," "stupid," or just plain "bad." Making the diagnosis of ADHD can take the case from the court of moral judgment to the clinic of neuropsychiatric treatment.

What is the treatment all about? Anything that turns down the noise. Just making the diagnosis helps turn down the noise of guilt and self-recrimination. Building certain kinds of structure into one's life can help a lot. Working in small spurts rather than long hauls. Breaking tasks down into smaller tasks. Making lists. Getting help where you need it. Maybe applying external limits on your impulses. Or getting enough exercise to work off some of the noise inside. Finding support. Getting someone in your corner to coach you, to keep you on track. Medication can help a great deal too, but it is far from the whole solution. The good news is that treatment can really help.

We who have ADHD need your help and understanding. We may make mess-piles wherever we go, but with your help, those mess-piles can be turned into realms of reason and art. So, if you know someone like me who's acting up and daydreaming and forgetting this or that and just not getting with the program, consider ADHD before he starts believing all the bad things people are saying about him and it's too late.

11 year old Yemini girl flees arranged marriage

Very articulate 11 year old Yemeni girl explains why she ran away from an arranged marriage. May she get the opportunity to finish high school and even get higher education.

Chickpea and tomato curry

I made some chickpea and tomato curry this week-end like I had made back at my yule dinner and someone wanted my recipe. I used this recipe. The modifications I made to the recipe, is for oil I used coconut oil. I also put 4 tablespoons of curry powder [I like very strong curries], and I also added 1tablespoon of cock sauce.  I like my curries fairly hot.

But the recipe made as is I'm told is equally yummy. I know at Yule I made 2 batches, one following the recipe as is and one with extra curry and cock sauce.

Is Dubai trying to be more modern?

I was truly impressed this morning when one of the headlines was "Dubai pardons rape  victim".

Dunno if it was due to international pressure, or if the UAE is realizing it's laws offer no protection to women who are raped?  As I've stated in a previous blog, rapes often occur where there are no witnesses, the laws of the emirates have no provisions for this.

The cutest outhouse ever!

I have to admit that the Parc National du Parc Temiscouata has some of the most cutest  outhouses I've ever seen. They had this outhouse at the Garden of Memories and at the bottom of the Sutherland falls trail. I believe they were starting the work to build one at the Grand Lac Touladis picnic area on the day that we were leaving.

The fact it had no signs had both my daughter and I puzzled. I suggested it might be an outhouse, she suggested it would indicate it was one.  In the end after seeing them at the two locations my daughter decided she had to know what the purpose of the cute little cabin was.  She confirmed it was an outhouse. I do like this design because you get daylight inside the outhouse. Many are dark and ominous once you close the door! 

Becosse tres jolie au Parc National du Lac Temiscouata.

My 7 bean salad

Seven Bean Salad

1/2 cup of cut yellow beans
1/2 cup of cut green beans [or you can use 1 cup of yellow or green beans if you prefer]
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1/4 tsp oregano
1 clove of garlic minced
2 19oz cans of 6-bean mix
2 green onions or shallotts thinly sliced.
1 tsp of Berbere spice ***

Blanch your yellow and green beans.

In a large bowl whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic, parsley, salt, oregano and Berbere spice. Add canned beans, blanched beans, and green onions. Toss to coat.

Make this ahead of time, Cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours for best results.

***To make Berbere spice mixture combine

1 tbsp ground cardamom
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp fenugreek
1 tbsp ground nutmeg
1 tbsp ground cloves
1 tbsp ground allspice
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp tumeric
1 tbsp cayenne
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp ground sea salt

Store in a cool dark place.

Looking foward to the day rape gets taken seriously everywhere in the world.

This article made headlines today. It's sad that this Norwegian woman was not aware of Dubai laws. For instance she should have known better then to drink in Dubai. Just because alcohol is available does not make it legal.

That does not excuse the douchebag who raped her, nor does it excuse the laws of Dubai which require either a confession from the rapist, or 4 male witnesses  to be considered a rape. So in cases where a woman is drugged and taken to a quiet place to be raped, she always ends up in jail for reporting the crime in the first place

Driving - it's not a competition.

I'm not sure what's up with some of the drivers I encounter on long road trips. Especially on 2 lane roads, where the left lane is for "passing" slower traffic.  Usually on such roads, I set cruise control and pretty much don't touch my speed unless I need to slow down for a slow truck.

So when I realize I'm creeping up on someone, I don't wait till I'm sitting on their bumper, I change lanes and start passing the car. There's a percentage of drivers, who are going slower then you, who decide to speed up at that moment. So while you're trying to pass them at the same speed you've been going for the past hour, these morons decide that this is the time to race or compete with you. Why I have no clue. If you want to go faster NO ONE IS STOPPING YOU, just go faster. But if you're slower then I am when I reach your car, don't speed up just while I'm passing you!!!!

I had dozens of people, mostly WOMEN do this on the road. You really want to be in front, go fast, you don't want to go fast, then don't play I'm going faster then you while I'm trying to get around you. Do you really think I'm going to go 150km per hour just to pass you and get a ticket? No honey, I won't. But one day you will be playing this game and YOU will be getting a ticket because someone else will just keep going faster with you until you're both ticket candidates.

I saw many bald Eagles in Parc National du Lac Temiscouata

The first morning I decided to go to the beach to take photos. From a distance I notice black/white on what appears to be a dead tree. Took photo immediately, I knew it was an eagle. Sadly when I tried getting closer he flew off. This was the closest I've been to an Eagle in the wild! All the photos were taken around Grand Lac Touladis in Parc National du lac Temiscouata

Look it's an EAGLE!!!

Adult Bald Eagle

Flying away after I spooked him

High, flying over Grand Lac Touladis

Flying across Grand Lac Touladis

Flying to get back into the woods

Eagle flying

More dragonflies from Parc National du Lac Temiscouata

These dragonflies were around Lac Touladis, both of them.

Dragonflies from Parc National du lac Temiscouata

There's at least 65 different varieties of Dragonflies at Lac Temiscouata. As my daughters would say "And you got to catch 'em all" ... The ones in this message are from the Sutherland Falls trail

Mother-Daughter camping trip - Part 3

Lac Temiscouata

Got woken up at 7am by a pair of blue jays screeching. So I went to the beach to stalk the eagle. Alas he did not pearch on the dead tree, but I did see him swoop across the lake once. I spent 2 hours just enjoying the sound of the wind on the water. Also took photos of various other birds.

After breakfast I went walking for about an hour walking along the road the park personel take to do daily rounds to the canoe-camping site twice a day. I was disappointed because I did not see any deer or moose. Not animals bigger then a blue jay. Saw many jays, chickadees and other birds.

Wild strawberries

Ate many wild strawberries. These were bigger then the wild strawberries that grow in my lawn in Montreal. They are so tasty!

Around 3pm we canoed back to the car, and went to take some photos of Lac Temiscouata, and the Garden of memories - where there were tons of dragonflies. We did walk a bit along the memories trail, but it was boring so we did not do the entire trail.

Looking at the riviere Touladis.

Mother-Daughter camping trip - Part 2

The only house on the lac Touladis

We had talked about doing the long canoe ride on Monday so we could take it easy Tuesday. But the wind decided to play. Windiest day since we've been at Parc National du Lac Temiscouata. Waves on Grand Lac Touladis was showing white crests at some point. Daughter pointed out that she wanted to vacation not exercise.

We stopped for a short break. I needed to stretch

We really struggled to paddle that 8km against the wind and the current. I saw about 5 or 6 eagles flying about but much further out on the lake then where I saw the Eagle early the first morning. We left around 12:30, took us till 4pm to get to the centre at Petit lac Touladis.

House seen canoeing out of our campsite

We left the visitors centre at 5:30 and make it back to our campsite by 8pm. My feet got bitten by an insane amount of deer flies most of whom met their demise after biting me. Saw 5 more eagles on the way back. Could be the same ones we saw going the other way.

We also saw a dead moose carcass on the way back, that everyone had been talking about. Three of the parc staff had talked to us about it, and one of the group of campers.

Parc personal on motorboat doing headcounts

After we got back to our campsite just as night was falling we hear a motor boat on Grand Lac Touladis. I went to take photos on the beach. They were doing a body count. They were trying to figure out who was where. We told them that we had both of our cars parked at the Grand Lac Touladis picnic area.  It's good to know that the parc employees do keep track of who is where and that no one is lost on the lake at night.

We found out the next day, they did find the missing camper they were looking for - he had stopped at the main campsite to talk to friends.

Sunset on Grand Lac Touladis