Wilderness here I come!

Today I am going canoe-camping in the Gatineau region. Will be camping somewhere around Lac Vert, the one that you can portage to from Reservoir du Poisson Blanc.  I'm specifying it because there is another Lac Vert not that far away from the one we are going to.

We will go to Lac Ste Marie, and then continue to some small road that will take us to a parking lot on the edge of Lac des Bagnoles. [I always wonder if the lake has an old car graveyard].  From that lake we will go to Lac des Roches, and then make our way to Lac Vert, which has one of the most beautiful shades of green for a lake in Quebec.

This time we hope to camp at the further end of the lake, not on the really big islands.  I'm so excited. I love canoe-camping, and this time I'm even canoeing solo. I'm going with a couple but paddling my own canoe.

Which reminds me one of my favourite sayings "Love many, trust few, always paddle your own canoe".

I'm waiting to go meet my friends in Hawksbury and then head over to the Gatineau area. I'm so hyper right now, I can't wait to leave!

Riviere des Prairies, Pretty, but I wouldn't swim in it EVER

I grew up near the 'back river' of Montreal - The Riviere des Prairies. I remember as a teen going fishing near 24th & 25th avenue and Gouin, and in the space of an hour, catching tampon applicators, condoms, hypodermic needles and seeing stuff floating that I would rather not have go near me.

I remember the few times someone took me out on a boat there, I was afraid I'd fall in and would need a course of anti-biotics.

Then at some point there were water purification plants all around the island near teh river. You'd think that would have resolved teh issue. But no. If it rains, too much water gets in the plants and they still end up releasing RAW SEWAGE in the river.

Well an article out today talks about it. There's also a website to check the quality of the water.

I'd rather enjoy water activities in lakes that have seen far less human presence and in which few if no one drains their sewage in it.

Interesting acticle

Interesting article on abused children.

Sure smells good

My own version of chop suey, stir fried bean sprouts with brown rice noodles

Gluten free Banana bread

This weekend I made a quinoa tabbouleh, a coconut eggplant vegetable curry, some Ethiopian stew, a bean sprout stir fry and some banana bread.

Funny feline photos

Most of those friends who also follow me on facebook will have seen these :)

Ziva and Tobias sleeping.. note the kitten is using Ziva as a pillow

This one looks like I Photoshopped Tobias in from a photo from last year...  But no it's new from my phone and fuzzy

He's bin there.

Excited about Canoes

Went to Sail yesterday to get some Sea to Summit, eVent dry bag-compression sacs, as well as get a butane stove for my friends birthday. When we walked in we noticed that they sell Sportspal canoes. Who knew? When I google search for dealers, that never ONCE came up.

As a friend says, great store, crappy web presence. No kidding.

They don't carry the 16ft double pointy ended canoe. Most stores do not. Apparently most people don't buy a 16ft pointed ended canoe. They tend to sell square backs and transom's at 16ft.

The only downside with the 16ft double pointy ended canoe is that it is 58 lbs. I'm not sure I can lift and put it on my truck. Whereas the 14ft pointed is 41 lbs.. which is just a few pounds heavier then my 12ft pointy Sportspal

The list of sizes and weights can be found here

So I have till sometime in February of 2015 to decide whether or not I want to order myself a 16ft pointy Sportspal canoe and it will cost in the ballpark of $1200 plus taxes.

Girls and Mistresses and Masters of Sex.

I've been enjoying the series Girls this past year. I likened it to being like watching a train wreck, but I'm hopelessly hooked. Though it's not a girly show like Army Wives, I still really enjoy it.

I was reading about the fact Girls was created by the woman who plays the lead character, Lena Dunham. That fact alone makes me find the show far more interesting. It's cool to have a show about young women created by a young woman!

One of the reviews I read had to do with how her characters are too homogeneous and in a city like NYC, you have more cultural diversity.  Thing is sure, you may find groups of friends that are highly culturally or racially diverse, but the reality is, not everyone has culturally diverse friendships.  Her choice of a mix of white girls is actually very plausible!

Montreal is also a very culturally diverse city. However at the moment my female friends are all white, and from the "west" so to speak. I have one friend who has British ancestry, one friend that has a mix of French Canadian and Scottish Canadian and the other female friend is a mix of Greek and French Canadian. All three a white and in a show like girls would get me the same comments  as Lena Dunham!  I used to have an Asian friend that lived in Montreal but we lost touch.

I started watching the show Mistresses last week. It's an American series based on a UK series. This one didn't flop from the get go like "Coupling".  This show definitely has culturally diverse friends. You've got the black friend, the Asian friend and the 2 white  half-sisters. Surprised there's no Latina in this mix, since the show is supposed to be set in LA!

The show mistresses has interesting plots and so far I'm very sucked in

The last new show I've been watching is "Masters of Sex", a playful name for a show loosely  based on the lives of Masters and Johnson's, the ones who did the first definitive study on human sexuality. I really enjoy the show though find Dr Masters a major prick!  I wonder if he was like that in real life, or if it makes for better television.

One of the dragonflies from Whispering Pines.

Mmmm goat cheese

I found this at the metro in Castleman.  Its delightful.  I'm sitting in my tent in the rain eating this spread with rice crackers. Addictive!

Little butane stove Rocks.

Love the little butane stove, that I bought for $15 at LeBaron. It's easy to use and I can get around my fear of plugging propane tanks to the propane stove!

Found out from friends that Asian stores seem to have the best price on butane.

So Canadian tire has 3 butane containers for $8.99

LeBaron has 4 butane containers for $8.99

Marche Sheng Tai on Sources blvd has 4 butane containers for $4.99

My friends get their butane from an Asian Market near Atwater downtown Montreal.

Firelight Gathering 2014 this week-end.

Looking forward to the Firelight Gathering, mostly because I get to spend time with my friends, even though they are food vendors at this festival. Yes, I will be hanging with the staff at Octopus Garden :)

I'm going down tonight, so I can help them set up and keep them company. The thing that is annoying me is that Environment Canada is saying Rain, Rain  and MORE RAIN.   I hate being outdoors in the rain. Well I have all my rain gear already in my truck.

In fact I'm doing good. was up at 6:30. My truck is mostly packed, I've packed my clothes. Just need to pick a few things when I get home tonight, like cameras {one is charging atm}.

Since it's Thursday and cleaning lady day, I've been cleaning too, put all my stuff away, put dishes away, put recycling out. Doing good for 7:30 am :)

More photos of Dragonflies

Gold dragonfly. Or if it's stripped, not easy to tell

Gold dragonfly

Striped dragonfly

Blue damsels

Tiger Striped dragonfly

Mating damsels

This little guy landed on my paddle.

Tiger striped dragonfly

Campsite this weekend

So took a random snapshot of campsite with phone

Rideau river provincial park

Gone camping and canoeing

Damn

So last night as I was leaving for camping trip my roomie handed me a letter that contained keys. Turns out ex bf that left July last year sent me back my keys. Though i'd changed the locks anyways.

So even though I dont remember dreams usually I remember well this morning that I found my ex asleep twice in my house!!!!

Toby gets comfortable.

Defenestration

I don't have a plethora of favourite words but right up there with plethora, is defenestration. Of course often it means something rather morbid. Many have lost their lives defenestrating.

I've defenestrated. Safely. It can be done.  Though I have wanted to defenestrated several of my boyfriends before they became exes, I've had enough self control not to do it.

At the moment there is one asshole,who has contacted me for the 4rth time tonight. This is despite having told him back in May after a couple of dates that I would not be seeing him anymore.  I so want to defenestrate him!


I was reminded how awesome the word defenestration as well as other words with this link.

Kitteh wanna bath?

The bath looks fun, can I jump in PLEASE?

Hi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Projects in the works.

All these garments are cut out and waiting to be sewn.

Two full bins of cut fabric and the pattern envelope with instructions.

I picked up these bins at Canadian Tire, for half their normal price. They are perfect for putting patterns, and fabric.

Dresses finished this week-end

I made a sort sleeved dress from this McCalls pattern with this rayon

McCalls M6754 with a rayon digital print

This pattern I picked up for $1 at value village I modified and made a 2 toned dress

2 fabric stretch cotton dress with Butterick B5313

Toby and the pink Gingham

Filmed live from my bed, my kitties hanging out together.

Took this with my android because a friend wanted to see my kitten in action. Video isn't my thing..... this is raw footage.