spring is here, almost

To me, spring comes upon us when I start seeing nature gearing up.

Over the last few days, the boy's lizard has become more active. He gets somewhat gloomy over the winter, except on those exceptionally bright, sunny days. So, he has been getting out of his cave earlier and staying out until after his heat lamp goes off for the night. He seems much happier and energetic.

Yesterday, a confusion of warblers were hanging around, much more than usual. And I currently do not have any feeders, but I plan to put some in after being at the mother-in-law's recently. I had a great time filling the feeders and putting out suet. Anyway, there have been an inordinate number around the property recently and they have been hanging out around our kitchen window. Plus, I have been hearing a lot more bird song than last week.

Also, one of our group of black squirrels had been sitting on the kitchen windowsill yesterday as well. These guys are crazier than brick-house rats. They have mellowed out recently, but they are still a bunch of weirdos. Yet, they are better natured than those maniacs that reside in major urban centres.

I too have been seeing our brown squirrels near the house in the last week or so. I do not know if they are fox squirrels or chickarees. I think we may have both. In the early spring and late fall they stay closer to the house and in the summer they tend to congregate at the back of the property.

On a side note, no purple squirrels around here. However, I remember when I was five years old and my family was travelling in Poland, there were purple squirrels, really more like maroon or burgundy, everywhere. They were mostly in urban areas in and around parks and green spaces. Very friendly.

Today I saw Mr. Chippy. Our resident chipmunk. We actually have at least two or three that hang around, but one in particular has a few hidey-holes on our property. He is one vocal brother.

Now, the trees have not started budding yet, but that should start in the next week to a week-and-a-half.

Hey, one of the blackies is sitting in one of our balsam firs right now. However, I suspect they may be eastern hemlock. I am no tree expert by far. Usually, I just call all conifers: "pine trees".

Other signs of spring include the sump pump running more frequently, which means there is more ground water running. (Is that right? I do not know. That is how I see it.) The huge piles of snow are also tiny compared to last week. We had a lot of rain and thunderstorms too last week. Thunderstorms in February around here are kind of odd. Our walkway is not encased in ice any longer either.

Another black squirrel just scooted over our back deck! He just headed down our picket fence to the back. I put out some peanuts for him and his cronies.

Other signs of spring? The wife is acquiring new ornamental solar lights. The ones in the front got hammered by snow sliding off our roof.  I have to fix them up and move them to the back. I suggested getting really cheap ones this time if she still wants them out front over the winter. We found some for less than four bucks each. We will keep an eye out for sales. 

Still waiting to find out what theme she wants to setup the back deck with this year. Last year it was a tiki-bar. I made a "bar" out of a skid and scrap lumber. It was pretty cool. I suggested a saloon this year. I can reuse the bar and make a double swinging door like in the old westerns. Then we can get some cheapo cowboy hats for guests to wear when they visit.

The most definitive sign that spring is here for me though, is cardinals. When we moved to this house about ten years ago, we had a cardinal hanging around the house. Winter came and he was gone. Since then, he or his descendants or others have been back every spring. Over the years, the numbers have increased to as many as four or five around here. We see them sporadically through the summer and into the early fall. They do not appear to overwinter in our area as we are at their northern range, regardless from what I have read about them not migrating. Unlike in Hamilton where the mother-in-law appears to have a conclave of them.

Last year was the first time I saw a female in our yard. She flew in to our kitchen window, poor thing. I rushed out hoping it had not snapped its neck. It was not there. I saw exactly where it went down, but no signs of her. So, she was not badly hurt in the end, lucky duck. I saw her later in the day. I have since placed something in the window so the birds no longer bounce off of it.

So, it is cardinals that define the true start of spring to me, not robins. I know not why. It just is that way for me. I hope they come back soon though. When I saw the first two, yes two, a male and female, last spring, I was delighted. Then we got one heck of a snowstorm. It was quite a pasting. (We will probably still get one last shellacking before winter is truly gone this year.)  Funny enough, these guys did not disappear. They were around the yard during the lighter parts of the storm and were back right after. Last year we had quite a lot of activity from them; the greatest yet. I am hoping for even more this year.

the bamboo steamer

This not about the cooking implement, but about something in my bedroom.

No, it is not something obscene or suggestive.

It is a mattress topper.

This one is made out of bamboo.

We had one already made of cotton and it was okay, but it did not really add that puffiness as promised and it was off the bed half the time when it went in to the wash and we would forget to put it back on.

Anyway, one of my sisters-in-law (I have four) gave us a mattress topper for Christmas. It looked really nice.

It was thicker than the cotton one, it had that unbleached tone that I like. You know, that off-white beige tone. I really like it. 

I wish I could get kitchen appliances in that colour. I think it is often called "linen", but it is not really.

The first sheet change after Christmas we put it on. It looked very promising.

That night as I lay down, I remarked at how much cushier the bed was. We have a futon that is very firm. We did not lose that firmness, but a lovely layer of softness topped it. Hence, mattress topper, I guess.

Then, when I woke up I noticed I was really warm. The kind of warm when you are not sure if you are coming down with something or not. It gives me that "I do not want to get out of bed feeling" because I am super cosy.

Well, it was almost too cosy. Now, do not get me wrong, I love that feeling of warmth in the morning, but I was on the cusp of breaking in to a sweat.

The wife said she did not notice any difference. Then a couple of nights later she did. She said she was quite warm. I know. Almost too warm. I know. Is it too warm? I do not know.

Anyway, when sheet change time came again, we put the other one on. It was great, we did not have to wash the topper that was on the bed first, as we had another one that was clean and ready to go.

Go to bed.

Aw man. No cushiness. No super warm feeling.

Next sheet change, on went the bamboo one from the sister-in-law. Cushy and warm.

Almost too warm.

Hey wait?...

Bamboo...

Almost too warm...

Almost sweating...

Kind of of like steaming...

The bamboo steamer!

I do not think we can use it in the summer because we will be too warm. Probably hot.

I also normally like to sleep cool, but the wife likes to sleep super warm normally. So, I have adapted somewhat after being together nearly thirty years and married for over fifteen years.

I quite like that almost too warm feeling now.

I love my bamboo steamer.

Thanks sis!

not the bamboo steamer i was talking about

but i think i need to get one of these now to complete the ensemble

(courtesy gluttonize)

cooking - scratch curry (sort of)

So, we often have curry on Sundays for supper. Usually, we use a Patak's or Sharwood's sauce, or if we can find it, Kitchens of India Aloo sauce. Sometimes I use Glico Japanese curry. I prep the vegetables and meat (if using), fry up and add the sauce and simmer.

Before I start any of the curries, I will get my rice started. It can sit on the stove while I cook the rest of the meal. Normally, my method, 4 cups water to 2 cups basmati. Boil the water, reduce heat to low, add some canola oil and sea salt, then the rice. Cook covered for fifteen minutes then check it. If still lots of water, then cook another five minutes and then off goes the element and cooks on residual heat.

my preferred brand of basmati rice

Tonight, I am using a Patak's Mango Chicken which will have: chicken (of course), onion, broccoli, and peppers (usually green sweet). For this one, I will fry the onions with some canola oil until soft and then add the chicken and "brown" it. Then I will add the broccoli for a few minutes and then the sauce and let it simmer. I also add a bit of water to the jar to get all the sauce out. If I thin out the sauce too much, then I add a bit of flour or corn starch to some cold water and blend it in to re-thicken. Near the end I will add the peppers so they do not get too soft. If I was using hot peppers, I would add them in near the start for the heat to blend in to the flavour.

mango chicken curry

The second dish tonight, which is usually veggie only, is a stock set of ingredients with little variation. Onion, fried up as above. Then I will add potatoes, which when pre-cut are placed in water to keep them fresh. I learnt a long time ago to cut the potato smaller than you would normally find in a restaurant dish, like soup size or a little bigger. I also learnt to add water to the cooking process so the potatoes soften. This works out really well when they are soaking. When most of the water is absorbed, I will add cauliflower and cook for a few minutes, then the sauce and simmer. Again, I add water to the jar as above. Near the end, sweet peppers. We love peppers of all kinds.  At the very end, I sometimes add some tomato. This selection of ingredients is from a dish we used to get at an Indian restaurant in Ottawa that the wife and I used to frequent, but has apparently gone downhill. This dish was Aloo Gobi. Normally, we use a mild curry sauce, but tonight it is an Aloo sauce from K of I. Sometimes, I may substitute sweet potatoes or yams and sometimes hot pepper or red shepherd pepper.

aloo gobi

As this week is going to be crazy with the boy in training at Ray's Reptiles Monday night, a Jamboree planning meeting and sword training Tuesday, Regular Scout meeting Wednesday, prepping for a winter camping trip on the weekend, I decided we needed more dishes so we can have enough for another meal this week to save time. I am also making another big batch of garbage can soup tomorrow for the same reason.

So, the first extra dish is tandoori chicken. We were in a grocery store a while back and they were dumping pre-seasoned tandoori chicken thighs. We bought a few packs and froze them. Normally, I would make it myself, but I have this convenient ready-to-go stuff, so some time saved. I will place it in the oven when I start the rice and there you go: easy-peasy.

super-cheap, reduced price, tandoori chicken

The second and final extra dish is closer to a scratch dish than the others. I will start with onions as the other two dishes as well as garlic sliced julienne style. I often use garlic like a vegetable. It will also have fresh grated ginger that I grated on a rasp I got at Lee Valley Tools. I will then add yams prepared like the potatoes above (going in to tomorrow's soup too). 

As a sauce base, I will use condensed tomato soup. You can also use any condensed cream soup, such as chicken, celery, or mushroom. You can also use plain yoghurt or sour cream (real sour cream, like 14% fat, not the no-fat garbage). This one will also have zucchini (also going in tomorrow's soup) and the stems from the broccoli and cauliflower. Finally, I will finish it with green peppers as the other two sauce dishes. 

As it is cooking, I will taste and season. After curry powder, possible seasonings include: ground cumin, ground white pepper, cayenne powder, flaked chile peppers, paprika, turmeric, and if needed granulated garlic, onion, and powdered ginger (I will have to see if I can find it granulated somewhere). Sometimes, I will use real chile powder like ancho or new mexican. This one will take longer than the other two, so it will be started before them. I will also add water as necessary.

fixins' for "scratch" curry

With the rice, this will provide two meals this week and still enough leftovers to make some lunches for the wife. Round it out with some naan bread to sop up extra sauce and we will be eating like the Raj.

naan, from costco, it freezes well and comes with its own zip-bag

Yes, I know, not really scratch dishes, but way better than any pre-made junk found in the freezer section. As a note, other veggies I use in curries include: string beans, snow peas, snap peas, leafy greens like kale or chard, turnips, carrot, beets, parsnips, other green tops like carrot, beet, radish, and the like. The root vegetables work really well with the Japanese curry pastes. 

Some other additions I add are chickpeas (usually, as a main ingredient), almonds (usually slivered), raisins (I prefer green raisins or golden), dried apricots, and sunflower seeds. You could probably add other dried fruit, nuts, or seeds. I once added mushrooms by accident, I prepped for a stir-fry inadvertently; not a preferred ingredient for me, but it was not too bad in the end; dried mushrooms ground in to powder would probably add an earthy quality. 

For meats, you can use any poultry (leftover turkey is great, Patak's used to make a sauce just for this in the UK), beef, lamb, goat. I have even used pork, but you will not find such a dish in any South Asian restaurant that I know of. You could even use TVP or firm tofu, but freeze it first for better results.

What are waiting for? Grab a jar of sauce next time you are in the grocery store and wandering down the "international food" aisle. Better yet, you probably have a can of Campbell's cream of chicken kicking around and long forgotten curry powder in the back of your cupboard. Give it a try.

scout truck rally

So, the boy's Scout Truck Rally was today. The youth get a kit they have to assemble. They can configure it like a regular truck, make it an outrageous fantasy truck, or anything in between.

all the trucks lined up

The boy?  He picked a pyramid shape for the trailer and sharp angles everywhere. Let me tell you, the pyramid is probably the most awkward shape possible. We had to build wedges to hold the panels in place. The idea was that it was going to be a missile truck. Unfortunately, the work took longer than expected and the Scouts did not set enough time aside to put the detailed work necessary. 

various scout trucks, the boy's is #17

One truck was still being assembled while the racing began. In the end he only entered in the design portion and not the racing. Good thing. He had a small bottle of Coke mounted on the trailer bed. He gave it a test run after the racing was done. When it hit the stop, the bottle flew off. Pretty sure it would have exploded in one of its initial ten heats if he raced it.

the boy's truck waiting for competitors, that is scouter rob in the tan

Anyway, back to the boy. We got his truck finished, painted, wheels mounted, all the that good stuff. I want to put a tip of the hat to Scouter Shane and Scouter Nic for all the work they did with the Scouts to get everything done on time. Also, Scouter Rob from the Cub Scout Pack. He trucked our race tracks to three different races over two weekends. Thanks guys!!

Back to the boy again. He raced his ten heats. He had an Even-Steven Truck. The first heat he finished third, the next three second, then first and the rest second. So, by virtue of the scoring he could not qualify in the top eighteen trucks, unless of course a truck dropped out. None did, but he did not mind. He did not win the design portion, but he did not mind. There were some pretty wild designs.

Everyone had fun, it was a good day.

coming down the track, #17 in the middle

advice - from my friend james

So, my friend James put out a concept to me one day. He said he generally does not buy the top-of-the-line. Also, he does not buy the cheapest product either.

He buys the second cheapest. His reasoning: the cheapest is, well the cheapest. It will be of the lowest quality. The second cheapest will be of a higher quality. And in this day and age, many products are not built to last, so why buy the so-called best.

His example at the time was a jacket he had purchased. He did a bunch of research online and looked at many jackets. He decided on one near the bottom of the cost scale, but not at the very bottom. At the time, he had that jacket for at least five years I believe. He knew any jackets of a lower cost, would mean much lower quality. He surmised those cheaper jackets may not even last a whole year. Now he did not expect the jacket he bought to last as long as it had already, but it showed no signs of failing. In fact, I thought it was new.

Why does James generally avoid top shelf items? His logic was that you cannot improve quality beyond a certain point. When you get to the top line items, you are often paying for just a name or style. Plus, he said he was a cheapskate. Being a cheapskate myself, I was intrigued.

Having been in the military and now the Scouting movement and trying to be as much of an outdoors person I can be, I have come across a lot of outdoor gear. Much of it is absolute crap. Much of it is overpriced. Much of it is both. Some of it is well made and very expensive. Less is well made and reasonably priced.

As a result, there is gear out there I want, but priced out of my budget. Also, if it is priced affordably, it is often poorly made.

So, using James' method, I started looking at outdoor equipment differently. It also helped that at one time I was into stereo equipment and was always seeking that real-life sound quality. Fortunately, for me, I never could really afford that type of equipment. Having been in the military and using various firearms and also very loud artillery pieces, my appreciation for that type of sound can no longer be met.

Upon reflection and remembering what other stereo-heads discussed about sound quality, I remember our general conclusion was that at the time, in the 1980s, after about $2000-$3000, you are just throwing money at the idea of better sound. For one, unless you are in a totally enclosed environment, you will always have outside factors affecting your sound quality.  Also, the quality of the tracks you are playing will affect your quality and so many other factors.

As a result, I went the way of the all-in-one stereo system. For a couple of hundred bucks I could listen to my tunes and make mixed tapes and not worry about my speaker cones absorbing moisture, or my cable contact points oxidising,  or dust on the heads or needles, or if the CD was AAD or DDD. Who cares, I can still listen to what I like and enjoy it. Sure, maybe I cannot sit in a sofa-chair and be blown away, but music is music.

Now, back to outdoor gear. I have been searching for near on three decades for a waterproof, windproof, breathable jacket. Most of the ones I have come across over the years are several hundred dollars. The cheapest I ever found was $300, most are about $500 or more. My problem is that I want a jacket with a lot of pockets, a removable or stowable hood, and not in some crazy-assed bright colour or black. For years I was satisfied with old military coats and ponchos, but it can be awkward if you are very active while wearing a poncho.

So, all the jackets I have come across have never met all the requirements, except a couple of times. However, I am not paying $600 for a jacket to wear in the woods. My tuxedo did not cost that much. Then, one day, I was in an outdoor store in Ottawa and came a cross a jacket that was very much like the one I bought for the boy a couple of years previously.

It was waterproof, windproof, breathable (which after a certain point of exertion, no longer happens), an earth-tone green colour, and the hood was stowable. The downside, only two pockets. The upside, it was on sale for about sixty smackers - discontinued, old stock. I could hear James in my ear saying, "Buy the second cheapest jacket you can find. Time for compromise." In a voice like Obi-Wan Kenobi.

I realised I may never find the jacket I want without paying a bomb. So, using James' "First Theory Of Cheapskatedness", I bought the jacket. I usually layer my clothes when outdoors, giving me extra pockets and I usually have some kind of pack, satchel, or pouch on me too. I decided extra pockets on the jacket were superfluous. I am also coming back around to the concept of ponchos. Next time I am in the States, I am going to seek out a US military poncho. Ponchos worked in the past, and I am sure they will work again. I am not running a steeplechase or fighting zombies while wearing one. If a poncho is good enough for John D. McCann, it is good enough for Mrs. Kaminski's little boy too.

Plus, I have a couple of ponchos in my gear from over twenty years ago that were packed for emergencies. One I used to make a Johnny Rambo costume. Being a cheapskate, I will pull them out and do some field tests.

how i went for hallowe'en one year

except for his dark hair, we could be brothers 

(courtesy heritage auctions)

One more example. I like sporks for camping. You can eat anything with a spoon, but a spork makes some dining tasks easier. I once ate a steak out of a canteen cup with a spoon and my field knife. I had a plastic spork for years in my lunch bucket when I worked construction, but it finally gave up the ghost. I could not find another one. However, there are all kinds of metal ones. Many are poorly designed, many of low quality material, and many are expensive. Some are all three. So, I tracked down one that fit the bill. It is made by Sea To Summit and it is a copy of the Optimus Long Titanium Spoon. All they did was modify the end to include tines and made it out of aluminium instead.

It cost about $10 taxes in. Expensive you say. Well, there are many poorly designed ones that cost upwards of thirty bones that are made by companies with respectable names in the outdoor gear world. So, a bit of an extravagant item perhaps, but a very handy one in the bush, especially when eating out of ration packs. Again, I did not buy the most expensive, nor did I buy the cheapest.

It is amazing how often I apply James' theorem in my daily life. I use it especially for books I want to purchase. However, I have modified James' dictum somewhat. I have applied something I read in one of John McCann's books, Build the Perfect Survival Kit. He states that he " always felt that you should spend as much as you can afford on components..." and that you should "determine a budget for your kit." Mr. McCann is referring to survival gear specifically, but this applies to everything really.

I have added one more modification. Just because something is from a reputable company, does not mean the product itself will be reliable. I commented on this in an earlier post, sometimes good companies go bad. They often design, build, and market products for mass consumption without concern for the purpose it is supposed to be intended for. Do not buy it for looks or reputation. Buy it for the task it is intended for.

Just as I do not buy $200 hiking boots for the boy as they will fit him for no longer than a year, I help him choose something that should last at least until he outgrows them and be of adequate quality to not fall apart on the trail.

So, to roll it all in together: 

1) Do not buy the most expensive product, as you are often buying perceived improvements over the competition.

2) Do not buy the cheapest product, as well it is the cheapest and it is almost always reflected in the quality.

3) Set a budget and buy the best product that you can afford.

4) Know what you are buying, do not blindly follow a brand because it met your expectations in the past.

5) Finally, buy the product to fulfil the task it is intended for.

Oh, by the way. That jacket I bought? I have had it for over three years now and it still looks new.

cats! - other people's cats

So, for the last two days I wrote about my cats. Now long gone. I have a few more cat comments to make before we leave this subject.

In the whole time I have known my best friend he has had two cats. The first was Boots. He was an a-hole. No one could go near him. He would just look at you with what seemed a sneer. Basically, your typical snotty cat. Boots personified why I do not see myself as a cat person.

His other cat, Morty, is still young. A couple years old I believe. He is better, but skittish. When I visit, It normally takes him a full day to come out and approach me. He often hides in the couch. Yes, in the couch. He has apparently burrowed himself a hidey-hole. When he does finally come out he is usually quite friendly. But again, this is why I am not a cat person. Our animal friends should be gregarious and approachable.

The neighbour, who looks after various creatures, currently has two cats. Sam (or Sammy) and Boo. They are not too bad. Every now and again, when they go away, the neighbours not the cats, ask us to feed them, the cats not the neighbours. Sammy can be quite distant and snooty. That is until he realises you are feeding him. Then he is your best buddy. He rubs all over your legs and lets you pet him. All that good stuff, but it comes with a bribe.

It is funny with him because he roams in our backyard. No problem. I do not chase him away or yell at him. In fact I speak to him with a calm voice, but he usually takes off when he sees me. Again, your typical "that is why I am not a cat person" result.

Boo, on the other hand, is more approachable. He keeps his distance at first, until he figures out you are it, no one else is coming today. Then he meets you at the door and lets you pet him and he checks you out and all that. A fairly friendly cat.

The neighbour used to have a cat named Mew. He was like a little friendly footstool. You would come to the door and he would get all excited and when you came in the door he would greet you with meows and leg rubbings. Then he would lead you to the kitchen. He knew why you were there and figured you might as well get it over with I guess. It was really funny. He would meow and take a couple of steps and then look back and meow and do it again a bunch of times. It was as if he was saying: "Come on, follow me, the food's through here. Thanks for coming." He would almost seem dejected that you were leaving, but when you came back it was the same routine. Mew had a lot of character to say the least. I would nominate him as one of the all-time great cats.

One other cat I will mention was one that a friend told me about. I do not know all of the details, just that if you pissed this cat off for any reason, he would take a dump in your shoe. And he would do it in such a way that you would not see it. You would only discover it after you put the shoe on your foot. This was not a one-off situation. This cat did it all the time. My friend said that she pretty much knew when the cat was going to do it. She always checked her shoes, even if she did not piss the cat off. Just in case. Now this cat had character, but what a spiteful bastard. This one goes down as one of the most sinister cats I have ever heard of.

I have to cut it here as I am calling around to try to rent a vehicle for our trip to the Canada Jamboree this summer. These car rental companies are something else. There really are only a few car rental companies as they all own each other. I guess to make it look like there is competition, but there really is not any. It is really hard to get a vehicle that will seat eight people and I have yet to find any that you can get with a trailer hitch. It is going to be very interesting getting our gear to Nova Scotia, let me tell you.

Anyway, just to conclude about cats. I am not a cat person, but I have an affinity for cats. That I admit, but I hate those distant cold ones that seem to hate everything around them. If they are friendly and approachable, I do not mind them. I can even enjoy their company. If they are loaded with character or even just loopy, I will take them over any moronic dog that just knows how to bark, eat, and crap. But, I am thinking of getting a dog. They do make great companions in the bush. The mutt is going to have to be gregarious and full of personality though.

cats! - george

So, the other cat I had was named George. However, he did not begin his life on this planet with that name. His original name was Tia, after the liqueur: Tia Maria. I decided it was an unfortunate name for a cat, especially a male cat. So, à la Looney Tunes, I named him George. I felt it was appropriate as my first cat was named Sylvester.

the drink george was originally named after (courtesy lcbo.com)

George came to join us when I was away for the weekend. The wife had mentioned that a friend of hers had a cat that they could no longer keep as her daughter had developed allergies to cats. My response to that was that it was all good and well, but I did not want another cat and that we were away often enough that it would be a pain to take him in.

i will name him george, and i will hug him, and pet him, and squeeze him

The wife said he was thirteen years old and that he had a year or two left tops. Still, I said no. The wife said he was the type of cat that kept to himself. Great, I am not fond of snooty cats. No. But you're a cat person. No, actually I am not. I like some cats, like Sylvester. And I like big cats, especially cheetahs, cougars (related to cheetahs), jaguars, and leopards. Especially, snow leopards and clouded leopards. 

So, when I came back, the cat was there. Good thing we agreed on taking him in.

So, my introduction to Tia was him hiding under our bed and refusing to come out. Originally, Tia was a barn cat allegedly descended from great mousers. The friend took him in and made him an indoor only cat. In an apartment. A highrise apartment. Several stories up.

looking for a way out

I looked under the bed and caught a glimpse of this long haired black cat with brown highlights. I looked at the wife and said his name was George. I have a habit of renaming animals. The neighbour boards various animals and when I see them in his yard, I give them names based on behaviour or appearance or what-have-you. He recently had a German Shepherd puppy named Nash, short for Nashville (I think), I renamed him Schnitzel. Another dog, Sparky, is now Knucklehead. A golden lab, whose name I cannot recall, is variable Humpy or Barky. Several visitors are called Moron.

Anyway, George eventually came out and used the litter box and ate, but I never really saw him for at least the first week he was with us. Being a long hair, he coughed up a lot of hairballs. They were long and tubular and they looked like little turds when I first encountered them. In fact, I thought he was taking dumps all over the apartment. In the beginning, I chased him all over trying to discipline him. Then, one day, I actually saw him ralph one up. I stopped chasing him around and just cleaned it up. Just like I cleaned his litter box, and cleaned his food dishes, and fed him, and brushed him, and...

Oh yeah, just remembered. He had lousy aim. He missed the litter box constantly. Both the wife and I, more than once, would step in to a puddle in the middle of the night or early morning. We eventually developed an unconscious ability to step in to the bathroom in a manner to avoid the potential puddles. We still did it for years after George was gone and sometimes we still look down to see if the floor is wet, even though he never lived in the house we are in now.

he liked to sit by the window and watch the buses go by

Back to our regular program. Well, he eventually became my cat. As I said, I took care of his litter, feeding, brushing. I taught him to beg and fed him scraps. He could not quite get the hang of giving paw, as Sylvester learnt (probably from the dog actually), but he would sit and then he would get a treat, usually some meat off my plate.

I could not bear to keep him inside. So, we let him onto our little porch. He never took off, but he actually caught several birds and brought them in to the house. Alive. More than once, the wife or I had to capture these birds with a pillow case or box and release them. Much to George's consternation. He wounded one once and we nursed it back to health and released it. Again, to the cat's consternation.

keeping an eye out for those tasty birds

Eventually, we bought and moved to a townhouse with a postage-stamp sized backyard. I blocked off the bottom of the fence to keep George from wandering out in to the street and getting himself squashed. Well, that did not work. He got out and he survived, so we let him roam. He hung around the complex and had a few choice spots where he would sit regally and survey his empire.

He was not a particularly tough cat, but he generally kept out of trouble and normally kept the other cats around at bay. He seemed to work out an arrangement with a tribe of grey squirrels I had taken to feeding. These guys kept the nastier black nuisances out of our flowerbeds and they did not dig up our tiny garden either.

Anyway, George had lived well beyond the one ore two years tops he was suppose to last. He was with us for eight years. He was twenty-one when we had no choice but to put him down. He had trouble walking, he hardly ate, he became very inactive. So, we called up a Vet that would come to the house that would give him an injection and put him to sleep permanently. 

I told people I assassinated the cat. Well, I paid someone to kill him. I guess it was my way of dealing with losing another cat that I came to see as a friend. Incidentally, as with Sylvester, the Vet said that George's kidneys had shut down and they were probably not functioning properly for maybe as long as a year.

his majesty, in all his glory

So, even though I do not consider myself a cat person, I have had two great cats. Sylvester was one of the all-time great cats ever. George? He was a great cat, not at first for sure, but eventually, he was. An all-time great cat, I would like to think so, even though compared to Sylvester, he was high maintenance. He certainly was cool and entertaining at times.

see ya buddy

I like to think George, Sylvester, and Duchess are chilling together somewhere with Sylvester giving the two of them the odd smack to smarten up every now and again.

Tomorrow, the third and final instalment of Cats! (vol. 1).

cats! - sylvester

Cats are funny. Many often have no time for people. Except of course when they want something. A scratch behind the ears. To go outside. Something to eat. Then they can be your best friend. So, why do people get cats?

I, myself, have had two cats. The first, was one of the great cats of all-time. His name was Sylvester. However, he looked nothing like the cat of Looney Tunes fame. He was a grey on grey striped cat. We found him on the couch on our porch. (Yes, we had a couch on our porch. It was covered and sheltered from the elements.) He had a deep gash in his hip. It appeared someone tried to stab and kill him. We felt bad for his situation and fed him and gave him some milk. He kept coming back and eventually he joined our family. 

not my cat (courtesy looney tunes wiki)

He moved with us twice. It was funny, we moved in March and every year he would disappear for a week or two at about the time we moved. I figured he travelled back to his old stomping grounds. Which was funny, as we originally lived in the East End of Hamilton and we moved to the East Mountain. The two houses are about 6 km (almost 4 mi) apart and are separated by the escarpment. Yet, I am sure to this day, that is what he did.

my cat

He was huge and nearly feral. I researched what kind of cat he might have been. I determined he was a European Wildcat. It was eminently possible as Hamilton has a freshwater harbour and receives ships from all over the world. I determined he either was a pet on a European freighter or stowed on a ship and made landfall in my hometown and never returned to the ship for whatever reason.

ever vigilant, the cat waking up while trying to snap a photo

Our house was only 4 km (2½ mi) from the harbour. So, it is very possible. He was one tough bugger. Surviving that stab wound. He ruled the neighbourhood. Cats, dogs, birds, squirrels, and small children knew not to mess with him. One time, our dog, Duchess, was chilling on the porch and some new cat to the neighbourhood came on the porch and started hassling her. Well, Sylvester came out of nowhere and smacked (yes, smacked) this cat and sent it flying. He then turned around and gave a shot to the dog. It was as if to say: What are you doing? Only I can push you around. Smarten up! It was funny.

the dog, duchess

Like the dog, Sylvester bonded to me more than anyone else in the family. Even if everyone in the house was up and about in the morning and I was still in bed, he would come in to my room and sit on my chest and put his face right up to mine and start purring. He wanted breakfast and wanted me to get it. I guess I was his pet more than he was mine.

snoozing in one of his favourite spots, again he wakes up while taking a picture

He and the dog were awesome. At night, the cat would sleep on my head and Duchess would sleep across my legs. It was an acrobatic art getting up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and get back into bed.

When he wanted in, Sylvester would sit in my bedroom window and meow and beat on the pane. I would open the window and he would come in. If I was anywhere else in the house he would find me and meow and bang on that window. The best was when I was in the kitchen. The kitchen window was basically ten feet up from the ground with no way to get to it. Or so I thought. He would get on that window sill and do his thing. I eventually saw him actually run up the wall and pop himself onto the sill. He knew I could not open that window to let him in, so he would then run down the wall and hop on to the ground and go to the door after he got my attention and I made for the door.

another failed attempt to photograph the cat sleeping while napping on warm dryer clothing

Playing with him was combat. I had to put on a heavy work glove as the bugger had big, sharp teeth and all his claws. I swear, he tried to rip my hand apart. It was loads of fun. He also would climb in our pine trees in the front of the house and hunt birds and knock out nests for fun. More than once I would see him on either the roof of the garage or the house wandering around. He would leap from one roof to the other. I never quite figured out how he got up there though, it would have been challenging.

When the dog and I would go for hikes in and around the escarpment (and apparently around Buttermilk Falls, I never knew what they were called back then), the cat would follow us. He would trail behind us and sometimes across the road. I think he was keeping an eye on us to make sure we were okay. A few times when we came back out of the bush, he would be lounging in some bushes, acting all nonchalant, and return home with us. As I said, one of the all-time great cats.

We had him for nearly twenty years and went to the Veterinarian only twice the whole time we had him. The first time, he had been with us about sixteen years and the Vet asked how old he was. I said at least eighteen as he was full grown when he came to us. I told the Vet also that he was mainly an outdoor cat. Really? Yes. Really?? Yes. Well,in that Vet's experience, most outdoor cats live one year to eighteen months before some tragedy would befall them. Two years tops. Well, not this guy. The Vet also confirmed that it was very possible Sylvester was a European Wildcat. She felt my theory on how he came to Canada was credible and that these Wildcats will domesticate to a certain extent and they were known to interbreed with "house" cats. I will tell you too, that Vet was a little afraid of Sylvester. Many people were.

yet again, i cannot catch him sleeping

The second time he went to the Vet, was the last time he went anywhere. I was living in Ottawa, attending university, and a friend, Joe, who was living at our house and helping take care of the cat, was coming up to Ottawa for the weekend. Before he left he wanted to make sure the cat was alright, even though Sylvester could last for days on his own outside, especially in the summer as it was July. 

Well, Joe went searching for Sylvester. He found him in the cedars by the side of the driveway, one of his favourite spots to lounge. Immediately, Joe knew something was not right. Sylvester was listless and almost totally unresponsive. Joe got in close and saw little bugs flying around the cat's face. They were apparently flying in and out of the cat's mouth. Sylvester was still alive though. 

He picked him up and as Joe said, he weighed nothing. He then took the cat to the Vet. The Vet said that the cat was dying, should already be dead in fact, but had days left at the most. Also, Sylvester's kidneys had shut down. He probably did not have proper functioning kidneys for the last year. Well, Joe made the decision to put him to sleep. The correct and only decision really.

Why did Sylvester not go off in to the woods to expire as I figured he would, being the kind of cat he was, a wild cat. I think he wanted to make sure we knew he was leaving this world and did not want us searching for him. Remember, he always kept an eye on me when I went for hikes.

perhaps we will meet again old friend

I certainly miss that tough bugger. He definitely was one of the all-time greatest cats. Period.

I will fill you in on my other cat, George, tomorrow.

support fundraising

This will be a short post as I am exhausted and I smell like a giant doughnut. We were at the Kars Family Fun Day. Wonderful people there organising and running the days events.

It was not a big crowd, it is tough, as the holiday today is a provincial one and not federal, and Ottawa being the capital, many people are federal employees.

Anyway we sold about sixty-three elephant ears. So, we raised $315 . Sounds like a lot right. Well, when it is divided amongst ten people who are going to the Jamboree, it becomes a lot less. Most of these types of fundraising efforts raise between $250-$500. 

We have a low-ball estimate of $1500 per participant to attend the Jamboree. So, three to six fundraising events will cover the cost of only one person. Of course no one expects to get to the Jamboree without paying something out of their own pocket, but fundraising is part of these types of activities.

So, when you see a Scout, or a Guide, or a Cadet, or some kind of sports team trying to raise money, give them a hand. Help them out. It really blows to spend your whole day basically begging people to support your cause and get barely enough to justify the effort.

Do no pretend you do not see them or hear them. That is just downright rude and insulting. Do not say you will catch them on the way out and then try to slip by them without being seen. That too, is offensive. Help them out, blow five bucks on the stupid doodad or, as in our case, that delicious snack. Give them some of that change floating in your pocket.

If you do not want to support their efforts, then be upfront and honest. If anybody doing fundraising wanted a song and dance, they would go see a show. Fortunately, we did not encounter any of this today.

Fundraising is tough. Remember that next time someone asks for your support. And do not be a cheapskate.  Thank-you in advance for your support to any and all youth activities and organisations.

i hate baking

I do really hate baking. Well, sort of, kind of. Actually, I do not mind baking so much. What I hate is the anal-retentive nature of the directions of baking. But not all of it is. You will often see measurements such as a pinch, or scant, or heaping. Really, for all the exactitude that baking leads one to believe is necessary, the more I realise: na-ah.

What baking is, is the snobbiest of the culinary arts. Talk to people who bake a lot. They can be very snooty. These dilettantes also truly believe baking is a science that requires exactitude. Sort of. When I do bake, I am hardly meticulous about my measurements. 

The baked goods turn out fine and tasty enough. I have never killed anyone or sent them to the hospital to get their stomach pumped. Cooking real food, that is food that provides nutrients, is a lot more forgiving and free flowing. Soufflés excepted.

The worst of it is that it is a very time demanding pursuit. Letting dough rise, letting dough rest, blah, blah, blah. Also the mixing blows. Most baking recipes make assumptions you know what you are doing in the first place; while real cooking often tells you what that weird instruction actually means.  I had to look up what "creaming butter" actually meant; I was going to add milk when it did not get creamy. Yeah, not happening. Oh, it got creamed, but by my means. Just like add: 3 very whipped eggs. Really? I am using a mixer, they will get whipped while I am creaming the butter. 

Why am I bitching about baking in the first place? Our Scouts who are going to the Canada Jamboree this summer have a fundraiser involving selling "elephant ears", aka beaver tails. So, I made seven batches of dough today to break up tomorrow morning and fry in oil at the Kars Family Fun Day in the afternoon. 

It it also our annual Baden-Powell banquet this Wednesday and I drew dessert. Easy, so I thought. I decided to do four different cookies. You know what, they are pretty much all the same I now realise after making them. Sure, they are not identical, but close enough. Some, batches required resting though.

chocolate chip cookies from my first batch of cookie dough

You know what though, I am going to figure out which recipe is the easiest and just change things like chocolate chips, or dried fruit, or shape, or adding cinnamon, or glazing, or throwing in oats, or whatever. Baking cookies, like Groundhog Day, is a scam.

drop cookies with chocolate chips, basically the same as the first batch, but twice as easy and twice as many cookies

Truly though, my hat is doffed to those who bake and share. It does eat up a lot of time. Now I know why when my mum baked she baked lots over a few days. You get a rhythm and you can make bigger batches.

So, I just finished two different batches in three tranches in the oven. The next batch was supposed to be Belgium cookies: two layers with jam in the middle, glazed on top, and a piece of candied fruit on top of that. Na-ah. Just making simple, single layer cookies now. I have yet another batch of more complicated cookies and a roast to make to today.

batch number three, what a bitchy batch to roll out

After baking cookie batch number three, what a pain to roll the dough out, under counsel of the wife, I have decided to bake the last batch of cookies tomorrow. Over six hours handling dough, I have had enough. Plus I still need to cook that roast and make a ton of elephant ears tomorrow.

seven batches of elephant ears in my fridge waiting to be made and one batch of cookies i am dreading to bake

At least I have cracked the code. There are only a couple/few basic doughs for cookies and bread doughs are mostly the same, something I figured out years ago. I will confirm these basic cookie doughs and use them as my base from now on. It will be less time consuming and more relaxing, like when I cook food that sustains life. At least the cookies taste good and my taste-tester is still alive and not being rushed to the hospital.

the roast with potatoes waiting to go in the oven