Elk Island National Park - Beaver Pond Trail

We missed a weekly hike after our trip to Cooking Lake earlier this month – my runner’s knee flared up and I wasn’t confident that it was feeling well enough to risk another hike. Both Mom and I suffered for not getting out into nature – by the end of that week, both of us were feeling out of sorts and depression was sinking in. Fortunately, despite an already busy weekend, we managed to get out this past Saturday morning for a final trip out to Elk Island National Park.

We wanted to finish the group of trails we had originally planned on doing this summer within the park – you might remember we had to bail on our previous attempt at the Beaver Pond trail due to hordes of mosquitos. Not a single mosquito this time! It helped that it was very windy and chilly out (we both wore hoodies/coats and even brought gloves and toques just in case!). Autumn has definitely arrived.

Beaver Pond trail is fairly easy with only minimal hills; with a distance of approx. 2.5 miles it took us just over an hour. You get some wonderful views of the ponds/sloughs/marsh areas and there is definitely beaver activity! We didn’t see any active wildlife other than some ducks and we heard a few geese getting ready to fly south for the winter. Similar to the other trails in the park, the pathways are not very wide – basically enough room to walk single file with an occasional wider spot to walk side by side. Personally I love it because it makes you feel closer to nature and like you’re definitely in the wild.

We saw a number of people on the trail this time around – maybe Saturdays are busier? However we also took time before the hike to do the Bison Loop and saw A TON of bison. There was also a number of solo bison hanging out in number of spots along the road so we ended up starting our hike later than usual.

That’s likely it for us in terms of hikes to Elk Island this year. As our pass has expired we have to pay the daily rate and that could start to get expensive so the last few we’ll do this week will be in some of the Provincial Parks or recreation areas. Still lovely and plenty of nature to hang out with!

 

Cooking Lake-Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area

This week's installment of my weekly hike series takes us to Cooking Lake-Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area. We opted to start at the Islet Lake staging area. Note that this PRA has 4 different staging areas or entrances: Central, Islet, Waskehegan, and Blackfoot. All the trails however are interconnected and you can travel all over thru a plethora of combinations.

As with most of the trails we've visited this summer, the trails are wide and very well maintained. Mosquitos were at a minimum although we did get a few bites each by the time we finished up.

We strted on the High Line trail, crossed over towards the lake on the Middle trail and then back to the staging area via the Lost Lakes trail. All total we hiked about 5KM. A bit longer than we originally had planned but a lovely walk nonetheless.

Very little wildlife (other than a few loud kayakers. There were plenty of times where we stopped and realized we hadn't heard any birds or chipmunks for quite a while.

Not much in the way of berries along the path we took either - no raspberries to be found, nor any bear berries. However, I did come across these luscious looking gems which made me think of the choke cherries we used to eat when we'd roam the woods as kids. Mmmm, choke cherries.... 

I'm guessing the reason we didn't see many berries was because, as the signs warned us when we entered, we were in bear country.

A bit of wetlands along the way but mainly forest (at least along the trails we took).

Mind you, the view at the end is certainly worth the wait (despite the blue green algae).

Strathcona Wilderness Centre

Its Sunday which means a new Hiking post! But first a garden update. We're not going full force ahead with our balcony garden until next summer but we did try out a couple of things this year including radishes. I can report that after quickly sprouting despite Hudson's best attempt to disrupt our attempt at planting, my radishes have done ... Sweet Fuck All. Nothing, Nada. Zip. Zilch. I ended up pulling them all and will dump the dirt next weekend. So disappointing but I am eager to try again next year. Ok, onto the report...

This week, Mom and I headed out to the Strathcona Wilderness Centre for our weekly hike. We had visited there last year and were happy to try out a new to us trail. Now, we're early risers and like to try and get out in the wilderness first thing in the morning - and I mean FIRST thing. However, unlike most places we hike, the SWC doesn't open until 9:00am each morning. We had not bother to look up operating times as we had completely forgotten this from last year. Fortunately for us, the person working at the visitor information centre was opening the gate when we arrived at 8:30 and very kindly let us in. 

After a quick potty break, off we went. It was nice and cool for the first time in it seems like forever with a fantastic cool breeze. The sun was shining brightly but the cooler temps made for a perfect morning. We opted for one of their beginner trails, the Owl Loop which we combined with part of the Wagon Loop and a shortcut thru Coyote Run for a hike of 2.12 miles / 3.4 km. 

The trails are all very well maintained and very wide - 4-5 people could easily walk together along most of the trails without feeling squished together side by side. While the trails are groomed, they are mostly grass and clover with a few muddy patches (we finally got some rain!) which they occasionally cover with woodchips. 

The only wildlife we encountered on this hike were a bunch of little tiny frogs racing from one side of the trail to the other. We did hear a woodpecker and a squirrel but didn't see anything. We also only encountered 3 other people (all together) that were on a short hike from the lodge where they were staying. The perks of going early!!!! 

We also didn't see any bodies of water on our hike which is usally a must for us but the trail was lovely and we'll definitely keep it on our list of must do local hikes each year. So far all of our hikes have pretty much made this list. 

Near the end of our trail there was a side path and boardwalk that led to a spruce bog. Its part of a forest study and I think they use it as part of their kids programming. Once you get onto the boardwalk, the forest changes quickly an becomes darker, like something out of a horror movie. You almost expect a bunch of scantily clad teens to run past screaming as they try to escape the local maniac in a hockey mask. However, since the bog is filled with squirrel nests/warrens, some unlucky busty blonde would twist an ankle and quickly die a horrigle death. I digress......  The path leading you into the bog and onto the boardwalk though is lovely and sunny although a bit narrow. After spending an hour hiking the super wide trails, it was quite a switch.

Other than our feet getting completely soaked from the dew and remnants of rain, no complaints this week (not even any mosquito bites to report!)

Solo Hike

This morning I headed out for the weekly hike on my own. Mommikins signed up for the Edmonton Marathon's 10K road race today so she wasn't able to join our weekly jaunt into the wilderness. I contemplated staying home and tackling chores like laundry and cleaning but I knew, from a mental health perspective, that if I didn't go and commune with Mother Nature, I was likely not going to do well.

Rather than attempt a new to us trail, I stuck with something simple and not too far out there just in case. You can never be too careful as a solo hiker, especially a female one. So, I ended up at Beaver Hills Biosphere not so bright but certainly early this morning. Designated a UNESCO biosphere in 2016, Beaver Hills is about 40-45 minutes eastof Edmonton, just past Sherwood Park. The trail is approximately 2KM, with some gentle rolling hills but nothing difficult. Dogs are allowed but must be kept on leash.

We had done this hike last year when we first began exploring hiking spots near Edmotnon. It was very quiet this morning although I did hear a few ducks and the occasional squirrel letting his buddies there was a human in their midst. Not much in the way of wildlife to be seen this morning although I did encounter two adorable bunnies who bounded off into the bushes when I huffed and puffed my way towards them, and a squirrel who seemed as shocked to see me as I was to see him as I trundled around a bend in the trail. There was also a moth/butterfly type insect that flew into my chest and in very typical Canadian style, I apologized to it.

Typical of the areas we tend to frequent on our hikes, there were plenty of ripe wild raspberries to be found, as well as a couple of other berries I'm not familiar with but see all the time. If anyone knowns wht they are (upper right and lower left in the photo below) I'd be grateful. I think the berries in the lower left are bear berries - I came across some that were red but a lot that were white (unripe?). Additionally, the trail had tons of this lovely purple flower which I believe are smooth blue asters. If I'm wrong, feel free to correct me in the comments. 

The trail at Beaver Hills is well maintained and fairly wide; certainly wide enough for two people to walk side by side if you're walking or hiking with a friend. Its well marked and broken into smaller sections so for beginners the distances are too daunting. The signs are a bit dark compared to other parks/trails and blend well into the foilage, at least at this time of year. If you're not looking or paying attention, you might miss one. However, everyone sign tells you exactly where you are on the trail so its easy to figure out how much further to go, what's coming up next etc. 

There are also a couple of lookout spots where you can rest and take in the scenery. The first one, which veers off from the main trail is well worth the extra short distance to see it. While you can't tell from the picture below, there were a number of ducks on the far side of this pond/marsh/slough frolicking about (probably just regular duck business but it sounds more interesting to say frolicking). A great spot for a picnic lunch too if you're so inclined. 

Next week, its back to hiking with Mommikins and hopefully a regular blog feature. At least during the summer and fall months. 

Stay Frosty!

Once more, unto the breach...

Well, its August. If you follow the trend on this so-called blog, its the time of year where I decide to make a roaring comeback to posting on a regular basis... And I fail miserably. You simply need to look at the last two posts. Sheesh. So, here we go yet again. 

Let's catch up first. The COVID 19 pandemic continues despite almost everyone's "return to normal" and refusal to wear masks or take the smallest of precautions any longer. Mom and I still mask up on the bus, at the doctor/dentist, shopping, etc. Restaurants? Its a bit pointless, no? We still don't have large gatherings with friends or family and the people we do meet up with, we know they've been vaccinated so that gives us a bit of reassurance. One thing I am grateful for re: the current pandemic? The highlighting of mental health issues and a renewed focus taking care of yourself that it seems to have brought along with it. Both of these things have become part of my life in 2022. 

A couple of months ago, at the urging of my mom, I went to talk to my doctor about some issues I've been dealing with. I thought I had a good handle on life (all things considered over the past few years) while recognizing I have been becoming quicker to anger/getting angry or frustrated when dealing with even relatively minor issues at times. After a suprisingly VERY emotional conversation with my doctor, I have been diagnosed with anxiety. Medication has made an improvement and I am grateful for the accessibility (and health coverage) I have. Therapy is an option my doctor is encouraging but we've agreed it can be re-visited later. In the meantime, I am focusing on finding and focusing on activities and experiences that bring me joy and calm. 

Last year, Mom and I took weekend roadtrips near Edmonton to visit the province's "Big Things". This was a lot of fun but we've run out of "local" things to see (within 1-1.5 hours drive). We also started doing short hikes near Edmonton. I was mildly surprised at how much I enjoyed this activity last year and was really looking forward to starting up again this year. 

We've been heading out almost every Sunday morning (and the occasional Wednesday) for hikes at nearby parks, nature reserves and sanctuaries, and basically anywhere we can find a decent trail. The fresh air and exercise have been great - its good to feel sweaty and tired after pushing yourself. At the same time, I've found the peace, calm and relative solitude that my mind and soul have been so desperately needing for far too long. Sure we've had to fight off ravenous hordes of bloodthirsty mosquitos and sidestep steaming piles of bison poop but we've also seen deer, beavers, hundreds of ducks and other waterfowl, foxes, rabbits, and soooooooooooooooooo much green. Forest bathing or forest therapy has become a regular part of our lives and it has worked better than I think talk therapy ever could. Surrounded by trees, bushes, flowers, grasses... listening to the wind rustle through the leaves; the chirping of birds and the buzzing of insects. Just looking up into the branches reaching for that bright blue sky fills my heart and soul with so much joy I can't begin to describe it. 

So, STEP 1 in the return to blogging... I'm going to try and write more detailed updates on our weekly hikes here rather than trying to type the details into my phone where I make a ton of mistakes. This will allow me to go into more detail, post as many pics as I want and include links to trail maps or other items as needed. I'll still post on my Instagram account but there'll be a link to the blog in my bio that I'll refer people if they want more details. This should take us up until mid/late October depending on the weather and, of course, bear activity! 

STEP 2! Next year, Mom and I will be starting a balcony garden. Now, for those that know us, yes we alreay grow flowers and cat grass on our balcony. I'm talking about a vegetable garden on our balcony!!! Inspired by my friend Heather and her fabulous condo balcony garden, and my big brother who built a bunch of raised veggie beds in his backyard, not to mention the rising cost of just about everything, we thought we'd give it a try. We're in the planning process now, mainly focusing on how much space we have, where we'll put stuff where it will get the most sun and then we'll really hunker down over the winter to decide what we'd like to plant in the spring.

As for the winter? I'm not sure yet whether I'll blog much or what it would be about but I need to find something that comes close to bringing me the benefits I'm getting from our hiking over those long winter months. Preferrably something that doesn't require spending a lot of money... 

Stay frosty!

Update - Welcome Back?

Why do I keep bothering with this blog? I don't know but I keep coming back. I totally bombed the whole "blog the pandemic" thing. And to be honest my life just hasn't been interesting enough to share anything of note. Now that I'm back at my office and things are starting to return somewhat to pre-Covid norms here in Alberta, maybe I'll have more to share. In the meantime, why don't I give a little update on what HAS been happening in my life if anyone cares...

As you can see if you scroll through previous posts, we said goodbye to the beloved Nero in the early days of the pandemic. Many of my friends have experienced the same loss - was it the pandemic? Do we all just have pets around the same age and they've reached the end? Were there problems beyond our control? All of the above but its been a difficult year for many even without the issues of being locked inside and fearing the Skip The Dishes delivery person is going to cough on you.

We adopted quickly after losing Nero and welcomed the little fluffball of fury, Hudson. Well...he's grown. He's now a big fluffball of fury whose favourite pasttimes include chasing older brother Rocky around the house and whining incessantly to be let out into the back yard (we can thank Grannie Dawn for that behaviour!). 

Hudson and I spent a lot of time together over the last 10 months. He offered his services as my assistant to help when work got too much for me. That didn't work out so well. 

He tried to teach me how to relax but just ended up falling asleep in the weirdest positions. It made for cute pics on Instagram. 

He's definitely put on his own kitty version of the "Covid 19lbs" - Dr. Belinda says he's overweight! That didn't take long, did it? I don't know how I would have made it through this without him. Love. Love. Love.

To break up the boredom and get ourselves out of the house, Mommikins and I took a few road trips to see some of the "Big Things" in our part of Alberta. We headed to Fort Assiniboine and saw the World's Largest Wagon Wheel (and pick axe).

Other stops included the World's Largest Mallard Duck in Andrew, the Mundare Sausage, the World's Largest Mushroom in Vilna, the World's Largest Dragonfly in Wabamun, Donalda's claim to fame - the World's Largest Oil Lamp, and the World's Largest Fishing Lure in Lacombe.

And we did end up reaching Jasper as planned back in late September 2020 (FYI we're headed back again later this summer for some much needed mountain time!). While there we saw lots of elk and a couple of deer, ravens the size of small children, and very few tourists (for late summer in Jasper). The cabins we stayed at were right on the Athabasca River and this meant some incredible photos.

We even went canoeing for the first time and had an amazing time on Pyramid Lake. No wind, bright and sunshiny, no one else on the water which ended up as clear as glass. I have fallen in love with canoeing and I want one of my own but they're crazy expensive. Perhaps an inflatable boat for Mommikins and I to paddle around in?

We've gone for a few hikes around our city this summer but that's been put on hold due to forest fire smoke from surrounding provinces and repeated uncharacteristic heat warnings for our area that have sent daytime temps up to between 31 - 40C (before the humidex).

That's about it - I've spent a lot of the last 10 months in front of the TV binge watching UK crime dramas. Need a recommendation? Just ask! Now, I'm currently looking forward to our return trip to Jasper in a few weeks and planning for my 50th birthday trip in early 2023 - I'm not making any other travel plans these days until the world gets vaccinated and we figure out how to manage it as part of daily life going forward. 

Stay frosty.

Ch-Ch-Ch Changes

 Those who know me, know I’m an enthusiastic planner. I love making lists, making plans, making more lists… I began a countdown for a past trip to Spain over a year in advance. My coworkers would just roll their eyes when I’d update my whiteboard: 383 sleeps until Madrid… No big surprise then that I had worked out a schedule, including travel time and meals (locations and what to eat!), in advance of our upcoming escape to the mountains. Unfortunately Covid-19 had other plans and most of what we had originally planned on doing went down the proverbial drain.

To begin with, the company that runs the Maligne Lake boat tours had to make adjustments to their scheduling in order to allow for more thorough cleaning and fewer passengers. As a result, we got bumped to two days later. It wouldn’t have been a problem if we were still in Jasper at the time they rescheduled us to. Unfortunately we would be back home by then so we had to cancel outright. Then, the stable we were booking a horseback trip with ended up shutting the barn door early this season, with their last trail rides around Labour Day. Plans for our first two full days in Jasper were now in shambles.

However, I am not one to be dismayed (well, not for too long) and eagerly set out to get us back on track. The problem this year though is due to the drastic reduction in visitors to the mountain parks, including no tour buses rolling through, many businesses were shutting down early. The restaurant we normally would visit for a great steak dinner (Embers Restaurant) didn’t open at all this summer season. So, I had my work cut out for me especially as we didn’t want to redo some of the activities we had tried on our previous visit.

And … I succeeded.

We had enjoyed whitewater rafting previously and love being on the water, so I booked us a river float. A bit slower and more relaxing that whitewater rafting but you still get great scenery and an opportunity to get splashed! Plus someone else does all the rowing. The company, Jasper RaftTours, was wonderful and assured me that even if we’re the only two folks who booked on that day, they’ll still take us out. Basically, as long as they can keep their guides employed, and ensure they can employ them next year, they’re looking at a full season (time wise if not in terms of overall guests). First full day schedule solved!

“2014-002 Glacier Skywalk, Columbia Icefield, AB” by Mark Roy, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

And then I booked something I originally said I wouldn’t – the Glacier Skywalk at the Columbia Icefields. Its not that I don’t want to go, I’m worried about safety/crowds, or I’m nervous about heights (I am but whatevs), its because its over an hour drive there and over an hour drive back from Jasper for something that you may spend ½ hour doing. However, I know that Mom loved a similar viewing platform at the Grand Canyon a few years ago and since this trip is her Christmas/Birthday present from LAST YEAR and I didn’t have a ton of options, I said why not. Plus, I’m guessing the pics are going to be great!

Now…SSHHHHHHHH! Mom doesn’t know about either of these two activities so keep it quiet, ok?

Something to look forward to

The last few posts have had a somewhat doom and gloom outlook to them; or maybe its just me and how I'm feeling about this whole pandemic thing. Not this post though! Today I want to share something I'm very much looking forward to: VACATION! Now, Canada has a strict self quarantine policy for citizens travelling abroad and for visitors from outside of the country - 14 days. While an extra two weeks off work would be fabulous, being stuck in my house and not even being able to go and buy groceries just isn't my idea of a good time. Therefore, international travel is out of the question. Not even Hawaii, which I enjoyed visiting a few years ago and who's said Canadians can visit there without quarantine. Sorry, but 6 1/2 hours on a plane? I don't think so! To be honest, I don't even want to fly to Toronto (no offense to the T.O.). That doesn't leave a prairie girl with a lot of options. So... what do we do in the west when we can't jet off to warmer climes? We head to the mountains!

Jasper National Park is probably my favourite place in the world. Its less commercial than Banff and usually less crowded (although that doesn't mean much and chain restaurants are making inroads - booo!).The closer you get to the park gates, the more relaxed I feel. I'm sure most folks can understand when I say "I NEED this!". Its been 7 years (!) since I've been there. The last trip I took to the mountains was a girls' long weekend with Mommikins and the always fabulous Auntie B. Horseback riding, hiking and white water rafting were how we filled our days back then. 

And no, we didn't coordinate our outfits. Not every day ... 

This time around it will just be Mom and I but we'll raise a glass to Betty. We're going to be trying Becker's Chalets this time out. Its outside of the townsite and right along the Athabasca River so we'll feel like we're really "getting away from it all". As usual, being the super duper advanced planner that I am, we already have our activities booked. We didn't want to repeat what we've done previously (although we will be horseback riding again but in a different area of the park) so we're going to take advantage of a "local's discount" for Alberta residents and do a boat tour of Maligne Lake. And keeping the frigid fall water temps as our theme for this trip, we're taking a canoe trip! 

I found Wild Current Outfitters while doing my research on things to do in Jasper. We've booked a full morning trip around Pyramid Lake. Sure it'll be late in the year and the water will probably be bitterly cold but we thought we would go for it. Out of everything surrounding this trip, this is what I'm most excited about. I've never been canoeing before so this'll be quite the adventure and a fun way to wrap up our latest trip. All of this is, of course, dependent on the Alberta's Covid-19 numbers remaining relatively low, neither of us getting sick and smaller crowds.

Fingers crossed...

Changes in the Land of Covid-19

First there was Covid-19. Then there were the mental health issues I experienced while attempting to work from home. Then, as if things weren't stressful enough this year, we said goodbye to this little Snickerdoodle. My beloved fluffball, Nero, had a significant downturn when it came to his kidney disease at his checkup back in early June. After an upsetting but not unexpected conversation with the vet, we made the heart crushing decision every pet owner wants to avoid. Nero lived a fabulous 19 years and was spoiled for most of that time. The folks at the Glenora Family Pet Clinic are absolutely amazing and feel like family. They gave us a lovely card and surprised us with a small vial with a tuft of his ultra lush orange fur. Needless to say, I sobbed uncontrollably yet again when I saw it. Even though it has been almost two months, I got choked up in a meeting yesterday when I mentioned him. Always in my heart buddy, always.

To help heal myself, I welcomed this crazy little nugget into my life a short time later. Some may say it was too soon and to allow myself time to grieve. I'm a woman; I can do both at the same time. Hudson was just what I needed and while I don't believe in a higher power, sometimes I have to wonder if the universe sometimes gives you just what you need at just the right moment. He's a cuddly monkey who drools uncontrollably when he's in his happy zone. This usually means sleeping near my face where it drips all over me. I'd be annoyed by this but look at that face.

Other than returning to the office and wearing a mask pretty much everywhere I go not much has changed lately. Still can't visit family here in the city or within the province. Still feel uncomfortable going to a restaurant even though many have reopened. Won't go to the movies even though they're open too... maybe soon though. Lots of hand sanitizer and lysol wipes (if you can find them!).

Hope you're all doing better than just surviving. Take care of yourself and one another.

Blog Failure - Not A Surprise

So much for blogging my way through the pandemic. I should never set expectations like that for myself! Anyways, quick update. I'm back at my office and have been here for about 5 weeks. There are only about 5-6 people on our floor at the moment. While my employer said everyone is expected back at work by the end of July, its obvious that hasn't happened. Our floor is exempt as our bathrooms are being renovated: a hazard. But even going to other floor within the building, there is still a large portion of employees who appear to be working from home. Frankly we're fortunate - most of the jobs in our department don't require us to be physically in an office and we've been managing quite well with Skype and Webex for meetings. If I had the space I might like to go back to working from home but honestly I'm just not that productive unless I'm in the office. 

And yes, I did put my name on my stapler. That way only other Karens can steal it.

PANDEMIC! Day 8

I'm counting today as Day 8 of my pandemic as I started working from home last Monday... its not accurate so if someone in the future found this blog and there's no other historical records, take that date with a grain of salt.

I didn't make soup or bread as I had planned on last week. Instead I made cookies. They were...meh. Normally my triple chocolate peanut butter chips are the bomb dot comb but the store didn't have pb chips so I had to settle for butterscotch. Yeah, I know. Not even close to the same thing except in terms of colour. They're still tasty and are brownie-esque in both taste and texture but the butterscotch makes them a tad too sweet for my liking. Should have opted for the Skor bits instead. 

"What time is our nap...uh...meeting?"

While out getting groceries and drugs last week, I picked up small white boards for Mommikins and I. I discovered very quickly last week that I need to lay out some sort of schedule for myself otherwise I'll just end up wearing smelly pyjamas for days on end, not showering and watching far too much Netflix. So I whipped up a tentative schedule that has me showering and dressing (not in "work" clothes necessarily but at least putting on a bra), working and tackling small chores/cleaning around the house. Its not final yet - I'll need more time seeing what works and what doesn't - but its a good place to start.

How is everyone else handling being quarantined, working from home or just staying inside?

PANDEMIC! Working from Home - The First Few Days

Well, here we are. Pandemic time. Covid-19 has brought much of the world to a stand still. Thank god for the internet. I figured since I am (finally) working from home, I might as well blog about the experience. I'm hoping this doesn't turn into an "OMG the world is ending and I can't find toilet paper" series of posts but at this early stage, I can't promise anything.

So... "working" from home. It seems weird, not going to lie. The work I currently do is not life saving (i.e. no cures for cancer here) nor does it seem very relevant given what's happening in the world at the moment. I'm in an HR-ish type role and our small group deals with succession planning (not pandemic related) and professional development. It would not be surprising if at some point in the next couple of weeks one or more of our unit is reassigned to work in an area that's more essential to keeping things going in our province and maintaining social order. However, who am I to say? It sounds like the higher ups have said our work is to continue as planned so... I valiantly forge ahead.

Coworker #2 - union mandated mid afternoon catnap

I've taken over the entirety of our dining room table so we're "forced' to sit in front of the television to eat meals. Awwww, bummer. Not like I don't do that already! I planned it well though; I've set it up so that I'm facing not only the front living room window so I can watch the very few people who still venture out walking by but I also get a clear shot of the television so I don't miss any reruns of The First 48 or Live PD (I am SERIOUSLY addicted y'all!). I'm also giving Better Call Saul a second go - couldn't get into the first time much like Breaking Bad and that turned out to be amazeballs so, you know...

After only 2.5 days I've realized I need a schedule and I need one bad! This morning I forgot to brush my teeth and take my medication until 11am when I started in on making lunch! I haven't even showered today. Not terrible but its the middle of the afternoon and I'm still wearing my jammies. I need a bit more structure otherwise my small world is going to devolve into chaos. So, tomorrow I venture out to pick up medicine, a few things from my office and a white board in order to lay out a plan of attack. Not having to get up and dressed, and then leave the house at a specific time is throwing everything out of whack. So, today I'll be thinking of a schedule which will include work and downtime to focus on mental and physical health during these stressful times.

One thing I've noticed from around the interwebbies and various social media outlets is that folks are finding fantastic ways of reconnecting with family and friends. There's a whole lotta baking going on and a lot of love for first responders, store clerks, restaurant workers and delivery drivers. Its a shame we didn't seem to place as much value on them when things were Covid-19 free. Let's just hope this continues and folks will still be looking after one another when this passes.

Veggie stock

My one "home made" moment this week? I made veggie stock. Not a lot but enough for a couple of small containers that I can freeze for future use. I'm going to make soup this weekend so some will go in there. I'm also going to make some no-knead bread if I can find flour and yeast! Homemade soup and fresh baked bread? Yes please.

Stay safe everyone and keep your distance!

Mexico - Day 6

And here we are, our last full day in Mexico. It was another "my choice" excursion and I had booked us to drive dune buggies through the jungle with Rent Buggy Playa del Carmen. I was super excited for this but when we got there and had a look at the dashboard of the badass machine I'd be driving, I was a wee bit apprehensive. And, big surprise, there were only 4 of us booked on the tour!!!! For anyone considering a trip to Cancun/Playa del Carmen - go in mid to late January and book the morning excursions!

Once we fired up our mini-monster trucks, pulled on our goggles and pulled up our bank robber style bandanas, we headed out ... onto the HIGHWAY. Sweet Jesus, have they not seen us drive? And these vehicles don't have turn signals, power steering or very good brakes. I see why they made us sign a waiver before we were allowed to begin. 

After about 1/2 a kilometre we turned off onto a dirt road and headed into the jungle. The bandanas are an important piece of safety equipment. As it hadn't rained much for the past week, things were DRY. Dust managed to work its way under my goggles, in my clothes and every crack and crevice you can imagine. However, half the time I didn't wear mine because my goggles kept fogging up as if I was wearing a thick wool scarf in -30 weather instead of +30!  We did however manage to find two small puddles which we skirted on the way out but deliberately sped through on the way back. I didn't come all the way to not get dirty. And get dirty we did (click for video).

After about an hour, we were deep in the jungle and pulled off into a hidden spot just off the side of the track we were following, just big enough to squeeze the three buggies in. We hopped out and headed off into the trees along a barely visible trail, slowly heading downhill. About five minutes later, we ended up here. This was the the second most beautiful cenote we visited (in my opinion) - its hard to compare some of them but it was very close between this one and the underground bat cave cenote we visited on our zipline tour with Selva Maya Eco Adventures. Different but both surprising, relaxing and peaceful. Look at those colours!

There was no where to change as you're literally in the middle of the jungle, so we just stripped down and let the mosquitos have their way with us. Mommikins was the last to get changed and just as she was stuffing her girls into her bathing suit, three local men came down the path to go swimming. Pretty sure at least one of them got a good look but what are you going to do?! We swam around for about 45 minutes, had a quick snack and headed back to the buggies. 

Instead of going directly back to the starting point, we took a detour into what many would call a slum. Extremely poor locals were squatting on government land - we were told that they were so poor and receiving no help from the government whatsoever, the children have no school, births aren't registered and families are building houses literally out of anything they can find. The first stop was at a local market where for a few $$$ (100 pesos) we could purchase a small bag of food to hand out. Mommikins and I picked up two bags each (we had been hoarding our pesos for some reason...and spending our USD all week). 

A short ride later, followed by local children, we stopped by a large group of women and children waiting our arrival. The poverty was striking enough and tugged at your heart; however, the small size of our group, which we had been overjoyed at earlier in the day, broke your heart when you saw how many people were hoping to receive something. Normally their groups are a lot larger which means more help. As it was, it took a lot not to shed a tear or two. 

A couple of the kids had made bracelets for us which they tied on our wrists and others were selling brightly coloured dream catchers to help out their families. We were also introduced to Maria, a school teacher who volunteered her time to teach the children what she could given the lack of resources. We were so moved by the children (who kept hugging us and had the most beautiful smiles I've ever seen!) that when we got back to Canada, we emailed the company to see what we could to help out more.

An emotionally and physically draining day for both of us. This was a fun, exhausting, exhilarating week. To finish off our holiday, we decided to try the Brazilian restaurant at the resort, Fogo de Brazil. I was pretty sure I wasn't going to enjoy this as I generally don't eat a lot of meat when I travel, and I'm notoriously picky about meat even at home. Sure enough, I didn't enjoy any of the meats on sticks they had to offer with the exception of some sort of sausage which was fairly tasty. Even Mom who tried all the meats wasn't impressed until the very end when they brought out some sort of steak which she raved about. I was thrilled by the salad bar which was easily the best in the entire resort. Part of me wishes we had tried the restaurant earlier 'cause I would have eaten my weight in veggies. Mmmmm.

I posted this pic earlier - it was dessert at Fogo de Brazil. A banana crepe sauteed in rum I think with berries and vanilla ice cream. I almost died it was soooooooooooooooooooooooo good. Sigh, I will miss you banana crepe. You stole my heart.

The next day we hung around the resort until pick up to head to the airport around 3ish. To avoid the heat and humidity until we headed home, I hung out at the Elephant Bar near the check in and had a nap on the couches. Shhhhhhh! Don't tell anyone. A great trip and a wonderful introduction to Mexico.