I snatched an hour to walk around the wetlands. What luxury it will be next year to enjoy this kind of activity without feeling guilty.
It has been very cold and rainy again so the spring has slowed down a bit. The textures in the wetlands are beautiful.
I have called this next picture “So Chilcotin.” Those of you who are familiar with the area will know exactly what I mean.
In one part of the wetland are small dead trees covered with red lichen.
I don’t know of anywhere else where this particular lichen grows. Here is a closeup
In another part of the wetland I found a gorgeous insect. It is quite large – the body is as long as a finger joint. It is obviously some kind of grasshopper relative. I have found them occasionally before, even above the treeline, but usually in a hole under a rock. I have never seen one with wings before. They always seem very sluggish.
On a more prosaic front, I have been drying organic kale. It dries very easily and makes great healthy food for camping or for areas far from stores. I can buy this at Anahim Lake – but only if I buy a whole case as no one else in the area would want to eat it. This makes a lot of kale to deal with!
I thought it looked quite pretty on the screen.
Great write up and photos, just beautiful. Is that insect a cicada of some sort? It looks a little different than the ones I’m used to, but I know they burrow for years at a time (17-25 I think!) then come out and keep me awake all night for a few weeks (at least here in Colorado).
I was surprised to read about, and see the picture of, your kale-drying project.
In the Netherlands – where we originally come from – kale (boerenkool in Dutch) is a popular winter vegetable. It should be harvested after the first night frost. We – as most Dutch – really like kale. It is great food mixed with mashed potatoes and – for those who like meat – grilled sausages. Here in Sweden though, kale is not considered to be food. Instead, the Swedes use it to decorate the Christmas dinner table. I know this sounds funny, but that is a true Swedish tradition. So, when we some six years ago for the first time found kale in the supermarket – yes, about two weeks before Christmas, we bought it all. When the cashier remarked something like “That must be a huge table you are going to decorate”, we answered “Are you crazy, we are going to eat the stuff”. The cashier was flabbergasted and did not believe us. At an other occaision, we invited neighbours over to eat kale. It took a whole lot of convincing, before they even dared to taste it.
If I understand correctly, the Canadians are like the Swedes 😉
This is the first time I have heard about drying kale to preserve it, and I have never thought about it myself. How are you going to prepare it, later?
Such beautiful photographs – I am a regular reader of your blog, and enjoy it tremendously. Helps me feel connected with the beauty of wilderness while living in a city. Thanks so much Chris!