The Days are Lengthening - the Light is Growing

The days are getting longer and warmer.


It is lighter in the evening as I put little James to bed.


The sun glows against the edges of the sky when we wake up.


I know we'll have more snow, but 6 degrees above freezing is a nice interlude.


I'll take it.


Light is good for me for taking pictures and I am looking forward to getting out here and there to take this year's crop of pics.


And while I'm at it, I'll get a few of those bushcraft projects done.


Hope y'all had a nice weekend,


Cheers,

Mungo

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A Year Ago in Cold January on Mungo Says Bah!

I haven't been posting as often as I would like so here is a taste of what was happening about a year ago on Mungo Says Bah! until I get my posting-mojo back. Give me a day or two...

Thursday, January 01, 2009
A Tutorial on How To Build a Coke Can Stove for Hiking and Camping

Okay, following up on a recent post about emergency preparedness, picture this: your power has just gone out. It is the middle of winter, and the battery-powered radio reports that a major substation has suffered an outage due to iced-over power cables. You are told to expect that power will return in no less than 7 days. So you get out all the blankets in the house, and warm up the bed. You find your 72 hour kit, first aid kit, candles, flashlights, your food supplies (some freeze-dried entrees and cans of food), water, radio and more. After all that fussing around, you decide you want a nice cup of coffee and a hot meal. You have a camping stove that runs on naptha but you'd rather use that outside so the fuel doesn't smell so strongly. You need a quick stove for in the house. A good option for this is an alcohol stove.


Sunday, January 04, 2009
Monty and the Well-Fed Squirrels

In fewer than 3 weeks we get a new arrival in the family. Spring is tired out and has decided that sooner is better than later. Suits me fine - all the sooner for a mini camping companion in Algonquin Park.


Monday, January 05, 2009
An Evening Before A New Boy Arrives

This is the evening before his arrival. It is a little boy.


Friday, January 09, 2009
James Ozan Peacock

Hello world,

I am James Ozan Peacock. My Mummy went through a long labour and after some consultation with the doctors, I made the decision to emerge in the operating room instead on Tuesday January 6th, 1 minute before midnight.

I've been told that I am looking forward to my first camping trip soon. I will have my own canoe paddle and wool blanket. I'll be popping in from time to time to make an appearance here. But first I am going back to sleep.


Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Farley Mowat's "No Man's River"

In the moments between learning about James, our new baby and making sure that we all eat and sleep, I have been reading Farley Mowat's No Man's River.


Friday, January 16, 2009
My Warm Military Arctic Gloves, Licorice Allsorts, a Ferret and a bag of Jelly Tots

The other week I went to the local army surplus store and poked around the racks and stacks of the stale smelling offerings. It's quite nice there, if you can get past the awkward people who examine you as you browse the products they sell. I came across a wire basket containing wool socks and grabbed a couple of pairs to leave in my car trunk for an emergency. As I lifted up the package, I saw beneath it a pair of military arctic gloves.


Sunday, January 18, 2009
Good Curly Feather Sticks

Basically, in places where you can't find dry tinder easily, shaving a stick of wood until you have fine feathery shavings will allow you to create the conditions for a fire to catch and grow.

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In Flanders' Field

IN FLANDERS' FIELDS the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders' fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders' fields.

By: Major John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army



The poppy is the recognized symbol of remembrance for war dead in Canada, the countries of the British Commonwealth, and the United States. The flower owes its significance to the poem In Flanders' Fields, written by Major (later Lieutenant-Colonel) John McCrae, a doctor with the Canadian Army Medical Corps, in the midst of the Second Battle of Ypres, in Belgium, in May 1915.

Lest We Forget.

A Fungal Walk in the Valley

Yesterday my parents dropped by the house and we went for a walk in the valley. Spring and James had gone out for the day so they didn't come. Next time!


It was a remarkably warm day.


I wish that the rest of the winter would be as warm as this.


Most leaves are gone now from the trees.


Berries remain.


Plants are going to seed - milkweed is fluffy.


This is a panorama shot. I really need a tripod so I could create some nicer ones.


Red.


Descending into the valley.


On the beach watching the water.


On the beach, watching the camera.


Bark.


Here I am walking up river.


I wish I had a river rushing by my bed at night. It would help me sleep. I'd probably end up peeing a lot though.


Mushrooms are popping up everywhere. I don't know what this one is.


Goldenrod has mostly gone to seed.


Juniper berries taste nice if you pop one in your mouth and leave it there. Chew it too quickly and it gets pretty nasty. It tastes like gin. Gin tastes like juniper berries.


Fluff.


Milkweed pod.


This way into the valley has no trees. The area was an apple orchard for decades, up to about 1950.


Milkweed pod and seeds (again).


This tree decided to stay stuck in another tree, instead of falling down.


Mushroom.


River.


Mushroom.


Mushrooms.


Mushroom.


Dryad's Saddle - a bracket fungus. This one is old and dead.


Mushroom.


Berries.


River (but you already knew that).


More river.


A quieter area of the river. I am feeling uninspired to write much about these images. Hope you're okay with that.


My parents really enjoyed the walk - they didn't realize how extensive the valley system was close to our house.


I'd like to explore the region around this bend of the river, but I'd have to wade through the water to get further. Next time, maybe.


Mushrooms.


Mushroom gills shown beside a snail shell found in the pine forest.


Mushroom.


A clump o' mushrooms.


Making our way through the underbrush.


We saw a couple of deer tracks, but no deer. They hang out in the field shown above. I would love to see a deer down there.

Maybe next time.

Cheers,

Mungo

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