My Own eARTh

Yesterday, I talked about the amazing work that the RBG is doing with various artists to bring new meaning to our natural surroundings. Today, I'd like to highlight the art that goes into our trail building efforts at Christie Lake Conservation Area.

Over the coming winter, the replanted pine forests at Christie Lake will be professionally thinned. This is long overdue. The pines and firs were originally planted there in the 1960s with the aim of creating an inviting campground environment, similar to what you might find at Valens CA.

I love you too, Christie Lake!

One thing led to another, and here we are in 2014 and there are no campgrounds (there were NEC complications) and what should have been a managed succession from pines to hardwood trees is somewhat behind schedule. The trees that are scheduled to be thinned have been marked with orange paint. Some more creatively than others...

Through all this, the HCA has demonstrated itself to be a most honourable partner. We sat down and had an open and frank discussion on what impact the thinning would have on the work we've been doing over the last five years. They are very grateful for the the effort we have put in and want to ensure that the network we've built will emerge from the thinning as unscathed as possible.

I really value the partnership we have with the HCA and the Staff at Christie Lake. Their support is invaluable and I truly believe the amount of traffic we've generated is something to be admired. The West parking lot was literally jammed with cyclists today. Everything from dedicated riders to families on their first outing into the woods - I cannot adequately express how proud it makes me to see this transformation take place!

Anyhow, we did get on with the business of building today and I'm happy to report that the wasp's nest we "found" last week is no more. It seems that they've accepted our invitation to relocate. Yay!

As I've mentioned before, I'm a big fan of "before and after" photo sequences. Let's take a look at the evolution of a wasp's nest.

As flagged

Wasp's nest

Fully developed

What I love about this series of photos is that it demonstrates the thought that goes into building a trail. The first photo shows the basic sketch. The second shows the progression from idea to reality. The third shows the artistry that goes into building a trail that users will love.

Creativity at this scale comes in two forms. First, the designers and builders conceive and execute something that they know users will enjoy visiting again and again. Second, you have the users interpreting and experiencing the trail in new ways every time they visit. We commonly call this "sessioning".

Anyhow, yesterday, I promised you a recipe and so here we go: Killer Mac and Cheese (toddler approved) - adapted from a beaten old Moosewood cookbook I acquired when I was a poor student living in a flophouse in downtown Toronto (McGill and Yonge).

Step 1: In a blender, pulverize one onion, 1 1/2 cups of milk, one tub of cottage cheese, a good squeeze of Dijon mustard, cayenne and not too much nutmeg. This should look like a smoothie.

Step 2: Grate no less than half a pound of cheddar cheese into a buttered casserole dish. Pour in the smoothie and combine.

Step 3: Mix in half a pound of your favourite uncooked pasta shape. Macaroni is fine, of course, but almost anything will do.

Step 4: Sprinkle over top about one quarter cup of bread crumbs and a good handful of Romano cheese. Add a good grind of black pepper.

Step 5: Bake for 45 minutes at 375F and enjoy. Feel free to experiment (bacon, weiners, spinach, whatever but do not screw around with the ratio of dry to liquid ingredients!)

Step 6: Enjoy with heaps of beer or light red wine and a salad!