July 2016 with the Canadian Outback Rafting Company I did my overnight. The river was the Elaho which joined in the Squamish River. This 24-hour rafting adventure did not have the heart pumping adrenaline rushing rapids I have experienced in the past but the scenery was second to none. On another high note I did see my second wolf in the wild on day 2. We paddled and we ate, and we ate some more… boy did we eat. On the menu was Cliff bars, fire baked salmon, Dutch oven pork tenderloin, blueberry cheese cake, blueberry pancakes and BACON. Our group of 24 rafters of all ages and our Kiwi and Canadian guides made this trip very enjoyable.
Pura Vida
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Bucket List #59. More Cheese Please
I once read an article saying that the average North American is very boring when it comes to cutting the cheese. Foul pungent odor. Not quite. If it is not cheddar, mozzarella or Swiss it’s Cheese Whiz. Gee Whiz, how boring. How about if I attempt the buying and sampling of 25 types of cheeses from around the globe? Over the years since I have started this list I'm sure I have tried more than 25 cheeses, but cheese is the same with keeping of this list, it all takes time and the older the better.
1. Jarlsberg
Jarlsberg is the name of a very popular cheese in Norway and abroad. It is related to the Emmentaler cheese (from the Emme River valley (Emmental) in the canton of Bern, Switzerland), but Jarlsberg is a pure Norwegian invention. Its story goes back to 1815 and the big farm Jarlsberg outside Tønsberg. They had an overproduction of milk and started researching on cheese. . Complete ripening takes three to six months. It has a pungent, sweetish odor and is slightly salty when fresh, and pleasingly sharp when fully ripened. Its consistency is firm and elastic, and it is easy to slice; the interior is a uniform light yellow in color with holes about five-eighths in. This cheese made a great sauce for a chicken and mushroom dish.
2. Danish Spiced Gouda
The cheese was quite good with crackers and sandwiches
3. Danish Epson
Janet walked into the house carrying her shoes. At that point, I didn’t know what stunk worse, her shoes or the cheese. The cheese ended up in a Taco Salad and her shoes ended out on the back lawn. The cheese tasted very good. The only problem with this aromatic cheese is that you have to cut off your hands to get rid of the smell.
4. Smoked Gouda
I tried this one while visiting Marg on Sattural at Lake of the Woods. Smoked Gouda has become a favorite for our sandwiches on some of our outings.
5. Camembert (KAM-ehm-beh) a soft, thin, edible crust that’s gray-white in color with a creamy yellow interior. Similar to Brie, this wheel-shaped cheese has a mild to pungent flavor. This cheese was also tested at Lake of the Woods. It can be bought at any Safeway deli. I quite enjoyed this cheese.
6. Dill Havarti we tried this one with our chicken sandwiches on a Thanksgiving Cypress Hills camp trip.
7. Pepper Allegro This cheese is a low fat skim milk blend.
8. Smoked Gruyere Gruyere is named after a Swiss village. This cheese is right up with the Smoked Gouda . Chardonnay would be the wine of choice for this treat.
9. Oka Fromage de Oka
Made by Trappist monks. Semi-soft. Port-Salut Family. A nice soft Canadian cheese.
10. Provolone This cheese is an all-purpose cheese used for cooking, dessert purposes and even grating.
Wine Partners: Dolcetto d'Alba
11. Jalapeno Monterey Jack. Janet introduced me to this one. It is excellent
12. Muenster is a smooth textured cheese with an orange rind and a white interior. This washed-rind cheese is made from cows’ milk. The orange color is derived from vegetable coloring. It usually has a very mild flavor and smooth, soft texture. In some cases, when properly aged, it can develop a strong flavor with a pungent aroma. This cheese is commonly served as an appetizer. Because it melts well, it is also often used in dishes such as grilled cheese sandwiches,tuna melts, quesadillas and cheeseburgers.
13. Fontina A semifirm creamy cow's milk cheese. Fontina has a dark golden brown rind with a pale yellow interior dotted with tiny holes. A mild, nutty flavor with a hint of mild honey. Made in countries other than Italy, but those fontinas tend to be blander and softer than the Italian original. When melted, the flavor is earthy with a taste of mushrooms and a fresh acidity. Fontina is the primary ingredient of Italian fonduta and is a wonderful table or dessert cheese. Fontina takes approximately three months to ripen.
14. Double Gloucester Double Gloucester is a traditional, full fat, hard cheese made from pasteurized or unpasteurized cow's milk. The cheese, made from the milk of once nearly extinct Old Gloucester cows, traces its origins to 1498 in the City of Gloucester.
15. Haloumi I had this goat cheese at Wayne and Susan’s after an evening of hot tubbing and drinking. He fried it up and it was quite good.
16. Port Salut .A.F.R Port Salut is a semi-soft pasteurized cow's milk cheese from Brittany with a distinctive orange crust and a mild flavor. The cheese is produced in disks approximately 23 cm (9 inches) in diameter, weighing approximately 2 kg (5 lb). Though Port Salut has a mild flavor, it sometimes has a strong smell because it is a mature cheese. The smell increases the longer the cheese is kept — this however does not affect its flavor. It can be refrigerated and is best eaten within two weeks of opening
17. Wensleydale - This cheese tastes like a mild feta. It is quite dry
18. Hickory Farms Smoked Cheddar Blend - Not really cheese but Mike's family could not stand it so I took it. Why not free and very smoky. Would be great with a good red.
19. Blueberry Fayre Stilton - White Stilton with Sweetened Dried Blueberries. This dessert like cheese was enjoyed at the base of Pinnacle Peak in Arizona on a picnic with an old friend that became a very good new friend..
20. Gorgonzola - A mild soft blue cheese that was enjoyed at the head of Indian Arm on a boat named Brie of all things. We enjoyed chicken, lamb sausage and plenty of beer with this cheese
21. Cheshire - This dry crumbly cheese has not alot of flavor, but when melted on a rice cracker.... very nice
22. Original Irish Porter - it sounds more like a beer but I must say it went well with beer. How about this for brown food.
23. Kootenay Alpindon – Nothing to write home about.
24. Blue Shropshire Cheese Combe Castle we will let you into a little secret, Shropshire Blue is a cheese with two names.....Ssshhhh. First made in Scotland in 1970, a fairly young cheese in England’s history, Shropshire Blue was first named ‘Inverness-shire Blue’. Not the kind of name that easily trips off your tongue! No one wanted to buy a cheese they could not even pronounce, which lead to the cheese being renamed to Shropshire Blue. As the name suggests, it is a blue cheese made in a similar way to Blue Stilton, but with an orange complexion from the addition of a natural food coloring, annatto. We like to eat it around 10 weeks old when its tangy aroma and slightly sharp but creamy taste is j
25. Coconut Cheese made with fresh, pasteurized cow’s milk and a healthy dash of coconut cream, added for extra flavor and creaminess. It’s a delightfully unique cheese with a nutty taste and a touch of refreshing sweetness. Enjoy it with fruit or thinly sliced with crisp crackers and chilled white wine or your favorite beverage. This one I did enjoy with pumpkin seed cranberry crackers and red wine.
Elevation
The shoreline of Kitsilano is truly a gem with its amazing architecture, beautiful beaches, parks and its art. This gallery of illustrations and graffiti is nothing short of being spectacular. While out on the water of English Bay you cannot appreciate it unless your exploring the rocky shores. Two particular pieces really caught my attention. They are illustrations on concrete canvas by the illustrator Ola Vola. This artwork captures her love of nature and folklore and has inspired me to use it for a backdrop. Here is my photograph using her Elevation themed mural as my muslin backdrop.
English Bay viewed from my neck of the seashore
The season has truly started
This week we came off a charter that did not go so well to one of the biggest charter we have this season .... on the same boat. Lets say tensions were running high on all fronts. For the next couple days we will be doing our due diligence to make this next 3 week charter on the 76 ft McQueen to make it run and go smooth as possible. To top it off we had a sailboat that left this morning that broke its forestay. This could of been disaster but the 8 English guys that chartered this boat brought it home with the stick still in the air. Now what to do to fix this potential shit storm? Well I have to say that my boss really came thru and struck up a deal that made the customers giggle like school girls and myself very proud at the customer service he pulled off. Tomorrow this English army tank troop are heading out on Migrator to finish their tour. So now I can stare out into the beautiful English Bay sunset, drink my Shiraz and think ....this moment truly is a Peaceful Easy Feeling.
One of my study sessions at the local watering hole
Bucket List 52. Get Lost!! Take a coastal Navigation Course.
Before I went on my last sailing trip in April of 2010 I started my coastal navigation course. After I went thru my Day Skipper course the tides and currents aspects of the course outline started to make sense. Go figure. Well it is now April 15th 2014 and I have completed my Coastal Navigation course as well as gotten my Coastal Skipper Cert. Its been a long time coming. Thank you John F and the rest of the guys on the Prairie Wind Team. It was a blast. Check out the clip
A Longbeach Sunset
The thing about photographing a sunset is not necessarily the actual image of that final glimpse of light in the horizon. It is about the golden light before the actual dousing of the sun and the moments after when the sky turns to a purple hue that paints the world around you. As the sun is moving across the far western horizon look for the opportunities around you that will get you that on particular photo. It may be a portrait, a landscape or even a silhouette that you may capture. Keep shooting and watch the constantly changing colors and exposures. Remember it not over till its over.
Long Beach Peninsula
The Long Beach Peninsula is remarkable for its continuous sand beaches on the Pacific Ocean side, 28 miles in extent, claimed to be the longest beach in the United States and the world's second largest drivable beach. I did not think I would enjoy this little area of southwester Washington. This time of year was very quiet but I was not the only vehicle on the beach. In the evening this beach is shared by dog walkers, family outings and clam diggers. One of my favorite watering holes was the Lost Roo and my accommodations were at Chautenqua Lodge. The rooms were dated but the hospitality was awesome and the view from the third floor was spectacular. Oh yeah they did have a Groupon so the price was right. Check out this clip
Duck Dynasty
Today I took a drive to the riverfront district in South Vancouver for a burger at Romers. On the rivers edge I saw the Duck Dynasty characters up to their little duck games.
Carpe Lux
It has been some time since I have picked up a photography magazine but a headline on the cover caught my eye, "Shoot during MAGIC LIGHT". I have always enjoyed chasing the light especially those early morning sunrises. I find peace during that time, the city has not started to buzz with busyness. Meanwhile out there, whether it is by the water, in the mountains or even at your local park chances are you will be one of the few observers that appreciate that morning magic light. Cameras have come along way since the 35mm days. We all have cameras on our phones or a decent point and shoot. We can all grab snapshots to capture the moment and seize the day (carpe diem) But to chase the light and carpe lux (seize the light) takes a little more effort but brings back big results. Today's destination was the North Shore. More photos from the North Shore
Brackendale Once Again
Today's forecast was for sunny but cool conditions. Perfect... I will grab the camera use the morning light and get some great photos.... well I did get some ok photos for the short time the eagles were there. Apparently on sunny Sundays they like to do fly abouts elsewhere and not stick around the stinky shores of the river. The Eagle Has Landed Part II
New Years Day
First morning of 2014 and I need to do something different. I have been thinking about heading out to Brackendale for years now to take photos of the eagle run. The govnernment dyke in town had more birdwatchers than birds. Im sure a hundred people were there walking, watching and taking photos. I did see some great lenses there which should of been mounted in the back of truck beds. Yes I did have lens envy..;.. I did see quite a few eagles on the opposite side of the river. Light was more of an issue than distance was but if I could of been closer and the light was at least a 400 ISO day I would of had better results. Oh well what the heck at least I got my first 2014 road trip in
As We Step into 2014
"When your footsteps and thoughts carry you down the same path your heart and soul are directing you, you will know without a doubt that you are headed in the right direction." -Molly Friedenfeld.
My wishes are that 2014 will be the year you, your family and loved ones will find yourself on that path. Happy New Year Everybody.
With that I invite you to check out my updated website. I have more content in the photo galleries and it is so much easier to update. Cheers and fair winds.
Mark Drozda