Saturday, May 7, 2011

A Mental Health Day

We decided to call yesterday a mental health day for both of us to run away from home and all the thoughts and concerns that have been plaguing us recently.

Throwing a few essentials in the car, we headed off into the boreal forest. Hubby usually does 90% of the driving when we're together mostly because he can't read without battling car sickness. But yesterday I commandeered the steering wheel and told him he was to sit back, relax and enjoy the views. (I think this worked because he commented on how much more of the scenery a person can see when he's not driving. Or trying to read. Or trying to not get car sick.)

The day was mostly gray and threatening rain, but we only experienced a couple of drops at a couple of different times.

We wanted to check out the inland lakes to see what the current ice conditions were. Opening fishing weekend is but one week away. We sure couldn't be classified as ardent fishermen (fisherpeople?) and have made it out on opening day only once that I can remember. Since that was the time we got caught out in the middle of a lake in our canoe in a terrific snow squall (couldn't even see the shore) and had serious concerns if we were going to make it to shore without dumping out, we've not been overly eager or felt it necessary to go fishing again on the earliest day of the season.

Here's another lake we checked out. Still ice out there but with luck, it could be gone in another week.

I had my camera at the ready because nearly every back road we went on, we saw moose tracks. The one above has a match box laid by it to give you perspective.

In one area, Papa Pea needed to make a pit stop, so I took a short hike off another path to see if it led to an overlook of a lake we were near. After encountering the third pile of moose droppings (each "nugget" is about the size of a walnut and they were looking none too old, I might add), I decided I'd seen enough and scurried back out of the woods and waited in the car.

We returned home around four and then headed back into town last night to hear a speaker talk on sustainable farming/gardening and eating locally. D and his wife live about 60 miles from here and operate a very successful CSA providing food to sixty families. They live off-grid with their two kids who are now teenagers and have built their farm up from literally bare land. Talk about being an inspiration! A few years back, we took an all-day stone building class at their farm and I still remember the wonderful buffet-style meal his wife prepared for about twelve of us at noon. They are now doing a lot of consulting work. How they manage all they do is amazing . . . and it also makes me tired. The ground swell of people interested in getting back into raising their own food (yes, even in our less than hospitable climate) is wonderful to see.

After D spoke, we saw the movie, "The Queen of the Sun - What Are the Bees Telling Us," which explains the plight of honey bees world-wide. Rudolph Steiner, the founder of biodynamics, predicted this collapse we are experiencing now way back in the early 1900's. The movie is very well done, but I suspect it was a bit of "preaching to the choir" as the building was packed with folks well aware of this dire situation that could possibly bring about a massive world-wide food shortage if we don't find a way of changing practices and philosophies before it's too late. The movie has just been recently released but I've heard it will be available on Netflix in the future. Well worth viewing if you have the opportunity.

As usual, I've rambled on longer than I intended. And lordy-be, the sun has come out now so I'm going to get out there and soak up some of it while getting some clean-up work done this afternoon. See ya!

17 comments:

Sparkless said...

That looks like a wonderful mental health day. I need one of those but it's raining today and is supposed to be the same tomorrow.

I'm getting a complex about these word verification words cause mine today was 'dietive'

Jane @ Hard Work Homestead said...

If you have a picture of poo, you really should not start the sentence below with "Papa Pea had to take a pit stop". I was a little nervous about that picture for a second ;)

Mama Pea said...

Sparkless - We've got a week of rain coming up. Ugh. We still can't get the sunshine we need to dry things out.

Hahaha! Dietive. Your word verification . . . as in we all need to get more dietive?? ;o}

Jane - OMG, Girl! If Papa Pea left droppings like that we'd have to get him in some kind of a research study!

Susan said...

I'm glad you decided to get away for the day. Sometimes, that's all you need to get everything in sync again. Sounds like a great presentation. Wish we had something like that here. We tend to have 'hi-end' back-to-the-earthers who believe we should all just shell out 25 grand and go solar. Love to, but...
Sun??

Erin said...

I'm so happy you decided to escape it all for a day, even with threatening rain who cares when you have the car to hide in if necessary? Those are the best days since the tourists aren't about yet and you can just enjoy the quiet and scenery. I have quite a bit to do this weekend but I admit I'm thinking about a mental health day tomorrow myself. Thinking about throwing the bikes in the car and heading out to the wildlife refuge, now that hubby's back to help motivate Finn to keep up LOL it won't be as slow going as last year :) Happy Mother's Day a day early, not sure if my mental health day will include the computer tomorrow LOL!

p.s. no kidding - my word verification is "focked", is that a sign that the bike ride is doomed?!

2 Tramps said...

Very nice get away for you. Would like to do that here, too, but just got two loads of aged manure to unload and spread. Plus Chukar dog is feeling puny from shots today. At least we can enjoy your adventure!

Sue said...

Like minds--I'm telling ya. We took off yesterday but weren't smart enough to go to the woods. We went to the city. I was half nuts by the time we got home---at 4

This is like the third time we've played hooky on the same day. Must be in the jet stream???
:D

Anyways, looks like tons of fun. I would love to see a moose, but from a distance!
Happy Mother's Day!

Mama Pea said...

Susan - We've got our share of those folks with more money than they know what to do with, too. Because grid power is unavailable in so much of our county, rich folks build 3,000 sq. ft. homes way out in the middle of nowhere with very sophisticated solar or wind systems and hire professional installers to keep things running for them. And they call this being "green."

Erin - We couldn't believe how everywhere we went yesterday was totally deserted. 'Course, it was cold and gray but still . . .

Hope you guys do go on an outing tomorrow. Your adventures and whole blog tone is different this year with your hubby home. I'm very happy for you! Happy Mother's Day to you, too, my friend.

P.S. Pay no attention to those word verifications!

2 Tramps - Hey, two loads of manure sounds good to me! Hug that doggie for me.

Sue - We're either on the same jet stream . . . or are both getting lazy! With all the signs yesterday, I was sure we were going to see a moose or two, but no luck. Happy Mother's Day back atcha!

Anonymous said...

Sounds totally wonderful, and I don't blame you for "making tracks" back to your rig after seeing that poop. Moose (or is that Meece-plural) in the springtime are probably not a real calm animal.

Anonymous said...

So very glad you both got a day of rest!! You deserve it, and it is such an easy way to recharge your soul. Happy Mother's day!!

Mama Pea said...

Ruth - The biggest problem with moose (meese ;o}) is that they have very poor eyesight. They will sometimes charge because they can't tell if you look menacing or not. Doesn't do much good to smile, wave at a moose and introduce yourself.

Stephanie - Thanks, ma'am! Happy Mother's Day to you, too. :o}

Spiderjohn said...

Mama Pea, does D and his wife have a web site?

Mama Pea said...

Spiderjohn - Yes, go to www.round-river.com and that should lead you to all kinds of information about them.

Amy Dingmann said...

Great pictures, MamaPea, and what an inspiring post. Gave me a bit of mental health myself! You deserved your "day off" and I'm glad you had a good time. :)

odiie said...

Sounds like a great day. I was blessed to see a cow moose and her two yearling calves last night, but I veiwed them from my car.

MaineCelt said...

Hello, MamaPea-- just wanted to wish you a very happy Mother's Day, since you are my fairy blogmother!

I'm glad you enjoyed visiting my "church" this morning. It was fun having you there! The most fun part of the service didn't show up on my blog, though: I distributed copies of Julia Ward Howe's 1870 Mother's Day proclamation to several women in the congregation. In the middle of the service, they helped me present it, each woman standing and reading a few lines before the next one started in. It was moving and powerful and more than a little subversive and a whole lot of fun!

Mama Pea said...

Mama Tea - Why, thank you, ma'am!

odiie - Oh, how cool! I haven't seen a cow with calves in every so long.

MaineCelt - Oh my! You having women in your church read Howe's proclamation must have been VERY moving! And lotsa food for thought. Wonder if that happened in any other churches across our land? (It should have!) You come up with the BEST sermons! (And no, I'm not prejudiced just because I'm your fairy blogmother!)