Homeless
Tiger Lily Confusion
Tiger lily (Lilium lancifolium) |
Not so...
What did we do before information was instantly available on the internet, particularly on Wikipedia?!
The roadside plants we saw in abundance on our trip to Manitoulin Island are Orange Day Lilies (Hemerocallis fulva), called day lilies as the blooms only last one day. They are non-native plants, also originating in Asia, and are even not even true lilies. They have naturalized widely in North America and have many nicknames including ditch lily and tiger day lily.
Orange Day Lilies (Hemerocallis fulva) |
Orange Day Lilies (Hemerocallis fulva) |
All parts of the Day Lily are edible, and to quote Wikipedia,
"The flowers, leaves, and tubers of the orange daylily are edible. Leaves and shoots can be eaten raw or cooked when very young (or they become too fibrous). The flowers and young tubers can also be eaten raw or cooked. The flowers can be dried and used as a thickener in soup. The cooked flower buds, served with butter, taste like green beans or wax beans.The tubers are a good potato substitute."
There is a native plant called the Canada Lily (Lilium canadense) but I do not recall finding one in the wild. I will have to look for it next year in June and July, but it is most commonly found on the east coast of North America and is threatened in some areas.
Tea Granny
Abigail's Tea House, St. George Ontario- a favourite of ours! |
The first thing I do in the morning when I come into the kitchen is to put the kettle on for a pot of tea. I cannot imagine starting the day without this routine. I always take my S'well insulated bottle to work, filled with either hibiscus flowers and cinnamon sticks or rooibos mint tea with a dusting of cocoa. The other favourite household beverage is Chai, prepared from scratch with cinnamon sticks, ginger root, cardamom pods, whole cloves and black tea. The kitchen smells wonderful when this is brewing.
I have never been a fan of green tea even after trying numerous blends. The health benefits of green tea have been widely studied but it has a bitterness that limits me to a few sips at a time. I was intrigued to notice that Tetley had a black/green tea blend available in United States. Black and green tea leaves usually steep best at different temperatures, green tea requiring water that is just under a boil. While looking up more about this tea blend, I came across a very happy discovery... Murchie's Tea!!
Murchie's Fine Tea and Coffee is a Canadian company based in Vancouver and Victoria BC. It was founded by John Murchie, a Scottish immigrant who had blended and delivered tea for Queen Victoria at Balmoral Castle. His brought his passion for good tea to Canada and established Murchie's Tea in 1894.
Tea is something I always pack when going on a trip. In Mexico, the default tea in the area where my parents lived was chamomile tea, which is not on my list of essential brews.
I took my own tea and used this Mexican pottery teapot when I visited Mom and Dad. When Dad died in 2019, I brought the teapot back to Canada with me.I do enjoy a good cup of coffee from time to time, particularly cold brew iced coffee served with lots of ice in the summer. We make this at home too, "steeping" the grounds overnight. I made kombucha tea for several years, caring for my SCOBYs diligently. I buy a bottle now and then for a treat or if I feel the need of a good dose of probiotic bacteria.
But hot, brewed tea is Queen for me.
* I am not being paid to promote any businesses mentioned in this post*
Out of Place
A family of wild foxes continues to share our suburban neighbourhood this summer. They are commonly seen roaming on sidewalks, around houses and malls. This young fox sat and watched me from a church property as I rode my bike last evening. They are not aggressive, unless you are a squirrel, rabbit or rodent, but they do not appear fearful of people.
They showed us the well camouflaged paper cone, which was patrolled at each entrance by sentries. A pest control specialist removed the nest the next day. Hornets do prey on other unpleasant insects and are pollinators, but they are definitely out of place close to your home.
Like Little Children...
Our grandson is a "COVID baby", born just before the pandemic hit. Because of the lockdowns, he has not had the opportunities for socialization that his sister enjoyed. He hasn't been in church, or playgroups, or even in stores and malls. I took him in the elevator to our hotel room and he was very unhappy. But he loved the swimming pool and really is a very sociable, happy little boy.
I was reminded of the words of Jesus in Matthew 18 where he said,We all need intergenerational contact. I dislike the way people are segregated by age in so many places. Elders have knowledge and life experiences that need to be shared with younger generations. And children have innocence and trust that transcends the cynicism and bitterness that old age can bring. I must share their optimism for the future and not be that unpleasant person who sees everything in life and society going downhill.
Pilgrimage
“Faith is not the clinging to a shrine,
but an endless pilgrimage of the heart.”
Abraham Joshua Heschel
Hikers on Mount Washington NH |
Toll road along the Devil's Spine, Durango-Mazatlan Highway, Mexico |
Labyrinth, Picton Ontario |