Lumbricus terrestris.

I will confess to one of my weirder behaviours - I feel so sorry for earthworms that lie floundering and belly-flopping on driveways and parking lots after a rainstorm, that I will resort to picking them up and putting them on soil to save them. Is that not weird?

On the other hand, I also think it weird that in Canada, particularly up in the lake districts (we have 100,000 of them in Ontario alone) where fishing is a major sport, we have a particularly unique vending machine.  Come on up, self-service, stick your money in the slot and take away a cupful of delightful live bait!  What else? 

Then again, this website will not please my Scolicephobic friends - so you will have to quickly move to my next post instead!

Raise your glass to the little critters.

Snowshoes, Firepits and Friends

 What an exhilarating weekend - time with old friends at a cottage in Northern Ontario overlooking the shores of Georgian Bay on Lake Huron.  We arrived in a swirling snowstorm on Friday night and gathered for supper around a big family dining table and celebrated an annual gathering of three couples.  We reminisced and debated, laughed and cheered our way through the evening eventually making our way to bed.  
Saturday morning dawned to clear blue skies and a gorgeous view of the iced over, white expanse of the shoreline.  A few ice fishermen had already settled on the ice awaiting their catch.  A couple of dog walkers braved the icy temperatures for a stroll on the lakefront.  We settled down to a hearty breakfast of eggs and bacon and the inevitable coffee.  Our mission today is a snowshoeing expedition in the forests above the town.  I am excited: I have never donned snowshoes before! 
It was a great experience - crunching over pristine, deep, glittering snow in a single line, playing follow-my-leader.  Through the fir trees and cedar, over banks of snow - occasionally diving into snow up to our knees.  Then back again to sit by a firepit dug out of the snow to warm our hands and noses - eat hotdogs and buns warmed on the fire, together with bottles of beer stored in natural fridges - looking like brown mice all in a row. 
In the evening, we sit down to a gourmet dinner - what else, with two cordon bleu cooks in the party - salmon appetizer, beef wellington, and black forest cake, together with some great wines. 
Altogether a satisfying weekend! Great times with great friends - what more could you want?