Food and its decline

The quality of many things we buy has declined, instead of increasing the price of consumer items manufacturers reduce the quality. Even knowing this I was surprised at the quality of bacon, something I haven't cooked in over ten years. And I love bacon, but at local restaurants--two eggs over easy, bacon, coffee, double order of white bread toasted, and jam--my favourite meal. Well, it's Easter and I was feeling in a generous mood instead of my usual self-deprivation and frugality and bought a package of bacon, a pricey $10.00 for what used to cost maybe $6.00; how do young families survive the inflationary cost of food? And then, just yesterday, I decided to cook some of this "bacon"... it was impossible to separate the strips of bacon, it was a greasy mass of stringy meat... And it didn't fry very well. So, if you're going to buy bacon, spend more and get something worth buying. 

No strips of bacon, just a mass of stringy fat and a little meat

A package of bacon ...

It was Easter and I was feeling generous and bought, as a treat, hot cross buns. Good luck finding hot cross buns amid all of the doughnuts, pecan tarts, and macarons, etc., that are in the bread, pastry, and cake department at the IGA. So, here (pictured below) is what they had, manufactured by POM bakery; POM is an acronym for Pride of Montreal and their large bakery, 132 years old, used to be located near the bottom of Landsdowne Avenue on Ste. Catherine Street West in Westmount, that building was converted into condos long ago. And POM is now owned by BIMBO which is a Mexican firm. So, it should be Orgullo de Mexico, ODM, not POM. As for the hot cross buns, a Christian treat sold only at Easter, there is no reference to hot cross buns on the package, it is now brioche aux raisin, raisin buns; and I would never have bought whole wheat hot cross buns, do I want health when I eat two or three hot cross buns every few years? No way. It was more like healthy raisin bread than anything else. Would I be going too far in saying it is another cancellation of Christianity now that they've canceled hot cross buns? You may think I am joking or exaggerating, but why not label hot cross buns as what they are, not delete the symbolism? Bimbo would not be impressed...

Otherwise known as hot cross buns

The Garden in mid-April

The garden doesn't look like much in early spring but there are a few birds visiting the bird bath, a Cardinal sitting at the dining room window not knowing he was being observed, a few other birds happily eating whatever it is they find on the ground. It doesn't look like much but the snow has finally melted and I've unwrapped a few plants, an overgrown box hedge, three rose bushes, and they're all alive. I haven't removed mulch from the garden, we'll see soon enough what is under last years leaves. Irises and day lilies are coming up and there are buds on the lilac bush that I cut down to ground level years ago, it has survived my pruning and is now about seven feet tall, bravo for life! 

Photos taken yesterday, 15 April 2022.

Visiting Meadowbrook Golf Course on the last day of March

Here I am yesterday at Meadowbrook Golf Course. No construction today, no other people, a few ducks and Canada geese, it was a short interlude from the busy city that surrounds us.

If you plan to visit remember that the path is very muddy and you'll need proper foot wear. 

Photos taken on 31 March 2022.

A train passes by, otherwise there is no one here

How far did they get with burying the St. Pierre River?

Not far at all considering they were in such a rush to get construction begun and get the last remaining above ground section of the St. Pierre River buried... As of March 10, 2022 this is what they've done. By now, four months after this work was begun, maybe they could have fixed the source of the problem, private residences incorrectly connected to the waste water pipes, and possibly moved on to the next step, restoring segments of the St. Pierre River above ground. 

Any politician who championed restoring the river would have been considered a hero to the community, they would have been praised for their vision and long-term commitment and effort towards saving a little of the remaining nature in the city. Will a politician be remembered and praised because he promoted condo development? I don't think so. 

Photos taken looking over a fence into Meadowbrook Golf Course from Toe Blake Park in Montreal West.

Spring Gardening About to Begin

What gives meaning to life? Family, fame and fortune, creativity, and gardening. Said with tongue in cheek... 

The garden survived another winter, soon buds will appear on trees and bushes, the grass will begin to grow and turn green, birds are already at the bird bath (a big red cardinal yesterday), and life returns to our frozen north which is thawing, warming, The Good Earth, is that what Pearl Buck called it?

Sometimes winter seems a short intrusion in life, a few months we don't want off but are forced onto us. After the fact it seems a short intrusion.

So, here is my retreat from politics, war, and the world outside of home.

I have no real desire to go anywhere, I have everything I need, at home. 

Here are photographs I took this morning of the garden, making its appearance as the snow melts and the days grow longer and the sun stronger and warmer. 

Farewell winter 2022

It's the last day of winter, the first day of spring. Winter 2022, you will not be missed. Hurrah for spring! Any spring, this spring or spring next year!

Here is the news on the spring equinox: 

When does spring 2022 start? Twelve hours of daylight returns on Sunday with the spring equinox. The vernal (aka spring) equinox will occur this Sunday, March 20, at 11:33 a.m. EDT. On Sunday, there will be roughly 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness almost everywhere on Earth.

Photos taken on March 10, on the path from behind an apartment building to the Westminster Bridge. 

Farewell winter, you will not be missed; if only you didn't overstay your welcome,

but you always stay too long, four months, five months (we don't like you that much),

it's too much to bear, you're not even scenic by the end,

and even two months is too long for winter, 

we tire of you, oh winter, 

which is surely a bad sign, and we are happy to see you go,

you are no longer pretty or cosy or even welcome,

and we are no longer happy as we were with the first snow,

by the end snow is just snow, dull, grey, and slushy;

farewell winter, you will not be missed;

there's a new season in town, it's time for spring.

The last day of winter 2022

Winter 2022 will soon be a memory. Here are some photos from one of the few walks I took, on many days it was just too cold to go outside for a walk.

This is the approach to Meadowbrook Golf Course, one of the few undeveloped pieces of land left in this area. Notice that a few years ago the city of Cote St. Luc cut down the trees adjacent to the road. Why did they do this? They claimed that some of these trees were a danger, they might fall on passing cars. Some people hate nature, and perhaps they were really preparing for the day when the golf course will be the site of condos and townhouses. Progress is relentless and unforgiving.

Photos taken on March 10th, 2022.