Die Lachse wandern

Letztes Wochenende waren wir dank trockenen Wetters noch einmal mit den Rollern unterwegs. Die Saison nähert sich dem Ende, auch die Zweirad-Saison ist fast vorbei.

Wegen der starken Regenfälle der letzten Tage liegt sogar schon Neuschnee auf den Bergen, und der kalte Gegenwind beisst einem am Pitt Lake kräftig ins Gesicht.

Der Herbst ist auch Lachs-Saison. Im Minnekhada Regional Park gibt es einige gute Beobachtungsstellen. Das Wasser brodelt, während sich die Fische ihren Weg gegen den Strom bahnen.

Oft streiten sie um die beste Pole Position, und gehen dabei recht rücksichtslos und brutal miteinander um.

Dieser hier ruht sich aus und sammelt Kräfte für den nächsten Sprung stromaufwärts.

 Und los geht's!

Bären haben wir diesmal keine gesehen, aber eines ist sicher, sie waren bestimmt nicht allzu weit weg von diesem Buffet.

Fall Food Challenge!

The dark and wet season has begun. I am still doing my three miles walk along the inlet every day, now back to wearing hi-viz rain gear to be seen, and a headlamp to be able to illuminate the otherwise unlit path. Please note the sign in the background... bears are around this time of the year to feed on the returning salmon.

It is also comfort food season. Time to go through my piles of cook books (those who know my streaks of OCD will rightly assume that I don't keep books in a pile but neatly categorized on a shelf), and pick my favourite soup and cabbage recipes. This year I have to conduct my own special challenge by converting those hearty meals into the vegan variety.

Pam over at Helmet or Heels threw out the Fall Food Challenge right in time for my first experiment: Veganizing Szegeniner Gulasch, a spicy Hungarian meat stew. So how to do it without the main ingredients: meat, meat and meat? As a matter of fact the recipe can be easily transformed by replacing meat with tempeh, and adding soy based sour cream at the end, done. And bonus, it doesn't take hours to cook.

Voilà! Half an hour later the meal is ready to be served.

Bon Appétit!

Nothing new under the Sun

Sun? Which sun? I haven't seen this thing since my return from the lands of Trolls and Huldre (not that we met either of those). Meanwhile I have been served a typical week of work, eat, sleep, repeat, while fighting off the jet lag and the spousal unit's man flu.

A dry spell on a coldish Saturday afternoon gives us the opportunity for a little out and about. We only ride for about sixty kilometers, but use back roads to make it last longer.

It is wrap-up season. The outfitters haul in their equipment and shut down the facilities. We are also painfully aware that there will not be much mileage happening on two wheels between now and maybe March/April next year.

Nature repeats itself. While passing by a stream we notice that the salmon is back. I had visited the place before but it was the first time for Roland to see the deadly attempt of reproduction in full force.

The fish were fighting over the best spawning position. Due to the recent rain falls the water levels were higher than usual, and the silver bodies moved swiftly through the current.

Some were resting for the next attempt to reach a higher vantage point.

Here is one propelling himself over the pebbles into the next little pool of deeper waters.

Although salmon season is in full force we haven't seen one bear on our little ride-out, only deer. We must visit again as this show will go on for another ten to fifteen days.