beer – Page 5 – OldPlaidCamper

A sleepy river and a time out

Or less a time out and more time well spent?

Yeah, the latter! We went down to the Chaudière-Appalaches region, an area just to the south and east of Quebec City to camp at a quiet spot on the Etchemin River. The days were warm and dry but not hot, something of a relief after a particularly stormy and humid spell.

The Etchemin is not a mighty river but it is mighty cool, both to sit alongside and to dip a foot or two into the water. Not so deep in dryish high summer, and navigable by canoe if you don’t mind a bump or two. We chatted to a family of four who successfully paddled stretches of the Etchemin without drama, and that was with two youngsters under ten and a dog. It’s got us thinking about giving it a paddle another time…

We saw a couple head down to fish for an hour or two. I don’t know if they caught anything, but did they ever look happy just to be there! A sleepy river? No, not really, more of a tranquil space, one where plenty was happening.

I’m reading “A River Never Sleeps” by Roderick L. Haig-Brown, and thoroughly enjoying it. An account of his fishing life, I’ve only read the opening chapters so far, and what a dry wit he has. The section on mythic fish is tale telling at its best. I know almost nothing about fishing, having barely any experience, but Haig-Brown’s enthusiasm is catching. His descriptions of rivers he loved on Vancouver Island are wonderful. A new title to me, and highly recommended if it’s a new title to you!

Each day we’d sit by the bubbling and chuckling river, the water sparkling in the bright sun. So much to see! We observed several large eagles climbing in circles, higher and higher to reach a certain height, then swoop down in long and graceful glides. Small birds chattered in the bushes and trees lining the river, with some seeming keen to make a start on the ripening berries. It was a delight to watch a heron across from us, moving with that slow and steady wing beat, an almost lazy, effortless flight upriver and away.

The wider region is a patchwork of wooded hills and pockets of cleared farmland, with many, many small streams and rivers. There’s the bustle and busyness of productive agriculture, and in such pretty surroundings the pace seems bearable. It’s easy to romanticize farming life on gentle summer afternoons if you’re not the one on the tractor or in barns and sheds, tending to crops and livestock…

A visit to Frampton Brasse is never a waste of time, and we couldn’t miss the opportunity to try what is produced so locally! Blue skies, a light breeze, long views, excellent beer and a camping spot down by the river afterwards – nope, it’s not time out, and definitely time well spent! How you spend your days is how you live your life and all that. I think we’re beginning to figure out this retirement lark.

It was hard to drag ourselves away, but the approaching remnants of tropical storm Debby got us packing up and heading home before the worst of the deluge. The Etchemin will be running high as a result, and likely more navigable by canoe than ever? Hmm…

Thanks for reading and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

This way or that?

Drifting and paddling, splishing and splashing. Being by the water on warm summer days – is that about as good as it gets?! We could ask these guys:

*Both ways work – we’re in the right place!*

By the time this is posted we’ll be off camping, down by a different body of water in the Chaudière-Appalaches. I’ll catch up on all things WordPress next week. Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Colourful days

We’ve enjoyed mostly warm and sunny days the past week, just right for finding quiet corners to sit with a cold drink and/or a picnic. There has been quite a bit of rain when it hasn’t been warm and sunny, and this seems to have been very good for various gardens.

I’ve included a few photographs from either the Île d’Orleans or the Plains of Abraham, and, the lavender aside, I’ve no idea what most of the plants are and I’m too lazy to look ‘em up…

I found the item above lurking in a cooler, an overlooked beer from our recent trip. I was going to save it for a more appropriate fall day and then I didn’t. A pretty decent offering, but not a summer beer!

I’ll get to sharing a bit more about our recent trip to the Parc national d’Opemican once I’ve sorted out photos and thoughts.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Meandering

Meandering? Us? Never! Well, maybe… Read on if you’ve the time and patience for something slow going nowhere in particular!

We’ve just got back from a short road and extended camping trip to Parc national d’Opemican. The park is about a ten hour drive from Quebec City. If you want to, you can make the trip from here to there in one long driving day, but we took two days, travelling more slowly, stopping often.

Our route passed through Montreal and Ottawa because that appeared to be the most direct. Did I mention travelling more slowly? The summer highway construction season all but assures you’re taking things slowly, so it was on with the tunes (yup, the Hip), down with the windows (and then back up because, city traffic fumes and humidity) and try to enjoy the construction enforced leisurely pace. I do like driving with windows rolled down if we’re moving at a (legal) pace that generates cool air. I know, my hair, but sometimes you’ve just got to go with it.

Picnic stop. Loads of time. Loads of cheese. Lots of cherries. Few bugs.

With Montreal and Ottawa in the rear view, things out of the (rolled down) windows get a good deal more interesting. The Ottawa Valley is wide and green and pleasantly agricultural before becoming increasingly wooded, rugged and wild as it swings northwest.

Approaching Opemican we’d ask are we in Ontario or are we in Quebec? Erm, yes? The river is the border between the two provinces, and we crisscrossed it a few times. I loved moving along(side) the river on those lazy hazy summer days. Later in the week I got to paddle on it. Marvellous. More on that in another post I suspect.

Earlier, we’d stopped in Arnprior, ON, to meet an old school friend, or rather, old school teaching friend and colleague from our time in Calgary. A wonderful teacher, it was P who gave me a copy of “Hatchet” by Gary Paulsen as she thought I might like it. She was right, and it influenced much of what I taught. With the novel as a starting point, students explored so many aspects about what it means to be in Canada. New Canadian, settler, refugee or First Nation, I’m almost certain every single student enjoyed the novel and how we uncovered so many areas of the curriculum. Geography, language, math, natural sciences, artistic expression, personal responsibility, risk taking, decision making, finding solutions, and remembering to never, ever bother a moose. So much in one short novel! If I ever return to the classroom, it’ll be with a copy of Hatchet in my back pocket… I owe P so much! So I bought her a beer.

Lazy afternoon with a hazy beer – highly recommended NEIPA

P was in fine form. We’d always hoped to meet up at her family cottage near Bobcaygeon but never got to doing that and the cabin changed hands last summer. Fortuitously, we all happened to be passing through Arnprior the same weekend, and, just as fortuitously, the Cold Bear Brewing Company was open, served splendid beer, and was the most dog (and people) friendly brewery we’ve been to so far.

We’ll get to Arnprior again one day, explore a bit more, as it seemed a pleasant little riverside town. We couldn’t stay long this time as it was on the next day to rendezvous with my brother and his partner at Opemican.

I’ll write more about the fabulous week we had in a future post, but I’ll finish by saying if you ever go camping and want a mosquito distractor, some bait that’ll keep the little blighters away from you, then go with my brother. He’s a mosquito magnet! Every mosquito in western Quebec wanted to meet him. And only him. I have to say he complained far less than I would have, so hats off for that – and then back on again quickly, just in case. (If you have bought shares in any bug deterrent products in the past month, it was my brother who made your fortune!) Poor guy tried everything, to no avail. He’s quite a builder and tinkerer, and he left muttering something about creating a personal mini laser system to shoot down mosquitoes. I wouldn’t put it past him, but he wouldn’t be happy about the military-industrial complex knocking on his door and asking for the blueprints as a matter of national security.

“What bugs? Be chill, man!” Scout, going with the contours and the flow at Opemican

More to follow! Thanks for reading and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

PS Now we’re home for a few days, I’ll be catching up on your posts and any comments over the weekend and into next week! (We were pretty much off grid for ten days – did anything happen while we were away? Scans headlines. Oh…)

Vallée Bras-du-Nord

Refusing to be put off by our recent black fly challenges (and armed with a new bug screen dome and lotion with possibly high radiation equivalent levels of DEET) we set off for a relatively mountainous region an hour or so northwest of Quebec City.

I was encouraged as the route changed from six lane highway to two lane black top (with narrow single lane bridges over small rivers and streams) to a range road that became a dirt track the last few kilometres. We were hoping for something a little remote – our booking advised no electricity or running water and very little cell coverage (all true) – and when we checked in at the office, the friendly welcome and laidback attitude boded well. Also, yes, the campground a few hundred metres away might not have any modern services, but, bonus, was that a fridge full of cold local beers? Well, I’m not saying, but Mrs. PC seemed particularly happy…

A selection of cold locals – the beer, not the people!

Our site was large, shaded and quiet. Spacious enough to accommodate our tent, the truck and the larger than expected dome tent bug screen. My first apartment was smaller. We put it up over the provided bench and picnic table with room to spare. Great for Scout to wander around “indoors but outside” and off leash.

The black fly count was far lower than our previous outing, and we’d have probably been ok without the screen, but it was pleasant to be able to rustle up and eat meals without any bugstractions.

We’re meeting up with friends/family next week, another camping trip, on the Quebec-Ontario border just north of Algonquin Park. I understand it can be a little buggy there, so we’ll be able to entertain in numbers under the dome. Or if not entertain (yeah, they’ve heard our stories before) then at least be comfortable.

Anyway, back to the Vallée Bras-du-Nord – it is a gem! Mountainous and green, a pretty valley with great hiking and biking trails and lots of camping options. It would be fun to snowshoe or xc ski in winter, and it has the feel of being a fishing place? I’m not too sure of the fishing scene in Quebec. The rivers and streams are plentiful and appear clean to the untrained eye.

We hiked a couple of trails, and our favourite was to the Delaney Falls. My camera was dying, but I managed a few shots. Honestly, if you ever find yourself out that way, the one hour each way hike from Shannahan Information Centre to the falls is a winner. It is leafy and relatively flat along the river valley bottom with a short rise to the falls on well constructed forest trails. Roots, rocks and puddles make it one to watch where you step, but nothing too strenuous, and a perfect length for a warm day. Take bug spray and water and all will be well!

Our evenings were warm, one or two sharp rain showers aside, and the best sight in the later evenings was the lightning bugs. Loved seeing those. Only a few, and flashing on and off through the darkening trees. For me, they made camping seem like, well, camping!

We’re hoping to return in the fall, most likely for a daylong outing to check out the leaf colour and enjoy a vigorous hike on a fresh fall day.

Always friendly, always ready for a hike – any season!

Not too sure about how connected we’ll be internet-wise for the next week or two. I’ll aim to post a short something at the end of the week as usual, and then catch up on my reading after we return home.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Canada Day!

This coming Monday! Happy Canada Day if you choose to celebrate.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – I’m so happy to be a Canadian citizen and that Canada is my home. It’s not perfect – is anywhere? – definitely a work in progress, but overall seems to be heading in a positive direction.

So, happy Canada Day this coming Monday. Maybe you’re Canadian, know some Canadians, live near Canada or just like maple syrup?!

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Totally square

Hey kids, wanna hear what the old folks have been up to on their day off? Yeah, I know, being kinda retired, every day is a day off, but anyway, here’s what these old squares did the other day.

We shrugged off our blankets, shucked our slippers, then jumped on the bus and headed into town. Once there, on a sunny day – possibly the sunniest in recent PlaidCamper memory (he of the unreliable memory, and tendency to whine about stuff like that – it’s been sunny before, pay no heed) – we wandered from square to square, enjoying the quiet and enjoying the sunshine. Oh, that sunshine!

Then we did what we almost always do, and went for lunch. Out to lunch you ask? Possibly…

Then it was off to the Palais Montcalm to listen to some baroque chamber orchestra stuff, from Purcell to Vivaldi as interpreted by a chap called Milos with his guitar, and another chap called Johnny Cohen and his harpsichord, with stringed instrument friends providing support.

It was all very good. Mrs PC loves Milos, for his guitar playing, not his smouldering intensity and good looks, and I love the baroque period, mostly for the wigs. I believe I would smoulder beneath a baroque wig, I really do. Our seats were suspiciously front and centre, to the point where if I’d had feelings for Milos, he would have known…

“Wiggy?! How dare you, sir – this is my own hair!” (Image of Henry Purcell from Wikipedia)

“And then we zipped home on our”— no, we didn’t. Could be tempted, though…

Wiggy music, a pub lunch, old squares, and all on a sunny day? Hey kids, you might love reaching early middle age, it’s not so bad…

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

So close!

To spring! There have been one or two days this past week where the air has felt almost warm, with a softness or mildness that is more than just strong sunshine on a cold winter day. Yes, I think spring might be right around the corner! (Let’s ignore the forecast for tomorrow – Thursday, at the time of writing – where it’s likely we’ll delight in a high of 1C and somewhere between 5-10 cm of snow. Nothing more than a seasonal blip…)

Seasonal (luckily, the maple wasnt too strong a flavour)

In recent days we’ve enjoyed a cup of coffee or two on the deck, wavering between do we need a jacket – yes we do – and/or we don’t really need a jacket, do we – yes, you really do. Give it another week or three, and maybe then lose the jackets.

There has been a steady increase in birdsong, along with the almost ceaseless sound of snowmelt and surface water dripping from roof tops and gurgling into drains. The edges of gradually reappearing grassy areas are showing just a hint or two of green as the sunshine melts the last of the ice banks.

Goodness, have we time to finish the Easter chocolate before finding time to start cutting the lawn? (Lawn? Steady on, OldPlaidCamper – I think small patch of grass is closer to the mark. Lawn…)

I’ll leave it here for now, feeling optimistic about spring as we look past the next few days towards a weekend and beyond that promises something positively balmy. In the meantime, where’s that jacket? And, oh no, the snow shovels?

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Forgot the chocolate!

We went to the market to buy some chocolate. Got distracted:

We’ll get by…

Enjoy the long weekend!

It’s not chocolate, but it is good! Moderation…

Spring paws

Oops, I mean pause… Anyway, here’s Scout enjoying an almost warm and sunny spring morning earlier this week:

She, like us, was surprised late Saturday and through Sunday, when just as we were finished organizing our spring camping plans, the snow began to fall. And fall. And fall! Not too sure of the final amounts, but it was close to a record for a March snowfall in Quebec.

It was certainly pretty, although it might have been the wettest and heaviest snow I’ve ever shovelled. More like weighty sorbet rather than light fluff. Temperatures have climbed since the weekend, so when we were enjoying the fruits of my snow shoveling labour by sitting on the cleared and sunny deck, the noisiest sounds were those of running and dripping water as the sorbet defrosted.

“Good job, old boy – but have you missed a bit?”

We took a walk out around the neighborhood once the storm passed, and it looked more like mid-January than it did back in mid-January:

Looks like January, but feels much warmer!

The snow was too claggy for us to walk on or through to access the woods, so we made do with looking at the edges. Pretty enough:

After all our exertions, we went home and enjoyed a well earned glass of something good!

Splendid – spring notes of pine resin, and not too bitter – yum!

The next week or two looks set to follow a similar pattern, with another small spring forward and hints of warmth, followed by a drop in temperatures and more snow. Is it jumper or jacket, or both?!

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

	Maria on A short trip…
	plaidcamper on A short trip…
	Maria on A short trip…
	plaidcamper on Striding out…
	plaidcamper on Winter mountain hush