Grab Your Mittens, Campers, it's 33 Degrees This Morning: Oct 17

If ever there were a morning for oatmeal, this is it. Art returns from the loo to tell me the air temperature is close to freezing.

Clear and utterly cold, but Kitty is just as lovely in the morning sun as she was in last night's fading light. No way can we warm up without a morning fire or a hard hike in the sun, but it's not strong enough yet to feel.

So bye bye Kitty Coleman and on to Englishman Falls Provincial Park, recommended by our visitors to Schoen lake.

Along the way, a sign reads CHANTERELLES AND SALMON. Sounds like dinner to me. Such nice folks selling, too--we'll also take a dozen eggs from their roaming chickens.

We're in the Comox Valley, where farms and pasture abound, and soon we see a sign for grass-fed beef. With the chill comes thoughts of the grill. A porterhouse and some maple breakfast sausages later, we're back on the road. Oh, and some green curry sauce made right here in Courtney with lots of fresh green chiles.

We have to abort our stay at Englishman River Provincial Park (too bad--it looks stunning) because it closed yesterday for camping. Wanting to see the falls (was it Cole Porter who wrote "next time we'll look at the falls"?), but clearly recalling yesterday's lengthy search for Kitty Coleman, we take a quick glance at the map and re-direct to Rathtrevor Provincial Park, back on the water of the eastern shore.

Time for a hot late breakfast: the giant-yolked eggs from our stop this morning + green olives and cream cheese omelet.

And on to a vigorous hike. Along the way, we meet Dodge, a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever puppy. Read more about this one of four native Canadian dogs here (others are the Lab, the Newfoundland, and the Husky).

His owner is in love with him, and little Dodge is surely headed for a successful career as a birder, I found out when I played with him. His teeth are like needles, but what a sweetheart.

Now to the hike along the water to catch some sun.

Lovely picnic areas too. Lots of people just out for the beautiful day. Camille, one family was playing bocce ball on this splendid lawn. We remembered the fun we had with you.

We walk along the beach...

...and back to our site for wood collection, chopping session, a fire, and cocktails, visions of salmon over an open fire coming on strong.

We know Art is burning some calories anyway.

Mmm. Back in the camper I survey the booty. Sautee the chanterelles and finish with dry sherry. Get the salmon on Art's oiled grill for him, and steam the last of the green beans and spinach to mix with the green curry we got this morning (Dorothy, I thought of you and our Thai curries).

It's a feast.