Steeping a Spot of Tea

When I am stressed, tired, frustrated, or even cold, there is one thing that is guaranteed to make me feel better.  I love tea.  I'm not into fancy teas but I'm easily comforted by a darkly steeped cup of orange pekoe tea.  Over the many thousands of cups I have learned a few things about how I like my tea and how to get the best out of it.

If you follow my blog it won't surprise you to find out that I prefer to drink my tea while camping.  If I'm backpacking along the Fundy Coast, there is no better tea than when I brew it over my whisperlite stove on a cool spring morning at Goose River.  If I'm not outdoors or in my own kitchen then where can I find a good cup of tea in and around Kings County. 

Ok, I'll admit it, I love my Tim Horton's.  Most of the time this is where my tea comes from.  I love going to my local Tim's and see who is there to chat with and knowing that when I get to the counter the servers simply confirm my order.  Tea is about comfort and Tim's is pure Canadian comfort.  They aren't the only coffee shop around though.

Break Away Cafe, Main Street, Sussex, has a more professional atmosphere than Tim's.  When you add the wireless internet to the mix it blends well for an enjoyable cup of tea.  After my banking I will stop in and meet a colleague for a coffee break.  The smaller space and the Main Street location makes the place feel cozy and you can easily engage in a sophisticated discussion without needing to raise your voice to be heard.  The tea is not on steeping when you come in so you can make it as weak or as strong as you like.  Typically I like a strong cup of tea.  If you can see the bottom of the cup before adding milk, it's too weak for me.  While you wait for your pot to steep you can surf the net or chat with friends about the latest political movements or sports trades.

I prefer a little milk in my tea over cream.  I find the cream gives the tea a pasty after taste and this takes away from the enjoyment of the cup.  The water is important too.  Luckily, throughout most of Kings County, NB, we are blessed with good water as the quality of the water in your tea makes a difference.  If you like your tea at the Tim Horton's here in Sussex, you'll likely be highly dissappointed with the same Tim Horton's product in Oromocto.

The cup you put your tea in is important too.  It should keep the tea warm for a long time, fit perfectly to your hands, and instead of having a full set, it should be one of a kind.  Don't ask me why, that's just the way I like it.  So right now I'm sitting enjoying a cup of tea, writing this blog post, and listening to some country music which, by the way, is also an important ingredient when blending the perfect cup of tea.  Enjoy

Dispatch from the Sussex Corner Winter Carnival

I submitted this as a column in the Feb 21, 2012 Kings County Record.  I wrote it the evening of my deadline because I really wanted to get word out about the Sussex Corner Winter Carnival.  Since writing the piece, the Carnival has ended with a joyful bang and honking horns.  I will provide more on that in a follow up blog.  Enjoy.

 

During the Corner Cup Hockey Tournament play was, at times, humorously impacted by ice conditions.

The first night of the 4^th Annual Corner Cup has just wrapped up.  The outdoor ice was slow and choppy but the cool night air was great for the occasion.  The players cursed the ice when it worked against them while everyone else laughed politely knowing that the next time it would very likely be them who fell over or missed the break away.  As we tidied up the ice for the night the coyotes yipped off towards the Bluff and I started thinking about the trek I will be taking out there tomorrow night.

Back to the hockey though, after all it was pure Canadiana around Sullivan Park tonight.  From the Tim Horton's coffee steaming in cold hands to the red maple leaf design toques being worn by the team calling them selves the Isotopes.  The St. John's Ambulance volunteers were there and so were a few true hockey fans.  Straw bales, lawn chairs, snow banks and the odd cooler provided the seating for players and fans alike.

The hockey was competitive but relaxed.  Players quickly realized that, with the poor ice conditions, it was better to play with control than with reckless, competitive abandon.  Young kids played on the snow banks around the ice surface while young and not so young men played like kids on the ice. 

Worth playing for.

The ice didn't only impact the pace of the play but it also impacted the players.  Simply to skate on the ice tonight required twice the effort it would if you were skating at the 8^th Hussars Arena.  The snow and the bumps forced you to keep more weight on your feet and thus you couldn't glide like you would on artificial ice.  Many times the puck jumped and hit players in the shins or they would trip on one of the many ruts and no doubt they left with bruised elbows and knees.  When they fell though they quickly got back up and at that moment you could see their true competitive nature flash in their eyes.  You could see they were proudly Canadian and hockey was their game.

Likely the most interesting aspect of having a chipped and rutted ice surface was the manner in which it evened out the play.  Those that could normally stick handle in a phone booth, tonight, had to learn all over while, those who usually struggled to push the puck ahead of them, were still simply struggling.  

As one of the organizers of this event it was great to see the players having fun.  Being outside during the winter and taking advantage of one of its great offerings.  I'm excited for tomorrow evening and all the events planned for Saturday.  I hope I get to see you there and I hope you get to enjoy our great Canadian outdoors.  If you didn't make the Sussex Corner Winter Carnival then I hope you are out somewhere else building snowmen, digging quinzees, throwing snowballs, snowshoeing across a scenic ridge, or sliding down a great hill.  Don't just think about it.  Take your family and do it, my son and I tonight stayed out well past not only his bedtime but mine too and it was so fun. 

See you on the ice or in the woods.

Small Village Canadiana

The Sussex Corner Winter Carnival is fun for everyone, not just skaters and skiers.

There is a modest Village in the southern part of New Brunswick.  It's tree lined streets are typically quiet with comforting light shining from the tidy homes.  During a weekend in February, this year it will be the 18th, this small Village of just over 1400people gets a bit rowdy as they celebrate with pure Canadiana.  The Sussex Corner Winter Carnival is a growing event where people can come and participate in various outdoor winter activities.  From pond hockey to snowshoeing, from sculpting to sliding, games to sleigh rides.  Of course what is a Canadian winter carnival without maple candy made right on the snow.

I know where I'll be on the 18th.  How about you?  Why not sign up a team and compete in the Corner Cup, or come out Friday night and take part in an evening snowshoe trek to the Bluff, hosted by Outdoor Elements.  This is a great evening event that is topped off with some laughs and hot chocolate while watching the pond hockey games.

There is lots of snow in Sussex Corner right now so snow sculpting will make a great family experience, as will the snow man competition or the Amazing Race on Saturday.  For food connesiours there will be our fireside chowder and a barbeque canteer offering hot dogs and hamburgers.  At the end of the night the entire Village anticipates the fireworks display and I hear this year's event will not dissappoint.

Hope to see you there.

Music Memories



My music, nowadays, is heavily influenced by my kids and I listened to songs that sing about a father's love and role for his children.

 I'm not sure what it is lately?  There has been something pushing at me from inside.  It is a positive force that has been making me feel like laughing or brings a smile to my face for no apparent reason.  It usually strikes when music is playing.  I'm confident that the music has something to do with it.

Growing up in a rural community known for its rolling fields and silos, it was hard to avoid the influence of country music.  Some of my peers tried.  Me...well...I embraced it throughout most of my life.  I listened to other music, mainly rock from the 80's and 90's hair bands, but I always came back to country.  My Mom always had it playing loud during the summer months.  When I hear Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton's version of "Islands in the Stream" the faint smell of pledge wafting through a slightly dusty screen door, across the dirt driveway, as it mixes with the exhaust from the "Bluebird" school bus.  That is a comfortable and idylic memory of returning home from school during a warm early June day.

Country music takes me places in my mind and lately there have been some great songs put out that have taken my to great places.  Fishing with my late grandfather (miss you gramp and I'm still spitting on worms.) Sitting on a buddy's tailgate while we hang with friends along a back farm field.  Six kids, travelling two hours, one way, in the back of a camper van, to a hockey game while the country music was drowned out to laughter and wrestling.  Back in those days seat belts were optional, but honestly, I wouldn't promote that risk.

Music lately causes me to swell and want to sing out loud.  There is one problem with that, I'm not that gifted of singer.  When I'm in the kitchen however, doing dishes, I can't help it and I'm sure that if you walked by the house during one of those moments you would hear how poor of singer I truly am.  Driving long distances also gives me reason to sing outloud, at least when I'm alone.  Today was a sunny winter day and a few times as I sat in my office, I was singing to Luke Bryan's "We Rode In Trucks."  So much in the song I can relate too and that is what makes country so great.  With digital capabilities now you can go way back and pull songs forward and videos just give the music that much more.

I still listen to other music.  A lot of kids tunes lately thanks to my children.  I enjoy christian rock too but I always come back to country when I need to smile or need a reminder of who I really am.  It's not the music so much as the memories tied to the songs and I want to hold on to and cherish them for a long time to come.  Hopefully I'll pass down to my kids the memories and music that my parents were gracious enough to pass down to me.  My Mom's country music will always be comforting and will always sound like home.

2012 Timbits Hockey Jamboree

It was a long but rewarding day today.  As I write this I am struggling to keep my eyes open.  After a winter storm that brought snow and freezing rain last night, we woke early this morning to be sure we could make the one hour drive to Saint John.  We were heading to Saint John for the Tim Horton's Timbit Hockey Jamboree at Harbour Station.  In case you didn't know...simply playing at Harbour Station is a big deal for kids 5-6 years old.

We arrived at the rink around 9:40am for the first of four games my son would play today.  He was only supposed to play 2 but due to other players being sick and unable to make it, he was going to fill in for a team that was short.  For a 6 year old that means a lot of hockey and a long day.  I was a bit concerned that maybe it was going to be to much.  I was also a bit concerned because his first two games were against the younger age class.  I had a chat with him and asked him to take it easy though and surprisingly he listened well. 

His first game was a relaxed pace and he didn't get to engaged.  His team won quite handly with minimal input from him.  Of course at this event the score doesn't really matter.  The next game there was no holding Seth back and he was fully engaged and scored a hat trick leading his team to another victory.  After the game he asked his Mom "Did you see my hat trick Mom?"  She enthusiastically responded with a "Yeah!  You were great!"  As he moved out of ear shot she turns to me and asks "Whats a hat trick?"  She is learning so much already...I am so proud of both of them and love them both so much.

After game two Seth was thirsty and hungry.  He stated he didn't want to play four games today.  After some food and a juice box though he was ready to go again.  It might have had more to do with all the chocolate glazed timbits he ate too.  The third game was with the team he was scheduled to play with and with his age class.  He competed hard and though he didn't score he was continually in the play and moving the puck forward.  At this age that is very positive.  Game four was very similar and the kids won both and as much as the adults want to believe the score doesn't matter...you can't tell competetive six year olds that.  They all came of the ice smiling and laughing, Seth maybe a little less so as he was a bit more tired than most.

The best thing about this format is that it really gives the kids a taste of what true hockey is really about.  For many it is the first "tournament" they play.  The kids that were there last year remembered almost every goal from the year before.  They anticipate playing at Harbour Station again.  For a parent it is a bit chaotic and rushed but the kids move through it seamlessly with the young minds unaware of the rapid pace. 

Just one thumbs down and that was the fact that one of our players ended up losing his boots.  Either accidently or through theft, but if the latter I give a big thumbs down to the thoughtless and selfish person who felt it would be okay to send a kid home from the rink in his sock feet.

I tip my hat to Tim Horton's for hosting such a great event.

A Ward's Creek Surprise

This is an article I had published in the January 24, 2012 Kings County Record.  It was inspired by a hike I took with a work colleague.  We were investigating the topography around a watershed that we have been working at restoring as part of my job as the Project Manager for the Kennebecasis Watershed Restoration Committee.  It is days such as this one that drive home the reason why I don't work for money but rather for the enjoyment of my job.

 

This porcupine was one of many we found in this scenic area.  A small but rewarding wilderness area.

Nature is always full of surprises.  That is one of the bigger reasons why I love getting out and enjoying it.  Sometimes the weather changes suddenly and a summer shower changes the whole outlook on a day and makes it, strangely, more enjoyable.  Maybe you're walking across an expansive farm field and a large buck prances out in front of you leaving your heart racing and short of breath.  I could go on and on but I want to tell you about a surprise I recently received.

If you read my column regularly you'll know that I often am looking for ridges to hike and during the summer of 2011 I spotted one while driving along Route 111.  It took me until January of 2012 to get there.  From the road the ridge looked like it was hiding a ravine but I wasn't sure and the topographic maps and on-line map sources didn't show a great deal.  This really had me curious and so I headed out one afternoon with a colleague.

We parked along Route 111 and then worked our way across Ward's Creek.  Once across the Creek the terrain becomes very steep and as we work along the side of the hill large boulders are strewn through the woods.  They serve as an indication as to what lay ahead.  We aren't following any specific trail but we do find a farm road that heads in the direction we think we need to go.  We decide to move off the road and head further up the hill as we feel we need to actually crest the hill to find the hidden ravine,  I think is there.  As we stumble onto another farm trail I see the rock face that I spotted from Route 111 and it is much bigger than what I imagined.

Looking down the valley along the top of the ridge.

The rock face is not extremely high but does stand well above the surrounding landscape and extends more than 100m in length.  Beech, maple, and birch trees dominate the narrow valley floor while spruce and pine stand along the top of the face.  Scree is scattered along the foot of the rock wall and makes walking difficult.  The conglomerate rock is solid with large boulders imbedded into its cement like texture.  The whole scene stands out in front of me and leaves me feeling a bit giddy.  It was so much more than what I had anticipated and it was going to throw another surprise.

I explored the barren looking rock and some of the cracks in the wall seeking for a route I could climb up over the face.  As I looked up one such crack I noticed a large amount of porcupine scat, then as I looked up further I saw three porcupines sleeping while wedged into the crack.  I moved down to the next crack and actually climbed up approximately 30m to the top of the ridge.  As I took in the scenery below me I heard some rustling to my right and when I turned I saw another porcupine.  I was able to snap a number of great pictures and take some video of it as it made its way down the rock face.  To be honest, I had no idea; porcupines were that comfortable on rock. 

From the top of the scree the rock face was pretty much straight up.

We circled to the top end of the ravine and worked our way back to the valley bottom.  There would be no more big surprises for the hike but a cool spring on the descent was mildly surprising.  We followed its waters down to the road we had walked earlier and made our way back across the nearly frozen Ward's Creek.  The hike left me wishing I could find more time to take more such wanders through the woods. 

The map below shows the route we hiked on this day.  If you go out make sure you treat the land with respect and leave it better than you find it.  

 
View Ward's Creek Lookout Hike in a larger map

Park Ecosystems over Economics

This is a column I submitted and had published in the January 10, 2012 edition of the Kings County Record.  I was prompted to write this as I continually hear people talking about the need to generate revenue from our National Parks.  While I think Parks don't need to cost us money, I also don't think they need to make us money.  In my mind the purpose of a National Park is to protect in perpetuity the natural ecosystems within the Park borders.  I feel that if we don't stand up now that the economic and ecological line will be so muddy it will be to late.  Let me know what you think.

This photo was taken near the east entrance to Fundy National Park.

Sometime ago I attended a stakeholder engagement session for Fundy National Park.  I left the session feeling concerned about some of the discussion and the direction that was being indicated by the Park staff present.  Now, sometime later, I received a package in the mail about the success of our National Parks program and the celebration of the Parks centennial birthday.  A sentence in the cover letter that accompanied the package, again, made me nervous with its referral to the economic factors of Parks Canada. 

The natural environment is what National Parks were established to maintain, now and into the future.  On the Parks Canada website it states "To protect, as a first priority, the natural and cultural heritage of our special places and ensure that they remain healthy and whole."    Many people seem to think that our National Parks should be operated like a corporate industry and rake in tons of economic resources and this frustrates me.  The discussion about Fundy was about increasing the amount of infrastructure so that the public could be better served and would pay more to come to the Parks.  This infrastructure comes at a cost though, and not just a financial cost.  Typically when you increase the human foot print you have an impact on the natural environment that they "as a first priority" are supposed to protect. 

It was stated at the engagement session that Parks Canada visitor numbers are down and managers are suggesting that the improved and increased infrastructure will increase visitation rates.  I question the validity of this claim though and feel that in reality that Parks Canada is alienating the customers that originally provided the bulk of the support.  Those people who crave true wilderness adventures are not going to appreciate larger parking lots, more buildings and picnic shelters, and more accessible trails and will likely look elsewhere for their wilderness adventures.  This means that increased infrastructure will actually reduce visitor numbers while increasing management and maintenance costs.

To me our Parks should be managed to protect the natural environments within their boundaries for many generations to come.  By natural, I mean undisturbed with minimal human footprints.  With an increasing population that supports ecological conservation those truly seeking a wilderness experience will pay sufficiently to protect the natural environments with little to no infrastructure.  Minimal linear corridors should be developed and any interpretive, recreational, and large scale accommodation should be done outside Fundy National Park boundaries.  With proper planning and communication between Park staff and the bordering municipalities this could provide great resources to the community while maintaining the natural integrity of the Parks ecosystem. 

I realize that managing a Park such as Fundy is difficult and maintaining a natural balance more so.  I applaud the staff of Fundy for the great work they do and for the services they currently provide.  My concern is simply that some managers within Parks Canada may be considering tipping the scale more to the economic side during these supposedly hard economic times.  This would be a costly mistake that once made could not be easily corrected.  I would support increasing the size of Fundy before I could support more buildings and facilities as this would only further enhance the ecosystem connectivity and thus the visitor experience.

Looking from the golf course in Fundy National Park towards Alma.

Farm Field Hike

The Bluff is photogenic from anywhere you can see it.

It has been a bit too long since I last posted.  I've been just to active to sit and write about anything.  I did take some time recently to take a couple of walks outside.  I say "outside" because I have been looking for good hikes to take with my family.  They have to be close by and of easy to moderate exertion so that the kids can handle it.  This means they aren't likely wilderness.



I liked that spruce so much I photographed it twice, but I truly love this farm road.





One such exploration led me up over a farm field that I haven't visited since I was a young kid.  My brother, our friends, and I used to bike or walk up this hill after biking to "Mac's Corner Store" for some treats.  We'd hike up the hill and sit on hay bales or on the corral that was there to enjoy our treats.  My brother, his two boys, my father, my kids and I were hiking on this day.  It was a calm but gray day, with above normal temperatures, a great day to be outside. 



We left around 3:00 in the afternoon and I anticipated to be out about 1.5-2 hours.  I was hoping to be finishing up near sun down so that I could possibly get some nice light for photos.  To my surprise, the old corral was still there and my brother and I reminisced together about our childhood.  The walk seemed a bit shorter somehow, although my son likely felt it was plenty long enough.  We hiked on past the corral and continued to follow the field road to the top pasture.  At the tree line we could sit and look back over the fields we had just crossed and also look over most of Sussex Corner.

This was towards the end of the walk and provided a perfect ending, beyond the singing, which was so appropriate.

We sat and enjoyed the view as we ate a small snack and drank some water.  The pace back was leisurely and the conversation light.  My daughter rode joyfully in the backpack and sang songs for a good portion of the trip home before falling asleep.  The dogs ran wildly enjoying a bit of freedom before we had to put them back on the leashes, even a cut pad on my shepherd/husky couldn't slow her down.

It was nice to just get outside and enjoy being there.  We don't have to go far to enjoy the wilderness and we truly had a great day.

Shaylee finally succumbed to the fresh air and likely serenaded herself to sleep.

Merry Christmas

From us to you, Merry Christmas

This morning I crawled out of bed still a bit sleepy.  I dressed with my eyes barely open; whacking my head on my closet door while I did.  I let the dog out of her kennel to take her out for her morning run and was brought to my senses when I realized it was snowing.  December 23rd and we were getting snow.  "We might have a white Christmas afterall" I said to the dog.  She bounded outside after the ball we've been using lately. 

My holiday started off nice and I hope it keeps going that way.  I have all my shopping and wrapping done, improving my best previous time by more that 21hours.  The tree is up and decorated and the kids are growing increasingly excited.

I hope that you have a great Christmas and a wonderful New Year.  Spend lots of time wandering with family over the holidays and if you're like me fridge to fridge.  All the best.  Ben

New Sweaters Bring a New Attitude

This is from my Kings County Record Column from December 13th, 2011.  Kids seem to really inspire my writing, I love how everything is so huge and exciting to them.
 
Hockey is once again underway for another season and once again I am coaching the 5-6year old kids.  It is proving very rewarding, especially since I have been able to take my lessons learned from my previous year's experience and put them to good use.  The number of kids playing this year has increased and to start we were short about a half dozen jerseys and a couple of coaches.  A couple of willing dads stepped up to take on the needed coaching spots and a local sponsor allows us to purchase new sweaters every three years and a big thanks goes out to everyone who is making a contribution. 

McKnighthockey.com

The newer jerseys were identical to the old ones but, they are, new.  When we brought them out and let the kids know they were getting new sweaters loud screaming and hollering ensued.  Some kids wanted new colors, others wanted new numbers, others wanted the same color and numbers, while others were still wondering what was going on.  With four colors to work with we were able to organize the kids into comparable skill categories. 

With help from many of the mothers, we were able to get all the kids into their new sweater before the end of practice.  I rotated the kids through skill and game stations, with one of the stations being a sweater exchange.  After getting their sweater, the first year kids especially, were coming up and pulling on my old tattered sweater asking me to look at their new one with a big Christmas sized grin on their face.  After I acknowledged how great they looked they proudly skated away.  I swear many of them skated stronger, faster, and harder with the new hockey sweater.

Something as simple as a new sweater is a big deal to a young kid and for some could be the turning point of the season and that moment that triggers their desire to come back and play next year.  It is those moments or a number of smaller moments that build their confidence and make them feel like a true hockey player.

This could be a short edited version of our entire lives.  I know for me that my life has been formed by a number of small victories or successful lessons learned.  These victories often came during a time when I was feeling slightly defeated or uncertain about the next steps.  I have to give thanks to God that when I needed it most a positive experience was there to keep me moving towards my goals.  For a young hockey player, a new jersey may be all he needs to start scoring goals for his team. 

Just as a side note, I simply coach a team, but there are a number of people who work hard to organize Sussex Minor Hockey.  It is often a thankless job that results in upset parents calling you at all hours of the day, or a need to fill out multiple insurance forms, or having to spend consecutive hours at the rink.  This is true for many minor sport volunteers so if your kid plays sports, be sure to thank them.  I want to say thanks to Sussex Minor Hockey board members and volunteers, its an awesome organization.