Monday, August 25, 2008
Welcome to the SLOW FOOD NATION
...we need to remember that the fresh, unadulterated, minimally processed, locally produced foods that Slow Food Nation is showcasing were our pantry staples, before the military-industrial complex annexed our food chain a half a century or so ago in the name of progress.
Read the entire story ,Welcome to the Food Revolution | Environment | AlterNet
Yesterday, there was the hint of autumn in the air,the morning temperature was 50F = 10C. We headed out on a bicycle ride with gloves and jackets. It was a wonderful trip along one of our favorite rides to a local feature called the Goat Hils. There were fog banks along the road and everything was quiet.
Today we took Nickel (that means lollygagger pace) to Lake Goldsmith and she was feeling the autumn too. Chasing pheasants from there hides and running down the corn and bean rows. It is the first day of school so there were no children on the street when we got back for fresh fruit smoothies. It will be corn and tomatoes and who knows what other garden produce for meals this week. Forestburg melons are in at the local market and all the gardens are keeping the farmer's market a great place to be.
Labels: food, slow movement, SLOW_bicycling
Thursday, August 07, 2008
How slow is slow enough?
I have not posted for about a month. No good answer except that we are taking a break from the busyness to enjoy the great August weather.
We did travel to the Black Hills via Farm Island and La Framboise Pierre and got in some excellent bicycle rides along the Missouri River and a ride up Spearfish Canyon with our cousins in mid July plus a hike up to the top of Bear Butte. Several things we had not done before although it is right in our home state. They were great times but could not match what happened this morning right here on our favorite bicycling route.
After we got back from the family visits on the western part of the state we embarked on a natural foods diet as it is about this time of year that the garden produce starts to roll in. We can hardly wait for the corn, beans, tomatoes, ..., but this year we decided to go totally vegan, no refined sugar (including high fructose corn syrup that is added to nearly everything), no animal products (that eliminates dairy, eggs & meats), no caffeine (no coffee), no alcohol (no beer?), no gluten (breads, pastas & flour products). Surprisingly, it has not been that hard to do.
The diet has set the basis for our vacation from the busyness. We get out every day for an outing on our bicycles, mainly aerobic but sometimes just to be out there in the fresh air and abundance of flowers and wildlife. We had good workouts yesterday so today was one of those special days.
We took our dog, Nickel, out early for an early run about 6:30. She has been limping a bit lately so it was a short one. Carol had met us on the way back and went ahead. There were raggad, beautiful clouds with the rising sun peaking through here and there, fog was drifting out of the river valley from time to time, and the birds were singing every new song they had learned. We spotted an Indigo Bunting in a shelter belt out by the lake. It was the first one that we have ever seen along our route so it was quite a treat. There were curious little marsh wren fledglings in the ditches to inspect us and a new growth of the mid summer wild flowers everywhere. Butterflies and dragonflies above our heads and all around. A doe and her twins in the bean field and geese browsing in the newly harvested oat stubble by the lake.
The entire ride was most relaxing and rewarding. Neither of us had to verbalize that it was a day for going very slow and stopping often. We just knew. Let me explain what going slow really is, 3-5 mph is approximately the speed, but the important measure is to be going at a rate that virtually eliminates the noise of the tires on the gravel. Nothing but the sounds around you meet your ears.
We were out about 3 hours and when we returned, we fixed a blender full of fresh fruit smoothies. Fresh fruit, that is almost as good as it gets and today it was the refreshment that centered that special time together that around here is called "morning coffee." We found we don't really need the coffee.
Nature taught us another lesson this morning.
posted by HL
We did travel to the Black Hills via Farm Island and La Framboise Pierre and got in some excellent bicycle rides along the Missouri River and a ride up Spearfish Canyon with our cousins in mid July plus a hike up to the top of Bear Butte. Several things we had not done before although it is right in our home state. They were great times but could not match what happened this morning right here on our favorite bicycling route.
After we got back from the family visits on the western part of the state we embarked on a natural foods diet as it is about this time of year that the garden produce starts to roll in. We can hardly wait for the corn, beans, tomatoes, ..., but this year we decided to go totally vegan, no refined sugar (including high fructose corn syrup that is added to nearly everything), no animal products (that eliminates dairy, eggs & meats), no caffeine (no coffee), no alcohol (no beer?), no gluten (breads, pastas & flour products). Surprisingly, it has not been that hard to do.
The diet has set the basis for our vacation from the busyness. We get out every day for an outing on our bicycles, mainly aerobic but sometimes just to be out there in the fresh air and abundance of flowers and wildlife. We had good workouts yesterday so today was one of those special days.
We took our dog, Nickel, out early for an early run about 6:30. She has been limping a bit lately so it was a short one. Carol had met us on the way back and went ahead. There were raggad, beautiful clouds with the rising sun peaking through here and there, fog was drifting out of the river valley from time to time, and the birds were singing every new song they had learned. We spotted an Indigo Bunting in a shelter belt out by the lake. It was the first one that we have ever seen along our route so it was quite a treat. There were curious little marsh wren fledglings in the ditches to inspect us and a new growth of the mid summer wild flowers everywhere. Butterflies and dragonflies above our heads and all around. A doe and her twins in the bean field and geese browsing in the newly harvested oat stubble by the lake.
The entire ride was most relaxing and rewarding. Neither of us had to verbalize that it was a day for going very slow and stopping often. We just knew. Let me explain what going slow really is, 3-5 mph is approximately the speed, but the important measure is to be going at a rate that virtually eliminates the noise of the tires on the gravel. Nothing but the sounds around you meet your ears.
We were out about 3 hours and when we returned, we fixed a blender full of fresh fruit smoothies. Fresh fruit, that is almost as good as it gets and today it was the refreshment that centered that special time together that around here is called "morning coffee." We found we don't really need the coffee.
Nature taught us another lesson this morning.
posted by HL
Labels: bicycle, birds, food, slow, SLOW_bicycling
Monday, October 15, 2007
Twins Cities Arts and Books
More Urban Bicycle Tourist in the Twin Cities, MN
More Details and an Interactive Map with Photos
This route follows parts of the TC Marathon route and links up some spots we visited over 2 days. The Guthrie Theater is and incredible place to visit. Everything but the stage is open during the day even if there is not a performance. Monday is a good day to tour the facility on your own.
Links:
Midtown Greenway
The Loft - Open Book
The Official Guthrie website
Click on image to see My Slide Show of the Guthrie
One on One Bikes Coffee & Stuff
Common Good Books
Nina's Cafeapolis
Twin Cities Book Festival
Joe's Garage
Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
Mississippi River Parkways
More Details and an Interactive Map with Photos
This route follows parts of the TC Marathon route and links up some spots we visited over 2 days. The Guthrie Theater is and incredible place to visit. Everything but the stage is open during the day even if there is not a performance. Monday is a good day to tour the facility on your own.
Links:
Midtown Greenway
The Loft - Open Book
The Official Guthrie website
Click on image to see My Slide Show of the Guthrie
One on One Bikes Coffee & Stuff
Common Good Books
Nina's Cafeapolis
Twin Cities Book Festival
Joe's Garage
Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
Mississippi River Parkways
Labels: arts, bicycle, books, food, tour, Twin Cities
