The Free Radical

First off, the little bear my Mom saw last week seems to have found his way back up the mountain… away from the Dutch Creek community. That’s good because bears within human settlements don’t generally fair too well.

This was deposited near the gate which really marks the beginning of the forest walk after the short climb up the mountain. As indicated in this picture, there’s plenty of dandelions now available for suitable fodder. This young bear should have little trouble finding food.

Here in Canada, it’s the May long weekend… a time when our little tourist town goes berserk for a few days. Serenity-loving locals such as myself are lucky to have secret safe havens away from the crowds. On this walk, I was accompanied by a longtime friend from the city… who used to be a local. Her day started with disappointment because she was expecting to work the whole weekend but unexpectedly had the day off… which turned into a blessing in disguise.

Our connection to nature and natural beauty is so important right now. Several hours spent in the woods will do wonders for anyone seeking inspiration and a spiritual recharge. We were especially appreciative of all the saskatoon bushes in full bloom. We also noticed that they tend to take up residence in all the places with the most spectacular views. They like the open spaces along ridge lines and rocky cliffs. It seems as though every bush having a killer view had the largest, healthiest and most delicious flowers.

Jeni agreed that the flavour of the saskatoon flowers was nothing less than spectacular. She also filled in the missing component of the flavour for me. I knew that vanilla alone wasn’t quite right. She identified the other factor straight away– almonds. They taste very strongly of almond extract mixed with fresh vanilla bean… which kind of combines into a cherry-like thing without the tang. Really, really good!

And it’s when plants like these are in full bloom that it’s easy to find the places they love best. Once the berries are fully formed I will be sure to revisit these remote locales.

If, as a reader of these Forest Reports, you think you might like to come along on one of these remarkable excursions, go ahead and book yourself a nice vacation here in Fairmont Hot Springs, BC. Then shoot me an email (niels@nielskunze.com) and we’ll hook up. And please don’t forget to bring your camera… and an appetite!