Sunday, July 26, 2009

Summer heat

It's so hot here it reminds me of T.O. I'm not kidding! We've even got the humidity now and the temperatures are in the mid to high 30s (my mom and sis would hate it). It's even too hot for me to run. I've seen lots of people out running, but I say, "no thank you." I suppose if I got up early enough in the morning I could beat the heat and go for a run.

Last week I biked quite a bit, but the heat wasn't as bad. I really would like to bike to work this week...forget it. I don't think I'd make it home. The mornings are fine when it's only 21 or 22 degrees, but by the afternoon the air is thick and still. Cycling alongside cars is not exactly where I want to be. All those cars just heating everything up further.

I really am starting to feel that we are in the thick of global warming now. Our winters are more severe and now this. It doesn't help that the same amount of cars are on the road still contributing carbon emissions. Sometimes I feel helpless. Does it really matter that I am on my bike trying to make a point that it is possible to live by biking and taking transit when you're an able-bodied person even when you live outside of an urban center?

Okay that's my little rant for the day. The heat is getting to me.

On to better thoughts.

Saturday db and I went to the Trout lake market. It's the best market around. We bought blueberries, peppers, and enough basil to make lots o' pesto. The market was winding down by the time we got there so we got a nice deal on the basil. Heaven.

The walk through the park to the market revealed lanterns dangling from trees or lying on some grassy nook. Some still had candles in them. Others would need new ones and I could imagine how beautiful it must be to see these lanterns lit up at night.


After the market we went to Steveston. It's known for it's fishing, which is an odd place to visit when you're vegan, but so many people had told me about how nice it is. So we went. It is nice to walk along the water. It's a bit too tourist-filled for me and the shops are also vying for the tourist dollar so there's lots of tacky souvenirs. Still we were able to endulge in some sorbet and I had a tofulati ice cream. That was a nice treat.
The garden center we went into was worth the trip. It had a wonderful selection of plants that I don't often see elsewhere. db found a great pot of basil with large leaves just waiting for us to take it home. Then we picked up a few flowering plants to attract more bees into the garden. I'm not sure it's worked yet though.
There was also a great wool shop with a big sale on so I bought some discontinued rowan cottons and felt very lucky. I wish that shop was closer. It's probably a good thing that it's not.
The birds collected along the rooftop of this old ice house adjacent to the cannery (did I mention it's an odd place to be when you're vegan in a place that celebrates it's fishing heritage?) and db thought it looked a lot like the film the Birds. I didn't have that same sense of something bad is about to happen, but he was convinced. A seagull sort of swooped our way, but I think it was actually headed to the wharf behind us.

I wasn't surprised to see a heron on a strip of beach across the water from us. That kind of fishing I don't really mind.

***
Sunday we did go for a run along the DeBouville Slough in poco. It's very flat and we needed something nice and flat to run on for a change. It was a good run. The humidity had started to creep up by then so it was warm by the time we finished around 9 am.

Back at home I made fritata from Vegan Brunch by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. My mom bought me the book and I've started to delve into it and found all of the ingredients for this Swiss Chard Fritata to be in my fridge. Hallalulah.
Of course I had to make a side of potatoes to go with. And I can always throw some avocado on my plate for good measure. Delicious.

2 comments:

Wandering Coyote said...

It's ridiculously hot here, but not as humid as where you are. I'm a tad bit sick of it, though.

I've become such an avocado addict lately - I love those things! I only wish they were less expensive.

mister anchovy said...

Here in Toronto, it's been wet and cool until yesterday, when it became wet and very warm. We haven't had anything like a normal July.