Off the Grid
Fall Harvest: Edible Wild Plants
(Updated Nov 1st, 2021) I grew up in the countryside, where eating locally was as simple as going out to the garden to pick a...
Cottaging in Canada: Sour Cherries and Summer Memories
One day several years ago, I was admiring the fresh fruit at our local farmers’ market. There were these odd looking cherries that caught my...
Up North and Off the Grid: Children in the Woods
When my youngest daughter was around eight years old, a friend suggested I might be interested in a book called Last Child in the Woods...
Up North and Off the Grid: Winter’s End
Life is colder in the north. Winter lingers three to five weeks longer than in southern Ontario. This year, ice-out for our area is happening in...
Up North and Off the Grid: A Dream of Spring
On March 20th, spring arrived at long last! But this is still early spring, so it is only the first part of spring that we see through...
Up North and Off Grid: Enjoying Winter Wildlife
It has been so long since we had a real winter, I had almost forgotten how much fun it can be. As long as I...
Up North and Off Grid: December on the Lake
It is dark this December morning. And cold. I want to stay inside and hibernate. Dawn comes slowly. Eventually the sun rises but it gives...
Up North and Off Grid: Over the Hill
I climbed to the top of another hill this year. I’ve completed six decades of life. Now I am 60. Yet when I look in...
Off the Grid: Here Comes the Sun!
February is a most wonderful month. Because of the LIGHT! Gone are the dark days of November and December. It is colder, yes. Minus 31ºC...
Up North and Off Grid: Kukagami Cooking
After 27 years of our guests telling me I should write a cookbook, I finally did, just in time to send out copies for Christmas...
Up North and Off the Grid: First Canoe Trip
The ice wasn’t off the lake for more than a day or two before we packed our bags and were out for our first canoe...
Up North and Off Grid: Living with Solar
Last spring I was in to visit one of our local solar energy suppliers. He has some pretty strong concerns about folks who want to...
Cottaging in Canada – Paddling into Mashkinonje Park
Updated January 3, 2022 Mostly I am a homebody. Why wouldn’t I be? I live in a cozy little cottage in the forest, with a...
Up North and Off the Grid: Edible Weeds – Lamb’s Quarters and more
If you have an immaculate weed-free garden, you are missing out on some of the best vegetables ever grown! If you are relaxed enough to...
Up North and Off the Grid: My Two Favorite Books on Edible Wild Plants
This article begins a summer series of delicious wild dining. Plan to walk with me through your garden and the forest as we explore the...
Up North and Off Grid: Our First Year in the Woods
The moment I stepped onto the dock one hot July day nearly thirty years ago, I knew I had come home. The lake, the forest,...
