Things are a bloomin’ around here.There is a spring in my step as I explore the greening hills of Haliburton County.A pungent aroma tells me Wild Leeks are nearby.And in abundance, I see.An edible wild plant, Leeks are also referred to as “ramps” and are a versatile ingredient, commonly substituted for garlic and onion. They can be eaten raw, in soups, or pickled which brings me to my favourite leek recipe:
Pickled Leeks
1 cup Vinegar
1 cup Sugar
¼ tsp. Clove
1 Cinnamon stick or ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. Celery Seed
1 tsp. Mustard Seed
¼ tsp Salt
Enough Wild Leeks to fill a jar
Boil ingredients. Simmer for 15 minutes. Cool. Pour syrup over leeks. Chill at least 24 hrs.
Do you have a use for Wild Leeks or a recipe you would like to share?Leeks are one of the many edible plants featured in our Tastes of Haliburton adventure.Our first Tastes of Haliburton is scheduled for June 5.Hope you can join us.Here are a few more images from recent spring saunters:
A few days ago seven curious souls explored the world of pottery. They were participating in Gone to Pot: Adventures in Clay, the newest experience from Yours Outdoors. It was the first public offering and it was very well received. Here is a sampling of what the participants had to say:
Shawn on the wheel
“Thank you so much for the experience of Friday. I haven’t stopped talking about it” - Shawn
“Thanks so much for a wonderful day today!! I’ve always wanted to check in with my inner ‘pot’ and find out what it’s like to work with clay. Who knew that I can throw clay on a wheel and work with the slab technique also? It was terrific - hands on - great studios and generous artists giving of their time and expertise. I can’t wait to see the fired and finished products - that I made!!” - Rachel
“I concur with Kim McBrien’s enthusiastic critique of Gone to Pot. REALLY great day and I highly recommended it. Visited Earth & Fire Pottery, Rickie Woods studio, Lisa Barry’s studio and the Art Hive (had to buy another pair of Erin’s earrings!). Will have SIX pieces of pottery when the kilns get fired up. Thanks to Barrie and Yours Outdoors” - Carol.
Rachel doing some slab work
It is very gratifying to get this type of feedback on the experiences we offer. Creating these unique adventures is great fun but also a lot of work. Much of the credit for the development of Gone to Pot goes to Elisha Barlow, an intern working for Yours Outdoors and the Minden Hills Cultural Centre. Here is Elisha’s story:
As part of my Yours Outdoors internship, one of my tasks was to develop an arts adventure involving pottery.
In making and designing a experience, you have to consider your potential experience partners, food providers, location, transportation, costs and continuing administration of it. Barrie charged me with handling all those affairs and creating all the paperwork that accompanies every package that we do.
My first step was to reach out to all the potters that were located within a reasonable area. In Haliburton County, Carnarvon is a pottery hotspot! There are several studios within 10 minutes of each other, which means less time on the road and more experience time. Perfect. To every studio, I asked the same questions, would they be interested and what could a visit to their studio consist of? And of course, the almighty question of how much? The response and creativity was wonderful, and the next step was to map out the package in terms of an itinerary and budget.
Carol decorating mugs
One of the more difficult challenges is that the Gone to Pot package wasn’t based in our usual locations and we needed food. Great food. But just down the road in Minden is the wonderful Gravity House Cafe and the wonderful staff was more than willing to provide delicious food.
Here at Yours Outdoors, every package is field tested with volunteer “guinea pigs.” They receive the full experience and we get the benefit of running the package to work out kinks, see if it works and receive invaluable feedback. For this field test, I coordinated the dates and times between all the studios, potters, food pick-up time and reserved a rental van. Sooo many phone calls and emails back and forth, I was worried people would think I was harassing them!
But this is an important point: for someone to come up here and do these things without Yours Outdoors, they would have to spend weeks and weeks coordinating it all and who has that energy plus local connections? Well…. Barrie does! Hence: Yours Outdoors!
Barrie sent out a call to potential participants and the 6 openings were filled within less than an hour!
Lisa demonstrates her decorative techniques
It was an amazing day and I was happy to see how well my estimated itinerary timing had worked out. Everyone was having a great time and the food was excellent and bountiful (thanks to Earth and Fire pottery for being gracious and wonderful hosts!) While late in the season with the threat of snow, Studio Rose still put on an amazing Raku demonstration(you can watch it online here) though it was touch and go days before – I’ve never checked the weather forecast so much before in my life! We ended the day with a sit-down at the Art Hive, where Erin Lynch had prepared delectable chocolate chip-zucchini muffins, and engaged in a first impression debrief. It was exciting to see how enthusiastic everyone was. We also had feedback forms that the participants have a week to complete which allows them a little more time to reflect and think hard about how to make our package the best it can be!
And of course, the final touch….a name! Barrie and I explored every pun available and with help from our participants landed on: Gone to Pot: Adventures in Clay! And that’s how it’s done!”
Our next pottery adventures are scheduled for February 27 and March 18 or we can schedule a date that is more convenient for you if we have advance notice and a group size of 4-6 participants. Hope you can join us. Check out this video of potheads having fun:
Although I have now stepped with both feet into 2010, a quick glance over my shoulder to 2009 feels like a good thing to do. 2009 was a year of building and considerable accomplishment.
Interest and participation in the unique experiences that I offer through Yours Outdoors is growing. Some highlights:
- Last week we had three successful Make Peace with WInter adventures with 15 participants discovering the white stuff on dog sled and snowshoe;
- YO intern, Elisha Barlow, did a terrific job helping promote our experiences and developing a very cool arts adventure - Gone to Pot: Adventures in Clay. She will continue to do her good work until March;
- Our experience guides, Sean Pennylegion, Rick Whitteker, Heather Reid, Thom Lambert and Elisha Barlow made our clients very happy people. Some recent feedback - “We had a great time, really enjoyed the sledding and the dogs. What a great winter activity!” - from a Make Peace with Winter participant;
- We expanded our offering to 25 different experience packages with more on the way; and
- Phone calls, emails, web site visits and bookings have increased steadily over the year.
On the consulting side of things I worked on the following projects:
- Ongoing coordination of the Celebration of Trailsincluding a presentation to the Ontario Minister of Health Promotion, and the successful delivery of a series of “How to Plan a Successful Trail Event” workshops with associate Sean Pennylegion;
- Director of te Haliburton Higlands Land Trust which recently acquired 500 acres of land and 2700 feet of shoreline along the Burnt River.
- Vice -president of the Haliburton County Community Cooperative that supports community development projects and welcomed 3 new projects in 2009 including Friends of the Rail Trail, Those Other Movies, and Dusk Dances;
- President of the Haliburton County Folk Society which organized a successful concert series and launched the first ever Winter Folk Camp; and
- Member of the Haliburton Environmental Collaborative that meet several times to share information, ideas, and resources.
On the home front:
- I enjoyed vacation and quality time at home, cottage and Montreal with my wonderful wife Patricia and sons, Aaron and Adrian;
- I was very happy with the news that my oldest son and engineer, Aaron is getting married to Anne-Lise Delia;
- I enjoyed observing and listening to the musical growth of my youngest son, Adrian who is in his fourth year in Music Administration at the University of Western Ontario and plays piano in a jazz quintet and a band called Bread Envy; and
- I made a point of getting outside as often as possible to relax, hike, canoe and cycle.
All things considered, 2009 was a very good year. I am ready for 2010.
The holiday season is just around the corner. I will be looking for the perfect gift for those special people in my life. It will be a daunting task. The prospect of elbowing through the big mall looking for that gadget, sweater or some other elusive item isn’t sitting too well with me. It means stress, fatigue, and the uncertainty of finding the right gift in the limted time available. Parents are the biggest challenge to buy for - they have all the material goods they need. A few years ago we stopped buying items and product for my parents. We started buying them experiences - tickets to a concert, dinner at fine restaurant, a workshop, a special package at a resort.
The gift of experience can give so much more than another scarf, blender, or the decorative piece made in China. It can offer fun, adventure, discovery, travel, and lasting memories. Experience can take you to new places, creative communities, and fascinating people. There might be laughter, awe, inpsiration, ideas, revelation, and magic in the gifts of experience. Those gifts might be far away or in your neigbourhood.
Notwithstanding the fact that I am in the business of creating and selling unique tours, I will be giving many of my family and friends gifts of experience and staying clear of mauls (misspelling intended).
By the way, what amount would you like on that Yours Outdoors gift certificate?
I went for a walk today. I needed a break from the computer. I followed the trails on our property and then headed east across my neighbour’s property. A short walk turned into a long one as I became captivated by the awesome autumm colour. The brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows were about a week late in arriving. Inevitably, there was speculation that the colours were a bit drab this year. Seems like we have that conversation every year and time and time again we are proven wrong. The colours are at their peak this week - breathtaking to say the least and one of the reasons I love the Haliburton Highlands. My walk in the back forty was just what the doctor ordered. There is gold in them thar’ hills. Here are a few pictures I took today:
Gloomy economic times have had many of us re-thinking our travel plans. And that is good thing. While travelling to faraway places still holds much appeal, looking for adventures close to home can reveal some surprises. Many haven’t taken the time to look. My search for experiences in the Haliburton Highlands to incorporate into Yours Outdoors packages has been an adventure in itself. I continue to be amazed at what I find - cool people doing really interesting things; unique locations, naural and cultural treasures, and the breathtaking scenery.
Pat and I are looking forward to a possible trip to the Mauritius Islands but we are also spending more of our vacation closer to home. We are celebrated our last wedding anniversary with a hike in the blaze of full autumn colour and a stay at Oakview Lodge. Can I convince my adventurous friends, local residents, and those seasonal cottagers to do the same and discover adventure in their own backyard? Cottagers are a tough market - they travel 2-3 hours to get here and then cocoon themselves into their cozy retreats. And so they should ….. for awhile. Then it is time to come out to play and explore the Highlands. And for those who live here full time, there is much to see and do. Will a 15% discount for anyone who lives in the County on a permanent or seasonal basis be suffcient to draw them from their comfy places?
“Water Moves Me” is my favourite Katherine Wheatley song. To have a look at her new video click here. We are looking forward to featuring Katherine Wheatley as part of our Haliburton Rocks! experience package on September 6-8. It will be real treat to have Katherine, an amazing singer/songwriter and geologist!, join our group of rockhounds and mineral enthusiasts. Who knows what will happen when you mix music and geology. I predict that things are really going to rock. Yours Outdoors strives to create these one of kind experiences that will create memories.
I met Katherine Wheatley at Winter Folk Camp. She was instructing song writing. I was a volunteer who was assigned to be her concierge and helper. We got chatting and she liked the idea of rockin’ out with Yours Outdoors. So we managed to squeeze in some time in her very busy tour schedule. In addition to several gigs this September she is launching her new Cd, Landed, on September 29 at Hugh’s Room. You have three options to hang with Katherine - you can sign up for the three day package, the one day field trip, or Katherine’s concert at the Wintergreen Pancake Barn. This tour promises to be a real gem (I like puns). To book call Barriie at 705-754-3436
I like this idea of celebrity tours. Any requests? Perhaps Lance would join us for our Pedal Your Arts cycling tour.
I am proud to say that everyone who has participated in a Yours Outdoors adventure has been a very satisfied customer. At least, that is what they tell us. Given their effusiveness and smiles I am inclined to believe them. See some of their testimonials on our web site. The high level of customer satisfaction is no coincidence. We work with our customers and behind the scenes to plan, prepare and deliver a quality service with customers needs and many details foremost in our minds. Take the Pedal Your Arts tour that we did last week, for example. While Sean was doing a superb job leading the group I was busy behind the scenes.
Camera - check; water - check; extra water bottles - check; cooler - check; clip board, pens waivers, medical forms, list of registrants, itinerary, wine, cork screw, bug repellent, rain gear, towels (for wiping bicycle seats), first aid kit, sun block, bicycle repair tools - check, check, check…. and, oh ya, the Subaru outback with bike rack.
8:15 pickup Stephen and Dale at Bonnie View Inn; 8:30 meet rest of group at Rail’s End Gallery, load bikes and transport to Skyline Lookout; unload bikes; 9:15 take group picture; ready participants and bikes; take pictures at Barb Peel’s studio; get gas for car, process and crop group pictures for printing, touch base with group at the School of the Arts and Sculpture Forest; check access to museum; check and set up log house for lunch; pick up lunch from Heritage House Cafe, set table, serve wine and meal, clean up from lunch, return dirty dishes to Cafe; take pictures at Jane Selbie’s studio; pick up group picture prints; have coffee and treats with group at cafe, meet with reporter from the County Voice, present group pictures and bid farewell; pick up extra vehicle on lookout; return Stephen and Dale to Bonnie View; look for Dale’s glasses, 6:00 return home and put gear away. Kick up feet and relax. Worry about paper work tomorrow. This is all in a day’s work to make a successful tour. Perhaps I should offer this behind-the-scences experience as an adventure package. Any takers?
I remember when people started mentioning Twitter and I had no clue. And honestly, the other thought was how was oh, no something else to keep up with?…But, just like Facebook and Blogging before it, this site/tool is spreading fast. And so, I’ve now done 2 “tweets” for Yours Outdoors. And….it’s pretty easy actually.
So for those that don’t know about it here is my little synopsis about Twitter, in case you are like me and don’t really get it. Twitter is like blogging with a limit to how much you can write-140 characters to be precise. So, unlike this blog post which is going to go on and on, you have to be succinct and concise. Well, you can try to be, some people just “Tweet” away. And so…if you are on Twitter you are a follower and have followers- these are people that “follow” every ”Tweet” you make. Alot of famous people have Twitter and huge numbers of followers, so for them followers equals fans. For us, Twitter is just one more way to get the word out about our unique offerings up here in the Highlands, but also to just comment on, well, anything.
So, your page on Twitter shows who you are following, whose following you and how many posts you have. Clicking on following shows the latest Tweets from people you want to keep up on, clicking on followers shows the latest from people following you and posts shows you just your own Tweets. And thats it.
Anyways, here is the time for my pitch! Please follow us on Twitter! If alot of people from the county and Ontario get on it, its just another great way to strengthen this awesome community that’s going on up here and to get the word out about all the great things to do in Haliburton County.
Oh, and if you hadn’t guessed, this was another post from Elisha:)
This is Elisha, Barrie’s new intern. I’ll be posting on here from time to time and thought a little introduction would be in order.
So, lets see..well I’m actually a shared intern. Part of my job is also working for the Minden Hills Cultural Center, specifically working on a volunteer program (anyone want to volunteer?) For Barrie and Yours Outdoors, my responsibilites vary-there is alot of stuff to do, especially web related- but I’m basically a second hand as Barrie is a very busy man.
So, this is the start of my second week and Barrie’s on vacation…so I’m right in the middle of it all, holding down the fort and familiarizing myself with Barrie’s file system. Exciting stuff, hehe. Definitely compared to my first day! My first day was on the Tastes of Haliburton tour…which was awesome, I’d read about them online when applying for the job, but to get right on a tour was probably the best first day on a job that you could ask for. There was me, four sisters, a couple from Germany, a couple from Bellville, Dave the Driver(also his first day) and the guides, Sean and Rick. The entire day was pretty great, though when pressed I would have to say the edible wild hike was the best part for me, particularily when Rick just chomped down on a cat tail. Here is the proof:
So awesome. Anyways, the day was exciting, and for me, an eye opener into Haliburton. I’ve been summering in this area since I was born and my family has lived up here for five years. I would have wagered that I knew all the nifty stuff in Haliburton. The obvious punch line: I was dead wrong. I had never been to Snowden park, Waverly Brook Farms or Wintergreen. And even in places that I love and frequent, Maple Moon Winery for one, I had never gotten the behind-the-scenes look with all of the wonderful, industrious minds behind these great, unique places. So next up for me, I get to go on the July 29th Pedal Your Arts tour around Haliburton. I’m super excited because cycling is a passion of mine. I just went out and bought a new helmet as mine was lost somehow on my move up here last summer. It is huge and black as it is a helmet for skateboarding and bmx-ing. I’m thinking of decorating but I haven’t quite decided how. I believe Dave the Driver suggested the hair helmet from Flight of the Conchords, but I think not.
Any suggestions? I’m thinking of painting a design of some kind, but it needs to stand the test of time, oh and me. I fall off my bike every once in awhile, so my helmets are well scratched up. Anywho, time to wrap up, I’ll post how the tour goes:)
Things are a bloomin’ around here. There is a spring in my step as I explore the greening hills of Haliburton County. A pungent aroma tells me Wild Leeks are nearby. And in abundance, I see. An edible wild plant, Leeks are also referred to as “ramps” and are a versatile ingredient, commonly substituted for garlic and onion. They can be eaten raw, in soups, or pickled which brings me to my favourite leek recipe: 
