Focaccia Bread and the Mill Race

     Miriam made focaccia bread! David is happy!

      To claim that it is wonderful is to understate the very meaning of ecstasy! When it is fresh out of the oven the bread by itself is a tasty treat, but a sandwich takes it to even greater heights.

     We usually have a combination of the following ingredients - ham, cheese, tomatoes, sweet onion and lettuce, in various combinations and sometimes all together. If our taste buds are on high alert we even caramelize the onion. Just spread a little mayonnaise, or lightly drizzle olive oil, pile on your ingredients and you are set for a gourmet's delight.

     If I have prosciutto, capocollo or mortadella to replace the plain ham it gets even better. 

     Viva la focaccia! Grazie Italia per questo regalo.

16 August, 2023

The Mill Race Trail, St. Jacobs, ON

     Just as we were parking, a handsome Carolina Grasshopper (Dissoteira carolina) landed on our car, and showed no inclination to move on.

     The following hoverfly is known by the attractive name of Sedgesitter, found in the large genus Platycheirus, many species resembling wasps and bees.

     Someone had strewn a little birdseed on a bench and a male Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) was quick to take advantage of it.

     Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) delighted us with their cheery ways.

     European Paper Wasps (Polistes dominula) were not hard to find.

     We agreed to bid each other a cordial hello and have no further engagement than that!

     This is a species of Bot Fly in the super family Oestroidea, so difficult to narrow down to species level.

     Fish, other than familiar species caught by anglers, and even those seen in the fish market, are a bit of a mystery to me. These are True Minnows (family Leuciscidae) and there were lots of them, mostly swimming close to or at the surface of the water.

     A Canadian Potter Wasp (Symmorphus canadensis)

was a special delight for us. It is very handsome as you may see.

     The following flower is located in the genus Anemonastrum, which means "somewhat like anemone", and I think you can see why.

     This a European Paper Wasp viewed from a different angle.

     An Eastern Forktail (Ischnura verticalis) has become like an old friend, patrolling up and down its territory; procreation is uppermost on its mind.

     Many species of Amber Snail (family Succineidae) are very similar in appearance, so I am erring on the side of caution and not naming this one as to species.

     A Green Frog (Lithobates clamitans) seems very visible in the picture below; and it is - until you take your eyes off it, that is, and then you lose it as it blends into its surroundings.

     Calyptrate Flies (Zoosubsection Calyptratae) are numerous and resist identification to all but those who specialize in them - and often, even for them, specific ID is difficult without laboratory examination.

     You have to agree that it looks pretty on the flower though!

     A Two-banded Petrophila (Petrophila bifascialis) looked a little ragged.

     This is a very interesting species, inasmuch as the female crawls down the side of a rock in a fast moving stream, sometime two or three metres down, to lay her eggs, which ultimately become aquatic caterpillars!

     The caterpillar of the Brown-hooded Owlet (Cucullia convexipennis) is surely as gorgeous a larva as you will ever see.

     Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striata) is very common along the Mill Race Trail. It is both brash and very approachable and generally delights everyone who sees it.

     The colourful Blow Fly seen below is found in the family Calliphoridae.

     Giant Mayflies (genus Hexagenia) are found in the wonderfully named order Ephemeroptera - ephemeros (lasting only a day) and ptera (wings).

     I am reminded of the old joke about a man presenting himself at the gates of heaven to hear St. Peter say, "Congratulations, Mr. Smith, you have been reincarnated as a mayfly. Have a nice day!"

     Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma) does not have a long life either, but much longer than a mayfly.

     Summer Azure (Celastrina neglecta) personifies the carefree days of summer, flitting around and hardly ever landing. Patience is sometimes rewarded, however.

     Stream Bluets (Enallagma exsulans) were preoccupied with producing the next generation - sometimes with admirable success.

     We glimpsed a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) on the opposite bank of the Conestogo River, peering at it through the dense foliage of mid-summer extravagance, and I think that Miriam got an excellent shot.

     She makes focaccia bread and get pictures like this. Is it any wonder I am a happy guy?