Wild Rice and Firewood, a Busy Weekend

[Haggis]

Saturday I again went with friends to harvest wild rice. One of us knew of a spot they had heard about from another ricer "on the St. Louis River and loaded with wild rice"; it didn't pan out. We ended up on Breeda Lake and over our heads in shore to shore rice and ricers. There was so much rice that there was no competition at all. On Sunday, the two of the bairns and five Grand-Darlings came to have lunch and to help their Pap and Ma'am stack firewood. Nearly 10 cords stacked and to be left out in the sun and wind until early November.

A spot said to be "on the St. Louis River and loaded with wild rice"; it didn't pan out,,,


Breeda lake, Minnesota, a wee bit of a paddle up Petrell Creek,,, lots of wild rice here,,,


The old Haggis, captured on film after a day of ricing; me and the rice, both gone to seed,,,


Herself and the firewood; it has taken some work to get it this far along,,,


The stacked firewood and helpers of course; and it only took two hours,,,!


Thanks for having a look,,,

 

[Goatboy]

Looks excellent Haggis, an enviable place to make your abode by the looks of the pictures. Hopefully that firewood should last you a little while. (I'm in for a coffee after cutting wood in the rain for most of the morning!)

After your last post on Wild Rice you came to mind when I was watching a film the other night after lights out. The Last Trapper, lovely film and made me wish I could just chuck it all in and head off. (It's why I try not to read Dick Proenneke's books too much!)

Here's the film if you fancy a wee sit down!


[video=youtube;Crgm71eMmyI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Crgm71eMmyI[/video]

 

[Haggis]

Some years ago I was gifted some sourdough starter said to have its origin in Dick Proenneke's cabin. I don't know if it is true or not, but I protect it carefully and like to think of his book and movies while eating bread or pancakes started with it. Our place here, Wolf Cairn Moor, is 100 acres bordered on 3 sides by many thousands of acres of empty State Land. Within a short drive there are Federal Forests, State Forests, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, and Voyageur National Park. It is impossible here to not find an isolated place to make a camp. On Federal Forest Land a person may camp anywhere, and for up to 2 weeks, without needing to move along, though I'd reckon a person could spend the summer in many spots and never see another human.

 

[Goatboy]

I do like sourdough bread, when I was a teenager I was given some Ginger Beast starter. It's a mix of that just keeps going. The chap who gave it too me was retired and he'd been making it since a child. It's not really got alcohol in it, the fermentation if to carbonate it. I eventually lost it when away on holiday and the person in the house threw it out! You can make your own starter ny grating about 2 teaspoons of ginger root, add to a cup of water and add 2 teaspoons of sugar. Stir and leave in a warm pot covered in cloth. Add sugar to it every couple of days until "the beast" starts to bubble. When it's ready grate another couple of inches of ginger and add to about 4 pints of cooled boiled water with about 1.5 cups of sugar dissolved in it. You then add lemon juice (about 2 lemons) and strain out the ginger root. and add enough boiled water to make it up to about 6 to 7 pints. Cool before drinking.

Sorry off on a tangent there, it does sound wonderfull over there, would love to see it one day.