Cold, rainy day activities: baking and advanced theoretical physics.
Sora is a highly intelligent cat. While Daddy is interested in baking bran muffins, she’s more into string theory. . . 
Blueberry, sesame, oatmeal bran muffins. Oh, yeah, half a banana in there too. . .
On the way home from getting a few groceries in south Burnaby, BC, I spotted a patch of Himalayan Blackberries. I found a place to park, and checked them out. Seeing that about half were ripe and juicy, I emptied a water bottle so I could pick some to take home.
While considered an invasive species here, they are pervasive, next to impossible to get rid of. . . and taste delicious :-).
Fill ‘er up!
UPDATE: Later the same day.
When Yumi finished work, we headed back down the slope to the flats and picked nearly two gallons of berries in about half an hour :-).
We got our first fresh corn on the cob today, and of course Sora the Rascally Cat had to try it. She’ll try pretty much anything, I don’t think she knows she’s supposed to be a carnivore.
About the only thing she’s turned her nose up at is carrots.
Never a dull moment, eh? 
We took an overnight camping trip to Lac Le Jeune south of Kamloops, BC, last weekend. We enjoyed munching Saskatoon berries at a rest stop at Nicola Lake, and photographing other flora on hiking trails at the lake.
We blew past our weekly grocery budget down at the dock in Steveston, BC with this beauty, and a bag of BC spot prawns.
We will slowly savour the steaks now and then for months to come.
Yumi will salt and freeze them in individual portions for Japanese-style breakfasts and for making onigiri.
We admired this gorgeous salmon before I carved it up.
A Happy Canada Day from a sleepy Sora the Cat. Chilling out on this rainy day watching a lemon octopus pasta creation on TV Japan. I’m sure Sora would love octopus, doubtful about the lemon ;-).
UPDATE: Well, this has been the dreariest Canada Day in my memory 
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Idle hands put to use during Covid project # 327b. 
I’ve been meaning to make a frame for the sharpening stone for years. Finally did this quick ‘n dirty job today using wood scraps found in the garage.
Not pretty, but it works! Now I can put some muscle behind the blades without being concerned about fingers getting in the way, eh?
Initially I started chiseling, but quickly realized it would be way faster to make a raised holder.
Another home project: got 60 liters of soil and a bag of seed potatoes.
We don’t have garden space to speak of aside from our townhouse balcony, but we do have a wood half-barrel that we can move to a sunny spot beside the garage.
The barrel is in pretty sad shape, with the hoops fallen like old socks, but the wood is still pretty solid so I think with some TLC I can revive it.
Haven’t grown potatoes in over 40 years, but this should be fun.
Moving the old barrel into place and fixing it up a bit
Adding soil and seed potatoes
Finished. Plenty of room to add soil as plants grow. . .
Yumi is the green thumb in our little family, but she says I’m on my own for this one .
Total cost was $6.50 for the soil, some of which Yumi will use for potted plants and flowers to help support our balcony mason bee box. Add a buck or two for the seed potatoes, and if my foray into farming is not very successful, it’s not like we’ll be out a big investment!
Eat your vegetables, children! : – )
Dang, this luscious display at a farm in Langley today had tour participants buying bags ‘n bags of the good stuff!
I have to remember to watch for the Langley Environmental Partners farm tour next year!
