The Heat is On!

Well, what a spring this has been! We’ve seen snow, heat, freezing rain, hail, you name it, we’ve had it. But now the heat is finally here to stay and we can get outside and do our thing in our gardens and hike the trails and parks. The restrictions for the pandemic will be loosening up soon as well, but we still need to stay safe and be well. Once the restrictions are lifted, I will be opening up again for Reflexology, Reiki and Indian Head Massage treatments. At the bottom of the page there is a special promotion, so read on!

One of the few thing that has helped me through the pandemic restrictions is my garden. Way back on April 2, I planted peas (a good time to get them in is as soon as you can work the soil, they love the cold, and snow doesn’t bother them at all), as well as beets, onions, garlic and turnip at a later date. All the other veggies are now in and happily growing. And with the heat we’ve been having, if your tomato plants are starting to wilt, give them a little shade (we didn’t know this before and just kept watering them; put up a sunbrella or even a tent fly to keep the sun from scorching them), and don’t forget, water deep at the base of plant every few days instead of a light shower more frequently.

The rhubarb is coming up like gangbusters. If you see a flower head coming up on yours, cut that head right down to bottom (the stalk on it is hollow), it will just sap the energy out of the plant to produce the good stuff. What to do with all that rhubarb? I discovered pickled rhubarb when I went out east a couple years ago. It goes well with desserts, salads, meats and sauces. Get creative! Here is a small batch recipe to try. Don’t forget to save some raw rhubarb; wash, dry, chop and freeze it in a freezer bag so that you can make some strawberry rhubarb jam once strawberries are ready in June (recipe coming next blog, and I have a great one for you to try!).

Pickled Rhubarb

This recipe will make two 500ml jars

2 lb. rhubarb, washed and trimmed into spears to fit glass mason jar

3 cups water

1-1/2 cups apple cider vinegar *you can also add pickling spices, ginger, whole cloves, tarragon or anything that might interest you, get creative

2 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

Tightly pack the rhubarb into jar. In a suacepan, combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil. Heat 1 to 2 minutes to dissolve sugar and salt. Adjust the taste to your liking (careful not to burn your lips or tongue!). Pour liquid into the rhubarb packed jars and leave a headspace of 1/2″. Put on lid seal and ring and tighten. Leave at room temperature for and hour or so and then put in fridge to chill for 48 hours. Jars will store up to 1 month in fridge. *Note- this is not the canned process so the product will not hold over 1 month

Trailblazers

Once I get back to doing Reflexology I will do some posts that are related to it. For now I am using my artistic license to explore other healthy options.

Another thing that has kept my sense of wellbeing in tact is hiking. There are lots of trails out there whether you can only do a short walk or whether you are more adventurous. My husband and I have discovered a lot of new trails in our area, and found out some of the residents in the area did not know they existed! I will add a list so you can try some of them.

Before you start on a hike, always do stretching, it is very important as I learned a few weeks back. I did 3 big hikes 3 days in a row and just went full out hard hiking. Silly girl! Woke up on the 4th day and literally could not sit up to get out of bed, needed help, ouch. Found out after a massage from a massage therapist co-worker, that my SI joint wonked out on me. Whups. Should have done some warm up stretches before I headed out. So, during my convalescence, I did some yoga Warrior stretches and quad stretches to work things out. I definitely won’t make that mistake again.

On your hike, don’t forget to take a camera or use your phone camera for all the stunning flora and scenes that you will come across. Get creative and get down on the forest floor for a different perspective. For me, I love capturing the texture of things, trees, rocks, water. I try and take in the scents and sounds as well to make it even more memorable. Sometimes if you sit still for about 5 or 10 minutes, you will discover animals that you wouldn’t normally see. We have seen a beaver chewing on a branch, a mink foraging (he didn’t even seem to mind us being there), a fox lounging on a sunny rock, and an osprey snatching a fish right out of the water!

When you do head out put on sunscreen, take bug spray, a bottle of water, and depending on how far you are going, take some trail cookies or granola for a little pick-me-up when your energy starts to wane.

Some trails to try in the Cambridge and surrounding areas are:

Sudden Tract Trail (1841 Spragues Rd, Cambridge), this is a good one, main trail is easy, there is a boardwalk and the last bit of boardwalk trail there is mucky area where boards have been put down haphazardly, it is drier in the summer, but spring and fall are wetter. Some side trails are good for a hearty workout, good hills.

Little Tract Trail (Wellington County Rd. 34), love this one, main trail is fairly easy, wide, some hills, rocky areas; many side trails, you can get a good workout. Wear good hiking shoes.

Walter Bean Grand River Trail/River Bluffs (George St., Cambridge) Great trail for bikes and walking, nice and wide. The side trails are the piece de resistance of this trail. Its like travelling to Narnia, seriously. There is a whole other world when you go on the side trail. Quite rocky and some hills but spectacular I find. Rocks and hills on these paths, wear good hiking shoes and mind where you are stepping, rocks can be slippery with moss.

If you know of any trails that are interesting, please let me know and I will be happy to pass them on! I’m always looking for new places to explore!

Special Promo!

*UPDATED June 4, 2021

Once Stage 2 level is in place, reflexology practice can start up again. July’s (starting approx. July 14) promo will be , Buy one Reflexology/Reiki/Indian Head Massage treatment and get a 2nd treatment for 1/2 price (2nd treatment must be of equal or lesser value). Yes, you can use the 1/2 price treatment on a friend or that special someone, and yes, the 2nd treatment doesn’t need to be on the same day!

**Note: I will update closer to the Stage 2 opening for a firm date. This promo will last for 1 month. Thank you for your understanding and support. Sandra