
The ocean off the prow of our property is frigid, even in the warm months. On a melting summer day, the waters of Boundary Pass are soothing to wade into, a welcome relief from the heat. But most other days, people call them downright freezing.
Temperatures range from eight degrees Celsius in the colder months to about 12 on a sunny summer’s day.
But I am a cold water swimmer. These waters are perfect for me. Year round.
I love the bracing shock of dipping my body into these waters. They grip me, slow down my breath. A deep peace settles over me as I swim the 40 or so feet out to a clump of rocks I can scramble up on. Or swim right round them to another rock on the far side.
Benign indifference of the ocean
I like to stand on a rock and behold the vastness of this body of water and islands. A corner of Mt. Baker, the humpback of Orcas Island and the San Juans, Waldron and Stuart Islands. Sunsets from this rock, with waves lapping at my feet, are the most entrancing I’ve experienced on Pender.
I dive in again and come up near a patch of bull kelp. Treading water for a few moments, I let the currents carry me east or west, depending on the tidal ebb and flow. Staying near the rocks, there is always something to reach out and hold onto if i am moving too fast.
I often think of a diver friend who speaks of the ocean’s “benign indifference.” One senses its overwhelming power, but also its embrace. I am a small speck in the ocean’s vastness, but in calm conditions there is a sense of welcome, a life-giving force. It teems with life on the surface and in the black depths beneath me. It’s gripping cold rejuvenates me.
A kelp crab adopts a battle stance
Clambering back up onto the rocks, I may see a kelp crab adopt a battle stance as I bob past. Seals pop their heads up and watch me glide back towards my rock. River otters in groups of three or four come a little closer, ogle me, their heads and necks stretching tall out of the water. In summer, I watch for Lions Mane Jellyfish, the pulsating masses of pink and white ectoplasm. Or their more harmless counterparts, the Moon Jellyfish.
Some days there are warning signs not to go into the water. One day a few years ago, I counted thirty or more jellyfish in our little bay. And sometimes a family of otters sun themselves on the rocks I climb over to the rock beach. They do not like to be disturbed. They will hiss if I try to shoo them away, bare their sharp teeth at me.
Later, I say.
So cute, playing in the water, but ornery and territorial when a human shows up. The ocean and foreshore are their domain, after all.
Nor will I enter when the waters are rough. Certainly not in a storm.
I do love swimming in the rain, though.
What am I doing?
Some days, if I am slightly chilled, I wonder, “Why am I doing this?” as I face the prospect of becoming even more chilled in the bracing water.
Even so, experience tells me I will love love it anyway. The slow walk into the water, up to my shoulders, produces a deep sigh. By the end of the luxurious swim over the rocks, I have forgotten my reluctance. When I return to the beach 15 or 20 minutes later, my mood has changed to not wanting to leave the water.
At the top the stairs, a hot tub awaits. The water is kept at 40 degrees Celsius. Jennifer is often waiting for me. She says I look 10 years younger than before I went went for the swim. There is a smile on my face as I climb in. I warm up watching the last few moments of light.
The cold water works for me, that is all I know. I’m no cold water evangelist. I don’t need to roll out the articles on the Internet about the heath benefits of cold water swimming. But it is all there. Such as this simple article or this feature in The Guardian about how it cold water battles depression.
None of these screeds mention Boundary Pass, the river otters or the sunset. They don’t mention how the water washes away my aches and pains of the day. And I like the idea of feeling 10 years younger.
Happy Monk Tidings - Dec. 16, 2020 - Happy Monk Blog: Time to Hang Up the Baker's Peel for 2020; Baker's Choice: Fruit Sourdough [ See link in profile ]
Instead of “figgy pudding,” I made some Figgy Bread! Fig and a hint of Fennel. Doesn’t roll off the tongue as well as figgy pudding, but it tastes better! (Thus the red carpet threatment!)
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#figbread #figgybread #sourdough #sourdoughbread #woodfired #woodfiredoven #woodfiredovenbread #woodfiredbread #coboven #bread #breadlove #baker #bbga #happymonkbaker #happymonkbaking #naturallyleavened #artisanbread #realbread #rusticbread #penderisland #southpenderisland
Salish Country Loaves tumbling out of Mildrith, the wood-fired oven this morning. There are a few extras, so if you’re interested, I’ll be at Medicine Beach until 2pm today (Friday, Dec. 11)!
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#woodfired #woodfiredoven #coboven #Mildrith #Mildriththeoven #woodfiredovenbread #sourdough #sourdoughbread #bread #realbread #naturallyleavened #baker #bakery #bbga #artisanbread #breadhead #breadporn #sourdough #sourdoughbread #penderisland #southpenderislands #happymonkbaking #happymonkbakery #happymonkbakingcompany
Happy Monk Tidings - Dec. 11, 2020 - Baker's Choice this week: Fig and Fennel Loaf; Happy Monk Blog: Praise the Rain! [ See link in profile ]
Volkornbrot casts a long shadow … getting bagged up for deliveries today. The aroma of 100% rye in the kitchen is otherworldly! I’m walking around in a trance.
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#volkornbrot #rye #ryebread #ryebreadlove #sourdough #sourdoughbread #woodfired #woodfiredoven #woodfiredovenbread #woodfiredbread #coboven #bread #breadlove #baker #bbga #happymonkbaker #happymonkbaking #naturallyleavened #artisanbread #realbread #rusticbread #penderisland #southpenderisland
See you in the morning, Mildrith!
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#woodfiredovens #woodfiredbread #woodfired #sourdoughbread #baker #bakersofinstagram #bakersoven #woodfiredovenlove #happymonkbaking #happymonkbakery #happymonkbakingcompany #southpenderisland #penderisland #penderislandbc
Happy Monk Tidings - Bread 🍞 and Blog 💻 - Baker's Choice: Volkornbrot - German Rye; Happy Monk Blog: The Good People of Pender - [ See link in profile ]
Making this Olive Loaf is almost as delicious as eating it. Marinated Kalamata and Haldiki with zested lemons and spices.
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#wildyeast #michaeljamesbakes #tivolirdbakery #naturallyleavened #artisanbread #realbread #rusticbread #woodfired #woodfiredbread #sourdough #sourdoughbread #penderisland #southpenderisland #happymonkbaking #happymonkbakery #happymonkbakingcompany
Happy Monk Tidings - Baker's Choice: Olive Loaf and Happy Monk Blog: The Joys of Firewood - [ See link in Profile ]
Breadcrumbs
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#innomine #sourdough #sourdoughbread #happymonkbaker #happymonkbakery #bread #breadcrumbs
Bread love 🍞 ❤️ 🍞
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#countrybread #countryloaf #salishsourdough #sourdough #sourdoughbread #sourdoughbaking #bread #breadlove #breadlabcollective #bbga #breadstagram #breadsofinstagram #artisanbread #baker #bakery #happymonkbaker #happymonkbakery #happymonkbaking #southpenderisland #southpender #penderisland #southerngulfislands
Intense little Seed loaf!
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#seedbread #sourdough #sourdoughbread #sourdoughbaking #bread #breadlove #breadlabcollective #breadstagram #breadsofinstagram #artisanbread #baker #bakery #happymonkbaker #happymonkbakery #happymonkbaking #southpenderisland #southpender #penderisland #southerngulfislands
Sprouted Kamut bread tasted fruity, like banana, and of course grassy and sweet. And the loaves have that haunted face look! Halloween was two weeks ago!
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#kamut #kamutbread #khorasan #khorasanbread #bread #sourdough #sourdoughbread #breadlove #breadloaf #scarybread #halloweenbread #woodfired #woodfiredoven #woodfiredbreadoven #woofiredbread #happymonkbakery #happymonkbakingcompany #happymonkbaking #baker #bakery #southpenderisland #southpender #penderisland #penderislandbc #sproutedgrains #sproutedbread #sproutedkamut #sproutedkamutbread
Happy Monk Tidings 🍞 - This Week's Baker's Choice: Sprouted Kamut Loaf; Happy Monk Blog: To Autumn - [ See link in Profile ]
A hint of brotgewürz, bread spice. A mix of caraway, anise, fennel and coriander lifts this seedy Mountain Rye into a different realm.
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#brotgewürz #mountainrye #wholerye #ryebread #woodfired #woodfiredoven #woodfiredovenbread #bread #realbread #naturallyleavened #baker #bakery #bbga #artisanbread #breadhead #sourdough #sourdoughbread #penderisland #southpenderislands #happymonkbaking #happymonkbakery #happymonkbakingcompany
Happy Monk Tidings - Baker's Choice: Mountain Rye; Happy Monk Blog: Entangled Lives and the Election - [ See link in profile ]
Cinnamon-Raisin Loaves are St. Francis’ favourite, you can tell. He moves along the wall and stands behind the trays fresh out of Mildrith, the wood-fired oven. There, he can inhale the intoxicating perfume of warm spice and warm his stone-cold feet. And dream of what these loaves could taste like, if he could only taste.
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#breadhead #breadlove #sourdough #sourdoughbread #cinnamonraisin #cinnamonraisinbread #bread #realbread #naturallyleavened #baker #bakery #bbga #artisanbread #bread #realbread #naturallyleavened #baker #bakery #bbga #artisanbread #penderisland #southpenderislands #happymonkbaking #happymonkbakery #happymonkbakingcompany
Tidings from the Happy Monk 🍞 - Baker's Choice: A Warming Cinnamon Raisin Loaf; Happy Monk Blog: The Isle of Apples ... [ See Link in Profile ]
1. Spelt and Hunny on their first date. 2. Alejandro and Sandra like each other too much. 3. Happy, well-adjusted Spelt-Honey loaves.
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#spelt #speltbread #honeybread #breadhead #breadporn #breadlove #wildyeast #michaeljamesbakes #tivolirdbakery #naturallyleavened #artisanbread #realbread #rusticbread #woodfired #woodfiredbread #sourdough #sourdoughbread #penderisland #southpenderisland #happymonkbaking #happymonkbakery #happymonkbakingcompany
Happy Monk Tidings, October 14 🍞 - Baker's Choice: Russian Rye; This week's Blog: A New Look at the Noble Miche [ See link in profile ]
Why make a 5-pound miche? Bread-making tradition + dreams of Poilâne + the heft and bulk of a massive whole-grain loaf held against your chest. The sheer joy of so much bread!
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#bread #wholegrainbread #breadhead #michebread #redfife #redfifesourdough #sourdough #sourdoughbread #poilane #poilâne #peterreinhart #rusticbread #woodfired #woodfiredbread #wildyeast #breadporn #realbread #artisanbread #naturallyleavened
The way this fog transforms the landscape, as if our little piece of land has lifted into the clouds drifted about and landed us in another world!
REMINDER: The Happy Monk is on a Bread Break! 😎 See you all in two weeks! Also: read back issues of the Happy Monk Blog [ See link in Profile ]
Pender Island Apple Bread! We’re awash with apples so we used some up in today’s Baker’s Choice. Straight up apples; no walnuts or spices.
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#apples #applebread #woodfiredbread #bread #wildyeast #artisanbread #sourdough #sourdoughbread #southpenderisland #penderisland #happymonkbakingcompany #wholegrainbread #organic #breadhead #bbga #ihatehashtags #ihatehashtagsbutwhatever
[…] confessed here that I love swimming in cold […]