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What the Moon Says in the Time of Coronavirus

The moon was behind a thin veil of clouds. A few birds twittered in the darkness, but the world was otherwise silent, still.

It seemed a little dystopic, Saturday when I pulled into the Driftwood Centre. The parking lot was mostly empty. There was a power generator roaring away at the entrance to the Tru Value grocery store.

Of course, news of the Coronavirus was forward in my mind. It coloured my response to the scene, drawing parallels to zombie/horror movies I’d seen in the distant past.

There was a power outage, remember, and the Tru Value was trying to keep the refrigerators and coolers running with power from the generator.

But then, sure enough, two people emerged from the store holding toilet paper packages and large bags of groceries. It was no typical Saturday at the Driftwood. Power outage or not.

The staff beckoned us inside and guided us around the store because the lights were off and aisles in the back were dark. It was cash-only at the checkout. There was no WiFi and thus no credit/debit capability, but it was otherwise a successful shop. Manager Mike Gray and the staff were cheerful and helpful, and there was a shared sense of “Let’s make the best of this strange situation.”

My Friday morning bread bake

Driving home, I remembered my early morning bread bake, Friday, the day before. I was up at 2:30 a.m. I’d swept embers and ashes out of the oven and shuttered her off to cool down. I walked around to the front of the property, overlooking Boundary Pass. We call it “The Prow” because it feels like the bow of a ship.

The moon was behind a thin veil of clouds. I couldn’t see stars or the water at the foot of the cliff. A few birds twittered in the darkness, but the world was otherwise silent, still.

The word, dystopic, did not come to mind this time. I was instead reminded of the solidity of the earth, its permanence. My weight bearing down on the turf, the globe supporting me.

The muffled birdsong, the softened moonlight, trees clinging to the rock, swaying in a gentle breeze. It has been thus for thousands of years and will be for many more.

The world is still a beautiful place

With all the strange things happening, the world is still a beautiful place, I thought, standing there on the prow of South Pender.

The news changes minute by minute, but this is a truth we can hold as self-evident 1, solid, permanent.

The Coronavirus has grabbed hold of the world, exploited the latent fear in all of us. Still, I think we’d do well to stay close to what is most true in our lives, to remember our immense blessings and bounty … while taking care of our health and those around us.


Happy Monk Tidings - September 20, 2023 🍞 - BAKER'S CHOICE: Garlic Levain Bread; BLOG: Harumph! Author Says Leave the Baking to the Professionals! [ See LinkTree in Profile ]

Happy Monk Tidings - September 20, 2023 🍞 - BAKER`S CHOICE: Garlic Levain Bread; BLOG: Harumph! Author Says Leave the Baking to the Professionals! [ See LinkTree in Profile ] ...

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A hefty Country Miche, formula from Breadlines published by Bread Bakers Guild of America. Hefty in size, hefty in flavour. Four flours (Sifted Metchosin Wheat, Rye, Buckwheat, Spelt), a super-active levain and an intense crust colour. I think I’m addicted! It’s kind of finicky, though, and trying to work out a reasonable schedule to produce 40 loaves for Happy Monk customers.
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. #bread #realbread #naturallyleavened #baker #bakery #bbga #artisanbread #breadhead #sourdough #sourdoughbread #penderisland #southpenderislands #happymonkbaking #happymonkbakingcompany #wholegrainbread #breadhead #michebread #realbread #rusticbread #southerngulfislands #southerngulfislandsbakers #southerngulfislandsbakeries

A hefty Country Miche, formula from Breadlines published by Bread Bakers Guild of America. Hefty in size, hefty in flavour. Four flours (Sifted Metchosin Wheat, Rye, Buckwheat, Spelt), a super-active levain and an intense crust colour. I think I’m addicted! It’s kind of finicky, though, and trying to work out a reasonable schedule to produce 40 loaves for Happy Monk customers.

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. #bread #realbread #naturallyleavened #baker #bakery #bbga #artisanbread #breadhead #sourdough #sourdoughbread #penderisland #southpenderislands #happymonkbaking #happymonkbakingcompany #wholegrainbread #breadhead #michebread #realbread #rusticbread #southerngulfislands #southerngulfislandsbakers #southerngulfislandsbakeries
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REMINDER: Happy Monk is on Summer Break! We're off on our annual late summer respite. Next bread day is Sept. 22. See you then! (photo by Davy Joel Rippner)

REMINDER: Happy Monk is on Summer Break! We`re off on our annual late summer respite. Next bread day is Sept. 22. See you then! (photo by Davy Joel Rippner) ...

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Happy Monk Tidings - August 30, 2023 🍞 - BAKER'S CHOICE:  Mountain Rye Bread; BLOG: Making Bread and Art With A Message; NOTE: Happy Monk is on Holiday for the Next Two Weeks - https://mailchi.mp/ae234548bd1a/happy_monk_tidings_aug30

Happy Monk Tidings - August 30, 2023 🍞 - BAKER`S CHOICE: Mountain Rye Bread; BLOG: Making Bread and Art With A Message; NOTE: Happy Monk is on Holiday for the Next Two Weeks - https://mailchi.mp/ae234548bd1a/happy_monk_tidings_aug30 ...

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Happy Monk Tidings - August 23, 2023 🍞 - BAKER'S CHOICE: Bold Beer Bread; BLOG: Cheese Karma; More Happy Monk holidays coming soon! https://mailchi.mp/783a72739071/happy_monk_tidings_aug23

Happy Monk Tidings - August 23, 2023 🍞 - BAKER`S CHOICE: Bold Beer Bread; BLOG: Cheese Karma; More Happy Monk holidays coming soon! https://mailchi.mp/783a72739071/happy_monk_tidings_aug23 ...

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Happy Monk Tidings - August 9, 2023 🍞 - BAKER'S CHOICE: Sesame Sourdough; BLOG: Say A Prayer For The Perfect Loaf; ANNOUNCEMENT: Happy Monk Summer Holiday Schedule https://mailchi.mp/99197a16b166/happy_monk_tidings_aug9

Happy Monk Tidings - August 9, 2023 🍞 - BAKER`S CHOICE: Sesame Sourdough; BLOG: Say A Prayer For The Perfect Loaf; ANNOUNCEMENT: Happy Monk Summer Holiday Schedule https://mailchi.mp/99197a16b166/happy_monk_tidings_aug9 ...

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Happy Monk Tidings - August 2, 2023 🍞 - BLOG: The Great Laugh (a poem); Baker's Choice: Honey Whole Wheat Sandwich Loaf; [Campaign URL]

Happy Monk Tidings - August 2, 2023 🍞 - BLOG: The Great Laugh (a poem); Baker`s Choice: Honey Whole Wheat Sandwich Loaf; [Campaign URL] ...

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Happy Monk Blog - July 26, 2023 🍞 - Swimming the Neighbourhoods; how John Cheever's short story, The Swimmer, made more sense to kids in the summertime. [See LinkTree in Profile ]

Happy Monk Blog - July 26, 2023 🍞 - Swimming the Neighbourhoods; how John Cheever`s short story, The Swimmer, made more sense to kids in the summertime. [See LinkTree in Profile ] ...

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Happy Monk Tidings - July 19, 2023 🍞
Baker's Choice: Cinnamon-Raisin Bread; BLOG: Coffee, Tea and Hot Chocolate [ See LinkTree in Profile ]

Happy Monk Tidings - July 19, 2023 🍞
Baker`s Choice: Cinnamon-Raisin Bread; BLOG: Coffee, Tea and Hot Chocolate [ See LinkTree in Profile ]
...

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Happy Monk Blog - July 12, 2023 🍞 - "Nothing I Cared in the Lamb White Days" - Climate change and watching the moon rise over the Salish Sea. [ See LinkTree in Profile ]

Happy Monk Blog - July 12, 2023 🍞 - "Nothing I Cared in the Lamb White Days" - Climate change and watching the moon rise over the Salish Sea. [ See LinkTree in Profile ] ...

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Happy Monk Tidings - July 5, 2023 🍞 - BAKER'S CHOICE: Olive Sourdough; ReBLOG: Salvador Dalí and the Art of Bread [ Click LinkTree in Profile ]

Happy Monk Tidings - July 5, 2023 🍞 - BAKER`S CHOICE: Olive Sourdough; ReBLOG: Salvador Dalí and the Art of Bread [ Click LinkTree in Profile ] ...

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Happy Monk Tidings - June 28, 2023 🍞 - BAKER'S CHOICE: Spelt and Honey Sourdough; BLOG: Black Robe and Rise of the Machine [ See LinkTree in Profile ]

Happy Monk Tidings - June 28, 2023 🍞 - BAKER`S CHOICE: Spelt and Honey Sourdough; BLOG: Black Robe and Rise of the Machine [ See LinkTree in Profile ] ...

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Stately, plump German Rye loaves that even Buck Mulligan would love. This day June 16, Happy Bloomsday all!

Stately, plump German Rye loaves that even Buck Mulligan would love. This day June 16, Happy Bloomsday all! ...

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Happy Monk Tidings - June 14, 2023 🍞 - BAKER'S CHOICE: German Rye (Volkornbrot) with Sunflower Seeds; BLOG: Happy Bloomsday! [ See LinkTree in Profile ]

Happy Monk Tidings - June 14, 2023 🍞 - BAKER`S CHOICE: German Rye (Volkornbrot) with Sunflower Seeds; BLOG: Happy Bloomsday! [ See LinkTree in Profile ] ...

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Happy Monk Tidings - May 31, 2023 🍞 - BAKER'S CHOICE: Fig and Fennel Sourdough; BLOG: The Saving Grace of Siegel's Bagels [ See LinkTree in Profile ]

Happy Monk Tidings - May 31, 2023 🍞 - BAKER`S CHOICE: Fig and Fennel Sourdough; BLOG: The Saving Grace of Siegel`s Bagels [ See LinkTree in Profile ] ...

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HAPPY MONK BLOG: An Approachable Manifesto: A loaf designed for the grocery shelf, but with honest-to-goodness artisan credentials. (May 24, 2023) [ See LinkTree in Proifile ]

HAPPY MONK BLOG: An Approachable Manifesto: A loaf designed for the grocery shelf, but with honest-to-goodness artisan credentials. (May 24, 2023) [ See LinkTree in Proifile ] ...

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Morning coffee ritual, Saturday morning. Drinking Moving Coffee, eating Happy Monk Sprouted Einkorn Sourdough bread, and spending a lot of time setting up this photo. Thanks for the coffee tip, @jomosenpai, it’s really good!
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#coffeelover #coffee #pourovercoffee #pourover #coffeetime #coffeelover  #coffeecoffeecoffee #ceramiccoffeecup #ceramiccoffeemug #coffeeaddict #einkornsourdough #einkornbread #einkornsourdoughbread #einkornbaking

Morning coffee ritual, Saturday morning. Drinking Moving Coffee, eating Happy Monk Sprouted Einkorn Sourdough bread, and spending a lot of time setting up this photo. Thanks for the coffee tip, @jomosenpai, it’s really good!
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#coffeelover #coffee #pourovercoffee #pourover #coffeetime #coffeelover #coffeecoffeecoffee #ceramiccoffeecup #ceramiccoffeemug #coffeeaddict #einkornsourdough #einkornbread #einkornsourdoughbread #einkornbaking
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It’s been a long time since I baked with Einkorn flour, the most ancient of the ancient grains. It’s called “Farro Piccolo” in Italian, or ‘little farro’. A later variety of Einkorn is called “Farro Grande” (large farro)… otherwise known as Spelt. (Einkorn left, Spelt right) Here endeth the lesson. 
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#einkorn #einkorngrain #einkornbread #einkornbaking #tasteofeinkorn #spelt #speltgrain #speltflour #ancientgrain #ancientgrains #ancientgrainbaking #ancientgrainflours

It’s been a long time since I baked with Einkorn flour, the most ancient of the ancient grains. It’s called “Farro Piccolo” in Italian, or ‘little farro’. A later variety of Einkorn is called “Farro Grande” (large farro)… otherwise known as Spelt. (Einkorn left, Spelt right) Here endeth the lesson.

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#einkorn #einkorngrain #einkornbread #einkornbaking #tasteofeinkorn #spelt #speltgrain #speltflour #ancientgrain #ancientgrains #ancientgrainbaking #ancientgrainflours
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Happy Monk Tidings - April 26, 2023 🍞: Baker's Choice: Polenta-Rosemary Sourdough; Blog: A Baker's Summit in the Loire Valley - [See LinkTree in Bio ]

Happy Monk Tidings - April 26, 2023 🍞: Baker`s Choice: Polenta-Rosemary Sourdough; Blog: A Baker`s Summit in the Loire Valley - [See LinkTree in Bio ] ...

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Latest Happy Monk Blog: Bread from the ashes of Pompeii - April 19, 2023 🍞 [ See LinkTree in Profile ]

Latest Happy Monk Blog: Bread from the ashes of Pompeii - April 19, 2023 🍞 [ See LinkTree in Profile ] ...

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  1. A phrase borrowed, of course, from the U.S. Declaration of Independence.

4 thoughts on “What the Moon Says in the Time of Coronavirus

  1. Inspiring photos to go with your encouraging words, David. Our favorite familiar things.
    I sometimes feel like all the stitching is coming out of our world but a walk around our ridge puts things into perspective and I realize I live in a society of tall trees – I’m just a sojourner here, embraced, canopied, protected.

  2. Nice, David. Good that you are continuing on as usual, true to our Scots heritage!

    1. Thanks, Leslie! I may be a happy monk, but I’m also a dour Scot!

  3. Thanks Dave for putting things into a more cheerful perspective. Back from Mexico and self quarantined so back in your bread line in April. Can’t wait!!

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