It’s time to honour Mildrith, the wood-fired oven of the Happy Monk Baking Company. I haven’t spoken of her much in recent months, but she has been at my side every bake day and more, going on six years. Mildrith is my constant companion, steady, true, the holder of bread-heat and embracing warmth. She is silent except when she roars.… Continue reading
Early mornings in front of Mildrith, as I sweep out the ashes and load the hearth with bread, I feel the presence of St. Francis, the saint statue resting on the wall of the oven shelter.
It’s little more than a block of concrete cast into the likeness of St.… Continue reading
Just over 10 years ago, Jennifer and I moved to Pender Island from Vancouver.
It was a cold, windy November day. The power went off for a few hours. A neighbour came down the driveway while we waited for the moving truck to arrive. “Welcome to Pender Island,” he said. “You better get used to this weather!”… Continue reading
Mildrith, the wood-fired oven, welcomed her first load of bread when the morning was still dark. It’s dawn now, three batches later, and I’m opening the oven doors on what may be the last one of the day. Sunlight is beginning to wink at me through the fence.
There’s a bit of warm colour on the loaves closest to the doors, deeper brown on the loaves in the back.… Continue reading