A glorious Tree, A sign of Fall

Yesterday I showed you a road sign. Today it is a weather sign, a sign of Fall. I love the Fall and I love this tree.

A Sign for the Time

I love this sign. I snapped it at the Nairobi Wildlife Orphanage. I always smile when I see this sign. That means I smile often as I use it as my desktop screensaver.

Needing Water

My friend Pastor Jonah sent me this photo. The stone pile in the photo represents the place where people in northern Kenya are hoping for a bore hole and a well. If you can help, please let me know. The people of Marigat desparately need water as it is very hot and dry there.

Photo of the Day

A panoramic view of the city of Kamloops, British Columbia. Kamloops is in ranching country so you can saddle up and ride a horse, though not necessarily in the city proper. You can also enjoy a variety of outdoor sports in the area. There are numerous fishing lodges in the outlying areas and boating is a popular weekend summer activity. Temperatures are rather hot here as far as Canadian summers go. Shade, air conditioning and cool drinks are a must as well as sun protection.

A Wonderful Walk

Wow! For the first time in a week I went for a walk! Well actually it was an early evening walk. First I caught a bus to the post office and walked home, stopping here and there to poke along the way. It was glorious. The weather was balmy and there was the comforting smell of wood burning fireplaces going. Ummm. It felt so good to be out again when I've been cooped up all week.

I was so pleased to find that my much anticipated package of love arrived from Mechelle Tully of Australia. How divine. I'm going to savour listening to her sweet melodies. After that discovery, I went across the street and delighted my taste buds in some food, the first I've enjoyed all week besides the bannock I made last night. I stopped off at Helen's Grill and had a wonderfully succulent lamb souvlakia with rice pilaf, roast potato, tzatziki sauce, Greek salad and garlic bread. I saved half of the large order for a snack later or for a meal next day.

It was a toss up as to whether to stop and buy some produce and catch the bus home or walk and skip out on the groceries. I opted to walk as the night was divine and it's been awhile since I got any exercise. So out came the camera.

Fall leaves on trees. I love the colours.

I think the street lights give these leaves a wonderfully warm glow.

Fall leaves on sidewalk. Aren't they pretty?

Sun Sui Wah, Chinese restaurant visited by Martha Stewart, Home Queen extraordinaire a few years ago when she produced a television special on the City. I believe she proclaimed Sun Sui Wah, the Nobu of the North.

The next two snaps are of a medical centre with delightful mural art on it's exterior walls.

New movies are being shot in the area. How do I know? I spotted these trailers which are make-shift dressing rooms to the stars but I didn't bump into any celebrities. There were at least 3-5 dressing rooms parked here.

People are out and about having dinner at the wonderful cafes along the street. This one with the yellow awning is an excellent Japanese restaurant. It is great to have wonderful restaurants to choose from in all price ranges for every budget. That is one thing I love about my city. Well I must focus on looking at the sights, enjoying the ambiance and the walk. More pictures will come another day.

The winter 2010 Olympics are just around the corner. Maybe you will get to see some of the city streets yourself.

Baking Bannock

I've been sick for more than a week with a terrible cold. Though hungry I could only eat things like chicken noodle soup, vegetable soup, crackers, juices, etc. By the end of a week I was wanting some stick to my ribs kind of food. Whenever I am hungry after having been sick for awhile, I whip up a batch of bannock. This is a type of bread and something mom used to make a lot when we kids were growing up. Like most bannock makers, I've developed an intuitive sense of how much of each ingredient to put into the bowl without being precise about measurements. Sometimes it turns out better than other times but I've never flubbed a batch yet.

In a large bowl you place about

* 5-6 cups of unbleached flour

Add

* several heaping teaspoons of baking soda
* a pinch of salt
* a hint of sugar (optional).

Make a well in the center of the flour (by scooping some of the flour to the sides of the bowl) so there is an indentation in the middle of your ingredients.

Next, you add several big tablespoons of shortening. In my recipe I used Coconut Oil because of what I believe to be its health benefits though I also use regular vegetable oil from the supermarket and sometimes lard.

Now you sift all the ingredients together lightly, by hand, mixing the coconut oil gently through the flour while taking care not to melt it by handling it too much. Soon you will have small balls of flour about the size of tapioca or small peas.

Again, make a well in the center of the bowl of flour. Add enough water to cover the well and begin to gently stir the flour from the sides of the bowl and into the center.  Some people prefer using milk instead of water. When the flour is moist, you may gently continue working the flour mixture with your hands until the mixture forms a doughy consistency. At this point you may need to add a little more flour or water depending on the dough's consistency but be careful not to over do.

Once your dough adheres together, place a bit of flour on the counter top and roll the dough gently together with your hands, shaping and forming it by patting it into the shape of your pan. Usually a long cookie sheet is used for baking the bannock but I guess it depends on which part of the country you are enjoying the bannock. In some areas they fry the bread instead. If you are having fry bread the oil is omitted from the batter because of the oil used for deep frying.

This is a picture of the baking sheet I use (below) and my dough ready to go into the oven. I will often slice the batter into serving portions before it goes into the oven and prick the dough with the tines (prongs) of a fork.


I baked this one at approx 375-400 degrees until golden brown, checking it now and then so it doesn't begin to burn.

With this recipe, I had enough dough for two batches...Here is the second smaller batch cooked in a glass roaster. Both of them turned out delicious and flaky.

To eat, you simply break off pieces of bannock or you can take a knife and slice off squares. I put all my bannock in zip lock baggies to preserve moisture otherwise they do go dry very soon. Bannock is always best eaten within 2 days of making it. Serve it with butter and/or preserves. You can also use it in place of bread for a sandwich. Happy eating.

Leaving Kamloops

The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country,
your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.

Genesis 12:1

A brief (and "rough") video of my recent trip home from Kamloops in the Interior of BC. Set to the music of Buffy Ste. Marie.

Photo Tag - Wildlife Orphans

I was inspired to play this game from Teresa at Affectionknit. To play the game you you have to open your first photo folder, go to the tenth photo and then tell the story behind it.

The photo below is my tenth photo. It is a snapshot of Pastor Jonah from Kericho, Kenya. He is escorting me to the Nairobi Wildlife Orphanage. This is a great orphanage as it rescues wild animals who have been abandoned in the wild and gives them a place of safety and refuge.

I couldn't show this photo without also showing you at least a few photos of the wild orphan animals.

A beautiful leopard
A male lion and two lionesses....A close up of the lion...King of the jungle

I've tagged some fellow bloggers to play this game. Happy photo sharing! Umber Dove, Windhover, Liivia, Urban Balcony, Kaliforniasta, Flowers & Weeds, Lynn's Life, Mme. Bookling, Iowa Garden, Nancy*McKay & Pastor Jonah.

Kericho's Kids Happy to Receive

From time to time, I feature a story and photos on the Missions of Hope, a small grassroots Christian outreach in Kericho, Kenya.

It is my privilege and joy to help these children in any way that I can. Most recently, I was able to send some small gift to help with school supplies as children headed back to school last month.

If any of you can help a child, especially one at the higher grade levels, they would be so appreciative. I firmly believe that education is the key to helping people help themselves and to break the cycle of poverty. Now I'd like to share the brief report and wonderful photos from Pastor Jonah.

~~~~~

We are praising God for the provision of the school supplies that he provided for us through Joyful servant. What a blessing it is to have these provisions and give them to those children in real need. It was lots of joy as we completed this wonderful mission.

I am moved a lot when I go from one home to another to meet these kids; all of them with a great future in their minds.Continue praying for each one of them so that one day, they can help others.
 EDUCATION WILL TRULY OPEN DOORS FOR EACH ONE OF THEM.

Blessings to you all.

UN index rates life best in Norway, worst in Niger; Canada is at 4th place

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Updated: October 5, 2009 10:56 AM

BANGKOK - Norway enjoys the world's highest quality of life, while Niger suffers the lowest, a United Nations agency said Monday, as it released a ranking that highlights the wide disparities in well-being between rich and poor countries.

Canada was listed fourth, well ahead of the United States which was in 13th place.

The annual Human Development Index, unveiled in Bangkok by the UN Development Program, takes into account life expectancy, literacy, school enrolment and per capita gross domestic product in 182 countries.

"A child born in Niger can expect to live to just over 50 years, which is 30 years less than a child born in Norway. Furthermore, the differences in per capita income are huge for every dollar earned per person in Niger, US$85 are earned in Norway," UNDP said.

Canada's life expectancy was also among the highest with a child at birth expecting to live up to 80 years.

Norway was followed by Australia and Iceland on the list, which drew on statistics dating from 2007, before Iceland was hit hard in global economic crisis. Afghanistan and Sierra Leone rounded out the bottom of the ranking.

Trends in the index since 1980 showed an average improvement of 15 per cent in countries' scores. The greatest long-term improvements have been shown by China, Iran and Nepal, but progress has been concentrated in education and health rather than income, said the UN agency.

Afghanistan is new to the list this year - reliable statistics were not previously available - but otherwise leaders and laggards are largely the same.

However, five countries rose three or more places - China, Colombia, France, Peru and Venezuela - while seven countries dropped more than two places - Belize, Ecuador, Jamaica, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Malta, and Tonga.

The index was released as part of the UNDP's annual Human Development Report, which this year highlighted migration.

"Most migrants, internal and international, reap gains in the form of higher incomes, better access to education and health and improved prospects for their children," said the report. "These gains often directly benefit family members who stay behind as well as countries of origin indirectly".

" It also suggested that as the populations age in developed countries, they could benefit from increased migration to boost their work forces."

Through analyzing data taken in 2007, Canada's migrants were found to account for nearly 20 per cent of the population. The UN agency did however caution that encouraging migration should not substitute for "efforts by developing countries to achieve growth and improve human well-being".

-With files from The Canadian Press.