Rolf Devinci

I've been putting together a medieval English archer kit which came to fruition with the purchase of a English longbow, a 14th century gambeson and, recently, some medieval style arrows. With the exception of era accurate  footware the kit is complete and (somewhat) historically accurate using fully functional but modern replica items. ELB 55#@28 Archer`s gambeson Channeling my inner archer Medieval arrow bag and arrows Arming sword Arrow bag and buckler Belt assembly

Picked up a bottle of Single Cane Estate Rum while on vacation in the Caribbean last month. Without the benefit of having sampled the spirit it was a leap of faith at the duty free shop with a price tag of $40 USD. I know little of this Dominican Republic offering but was attracted by the bottle design, the use of a traditional cork stopper and the description upon the label. "Each rum in the Single Cane Estate rums range is made from a single source of sugar cane that is grown in its local region, with each rum having its distinctive character and flavor." The label included the notes of the rum with hints of......."honey, cocoa, sweet oats and a hint of citrus". Sounded like a rum that was in my ball park so the bottle was purchased with much anticipation of the tasting. The Tasting So today, on a nice Spring Saturday I broke the seal on the bottle and had my first sip of the rum neat in the glass. It possesses a silky mouth feel but with some immedi...

Recently returned to Canada after a vacation excursion via the Norwegian Escape cruise ship to the Eastern Caribbean. It sure was good to experience some sunshine in the month of March and get a tan instead of sporting the usual Canadian "fish belly white" winter pallor. https://www.ncl.com/ca/en/cruise-ship/escape?cid=PS_TSI_CAN_SHP_GOO-g_LEN_SRH_SHIPESC_norwegian%20escape_NA_174200722935&gclid=CNyCk4rH79ICFRm1wAodiowMqQ The Escape The Escape is one big ship! Seventeen decks and akin to a floating city with all kinds of shops, restaurants, bars and entertainment venues. Commissioned in 2015 she is a relatively new boat in Norwegian`s fleet of cruise ships and can carry in excess of five thousand passengers and crew.  The Destination Cruising the Eastern Caribbean we visited the US/ British Virgin islands and Bahamas on a seven day cruise. One day of (some) rain and cloud but otherwise perf...

Nowadays known as a general reference to any alcoholic drink the term Grog was actually the British naval slang for rum and water. In an attempt to stretch out the rum rations for his sailors Vice Admiral  Edward Vernon commenced the practice on August 21 1740 while commanding a squadron in the West Indies. "Vernon's 1740 order that the daily rum issue of a half pint of rum be mixed with one quart of water and issued in two servings, before noon and after the end of the working day, became part of the official regulations of the Royal Navy in 1756 and lasted for more than two centuries." Contrary to popular opinion the addition of citrus to Vernon`s grog was not done to prevent scurvy in his sailors. He did suggest to his officers that the men could trade some of their salt and bread rations for sugar or lemons to improve the taste of the rum/water ration if they chose to do so. That said it was later surgeons and office...

For no other reason than to revisit my current way of eating and add some variety I have decided to reintroduce additional legumes back into my diet. I have always eaten green peas(yes they are a legume) and in season fresh yellow/green beans. I have not adhered to strict Paleo for some time as I now use it more as a guideline for eating a simple traditional diet. I find the foods that work for me and eliminate/ limit those that do not. Its time to revisit the bean and see if other legumes have a place in my diet. Over the last couple months I have essentially stopped consuming potatoes. I can tolerate the tuber occasionally but do much better without them. As a result I have been eating a little more rice as compensation but I do tire of that grain. http://rolfdevinci.blogspot.ca/2016/11/nightshade-intolerance-tip-toeing.html It then occurred to me to re-evaluate legumes. Not only...

Winter finally arrived to the East coast with a couple heavy snowfalls last week. Due to the high winds its hard to determine the amount of snowfall due to drifting but 40-60 centimeters is a good estimate depending where you are in the province. Heading into the February long weekend it meant I finally would have a chance to get outside on my snowshoes. Not only is it a full body workout but a chance to appreciate the beauty of winter. Saturday`s attempt was a hard slog. The snow was fresh powder and the drifts were substantial in the area I choose to hike within. Even with shoes matched to my weight I was knee deep for most of the outing. By Monday the temperatures had risen and with a melt the snow cover became wet and firmer and afforded far better snowshoeing opportunities. I  love the woods in winter, especially with a fresh cover of snow. A white blanket of winter snow over the landscape makes for some great scenery and, subsequently,...