Yesterday's rain brought back to me images of dancing fireflies and I felt a strong longing for going home...
When I was a kid, my mother's family liked to get together whenever possible and prepare "un p'tit gueuleton." Depending on the time of the year, those festive meals would entail lots of local vegetables and a great diversity of seafood - or "fruits de la mer" as we called them. Fall gatherings, however, often included land snails and I was usually tasked with collecting them in advance.
I waited for nice rainy days, like we had yesterday, and once my homework was done, I would go outside with my wire basket and a flashlight, since, by that time, it would be almost dark. I loved the feel of the rain and the smell of the ground. Most of all, I enjoyed seeing that others were also searching for escargots. I would quickly become mesmerized by the scene. Flashlights in the distance, appeared to me as fireflies, dancing to the unique rhythm of the walkers.
While I imagine that few of us went snail collecting last night, we can definitely gather with family and friends and prepare a scrumptious local feast with the abundance of local food available at this time of the year. To discover what might be available and partake in a festive celebration, check out the Purple Onion Festival on Sunday at Millenium Park in Peterborough - you could even check out our booth!
