Posts from the ‘Front Porch Musings’ category

Early evening on a Sunday

A thoroughly pleasant weekend was had.

It was coolish compared to the prior (prior to Friday) 10-12 days – today barely hit 80F before starting back down again.

The Yellow Jacket activity was a bit less, although not enough less to allow enjoyment of the front porch :( !

Bob is slightly less wobbly on this day 3 of medication resumption. We should find out tomorrow where and when we go next.

I did a small-medium clear-out of some items that have been on my list…some glassware and dishes – family stuff that I’ve packed and moved and packed and moved and packed and moved! – things taking up space that I want and need for other purposes. I kept the things that really matter to me and the rest I donated. I spoke to both my grandmothers (both in Heaven!) as I packed and thought about how and where… It was good and I am confident that all will go where it should.

I took my first film photos. As I was taking them and changing camera settings, it occurred to me that I should record the settings. I am so used to being able to see the settings with the digital output that I forgot this was not going to be available with the film camera. And I made some notes about how different this little camera feels. An interesting exercise.

I made Chinese scallion “pancakes”…more later but they will be a staple. They are somewhere between a tortilla and a spiced up naan. Bottom line: delicious! ( Scallion Pancake Recipe – if you can’t wait!)

I have been reading a blog, a first book: If you lived here, I’d know your name and am partly into the 2nd (Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs) by Heather Lende. The first book: As I read her essays, I am reminded of Jan Karon’s Mitford series and the peace, contentment and wisdom that come from reflection on the simple happenings of life. And, by the way, Heather had a “good dog Carl” whose passing is written of at the end of the first book. Like her, I am NOT resigned…but I have made peace (mostly) with my own Karl’s passing. And although our lives have many differences, like her, I am grateful for all that is my life.

We might, we just might…

Inside most of today…again.

It has been cooler and tomorrow we are to get a cold front and rain to continue through the weekend.

But, the Yellow Jackets still plague us and will continue until a killing freeze kills them off.

Wild Thing…

…she is off getting washed and waxed.

And when she returns, we just might load up and go.

Something old, something new

No, NOT another wedding for me :) …although just because I’ve failed 3 times, that does NOT mean I wouldn’t try a 4th!

Never, Never, Never give up!! – I think Winston Churchill said that.

I digress.

It is almost the end of July and that means it is almost birthday month!!! – YEA!!!

And after birthday month is September and if I live that long it will mean that I have survived yet another Summer.

I digress yet again – back to birthday month and something old, something new.

I ordered a kind of birthday present for me…from Etsy. …from a seller in Bulgaria. A very nice seller who sent me a wonderful note about being glad I was giving this item a home.

A new camera!

Actually, it is an old camera: a 35mm film camera.

My first “real” camera was a Minolta that my father bought me for my 16th birthday. I remember the story being that he found it in a used “bin” at a camera store. My brother, who is ALWAYS right, tells me that my father got it at a silent auction.

Whatever.

The Minolta that I was given was old(er) even then, but I remember it as wonderful and I have photos from it that are spectacular – in my opinion – and given what I know now.

I don’t think that this camera is the same as what I had but there are definite similarities.

When I saw the listing on Etsy, I just bought it.

Two of the food bloggers I follow shoot film and I’ve been thinking about film and wondering how I would do with film, knowing what I know now and understanding the timing issues as well as the shooting and processing issues.

We shall see.

I have 4 rolls of high speed color film zipping their way to me as I write.

A local photo store still develops film.

I will post the good, the bad and the ugly…hopefully the good will prevail.

As I waited for the camera and researched processing options and thought about the food bloggers and about things in my own life I’ve been thinking about… it occurred to me that this fits a theme I’ve been mulling: a “slowing down” theme. I’ve been simplifying and slowing down for years now, but lately…probably because it is Summer and I always think about changing things in the Summer (because I very much DISLIKE Summer!!!) – I thought about what it might mean to shoot film.

Film is slower in that I will shoot a roll of 36 photos before I take the film to a lab and wait 7-10 days for its return. And since I am paying for EACH, it is a vastly different exercise than digital which costs nothing but my time to take and review 50-100 images. And I am very good and very speedy at reviewing and deleting!

So…what will the film shooting mean to what I choose to shoot? And obviously, if any of the film images become part of a blog post, they will be somewhere in the 2-4 week time frame post shooting.

Slowing down.

I am not giving up digital – I LOVE digital, but I am certainly interested to see how shooting film turns out.

Something old, something new.

More light and shadow

This afternoon.

Bob.

Light and shadow.

*** 8 days, maybe more…90-93F. The nights cool to upper 50/low 60’s. BUT, we are having a Yellow Jacket year… I have traps made of meat hanging from skewers over soapy water in mason jars and have been drowning over 100 yellow jackets daily. I fear for the boys being stung – especially Bob, so we’ve all been inside except for a couple of hours in the morning. Bear and I go out – carefully – at noon and dinner and then at 9-10 ish p.m. And I take Bear for some Jeep excursion when I can break during the day. Hurry up, Fall!!

Put the lime in the coconut, then you feel better

I made coconut cupcakes this morning.

And a bit of coconut cake with batter that didn’t fit in the dozen count cupcake pan I have.

Then, Bear and I headed out and about in the Jeep with the goal of finding a spot to park Wild Thing…maybe next weekend…for an overnight.

This time of year…blech…too MANY persons are about.

It is hot…or hottish depending on your perspective. Today, it was hazy like it was on its way to hot.

Me…I am cranky.

I turned to Bear and said: “Bear, the best place to be is home! Home is quiet and cool and shady. Let us go home!”.

We went home.

And I think Bear agrees with me.

He scooped out a cool spot on Beardog Hill – AWAY from the cilantro :) !!

Me…I sat on the front porch and looked through the woods at the beautiful blue sky. And I listened to the quiet.

Bob selected a cool, quiet shady spot also.

I guess we are a cool, shady, quiet kind of family.

Maybe we will stay home for a bit in the shady quiet of our own woods.

And have coconut cupcakes and cake with coconut-lime frosting.

Lime and coconut and woods and shade – it makes us feel better.

Friday snippets

We’ve been enjoying some not too hot, beautiful days with cool nights so good for sleeping and crisp mornings that take us outside for several hours before my work day starts.

This morning, it was 42F to start out the morning.

I had a gorgeous Copper River Red Salmon filet thawed.

Braised salmon with fresh herbs. A bit of this was breakfast for Bear, Bob and I and the rest into the frig for salmon tacos and stir fry over the weekend.

The herbs!!

They continue to flourish gangbusters…

My baby cilantro grew up.

Two weeks ago, I gardened. Really!! I braved the hot sun for an entire 10 minutes to clear a patch of soil on Beardog hill.

And then…and THEN!!! – I PLANTED SEEDS. Yes!! Cilantro seeds.

And now there is baby cilantro on Beardog Hill.

If the resident Beardog stays off this little patch, I may have a summer’s worth of cilantro and more.

This is an experiment.

Meanwhile, the aforementioned Beardog chose a softer place for naptime than yesteray’s concrete.

And so did Bob. And Bob’s ears are already improving again.

It was an excellent and productive work week which culminated in meeting a project deadline at high noon today. Hoo-rah!

A Friday pizza was in order.

Pizza on the grill.

Friday snippets.