The Instagram thing

https://instagram.com/p/BVVYmXmhr3q/

So, that is my FAVORITE Instagram photo to date! I took it with my laptop webcam. I had Instagram open and Auggie was snuggling with me and he looked directly at the screen/camera … I HOPED – so I clicked and caught us. There is a lot of “noise” but I kind of liked that and thought it made the photo look a bit like a painting plus it disguised some 60-something wrinkles…

Whatever – I love it!

What I do not love is Facebook. I think it is the absolute worst user interface and horrible terminology. I guess “poke” has been removed. Still. Yuck.

Off the soapbox mostly.

Instagram is owned by Facebook … I think. I had an Instagram account for a bit and finding out the connection to Facebook, I deleted my Instagram.

Gah … but I have an iPhone and an iPad and they play so nicely with Instagram. And my favorite blogs do Instagram. AND, I have watched the BBC series “Shetland” and become enamored of the Shetland Islands and there are some phenomenal Shetland Island photographers!

And so I caved once more because it allows me to do quick “posts”. A blog post can take from 30-60-90 minutes. Instagram … well it can be Instant!

The photos in the Instagram feed display a bit of whatever I include in the caption. If you click on a photo, you will go to the Instagram interface and see the entire caption. If you view on a compatible device and the multiple image icon is displayed, you can view the several images by swiping left. AND, if I figure out the video thing, and the video icon is displayed, you can view the video – YEA!…hopefully.

If you LOVE my Instagram feed, the best way to see everything is to sign up for an Instagram account and then “Follow” me. You do not have to post if you don’t want to, but an account allows you to follow me and anyone else you might want to as well as seeing full captions, comments/commenting, watching video and seeing multiple images. And if I ever get to doing the “Live” and/or “Stories” you could see those also :) … think Auggie and Bear in the woods…

I still find it incredible that many people follow hundreds and are followed by hundreds/thousands/millions! It is not the followed by but the following that is astounding to me. How can a person be interested AND have the time to follow hundreds…

A mystery.

I digress.

My primary point was to explain the Instagram feed and options to view my Instagram.

Happy Wednesday!

To everything there is a season: the chairs

Once upon a time …

This chair came into my life … serendipitously.

I loved this chair and because Karl and then Bear, liked to be on Beardog Point … near the chair, I started sitting in this chair more than on the front porch.

Time passed.

The chair developed a crack in its upper back. Although it did not fail, I was concerned about imminent failure and because these chairs are only available for purchase in the summer months, I preemptively purchased a replacement.

And then there were two.

And then.

Then the chairs started to speak.

Say what you will, the chairs spoke … fairly often. I think they were old souls as they were a bit cranky mostly … what you might call curmudgeonly.

And so, more time passed.

And this last Winter … cracks in the backs and base of both chairs and both became unsafe for sitting on.

For some time, I ignored the situation and either sat gingerly or used only their arms for my coffee cup … after all, one burns more calories standing and certainly the more burning of calories the better !!!

But this Spring as the weather turned pleasant and Bear and Auggie were out by the chairs AND I wanted to be out there with them…

I kind of sort of looked at the new chairs, in new colors.

But what to do about THE Chairs. I decided to put them in the woods, in a spot near where we returned from our walks … a kind of chair retirement spot.

YES!

Now I felt ready to purchase new chairs for sitting on and I did.

The color is called “Merlot” and it fits with the colors of the woods.

I went to the original chairs and found to my surprise that they were just plastic chairs. Their soul was gone – they had passed. I know that some new folks reading this have just averted their eyes and tiptoed away to find another blog. It is ok. But I know what I know and what I perceive and the chairs magic had left so I had no difficulty disposing of the earthly remains.

The new chairs – the merlot chairs.

So far, they have not spoken but I sense that they might.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven…

Ecclesiastes 3:1 by King Solomon

*** The Chairs posts:

Serendipity

This Chair

I bow to the inevitable

CSA Week 4: some glitches

Week 4 started deliciously with roasted turnips and radishes plus all of their greens. A little olive oil spritzed on all and a hot pan in a hot oven for 10 minutes. The greens cook down, everything gets a bit of a crunchy char and some sweetness.

I put the result on a pizza with a little fontina and asiago.

Then things went a bit sideways. When I opened my container of salad mix on Friday, it did not look good. I disposed of all of it and later found out that there was a new washing/spin dry procedure and they did not get things dry enough before packing, hence the early demise. I think that is part of the “Community Support of Agrigulture”, but Lower Valley Farms felt it was on them so they doubled the salad mix for week 5.

I finished everything else, but a bit of dill and some green onions by last Tuesday.

Thursday morning, in preparation for week 5’s bounty and extra salad mix, I used the last of that dill and onions in Dishing Up the Dirt’s Garlic Cashew Cream dressing.

Ready for week 5!

Holy Cow! My box was almost overflowing: Kale, Napa cabbage, Red Leaf lettuce, salad turnips, kohlrabi, cilantro, arugula, spring lettuce mix and green onions.

That’s how it looks when I have it prepped for the refrigerator. Those green topped containers are my favorite for their shape … they fit well on my frig shelves … and the venting on the side and bottom keeps things fresh. The spinners get pressed into use for storage and have the arugula and lettuce mix ready to go. I spin them daily to make sure the greens stay fresh.

And fortunately, I am able to make room for all – looks gorgeous and I look forward to another week of fresh, local vegetables!

Rainy Tuesday

I know – it is Thursday! But … it rained on Tuesday and I had a post planned.

And then the squirrel and hummingbird happened.

Back to Tuesday.

It rained!

I made Ciabatta.

And in preparation for a local community thing, I did a “test” baked omelet/crustless quiche thing to put IN the ciabatta for a breakfast sandwich.

I am VERY fussy about my eggs and was skeptical…

But I persevered and assembled…

…and FROZE!!!

And was surprised. The baked omelet/cheese/ciabatta breakfast sandwich – frozen – microwaved…

It was delicious.

Huh.

Rainy Tuesday.

The squirrel and the hummingbird

The squirrel.

I wish the squirrel had stayed where he was because the light was perfect there. But he moved up the tree, so unfortunately, I was shooting into the sun.

But the action was happening and I didn’t want to miss anything!

If you’ve never heard a hummingbird … when they fly close, they sound like the most gigantic bee that ever was. The sound from their wing action is incredibly loud for such a little creature. And it nearly always makes me cover my head in a “what size bee is that and please don’t sting me” kind of thing.

I was working and the slider was open behind me when I heard the hummer.

Then I heard the squirrel.

Back and forth, back and forth.

I got up to see the hummingbird flying at the squirrel.

I stood paralyzed for some moments not wanting to miss what was going on but wanting to try to take some photos.

Finally I moved and got the camera…

I have never been able to get a photo of a hummingbird in flight. They zip around so fast. They stop in a momentary hover and by the time I focus they have zipped away. But this bird was flying back and forth near the squirrel so I hoped that focusing on the squirrel and clicking away, I might get a shot of the hummer.

Some of these shots remind me of “Top Gun”…

Headed straight up at top speed!

Zeroing in on the squirrel…

The money shot!!

No conclusion, really.

The hummingbird went off – in search of food I would guess. Still, incredibly interesting.