It’s been a strange week here at my house! Sunday night I felt like something was in my right eye. I didn’t think much of it until Sunday morning when the entire right side of my face started to hurt as if thousands of needles […]
Hummingbird Magic!
Black Magic Penstemon are hummingbird magnets! This rufous hummingbird is feasting … flitting from blossom to blossom … back and forth … up and down … and around and around … until it’s time to move on! 🙂
Up Close & Personal … Hairy Woodpecker Fledglings
Last summer we had a large number of woodpecker parents bringing their fledglings to our suet feeders. This year not so much! I suspect that it has probably been too hot for the birds too around here. It certainly has been way too hot for […]
Tasty Tuesday … A Pot of Beans two Ways
We love beans, but ever since getting a Instant Pot we love them even more. There just isn’t any comparison between freshly cooked dried beans and the canned ones from the store. Don’t get me wrong, canned beans are better than no beans at […]
Sunny … with a chance of poppies
Fluffy … puffy cotton candy clouds, sweet memories of times past. Warm summer days lazily drifting away like clouds in the sky. Prickly … tickly tall blades of grass, sweet memories of times past. Warm summer days lazily gazing through poppies up at the sky. The […]
Tidepooling at Haystack Rock
A minus tide last month had us back at the Oregon Coast. The weather again was just about perfect and the low water levels left much of the usually submerged rocks and sand accessible. We left Portland by 8 a.m. to arrive in Cannon Beach […]
Check it out! Caution … Rocky Road Ahead!
Yes, this was a real encounter! A few years back, on a short visit to the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State I spotted this “Slow down” sign along a winding country road in the town of Sequim (pronounced Skwim). I sped up a little as […]
Up Close & Personal … The Varied Thrush
I’ll always remember the first time I spotted one of these birds! It was on a very cold winter morning in our garden in Portland, Oregon. I had to get the bird field guide out since I’d never seen this bird before and learned they […]
Tasty Tuesday … Black Beans with Mangoes
Of all the varieties of beans and lentils in the world I think black beans are my absolute favorite. They cook relatively quickly in the Instant Pot and also turn out great when simmered in the slow cooker. Don’t soak them if you want them […]
Up Close & Personal … The Western Swallowtail Butterfly
It’s getting hot here in the Pacific Northwest! Much of the western United States is dealing with excessive heat right now. Yesterday, it was 125° Fahrenheit in Palm Springs!! While most people wilt under these brutal conditions, butterflies and hardy wildflowers come alive! Long ago […]
Happy Friday from my quiet Creative Space!
If it’s Friday, this is where you’ll find me! A few years ago I signed up for a watercolor class and fell in love with it. It took a lot of practice and patience to improve my paintings. For much of 2020 I didn’t paint […]
Tasty Tuesday … Savory Corn Cakes
Early last year I stocked up my pantry with all kinds of things I don’t usually buy. “Those things” would be a few canned vegetables! Since it wasn’t clear how this whole pandemic thing would work out, I thought better safe than sorry, especially as […]
Sunday Zen … Our Newfound Freedom
… Space … … Sand … Sun … Surf … … to my left … … to my right … … high-up in the sky … a kite … … some people quietly delight … … in all of nature’s might … … crashing waves […]
Happy Friday from my Plum Tree!
The year after planting this plum tree we got a bumper crop of fruit! But ever since, when the tree awakens in the spring there are lots of blossoms, but no fruit. Nontheless, I love this tree! It provides nectar for hummers and mason bees […]
Hummingbird Magic!
A little cleaning, a little preening, there really are moments when these very active birds sit still. 🙂
Tasty Tuesday … Roasted Leeks, Garbanzo Bean & Farro Salad
When I recently noticed this salad recipe in the NYT and realized that I had all the ingredients in the house, I just had to make it! It was every bit as delicious as the recipe sounded. We love leeks, garbanzo beans and of course […]
Sunday Zen … Ripples!
… raindrops … … gently falling … … tiny surface waves … … forming … … expanding … … gliding … …each identical … yet different … … intermingled … … separate … … tranquil … … never-ending … … ripples … … drip […]
in cahoots with muddy boots 