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 […]
Happy Friday from my Garden!
This Western Swallowtail has taken a liking to my Korean lilac bush. It visits every day and always heads straight for these fragrant blossoms. Just take a look at the proboscis covered in pollen! I watched until it disappeared into the woods along with the […]
Up Close & Personal … The Pileated Woodpecker
A couple of days ago, as I was walking past a stand of trees at the park, I heard a rather loud and insistent hammering sound. “Woodpecker!” I told myself and slowed down as I quietly followed the sound. I peeked through some branches and […]
Tasty Tuesday … Non-Traditional Vegetable Tagine
When the Zendog and I lived in Germany long ago, we’d often hop on the train to somewhere for a quick get-away: Paris, Amsterdam, Annecy-sur-lac, Avignon, Geneva … You name it! Back then, I had a fabulous job with great hours. I worked eleven 24-hour […]
Tasty Tuesday … Muhammara
Every time I’ve taken this dip to a gathering during pre-pandemic times, it was a huge hit! I’d venture to say that hummus is probably the most famous and popular one of middle eastern dips, judging from my experience in what people bring to gatherings […]
Happy Mother’s Day from my Garden!
Happy Mother’s Day from my Garden! What better place to be than outside on a lovely day. The garden is starting to show its most beautiful side during this time of spring. The heavenly fragrance of lilac blossoms attracted the first western swallowtail of the season. […]
Up Close & Personal … The Female Black-Headed Grosbeak
In my last post I highlighted the male black-headed grosbeak. Here are some photographs of a female black-headed grosbeak. Her overall appearance is much more plain than her male counterpart. Her body is buff colored and her wings have white markings. The white stripes on […]
Up Close & Personal … The Black-headed Grosbeak
Every morning when I wake up I thank my lucky stars! When we moved to Portland almost 16 years ago I wasn’t sure I’d like it. But sometimes we don’t have a choice where life takes us. In the end it turned out to be […]
Happy Friday from my Birdwatching Granddogter!
Meet Dingo, our “granddogter”! One of our sons adopted her from a rescue organization nearly two years ago. She’ a bit of a mutt, including German Shepard, possibly some Shar Pei and a whole lot of lovable. Like all happy dogs, Dingo loves to search […]
Tasty Tuesday … Green Beans Almandine
Sometimes there’s nothing better than an old-fashioned, tried and true side dish like these green beans. When our kids were still at home I could always count on this dish to be eaten without any complaints. I still make them whenever they come over for […]
Up Close & Personal … Yellow Finches for Trish!
For many years we rarely got more than a handful of American Goldfinches in our garden. I’d buy some thistle seed, fill the feeder and wait … … until the thistle seeds finally got moldy. Since just about all birds love black oil sunflower seeds […]
