so completely fascinating

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2012064406_apasaustraliasurfingcrocodiles.html

poppy

poppy
Originally uploaded by Whit-2-tis

It's poppy time! Ooh la la!

New Friends

Well, as you can see, i am trying to add a little more structure to my blog. And since i've started Sunday Stills, which i love soooo much (thank you, Linda!!), i need to move my garden tour. I'm thinking Tuesday's Garden Tour sounds kinda catchy. :o) So i'll start that next week. That'll give Mother Nature another 6 days to turn off the faucet here in Seattle. :o\ And it'll give me some time to get things cleaned up out there.

Our yard is a hot mess now. Last November we realised that we had been leaking gallons and gallons of water all summer long from the line that runs into our house. We thought it was all going toward the garden, when actually it was watering the ground beneath the chicken coop.

Then last week, we received another water bill that was higher than anything last summer, so thankfully we would fix it now instead of wasting all that water all summer again. Moose and i scoured the yard looking for something resembling an outdoor pool--water was leaking at 500 gallons a day more than we usually use in a day. Our yard is about 200' long, with the water line running about 110' from the street to the house. Moose spent a couple days digging along the line looking for anything. Finally, my dad had the idea that maybe the water was leaking into some sort of foundation protecting-gravelly vault for run off type thingy. Needless to say, when they found it, we could have just dug it out and put in a ladder off the kitchen and had an accessible jacuzzi. ;o) And now, there are tons of trenches to fill in within the yard. The chickens are not pleased--a few of them have fallen into them. :o) This week then will be spent filling trenches and replanting grass seed between rainstorms.

I'll leave you with a few pictures of the new friends we've seen about the yard. Don't you just love Springtime!?!

Obviously, some Flicker mama told the kids to go play in the street....

or as Moose would say, "Crazy Saturn drivers!"

Cookie Monster thought it was neat that we had robins hanging about the yard on the day see had to leave for recital practice. Her number in the show? Rockin' Robin.

Today I planted

3 CA Wonder Bell Peppers

1 Sweet Chocolate Bell Pepper

2 Purple Cherokee toms

2 Saucy Paste toms

2 Viva Italia toms

2 Amish Paste toms

1 Chocolate Cherry tom

1 Cabernet Grape tom

Whit's Labour-a-tory: Bread

Whew! It's been a virtual labouratory around here lately what with the experimental gardening, experimental baking, and the like.

We are bread baking fools here. I've got the recipe and the process down in my head, so of course you know what that means: time to experiment! 'Cause who would be happy with just plain old easy bread recipe they could make simply over and over again? I'll be leaving my results on this post--easy reference.

I read in Barbara Kingsolver's Animal Vegetable Miracle that making simple changes to the flavour of your bread is as simple as trading out 1/3 to 1/4c. of flours. Simple enough. But not to get too carried away, i am only letting myself get a couple of cups of a new type of flour once a month. Otherwise, i'd need a storage unit just for the bags of flour i'd acquire. :o)

In May, i tried buckwheat. Safe, right? I know. It was really delicious; earthy...even C.monster liked it.
One day, we were even too tired to make dinner, but i had the dough rising for bread. I had added some sunflower seeds before it was left to rise. But we needed something for dinner fast--hey, pizza dough is just like bread dough. So we used the buckwheat/sunflower seed wheat bread dough for pizza crusts. With goat cheese monteray jack. Yummy!

In June, i have tried garbonzo flour. Eeh, not so good. It's too pungent. A flavour in your bread that makes one say, "What. is. that?" If they don't just spit it into their napkin first and say, "Mmmm, yeah. That's nice. Bless your heart." Not the kind of feedback that you would like people to say about your cooking. :o) I threw a few sunflower seeds and extra sugar and salt, but that still hasn't helped. It's like eating garbonzo beans that have been soaking in water waiting to cook. Gaaah!

July brought us emmer. It's really a different flavour from straight wheat--richer, more satisfying for the taste buds, i think. We'll be adding emmer into the rotation along with buckwheat.

Also, July brought us the definitive results of a two month long survey of best wheat flours: hard red or hard white whole wheat flours. We purchased our flour from Azure Standard, which is a co-op from Dufur, OR that provides many organic or natural foods, a lot of them grown right in Oregon's Fruit Loop region. The family has spoken and decided that they favour the hard white whole wheat.

A friend of mine also pointed out a great book the other day. Don't know if you have heard about the "River Cottage" cookbook series, but Daniel Stevens is quickly becoming one of my favourite cookbook authours, right up there with Nigella. He just released a book about bread and makes the trials and tribs of bread making crystal clear.

Sunday Stills :: Black & White

...and no archives!

This week was a hard week to capture pictures. Not just because it was torrentially rainy most of the week, but also because we were so busy.

We started the week with a busy Tuesday. We were readying for a lunch party with my in-laws at our house, for my parent's arrival in the evening, and the day happened to be my 35th birthday too.

The next day, my mom and i spent touring a few local nurseries in the area (her birthday present from us.) We had a wonderful lunch at one of the places. I had my camera, so when my iced tea came, i thought, "hey, why not?"

I just love the colour accent feature on my camera!!

Dogwood trees are in full bloom here.

Since it's been so rainy, there has been plenty of opportunity to snuggle with our cat.
She makes such pretty pictures!

Then again, so does my lil' Cookie Monster.

Who was in 4 of the numbers at this year's recital at the local P&R dept.

She's somewhere among the tutus and top hats here.

Ah, there she is...my lil' Irish dancin' fool.

Then the week was done and it was time for church.

All during Mass, i was having a hard time concentrating for want of a more interesting B&W photo for this weekend. Sorry, God. I tried looking around the church for something more than just the shrine to Mary. I feel a little uncomfortable taking pictures in church anyway...

Then on our way home, i was surprised by the gorgeousness of Mt. Rainier as the clouds parted for just a second and the sunset set the slopes ablaze.

Just the photo i was hoping for this week!

Embrace the Camera :: June 5

I know it's a few days late for last week's ETC, but i wanted to wait until the recital for two reasons: 1, we were just WAAAAAAY too busy getting ready for the recital, visiting with family, and celebrating my birthday, and 2, i wanted some pictures with Cookie Monster in her Irish uniform.

Of course, all other days of the year she wants the camera to always be on her. But the 2 days she has recitals, she needs to be wrestled for a photo. Crazy Cookie Monster! Someone must have fed her bananas and turkey all in the same day again. :o)

See ya again on Thursday for Embrace the Camera.