It's drying time again

It will probably take about two weeks or even longer to dry the bunches of basil hanging in our kitchen. And even after cutting some of the herb, there is still quite a bit left for pesto.

It's in the bag

This was a great bag to make because I got to use some of my favourite fabrics to piece together the front and back panels.

Inside the very roomy tote I stitched a double pocket.

So Far Away

So far away
Doesn't anybody stay in one place anymore
It would be so fine to see your face at my door
Doesn't help to  know you're just time away

 

But you're so far away
Doesn't anybody stay in one place anymore
It would be so nice to see your face at my door
Doesn't help to know you're so far away

Carole King Lyrics
 

Heat stroke remedy

The heat is like a blanket; you try to toss it off but it just settles back onto you. Even ice water is just a temporary relief.

The fans and A/C are just noise so I opt for my Japanese fans to move the air in front of my face. Yes, that feels good. But what feels even better is to peel an ice cold fig, the honey dripping through your fingers and on your chin as you bite into the soft seed filled fruit, a little crunch, a little heaven, yes, that feels really good. Do this several times and the heat is all but forgotten.

A jar of peeled figs for a mid-morning snack at work.

Bathing beauties

These pics were taken through the glass doors looking out to the birdbath which, considering the heat, was a hive of activity this afternoon. Once they were done I added a second one so that the line-up doesn't get too long.

Pumpkin Island

Found some pumpkin puree in the freezer so I tried another  recipe from Williams-Sonoma Home Baked Comfort cookbook. What makes this Pumpkin CoffeeCake with Brown Sugar-Pecan Streusel so good is the thick layer of crunchy brown sugar and pecan streusel. This is the before picture.

And this is the after picture of the coffee cake cooling on the deck.

Another blistering hot day but we still managed to do our walk; this time around McArthur Island.

Blueberry Park

Our walk through the park was like an obstacle course; geese everywhere which we don't mind at all and trains blocking our route which we did mind because it was so noisy.

So we needed a little comfort which I found in Williams-Sonoma's Home Baked Comfort cookbook. This is what comfort looks like; a delectable Lemon Blueberry Drizzle Bread. What makes this loaf so good is the syrup of lemon juice and sugar that is drizzled all over the hot from the oven bread.

Gibraltor pancakes

It was a hot and dusty climb to the top of Gibraltor Rock; we sat in a sweat puddle in the shade pointing our  faces into the breeze marvelling at the view. I think our breakfast pancakes were burnt up pretty quick on this hike.

The knee-crunching descent is made bearable by the sights and sounds of nature all around us.

A great walking stick really helps on these kinds of treks.

My last pictures just before we got back to the road.

Walking TV

The path along the river is open again after being flooded so we walked from Pioneer to Riverside park.

To quote Richard Wagamese from One Native Life, " ... our TV is the picture window...".

Asparagus sunset

A good friend gave me a recipe for Grilled Asparagus Wraps from the Whitewater Cooks with Friends cookbook. Unfortunately our local asparagus is no more so we tried this anyways and it was great. The fontina cheese oozing out of the paper thin prosciutto, the crunchy spears dipped into the balsamic glaze, so good.

The sunset; I am at a loss for words.

Garden surprise

Thanks to Mr. Cowboy, I now have bundles of lavender drying in the basement. This weekend I will remove the flowers from the stems; not a fun job. Will have plenty of lavender to make up more sachets for selling and for gifts.

Love the little surprises in the garden.

A walk in the park

What to do on a beautiful Sunday. Boating at the lake.

Or sipping lemonade while relaxing in a hammock.

We decided to take a walk in the park instead and see what the seagulls were up to.

Then to the flea market  at the Pow Wow grounds on the Indian Reserve. Bought a red willow dream catcher for TG to hang in the window of her new place.