Winter Time is Kitchen Time

The onions, garlic, celery and fennel were already sauteing in the big pot when I started slicing up this glorious geoduc, a giant clam that came from the beach below our house on a super low tide. If this had not been my first ever attempt at geoduc chowder, I would have whacked that thing into tiny bits. Since it has always been quite tender as a barely cooked appetizer, I simply sliced it into thin bands. The chowder was delicious, fragrant, creamy and rich but how did those ultra-chewy rubber bands get in there!! Today, I strained out all the broth and fished out all the clam strips and chopped them into those very necessary tiny bits! Much better. I ate two bowls.

Galaktoboureko: a different Christmas dessert

Galaktoboureko take 2, with fresh pumpkin puree incorporated into the custard. I'm going to get over to the kitchen right now and eat the very last little diamond shaped piece!

Two Brave Women

I loved these two books. For years I remembered everything about these mesmerizing tales of survival in hostile environments, everything but the titles and authors, but now thanks to the wonders of the internet, all is revealed. Check out this link for some incredible writing by Karen Fisher, a local author: http://www.asuddencountry.com/excerpt.htm

The other is a true story about paddling a small inflatable kayak all the way to Timbuktu. In another of her books she admits her friends think she has a death wish, since she takes such horrendous risks in her adventure travels. I have to agree.

Pumpkin Curry

The 20 pound pumpkin that had been decorating the porch for months got roasted last week during the prolonged frigid spell. The "meat" was sweet as could be. There's enough in the freezer now for several Christmas pies and we have a huge pot of curried pumpkin and chicken soup. Here's some thickened with brown basmatti rice and topped with plum chutney and thick yogurt.

Red Sea II

I tried to simplify an embarrassing effort from a few months ago and this is the result. It's better but I still don't like it very much. Also, it's not a very good photo. The lighting was poor. I'll try again tomorrow.

Late Harvest

Oven roasted the large carrots and beets. Ate the small carrots raw. So sweet! The carrot tops look funny because the deer had been grazing recently. They seemed to like the beet leaves, too. I'm still getting tomatoes from the amazing plant I bought from the little freckle faced red haired boy at the Kingston farmers' market. I'm hoping he shows up again next spring.

Watched an eagle try to lift a big bird, maybe a grebe, out of the water this afternoon. It made several passes and grabs but didn't have the strength to make a capture. The poor prey didn't survive. I wonder what shape we'd be in if we had to grab our food while it was still alive. I'd be a vegetarian for sure!

Greens Convene

Never before shown painting from a couple of months ago. One of two pieces I've just this minute submitted to CVG's all-WA show. Digital images must be exactly certain pixel sizes and so on. Solving this problem drove me to near meltdown but now it seems so easy. The black bars are because they want it on a square "canvas" of a certain size. Picky-picky, but standard OP for juried shows. In this painting the tender young lettuces and tough old ferns are talking to each other comparing notes on the pros and cons of being edible. Is this weird that all my vegetables have feelings?

If you want to see the other piece that was submitted, you must go to the KAG just up from the ferry dock in darling little Kingston, WA, USA!

Blooming November 15

It's cold and stormy. A few snowflakes fell south of here last night. It's dark from 4 to 8 but !! things are still blooming. The strawberries in the basket that I mentioned in the previous post are the most astounding, but I have yellow snapdragons, deep russet mums with yellow centers, purple petunias that refuse to quit, some leggy gaura and even some English peas that the deer enjoy nibbling are still putting out white blossoms.

Strawberries in November!

They are green but this ever-bearing berry bush doesn't want to quit for the season. The sun has broken through the storm clouds only briefly but the blossoms keep coming. The weather is sucky, the health care legislation is completely botched, all governments are corrupt and the greediest bastards on the planet rule it, but the discovery of water on the Moon makes it all seem so inconsequential.

In response to Credo Mobile's campaign to send coat hangars to certain misguided congressmen, here's a message I just sent out to some friends, to senators and congressman, and to President Obama himself (as if he reads his own email!):

We desperately need major changes to the way medicine is practiced in the US but this proposed so-called health care reform legislation is worthless. It just forces people to buy insurance (big time bucks to the industry) and cancels any provisions for coverage for pregnancy terminations. Two big wins for the party that lost at the polls this time last year. I don't get it and we sure don't need it.

'37 Ford Sparkling on Main Street

Wayne's wheels added some Wow to downtown Edmonds today. That's some red!

Focus on the Family

A small painting on display at the Kingston Art Gallery

Young Deer

Young Deer
Originally uploaded by JuliMil

This baby is growing up fast! He was grazing on apples, mother no where in sight. This was taken at the "Magic Grow Gardens" property on our road, five minutes from our lane. Just the other day, this young one and his mother were eating the broccoli in my newest garden and later I saw signs they'd nibbled away on the pea vines that are still growing in spite of the cold and wet weather

Pea Pods

This is a small, quick painting of some of the last peas of the season from my garden. With the recent downpours, all will be moldy and ready to be yanked out soon. They were sure good while they lasted. My trellises looked like the crazy webs of spiders on acid, but next year they'll be better, like Betty's!

There are so many more images of tomatoes than peas on the Web. Those reds are irresistible.

Stripped and Naked

Rainbow carrots fresh from the garden--I was surprised to see the big red one was orange under the skin. They went into the Boeuf Bourguignon that I, like thousands of others, prepared after seeing the film "Julie and Julia."

Hubbard Squash and Friends

I just rediscovered the built in camera on my laptop. But the pictures turn out mirror image. Does anyone know how to turn them around?

The other title for this painting is "Waiting for the Cleaver". A group of innocent beings huddled together for comfort, trusting that all is well, oblivious to the clandestine deal-making going on in private meetings that will ultimately slice 'em and dice 'em for continuing corporate profits.

Really Ripe

They started to spoil before I could finish the painting so I made tomato sauce and finished the painting from photos. Here's one of the photos:



These heirloom tomatoes nearly became antiques.

A Perfect Day

Sitting in the sun on the sandy shore of Ediz Hook, watching a harlequin duck family dive and skim for food--such beauty, such bliss! (This photo is from Photobucket, I was without camera on this outing.)

This morning I drove 60-some miles to meet up with Susan from Sequim in search of the perfect red dahlia. At "Jan's Country Garden" near Port Angeles, we walked the rows of dahlias of every size, color and petal shape and I did, in fact, find the perfect red dahlia or three, and some all white ones, and a red and white one, and then a pale pink one just for variety. These bulbs, or tubers, will be ready in mid-April, so that is plenty of time to figure out where to put them. And get Buff Guy to dig some more holes. Also got a bag of red, ripe tomatoes for an unbelievable $1/lb.!

After enjoying an Oyster Po' Boy overlooking the harbor, we gallery hopped and saw amazing woodwork and photographs. How can there be so many super-talented artists wherever one goes? Heading over to the Hook for some quality birding, with binos and Sibley in hand, we studied various gulls and seals sunning themselves on floating logs, then came upon the harlequin duck family, mom, pop and three young ones. They swam back and forth along the shore, filling their bellies and fluffing their feathers, diving and splashing and showing their colors and patterns to our total delight.

SfS sent me home with a huge bouquet of dahlia blossoms from her own garden and tomorrow I'll try to do them justice with my little Canon.

Seeing Things?

Does anyone besides me see a group of sentient beings? Doesn't that big squash look maternal? I'm looking forward to painting these guys.

I love this song!

Watched a really good movie on Netflix on my laptop tonight and as the final credits roll, this song plays. I've stayed up way too late now tracking it down to see what CD it might be found on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwcZrdwQvcw

Dis quand reviendras-tu by Jean Louis Aubert

Can someone please translate?

New Beginnings

Passed a little group of wet-haired, towel-wrapped kids hiking up the road from the swimming beach late this afternoon. They'll be back in school soon, days of freedom come to an end. Surely a few might be actually looking forward to all the possibilities that lie ahead. In September even though I haven't been in school for eons I always feel like it's the start of something new. It's the cooling off, the shorter days, the conditioning from childhood that create this excitement about taking on a new challenge. For me this year it's the chair position of the Gallery that's got me excited. The web site, our online banner ad, better signs . . . lots of ideas for drawing in more visitors and building on the success of the newly famous slug hunt.

Closing in on a year since I started this blog and I'm happy to have a record of how things were back then, as things have changed, like my ability to do hard and heavy landscaping, since my back is messed up to a great extent. Aside from that, it's the most conscientious journal I've ever done and probably a good tool for keeping the brain cells alive.

Cleaning Horse Clams

One of these was dug by a very determined tiny 7 year old! We had a big pot of amazing clam chowder that night.


Surprise inside--tiny albino crablets.

Please check back for detailed video on how to clean horse clams and geoducks.  Coming as soon as I figure out how to edit the video!
August 19, 2012

A cup a cup a tea

A cup a cup a tea
Originally uploaded by jaosten

Impromptu trio serenades birthday gathering! More photos on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/32578176@N03/

Tiny Harvest

Today I noticed the deer got my pole beans but I got some carrots. No rabbits around here.

How to Catch a Geoduc

Photo by Gerard Van Wesep

Hmm, two "duck" posts in a row. A third could've been a shot of the blood gushing from my arm this morning when I didn't "duck" a big blackberry thorn as I cleaned up the pruning from the lane.

About that geoduc digger, yes, he was successful and we (and others) had amazing delicious sweet geoduc in various forms for several days. Remains in the fridge of what started out as fritters, switched to cakes, transformed to quiche-like pie. We're eating well (neighbor Joe gifted us a fresh caught salmon!) and staying fairly cool here on the cliff as surrounding areas suffer a heat wave. My studio is comfortable with a fan blowing but oh do those acrylics dry fast!

Ducky Love

Official greeter and hugger at the little museum in Sequim -- the docent's pet duck! He was so cute in his matching blue booties and diaper. The Lavender Festival was on and I had a great time with my friend Sue who settled in Sequim 10 years ago and seemed to know every interesting person we encountered. My lavender bundles are upside down drying and "Wreck of the Peter Iredale", a beautiful photo by Larry Barnest (looks like a watercolor) is hanging in the living room. He's in the Blue Whole Gallery in Sequim, a great place to shop, almost as good as our own Kingston Art Gallery.

Visit from Morocco

Linda Z is returning with loads of beautiful handmade beads from the women of Khenifra. Here's the story on the web:

http://riadzany.blogspot.com/2008/11/micro-credit-in-morocco-is-winner.html"

Here's the proof that one person can make a difference in the lives of others!

Foggy Days

Poor long distance visibility today but, oh, the birds in the yard! Intriguing cedar wax wings in the serviceberry earlier this am. Red spots on wings were visible for the first time. I thought the hummers had abandoned our feeder but after changing the syrup, a few are back. A flicker finally discovered the suet block I put up recently. It's a good day for getting started on refinishing the Eero Saarinen table and chairs gifted to me by my darling brother. There's quite a bit of sanding to do.

Spot the Dog

Tonight's Salad

Still getting a thrill from gathering greens from the garden. Wouldn't this be fun to paint? Guess I'll get started tomorrow after recruiting slug hunt sponsors. Feeling sleepy now. Went birding with local Audubon group @ 7:30 A!M!

Stunted

This poor carrot! Given all the requirements for proper growth and nutrition -- rich organic soil, warm sunny days, pure well water -- all it could do was grow half a carrot, split right down the length -- mutant or birth defect? Maybe Ed Hume will know. I wrote to him yesterday.

Change of Plans

Dental emergency intervened, D went to town by himself (after snapping above photo at 4 something AbloodyM) and I slept until the phone rang at mid-morning. Bliss! I did some toilet shopping online and found a very negative reference to the one we were considering, a reminder to be wary when HD is our first stop for shopping. OTOH, the high-end Toto line certainly is seductive, but for a humble little cabin, not quite in the budget. Here's a tiny crop from one I snapped waiting for the ferry last Saturday on the way to the latest evolution of "I Love Being Abroad" by Julie Cascioppo. The mama gull has been nesting for at least 10 days in this spot where hundreds of passengers pass by daily.

She's kinda hard to see up there in this photo.

What's New

Someone thinks he's getting me up and away at the break of dawn tomorrow but it'll take a crane to get me out of bed that early. Although, it might be worth the effort to catch a glimpse of the deer who has been eating up every rose in sight and who completely devoured my beautiful heuchera "Coral Bells" the night before last. Does and wobbly legged fauns are on the prowl, day and night.

"7 Keys to Great Paintings", chapter on value patterns has my head spinning. It's like a punch in the stomach seeing what I've been missing in my work. I'm excited about the new perspective.

Kingston Art Gallery is Slug City these days with more than 100 hand-painted, fabric-wrapped and beaded beauties awaiting the big day 8/8/09 when they will be hidden and then hunted by officially licensed slug hunters. This is really happening. It's even been featured on Evening Magazine.

We had a big salad tonight with spinach, peas, radishes and different kinds of lettuce all from my little garden! This amazes me, a novice vegetable gardener. One little dried up pea seed produces a huge big vine with lots of pods containing many peas. Something to ponder. Likewise, the new book, reviewed in the Sunday NY Times, "The Evolution of God." Sadly, the author does not embrace Zoroaster but is spot on in other ways, tracing the changing personalities of "God" according to cultural advancements on Earth.

It's already tomorrow and I have a big day of shopping for toilet and sink in the city. I'll probably toss and turn in eager anticipation of such an event.

Fresh Bread, Old Wine

Having no bread in the house and a hungry ditch digger to feed, I made a loaf of whole wheat bread and maybe it was the new jar of yeast or the new bag of flour, but it rose better than ever. The wine is a Malbec, from Argentina, and we carried it with us across the Andes and for a month while traveling in Chile two and a half years ago. I thought it would be ruined from all the bouncing around and improper storage so last night I opened it to add some flavor to a braised chicken and sausage dish. Amazingly, the wine was excellent!

Today we brought in a yard of topsoil, reinforcements for my death to grass campaign. In the area by the woods, the true enemy is bindweed. It's growing almost a foot a night and it's everywhere, twisting and wrapping and strangling whatever it can sneak up on. I wonder if it's resistant to napalm . . .

Hummer at rest

Hummer at rest
Originally uploaded by JuliMil

Seconds later, another Anna's appeared and suddenly a tiny Rufous shot out at them and off they all flew. Between the hummers and the dragonflies, there's a lot of busy energy out there.

Oops!

Dodge "Ram" crammed into the trench that Jake dug. David engineered a way out with wedges and scrap lumber, politely ignoring my advice to call AAA for a truck with a winch. Hands-on ingenuity triumphs (again) over relying on professionals.

Riders in the Storm

north of Tonapah
Originally uploaded by JuliMil

Heading north between Vegas and Reno, crossing the vast high desert, we got into a thunderstorm and heavy rainfall -- something we've never encountered in the desert. Amazing and exciting. The rain came down so hard it sounded like hail. More photos on Flickr.

Desert Diversion

If you yearn for a change of climate, try the Las Vegas valley. Sunny and dry and it cools down to 93 at night!

Back in the Kitchen Again

Dumping old pickled carrots into the sink caused this little seductive still life to take form. Do you ever put carrot sticks into the pickle jar when the pickles are all gone?





Fresh clams sauteed in butter -- treasure from the sea! We dug these horse clams at a minus low tide. The "gooey ducks" (geoducs) got away. Special equipment is indicated, a tubular thing called a clam gun. (Does that come with NRA membership?)

http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1076720/index.htm

That's a link to a nice piece on the geoduc and Puget Sound.

Sights of a Stormy Spring

Submarines, battleships, an aircraft carrier, hydrofoils, sailboats, fishing boats, tugs pulling barges loaded with all sorts of cargo, including layers of smashed cars -- we do see a lot of water traffic, but never before a section of floating bridge. The oldest parts of the Hood Canal floating bridge are being replaced, so they do have to go somewhere else. I wonder where this section will end up.

Today's storm messed with our long distance phone service, right when I needed to call dozens of opera-associated people about the cast party. Thanks to my dear brother they all got a call. It rained so hard our lane was like a creek. During a lull, I did get a bit of gardening in. Oh, a bald eagle just swooped down against a backdrop of a big rainbow. Just a few minutes ago, the sun broke through the clouds and I shot this after missing the cautious flicker that briefly visited the deck.



So far today, I've only had two tiny pieces of the most excruciatingly delicious cake I've ever made. It's not at all photogenic so no photo, but believe me, it is beautiful in the mouth. Very dense and moist and a taste that you just want more and more of. Totally pre-orgasmic. Link to the recipe is up there to the right.

Loving this Life!

This place where we live, the Kitsap Peninsula, is surrounded by sea water, except for one little tiny land bridge that keeps the tip of the hook of Hood Canal and and Case Inlet in South Puget Sound separate. For all intents, it is an island more than a peninsula. If a short canal were cut to connect these two bodies of water, the only ways to get here would be ferry or bridge. Water views are everywhere and ever-changing. It's a wet and lushly vegetated area, crisscrossed with streams and studded with ponds and marshes.

Friday we drove up the Hansville road to the very northern tip of the peninsula and soaked up some sun at the sandy public beach and then over at the Point No Point lighthouse. We were just out running some errands.

Lost Boy

This little flute player came to me (on a card) from my Auntie Freda way back in the 60's. I dearly loved this image and wanted a big print of it. Years later, I looked for it among my boxes of souvenirs but it was not to be found. Last year, my brother Garry gave me a bunch of stuff he'd been storing for years, photos and letters I'd sent home from my wanderings. To my utter amazement, this same card popped out of a letter I'd written to our flute player brother when he was very young. I must have scanned it onto the Mac because just now it appeared in iPhotos. This is great because the card itself has again gotten lost in the shuffle. We have a big job to do right now, sorting through 18 years of accumulation, preparing for opera singers to rent the house while they're in town for The Ring this summer. This little lost boy is bound to be found again.

Opening Night -- What a Night!

I guess that was the biggest thrill I've experienced in a long, long time. Dozens of family and friends turned out to celebrate my opening last night at the Kingston Art Gallery. With the big crowd, J. L. 's amazing piano playing, great food, flowing wine and significant sales, it was quite a night. I greatly appreciate my friends and gallery members for their support and kind words. It makes a big difference.

For some strange reason, I just remembered the disappointment I felt on the first day of kindergarten when my first ever easel painting didn't at all turn out like the vision in my head. Today, I see that I'm a bit closer to nailing that image.

Mediterranean One Crust Pie

Wow! What a pie! What a crust! Whole wheat flour and parmesan cheese! And such tantalizing smells from the oven while it baked! Now that my show is hung, I've got time for experimenting with "The Best Vegetarian Cookbook in the World." "The Greatest Ever Vegetarian Cookbook" is the actual title -- I just got up and looked. This is a big book with full page color photos, just the enticement I need to try new dishes and add some variety to our ordinary diet (dinners of some kind of protein and a big salad).

I caught a streak of white race across the yard in my peripheral vision -- it was the beautiful feral cat we see from time to time. Here's a photo from the closest known visit he ever paid me. I rushed outside with some Dungeness crab meat for him but he ran away, so I left it out on the deck. Maybe he'll come back.

Little Bit of Paradise

I just sent this photo to some nice people we just met who kayak and it brought back such fond memories I had to post it here. This was taken last summer in a little group of islets, the Burwoods, across from Echo Bay, a floating resort in the Broughton Archipelago in British Columbia. We had stopped for a brief exploration. I could have stayed forever, or at least as long as the beautiful weather held out.