A Glorious Day

   Just a gorgeous morning for the first day of August. Cool a little hazy-just lovely

A glorious sunrise this morning

and I found the crow photos-still on the camera-it was  very bright when I took these photos indoors through the glass window

Enjoy your day

Hello August

 July seemed like such a long month-mostly do to the weather-but I can't believe it is August already.

   I am sooo ready for Autumn though-my favorite season of the year-always has been.

Finally a Cool Down

  Good morning, We are in the '70's F but no rain so far this morning-and we were supposed to get a good amount of rain We could use it.

  Should be cool for a few days before it heats up again so a fresh produce shopping trip soon.

I have been exploring new to me fish from my Alaskan fish box. Yesterday I made pollock that was in chunks. Too hot for a chowder, I looked into taco recipes that sounded really good but I went with simple-a toss with sweet paprika, a little pink sea salt, and chives. I sauted in virgin dark olive oil and served it over shredded fresh cabbage mixed with a lite mayo. Tender and delicious.  I have my next fish box coming in next week-So since I still have plenty of salmon I chose lots of different other fish that they offer. It is nice that this company lets you also make up a box that you want.

 I was looking into mercury for Alaskan fish-and discovered it has some of the lowest mercury compared to other fish-so I like that. Also salmon and a few other fish do not have mercury.  I grew up near the great lakes and they always said fish there had a lot of mercury in it and for child bearing ages not to eat it.

 This morning I looked out my window eating my morning bowl of oatmeal-and I see lots of squirrels-of course they hog all the food-and lots of crows eating along side the squirrels haha  It is very cloudy  I wanted to share a photo but they did not upload to my computer for some reason-sigh. That has not happened before and it told me they uploaded-looked around to see if they ended up somewhere else but no luck.

  We see the crows in the trees-I love them-but they don't often check out the bird seed. So that was fun to watch them this morning.

With the heat I have not been very focused, so I grabbed  one of my coloring books-Cats at Christmas time-and started coloring those in. I like to use the finished pages for letter writing.

 Are you getting a cool down too?  Hoping we end up with rain which s weird to me as the weather guys said 100%  Oh well-they do not always get the forecast right.

 Somehow I am a day behind too Larry keeps telling me today is Thursday but I keep thinking it is Wednesday lol

  I have been playing a lot on Jigsaw Planet-puzzles on my computer. They have lots of snoopy to choose from too.

  Thinking I will make us meat balls with a little sauce and pasts-something different.

Oh and I got the "dreaded" electric bill this morning-so thankful-it was half the price it usually is when I normally set the a/c to 79 F degrees. Just one to two degree difference cut the bill in half. During the day I had it at 81 and at night dropped it to 80  So am thankful for that. We were in the high 90's  with high humidity most of this month.

Happy Thursday

A Photo From the Past

   If you are over on Facebook you'll know that sometimes they will repost one of your photos from the past. 

    I am really not much on there any more. Most everything posted is untrue when I check to see if it is or not-but I keep it for those who message me there and for the handful of friends I "met" online when we first retired-over 20 years ago.

  This photo was so sweet-10 years ago when we were still living in the woods, and I was doing a lot of spinning back then with different fibers.  This one shows bison fiber and our kitty Miss Calico-she was a very special kitty-lived to around 20 years. Her and our wolf Nikita were special pals and playmates.

 We miss both of them very much. With our senior ages we decided not to get another pet after they both passed-would not be fair to them-as they would probably out live us

  The worst of this brutal heat with humidity comes today and tomorrow and then supposedly a day or two of a cool down with rain-we'll see

Happy Monday

Spun Yarn & This & That

   Good afternoon,

   I was able to get the hose out and water the perennials early this morning, the weather at dawn was cooler with less humidity but that  still wore me out. I have the thermostat set at 81F degrees-any lower than that-- the a/c runs constantly-I hear dollar signs haha for the electric bill coming in. The house is actually comfortable at that setting too.

  I have been having fun with the spinning-and working on getting the right amount of fiber on the carders-I was getting too much at first.

   It is a bit rough but getting better I was looking for these niddy noddys as I knew I had two of them

       (click on photos to enlarge)

  I found the other one with spun bison fibers on it-so will work on that too  I still have a few balls left of roving from my purchase-I love this fiber.  I will be weaving this in with other fibers I have already spun for my garment--this could be a good winter project for me

    I have been on a buying spree online. I was curious about the magazine artists watercolors I think it is called but the year subscription is very expensive-so I searched for used on ebay and bought one years worth that featured the different seasons-so some painting inspiration there.

  I did pick up mostly on Ebay a couple coloring books, another book from same author that I shared where you paint in the book-hers has quality watercolor papers in the book-others when I read the reviews had bad papers in them. I also bought two books suggested by a you tube video that I will share when I get those. and I splurged on a new dip pen with different nibs. Do any of you have this one? It also includes two different pens to hold the nibs. This pen set was actually very inexpensive under $20.00 I think it was. This one was less expensive on amazon but I didn't have other items I needed to get the free shipping. 

  In the slow cooker I have a made up recipe for stuffed large yellow bell peppers. I used chicken-white beans, sauted vidalia onions and sweet peppers, diced up poblano mushrooms, added cooked cabbage-it wasn't quite done yesterday in time for our main 2 pm meal so am serving it today-hopefully it will be good. Update: this was really good and Larry liked it too. He add Newman's salsa to his.

   No mistaking today is Friday-as the boats are on the lake-loud and clear haha

Happy Friday and weekend

Cool Down Images

 Good morning Friends,

    Since it is just soooo hot and humid here still, thinking many of you have this weather too-I decided to share ice cream and cool photos.

  I love Snoopy so when I found this photo on Facebook, got me thinking of the idea for this post All photos found on the internet

  This is just too adorable-smiles

recipe for below here this is a no bake yogurt mousse

I usually make myself a root beer float every summer

Ice cream sandwiches this comes from here top 10 ice cream desserts

This was my father's favorite dish when we went for ice cream when we were kids

Summer waterfalls--photos found online

  These are in Missouri found here  for more information

Dogwood Falls

Mina Sauk waterfalls

Lost Canyon Falls

Marvel Cave Falls

Rocky Falls

Stay cool!

Surprise-Rain, a Cool Down, Spinning

     I woke up early to very strong winds that lasted a bit, that left and then rain-a nice soaking rain, no sun so far and a cool down. Wonderful!!

    Catching up on laundry this morning, been reading a lot lately, and wasn't quite in the mood for painting-sooo I grabbed fibers to spin. Smiles  It has been awhile-since before Larry's accident.

   When I was buying fibers-before moving to the lake-I bought all sorts of different fibers from different sheep species just to feel the differences.

  I grabbed bison fibers and also karakul. The karakul is not a soft fiber but very sturdy-for outer wear, rugs etc. The bison fibers are very soft and not sturdy at all so got to thinking how would they do carded together?

  So I asked Google this question and came back that these work perfect together. Strength from the one and softness with the other.

  I grabbed my carders, drop spindle-and playing with these two fibers. I have never mastered  "perfect" spun fibers but it relaxes me and I love the feel of fibers. I really need to get back to this, and plan out the rhana or poncho I want to weave. At 75 now I am Not getting any younger going forward- HaHa   I do want to continue with my watercolor painting as well. I am getting some tips shared from a friend.

Karakul on the left the bison fiber on the right.   This bag of bison fiber I salvaged for spinning, from a huge bag of left over fibers from the Buffalo Wool Co  It was sold for garden soil amendment.  I went through it all-and salvaged this bag full for spinning. I need to find where I put the rest of it and dig it into the garden this fall. That was a huge savings, the fibers were clean and washed and I think they gave free shipping too   In comments many used these fibers for stuffing little toys or pillows. To buy bison fibers for spinning is very very expensive normally

Here is a photo I just took-fiber ready to spin off the carders-you roll up the fibers-then gently stretch it out to spin

Here are a couple photos of the karkul sheep-different colors

Happy Monday-I am so thankful for this break of a cool day with some rain-my plants will be happy too

Petunias

   I am just so happy with my petunias-they are looking nice and full now. Soooooo hot and humid here-I will need to start watering more often now too.

  This is the first time I grew my own petunias from seeds-will do it again going forward.

These petunias are in a huge copper pot that Larry rescued from the trash many years ago-sad they drilled holes in the bottom  If the holes had not already been drilled I never would have used in the garden as a planter.  Drilled holes really devalued this vintage piece. 

       The sun was very bright just now when I took the photos

  The house showing up in the back-is actually not that close to us-this property sat on two lots and our home is in the middle  Closer than I would like since we were living on many acres of land in the woods-but not right on top of us either like most of the homes here on the lake

  Stay safe in the extreme heat

Sharing a Watercolor Workbook

   I just dug out one of the watercolor books I had purchased when I first bought paints-maybe 3 years ago or so.. 

 Have not used it yet, but I think now is a good time. This author has written three of these books, the one I loved the best was her Into the Woods Don't remember if I had shared this book back when I bought or not

  She has this workbook set up for wet on dry, wet on wet, and one for outlining with ink first and then painting-have not tried that last one yet..  One side of the page shows the paint colors she chose and the finished piece. The opposite side has the painting outlined and you paint right in the book.

   I was brand new to painting when I bought this book and thought at the time I didn't want to ruin this book. smiles- thinking I am ready now-and hoping this gives m me some more confidence.

   Below are a few pages from the book-copied from online you can just see to the left the outline of the project. If you click on photos they will enlarge for better viewing

This book has a lot of variety-I think it will be fun.

   I was browsing around online and I discovered many other different books like this available. kinda like coloring in a coloring book only with paints.  I have enjoyed coloring in a coloring book in the past-it is relaxing and sometimes I use the backs for writing papers to my friends. Have not done that in awhile.

   If interested in using the glass pens-I was looking around on you tube-and there are many videos about these. I learned something new already. I usually just dip the end of the pen into the ink-but one video shows to totally cover up into the spiral-just past the point of the pen. She was demonstrating how much longer the ink will last. Found that interesting so will try that next time.

Amazing how much information one can find on you tube videos. I subscribed to two watercolor artists today-so will see if I like them or not.

  The lake is crazy busy already-the weekenders usually come in on Friday afternoon. Hoping you all can stay cool-we are headed towards very very hot and humid days.

Art Practice-Updated

  This is  an update for my previous art practice post.

    Wow this turned out to be a really long day for me-got my errands done, it rained the whole time-but that was so refreshing.

   It turned out to be a very long day with other events happening, but I wanted to add background to my heron piece tonight.

I used mostly watercolor inks with a bit of watercolor paints. Decided to make a rainy day.  I ran out of paint that I had mixed up for the background-I noticed I had missed painting all of the very top of this piece- so needed to mix up a little more-which was not as blue-but in the end I like it.

  I don't have a total plan when I paint these-so I am thinking I should have a plan first. If when I started this piece and knew I was going to add rain I would have put some waves in the water. 

     These are practice pieces  So am ok with the process so far  

I am liking this one-even though it may be a bit too busy now

As I type this post-my neighbor is shooting off fireworks-but nothing pretty just the ones that make noise-well it is summer and this neighbor loves blasting these off haha

  Happy Friday and weekend coming up

Art Practice

   I am still working out of the Chinese book I shared-it uses a lot of watercolor inks and some watercolor paints.

We enjoy watching the cranes here so I thought I would use my inks and try it  At first I wasn't crazy about the results but when I added some water I like it better. These guys are always fishing so I thought I should have thought of a fish first as I would have done the beak different

  I may look at this again later today and decide  if I want to add some background sky to it-thoughts??

So, I found a carp in the same book This one is mostly inks, except for the blue in the sky

  We were supposed to get a lot of rain last night after midnight-nothing but lightening. This morning it looks like it could rain-is predicted - we will see what mother nature gives us.  We really need a good rain as the next 2 weeks shows high 90's F with humidity-super not happy about that.  This is just going to go down as a very hot and humid summer.  I am so ready for fall already-smiles

  Thank you for your recipe ideas-your suggestions have helped me get out of slump of what to cook for us

Happy Thursday

I need Menu Suggestions-Please & Smiling

   Good morning,  A very very hot and humid day today.  Decided a good day to defrost the chest freezer-which is quite the job. This freezer frosts up fast these days-quite old now as we bought new when we first retired and moved to Missouri. Actually all the appliances in this lake home need to be replaced in the lake house as they are old too. I sure wish I had a bigger kitchen here at the lake so I could have brought my commercial wolf 10 burner stove with the two ovens-I soooo miss not having that.

  Larry is quite ill-I would say terminal now. His heart doctor 5 years ago told him he had around 5 years but then a couple years ago he put him on a new medicine for his heart that is giving him more time-sadly that fall over the stone wall a year and half ago changed his life sadly  Sorry I didn't intend to write all that.

  Larry is now informing me, he no longer wants to eat pork products. I have been alternating with mostly chicken breasts and different pork cuts, with a hamburger meal thrown in. He asked for beef a few weeks ago, so I bought a box of USA ranchers lean beef cuts. I would make a hearty soup but it is so hot and humid here still-not good weather for soups.  Perhaps more egg dishes?  

  So my question is I need meal ideas if you have any suggestions-I welcome them

    I am a farm girl cook and baker so I have always made everything from scratch. well with the exception of gluten free box mixes for cakes and brownies once in awhile as it was easier. I am getting away from all that now too, and when I bake for me back to from scratch-which is better anyways.

    Do any of you have a quiche recipe that does not have cheese in it? He has been asking for that, something I used to make but I think it has a lot of cheese which neither of us can eat anymore.

 Once I get the freezer defrosted and put back together, I may just do the same with the refrigerator-that really needs it too. 

   They are saying a little cooler tomorrow so that sounds like a good fresh food shopping day.  In the summer months Fridays and weekends are not good for food shopping as I don't like crowds.

Stay cool and safe if it is still hot where your are. and thank you in advance.

A New Bloom

 We were gifted a cool morning with no sunshine early-good for me so I grabbed my weed eater and mowed for 2 hours. Got the worse of the tall grass now. Another two hours should complete the areas by the lake side, but then time to start over haha.

  While mowing I discovered a pretty bloom and one other bud on a bush that has never bloomed since we moved here-5 years ago. This is a spot that is a mess, with different plantings-a job for early spring or fall.  Looks like the previous owner bought a couple different small bushes and a vine and just planted them together in this spot. Maybe this fall I can straighten this out.

   When I saw this bloom I thought mallow but when I looked it up not sure if that is right. anyone know??  These are blooming on the dark green bush behind the flower

  I got our first box of beef cuts from the company Good Chop last Friday.

     Over the weekend I used one of the flank steaks-sliced it very thin across the grain, sprinkled adobo spice all over-and popped it in the frig for a few hours. When I make fajitas I have a hot cast iron pan with a little olive oil and toss in a few slices and cook it fast-take out of the pan and continue til finished. I combine the meat with already sauted  onion and sweet pepper slices.   The flavor was excellent and very tender. 

    I chose all lean cuts for us, since we are seniors and Larry has so many medical issues.  I am happy so far with the meat and the company.

  Happy New week

. 

Photos-in the Garden

 Good morning Sunday, we did get a much needed cool down today, not all the rain and storms that were predicted, and still very humid.

 I grabbed the camera. Perhaps someone knows what some of my perennials are. I have several tall and wide plants that have not bloomed yet.  These I grew two years ago from seeds. The milkweed is blooming again, snapdragons still blooming, I think the bee balm is blooming and I have two big tubs of seeds that I planted that I think are lavender-but the leaves don't look like the lavender I have and it does not smell like lavender.  Sooo if you recognize my plants please let me know.

  Below is milkweed

Is this lavender?  Now I am thinking could this be salvia??  these leaves don't look like lavender at all

These have not bloomed yet In the back is a huge copper pot-planted the petunias from seeds-happy with those

Another pot of the petunias grew from seeds
 

I think in front is bee balm?  don't know what the back is-all grown from seed two years ago

  

When I upload the newest photos to my computer-they do not load in order so I have to hunt for them  so I am missing a couple that I just now took to share.

    I had a photo of the black walnuts that are falling off the trees already. Too soon.

The area that I had dug up the chocolate mint-still has no mint sprouted-thank goodness so that means I got all the roots-There is still more to dig out but I need cooler weather for that.

   Happy New Week

Ink Practice

 Another super hot and humid day today-probably similar to the weather many of you are having too.

   I finished a book I was reading today-part of the Elm Creek Quilt series. It was depressing to read, as it was pretty graphic about the slavery and the civil war. The beginning and the end that brought it all together made it worth the read.  

  Watched more about the devastating flooding in Texas, made us our 2 in the afternoon main meal-and then decided to work with inks.

  I am trying to do something most every day with watercolor paints or inks. Yesterday I was attempting a scene with a squirrel in the woods eating a nut-the end result was pretty grade school haha.

  So today I used my inks-black india ink, oak gall ink which is a pretty grey, one of my inks for the brown and Windsor and Newton watercolor inks. I love their inks. I found this photo online I had bought a box with around 10 or 12 colors   

I used this page for inspiration-which was using ink

I love the look of inks.  The white ink though was thick like paint not thin like their other inks. I used a brush and went over the waterfall a bit with the white ink. Those of you that work with ink-what can I use to thin this? thanks

   I may look at this again tomorrow and add more to this  (photos will enlarge just click on them)

and for laughs-yesterday's practice-most of this was also done with inks but the green is watercolor paint

Looks like a possible cool down tomorrow-I'll take it  Happy weekend