dusty rose

Morning dew on my "lava flow" roses

goodnight bees

My honey bee colony died for some reason - I checked the hive and there is no activity and only a few bees inside the hive.  I don't know what happened, they seemed to be thriving for several weeks.

sky study #41

Sunset tonight, June 29, 2011

Grand Traverse Bay boating day

First mate and salty dog Boris

Captain Megan

Crushed up potato chips in an avocado - don't knock it 'til you try it

Second mate and dog float expert Lucas

Sky study

so savory

I recently got this cookbook which claims to be "the only book on Indian food you'll ever need", and it's true.  It is published by Phaidon so the graphics are great, it came in a cute rice bag, plus the author has the coolest name ever.

I made some gluten free samosas based on a recipe from the book -pass the chutney

boss mouse bouquet

A whole kohlrabi (greens are edible), red and dinosaur kale, oregano, mint and a peony.

I know what's going on in a Bikram yoga hot room, but what are they getting up to in the prayer furnace?

TGIK

nothing spells party like...KOHLRABI !

Mr. Toad in the barn

I am a Little Toad

I am a little toad,

Hopping down the road,

Just listen to my song,

I sleep all winter long,

When spring comes I peep out,

And then I jump about,

And now I catch a fly,

And now I wink my eye,

And now and then I hop,

And now and then I stop!

thrifty fashions

Check out the brand of my latest thrift shop blouse.  A red polyester bow neck number from the Salvation Army Traverse City.

I sure am.

Thank you, Dad ♥

Mike & Sue, 1967

mystery flower

Anyone know what flower this is?  I have been calling it a Jack in the Pulpit, but that's not right.  It's really big, like two lengths of your palm, with huge elephant ear leaves (in foreground).

better bottom

The rebuilt lower portion of the hen yard door

John's cows

My neighbor John lives on another of Kingsley's centennial farms, and raises a small herd of cattle.  I stopped and got this picture yesterday, as all the Spring calves have arrived.  I love the one with the white face.

small goats walk into a bar

cute weiner

Oscar

wild poppies

There are patches of wild poppies all over NW Michigan at this time of year - these were on the side of the road in a rural stretch of Kingsley

broccibread

broccoli + bread salad with pickled shallots + pine nuts

my baby peaches

sky study #40

Sunset seen from Honor, Michigan Saturday, June 11

that's it - the fox is going down

RIP Owl, killed Sunday, June 12

all in unison with nature

I'm broody

Occasionally a hen will have an instinctual urge to sit on and hatch eggs.  This behavior is called being "broody", and Buffy has been afflicted since the weekend.  She won't come out of the nesting box except to eat and drink a few times per day, and otherwise just sits in the box, hatching her chicks.  The weird part is, she isn't sitting on any eggs at all - broodiness overcomes the hen whether there are eggs or not.  If I approach her she puffs up her feathers and makes wookie noises.  She should snap out of it in several more days.

coaster from a restaurant in Elk Rapids

update

Turkey didn't make it - she is buried in the woods

Golden

Mom + Dad's 50th wedding anniversary party at a park in Traverse City on Sunday

Greek food

Brazilian caipirinhas

fruity nieces

Bocce tournament at the farm

poor girl

My uncle and his family found an injured wild turkey while jogging this morning - she was laying in the middle of the road, probably hit by a car, but alive and alert.  We brought her back to the farm and I have her in the water cistern-nesting box in the chicken coop that the chickens never go into.  I hope she recovers, or at least goes to sleep in a safe, quiet place.  She is large and beautiful.

Good boy, Jack

My good friends John + Mary at Little Falls Farm in Maine lost their dog (and Pucci's Maine boyfriend) Finn several weeks ago.  This is their new farm hand Jack, who will undoubtedly have as fine a career as Finn herding goats, ducks and patrolling the farm.  Welcome Jack!

Kinda foodie meeting #5: fermented foods

Today's yogini chef meeting covered fermented foods:  two versions of kombucha tea, a healthful probiotic beverage; sauerkraut, and tempeh (cultured soybean.)  I contributed tempeh reuben sandwiches, which are easy to make and a great way to cook with tempeh.

This is a mother culture, mushroom, or "scoobie", which cultures the kombucha tea.  Think of it the same as you would sourdough starter or yogurt culture.  These are widely available for free on the Internet (look up free kombucha exchange), or I'll give you one.  We exchanged some at the meeting and learned how to home brew our own - it is delicious - we had a ginger-lemongrass version.  You can buy commercially made kombucha at any health food store - GTs brand is the best - it's like fizzy, tangy juice, and really good for your intestinal flora.

Yeah for bacteria!