Crecent Bar 2012

Once again, Mary hosted a group of us ladies at her condo in Crescent Bar this summer:

While there, she treated us all to a dinner out at the Martin-Scott Winery!  The chef was Tim Putman from Smokeblossoms.  The theme being Decked Out Tapas, he prepared five delicious appetizers during the course of the evening:

Blue Rangoon 

Crisp Crab Stuffed Wonton Teamed with Sweet Chili Coulis

Chicken Lettuce Cups 

Marinated Grilled Poultry with Jicama, Scallions and Shitakes Arriving in Chilled Iceberg

Coconut Curry Two Biters 

Large Shrimp Teamed with Toasted Almond Texmati and Apricot Chutney

Bam Flats 

Tangerine Ginger Beef Tenderloin in a Fresh Frilled Tortilla with Tuber Confetti and the Incomparable Peanut Sauce

Key Lime Cheesecake 

Dense Citrus Spiked Batter over Macadamia Graham Crust

......and a beautiful sunset on the Columbia River!

Summer V - Snapshots

In summer, the song sings itself. ~William Carlos Williams

Summer IV ~ Crescent Bar

On two separate occasions, once in July and once in August, I was invited to visit the sun at my friend Mary's vacation home in Eastern WA along the Columbia River.  This is no small thing, as though I realize it has been an unreasonably hot summer just about everywhere else in the United States this year, the opposite is true in Western WA.  This makes two summers in a row with hardly any sun to show for it.  You wonder why depression is so high in the PNW?  There you go.

 There is such a beauty to the dryness and various assortment of grasses where it is hot!

 There were 5 of us the first time I went.  Mary is missing n this picture, as she is snapping it.  Janet and I knew only Mary (not even each other), but we all found the 5 of us were a great mix!  Dry humor, great cooks because we all love to eat, flexible........ it was a wonderful time of meeting new friends!

 Incredible cliffs

 We rode around in the golf cart, did a few walks, played Hand and Foot (Marvel and Janet cheat), collected fallen apricots in the area and made delicious desserts and spent time reading by the swimming pool!  Heaven!  And yes, here I was receiving yet another call from work....... LEAVE ME ALONE ALREADY!!!!

Thanks so much, Mary!

Summer II ~ Old Wooden Boats Festival

A rare occurrence, the Fourth of July dawned a bright, sunny day this past summer!  Darrell and I met Bethany J down at the Old Wooden Boats Festival in Seattle to browse the many incredible boats and enjoy the sunshine!

So many boats.....here are just a few of them.  Notice one of them even had a hot tub on its upper deck!

Anyone could sign up for a free boat ride on Lake Union in one of a number of boats offering.  We chose to ride on the Amee, a relic of a wooden sailboat from days past.

The sights were terrific, and the sun so warm and relaxing!

Early in the day private boats started staking out their position on the lake for the evening's amazing fireworks display. Before we left in the early afternoon, the lake was filled to the max!

Crowds gathered early to grab their favorite spot at Gas Works Park as well.  I now understand why it is named Gas Works!  In the 30 years we have lived here, I had never seen it!  Sad, I know.

What an enjoyable way to spend a clear day!

Breathless in Seattle!

If for no other reason, this stunning view of Mt Rainier behind the huge fountain on the University of Washington Campus on a clear, sunny day is a compelling reason to seek admittance to this institute of higher education! Darrell and I were fortunate enough to be there with Bethany this Sunday.  'Bout took my breath away!

Herbaliscious

Last night was the annual Tomato Sauce Makin' for Ryan and us.  It was really nice to be able to do it once again outside at the BBQ Pit, as the temps were in the 90's again :-)

I had risen early yesterday morning to harvest herbs for the sauce, as the essential oils are at their peak at that time.  Lots of Basil.  Rosemary, Savory, Marjoram, Oregano and even a bit of Lemon Thyme.  I also harvested my Garlic the day before.  Gotta have lots of yummy Garlic in a sauce :o}  Also took some Onions from the garden, as well as Carrots to sweeten it up a bit.  And oh yes!  The wine!  Smells so goooooood............

It cooked down while we slept and into this morning.  It is a great batch this time!

Fair Days

Even though our smallish town hosts the State Fair, it has been many years since my husband and I have frequented it. This year we are looking at purchasing a pellet stove to replace our wood stove, so we decided to check out the sales display at the fair. So Tuesday Darrell took off of work early and we went to once again experience the sense of nostalgia that only a fair can bring.......

I think the produce displays are the prettiest all. If anything puts a longing in my guts, it is this. I would have thrived living on a farm...........

Then there is Charlotte's Web, Wilbur. Piglets are one of the cutest things alive! I want another one.............

Although goats are fun and playful, I do remember their orneriness too well to wish for another one too soon.


Ambitious kids put a ton of work into their 4-H animal projects, and it is awesome to see the culmination and rewards of their efforts in the animal barns.

Can you believe this chicken?!?!

The old farmers in town bring in their well-loved tractors!

Harvest Displays

Uh oh......... I feel another hobby coming on........

Actually, I am considering having a hive or two next year, just so I can be stung in a more controlled manner! The several stings I received on my hand 2 weeks ago while working in the yard gave me a startling discovery! The pain of arthritis in that hand was almost non-existent for 2-3 days afterward! No swelling, no pain. It was wonderful. I shared that with Chereé on our hike to Lake Serene last week, and she says that it is well known that bee stings can help with arthritis! She keeps 2 hives, so maybe I can have her teach me the how-to's and get me going on my own next year?

At the Evergreen State Fair we have chainsaw wood carvers on site. It is fascinating to watch them at work! Here is one of the more complicated art pieces I have seen. Pretty cool, no?

Ahhh! Yes, the fair food. No pictures can create what the nose can smell! What a feast to the olfactory nerves! This is what the fair is all about! Can't you just smell the hot curly fries, the giant grilled onion burgers, the scones?

Bratwurst for Darrell........ (Blech!)

Gyro for me!

This one's for Scott....... ENJOY!!!

And oh, yes! The shoot a hoop, ring a bottle, pop a gun stuff! Giant stuffed animals and other silly prizes to be won!

I have always wondered how fairgoers cart around their winnings for the rest of their fair stay. The prizes are so HUGE!

Can you hear the shouts and screams in this section of the fair? Feel the wind rushing by your ears as your stomach does a little flip-fop?

.......and visualize the brights colors and sharp sounds?

What is YOUR favorite fair memory?

The Fair is a Living Thing
~By Leslie Ball

Just past six a.m.
Light starting to leak into the sky.
They predict rain.
We don't care.
Today is day one of our beloved State Fair.
People already streaming onto the grounds.
Three teenage boys cross in front of us, each wearing a feed cap, Each leading a newly shorn lamb.
We hike past the old Machinery Hill
To our favorite breakfast counter
We talk about what we need to do first.
Cattle Barn, space tower, or spin art?
We talk about why we love the fair. The fair is a living thing.
For these few days, we stop being isolated from each other.
We stop being frantic little gerbils in our own daily wheels.
Car. Cubicle. Car. Computer.
The fair is a living thing,
Feet of flesh, hooves, claws, fins, feathers, Bristles and fur, tap dancers and fiddlers, Hank Williams and Joey Ramone.
The fair is a living thing
That breaths and crows and squeals,
Waiting all year long for us to return,
Waiting to take us in,
To feed our bellies and our souls,
To welcome us home.

Taken from:
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/08/28/fairpoem1/

Bounty

I am frantically trying to harvest and put up the garden before I run away to the East Coast for 3 weeks. Weather-Wise, it was a magnificent summer, and in turn the garden is producing beautiful vegetables!


You need to be from the Pacific Northwest to fully appreciate these tomato pictures. I cannot even remember the last time I actually harvested a red big tomato! But this is the year! Doesn't take much to make a gardener happy up here........ just give her a few red tomatoes!

I have, though, managed to eek out a few cherry tomatoes over the summers, but this year they are coming like bees to honey! These are Sweet Millions.

A Bowl Full of Cherries!

My friend, Erika, shared this really simple meal with me many summers ago. Mix a bit of olive oil, a goodly amount of minced fresh garlic, a bunch of cherry tomatoes cut into halves or quarters, a ton of fresh basil and a tad of sugar. Cook up some angel hair pasta, and scoop the tomato mixture on top. Generously sprinkle with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and you have one tantalizingly delicious supper! We have eaten this for the last 3 nights now. It is that good! Plus we have tons of tomatoes to use up :-)

It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato. ~ Lewis Grizzard