A Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Rylan!

Have a wonderful KENTUCKY birthday!

Wishing you God's blessings

in the year ahead.

Perfect September

The lazy days of summer are coming to an end. The exhausting heat of summer has passed and have been replaced by perfect temperatures. Darkness is falling earlier, yet the days are still long enough to pack in a lot of fun things. Tomatoes from the garden are ripe, and the zucchini crop (of the neighbor) is fantastic! Sudo has been here and continues to charm everyone around. What a doll! She robs the sunshine every day, soaking it up to her heart's content. September is the month when the roses start to bloom again; when we really enjoy walks in the park because it's now closed to campers and belongs to the local community again; and when we can fully eat "from the garden" with great satisfaction! The neighborhood children are back to school and the voice of the announcer at the high school football stadium can be heard in the community as he announces football plays on Friday nights. What is September like at your house?

Quietness & Solitude

Quiet beauty. Fragrance. Flutter.

The meadow is lush and green, thanks to the cool and rainy weather of June.

It was a cabin day. 

Sudo, the city dog, is taking it all in and seems to find that country life appeals to her too.

The view from our perch on the point. 

Yarrow fills the meadow.

We found a turkey feather near the fire pit. We didn't see any turkeys today, but they are around. We captured a flock of them on our cabin camera this week. The photos showed that they were quite content in the companionship of a beautiful deer. The cabin camera also revealed that a bobcat and coyote walked right on by at a leisurely pace during one night last week.

Sudo can run super fast! That's what greyhounds do! And since she is a sight-hound with inbred tendencies to run, we are extra careful to keep her near. Her leash is retractable, so she has good range. She's still a puppy and in training to return immediately when called. We are taking extra care not to lose her while she's in our care.

The wildflowers are beautiful and abundant right now. 

Sudo enjoyed exploring around the homestead cabin on the other side of the meadow. It needs a new coat of paint, but in the meantime, I am enjoying its chippy wear.

At dusk the woods can seem very dark!

Time for a bit of a rest before we return home.

Sudo was tired after her busy day. She was zonked out as soon as the truck was on the road. As we neared the base of the mountain we saw some deer right beside the road. We stopped to enjoy them. They were so contented eating from the pea field that they barely looked up! Sweet peas were all that they were concerned with. And sleep was all Sudo cared about. Quietness and solitude. Nature. Respite. 

Sudo & Sweden

We are loving having Sudo staying with us for awhile. She has adapted to our household very well. In fact, I'm afraid she is becoming very spoiled! The world revolves around her and she thinks that is the way it is supposed to be. Even Ms. Schnauzer has taken a secondary role to sweet Sudo. Every day they spend time playing together; pulling tug-of-war with a pair of socks or taking turns chewing up a piece of cardboard. Such fun! I'm sure she misses her master and mistress, but she doesn't seem to be pining away. It's a good thing, because they are far away.

The master {also called my oldest son} is doing a good job of sending pictures from their journey. This one came with the caption: Somewhere over Nunavut. Sometimes Earth looks very alien. 

Do you know where Nunavut is? I had forgotten and had to look it up again.

• Nunavut is the largest, northernmost and newest territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the boundaries had been contemplatively drawn in 1993. The creation of Nunavut resulted in the first major change to Canada's political map since the incorporation of the new province of Newfoundland and Labrador in 1949. Nunavut comprises a major portion of Northern Canada, and most of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Its vast territory makes it the fifth-largest country subdivision in the world, as well as the largest in North America. {Wikipedia}

From the bridge connecting Djurgården to Östermalm

Their flight took them to Amsterdam where they changed planes and flew on to Stockholm, Sweden. It is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe that is known for agriculture, vast areas of forestland, and Vikings! After seeing a few pictures, I think it must also be known for its beautiful, cheerful colors! 

Somewhere in Stockholm

It seems timely that Sweden has been in the news this past week with the announcement that Prince Carl Philip is engaged to a lovely woman named Sofia Hellqvist. PrinceCarl Philip is third in line to the throne and the second oldest child of King Carl XVI and Queen Silvia. I'm always interested in royalty, no matter what country they are from. And with Sweden in my radar screen, this was a fitting announcement.

Vaxholm, Sweden

Vaxholm, Sweden

Hembygdsgård Vaxholm 

As a {semi} faithful blogger, I'm always thinking of things that might be fun or interesting to write about. So, when eldest son dropped off Sudo, I asked him to "please send pictures so I have something to blog about --- especially pictures of FOOD". Look at that cute little cafe! It's quaint, old, colorfully painted, and the bicycle out front simply adds to its charm.

Chanterelle quiche, with garden greens and watermelon. Swedish pastries and TEA.

I'm so glad that they remembered the tea!

More food! The breakfast buffet at the hotel. I hear the pineapple is delicious! And look at all those crusty breads.

Sudo is busy playing with Ms. Schnauzer as I type. This is her "hour of terror", at least that is what we call it. It's her play time before she settles down for the night. It's hard play and then deep sleep. Her master and mistress are waking up in Sweden just as we settle down for the night. Well, we will settle down as soon as Sudo does. 

I'm enjoying the armchair travels and Sudo adventures and I hope you are too.

The Longest Day

How did you spend "the longest day"? From here on out, each day will just get shorter and shorter, until the cycle starts all over again, of course. Yesterday we had 15 hours, 22 minutes, and 7 seconds of daylight. 

It was a perfect day to spend in nature. Lunch was complete with fresh foods of the season: blueberries, strawberries, Rainier cherries, and sweet onions. Fresh and local food is such a delight!

Sudo enjoyed the longest day too. She experienced her first visit to "the woods". She did quite well for a city dog. She loved attacking the pillows on the cabin sofas and took naps on a plaid, wool blanket. Actually, she took her naps burrowed under the wool blanket. She loves to be covered up! Later, she took a very long walk and actually wore herself out and begged to be carried for awhile.

There was a chill in the air and a campfire was welcoming and warming.

The wildflowers of the woods are transitioning into summer flowers. It seems like those plants that bloom with red blossoms don't show up until June. The Indian Paintbrush is lining "Paintbrush Lane" aka the winding road from gate to cabin.

Yesterday there were 24 hours of daylight at the North Pole. We didn't get close to that here, but the day was amazing anyway. How did you spend your longest day?

Happy summer!

Today I am linking up to Bernideen's Tea in the Garden

Of Course You Love Me: Sudo

According to dog experts, the Italian Greyhound has a gentle personality, loving and affectionate with family members. We've found this to be true with our house guest, Sudo. Essentially, she believes that she is the center of the universe with an endearing attitude of "of course you love me". The world revolves around Sudo these days, and everyone is happy with that occurrence. She sleeps burrowed deep under a quilt or blanket during her naps. At night she burrows beneath the covers of a human bed, cuddling close. But she is particular about who she'll sleep with. She has a mind of her own. She likes to sleep in, but once she wakes up she acts as delighted as can be to see you! It's like she cannot wiggle fast enough. Such joy! Her favorite place to sit and be is perched on the chest of a human. It goes with her "of course you love me" attitude. But, if you put her down or tell her to move along, she cheerfully goes without a second thought. Ms. Schnauzer is slowly adjusting and is coming out of hiding more and more. They had several fun "romp and play" sessions today with Sudo essentially dancing around Ms. Schnauzer who thought she was being active, but compared to Sudo was quite dignified and proper. Sudo's been a pleasure to have around. She's even learning to like it outside and has learned how to walk on green grass without stepping quite so high. But more about that another time. . .

Blueberry Scones & Tea

I saved enough fresh blueberries from yesterday's picking to bake a batch of scones. They baked up beautifully with abundant, juicy, blue orbs in each one.

The recipe called for lemon zest, but I didn't have any lemons, so used lemon juice in the dough and baked them without zest. Then I decided that orange marmalade would be an appropriate sweet to go with the scones. The zest of the orange in the marmalade made up for the lack of zest in the scones. They paired perfectly.

Gluten free scones "act" a bit differently than regular ones. Because they don't contain gluten to trap the carbon dioxide gasses when the baking soda and baking powder do their job, I try to choose forms or shapes that are most likely to rise well without much handling. Sometimes I bake gluten free scones in one large mound that is flattened and then cut with a pizza cutter to make wedges. And at other times, like today, I prefer the drop biscuit approach. I was pleased with the lightness and flavor of these scones.

A simple black tea was selected to accompany the blueberry scones. My choice was Yorkshire Gold because it's full bodied without being overpowering. It's produced by Taylors of Harrogate, a company that was founded in 1886 in Harrogate, Yorkshire, England. It is a blend of five varieties of tea grown in Assam, Sri Lanka, and Kenya. A review of this tea on Serious Eats reports that: 

• Yorkshire Gold from Taylors of Harrogate is a "luxury blend" of second flush Assam and peak-season East African teas. This is a robust black tea that works well with milk, though given its silky smoothness that's certainly not required. There are hints of cedar and earth; this tea is slightly fruity but mostly savory, perfect for getting your eyes open in the morning.

Although this is a delightful tea with the addition of milk and sugar, I tend to prefer my tea "black" or "plain" so I can taste every undertone as it is, with just a tiny touch of stevia to sweeten.

I chose this teacup because it was blue. It seemed so appropriate for the blueberry theme. It is called Saxony, by Royal Doulton. It is one of my everyday favorites.

Blueberry Scones

Makes 8 - 10

• 2 cups gluten-free flour (I used 1 cup garbanzo/fava flour and 1 cup Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flour blend)
• 1 packet stevia powder (about 1/2 tsp.)
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 6 Tbsp. Smart Balance margarine
• 1 egg OR 1 egg substitute {flax seed gel}
• 2/3 cup soymilk
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 generous cup blueberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add margarine and cut in with a pastry blender until the size of small peas. Add vanilla, egg, lemon juice, and soymilk. Stir gently with a fork until dough is moist and blended. Gently stir in blueberries.

Form scones by spoonful and place onto a baking stone. Push stray blueberries into dough so none are left out.

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Remove from heat and allow to cool on the baking stone. Serve with margarine or butter and orange marmalade. Also delicious with lemon curd.

Of course, at the end of every good photo shoot comes the pleasure of sitting down at a pretty table setting to enjoy what's set out to eat and a nice, hot cup of tea. Today I had a little helper. She's such a polite little thing. She was curious, but asked permission with her eyes before attempting to share. Her nose is long, though, and she has a pretty keen sniffer. I gave Sudo a few crumbs which she appreciated and enjoyed. I discovered, though, that she prefers plain blueberries to scones. She's such a dear.

Good morning, Sudo!

Good morning, good morning! Sudo is a sleepy-head today. She is not an early riser! Her sleepy eyes mask the intense energy that she usually exhibits! As I mentioned before, she's staying here for awhile while her master and mistress travel. She's settled in very well. She's still bugging Ms. Schnauzer with much attention, but the two are finding balance in their friendship (or lack thereof). Sudo would enjoy more play while Ms. Schnauzer spends her time hiding out most of the day by my pillow on the bed. Silly dogs!

Sudo is an Italian Greyhound, but the breed is called Iggy or I.G. by those who are affectionados of this type of dog. The Iggy is the smallest of the sighthounds. And Sudo, being the runt of her litter, is on the small side of the smallest. She's a tiny, slight little thing. Iggy's are the "toy" version of the full grown greyhounds, but remain a true genetic greyhound. Their bloodline is documented over 2,000 years. Iggy's, like other greyhounds, have a distinctive gait that reminds me a bit of a horses gallop. Sudo also exhibits the distinctive trait of walking on three legs with one held high and out of the way. And she can run like the wind! Her favorite game of all is "chase" and she wears the humans out in the family in short order. She, on the other hand, never seems to tire.

Sudo seems to think that anyone and everyone will love her. And they do. She loves people, although has a genetic trait of aloofness. These traits exhibit themselves in both ways --- on a whim! Sudo could aptly be described as athletic, agile, companionable, mischievous, intelligent, and affectionate. She really is a dear.