More about Bees

I love summer. I love summer mornings that start like this: Wake up. Check on the bees. Read a little. Drink some coffee. Check on the bees. Water the Yard. Water some more. Check on the bees.

It is fun to "check the bees" because you can see all their action through this very fun picture window in the back. 

Even busy-little-guests are apt to sit still for a long time watching the action. By the end of the day our favorite two-year-old could easily explain to you that the bees were working hard to build comb, that you should stand to the back of the hive to be out of their way and that they had yellow on their legs from the flowers. She's so smart! And, insects are so fascinating.

The Car is Full...

I always enjoy looking in the back of the car when we come back from the Peninsula. Partially because it's so fun that my grown-ups have such amazing riches in their respective yards and partly because you just never know what you're going to get! The list this time included (but, was not limited to)...

• 3 Five-Gallon, plus 4 Three-Gallon buckets of "Miracle Soil"
• A box of bee-keeping supplies 
• A tub of delicious creamed honey (best batch yet, for sure)
• 3 dozen farm-fresh eggs (two dozen seen here)

• 2 coolers full of fresh-picked raspberries (plus, pre-frozen ones as "ice packs")

• Yellow and Lucifer Crocosmia plants
• This quilt top (note that the 1/2 inch squares have all been sewn by hand)

Thank you Daddy-O, K.____, Mama-Pajama and Neal!

Meet the Newest Members of the Family...

Yesterday we got bees! They're all buzzing around finding new nectar sources. Hooray! Darren came and installed them yesterday with his very nice wife Pam. I got to suit up and everything. D-Man is truly a bee whisperer if ever I saw one. Now my new friends are all buzzing about in the back yard. Also the front yard. And, probably the neighbor's yard, too. Later I'll post a shot through the observation window (which is really the most amazing thing). Okay. Off to watch my bees!

Life with Emmer (Farro, that is)...

The one problem I've found with the grain-grinder so far is the storage element. There just isn't a convenient place in the kitchen to keep it. Around 7:10 this morning I (briefly) considered rearranging the whole kitchen layout to accommodate the large appliance that I am coming to just LOVE. Then, thought baking bread seemed like a more enjoyable task for the moment. I'll just add rearrangement to my list of projects...

Today's bread is 1/2 emmer farro and 1/2 hard white wheat. You can really see the difference in the grain before it's ground. That's the emmer toward the top and the hard-white-wheat toward the bottom. The emmer made the bread extra complex and nutty while the hard-white-wheat kept it light with a good crumb. 


I am finding something totally enjoyable about the whole grinding process. The ultra-loud noise not withstanding, there is something almost magical about watching the grain become flour. Plus, I've been totally intrigued by the increased health benefits of grinding the whole grain, incorporating more heirloom grains into our diet, eating all grains before they really begin to oxidize, not to mention how much more economical it is. 

I had to do a quick reread of The Urban Farm Handbook  before I started today. I adapted the original bread recipe by adding vinegar to soak the grain. Soaking the grain in an acidic medium breaks down phytic acid. Why is phytic acid a problem you might ask? Phytic acid is a problem because it reduces our body's ability to absorb important minerals like calcium, zinc, and especially iron. So, by soaking the grain in an acid medium (buttermilk, yogurt, lemon juice, vinegar...) you increase the nutritional properties of the grain you're eating. 

It wasn't a perfect loaf. I think it requires a little adjustment on the cook time, which I'll have to play around with. But, as for nutritional value and taste, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. Next up...whole grain crackers & whole grain tortillas!

VA Beach toward WA

We couldn't resist the pull of the beach today. It was a beautiful morning and nice to have one last swim in the Atlantic. Then, we headed to Washington D.C. to see the Penster. Hooray! No time to write. We're too limited on "catch up" time.

Dear GA, SC, NC, and (especially VA),

Greetings Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia,

For the most part we greatly enjoyed our visit to your fine states. There are so many beautiful sights to see. But, we did note a few concerns as we passed through. We thought you might like to hear our five (plus, one) best ideas for improving your fine states. We're sure after reading them you'll find they are...

First, let's talk about ROAD SIGNS. We think there is some room for improvement for all of you in this department. Let's say you have a stop light or two. Those wires that hold the stop light can be excellent places for street signs indicating major roads (they could be used for minor roads, too, but feel free to start small). You could probably get together and mass produce the signs since everywhere we visited honored Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a sign and found some place for Broad, Queen, and Princess somewhere in their line-up. 

We think it's thoughtful that you choose to rename your major interstates in honor of important people, but it would be helpful if you would indicate this somewhere for your travelers. It can be confusing when you're supposed to merge onto Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Highway and all that really means is STAY on I-17. Just saying.

Also, a thought about signs indicating how far apart cities are. We understand it's a courtesy to put a road-sign indicating what highway you're on. But, it really helps. Today after being on a road for approximately 95 minutes and seeing ZERO signs we saw the following. Nags Head: 56 miles. Then, Nags Head: 54 miles. Followed by, Nags Head: 52 miles. For the same amount of money, I promise you could have spread them out. Again, just saying. 

Next, let's chat for just a minute about COFFEE. I know, we hail from Seattle where it's all coffee all the time. There's probably a reason. The reason is: Coffee is good. Coffee has caffeine and it makes people happy. We can understand bad hotel coffee. We have that, too. But, we have more trouble with paying $10.00 for coffee that takes like water. We say send some representatives to Seattle and we'll help get you started...

As for the "plus one"...Today while getting my $9.64 coffee in North Carolina we encountered the sweetest Barista. She spent a good 10 minutes (nope, not kidding) trying to figure out how to count change from a $20. She still got it wrong and needed help. I was happy to help. But, I'm fairly certain that something like Unit 2, Lessons 9-14 in the Second Grade Math Curriculum teach counting change from dollars. NC, this may help explain why you rank #48 in terms of education. I worried. Again, just saying. 


It would make me happy to know what CROPS are growing in your farms. I was thinking it would be fun if you posted some signs that said: Watermelon or Cotton or Tobacco even. I like passing the time staring out the window, but it drives me crazy not knowing what the different things are!

One of my favorite things about driving up your coast is all of your beautiful WATER WAYS. They rival ours I must say, and that's quite a feat. Each time I shouted to the manatees and the alligators to come out. I really just wanted to see one of each. It would have made my vacation perfect to spot one of those signature creatures. I'm not sure what you can do about that, but it'd be nice if you could arrange that for my next visit.

Finally, VIRGINIA, this one's for you...

Upon entering your lovely state we were asked to pay a $3 toll to drive on your highway. Welcome to Virginia! While we respectfully paid the toll, I began to think about it over dinner. Why are you not paying ME to enter your state? I'm here paying my good tourist dollars to spur your economy. I'm not really reaping the benefits of your roads. Honestly, it didn't endear me to you. 

Let's say you don't want to pay me. That could be complicated. How about letting my driver's license act like a Visitor's Pass. I show you my Washington card and you let me pass for free, because you're just so happy I'm here seeing your history. See, didn't I tell you, GENIUS.

Mostly, Thanks. We did really enjoy our visit. We hope to be back soon.

Jenna & Kylene

See Ya, Outer Banks

O & (Cheater) B

B at the sight of the Third Flight by the Brothers.
This one lasted just under 15 seconds. 

O at the Wright Brothers National Memorial. 

A Visit to the Outer Banks

It's possible that I took us on the "scenic" route from New Bern to the Outer Banks today. It's also possible that means it took about an hour longer than expected. 
It's also possible we were a little road weary today. Between extra driving, a lighthouse under construction, worrying about Murray's out of control sunburn, and the storm that quickly swept the horizon today might not have been the best day of the vacation. Still, the OBX is beautiful and after some time on the beach, we took our "first flight"...

The best part of the National Seashore is perhaps its lack of people.
We spent the afternoon seeing if we could capture "feelies"
 before the ocean took them back. Murray has a pretty good collection.

See, no people!

After the light at Bodie was closed for construction,
we were happy to find this one at Cape Hatteras.

Murray goes flying at the sight of Orville and Wilbur's first flight.
The first flight lasted less than 12 seconds.
Still, you got a sense of the creativity that it must have taken
to be able to pioneer aviation. 

We interrupt this vacation...

I was looking through the pictures of the trip when I stumbled upon the project completed before we left Seattle. I just love it when I have a vision that turns out. In fairness to the "BEFORE" not much looks good in Seattle in March. But, with the garage painted, a new bed built, and a new roof on the potting shed, this corner of the backyard is looking almost presentable. Still, I'll let you decide for yourself...

The Garage Before

AND...

The Garage After

The new potting bench was the perfect solution to the slope of the ground.
Why not just bolt it to the wall to make it level? 

After Handy-Man showed me how to put on the new roof,
he left his tools to take care of a boat. I dangled from the roof
of the garage and attached the rest. I love the clear look.

Hopefully bees will come and populate the hive soon!

See Ya, Myrtle Beach (or, I look like an Oompa-Loompa)

Clearly There's a Theme...

I went to Cranial the week after school got out and my therapist suggested that I might try to get to the point where I had, wait for it: NO PROJECTS. She said I should spend some time meditating on the question: What if I were more than a project? Yes, I do think I will probably go back. But, the result of the meditation was a whole list of new projects! I've even turned reading into a project as I'm going to see if I can read books from my shelf that I haven't read before in alphabetical order by author. The rules for the project are subject to change as I go along...Number 1 was actually a re-read, Number 2 wasn't from my shelf at all, and Number 3 was a book I've been working on since February. But, I finished D today so, with four down, let the list begin...

A and I

A on Myrtle Beach

I at the Fisherman's Pier

Myrtle Beach is Beautiful

I remembered today why I really like road trips. You get to see all the uniqueness of the places in between Point A and Point B. You get to get a little lost along the way (perhaps in Willmington-The-Hottest-Town-on-the-Eastern-Seaboard, while looking for a cup of coffee that actually contains caffeine) and a little found (on the world's longest stretch of 17 when all you really need is a bathroom. Hooray to find one!). You get to sing at the top of your lungs with your friend even though you can't carry a tune, eat grapes and pretzels for lunch and wonder about the crops growing by the side of the road (SERIOUSLY, could someone please tell me what is growing around Pollocksville, NC???). 


But, the highlight of today was no doubt some serious hours logged sitting on the beach and jumping waves at Myrtle Beach. Lonely Planet said, "Love it or Hate it" and we're going with LUB! Myrtle Beach is beautiful! But, not to worry, Tybee...You've still got my heart.

I never met a Cornichon I didn't like...

Do you know the cornichon? It would be that the longest story on this blog so far is about a pickled item from Whole Foods. What can I say?

I had never had one until my friend the Penster served them up to us in D.C. a few years ago. I enjoyed and they have made the occasional appearance as an appetizer ever since. Tonight we decided we'd stop by Whole Foods in Mt. Pleasant on our way out of town and pick up a few things for dinner. Eating out for several dinners in a row was starting to weigh heavily on our stomachs. Murray found some tabouleh (not even CLOSE to Kristy's, but whose is...) made with Carolina Gold, while I found some tofu (not PCC's, but okay) and some locally made (really good) brie cheese. We set off to find some crackers and Murray announced, "You know, I just really want some cornichons. But, it silly to get those." But, it was platter night in SC so I insisted.


The most exciting thing happened to us at check-out. I was waiting in line and Murray went to the cafe and found plastic spoons! Can you believe it?! We'd eaten our yogurt this last morning with plastic knives, so it was a road trip find to be sure! While she found spoons I found myself waiting in line behind a man who had chosen to drink his Organic Fresh Squeezed OJ while walking through the store. 


Grumpy-Guy was mad because the price rang up at $3.99 when the sign, "CLEARLY said $3.49!" He sent a sweet bag-girl and Manager-Guy on a wild-goose chase all over the store. (Grumpy-Guy really needed a refund on his 50 cents and wasn't leaving until he got it) while I waited patiently in line saying nice things like, "That's no problem" when the Check-Out-Lady apologized for the wait. When Murray came back with the spoons I exclaimed with joy, "Life is GOOD!" and meant it. I was just that happy. 


Well, guess what! The manager guy came back from his wild-goose-chase and gave Murray and I the jar of cornichons for FREE! Why? You might ask. Because we were, "So nice and cheerful and waited so patiently in line!" If Manager-Guy could read the Seattle-Times Rant and Rave I'd write him one. Free cornichons for politeness totally made my day!

See Ya, Charleston

C, F, J, N, O, & T

C on the Beach 

F in the "Original Brick" on Fort Sumtner.

J on a Historic Home off King Street.

N near the cannons at Fort Sumtner.

O on a historic home off Broad.

T (and you better not cross that chain!) protecting you on Ft. S.

On Charleston

About halfway through the day I began to feel as if Charleston-for all its charms (and it seems to have many)-was going to have to read as a top ten list. So, so, much to see and so little time...So, some favorites from Charleston (in neither favorite, nor chronological, simply Blogger-won't-let-me-have-control, order):

1. Brace yourself for battle at Fort Sumtner.
The south is all about the reenactment.

2. Walk through White Point Park. The trees provide some pleasing shade
 (if you're not terrified of the chigger).
The inscription on this statue reads: To the children of Charleston from a friend.

3. Take a nature walk on Morris Island. Morris Island also served
as an important fortification during the Civil War.
Today, it's home to discarded shark-teeth and pretty shells.

4. Contemplate selling your house to buy this one at the Battery.
It is for sale and the turret is especially charming.

5. Take a boat ride on the Cooper River and look for manatee.
(You might not actually see a manatee, but many dolphin instead).

6. Find something cute (even at the site of a Civil War battle).
How about this darling door?

7. Visit Fort Sumtner. It won't be the best part of the vacation.
Still, it's sort of like going to Paris and climbing the Eiffel Tower.
Sort of.

8. Walk along the waterfront.
You never know what you might find.

9. Walk Rainbow Row and enjoy the pretty colors.

10. Have a cappuccino float and a slice of chocolate cake at Kaminski's
after walking through the city market.
We don't have a picture of that.
We were too busy eating and gawking.