March Forth

         High spirited hijinks with Anna at Grass Valley Ranch:

                                         

 

                                   Lily kicks it out with Rocky and Molly following                                                                                                                                                    

On A Roll: Pedro does the Donkey Roll; Lily keeps it rolling                           

                                    Meanwhile, Lola does the sausage roll.

 Wake and Walk! Keep those doggies rollin'...out on a stroll with Jasper and Lola 

 

 

Lola among the Blue Dicks

            Jasper's oldie but goodie sniffer hasn't failed him yet.         

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                              Rocky gets a new Fjordy shave and groom          

                                                                New Spring green ~

                                                     Blue Dicks dot the hillsides                              

        
                               

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Century Plant catches late light                 

                                                      Deck sunset at day's end ~

I caught this poster en route back, at Loma Rica market --Cutest little Indian girl, happy with her Spotted Appaloosa Foal Friend

     Meanwhile back at Lark Hill Ranch:                                            

Medicine Wheel to 4 Winds and directions ~ red rocks to the west. 

                                                   Swallowtail and Prickly Pear

Enjoying Bigfoot Patio hummers  & poppies             

                                                                                

 

                                                                      

              ~Wildflower Buttes~

                                                                                Wild Cats

 

         

Wild Irish Jewish Cabbage Rolls ~ for Purim/St. Paddys

Still Barely February...

 Wildflowers galore dot the pastoral pastures...

         

 

 

 

 

  Helen's new cart seat is a wheelbarrow full of fun for Chloe

Blacktail: voted kitten most likely to catch a feather on a stick.

 

Below: Blacktail's dad J.J. tells him 'Someday, son, all these birds will be yours...'

 

 

 

 

 

 *Snow blossoms* Fruit trees blooming and a fresh coat of snow last night on Coast Range. Forecast in 30's nights all week.

I followed this mariposa with camera hoping she would land and when she finally did, I found my lost sunglasses directly beside her! Thanks! I always do make greetings to the spirits of the land and ancestors when I'm out walking the pasture ways.

 

 

 

 

 

And so the sun sets on February of 2022. Aho.

 

                                                                     

January 2022

                                         A Whole New Year -- Finally! 

                              Snow Mt. and Snow Geese ~ January 1st!                                                                            

                                        Arriving at Anna's in Grass Valley 

                                        Helen gets a load of ELFrenchy!                             

      

Lola's little eyes plead: Save Me!

....ah, the trials of being cute. 

Lola: ('We French have withstood Ze  Occupation...........

    --  Zis, too, I will survive!')

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Winter now but still blue sky, warm sun, green grass, and a hot tub! 

 

    And, for the birds, a natural rock pool beneath tree.                         

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After a fine New Years meal (black eyed peas included), and a hot soak, we're back on the road homeward. Also very little traffic along Rt. 20, and a great day for birding. Counted over a dozen hawks along with heron, snow geese, egrets and ducks.      

                    Edge of volcanic buttes and Snow Mt. over rice paddies.                                           

                                        ~ Gnome Again! We're back~!

                     Finally managed a BIG LOAF of sourdough multigrain

                               -- the secret's in using the Pullman Pan!          

 

                                    New Year Sunset with Frog Chorus

          And, lest we forget...a New Year calls for ~ a New Baby Yoda!

                                                                  

Helen presented me with this wond'rous surpise -- in all his lime-yogurt-Yoda-ness! Shown here with wee Yoda's favorite show: Star Trek's PICARD! Of course. Library copy plays well. We do love sharing the nostalgia...speaking of which:

The film that started it all: Mel Brooks as Yogurt in Spaceballs! 

         "Please, Just Plain...Yogurt!"  CLICK BELOW for short clip:

                            And May the Schwarz Be With You!

                      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgRFQJCHcPw

December 2021

                                                      Hello, World!

               The Proverbial Rosy-Fingered Dawn! The Shire is looking green.

                                                        

               The Great Escape!  Neeiigghh-bor's horses come visiting...

Sarah: 'What are YOU looking at!?'

Sarah the Beast shows her true colors. She is feral but seems to think herself Queen of Cats. Tries her best to trip people walking by, torments her daughter and smaller weaker kittens, an insecure bully intent on proving herself...or else!

Very occasionally, I will scratch under her chin then she becomes flustered and runs off if caught enjoying it...

 

                                                                      Mushroomish sourdough

For reasons unknown, this bread tended to mushroom sideways instead of growing tall. Still a grand tasting loaf, multigrain of course. 

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                                 Come under my bearskin, said the Snow Queen 

                            Hans Anderson's Fairy Tales - Illustrated by Louis Rhead 

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                  Freya ~ Mother Goddess of Sweden                          

In Gylfaginning of Prose Edda, Snorri Sturlusson once mentioned:

Sessrumir, her hall, is large and beautiful. And when she travels, she drives two cats and sits in a chariot.

"In Norse mythology, Freya was a volva “who could see things that others couldn’t”. Freya practised seidr that helped her to see the future of all beings. Mystery always surrounded the words of a volva because people only realized her prophecy                                                                  when mystery became reality.

Cats symbolised femininity in every step they took. They walked in silence and they would make no sound.

Cat was a kind of “walk-alone” creature. Yet a cat could also manage their social relationships very well. This trait was vividly portrayed in Freya. She was a kind of a strong woman, a model of shieldmaiden.                                          -- History of the Vikings

And, just what sort of cat pulled her chariot? Perhaps the formidable Norweigan Forest Cat ~                                                

They come in many different types, but all have a heavy undercoat, large paws with tufts of fur between toes.

Needs much brushing daily! Very friendly -- but always on their own terms.

Territorial and a mighty hunter...

All this describes our own Chloe, below!

She has just been brushed, her fur much sleeker than it usually is. She does have a heavy undercoat & large paws with tufted fur.

I'd not mind having her pull my chariot if she were a bit bigger.

https://www.hillspet.com/cat-care/cat-breeds/norwegian-forest-cat 

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                          Yumm! Yule Treats! And the Narcissus is in bloom!

     Gnomer and Sven flanking Persimmon Walnut Cookies ~  

The cookies seem to be disappearing somehow...I suspect Gnomer...                                          

Beginning at bottom: Chocolate Walnut Brownies, Middle: Russian Tea Cakes with Pecans and outlined with Chocolate Pecan Rum Truffles

                               The Swedish Dala Horse as a Devil's Toy?

 But in 1624, the bishop in Vasteras furiously told his flock that the wooden horses were the devil's toys and evil for children to play with. There was a dual rationale for his outrage—wooden horses were sometimes used as magic by witches and shamans...!

Ah, those bishops now (sure'n they're seein' the divvil in their oatmeal of a marnin.) 

Indeed, what could be more frightening than a kid's toy horsie!?

Almost as scary as a wee Dala horse: Odin and Sleipnir ~                      

Odin relaxing at home in Odin's Tower: Hlidskjalf ~

                                             

                                                         ~ digital art by David Johnson

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                                            Snow Mountain has *snow*                  

  View from outside - located in North Coast Range rising at 7,000 ft.

                        https://www.summitpost.org/snow-mountain/151659

As usual, some sunny breaks even during storms; wild winds gusting at 40 mph and much needed rain and snow, blizzards in mts! Caught a nice shot of Snow Mountain out walking with Helen. 

-- Xmas Day was storming! Decided to stay home and relax with best pumpkin pie yet, I made with a Pecan Nut Crust -- so good! We kept it kosher with Hebrew National Franks and traditional southern mac 'n cheese! -- I used gluten free pasta and added mozzarella and sharp cheddar...

 Watched a Corgie Christmas (love those movies filmed in snowy Canada!) and now in midst of My Fair Lady -- can't wait to hear Jeremy Brett - aka Sherlock Holmes! - singing: On The Street Where You Live!

                   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeybnI6OJMQ

                                                      

...and, after a stormy Xmas day, a lovely golden sunset over the buttes.                              

                                                          Happy Christmas Y'all~!

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December 29, 2021

                      A day which will be remembered by all as Snow Day!

              'Come and see!' said Helen to me.  'What, is it a deer?'

            'Oh, more wonderful than a deer!' said she. 'A MOOSE!?'

          (I'm always hoping for a moose...) But no, it was...*SNOW!*                                   

                    It has never been seen in all the 17 years Helen has lived here;                                                            a rare snow beast indeed...

                                                 CLICK BELOW for the Snow Show   

The Rocky Road to Rocky (& Back)

   Thanksgiving 2021 ~ Off into the foothills and Grass Valley.

Never had we seen such an amazing amount of various and wonderful wildlife! Across the rice paddies and into Snow Goose & Heron country ~

                                      

......then veering east into the Sierra foothills, where suddenly the deer descended in droves! Was busy driving so no fotos, but 3-point bucks and many does bounded and abounded. Herds of deer. Also turkey herds, flocking together...a turkey flew across the car. Turkey buzzards of course, and hawks. All in all, possibly 15-20 or so deer. 

Turkey Day indeed; too numerous to count.  

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A welcome party at the gate:Molly, Rocky, Lily, Pedro

Pastures are green. Hiking through later, I find lambs lettuce or miners lettuce freshly sprung in fall and pick a nice bag for salads later. Young nettle is also on hand for tea or soup.

                                         

Miner's Lettuce: Such a treat! Full of vitamin C and A, iron & protein. Can ship it out points east where it sells $10-20 lb. (!) see:

Foraging/Eating Miner's Lettuce

 

 

 

 

 

                  Pause for viewpoint and scanning vistas.                  

 

 

Beauteous day -- neither too warm or cool. And no fires. Slight smell of woodsmoke from chimneys here and there, but overall, clear and fresh out from recent rains.

 

Could be a rearing horse, or perhaps --  a petrified anteater?

                                                           ...Pedro peeking      

Grass Valley -- where the rocks bray on Thanksgiving Day  

                                 Click to hear rocks:              

              And the sun sets back at the ranch after a day full of creatures, and bellys full of epicurian delights - from the traditional turkey and dressing, yams, smashed potato and ! must-eat potato rolls, to the ever-pleasing pecan pie -- a standout!                                           

Special bonus video! Pedro steals the show and birdseed:click below --               

 

Pedro: 'Who, me? I, uh, I was never here. There was no donkey on deck. You never saw me...uh, I'll just...go now...' 

 

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AND apres' Thanksgiving, what comes next but --

Hanukkah! and! Latkes! mit Helen's homemade applesauce...um-um GOOD.

So VERY crisp and crunchy yet creamy inside - no flour used, just potato starch from the grated potatoes. Held together beautifully.

Best latke recipe: watch at Little Kosher Lunch - text recipe at: https://littlekosherlunch.com/index.php/2017/12/23/another-blog-post/