What I’ll long for, come winter
In February, I’ll be filled with Nostalgia for a vine ripened summer tomato. You can taste the sun. A little salt and freshly ground pepper bring out the flavor.
My sister bought this one at the Union Square market today. Booths were filled with pumpkins, gourds and jugs of apple cider.
There’s no replacement for a summer tomato.
Rainy Day Gifts
Although I’m back with my sister in NYC tonight, I found these images from our recent Alaska trip.
They are gifts from a rainy day.
Puzzle People
My father bought this puzzle in 1976. He’s the one who got Mark saying Sacramento at age 2, when you’d ask him “what’s the capital of California?”
This summer Mark took his family to see ten more state capitals/ capitols.
The handcrafted wood puzzle was missing New York and Lake Ontario. For years! Missing puzzle pieces is such a bummer. I’m not sure why I waited so long to see if I could get replacements.
Wk, I just received the hand cut replacement pieces and although the wood is a bit thinner these days and the color brighter, it is wonderful to have the puzzle complete again.
Besides New York is my birth state (yes, I grew up in the Garden State- New Joisey)
Thank you Puzzle People Michael and Pat Smith of Philo, California for completing the puzzle once again, 40 years later.
Spaghetti Arugula
Thanks to my neighbor for giving me the arugula.
Spaghetti Arugula.
Steve brought home the olives and fresh pasta. A recipe from the excellent chef Anna Flevola formerly of La Cucina Flegrea. Garlic, olive oil, a bit of red onion, pine nuts, walnuts, raisins, red pepper flakes and a ladle of pasta water -topped with the rocket/arugula and freshly grated Parmesan.
Ready to serve
This should be photo four but having WP posting issue w photos tonight
The Quest for Sock Yarn in Alaska
Alaskan sock yarn was the quest. And this was the place to find it.
I ‘d researched on the computer from Pittsburgh, prior to our trip.
Knitty Stash is the home of Alaskan Yarn Company , right in Homer, Alaska where we were headed.
Gorgeous hand painted sock yarn with special Alaskan colorway names that invite you to knit your Alaskan experience, right into a pair of socks ( or shawl, cowl, etc) “Our Alaskan color way: Kachemak Bay, Lupine, Arctic Autumn, Northern Lights and Fireweed and Denail Autumn and High Bush Cranberry” You can click here to see what they look like knitted up
Yarn store number three on the great Northwest adventure.
You meet the nicest people. My friend Lisa and I went back on Tuesday night and watched the three women use spinning wheels, turning fiber into yarn.
Meet shop owner Jules and her sweet dog Ruby.
Jules made the knitting artwork out of duct tape with the help of a friend! Weatherproof..
You can see some of the colorways on the wall in this shot. I focused on Jules so the background a bit soft focus.
My quest was satisfied and I mailed some skeins the next day. It was here, waiting for me when I got home. I’ve wound one colorway already. Will keep you posted.
Here are the colors close up, borrowed from Knitty Stash site so you can see how lush they are.
I did not take the yarn photo below, but I wish I had bought all the colors and taken it! Thanks Jules.
p.s. If you missed my 4/27/16 post on The Satisfaction of Sock Knitting you can read it here
Book Quest
Quest. Remember looking for a certain book? I’m talking pre-google, search engines?
Out dad would scour used book stores and stalls for books he wanted for himself or one of us kids. He was always searching for another copy of In Clean Hay to read at Christmas. Nowadays you type a title or author in a narrow white box, press search and voila….options, usually in a few seconds.
An actual physical search can be incredibly satisfying cause chances are you will see another title or volume as you sift through shelves in a cool used book store.
That’s what happened when I found a Peter Spier book from my kids childhood on a upstairs shelf.
Old Inlet Bookshop in Homer, Alaska is such a place. We went there after our Thai lunch in the mermaid themed cafe attached to the bookshop
Meet Andy Wills. Third generation bookseller. 
I don’t know how many books he has in his bookshop but if you are looking for something, he knows where it is. You don’t have to go to Homer, Alaska though You can email him books(at)ak(dot)net Hope that method of writing email address avoids spammers
Here is he taping up the cover of the Peter Spier book.
Kite Boarding in Alaska*
or should I say- *Photographing Kite Boarding (or Kite Surfing) in Alaska.
Sure looks exciting.
I learned the difference between a WET suit and a DRY suit.
Kite boarders were in both types, the dry suit worn over clothes and keeping you warm and dry.
The beach is in Homer, Alaska on the Spit. (A geographical landform)
Photographing these adventurous sports was enough for me. I was in a sweatshirt jacket and hat and did not get wet. The wind was strong that day as you can see by the waves. I knew I should have lugged my 7-200 lens on vacation. These are taken with a 24-70mm.
Meet Aaron. Taking a sabbatical from teaching fifth grade
Mapping the Ocean Floor
Meet Peter Holmberg Physical Scientist. This blog post is a collaborative effort.
Peter was in the middle seat between Mary and me on the plane(my sister likes the aisle, I like the window) from Seattle to Anchorage.
I said he’d be a great subject for my People at Work Series.
I’m going to let him tell you what he does…..
Here is a video which is the embodiment of how we use multibeam sonar data to map the ocean floor. Though this is a laser sensor projected onto sand instead of a sonar bouncing sound off the ocean floor.”
Thanks Peter. It was so great to meet you. Thanks for writing back with the correct details about your work. I thought the black and white version made it feel more “seriously scientific”😉
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