Archive for ‘September, 2011’

Fall afternoon

Early Fall afternoon.

Perfect weather: mid-60’s (F), not a cloud in the sky, a light breeze with a hint of cool, the Aspens starting to turn…

After a morning and afternoon of work session/client meeting…

Bob was out all afternoon so I did not feel bad putting him in the motorhome with fresh water and a full food dish so that Bear and I could putz about the yard and woods.

And after all that putzing… enjoy a treat.

And a drink of water.

Fall afternoon.

Another day, another walk

Another beautiful morning!

Temperature a bit more fall-like at 49F when Bear and I walked the loop at 8:30 a.m.

I sometimes just watch Bear explore and am thankful that everything in his past and present came together to allow him to enjoy the freedom I can give him here. I think about the first days and months when I wondered if something like now could be. But, he has learned to now be a Montana Karelian Bear Dog :)!

There are still things to learn: which critters to defend against and which to befriend (… BOB :)! ) – but I believe that the confidence that comes from me trusting and loving him, the freedom to make some of his own choices, the continued gaining of knowledge of what “this” place on earth is….all help him learn about his new life with me and with Bob in Montana.

Another day, another walk…

…in Montana.

Eclairs

Weekends, I typically have a cooking and/or baking plan. Yesterday morning as I gathered ingredients and utensils for making the creme patisserie for eclairs I was struck by how much I enjoy puttering in the house, even though I spend most of my weekdays here as well. The light, the quiet, the serenity of just being here is so wonderful for me that it is sometimes hard to go anywhere that is a bit noisy or crowded.

I took the above photo to share some of that.

And then I made the creme.

This morning, with the creme fully chilled, I made the shells, stuffed them with creme and dripped the chocolate glaze. I’ve been making the pastry shells from Julia Child’s recipe…practice runs, you know :)! They are amazingly simple and fast to mix and get in the oven and another of those cooking astonishments – making something that seems so complicated and turns out to be simple and great fun.

Eclairs.

It’s wrong!

8:17 p.m. on September 23, 2011 – the first day of Fall and it is 73F. It was 81 at the warmest late afternoon. Tomorrow it is forecast to maybe hit 90!

That’s just wrong!

I got to a stopping point shortly after 5 and found Bob near the front porch keeping an eye on a critter hole…lying in the grass like it was Summer!

He had been out all afternoon.

I brought him in so I could go out with Bear.

I sipped on a Friday night glass of wine while Bear chased squirrels and a warm wind sang in the tops of the pine trees.

The light looked like Fall but the air felt like Summer.

It’s wrong :)!