Coastal Gatherings and Explorations

 Until the juice ferments a while in the cask,
it isn't wine. If you wish your heart to be bright,
you must do a little work.

-Be Lost in the Call, Rumi-

      I was reminded of this stanza from a loved poem this last weekend went I spent two days on the Northern California coast. Of the importance of decidedly doing and not just wishing or procrastinated planning to achieve.

      I left early Saturday, a quest to be ahead of the traffic along I-80 and all those roads that are unknown. It was a largely successful venture. I arrived at a camp ground on Bodega Bay to find myself with the last camping space available way out on the spit.

      What glorious weather! There were clouds and a slight breeze, with spots of warm sunlight. Pelicans flew across the bay; their flight patterns seemingly choreographed as they dipped and flapped then rose one after another without missing a beat. On the far side of the jetty one could hear a group of California Sea Lions- unfortunately it would have been a long walk or very cold swim to actually see them and I had managed to forget my swim suit in my excitement.

      Admittedly, I spent a fair bit of Saturday sleeping in my tent. The last few weeks of work have been hectic and increasingly stressful (the True Cause of this has yet to be determined) that culminated in an absolutely mad Friday that included a bad cut, rude customers, a car accident- no one was hurt- and half of the chicken flock getting out. Nothing beats repeat naps to recover from total exhaustion. Naps and a rather wonderful monkey flower tincture that is like sunshine in a bottle.

      Sunday was the real reason for this adventure- the Hollowed Ground workshop with Sylvia Linsteadt of Wild Talewort. What a treat! A day of animal tracking, writing and drawing, exploring Point Reyes and learning about the natural history of the land.

      It made me wonder about synchronies and how they happen; not to mention the genuine joy that occurs when they do. You see, I had been looking for an inspiration to start writing and drawing again for some weeks and finally had found it. When I am really able to get going again I'd like to share some here, but we shall see- that may be a long time coming.

      On the dunes of Limantour beach we found the foot prints of swaggering ravens, bounding rats and one very intriguing ground squirrel who's paw ghosts we followed away from the grass-protected dunes and toward the water. We questioned the baseline movement of humans in comparison to raccoons (oh, how they amble so slowly) and hoped for bobcat or even the elusive cougar.

      Away to the west the Farallon islands could be clearly seen, and as we set out on solo, questioning walks along a trail a slight rain began that was magical in its timing.

      Most surprising of all was the sighting of a Tule elk, whose existence here I was not aware of until very recently.

      What was quite lovely was a retelling of a very old version of Cinderella by Sylvia known as Catskin. If you've never read it before I highly recommend it. It is haunting and especially wonderful when you hold the story in you and  walk the land that is calling to it.

      I left the workshop with a journal well-underway and a wild desire to learn more about tracking and folk stories and bringing everything together in an effort to rewild our existence.

"The paths here run catacomb-wild, sometimes no rhyme or reason around grass patches or straight through thickets of blackberries. Do they [elk] have sacred spots or an ancestral memory of place too?" -Notes from the place Catskin called

Kinda there and kinda back again

     What a long week it has been (and in the best way may I add)! My mom came out for a few days and we went adventuring. I'm glad we have similar travel tastes- no exploring Seattle but finding good coffee shops in smaller towns and seeing nature whether it be the phosphorescence at Indianola dock or halfway up the side of Mt. Rainier. And it was great to also be able to share this with Robyn and Ariel; the other two-thirds of the Day Road Girls (Band( Lady Farmer Gang)). You can actually find Robyn's blog here.
     Everything was absolutely stunning, so I won't spoil it with text ;)

     I loved Mt. Rainier so much. Eventually I'd love to hike the entirety of the Wonderland Trail that goes around it but it is a 93 mile/ roughly 10 day hike so it won't happen for awhile.
     In other news I have a few ideas for larger pieces but those may take awhile. I'm also slipping back into poor sketchbooking habits so there hasn't been as much art happening lately which isn't all that great. Goal through September: SKETCHBOOK MORE. EVERYDAY. My mom also brought my sewing machine so I'll be able to start my quilt (and here begins the do I dye it myself or buy really pretty fabric debate) and sew a few items of clothing I've wanted to do for awhile.
     And now that I've finished work I'm all awake and stuff. For motivation I'm going to do my best to upload photos of my sketchbook pages as I finish them, every day or every other day as needed. Should be good.
     Peace out chickadees, S

Possom, a bread for wooing and some lino blocks

      So, a few weeks ago on Thanksgiving, my mom called me during lunch. A opossum had crawled into the warm air vent that comes from the dryer in the laundry room. It was gone the next day (and I hope it was able to enjoy a bit of time in the warmth, although little critters do not belong in air vents), but my mom snapped some photos of it. Then last week, this little fellow showed up again under the bird feeders and has the same ear markings as our previous guest.
     Looks like it is doing alright. Possums are really cute when they aren't bearing their teeth or playing dead, and I think a lot of people don't look at them beyond this. They're just misunderstood, poor creatures.
     On a different topic I am sharing a really awesome bread recipe. It is so good that you should be able to woo friend and foe with it. It is modified from Paul Hollywood's recipe in 100 Great Breads, which I recommend for anyone with an interest in bread making. Although I'd check your options in book purchasing, as the Amazon price is a bit more than I remember paying for it.

 You will need:
- 4 cups of while flour, leave the bag out for dusting
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 15 grams yeast (I use Fleishmann's dried)
- A bag of dark chocolate chips; you don't technically need the whole bag, so feel free to snack on some
- A can of tart or black cherries, washed and shaken as dry as possible (Or use a cup of fresh or frozen)
- Warm water to mix; about a cup but it may vary

Makes two decent sized loafs

In a bowl, mix together the flour, salt, chocolate chips and yeast. Add the olive oil, cherries. At this point I usually mix it together to figure out how much water I'll need as the cherries will already be moist. Slowly pour in the water and mix. There isn't an exact measurement because this is different for every time the bread is made, but I usually use about a cup. Mix well; if the dough is too moist, add more flour as needed and if it too dry add a few tablespoons of water at a time until it is doughy enough.

Because you'll squish the cherries a bit, thoroughly flour your hands and wrists (repeat as needed) and knead the dough. To knead: tip out dough onto a floured surface and make an indent in the middle with the palm of your hand before folding the dough sides or a side in. You can do this with either one or both hands, or if you don't have the space, knead it in the bowl (great skill to have in a cramped apartment!). This bread doesn't take much, only 3-5 minutes or until the dough is smooth and slightly elastic.

Put the dough in a floured bowl and cover with a dish towel or unused garbage bag and keep somewhere warm for an hour or until it had doubled in size. I forgot about the chocolate chips yesterday and left it on the heater- they will melt and it will be messy if this happens so keep that in mind. After an hour, heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Divide the dough evenly and shape into two loafs. I usually make cross hatch marks with a knife on the top.

When the oven is warm enough, put the loaves in. Because the loaves will be pretty large baking will likely take 45 minutes to an hour. After the first 30 minutes I like to check every 10 or so. The bread is cooked through when there is a hollow sound when tapping on the bottom with your finger. (Don't worry if it is a little undercooked, I'm only just starting to really figure this part out myself)

Allow to cool a bit and enjoy! P.S. It makes a wonderful birthday/anniversary/holiday/etc. gift for people and usually doesn't take long to finish so storage isn't often a problem. Now go win the hearts and eternal affection of people!


This is a tear-into bread too. Who needs knifes and stuff?

So far the only bread recipe book I've really enjoyed. I've made over a dozen on the breads and they are all wonderful!

     

      I've also been working on stuff for my shop (Hoping to open by either next Tuesday, but no later than next Friday, woot!) including one of a kind business cards and thank you notes and original drawings, possibly some patches as well if I can find a suitable ink in the house. As you can tell I may or may not be continuing my Middle Earth theme with the thank you cards.....

And lastly on the side I am going to learn how to knit socks! This rusty red wool has been staring at me the last few weeks and it's finally time to start I think, although probably finish setting up shop first...

Feeling like winter

     Well, we got some snow. I also got my two-man tent from Poler Stuff yesterday, and wishing I could try it out outside, but for now my parent's dining room will have to suffice. I hope all of you are staying warm!