Spring is in the air and I can't help but buy flowers every time I leave the house.
The air is warm,
the bees are out,
the apple trees are budding
and I love leaving the doors and windows open during lunch.
We had such a mild winter I almost can't believe its really over.
The locals tell me to expect a lot more rain this Spring.
I hope its warm and gentle.
I've been:
:Prepping the new garden
:Taking walks through the orchard
:Eating lots of frozen tomatoes from last summer
:Enjoying early spring asparagus
:Finishing little corners of my new home
:Finding all kinds of cool treasures outside
:Sewing new curtains for my little girl
:Writing a book list for the year
:Finished The Help and started Reading Lolita in Tehran
:Trying to finish this pair of socks so I can start a new hat. The pattern is my own cuff down version of the Diagonal Lace Socks from Socks From the Toe Up
:Getting excited about some big changes
It is the third week of August and I have felt the first signs of Fall. While walking Brae to her first day of school I noticed the early morning fog has a deeper wetness to it. The clouds threaten rain even though we shouldn't have a drop until Halloween. By mid morning the fog is burned off by the sun, who seems to have realized the coming of the dark half of the year, and is burning hotter then ever to make up for the cool summer we have had. By nightfall the wind picks up, cardigans are slipped over bare shoulders and flipflops are traded for socks.
A couple nights later while I was figuring out dinner I had a sudden craving for a warm and hearty potato leek soup. Not something I would normally make in the summer. It's a soup firmly anchored in my fall and winter menu.
Then last night, while sitting in bed, a craving for apples hit me so hard I had to go downstairs and eat one immediately. My first apple in at least 6 months. It just so happened that I saw beautiful apples at the market earlier that day and was drawn to their beauty like a moth to a flame. I bought a few for my daughter's lunch, but never intended to eat one myself. Apples are my fall & winter thing, they taste the best in season. Fresh from the fridge it was cold, crispy and sweet.
If I were still living in the high desert I would be looking for the first sign of fall in the scent of the north wind. It has a wet earth, deep forest smell. One of woodsmoke, falling leaves and the faintest hint of arctic ice. It appears in September right when my Mom's apple trees are ready to harvest. We could guesstimate the start of Fall by the ripening of those apples.
I imagine it takes at least a decade to get to know a place that well and I have yet to learn the first sign of Fall here in the SF Bay Area, but I am guessing it also begins with a craving for apples.
Photos - All taken by me on my new and amazing iphone using the Instagram App. Links and descriptions for each photo are below.
1. Summer Flowers 2. Banana Almond Butter Shake. 1 c milk, 2 tbsp nut butter, 1 banana, ice. Blend until thick & creamy.
3. My friend's cat was over for a visit. He really liked the chickens. 4. Swing Socks, recently finished.
5. Deep Chocolate Brownies 6. Everyday Lunch - Avocado, turkey, tomato, lettuce, and cucumber on whole wheat bread.
7. What natural dye should I use for the Kalajoki socks? 8. The garden. Over 40 lbs harvested so far.
9. We have 2 new quail, a boy and a girl. Thinking baby quail and eggs. They need names. Any suggestions? 10. Darwin, my favorite chicken but probably a rooster. Bummer. Check out the adventure.
11. My first ever home raised organic free range chicken egg laid by Ladyhawke. 12. I am freezing loads of tomato sauce this year. Recipe from Heart of the Artichoke by David Tanis.
Our weather has been amazing this week! It is hard to stay inside with bright sunny skies and highs at 70 F. Brae and I have been spending our afternoons riding bikes, preparing for Spring garden planting and cleaning up a mossy overgrown winter backyard.
My little winter garden never got off the ground. With almost 4 inches of rain in December my little seedlings drowned in lakes of mud. Lesson learned. Note for next year: Next time make sure the plants have some cover from torrential downpours.
The last couple mornings I have rediscovered the joy of sitting on my back porch in the mornings with the sun warming my goose bumped skin, hot jasmine green tea warming my hands and a book in my lap. I think renewing this Summer habit has yanked me out of my Winter patterns. I am yearning for hot days when I have to pour a cup of cold water over my head to keep cool. I know this break from winter isn't going to last more then another week (rain is already in the forecast for Feb 3rd), but its too late for me. I am in the mood for Spring cleaning, Spring planting, and most of all Spring farmers markets.
