listening to ‘ghostly grooves radio’ on pandora, just the right touch of gothy music for an erev.

here is the scene around our house this evening, as the storm aftermath clears out.

can you spot the ancient fossil in the rocks near the falls?

yesterday, after stopping at Peifer orchards to get squashes and apples, we took on both John Bryan and Glen Helen in a single afternoon.  (hey, hiking is free, and we’re poor.)  the resulting photos are too numerous to contain in one post, as usual, so here’s part one.

and i’ve earned back my awesome creds!  here it is, step by step.

1. homemade dough

2. homemade sauce

3. homemade (sort of) toppings

4. not homemade cheeses

5. mama mia!

here’s…dinner!  thai curried chicken, peanuts, fresh green onions, thai chilies, etc., in coconut milk fish sauce, and thai steamed rice noodles in chicken broth with spinach, peas, fresh chives, and fresh thai basil.  all fresh herbs are from our garden.

oh, and NOT thai homemade whole wheat carrot cake (shown before and after) with pineapple, raisins, coconut, walnuts, ginger, and a yogurt glaze.

the best part is, some of the ingredients lent themselves nicely to a killer homemade piña colada, not pictured, since we inhaled it all.

having exhausted ourselves (but by no means all the trails) at glen helen, we of course adjourned to our usual haunt, ye olde haunted trail tavern, for some liquid and other refreshment.  lots of friendly ghosts there.   on the way home, the clouds were strangely fluffy, or was that my brain?

…and on to some more familiar scenes—the yellow (iron/sulfur) springs and falls.