Today I finally had time to sit down and enjoy this absolutely gorgeous afternoon! The sun broke through the coastal fog and suddenly the world was aglow with light and shadow, not gloom and grey. That is the standard weather along the California coast, May Grey and June Gloom. It is dull and boring and monotonously monochrome.
I have a lot of potted flowers on a side patio – my yard is worthless for any beauty at this point. First up, the bigger sunflower in ink and paint.
And then the smaller of the two.
Sunflowers are far harder to paint than I think – don’t know why! From there, I decided to look at the tulip tree peeping over the fence a few blocks away. Here I tried to focus on masses of light and dark. It was a bit hard, but the idea was there. I am using my Schmincke pan paints, and they need to be worked a bit to get dense colors, which can be frustrating!
Lastly, my beloved lemon verbena bush. Every year I cut it back, every year it comes back. The leaves were half in the sun, half in the shade. I don’t have any of the delicate white flowers it produces, but the leaves always delight, in shape and scent.
It was fun to sit in the sun a bit. I don’t usually do this, so letting things dry between colors and pictures took a bit of patience. Plein air is not something I ordinarily do, but why not practice it along with patience?
Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.
Sir Walter Scott, 1808
We keep hearing how AI can create some rather disturbing images, much like the removal of people from days of yore to create propaganda or beauty, such as in a fashion spread. Above is a sad day, below is a lucky lady who got a gift from the friendly, neighborhood pirate.
You can see the originals below, before doctoring.
Coming from a family where family history is lost or suppressed or deliberately forgotten, I always have a bit of nostalgia for old things and memories and stories. Life in the future seems forbidding and apocalyptic, especially these days, so looking backward to areas of familiarity feels good and safe. Good because there are good memories, and safe because I know what was what (as best one ever can), and even though there were areas of ambiguity or fear or confusion, familiarity can help. Getting older has the same effect – familiarity. Falling in love as a teen is not the same as falling in love at 40!
Anyway, I put the black and white capabilities of a digital camera to work. The original photo was quite gritty and really not interesting as far as I was concerned, but then I putzed a bit and thought that a sepia print – faded black and white – and a deckled border could do the trick.
Artistic impulse satisfied!
Nostalgia satisfied!
Good memories of esposo and pooches add to the mix, and here you are.
Last weekend was the first time since last year that we spent the night away from home. We went up to Paso Robles, CA, for a couple of nights with the main goal of getting to the Mission San Miguel Arcangelo. The esposo’s parents came with us, and it was good for them to get out of town, too. It’s always nice to travel with them.
We stayed in the wine country outside of the town of Paso Robles itself, amongst rolling green hills covered with wild flowers, studded with oak trees, and lined with vineyards.
Paso Robles is located in the central coast California county of San Luis Obispo, and since the mid 70s or so has become well known for its wine production. We enjoyed Daou Vineyards and Le Vigne wines. I also think it should be recognized for its beer, too! There are a couple of breweries we enjoyed, with good pub grub and a nice variety of beers. Since we were staying 20 minutes outside of town, we soon became familiar with all the strange roads and twists needed to get into Paso Robles itself.
The drive up took us inland from the coast. Along Hwy 154, which connects Santa Barbara to the Santa Ynez Valley, we were able to see just how the rains have filled our water reservoirs. Lake Cachuma was full. Stopping at various points, we could see how green our hills have become and lots of lovely water!
Alongside Lake Cachuma, the oaks and undergrowth were filled with grasses, miner’s lettuce, and flowers. A lot of green! There was a sandy path to follow above the lake, and it led to some wonderful springtime surprises.
And so we drove on through, along the 154 to connect once more with the 101 to Paso Robles. We had coffee in town and then off to the B&B. And then back into town for dinner. And finally, a sunset from the patio at day’s end.
In our home, fairies abound. They take things away, hiding them, as well as giving things back, or leaving presents of many sorts, desirable or otherwise. We have Sock Fairies, Cat Fairies, Phone Fairies, Key Fairies, and Amazon Fairies, to name a few. And as today is St. Patrick’s Day, it is worthwhile to celebrate our own Irish heritage by enjoying a shot of good whiskey in the evening and some traditional Irish soda bread.
And letting the fairies run free.
There are very simple recipes of only 4 ingredients for soda bread, to some more complicated. All require the use of baking soda and an acidic liquid – usually buttermilk – to react with the soda to produce the gas which makes the bread rise. So, without further ado:
Irish Soda Bread
4 c. flour
6 T cold butter cut into small pieces
4 T sugar
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 c raisins or currants
1 egg
1 3/4 c. buttermilk (can use an appropriate substitute)
Preheat oven to 350-375. Place raisins in hot water to soak for 30 mins. or microwave a minute, soak, drain, pat dry. Line baking sheet or cast iron pan with parchment paper.
Mix together all dry ingredients except raisins. Add butter, cut into flour to make a coarse meal in appearance. Stir in raisins. In a separate bowl beat together egg and buttermilk.
Check to be sure the oven is hot enough. Once you have verified it is to your liking, make a well in your dry ingredients, dump in your wet, and stir with your hand, fingers extended, until you have a soft, sticky dough. Turn dough out onto a floured board, knead a bit as you would a biscuit (but not a yeast bread) working quickly. Shape into a large circular loaf about 1 1/2 – 2 inches in height. Place on parchment lined pan.
Using a sharp knife, slice the bread with gashes about 1/2 inch deep and spread the gashes a bit. The gashes go from one side of the bread to the other, forming a cross. The cross blesses the bread; on a more practical level this allows the center of the bread to bake more quickly. Then, in each quarter of the bread, make a small cut – this allows the fairies to escape and ensures better chances of a successful loaf.
It is important to note that you do not want your bread to sit around, liquid mixed into dry, while your oven heats up. Wait patiently to mix. My oven is a slowpoke and takes a bit of time to get anywhere I want it, and then it often sits around at 350 even with the marker up to 450!
Bake 50-55 mins. at 350. And then, cool the bread on a wire rack. Test for doneness by tapping bottom of bread. Just as with yeast bread, a hollow sound indicates it is baked.
Some people say wait until all is cooled before cutting in for a better loaf, but that can be difficult. Who can resist warm bread and butter?
