Home Again


Wow, was it hard to come home this year! And it didn’t help that it was cool and dark and rainy our first day back! The weather down on the coast was perfect, and we had a wonderful time—lots of sun, lots of seafood, and great time with friends.

First Frost

It’s 27° this morning. I’m kind of relieved—the garden has been such an awful mess since the hailstorm, and I’ve been strangely reluctant to deal with it. Now it’s done and the cleanup can commence. Right after we get back from the beach, that is!

In anticipation of next week’s trip to the coast:

On oysters:

You are eating the sea, that’s it, only the sensation of a gulp of sea water has been wafted out of it by some sorcery, and you are on the verge of remembering you don’t know what, mermaids or the sudden smell of kelp on the ebb tide or a poem you read once, something connected with the flavor of life itself…
—Eleanor Clark

The Coolest Thing Happened Today!

Some kind person sent a present from my Amazon Wishlist: This amazing shovel! Now a shovel may not seem like the most glamorous gift ever, but there are times of the year when I seem to live with one in my hands. With this new beauty, that might not be quite so unpleasant! Whoever you are: Thank you! What an awesome gift!

Pearl: Before and After



Looking at this picture of Pearl in her previous home, it’s hard to imagine that we actually bought her. I’m glad that we were somehow able to see her potential, because she’s turned out to be an amazing cow. She doesn’t have Maude’s whimsical personality—-she’s much more reserved, and even wary, especially of men—but her milk is our favorite. It’s much yellower than Maude’s, with an astonishing amount of cream. She also has longer lactations. And she’s gotten quite sweet in her own reserved way.