I’ve been thumbing through some old photos lately and have discovered quite a few overlooked gems in the archives, so at some point I think I might start a new feature for sharing blasts from the past. In the meantime, though, in honor of Father’s Day, which much of the world is celebrating today — with some notable exceptions — I thought I’d share a couple of photos.
I don’t get to spend Father’s Day with my father this year, but last year was a treat because the holiday fell on the same weekend as our annual family gathering. When he’s not at the office, my father can usually be found on the tennis court, so that is where I captured the second image below. The first one probably reaches back almost fifty years, for a study in (surprisingly little) contrast. I found it last year when I was perusing the old family photo albums. I think it’s a picture my mother snapped back when my parents were still a carefree couple — before the five children, and the wonderful chaos that arrived in our wake.
I think the same easygoing, energetic spirit is visible in both images.
Here’s one last image for 2007 — a photo I took just this afternoon. After a very foggy start to the day, it ended up being sunny and rather warm. The dog and I took a walk through the neighborhood and ended up climbing to the top of Orchard Knob. This picture looks into the sun, and over at Lookout Mountain.
Have a blissfully happy new year!
Well, it’s been quite the exciting week and I’m still up to my gills in holiday fun, with a house full of visitors! The dog has been having a great time, but as you can see, she’s flirted with exhaustion at times.
The last ark of 2007 is up and running! Have a safe and happy New Year!
I have some photos to share from this past Saturday evening (before we came home to a bit of drama). We got to have dinner with a group of friends at the home of a woman whose Russian mother was visiting from Moscow. Much to our delight, Mom kindly prepared a traditional Russian dinner for us all, which was both a visually beautiful and an absolutely delicious meal!
The meal started with what I think are called pirozhki — small pies with either meat or cabbage baked inside. You can see them in the background of the first two photos.
After the appetizers we enjoyed some borshch, a very light and tasty beet and vegetable soup. I could have made an entire meal out of just this one course, which was thick with veggies!
After the soup, we enjoyed a delicious winter salad, which was appropriate, since it was the evening of the solstice. This was a meat-vegetable-potato-egg dish that was the most substantial part of the meal. It was a struggle to avoid eating too much as it was so good, but also quite filling and I was trying to pace myself without knowing what to expect next.
The salad was followed by some caviar — a rare treat! Apparently it appears more regularly on the Russian table, but to me it is quite the delicacy! The caviar was served on buttered bread, so this was bit lighter than the previous course, and made a great transition to the meal’s conclusion.
We wrapped up the meal with some very thin crepes, which we rolled and dipped in a fruit whip. It was a wonderful conclusion to an impressive dinner — one that I very much prefer to the way we end meals in the US. I’m not a big fan of the rich, heavy sweets that most Americans bring out for dessert so I usually skip the final course when eating out (and at home, we don’t bother with it at all), but this was very light and tasty and with just a hint of sweetness, so I thought it was just right for the end of the meal.
This the first time I’ve had a whole meal of authentic Russian cuisine and it really whetted my appetite for more! Of course, it was served with wine (or vodka!), and the company was just as impressive as the food. We really enjoyed the conversation, along with some great stories about life in Moscow. It was a rare holiday season treat. If you ever have the opportunity to sample some Russian food, I highly recommend it!
I don’t have a holiday creature this week — we never have been able to get the dog to wear even a hat, and she’s certainly not going to let us tie a branch to her head in a Grinch-esque fashion, so instead I have a bug. I thought we were through with them for the year, but I almost stepped on this one as I was coming down the stairs this week.
Other creatures are filling up the modulator’s ark as we speak! Have a wonderful holiday weekend, everyone! Stay safe and be happy!
Happy Friday! I have a story that goes with this week’s photos… Last Friday, I got a phone call from a neighbor, breathlessly asking if I was at home. With my affirmative answer, he told me to hurry out my back door because he was on the corner behind my house and just saw a hawk pluck a squirrel off a telephone wire, and the hawk was currently on the ground, throttling the squirrel!
I grabbed my camera and ran out the door, but alas, just as I approached the scene, the great bird grabbed its prey and flew off to find a more private place to enjoy its meal. The neighbor was on his way to an appointment and I was also headed out, so we had to get on with our days. But as I was driving out of the neighborhood, I ducked down the alley in the direction I’d seen the hawk fly, and lo and behold, there it was in a tree, enjoying some squirrel tartare!
So, here is… well, my best guess is that this is a juvenile red-talked hawk, who I think might be a permanent resident of the neighborhood, since DH and I have both spotted this bird before.
In other news, the creatures are up at the modulator’s ark. Have a great weekend — stay warm and don’t let all the holiday craziness get you all stressed out!
Happy Friday! This is an alligator from somewhere, but I don’t remember the details. Quite the cutie, though, huh?
Well, the whole Christmas season thing is kicking into high gear this weekend — the calendar is littered with parties! And once the weekend’s over, there will be only two weeks left until Christmas! If you’ve been caught up in the whole shopping culture, the pressure’s on now! Of course, if you need to take a break from all that holiday duress, remember, you can check out this week’s creatures — what a great stress reliever! As always, be safe, happy and have a great weekend!
