We view the world through a complex visual system that is filtered by our mind. The mind projects rules and order onto what we see, making it familiar. One of the beauties of photography is that it can disrupt that filter, revealing layer upon layer of a complex world. Patterns, forms, and colors we pass by everyday suddenly seem to transform into something new, something beyond what we know. Click on the image for a larger view.
Category Archives: Life at Home
A Snail’s Pace
With every garden comes a variety of residents. The weather this year has been very good for our snail population. They are very cute. And they don’t move that fast. Yet, they can do a lot of damage to our vegetables. Oddly enough, we have not done any research to find out if they are edible. Click on the image for a larger view.
Hydrangea
Hydrangea comes from the Latin meaning water vessel. We have several of these plants thoughout our garden. Click on the images for a larger view.
Tomato Harvest
Our tomato plants have not been doing well this summer as the weather has been unusually cool and the snails have been taking advantage of that. These heirloom varieties are ripening on our window sill. Hopefully, like last year, we will have a long summer to give our crop time to grow. Still, there are plenty of uses for green tomatoes as well. Click on the image for a larger view.
Yellow Dock—Edible Weeds
Yellow Dock or Curly Dock, Rumex crispus, is a common weed. We use the ground seeds in bread. Some use the seeds as a coffee substitute, although we use dandelion roots for that. Click on image for a larger view.
Red Currant Harvest
Naomi and I made a wonderful discovery this week—we found two red currant trees in our forest. This is a great find and will add to our annual fruit harvest. If you like fruit with a tangy bite, these are great. These particular berries will most likely end up in out yoghurt for today’s breakfast. Click on the image for a larger view.
Daylily—Edible Plants
When we moved into our home, we were blessed by an abundance of daylilies. The daylily (hemerocallis fulva) is mostly known for being an ornamental plant, however, the tubers, young shoots, and flowers can all be eaten raw or cooked. The tubers are cooked like potatoes by boiling them for 15 minutes or so. We have been so taken with their beauty, we have yet to serve them for dinner.
CAUTION: there have been reports of nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea with consuming daylilies, particularly in large quantities. Cooking is thought to reduce the effects. Please research any plant you intend to consume. Click on the image for a larger view.
Summer Wind Storm
Living on a ridge, our field and forest are in the path of all kinds of weather. Strong winds on sunny, dry days are invigorating. They seem to make our small hill much taller. Click on the image for a larger view.
The Raspberry Harvest
Our raspberries are coming into season. We have a few cultivated varieties, but most of our plants are wild, covering areas in our field and forest. We blended today’s harvest with some frozen pineapple and mango to make sorbet. Click on the images for a larger view.
Black-Eyed Susan
Our lawn is in bloom. The black-eyed susan is the perfect summer flower—big, bright, and joyful. The ideal blossom to draw with a box of crayons. Click on the image for a larger view.
