Exploring Up Stream

It's been a weird week weather wise with lots of warmish damp days. Today lots of fog in the morning and then a fabulous breeze that was just delicious. It felt fresh and bright and cool as it blew past. We walked upstream on the little creek that runs through the bottom below our house and down into the pond. I've only ever walked that way once or twice before, but its lovely as the creek moves towards its headwaters and the bottom narrows and gets a bit steeper. More rocky with little water falls and big beech trees growing along the edge.

There were also 3 or 4 old dumps sites peeking out from the leaves. One had a rusty car and a refrigerator, others bottles, cans, barrels. They had been there a very long time, left from the days when there was no dump, so you just hauled your junk out back. We also found some places that seemed like hunting practice areas. On one side of the creek was a deer blind in another spot a wooden platform. Wooden pallets were set-up across the creek, leaned up against trees like possible target posts, but they didn't have any bullet holes in them. We do hear gunshots fairly often ringing out from that way.

Right below the wooden platform, was a big swing. The seat was made from 2 pieces of 2x6, cut 2 feet long and screwed together. It hung from bright yellow, heavy duty nylon rope. A metal pole had been braced with chains high up in two tall, straight trees. It seemed secure.

We got on together and backed up the hill and had a pretty good swing but it was too heavy to really pump it up very high even with both of us working, still fun and nobody tried to shoot us and we didn't fall. A couple of dogs did come out from the next house up stream and escort us off their property.

It's good to see our little creek perking along so well; it's often dry in the summer and fall, this has been its best year in a while. Could be the fact that the forest was clear cut a few years ago, just above the headwaters, and now they've widened the road up there too, so there is more run-off into the creek making the water a bit cloudy.

I felt compelled to be outside after so many rainy days, it was good to walk the woods and see the sky and a bit of sunshine for a change.

Now D is cooking up some turkey mole that smells divine. It's got ground almonds and chile paste and loads of onions and garlic, a little cocoa and who knows what else. But I can tell its going to be damn good loaded into a tortilla for a juicy taco or two.

I'm on salad detail. The salads this time of year bite back. I cut a collection of radish greens- pink stems and tender but peppery leaves; mizuna- feathery purple and green tinged leaves, arugula and dill.

I'll cook them up with some radish and celeriac that I julienned and the tops of a couple of Brussels sprouts plants that I snipped off- they say it helps the sprouts to form if you remove the tops. I discovered last year they're like cabbage. Wilting it all in the olive oil softens the spicy flavors and makes a warm salad with lots of zing.

I'm off to finish my part and eat supper. Happy Day