Author: theMan

  • A Question No More


    Until a short time ago the question was, “Will it snow this winter?” That question is now answered. It snowed this winter, a soft, gentle, beautiful snow. I can go ponder other things.


    Many of the better things in life are the unplanned things that come along and keep us company, a stray cat, a sad dog that tells us we are its owner. In all the decades I’ve lived, I never once thought of wanting to make kefir. It’s a nearly daily ritual now. Such a simple ritual, just a few minutes of my time in the morning, and yet it’s so satisfying.


    Kefir is a food that makes itself. The only thing I need to do is run it through a sieve until a tablespoon of the kefir grains are left.


    I pour the strained kefir into little cups for breakfast.


    The kefir grains I stir into a glass of milk and set the glass on the counter next to the happy porcelain cat, where it sits until tomorrow morning. All day and through the night, the kefir grains transform the milk into more kefir without me needing to do a thing. As I said, it makes itself.


    Making kefir is so simple, when I see it for sale in the store, I think, There’s a con. Why would anyone buy something that makes itself?

  • Daffodil Yellow


    The forecast is for colder weather with snowflakes, but the daffodils pay no heed. They’re opening their bright yellow petals despite the nippy air.



    The chickens love any day I make tofu. They pace back and forth by the cabin, waiting for me to appear with oakara おから, the soybean mash created during the process of making tofu. They go nuts if I have some spare tofu.

  • Worth Waking Up


    Yesterday morning was one of those mornings you were glad you opened your eyes again. The morning sky was a grand fireworks display.



    The mild winter has me dreaming of fresh greens, and it’s time to get seedlings ready. Yesterday it was komatsuna 小松菜 and spinach seeds that I planted. Compared to the tiny komatsuna seeds, spinach seeds are easy to grasp and plant. There is something pleasing about the feel of spinach seeds, not perfectly round like many seeds, the slightly lumpy, bumpy spinach seeds



    Delivering tofu to the Anacortes Food Co-op on Mondays, has become a routine. For those of you in Anacortes, Monday evening is your chance of buying tofu made that day. I usually make my deliveries between three and four in the afternoon. This time of year it’s a chance to see which fields the swans are grazing, and on clear days, soak in the views of Mount Baker.

  • Terror Strikes


    Cleaning out our closets, we uncovered this bright, snug, warm hat. Though I discovered that it strikes terror in the hearts of the chickens. If I wear it and step into the chicken yard, the chickens cry in horror and go running for the exit. It’s double terror for them if I show up in my bright yellow raincoat.

    It must be the bright red of the hat which makes my head look like it’s on fire, or some misshapen comb on a giant rooster. For the safety and well-being of all, I take off the red hat before entering the chicken yard. The chickens don’t budge if I show up with a dull brown or dark blue or grey hat. I can step right over them without them even bothering to look up.

  • A Hundred Words for Happy Things


    The ducks start the mornings with joy. As soon as I let them out, they squeal for joy and grunt merrily as they root for things to eat. Ducks seem to have a hundred words for happy things. You can almost understand them as they comment on what they find, “Oh, that’s good, not good, divine, have you ever tasted anything so good?” Ducks enjoy commenting on their food more than people.



    This evening’s sunset was a stunner. It hardly seems like January anymore. Today is the start of another long, warm, dry spell. At this rate, the first of the daffodils will be in bloom before February.