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Author: theMan
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No Escaping Beauty
There is no escaping beauty. Sometimes it explodes in front of your face when you least expect it, like this morning when I stepped out onto the back patio and beauty flooded the sky from horizon to horizon.
There was the snow covered log, bobbing on the pond, the roll of wire turned into a work of art by yesterday’s snow, and the wooden bridge made soft and woolly by a blanket of soft snow.
Nestled away in the chicken coop, two month old chicks are in that awkward stage where at times they look like scruffy old buzzards instead of the little princesses they are.
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It’s Been a Long Time
It’s been five years since the chickens have had so much snow to run around in. Most of them are new to this and would rather not. The snow fell from early morning through much of the day. Even if it is sunny this weekend as forecast, this is close enough to be a White Christmas.
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Happy New Year!
Happy New Year! The calendar says New Years is still eleven days away, but today is the beginning of the new year as far as I am concerned. This morning, at 2:44 am Pacific Time, you could hear the earth creak and groan as it decided it had slept enough and it was time to start waking up. For those of us north of the equator, and especially those of us who live closer to the north pole than the equator, the days will start to get longer. Spring is just around the corner.
Today, the shadows in the northern hemisphere are longer than they will ever be. Longitudinally, I live closer to the north pole than from where I grew up, which explains why the length of day and night didn’t make much of an impression on me as a boy. Now I have a sense of sadness when the summer solstice arrives in late June and the days start to shorten. That is six months away, and until then, it’s time to be happy, happy, happy and enjoy the lengthening days. There are 193 of them to come. Plenty of days to build up enough happiness to last all the way through to the next winter solstice.
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Whole Wheat Anpan – A World First?
Hmm, the an, sweet bean paste, I made brought back memories of a staple of my childhood, anpan あんパン, buns stuffed with an. Anpan are always made with the whitest, fluffiest dough imaginable.
What would anpan made with 100% whole wheat dough taste like? Let alone with the 100% whole wheat levain dough I have rising on top of the refrigerator? I’ll never know if I don’t try.
Less than a hour later, the whole wheat levain anpan are ready to try. Wow! They turned out much better than I thought they would. The slighty tangy levain bread blends well with the sweetness of the an. They turned out good enough that I have a bowl of adzuki beans soaking to make more an tomorrow. If you look closely, the beans look like they’re smiling.
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Pastures of Swans
The swans are on pastures by the hundreds. Here a flock, there a flock, everywhere a flock. Swans are constantly moving in small groups from one flock to another. What is that all about? Is the grass better over there? Is the gossip juicier? Watch a flock of swans for any length of time and the questions flow nonstop.
