Time for walkies

Oh, simple dog leash, how you delight and entertain! Ole found a dog/goat leash left lying on a chair in the yard and played with it for over an hour. He must have noticed how we hang it around our neck on walks, so he tried that maneuver. I eventually lured him back to the house by dragging it in front of him. He chased it right in (that old trick works like a charm on the cats, too).

In the kitchen with Kate

Blackberry season has seemed to stretch on and on this year. That feeling may be based entirely on the number of times I have picked berries rather than any actual facts about blackberries, but I've enjoyed it nonetheless. With the latest batch, I tried out a new recipe this weekend: Blackberry Balsamic Pie with Sea Salt Walnut Crumble.
Fresh berries are tossed with lemon zest, sugar and balsamic vinegar...

and covered with an oatmeal, walnut and sea salt topping

 

Which brings us to one of my favorite breakfasts of all time: slice of pie, egg and coffee. Usually I like a gooey fried egg over top, but that grosses Alex out a bit, so I've chosen the more modest scrambled eggs. It would be interesting to know if I say this about every pie I make, but I do think this is one of the best pies I've ever made. The unusual balsamic and sea salt flavors come through without overpowering and the crust is flaky and crisp. I just love the salty/sweet combo when it works. Yay!

Road construction blues

They've started a gigantic construction project on the highway just below us and today I woke up to an orange monstrosity in my yard. So every time I leave the driveway I see this helpful directive. It might as well say, "Give up, go back to bed."

It really looks like they've set up camp. There are bored-looking traffic flaggers and one of those mobile offices parked down below. We're in for a year of noise, delays, and so so much orange.

Meanwhile, my little traffic cone still loves the hike down the hill to pick a few blackberries each afternoon before dinner.  He waits now, rather than delving into the thorny bushes, and holds his mouth open like a hungry baby bird while I pick the choicest berries. Smart boy.

Summer summer summertime

We're soaking up the last glorious rays of summer this week, really trying to savor it before it's gone. We took a short hike in the gorge on Friday, then hit Hood River for fun in the park and a quick swim.

He looks so serious, but he loved this thing

Behind Alex you can see the smoke from the White Salmon wildfire drifting westward. From across the river we watched a helicopter lower a bucket into the water to help fight the fire. Luckily, news today reports the fire has been contained.

Back at home he played in the pool for ages, splashing and slurping, in an out, even snacking on an apple in the pool.

We're just hitting our summer stride here, so I know I'm hoping for a few more of these hot and sunny afternoons.  More to come...