I am off to the mountains too this week - the English Lake District so hopefully (weather permitting) I will get 3 hours out in the wilds every day for the next week. I am reading English Pastoral by James Rebanks for an essay I am writing, so it will be fitting to experience his landscape first-hand again.
In a landscape of sublimity such as the Lake District, it can be easy to be preoccupied with the scenery and fells and miss the little details all around you. Some of the species will be very different to the southern lowlands where I am from so I look forward to casting my gaze down low as well as up on high.
I recently picked up Sourdough making! What are some of your favorite recipes? So far I found a rustic, a sandwich/rolls dough, and a sourdough pancake recipe that I like but I'm always looking to expand my repertoire!
Sourdough making can take you down a big rabbit hole! I have been playing with sourdough variations for the past year. Right now I have some sourdough pizza crusts fermenting in the fridge. I have found that a slow fermentation stage in the fridge (for 2-3 days) really adds to the flavor of sourdough breads. Lots of great ideas for sourdough is out there on the internet, for sure -
A mundane example of nature's gorgeous extravagance: our Barred Rock hens are molting again, their discarded feathers blowing in a gray and white blizzard around their yard, fenced against the determination of abundant raccoons and skunks. Imagine: nature arranging the annual rejection and replacement of nearly all a chicken's feathers. But abundance at a cost: sadly, no eggs for the next 12-14 weeks.
Gracy, I really liked reading the article you linked in this post ("The Thoreau of the Suburbs"). It gave great insight into the back story in Dillard's writing this book.
My "wow" outdoor experience this week was watching a sunset, with storm clouds gathering in the western sky. A cumulus cloud that towered above me was brilliantly backlit by the golden setting sun for a few minutes, then the light faded. I experienced an inner thrill, followed by stillness. It seemed like a holy moment to me. I think God shows an extravagance in sunsets (why does He bother with making them beautiful?), and they can seem like a benediction to the end of a day.
I am off to the mountains too this week - the English Lake District so hopefully (weather permitting) I will get 3 hours out in the wilds every day for the next week. I am reading English Pastoral by James Rebanks for an essay I am writing, so it will be fitting to experience his landscape first-hand again.
In a landscape of sublimity such as the Lake District, it can be easy to be preoccupied with the scenery and fells and miss the little details all around you. Some of the species will be very different to the southern lowlands where I am from so I look forward to casting my gaze down low as well as up on high.
Jealous! The English Lake District is one of my favorite places in the world. Hope you had a lovely time.
I recently picked up Sourdough making! What are some of your favorite recipes? So far I found a rustic, a sandwich/rolls dough, and a sourdough pancake recipe that I like but I'm always looking to expand my repertoire!
Sourdough is the BEST! My kids prefer it to sweet treats. No joke.
This has been my foolproof, favorite sourdough bread recipe for many years now! https://food52.com/recipes/80565-table-loaf/amp#recipeStart
And this is a special breakfast treat we love: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/cinnamon-raisin-sourdough-bread-recipe
Thanks! These are great!
Sourdough making can take you down a big rabbit hole! I have been playing with sourdough variations for the past year. Right now I have some sourdough pizza crusts fermenting in the fridge. I have found that a slow fermentation stage in the fridge (for 2-3 days) really adds to the flavor of sourdough breads. Lots of great ideas for sourdough is out there on the internet, for sure -
A mundane example of nature's gorgeous extravagance: our Barred Rock hens are molting again, their discarded feathers blowing in a gray and white blizzard around their yard, fenced against the determination of abundant raccoons and skunks. Imagine: nature arranging the annual rejection and replacement of nearly all a chicken's feathers. But abundance at a cost: sadly, no eggs for the next 12-14 weeks.
Beautiful!
Gracy, I really liked reading the article you linked in this post ("The Thoreau of the Suburbs"). It gave great insight into the back story in Dillard's writing this book.
My "wow" outdoor experience this week was watching a sunset, with storm clouds gathering in the western sky. A cumulus cloud that towered above me was brilliantly backlit by the golden setting sun for a few minutes, then the light faded. I experienced an inner thrill, followed by stillness. It seemed like a holy moment to me. I think God shows an extravagance in sunsets (why does He bother with making them beautiful?), and they can seem like a benediction to the end of a day.
The glory of clouds always blows me away! Thank you for sharing such lovely reflections.