My morning walk down the driveway was rewarded with a little visit with this neighbor. I'm afraid I disturbed her breakfast, but she stayed close, and most likely was soon back at it, finishing off whatever unlucky critter she caught.

I believe this Barred Owl nests in the woods nearby.

MONDAY, JULY 27, 2015

 Dinner and a movie in Langley! Cathi and I sat on the outdoor patio at the Pizzaria, where the weather was perfect. We watched a lone kayaker paddle softly past a seal's head on the smooth blue waters of Saratoga Passage, with Camano Island beyond.

The movie was Inside Out, which was very entertaining. Our book group met there and watched together. A lovely summer evening.

 We've had a couple of rainy days - actually the first rain in almost two months, so it was needed. But it has dried out this afternoon, so Apollo and I went out to play in the madronna tree.

 They are popping their bark, and revealing the luscious greens on the branches.

 Apollo is not a very patient poser for my photos!

 Then off to the unmowed part of the field, where the grass seeds are lovely.

 Apollo loves to hunt in the tall grasses, and often brings me the fruits of his labors!

SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2015

 Went to the local Farmer's Market to pick up some produce, and saw that they were preparing to film a segment of The Cook and The Comic. This is our local WhidbeyTV company, owned by George Henny and his family. That's George, above, as they get ready to start the filming.

 The Cook is Chef Gordon, from Gordon's at Blueberry Hill. This is the set, complete with an overhead camera looking down on the cooking table and showing live action.

 David Ossman is the Comic - he's a famous comedian and actor from Firesign Theater days. Behind him is Gordon's sous chef. Everyone is ready to begin!

 The two of them have a wonderful off-the-cuff patter, on live TV. Here, they're discussing how the green tomato's shape is surprisingly similar shape to Gordon's.

 The first dish was Fried Green Tomatoes, with mixed greens and a fresh dressing. The tomatoes were sliced, dipped in tempura batter, then bread crumbs, and fried in deep fat.

 The presentation was beautiful! And some of the audience, me included, got a taste.

 Next up was a muffaletta, a sandwich recipe from New Orleans (which prompted a series of atrocious accents). It has layers of sliced meats, cheeses, and a chopped olive salad. It is wrapped tightly and refrigerated overnight, and through the magic of TV, he had one that he had made last night.

 This time others got to sample!

 Last was a Layer Crepe Cake, which consisted of multiple layers of crepes, alternated with a cream spread, which Gordon made from some of the local goat and sheep cheeses and honey. Then he made a caramel sauce with lavender and cinnamon to pour over. Finally, he added fresh berries from the market.

 Stunning! And I got to taste this, which was delectable! Gordon was filmed going around the farmer's market, buying fresh ingredients for these dishes, and interviewing the farmers.

The camera crew also got many shots of the audience enjoying themselves. And as I was right in the front row, I might be in some of them! I'll have to visit someone who has WhidbeyTV when the episode airs!

THURSDAY, JULY 16, 2015

 Had to make a trip to Coupeville, and my favorite way to return home is via Ebey's Landing, even if only for a few minutes while I eat lunch. Today was so pretty!

A study in blues.

SATURDAY, JULY 11, 2015

 Sorry for the sideways pic - Blogger no longer allows rotating. Anyway, Cathi, Tui and I hiked the Saratoga Woods today, after the car show at Bayview and walking around Chochookum. She had not been to the Glacial Erratic before, and was properly impressed.

Saw lots of crooked trees on the Bent Tree Trail returning to the parking lot.

 It has been so dry, the grass is all brown and dead, so we haven't needed to mow. The flowering weeds that I love have come up and are blooming - here is Queen Anne's Lace - one of the flowers I used in my wedding bouquet.

SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2015

 Today started nice and quietly, with Apollo and me relaxing in the shade.

Of course, later in the day it got quite noisy, no small part of which was Cory and his friends making bombs and blowing up watermelons and the Millenium Falcon! But a good day.

FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2015

 Well, once again I have lapsed for several months! I really intended to post more regularly - I don't know what happens!! Anyway, once again I will start, and maybe even post some older photos now and again. 

It's time to celebrate the birth of our country, and this is our view of the fireworks in Freeland's Celebrate America event.