An Idaho Treasure: The Cataldo Mission

A few weeks ago when I was visiting family in Kellogg I made a stop at the Cataldo Mission. I love to stop and just be still on that hill above the river remembering all that has come to pass at this spot.

I remember the Cataldo Mission before it was restored. (I took this on Nostalgia setting)

I also remember it as a beacon on the hill that meant we were almost home after a long car trip.

 I was reminded that it was and still is a gathering place for the Indians and many are buried here.

I remember when the river that runs behind the mission wasn't so clean.

 This is probably how photos looked that I took on my 4th grade field trip.

 It truly is an Idaho treasure.

Lake to a River

 The drawdown has caused Lake Roosevelt to be the lowest it has been in many years. Driving home each day and watching the changes is truly amazing. You can actually realize what it was like when the beginning of the Columbia River ran by my house and along the road to Inchlelium.

Another Neruda Favorite

 

Poetry

And it was at that age ... Poetry arrived
in search of me. I don't know, I don't know where
it came from, from winter or a river.
I don't know how or when,
no they were not voices, they were not
words, nor silence,
but from a street I was summoned,
from the branches of night,
abruptly from the others,
among violent fires
or returning alone,
there I was without a face
and it touched me.

I did not know what to say, my mouth
had no way
with names,
my eyes were blind,
and something started in my soul,
fever or forgotten wings,
and I made my own way,
deciphering
that fire,
and I wrote the first faint line,
faint, without substance, pure
nonsense,
pure wisdom
of someone who knows nothing,
and suddenly I saw
the heavens
unfastened
and open,
planets,
palpitating plantations,
shadow perforated,
riddled
with arrows, fire and flowers,
the winding night, the universe.

And I, infinitesimal being,
drunk with the great starry
void,
likeness, image of
mystery,
felt myself a pure part
of the abyss,
I wheeled with the stars,
my heart broke loose on the wind.
Pablo Neruda
http://www.poemhunter.com/

Strawbale Gardening: A New Project!

We have an area close to our potato patch that needs a border. We really didn't want another fence. JEJ had already worked overtime on rock borders so I didn't suggest that. What I did come up with was a row of straw bales. The dogs liked the idea.

I saw an article on doing straw bale gardens and thought it would be fun to fill the bales with flowers that would cascade down the newly formed border. The bales were cheap, they will add structure to the garden, and there will be more beautiful color as the summer progresses.

Recently the bales have been a source of hunting for all our four-legged friends. I think some mice may have come with the bales from the feedstore.

 If you want to see how to make straw bale gardens that look like this, go to :
http://www.strawbalegardens.com/

Plate to Pixel: Lessons In Food Photography

I love to study food photography in cookbooks, magazines, and online. Tartelette has always been one of my favorite foodie blogs. Helene Dujardin's photography is exquisite and she inspires new ideas for cooking and styling.

 What I have learned in my own experimentation is that food photography isn't easy. It is hard to make that slice of apple pie look as yummy as it does in the magazine spread. My  pares in a bowl don't look as artistic as the cover of the book.

 I just finished reading Dujardin's new book Plate to Pixel: Digital Photography and Styling. Below I have posted a collection of food photos from my practice sessions. Take time to visit her blog Tartelette. You can find it here.

 

Dujardin suggests showing ingredients or steps to making a recipe.

 She suggests looking at coordinating colors. Mom's Fiestaware works well for that! Other things I tried were

going simple by squeezing a lemon,

paid attention to outdoor light,

natural indoor light,

and the rule of thirds.

Maybe My Favorite Place to Shop!

Some women love to shop for shoes. Some love purses or new jeans. Me? I love to shop for plants. Nurseries are one of my favorite places on earth to visit.

 Yesterday on my way home from Kellogg I stopped and spent an hour surrounded by the beauty of bedding plants, smells of summer, and the misty air in the greenhouse.

 I know if some on you won the lottery you would go on a cruise, buy a fancy car, or buy diamonds.

 Me? I would go and buy more plants! Here is the back of my car loaded up!