dog days . . .

Posted on August 29, 2022 by Jen

Juno and I are back from our morning walk and ready for the day. Earlier this morning I put away yarn messes, dusted and brought order to the room and covered the ~~dog bed~~ loft bed with freshly laundered bedspreads, then immediately on return from our somewhat dusty burry walk, Juno hops up and expresses a bit of jubilant gratitude for her clean napping place ( aww Juno, she’s so upbeat! ) And as the dog days of summer snail on by we are definitely feeling a reprieve from the usual heat these last couple of days, maxing out in the high 70’s to low 80’s, and no complaints. These last weeks of summer always seem to slow down to a crawl, at least with the knitting, although closing in on the end of the season at last, with only three more weeks left ! Scotty, beam us to Autumn!

♥ ♥ ♥

PS. Edited in later in the day : I was thinking about this Dog Days post and recalled there another similar that I posted many years ago. I searched in my archives and found it! It was the Lazy Hazy Dog Days of Summer from eight years ago, and oh what a journey down memory lane. Strongly familiar, but now so far out of my grasp or influence, a moment in the original house several years before the wildfire, hanging out with our dear dog Emma, and working on one of my earlier knitting designs I was making for younger niece when she was soon to turn twelve. A pause for a tear. Time truly just marches on doesn’t it?

solstice

Posted on June 21, 2021 by Jen

Summer is upon us! Nothing is as awe inspiring to me in my life than the play of light & shadow among the posts and beams, and I do love to capture it especially as the season changes, for the light reflection and shadows cast move throughout the day, and throughout the year. I love to be home, to get things done. But! As for getting things done, I am a bit overwhelmed presently with things-going-on that have nothing to do with knitting, so at the same time my life feels chaotic, the slow progress with knitterly things marks a pause in life for now. Well, that’s a good thing maybe. Moving across the day with the shadows on the longest day of the year goes seemingly the slowest. Happy solstice everyone! xx

Solstice Approaching

Posted on June 18, 2019 by Jen

jenjoycedesign© garden 8 Its very near to the summer solstice here, and this time of year always tricks me. I am out watering every morning, and need to be as though my life depends on it (and it does), just keeping those plants green and alive. If I miss many days watering in the summer, then plants wilt irreversibly and the whole thing is a goner before August gets underway, then I just give up. But lately I’ve felt that keeping a bit of this arid mountainside a green oasis, is not only for the plants, but for a kind of green fire barrier, should another wildfire blaze through. That means from early June until the first rains in mid Autumn I must water every morning and “weed whack” as a preventative approach, for my own peace of mind if anything. Certainly, a garden which actually makes edible things is a wonderful thing too!
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The work up here seems overwhelming for me at this time, having been out of it for a couple of years nearly, yet I suppose rebuilding our house is also about rebuilding my life. It is going to take a lot of effort clearly, if we choose to continue living up here in the wild “fire safe”, so my life’s work for the next few months is in the garden and surrounding defensible space. Already the grass is too high, and because of the rain in May, needs to be cut yet again! Oh but I do feel proud because some of the perennial plants in the garden are already old-timers, knowing that everything I planted was either a cutting or a young plant from the nursery, and what is now many years old has grown to be test-proven in this harsh mountain climate.
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Rugged perennials have ~ finally ~ established to be the signature thrivers of this mountain garden, along with tools that have retired from use.
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Friday is the solstice, so wherever you are in the world, winter or summer, I hope you enjoy the turning of the Earth’s beautiful seasons.

(If you click 1st image , you will go to slideshow with commentary! )

A Thomson Seedless grape, now about 15 years old, has swallowed the arbor Jeff gave me for my birthday last winter.

Originally this was a Graham Thomas English rose, but in the absence of attention during & after the wildfire, it died, only to have the sturdy rootstock regrow into a charming red blossomed climber.

English peas, sprouted from a bag of fresh last March, already making their way up the first ever pea trellis of our mountain garden.

Committed schedule of watering is my life’s work in the summer.

A wild secret garden.

One of my prized plants in the garden are the thornless blackberries, as I am working on long trellised rows of them, all started from one plant bought years back.

My shady spot in the garden

Coffee in a jar, sprinklers

A secret mountain garden of log raised beds and ad hoc trellises.

Potatoes, peas, kale, celery, lettuces, and marigolds, in a log bed which is now already 10 years old.

More thornless blackberries.

First fruit this year on young Gravenstein apple tree.

Tomatoes, zucchini, basil on their way to overtaking this bed.

Drinking my coffee in my garden chair in the early morning.

My growing collection of vintage garden sprinklers.

Behind this foxglove you can see the newly painted house under construction.

Waning Summer

Posted on September 18, 2018 by Jen

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Its the last days of summer, finally. I thought I’d never get through them.

The Autumn Equinox is near, and I thought I’d enjoy a nice afternoon walk up the ridge and take some photos of the landscape in the waning summer.

Wild peas continuing to bloom unusually late…
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As I got higher up the ridge where the bad burn is,

I notice so many sprouted trees, as this baby knob cone pine, about 8 inches tall …

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Sprouted right beneath the scorched parent tree, full of pine cones….

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In a blink it will be the Autumnal Equinox , only four days! Knowing I am near to being in a far better place mentally with the anniversary of the wildfire so soon to pass, I am so very eager to be grateful again and excited about life’s good things.

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Sweater Success !

Posted on July 25, 2018 by Jen

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I didn’t make it all the way to Calistoga for the actual Lincoln Street locale, but we improvised in St Helena instead. After meeting at St Helena Roastery, for coffee (please tell me you don’t notice the drop of chocolate syrup from Miss Fifteen’s mocha, spilled on her Lincoln Street before the photo shoot… lol!), we then took the photos against the stone of the St Helena Catholic Church, then went to Lolo’s Consignment Shop. Lastly we had lunch at Villa Corona, and walked around the Main Street a while too. Absolutely colossally wonderful summer day spent together with my nieces!

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Now you can make your own Lincoln Street sleeveless …

and the pattern is available !

Details are HERE.

Invincible Summer Lemonade

Posted on June 20, 2017 by Jen

” In the depth of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.” — Albert Camus

In California in winter you might very well witness yellow lemons fattening on the branches of the Meyer Lemon tree, bringing summer into winter. This is so at odds with one’s expectations, that I found the quote by Camus to be perfect!

And now for a little fun research on the extraordinary & delicious Meyer lemon ~~ In the turn of the last century, American “agricultural explorer” Frank Nicholas Meyer collected a sample of a native lemon plant on a trip to China, which was believed by him to be a hybrid of a lemon and a mandarin orange. He introduced it to the United States in 1908.

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The Meyer lemon is commonly grown in garden pots as an ornamental tree, I personally have one, and feel they are delicious and wonderful potted citrus to have. California Cuisine chef Alice Waters at Chez Panisse in Berkeley rediscovered this fruit in the cuisine revolution of the 90’s, as did Martha Stewart when she began featuring them in her recipes. I remember that era & the popularizing of the Meyer lemon very well. ed4eb8cff64f736b233f46e4813b5fd7

“The Meyer lemon fruit is yellow and rounder than a true lemon. The skin is fragrant and thin, colored a deep yellow with a slight orange tint when ripe. Meyer lemon fruits have a sweeter, less acidic flavor than the more common Lisbon or Eureka varieties. The pulp is a dark yellow…” read more …

Happy Summer Solstice everyone ~~ and on this first day of summer, I give to you my very own extremely delicious sparkling Meyer lemonade recipe ~~ having just renamed it just for this solstice “Invincible Summer Lemonade” ! This recipe will make you a couple of tall glasses of delightful ice-cold lemony refreshment, so dig out your zesters and make sure there’s plenty of ice in the freezer.

Pick 1 ripe fruit from your Meyer lemon tree, or from the produce stall at the market, but really, any kind of fresh lemon will do, just avoid using old stale lemons.
With a zesting tool, zest outer skin of entire lemon, only the yellow part, avoiding the bitter white of the peel if possible. If you don’t have a zester, then use a grater, but more often than not, too much of the peel is lost to the grater.
Into a glass quart jar or liquid measure, combine 2-4 tbsp organic sugar, and lemon peel and let sit for 30 minutes, while stirring once or twice while sugar is leeching out those tasty essential oils from peel, the signature flavor in this drink.
Now juice the peeled lemon and pour juice over sugar-zest mixture. Stir well until all the sugar dissolves in the lemon juice.
Pour into juice 2 to 3 cups sparkling mineral water ( or a combination of sparkling and cold water). Add more sugar if desired.
Pour lemonade through strainer over ice into pitcher or glasses & enjoy the best taste of summer you’ll ever have. Perhaps while contemplating the following text by Albert Camus …

“ In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger — something better, pushing right back. Let the situation be as cold as winter but the heat lies within you. “

Mid August

Posted on August 15, 2016 by Jen

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August is such a stale time of the year. No cool breezes, no moisture, perpetual aqua blue skies, and a lot of anxiety about wildfire. The grasses stand crisp and golden, and so picturesque, but really it is just in suspended limbo until the rain comes, there in the bleaching hot sun day after day while even the moss in the forest turns brownish and, like the grasses, is frozen in lifelessness for months.

Mid August is even more stale than when the month arrived, and by the end of the month I am usually quite fried, dreaming of verdant countrysides in far off lands.

I have been thinking about my knitting trail, and ideas. So far it’s just staked out and haven’t walked it very much, but I need a grand plan, and I need ideas. I was hoping for some from you readers.

Now I will make myself a fresh iced coffee and wait for a little conversation to begin…

Busy

Posted on July 30, 2016 by Jen

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Knitting aside, I’ve been busy as a bee hive this summer. Mostly running down off of the mountain every day to water or weed or do some laborious task associated with home-improvement (of another house). Only this morning I was scrubbing a bathroom of tile & grout for hours with bleach, oh joy. Not. Feeling rather tired in fact, and looking forward to Autumn with a great yearning, but it is … sigh … only the end of July.

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Anyway, aside from the ‘town’ house project and my trying to keep the garden up here on the mountain alive through the hottest months of a Northern Californian summer, I am getting a little knitting done in spite of it all.

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I am now done & dusted with Wee Hearts Tam, in Isager Tweed Moss & Pink ( from last post’s mention of pattern merge). Not bad I think. But I am thinking I am now ready to test this design for a full-on Fair Isle approach, with many color changes, and warm foreground colors play against cool background colors sort of thing. I’ve been studying the great Fair Isle designers, ready to make simple Wee Hearts sparkle with about seven different colors of Hebridean 2ply…

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So thankful for my yarn stash, I am ready with what I already have, and off I go, on a major color adventure!

Highway 29 & Pattern !

Posted on July 12, 2016 by Jen

My latest design “Highway 29” is named after the main road running through Napa Valley from Napa to Calistoga. This old highway is dotted with wineries and famous restaurants enough to make you dizzy, plus some added hot-spots where we locals frequently go, beginning in the north end of the town of Napa getting sweet around Yountville, then Oakville, Rutherford, St Helena, and continuing clear on up to Calistoga. As a local, coming down off the mountain from Oakville Grade when I am going upvalley, I often stop at the very unique Oakville Grocery , founded in 1881, just an old rural ‘backroads’ grocers of a bygone era, is now a highly trafficked stop-off for locals & tourists alike, with an exceptional coffee bar & deli for drinks, gifts & goodies-to-go.

After Oakville you pass a bunch of wineries, and then of course, St Helena where I often knit-in-public or meet friends at Napa Valley Coffee Roasting Company, as its the coffee shops I seem to be most familiar with, loving to knit and visit with friends. After that it’s a stretch of countryside to Calistoga with places such as Bale Grist Mill, founded in 1846…

a working renovated grain mill which is popular for historic reenactment parties and has old-time live music often (one of the bands is my brother & sister-in-law, my nieces dad & mom) , offers tours & grinds corn to sell. It is in front of the entrance to the Bale Grist Mill where these photos were taken for Highway Halter, on the old wooden fence,

Ah, but it is here at ‘ The Castle ‘ where you’ll recognize the stone from merely the carriage house where we actually have many of our photo shoots…

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Right off of Hwy 29, this carriage house is at the entrance to the castle gate, erected more recently I think to use some left over stone & brick perhaps, and it houses the ground-keepers tools & provides a place for the chauffeurs to park, and I think some offices devoted to castle business. Here some shots from this spot…

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Passing more breathtaking scenery, one finally lands in Calistoga as if by accident.

This is the town from which you may recognize many backdrops to my nieces & my photo shoots. But there are many photo memories of Calistoga and not enough room to post. Anyway, enough of all of this Highway 29 – turned to- Memory Lane, and all the treasures found along the way… and now it is time for Highway 29, a halter which I’ve just knit for my nieces and written a pattern for! In previous post I talk about the significance of naming the latest design “Highway 29” , which really is a possibility to start a collection…. I mean, if I’m going to really go through with it… anyway, my nieces seem to think we should. If not the name-sake for the design will stand on its own. We will just have to see what comes.

You can find the pattern for this design on Ravelry HERE .

Hang Dry

Posted on July 2, 2016 by Jen

Done & dusted with something I’ve been working on for a few weeks !

Lazy Hazy Dog Days Of Summer

Posted on September 2, 2014 by Jen

Well folks, we’re in the dog days of summer. Such a funny expression…. ‘dog days’ … let me look it up.

dog days

noun

the hottest period of the year (reckoned in antiquity from the heliacal rising of Sirius, the Dog Star).
a period of inactivity or sluggishness.

“in August the baseball races are in the dog days”

I can bet that Emma is as tired of them as I am. Everything dry as parchment outside, and no rain in sight for another month. Another month or longer !

This early morning we are pacing ourselves …

At the very ~~least~~… er…most… there’s lots of knitting going on.

How is your summer going? ( Or winter, if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere).

What are you up to?

In The Kitchen

Posted on August 9, 2014 by Jen

As I mentioned in previous post, my nieces came for a visit for a couple of days. We mostly ‘chillaxed’ around together with our EDC’s (electronic devices of choice: iphone, kindle, laptop) but with plenty of time in the kitchen, just the way the last days of summer vacation should be spent, after a very busy one they had. Both nieces had a busy summer, but Miss Eleven had and an incredible growth spurt ~~ and this visit was special, as for the first and last time, we are all three the same height !

Two days, one night, and four times we flung flour. The first time was making noodles (flour & egg) for upon their arrival they were good and hungry and I had some home-made chicken soup all ready for their expert noodle work. By the way, Miss Fourteen could easily win a chicken-noodle-soup-eating contest … hands down! Second time, made Amish moon pies ( flour & butter) with apple filling I had made ahead of time waiting in the freezer , and came to life good & proper with their very experienced moon-pie-making magic touch. How many moon pies did I personally eat? Don’t ask, I lost count! Third time, pizza for dinner (flour & yeast) which means of course, pizza dough… and lots more flour (sorry , no photo of pizza) . Fourth time, next day repeat noodle making for to finish off the chicken soup. Thats about it, a whirl-wind couple of days flinging flour and exhausting relaxation. We three girls thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and that’s certain.

What totally killed me was in our last hour before I had to bring them back to Calistoga to meet their mom, Miss Eleven says ” Lets bake something ! ” Can you believe that? C’mon kid ! She cracks me up. Anyway, we will leave you with our humble little noodle recipe . . .

~ My Niece’s Way of Noodle-Making ~

Crack one egg into bowl. Add a pinch of salt, and maybe pepper and other herbs & flavors ‘to taste’~ whatever strikes your fancy. Add flour and stir with fork until ball forms. Add only enough flour to keep very moist wad of dough so that you can pick it up with your hands, the rest of the flour will be added from well-floured hands and surface. Break off small chunks and roll out with your hands. When all rolled out, into a pan of rapidly boiling water, or chicken broth, or soup, add all noodles quickly and at once, Stir , then let simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes. Eat and savor the hand-made goodness.