Hurricane Irene's Gift

SURF!!!

I really have so much to learn about the ocean, its beauty and its power. For several days here in Palm Beach, we watched as weather forecasters anticipated Hurricane Irene would be a nasty visitor here. Slowly, however, those same weather Joe's discovered her true path would be farther north. Check out the National Hurricane Center for current news of Tropical disturbances.

I asked a number of locals about their ideas of what this storm would bring here, and several said that the waves would be huge and the surfers would respond.

See the layers...impressive.

I had to see for myself just what it was like: to watch, to listen and to stand in awe of Mother Nature's "gift".

I chatted with a young man named Arturo, and I asked him, "As a surfer, how do you know when it's time to get up on your board?"

He responded, "There is a fine line between getting up and disaster. It's so quick and you have to lean in to the wave."

Ryan, a confident surfer, found that fine line in these shots.

Anyone out there today must be confident in their abilities and hopefully they have a buddy to watch out for them. Just getting beyond the break looks brutal to this mountain mom.

Until next time, Eli

{all images in this post were photographed by moi!}

Sea Level Baking

 I can't wait to show you what I achieved today, Asiago Cheese Bread!!

mmmmm, and now for the story!!!

Today is a momentous day in our Palm Beach house by the sea...I am making bread...not a quick one and not with the bread machine...I know, right?

I've been a bread machine baker for years. Not a lot of loaves but I did manage to figure it out when we lived in Denver, the Mile High city, and even in Blue River, Colorado, at an elevation of 10,200 feet, just south of Breckenridge and 10 minutes from South Park {the real one, closely related to the  funny one!}

Altitude can dramatically effect the way ingredients work together, as does humidity. {flour is much drier in Colorado...lacking in humidity!!} So trying traditional bread baking is new to me and achieving it would feel like quite a feat. I am thrilled at the prospect of baking bread at sea level. I found a recipe: asiago cheese bread on Betty Crocker.

So excited to give this a go...
I gathered my ingredients: flour, yeast, sugar, salt, hot water, chopped asiago cheese and rosemary...

I love that you can actually pronounce all the items... I followed the recipe and what do you  know??? It worked!

Forming the loaf

It raised beautifully.

A deep cut down the middle and the addition of asiago!

Yummy, indeed!

 Maybe it is your turn to try something new. Find a recipe and make it. Go dancing in the rain. Try a new craft. Hug more...laugh more...give it a try.

Thanks for stopping by today...I wish you could smell my house.
Eli

Until next time, Eli

Damsels, Dragons and Duplication

They don't seem to be following the traffic rules.

Who's a Damsel?
What's a Dragon?
I don't know...third base!! {if you don't know what I'm talking about, ask a parent}

I have never seen anything like it! Swarms of dragonflies and/or damselflies nearly everywhere you turn on the Island of Palm Beach.

What. is. going. on?

A small section of roof showing nine dragonflies.

According to several locals, it is mating season. According to several articles, that means that the youth flies, who have lived in the water for 2-3 years, have just emerged and are ready to "par--tay!!" There is plenty of information about how this happens (here is a simple but engaging article) but for now, enjoy a few photos and imagine standing below this frenzy...all. over. town!

"Being predatory, (dragonflies) are important in keeping the numbers of pest insects in check. Their ability to dart here and there, check their flight in mid beat, and turn to capture insects is unparallelled in the animal kindgom" According to an article on suite101.com, Mmmmm, mosquitoes!!!

"The most noticeable difference is their wings. Damselflies, also usually smaller, fold their wings back close to the body at rest whereas dragonflies keep their wings spread out at about 180 degrees."COOL!

Well, if I don't stop writing and filling your head with useless, yet entertaining info, I might never get to the rest of my day. Have a fabulous one...

Until Next time, Eli (Feel free to click on a pic to make it larger, you really can see it better.)