Puzzles and Cookies

We are having a great visit with Arron and Amy! We are also glad they can be with us while NYC get pounded by a bad storm, puzzles and cookies are better than reading the evacuation maps any day.

Birbanto is Famous!

Go directly to page 36 of this issue of PAWSitively Pets Magazine.

Crazy Mushroom!

Busy Summertime!

After celebrating the first harvest feast and the wheel of the year turning again, I am finally getting time to give an update on a few of my adventures.

Sadly, running has not really been on my list of adventures since June, the pain I had been having in my foot has turned out to be a heal spur. Any marathon aspirations for this fall are out. I have an appointment coming up to see if I can cope with it. I have been able to sneak in a run or two but the pain always comes back and can be pretty severe.

Jim and I enjoyed parts of the arts festivals when they came to town mid-July. A fun addition to the downtown festival was an interactive Kashi tour. After we exited we saw something that was quite exciting, the banner our family had submitted years ago was still being used. The batiked background was all faded but the acrylic sun and moon still stood out!

Without running being part of my life right now (I miss it terribly), I have turned focus to another enthusiasm of mine, writing and blogging. That will shock readers who have recently said they missed my blogging. I am excited to share that I have taken the time to consolidate many of the past posts that were food related and feel I have added enough new ones to finally share my vegetarian foodie blog, Bacon is NOT an Herb.

The title is inspired not from the local meat emporium, Herwig's, but the many times I have had bacon atop what I have been assured is a vegetarian salad. Also inspiration includes good friend whose brother is a vegetarian that eats bacon and all the vegetarians that go back to eating meat for... bacon.

I have shared the blog with some non-veggie folks who all smile and say, "I LOVE bacon!" So they like that it's a vegetarian blog that recognizes bacon as a special kind of meat. Many may love bacon but it's NOT an herb!

As a blogging host, I decided to give Wordpress a try. It's been difficult trying to figure out the ins and outs of it all and I do miss Blogger but don't like always being stuck in the Google universe.

The cats are all doing well and now that nights have cooled off they are active and demanding, at 3 AM. That was great when Arron was in LA or Tokyo and maybe we could connect via the Internet but he's home now and their nocturnal tendencies are forever.

This past weekend we toured the Gamble Mill micro brewery. It's one little room with just a couple of tanks. Mike Smith, the brew master, fielded all of our questions with kindness and enthusiasm.

I am sure eventually Jim and I will review The Gamble Mill from a vegetarian perspective, subscribe to Bacon is NOT an Herb and get the updates, but Sunday was to tour the brewery and sip a few cold ones. Lew Bryson and Ken Hull were also there and we all talked beer, books and blogs with brew master Mikes Smith and local photographer Chuck Fong.

The clientele was pretty testosterone heavy, Mr. Bryson's attitudes toward my beer choice, comments and questions bordered on misogynist but things leveled out in the long run. Bryson left to speak at Otto's Pub Club meal and the topics drifted to art and travels and the gender ratio in the place evened out.

So, the summer rolls on. We look forward to a visit from Amy & Arron in a few weeks and I am sure to have a lot more exciting things to share!

Origami Hops

Slate Run

After biking 26 miles in 2 hours, Jim takes a refreshing break on the deck of the Hotel Manor.

Pine Creek Rail Trail gave us a workout!

Dewy Bamboo-ee

Caprese Stackers

Thanks to Dad who got us some of the earliest locally grown tomatoes of the season! I couldn't just put their tasty loveliness with a salad so decided to feature them with our garden basil pesto and a little left over mozzarella. I topped them with a little balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Pita chips were nice on the side and I steamed some broccoli too.

Brooks Defyance 4

A road trip to Jack Rabbit Sports had me fitted for these b@d @$$ trainers. I can't wait to be out on the road with them!

Fireflies!

Sunny Pâté

Using a small Ninja Prep I made a vegan Sunny Pâté. I pulsed together a cup of sunflower seeds, a half a can each of pitted black olives and water packed artichoke hearts with about 1/3 cup fresh garden herbs and the juice of 1/2 a lemon.

I folded in 10 chopped cherry tomatoes to vary the texture and color. It has a really sunny and bright flavor. The only thing I might add is a little olive oil, the 'chokes and black olives added enough salt by themselves.

What is THIS!?

Just a reminder that Jim has an awesome blog too. Check out his post from last night and see more about this photo!

The Garden

Summer Toad

For over four years we have loved having this toad visit our back porch/ She eats the insects that our porch light brings at night and snoozes on or near the porch in the day. She is huge!

Grandmother Toad

Sunny Treats!

Happy Summer Solstice/ Litha to you all! To stay with the sunny theme I have made some broiled corn tortillas with oilive oil and a sprinkling of garlic powder and salt to go with a chilled soup for lunch.

The one looks like it has a sun spot!

June Beauty

The hydrangea in our yard!

Ducksez!

Jess Chillen'.

NYRR Women's Mini 2011

My results are officially posted here.

In a lot of pain and pretty disappointed that my time wasn't any faster, I muster a tearful smile for the camera with my finisher's medal.

Finally, a series of photos for sale on Bright Room photo services. Are any worth purchasing?

If I were to disappear tomorrow, I would hope that everyone remembered me this way.

Boalsburg Memorial Day Run

Almost a mile into the race. It's HOT!

Same place but coming back after 3 miles and 2 brutal hills. I am not happy that there is no shade.

Totally crazed at the finish line but happy I came in a minute and 7 seconds under my goal. See results here!!

Our Own Nyan Cat

See the original Nyan Cat here!