Camping at Quincy Lakes

Of all the photos that I've taken of our son Taraz, this one is my favorite. We found a grove of cottonwoods during one of our hikes on the weekend. The fluffy seeds covered the ground making it look like snow had fallen.

We camped for a few days at Quincy Lakes in eastern Washington, bringing Taraz and his friend Angela.
Hiking along the Dusty Lake Trail.

We had lunch along these immense basalt cliffs and watched the cliff swallows. They were busy feeding their young. As the birds swooped in to the nests the baby birds would buzz with excitement and the parents would hover overhead, flapping their wings like hummingbirds.
Some of the little fledglings did not survive, and small bones littered the ground.

Even though it was close to 90 degrees on Sunday we still had a three hour hike mid-day. This was Spring Lake, one of three. It was here that the heat got the best of Angela, and Taraz went into the water in his clothes and boots! (Flickr video.)
Taraz put sunscreen on my back several times, to prevent sunburn.
A late afternoon canoe paddle on gentle water.

I served a mixture of chorizo sausage, cheese and eggs, polenta and vegetables for breakfast on Sunday. It was simmered until the eggs are cooked, and the chorizo gives everything a wonderful zest and flavor. It is one of our favorite camping meals, similar to the shukshuka breakfast we had in Israel. A year ago when we were camping at Lake Wenatche I made a breakfast similar to this one, and accidently added Palmolive Dishwashing Liquid to the frypan rather than olive oil. I had to throw the entire meal away!

George has some of his videos of the trip up on Flickr...

Our friend Walter brought over a dozen roses last Thursday as an early Mother's Day gift, and to also celebrate May birthdays ~ his is just a few days before mine.

I've been busy laying out the growing berms for my vegetable garden at Franklin Park. They've given me two plots this year, so that means double the work.

George has helped do some of the digging and also re-worked a huge compost pile along the fence so I can use that space for winter squash. So far I've got kale, mustard, leeks, red and white onions, walla walla onions; collards, beets, sweet fennel, parsley, celery, carrots, shallots, snow peas and borage. I still have to plant green beans, corn, zuchinni, winter squash, tomatoes and hot peppers. I'll do that when the weather is a little warmer. Most of the heavy work is done now, and it is mostly a matter of water and hauling leaves/grass/straw for the trenches when I have time to lay them out. They are a valuable mulch as they deteriorate throughout the summer, keeping the soil moist and the weeds down.

We are also in the process of going through all our Pilgrimage photos, or I should say George is, posting them in the Flickr account as time permits. I have culled through and collected a few specifically of me, for putting into a little photo album. It will serve as a reminder that I was actually there!

One of my favorites was taken in the gardens at Bahji, in an underdeveloped area. I just happened to be wearing a sweater that matched the ground cover!

George has started filming our canoe paddles ~ we've had two recently, Isabella Lake and Montesano Slough off the Chehalis River. He posted videos from our paddle yesterday. The weather has been wonderful throughout the weekend, with sunshine and warm temperatures.

Baha'i Pilgrimage

We arrived in Haifa, Israel after a 23 hour flight, including a seven-hour layover in Newark, New Jersey. Needless to say, it was exhausting. But what made it worse was that I was so eager to depart on this journey I failed to sleep the entire night before departure. I could not fall asleep!

I had spent about a month reading about Israel, its people and culture, and I also studied the suffering and exile of Baha'u'llah. Banished from Iran, exiled in Iraq, Turkey, and Israel, His mission was to bring about greater appreciation of human diversity, to unite the world in one common Faith, and to promote global well-being. It was poignant to visit the Holy Shrines, the Memorial Gardens, and to linger in the presence of others like George and myself, intent on 'filling our cup to the brim'. (Of course there are others who wish to empty their cup!)

That brings me to my first photo above, of waking up in our hotel, opening the shutters to our window overlooking a courtyard, and placing my bowl on the windowsill. Our room at the Haddad Guest House on Ben Gurion Avenue was efficient, with a little kitchen (a refrigerator, an electric tea kettle, and (Tim will like this!) a small waffle iron. We quickly learned that there are bakeries and 'hole in the wall' grocery stores on almost every block, so we loaded up on fresh-baked pita bread, hummus, fruits and vegetables. Everything is incredibly fresh and flavorful.

There are solar panels and small water-storage containers on all the roofs. When we arrived I learned that our hotel didn't provide wash cloths, and when the water was cold I assumed they didn't provide hot water either. I boiled water in the teapot and placed it in my soup bowl for washing (pictured above). After five days I finally inquired about hot water for the shower and learned that the switch on the wall released the hot water!

The Haddad Guest House is in the hub of the old part of Haifa, in the German Colony. The night life was exuberant, with music playing until 4:30 in the morning in many of the restaurants along Ben Gurion Avenue. It was a time of festivity for an upcoming Jewish Holy Day, the Shabbat.

As the days unfolded we savored the excitement and celebration, eating in many of the little restaurants and stopping for an afternoon latte on open verandas. Baha'i Pilgrims greeted us as they passed, giving the area a feeling of connection and congeniality.

George took almost a thousand photos and culled them down to about 500 'good ones'. It will take weeks for him to process those photos! Although I took my camera, I was determined not to be in 'camera mode', like a tourist. I took a little over one hundred photos, strictly as an after-thought. I wanted to be a Pilgrim, not a tourist, and the Pilgrimage experience is so wondrous and personal that I shall keep it private. When I get time, I'll be placing my photos in a separate Flickr file: Bonita's Pilgrimage Photos. I've got about 30 that I'll keep. George's photos are in the Baha'i Pilgrimage file.

This is one of my favorites, of the gardens at Bahji, simple and lovely.

We went to the Shrine of Baha'u'llah and the Mansion at Bahji about four times, and on one occasion it was coupled with the First Day of Ridvan celebration. About 800 Baha'is serve at the World Center, and there were over 300 Pilgrims. So watching almost a thousand Baha'is circumambulate the Holy Shrine of Baha'u'llah was phenomenal, reverent, and joyous. Never to be forgotten, as if my entire life had been made for that day.

Another significant moment for me on this Pilgrimage was to place a lock of my mother's hair under a plant on Mt. Carmel that I'd carefully chosen. She is buried on a remote Indian reservation in Montana, in accordance with her own need to serve the Faith. But, I felt a part of her belonged here, deserved to be here. She made a Baha'i Pilgrimage in 1953, and when the Guardian directed the Baha'is to travel to foreign lands to teach the Faith he also said it was meritorious just to be buried in a remote place not yet opened to the Faith. She left her bones, and I saved a lock of her hair. I poked it into the soil under the tough succulent leaves of 'Hens and Chicks'.

We took a sherut (a taxi van with multiple destinations) to Akka on one of our free days, and spent three hours exploring this old city with its central market, its old alleyways, the caravanseri and citadel.

I could have spent three days here! It was the most ancient city I've ever seen, with the old stones almost petrified from wind and sea brine off the Mediterranean.

We explored the old market place, with its alleyways and little shops: Food grilling, hawkers shouting out their wares, spices in big burlap bags. I bought all my spices here: Yemenite Hawaig, Turkish Shawarma, Sumac, Nutmeg, Cilantro, middle- eastern Oregano, and Zahatar.The aroma of the market was wondrous! Sensory overload!

However, my eyes put on a bit of protest. They simply gave out by 3:00 in the afternoon, and I had to hold on to George to make my way throughout the alleyways. That was fortuitous, though, as I had to walk with my eyes downcast. I found all kinds of 'alley trash' along the ancient sea wall - old nails, buttons, ceramic tile, a huge bolt and ornate washers, old crushed bottle caps. I bagged up small rocks and a sliver of granite siding from one of the columns within the caravanseri that had fallen to the ground. I sure hoped all of this would make it through customs (especially the sharps), as I had not made any 'tourist purchases' during the entire trip. On our last day we visited a small shop not far from our hotel that sold prayer beads, illuminated holy text, ceramic Greatest Names and other memorabilia. We purchased a few things for the friends back home.

We'd heard all kinds of stories about some of the hazards of being a tourist in Haifa (overcharging), but we didn't experience any of it. The local people were wonderful, the waiters soft-spoken and overly solicitous, very courteous. Arab men have a reputation of staring at women, and I was no exception with my big visor and bug-eyed sunglasses. I'm sure all of them thought I had no reason to compromise my appearance this way (nobody wears visors), but it was essential for me, and so much a part of my daily attire that I forgot I had it on when I did my first prostration at the Shrine of Baha'u'llah. I layed my prayer book in front of me, bowed my head at the Holy Threshold, and dang, I banged my visor onto my prayerbook with a thud.

I also stubbed my toes on thresholds, and stumbled more times than I can count. I simply had no clear vision or ability to determine depth of field with my double vision, so I was always careening and tumbling a bit. The flight with its exhaustion and jet-lag and the rigors of the Pilgrimage (walking and climbing) triggered a major 'episode', which my doctors suspect is myasthenia gravis. Well, the pain was so intense for several days I finally took four doses of Advil over a 24 hour duration. Not only was the pain gone, but my vision was completely restored! I had perfect vision for the entire First Day of Ridvan, that most glorious day. This was a revelation in itself! My issues are not glycation (nerve damage associated with aging) but muscle weakness due to an auto-immune disorder. My vision issues are now more understandable.

I'm glad to be home, so grateful for the experiences of the past few weeks. George and I managed so well, had such a good time! The courtesy and care of the Baha'i World Center staff is foremost in my mind. They go out of their way to insure that the Pilgrimage experience is meaningful and comfortable.

Industrial Tideflats ~ Tacoma, Washington

We had gorgeous weather over the weekend, sunshine and blue skies, temps in the low 60's. Perfect spring weather... sunshine and bird song.

George read in the News Tribune that the Daffodil Parade would be Saturday, early afternoon, downtown. We decided to check out the colorful floats and the crowds, and get in some walking.

He parked the car on a steep hill (so we'd have to hike back up on the way home), and we proceeded to try to find the Parade. But, we never did find it! No crowds, no noise. Had he miss-read the time, the date?

We decided to just keep walking, ambling through downtown Tacoma and over the 11th Street Bridge. It was the strangest feeling, as if we were out of time.

I told him to hold my arm so I could look around while walking. This is something I cannot generally do anymore because of double-vision issues. I start to stagger and get dizzy and almost topple over.

Well, it was sure not the Daffodil Parade. As we kept walking all I could do was look down. As we crossed the old drawbridge on 11th Avenue I noticed that about four pigeons had lost their lives by flying into the tall mesh beams. Pigeon wings were mashed into the pavement and the crows had come to pick at the meat. People had thrown bottles and candy wrappers into the gutter, and, well, it was not my kind of stroll, if you know what I mean. It reminded me of when George and I first lived in the Chicago area, and I asked to go for a Sunday drive and we'd end up driving through industrial areas. He'd laugh as I got more disgusted, and we'd have to try to figure out how to get out of there.

We no sooner got over the drawbridge when I wondered 'what if that darn thing starts to go up on the way back, and the two of us would be gripping the edges by our fingernails, trying to hang on! I imagined the panic of people on the Titanic, sliding and careening into the ocean. Heaven forbid if we got stranded on the tideflats for the weekend! I started thinking of everything horrible that could happen to us while we were trying to hike out of there. Getting kidnapped or beaten up while waiting for the darn bridge to lower.

There was nothing pretty here. In fact it doesn't look like a female-friendly place. If I screamed for help here, would anyone hear me?

What was all the junk for, anyway?

Gizmos, gadgets, dials, wires and fuses, rust and old paint.

Junk metal, old conveyor belts, just dumped.

George started walking around and I told him to wait, I wanted to check out the color of this rusty pool of water. Suddenly a little brown rabbit hopped out from under a hiding place. There was not a shred of grass or greenery for him to nibble on. Some hobos had made a camp by one of the old trucks, and bedding and old clothes were strewn, abandoned. Old warehouses needed paint - and workers.

Nearby is the Thea Foss Waterway which is under renovation. A planned waterfront community is currently under development. We noticed this houseboat moored along the waterfront, near the industrial ghetto. A woman was preparing flower-boxes. Finally, a comforting image, a home on the water; the faint sound of music, daffodils on the deck. Whew, finally spring. Finally something floral and feminine.

We headed back up 11th Avenue, got books, music and movies at the Library and came home for lunch. I made Salmon Frittatas on home-made naan, served with French bouillabaisse, a fish and vegetable stew I made the day before. This soup is my favorite, so incredibly light and flavorful, with a broth that is just indescribable...I add pureed mandarin orange to the broth, as well as a little Dominic's San Francisco Style Cioppino Sauce. This gives the broth a beautiful flavor and color.

Salmon Frittatas on a naan bun make the perfect breakfast for George (no more egg McMuffin). I make several at a time, wrap them and store them. If my sons come to visit, there are always a few in short order, warmed in the microwave.

To make them, beat four eggs and slowly create a thick crepe on the stove-top, adding seared onion, garlic, and other vegetables. I layer finely-shredded red pepper, cauliflower, kale, broccoli and carrots on top of the crepe. Broil these in the pan. Add ham and cheese, chunks of canned red salmon, bread crumbs, and broil some more. I make my own breadcrumbs and cheese, and also a tartar sauce for the bun. After everything has a nice browned crispness wrap it up in wax paper, then again in a plastic bag to maximize freshness. The frittata takes only about 25 seconds in the microwave to reheat perfectly.

Room With A View ~ Guillemot Cove

An old abandoned cabin is nestled in the forest preserve at Guillemot Cove on the Hood Canal in Kitsap County. The doors are wide open, the decks are rotting, and cobwebs trap sand blown in from the beach. People lived here once, homesteaded, and then abandoned the place.

There are over 200 acres on this nature preserve, with a variety of hiking trails. As we wandered around, we noticed an old barn, a meadow, and a little stream that trickled down the mountain. I thought it was a perfect location for a farm, nestled in the mountains and yet close to the sounds and sights of Puget Sound. Areas of the meadow were still boggy from spring rain, but this resulted in wild daffodils and a profusion of new sprouts and grasses.

I showed George the wild nettles that were just emerging from the soggy ground. They can be picked while young, blanched and drained, then cooked into a 'mess of greens'. However, collecting the nettles is tricky. They have toxic hairs on the leaves that cause a stinging rash. I tested a leaf, just to be sure, and got stung.

Recently I watched a program on wild edibles that featured nettles, and the host said that a onion-type plant often grows in the same location which can be used as a soothing rub for the sting. I walked around the bog and found it! I'm not sure what it is called, but I pulled it up just as they did on that program and the cool slime that coated the stalk instantly detoxed my rash. Amazing, how one meadow holds food and medicine!

This hide-out is called the Stump House, and it had an old bejeweled treasure-chest inside on a shelf. There was a guest book, so I signed our names. It was so dark in there, all I could think to write was the word "BOO!" Rumor has it that someone actually hid out on this property while avoiding capture, staying in the Stump House.

We spent three hours hiking the trails, then did some beach combing. It was gorgeous out - warm and sunny. This is a rich beach habitat, with fresh oyster-beds, clams and mussels, and little crabs hiding under the rocks. With the fresh water from the stream, the wild edibles and seafood ready to collect on the beach, it would be easy enough to hide out, away from it all.

I'll Pass On The Guacamole

Those of you reading Ruhiyyih's blog, know that she flew out to Tacoma this past weekend from her home in the Washington D.C. area. She wanted to bestow a personal valentine kiss on her guy, Matt. He drove over from the Tri-Cities to spend the weekend with her.

Ruhiyyih has featured the highlightsof that visit. We were thrilled to see them both, and had a fantastic family reunion at Rue and Annie's. Annie's parents were there, our grand-daughter Daisy, and all my children and their spouses.

I made chipotle soup and little loaves of Naan for our lunch on Sunday. I also made a coleslaw from apples, carrots and celery. The kale decorating this coleslaw wintered over in the garden.

Before Ruhiyyih's arrival, I spent several days experimenting with recipes, including ways to use the left-over whey from my cheese-making. I made Cardamon Pudding, a Persian delicacy, and Cardamon Cookies.

This is a vegetarian lasagna that I prepared for the Nolan's fireside. The vegetables were broiled before adding them to the lasagna, to seal in the flavor.

Here, potatoes, onions and peppers are oven-baked for 15 minutes, then broiled for a crispy effect.

Salads for George's lunchbox: Garbanzo-fava bean, with Orange-Poppy-seed Dressing. Pasta with Pesto and Feta Cheese.

These crepes were frozen, then thawed for breakfast.

I made Flax-meal Bread, sliced it thick, and made French Toast. Pecan Strudel Topping with maple syrup.

We aren't great fans of guacamole, but I did experiment with it, creating one appetizer that could be used in a salad or dip. The other side dish used beet greens, previously frozen and then thawed (cleaning out the freezer). The photos were so bad I dumped them in our Flickr account, and the side-dishes were so ill-matched that I'll have to resort to finding some new recipes for using guacamole. I hear it is nutritious, but I just haven't found a savory way for using it yet.

I've been reading "Veggie Revolution - Smart Choices for a Healthy Body and a Healthy Planet" by Sally and Sara Kneidel. This book provides an in-depth account of modern farming practices, including small family farms and large corporate giants. Since reading it, I've come to understand just how devastating meat production can be for the environment, especially with regard to water, soil and waste runoff. I'm also reading "From the Farm to the Table: What All Americans Need to Know About Agriculture" by Gary Holthaus. Good books about sustainable agriculture featuring minimal impact farming procedures.

Brown Bagging It - Cauliflower Soup

George said he'd love to be able to pack home-made lunches for work, so I made him some cauliflower soup. This is garnished with finely chopped chives, freshly sprouted fenugreek, and crushed Asian crackers. Oatcakes shown here are great with peanut-butter.

George has been in the habit of purchasing salads from a local deli during his noon break at work, and drives to the market for his afternoon snacks. That is a lot of wasted time during his work day. It could be better spent on a brisk walk...but, that is another story.

He asked if I'd prepare a variety of things to pack in a lunchbox, so I spent some time on the weekend cooking, and placed everything in containers in the refrigerator to be pulled out when packing the lunches. We've tried lunchboxes in the past, and they never worked. George always seemed to rush out the door in the morning and never took the time to fill his lunchbox. Or, it would be prepared, sit in the fridge, and he'd forget to take it in the morning.

I figure that the only way it will work is if I become responsible for preparing the food, packing his lunchbox, and putting it by the front door in the morning. Seriously, that is a whole lot of work for someone (like myself) who doesn't function in the morning until after they've had their coffee! I'd have to put out a note by the coffee maker "Put George's lunch by front door." Then, I realized that I could prepare the food, pack the lunchbox and store it overnight in his car. It is 35 degrees at night!

So, I packed it all up, and wouldn't you know, he wanted to know what I'd packed for him. He wanted to open all the little containers, to know what he could look forward to! I had to laugh, but opened all of them for his inspection. Then, I took his lunchbox out to his car.

I made goat cheese feta for spinach salads.

Wheat-berry salad and carrot-cabbage coleslaw.

Roasted vegetables with spareribs.

Rice pudding with nutmeg, cinnamon, rum flavoring and home-made lemon yogurt.

Flaxmeal carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.

These last two - the desserts - are for a mid morning, mid-afternoon taste thrill with coffee or tea, very small portions.

I made the rice pudding with brown basmati rice, and used flaxmeal and whole wheat flour for the cake. Tomorrow, he'll get fresh fruit and roasted chicken, which I had, but couldn't fit into his lunchbox!

Now, the next issue is whether or not he will remember to bring all the containers home - rinsed out.

Lemon Yogurt with Meyer's Lemons

Last weekend when we visited Trader Joe's, we bought a few Meyer's lemons. A friend of mine mentioned how super sweet they are, told me to slice them very thin and eat them peeling and all. I have served them since on some fresh red snapper and fresh cod from the fish market. But best of all, I enjoyed blenderizing them with a little lemon pudding and a generous amount of my home-made yogurt for a fluffy fruit puff. Just so light, with a sweet tang.

I'm down with a cold, a stuffy nose, itchy-burning eyes, and my appetite is just shot. All I feel like eating is soup....and cinnamon rolls. Comfort food! I can't seem to 'taste' coffee in the morning, which is quite a disappointment when I go to so much effort to make the perfect cup: half 'n' half, with a tablespoon of sugar in a big Starbucks mug; then, 1/3 inch velvety foam, fresh ground nutmeg, and a sprinkling of raw sugar on top. Just holding the mug, all warm and inviting, is one of the best moments of my day....but I can't smell a thing!

We went up to Seattle to browse Pikes Place Market, and some of the surrounding shops across the street. The highlight of the Market are the young men selling fish (often throwing them across the shop for the tourists to enjoy).

George pulled me into a spice shop, the Moroccan shop, a kitchen specialty shop, and over to a fresh fruit/vegetable market. I purchased some Moroccan paprika (Poivron Rouge) which is a very dark red paprika uncommon in most of the stores in Tacoma. I bought some Chipotle Chili Powder mix also, for my corn chowder and chilies.

We also went to a little bread shop and purchased an artisan whole grain bread with a very dark nutty crust. Later I sliced it, grilled the top with olive oil and garlic, then spread some of my home-made cream cheese on top with some finely-chopped leeks. I made a tossed salad too, and served some burritos on the side. We had the lemon yogurt for dessert.