sitting by the window this morning, spotted a swallowtail butterfly flitting about the yard. it paused to rest on the plum tree, and shortly thereafter i was outside, in scruffy bathrobe and uncombed hair, snapping a few shots before it flew off again. wonder if the neighbours saw me...
it was warm and sunny today, and hopefully the dye jars are happy. at left is a cedar bark/beet mix, and at right some scotch broom flowers (has to be some use for that all-invasive weed that's everywhere now).
the poppies are huge, bursting into bloom in several spots in the yard.
i've added some new things to the shop, and will add more tomorrow. i might even try to stitch something more up tonight...
and in the pot on the stove some avocado skins are simmering. inspired by heike, i'm hoping to achieve the lovely soft pinks she has been getting with her avocados.
and since i needed some avocado skins (not that i need an excuse to eat avocados), i made jamie oliver's roasted carrot and avocado salad. i think i've mentioned it before, but seriously, make it. so so good, and makes a perfect evening meal as we stretch into these long summer evenings.
and A and i took our new stand-up paddleboards out for the first time late this afternoon. what a hot, summery day it was, and beautiful down at the beach. the sand stretched for miles (something we should perhaps have considered a little more, as paddleboards are heavy!), but once out in the water it stays fairly shallow too, leaving us with a great view of all that was going on below us. as eagles and herons soared overhead and seals popped up to say hello, we watched for small perch and big flat sole shooting across the sand below us, large crabs and thousands of sand dollars, jellyfish, kelp forests and moon snail egg cases. yes, i am going to enjoy paddleboarding a lot this summer...
hope your weekend is drifting lazily by too!
7 comments:
I would love to get a stand up paddleboard. For now I'm renting from our local shop and also doing a fitness class on the board (imagine push ups, planks, crunches and yoga poses inbetween paddles!). I described it to someone as walking on water. Love it. Like I need another water sport though!
love your dye experiments and your urchins are well to dye for.
sounds like a great day!
This post is full of sun and beautiful colours. I can't wait to see your dye experiments with avocado. I wouldn't think avocado skin would give pink so I am pretty fascinated by the whole idea. How does that work? Are there less dominant pigments in some plant material that is made stronger by the dying process?
This is a very nice post
Beautiful--I love the shot of the fabric in the actual jars, it must be so exciting to wait and wait and then see what colors you get. The pale purple for your urchin is so delicate. You are definitely inspiring me to try some natural dyeing.
How wonderful to see a use for broom. I love the colour it's creating!
I'm so excited and wanting to hear more about how your stand up paddle board experience was! My husband, Cam has been so eager to try it himself.
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