Wild Walk!

Sunset over the sea with Rowan.

Last night we took a walk in Kincaid Park with Uncle Blake (Chris's brother). This was our first opportunity to hang out together this year & what an adventure it turned out to be! The park was chock full of creatures, mainly moose. Here's the count: 1 squirrel, 1 ptarmigan, 2 yearling moose, 2 single cows, 2 sets of mama/baby moose pairs & a bull/cow combo, making a total of 10 moose! We actually found ourselves sandwiched between the a mother/baby pair & the bull/cow pair on the trail so we had to exercise a certain amount of patience since the mama moose on the downhill end was ticked off & no one wanted to test the bull's mood further up the hill. Some people just took to the brush & bushwhacked their way out, but that wasn't really practical w/infant, stroller, kiddo, etc. So, we took the time to drink in the beauty & awesomeness of one of Alaska's signature species. (As always, click on any photo to see larger.)

Typical trailside moment in AK.

Pretty little yellow cup fungi. (Just had to include them, hehe)

Lord & Lady.

Spectacular, he was.

Ptarmigan. Forgive the fuzz, had to act fast in the dim light.

I was so into the tree I forgot to zoom in for this shot.

Sun over the sea.

A seaside bench along the Coastal Trail.

Blake & Baby.

Daddy & Baby. Heading home.

Perfect way to end the day.

Sun setting as we wait for the moose to clear.

I also took a couple of videos; one of the yearlings & one as we attempted to pass mama moose & baby. We were with a bunch of people, some with dogs (as you will sort of see), all trapped between the mama/baby pair & the cow/bull pair. We all began walking enmasse, mama got pissed off & we all quickly turned back, lol. It was pretty funny, but also a bit of an adrenaline boost. The point at which everything gets all willy-nilly & you see a random dog, arms & legs is when mama made aggressive gestures, turning us all back to our safe zone. Ultimately, we came home with two cups of cranberries & some great memories. Ah, recreation in Alaska... not your average walk in the park.

 Oh yes... & thanks to Chris for throwing off the best shot. :P

Walk Like a Cat...

Baby has a new personal trainer. Very motivating!

Autumn in Anchorage

Let's celebrate this beautiful but brief season in pictures...

 Searching Anchorage.

 Berry picking, Eagle River Nature Center.

May your Autumn harvests be bountiful!

Mmm... from the Mound. (The Pitcher's Mound, that is.)

Well, we all (particularly Rowan) thought it would be fun to do a step-by-step, recipe-style post about mushrooms. (Even though he does not really like to eat them.) Rowan is really into those cooking videos on the Food Network website, so this is kind of a photo-essay version. I think it would be fun to let him make his own cooking video, but that is going to take a bit more time/effort/coordination/planning/you-name-it. We'll call this a trial round. ;)

Recipe: Mushrooms from the Mound
aka. Fried Shaggy Manes (freshly harvested from local baseball field)

Before you get started: Map out where you are going.

Step 1: Drag family outside to nearest baseball field, making sure it is a) Autumn, b) cool weather. Dress appropriately -- it is always helpful to wear bright colors to ensure you will not get lost out on the field. 

Step 2: Let four-year-old chase Canadian Geese around for several minutes. (This increases concentration & acuity of four-year-old.)

Step 3: Locate some Shaggy Manes (Coprinus comatus), aka., Shaggies, Shags, Lawyer's Wigs.
They should look like this:

NOT like this:

Step 4: Carefully collect your mushrooms, taking care to be sure they are indeed Shaggies & making sure not to take any that have begun blackening. Carry them in a basket or paper bag. Do not use plastic, unless you like slime. They need to breathe. Do your best to keep them as clean as possible when collecting. This will save you much effort in the next step.

Step 5: Clean your Shaggy Manes with a soft brush. A paintbrush works very well for this. They are very fragile & will get slimy with water, so dry cleaning is a must. When you have cleaned them, they should look like this:

Step 6: Slice your mushrooms into large pieces. Shaggy Manes are too delicate in both texture & flavor to cut into small pieces. 

As you slice, watch for critters. Cut them out. Critters are not part of this recipe.

Step 7: Melt butter in a small skillet over medium high heat. Add Shaggies. 

Sautee for 3-7 minutes or until they look like you want to eat them. Add salt to taste.

Step 8: Toast baguette slices. Top with Shaggies. Yumbo!
Variations: Shaggy Manes have a very delicate, sweet flavor. Try adding sauteed onions or garlic in moderation so as not to overwhelm the mushrooms. Try tossing them in pasta or just eat them right out of the pan with a spoon. Of course, if you are Rowan, you will give them a big Thumbs Up! & then refuse to eat them. Bon Appetit!

Fried Rice. Among Other Things.

"The Changeling," as we have taken to calling him, has strong opinions. 

• He wants food & he wants it now. Most of the time. 
• He also wants any libations within reach. Coffee, tea, wine, anything will do. 
• Oh, yes, he also wants to stand... all the time. He also likes to walk, with assistance. It is much preferred over this thing called 'crawling.' 
• He hates the car with a vengeance. He hates the carseat even more. 
• He has befriended the cats & is gentle with them. They have a bewildering mutual affinity.
• He is very, very fond of Kotopoulo Kapama, melons & Daddy's fried rice. Baby food, for the most part, is for the birds, or at least the baby birds.
• Plastic bags are his favorite toy. We cannot convince him otherwise.
• He would rather be outside than indoors & prefers a social setting to solitude, especially if he is the center of attention, or people are playing drums.
• Being limited by his body makes him crabby. My guess is that if he had the ability, he would go find himself a restaurant serving up some jazzy tunes, a nice cognac & good conversation. 

It Moves!

The kids & I went for a walk & casual mushroom hunt on Saturday morning. Rowan stopped along the bike path to poke what he thought was perhaps a puffball or a budding 'shroom & IT MOVED! There was a certain hilarity as he shuddered & darted away -- it gave him quite a fright. His "mushroom" is shown below. I sure am glad I didn't poke it.


Daddy's work is easing up a bit & we had more time with him this weekend. Stay tuned for some weekend wandering updates to be posted soon! 


(As always, click any photo to see larger size... if you really want to.)

PIX: Birthday Number 5!

Rowan chose to keep it simple this year & asked to go feed ducks at the park near his school. We offered to take him out to dinner, but he declined, preferring to stay home & play with his new toys. Throughout the day he opened gifts & chatted with loved ones. I think it was a nice, simple way to close a complicated time in his life.

He is stoked to be five. If you ask him, he will tell you all about it. Listening to him would make you believe that being five grants you amazing talents, the wisdom of the ages & instant growth. He is big now, can do most anything & is most decidedly the authority on most subjects. 

It makes me wonder, what do I get when I turn forty?  

Chat with Kessie.

Assembling gift from Grandma Liz.

Can you wish away those drapes please?

Keeping Crabby Pants Happy.

Thumbs Up!

Urban Planner.