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Emu Bottom Homestead is a historic homestead near Sunbury, in Victoria. Built around 1836, Emu Bottom is the oldest existing farmhouse constructed by settlers in Victoria. It was so named because it was on low lying ground which was the haunt of numerous emus. The main homestead and some of its outlying buildings were constructed from local stone, dry coursed with creek mud and stringy bark.
Emu Bottom is also a rare example of early Australian colonial architecture, with its twelve paned deeply recessed windows recalling the old world, whilst the homestead was also intelligently adapted to the new harsh Australian environment with its wide verandas and easterly aspect.
The building of Emu Bottom homestead commenced circa 1836. George Evans (1785 – 1876), who had arrived on the Schooner Enterprise from Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) in 1835, settled near modern day Sunbury. Emu Bottom, later called Emu Vale, was occupied by George Evans, by squatting license, as one of many large squatting runs on Crown Land. In 1843, George Evans, then aged fifty-eight, married eighteen year old Anne Holden. Six children were born from the union and grew up at the homestead. After 1851, many squatting runs, including Emu Bottom, became available for outright purchase. To George Evans' dismay, “his” run was purchased by the immensely wealthy pastoralist W. J. T. Clarke. The homestead block of 640 acres stayed with George Evans, but this was hardly viable. In about 1860, George Evans leased the property and moved to operate the Royal Oak Hotel in Queen Street in central Melbourne. He died in Melbourne in 1876, but his family eventually returned to Emu Bottom. In 1916 the last of Evans’ son’s died and the property passed through several owners, being renamed “Holly Green.”
In 1968, the property was purchased by the current owners, and Holly Green was completely restored and was given back its original - if perhaps less poetic - name. During restoration, several discoveries were made including the original kitchen fireplace and oven, as well as some artifacts. Today the homestead and surrounds are managed as a reception centre.
Good Morning,
It was a weekend of hikes.
A short 20 minute drive, east from our house, gets you up into the northern reaches of the Santa Cruz Mountains. We love these mountains because they act as a fog break for us. When Half Moon Bay is socked in, we're usually enjoying sun in Belmont. While we've loved them from a distance, this weekend we took two hikes to explore them - up close and personal.
Nana & Cha-Cha were kind enough to take the kids to a movie on Friday night. This let Chelsey & I head out on a date. Again we ventured up into the mountains to go for a hike. We walked along the Russian Ridge trail for a few miles in the wind and clouds. We talked about our plans for the waning days of Summer and beyond. Dinner was burgers and a nice glass of wine at the fantastic Mountain House restaurant. We wrapped up the day with a hug and a kiss goodnight to the kids.
On Saturday morning, the boys and I jumped in the car and set off to explore the Tunitas Creek Redwoods. The boys powered through solid 2 mile hike. We covered a good bit of vertical terrain. We counted 8 banana slugs. Listened to birds. We looked under fern fronds for their see pods. We checked out several species of lichen and moss -- the boys giggled when they learned that the long, stringy moss, hanging from the Madrone trees is call Old Man's Beard. It was a great way to start our weekend.
Sunday, the boys decided they wanted me to teach them how to shave. I took the blade off the razor. Lathered them up. And let them have at it. It was pretty hilarious.
Sunday night, Sharon & Kenbo hosted us for Sunday Family Dinner. The boys loved playing with Alex & Evan. We enjoyed catching up with Kenbo, Sharon, Aunt Leslie, and with Auntie Cookie and Carolyn who had dropped Samantha off at Berkeley for her Sophomore year.
Great day. Great weekend. Great life.
We're lucky.
Love to you all.
Mike
As always, you can see all our photos here: www.flickr.com/photos/michaeltadlock/albums/7215765541229... and here:
Emu Bottom Homestead is a historic homestead near Sunbury, in Victoria. Built around 1836, Emu Bottom is the oldest existing farmhouse constructed by settlers in Victoria. It was so named because it was on low lying ground which was the haunt of numerous emus. The main homestead and some of its outlying buildings were constructed from local stone, dry coursed with creek mud and stringy bark.
Emu Bottom is also a rare example of early Australian colonial architecture, with its twelve paned deeply recessed windows recalling the old world, whilst the homestead was also intelligently adapted to the new harsh Australian environment with its wide verandas and easterly aspect.
The building of Emu Bottom homestead commenced circa 1836. George Evans (1785 – 1876), who had arrived on the Schooner Enterprise from Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) in 1835, settled near modern day Sunbury. Emu Bottom, later called Emu Vale, was occupied by George Evans, by squatting license, as one of many large squatting runs on Crown Land. In 1843, George Evans, then aged fifty-eight, married eighteen year old Anne Holden. Six children were born from the union and grew up at the homestead. After 1851, many squatting runs, including Emu Bottom, became available for outright purchase. To George Evans' dismay, “his” run was purchased by the immensely wealthy pastoralist W. J. T. Clarke. The homestead block of 640 acres stayed with George Evans, but this was hardly viable. In about 1860, George Evans leased the property and moved to operate the Royal Oak Hotel in Queen Street in central Melbourne. He died in Melbourne in 1876, but his family eventually returned to Emu Bottom. In 1916 the last of Evans’ son’s died and the property passed through several owners, being renamed “Holly Green.”
In 1968, the property was purchased by the current owners, and Holly Green was completely restored and was given back its original - if perhaps less poetic - name. During restoration, several discoveries were made including the original kitchen fireplace and oven, as well as some artifacts. Today the homestead and surrounds are managed as a reception centre.
Good Morning,
It was a weekend of hikes.
A short 20 minute drive, east from our house, gets you up into the northern reaches of the Santa Cruz Mountains. We love these mountains because they act as a fog break for us. When Half Moon Bay is socked in, we're usually enjoying sun in Belmont. While we've loved them from a distance, this weekend we took two hikes to explore them - up close and personal.
Nana & Cha-Cha were kind enough to take the kids to a movie on Friday night. This let Chelsey & I head out on a date. Again we ventured up into the mountains to go for a hike. We walked along the Russian Ridge trail for a few miles in the wind and clouds. We talked about our plans for the waning days of Summer and beyond. Dinner was burgers and a nice glass of wine at the fantastic Mountain House restaurant. We wrapped up the day with a hug and a kiss goodnight to the kids.
On Saturday morning, the boys and I jumped in the car and set off to explore the Tunitas Creek Redwoods. The boys powered through solid 2 mile hike. We covered a good bit of vertical terrain. We counted 8 banana slugs. Listened to birds. We looked under fern fronds for their see pods. We checked out several species of lichen and moss -- the boys giggled when they learned that the long, stringy moss, hanging from the Madrone trees is call Old Man's Beard. It was a great way to start our weekend.
Sunday, the boys decided they wanted me to teach them how to shave. I took the blade off the razor. Lathered them up. And let them have at it. It was pretty hilarious.
Sunday night, Sharon & Kenbo hosted us for Sunday Family Dinner. The boys loved playing with Alex & Evan. We enjoyed catching up with Kenbo, Sharon, Aunt Leslie, and with Auntie Cookie and Carolyn who had dropped Samantha off at Berkeley for her Sophomore year.
Great day. Great weekend. Great life.
We're lucky.
Love to you all.
Mike
As always, you can see all our photos here: www.flickr.com/photos/michaeltadlock/albums/7215765541229... and here:
Emu Bottom Homestead is a historic homestead near Sunbury, in Victoria. Built around 1836, Emu Bottom is the oldest existing farmhouse constructed by settlers in Victoria. It was so named because it was on low lying ground which was the haunt of numerous emus. The main homestead and some of its outlying buildings were constructed from local stone, dry coursed with creek mud and stringy bark.
Emu Bottom is also a rare example of early Australian colonial architecture, with its twelve paned deeply recessed windows recalling the old world, whilst the homestead was also intelligently adapted to the new harsh Australian environment with its wide verandas and easterly aspect.
The building of Emu Bottom homestead commenced circa 1836. George Evans (1785 – 1876), who had arrived on the Schooner Enterprise from Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) in 1835, settled near modern day Sunbury. Emu Bottom, later called Emu Vale, was occupied by George Evans, by squatting license, as one of many large squatting runs on Crown Land. In 1843, George Evans, then aged fifty-eight, married eighteen year old Anne Holden. Six children were born from the union and grew up at the homestead. After 1851, many squatting runs, including Emu Bottom, became available for outright purchase. To George Evans' dismay, “his” run was purchased by the immensely wealthy pastoralist W. J. T. Clarke. The homestead block of 640 acres stayed with George Evans, but this was hardly viable. In about 1860, George Evans leased the property and moved to operate the Royal Oak Hotel in Queen Street in central Melbourne. He died in Melbourne in 1876, but his family eventually returned to Emu Bottom. In 1916 the last of Evans’ son’s died and the property passed through several owners, being renamed “Holly Green.”
In 1968, the property was purchased by the current owners, and Holly Green was completely restored and was given back its original - if perhaps less poetic - name. During restoration, several discoveries were made including the original kitchen fireplace and oven, as well as some artifacts. Today the homestead and surrounds are managed as a reception centre.
When I saw this barn, I was immediately reminded of Tiny Tim (of Tiptoe thru the Tulips fame) with his long stringy hair flowing in front of his face.
This barn is located just feet from the levee along the Mississippi River and can only imagine how many times its been flooded out over the years before the levee.
Emu Bottom Homestead is a historic homestead near Sunbury, in Victoria. Built around 1836, Emu Bottom is the oldest existing farmhouse constructed by settlers in Victoria. It was so named because it was on low lying ground which was the haunt of numerous emus. The main homestead and some of its outlying buildings were constructed from local stone, dry coursed with creek mud and stringy bark.
Emu Bottom is also a rare example of early Australian colonial architecture, with its twelve paned deeply recessed windows recalling the old world, whilst the homestead was also intelligently adapted to the new harsh Australian environment with its wide verandas and easterly aspect.
The building of Emu Bottom homestead commenced circa 1836. George Evans (1785 – 1876), who had arrived on the Schooner Enterprise from Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) in 1835, settled near modern day Sunbury. Emu Bottom, later called Emu Vale, was occupied by George Evans, by squatting license, as one of many large squatting runs on Crown Land. In 1843, George Evans, then aged fifty-eight, married eighteen year old Anne Holden. Six children were born from the union and grew up at the homestead. After 1851, many squatting runs, including Emu Bottom, became available for outright purchase. To George Evans' dismay, “his” run was purchased by the immensely wealthy pastoralist W. J. T. Clarke. The homestead block of 640 acres stayed with George Evans, but this was hardly viable. In about 1860, George Evans leased the property and moved to operate the Royal Oak Hotel in Queen Street in central Melbourne. He died in Melbourne in 1876, but his family eventually returned to Emu Bottom. In 1916 the last of Evans’ son’s died and the property passed through several owners, being renamed “Holly Green.”
In 1968, the property was purchased by the current owners, and Holly Green was completely restored and was given back its original - if perhaps less poetic - name. During restoration, several discoveries were made including the original kitchen fireplace and oven, as well as some artifacts. Today the homestead and surrounds are managed as a reception centre.
Good Morning,
It was a weekend of hikes.
A short 20 minute drive, east from our house, gets you up into the northern reaches of the Santa Cruz Mountains. We love these mountains because they act as a fog break for us. When Half Moon Bay is socked in, we're usually enjoying sun in Belmont. While we've loved them from a distance, this weekend we took two hikes to explore them - up close and personal.
Nana & Cha-Cha were kind enough to take the kids to a movie on Friday night. This let Chelsey & I head out on a date. Again we ventured up into the mountains to go for a hike. We walked along the Russian Ridge trail for a few miles in the wind and clouds. We talked about our plans for the waning days of Summer and beyond. Dinner was burgers and a nice glass of wine at the fantastic Mountain House restaurant. We wrapped up the day with a hug and a kiss goodnight to the kids.
On Saturday morning, the boys and I jumped in the car and set off to explore the Tunitas Creek Redwoods. The boys powered through solid 2 mile hike. We covered a good bit of vertical terrain. We counted 8 banana slugs. Listened to birds. We looked under fern fronds for their see pods. We checked out several species of lichen and moss -- the boys giggled when they learned that the long, stringy moss, hanging from the Madrone trees is call Old Man's Beard. It was a great way to start our weekend.
Sunday, the boys decided they wanted me to teach them how to shave. I took the blade off the razor. Lathered them up. And let them have at it. It was pretty hilarious.
Sunday night, Sharon & Kenbo hosted us for Sunday Family Dinner. The boys loved playing with Alex & Evan. We enjoyed catching up with Kenbo, Sharon, Aunt Leslie, and with Auntie Cookie and Carolyn who had dropped Samantha off at Berkeley for her Sophomore year.
Great day. Great weekend. Great life.
We're lucky.
Love to you all.
Mike
As always, you can see all our photos here: www.flickr.com/photos/michaeltadlock/albums/7215765541229... and here:
Burrata, meaning "buttery" in Italian is a fresh cheese made from a mix of mozzarella and cream. The outside thin shell is a "pasta filata" curd made of buffalo and/or cow's milk mozzarella while the insides contain a soft, doughy, stringy, mixture of curd and fresh cream. The cheese originated in the Apulia region of Italy known for sheep farming and agriculture. It is sold traditionally in asphodel leaves with a polyethylene plastic bag over it. The green colour of asphodel leaves is an indicator of the freshness of the cheese.
When you cut open a Burrata, it oozes with buttery and creamy panna containing scraps of mozzarella. The cream has a rich flavour and has to be eaten immediately since it is a fresh cheese.
The Burrata used here is from buffalo.
Eucalyptus regnans, known variously by the common names giant ash, mountain ash, Victorian ash, swamp gum, Tasmanian oak or stringy gum, is a species of Eucalyptus native to south eastern Australia, in Tasmania and Victoria. Historically, it has been known to attain heights over 114 metres (374 ft), making it one of the tallest tree species in the world and the tallest flowering plant. [Wikipedia]
Parks Week 2015 provided a refreshing day in the bush near Woomargama
Close to 100 people came together this month to celebrate Parks Week in the Blue Metal Travelling Stock Reserve near Woomargama National Park.
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) Aboriginal Discovery Rangers Shane Herrington and Talea Bulger offered hands on lessons in local Aboriginal cultural and shared insights to Aboriginal traditional uses of the area.
More than 70 locals participated, as well as NPWS volunteers and staff, and members of groups including the Nature Conservation Trust and Landcare.
Activities included gathering materials like stringy bark from the bush then making string and rope. People also learned how to find and fashion stone tools like axes and about the many uses for these implements.
These are marketed as Wild Asparagus and look exactly like the things Elizabeth David discovered in Venice, cooked in a risotto (a chapter in An Omelette and a Glass of Wine). Someone told her they were wild asparagus but later she was corrected and told they were bruscandoli, or a kind of wild hop. I found this definition of bruscandoli on Internet:
" i germogli primaverili del luppolo, anche chiamati "lovertis", and when I searched luppolo came up with hop again.
But when I search images of bruscandoli, they look much more like dark and stringy asparagus than these do. So I'm still not sure what I ate this lunchtime.
I converted the photo to b/w because it was taken on my stainless steel top and reflected my red T-shirt at the bottom which didn't look too harmonious with the pale green stems. And now they are eaten so I can't take another one. They do not have the same strong taste as asparagus, they are very quickly cooked, and you don't have to peel the stems! And no risk of them being woody. I served them with a home-made mayonnaise using olive oil but it was a bit overpowering for their delicate flavour. Better would be a light hollandaise sauce, or in a nice sloppy risotto.
And now I know, they are "ornithogales":
Another shot of the straws from my son's Halloween costume. The stringy bits are pieces of glue from the glue gun that got stuck while trying to attach it all together.
The difference between making good beef jerky and great beef jerky is real smoke, here’s how to do it
Staying at home during the pandemic gives you a lot of time to think about how awesome a road trip would be right about now. It also offers a chance to figure out what you’ll need in your “Go Bag” in case there’s a zombie apocalypse.
Coincidentally, beef jerky plays a big role in both. At least for me anyway.
Because beef jerky is a basic ingredient in life, I tend to have some on hand all the time. Nothing fancy, just some basic savory and savory/spicy that I make 3-to-4 pounds at a time when I come across some good discount meat.
Even though there’s almost nothing to my beef jerky recipe, friends tell me that it’s amazing and I must have a secret. I don’t. My jerky recipe, like a million others out there, is just an adaptation of a food dehydrator recipe that came in the little guide book packaged with the dehydrator.
My big (not) “secret” is, rather than using ‘liquid smoke’ in the marinade like the recipe calls for, I actually smoke the jerky before I dehydrate it.
It’s not hard. You don’t even need a full-blown smoker or BBQ — a little portable grill or hibachi will do.
More importantly, real smoke and a little heat will impart flavors in your jerky that you just can’t get when you skip straight from marinating to drying on a dehydrator. It’s the difference between “oh that’s nice” and “OMG that’s the best jerky I’ve ever had! Are you sure you made it? What’s your secret?”
Try this recipe yourself. Since I’m lazy and unambitious, so you can rest assured that I’ve optimized it for the best outcome based with the least effort.
What You Need:
Beef
Any thin sliced beef will do. I use flap meat or shoulder knuckle, both of which are used in carne asada, because it’s on sale here a lot. But any beef — steaks or roasts — on sale, is going to work. Just make sure that you slice it thin (i.e., under ¾-inch thick).
Marinade
For Savory Jerky:
1 part Soy Sauce
1 part Worchester Sauce
For hot and spicy jerky, add the following to taste:
Ground black pepper
Red pepper flakes
Equipment:
Smoker, BBQ, Hibachi, etc. (with lid)
2-3 pieces of charcoal
Hardwood pieces or chips
Food dehydrator
Instructions
Cut the meat into strips
Slice your meat into ¾-inch wide strips trimming excess (but not all) fat.
Cutting with the grain of the meat will give you long-strip jerky that’s good for chewing on for a while; cutting across the grain will give you jerky you can tear easily and eat smaller pieces. Put it all in a 1 gallon zipper bag, bowl or resealable container and set it aside.
Make the marinade
Mix Worcester and soy sauce to make the base marinade. I’ve found that 1 cup of each per pound of meat is a pretty good rule and easy to remember. You only want to make enough marinade to cover the meat, so adjust your quantity up or down accordingly.
If you’re into the spicy, add the ground black pepper and red pepper flakes to the marinade. Again, how much you add is based on the amount of meat and how spicy you want your jerky to be. I like it hot enough to get my attention, but not so hot I can’t see, so I add about ¾ teaspoon per cup of liquid.
Marinade the meat
Pour the marinade into the meat container and stir / shake the meat around so it’s all covered in the marinade.
Refrigerate for 8 – 12 hours. Resist the temptation to let it go longer. The meat is thin so letting it marinade longer will make the jerky taste like smoked, dried marinade instead of beef jerky.
Fire up your “smoker”
We’re going to “cold smoke” this beef jerky, so we don’t want heat, just smoke. For that we only need a little fuel, so you can use even a very small barbecue to do your smoking.
Start your charcoal using the bare minimum you need to get it burning.
Starting a single piece of charcoal All the fuel you need for cold smoke
Since we’re cold smoking, we need to keep the temperature in the smoking space below 100F. We’re interested in a low, smoky, not hot, fire. I find a single piece of charcoal and a rocket stove made from cansa rocket stove made from cans does the job.
Smoke the meat
Once you’ve got your charcoal burning, move it in the fire pan as far as you can from where the meat will be. If you’ve got a sidebox, large BBQ or Hibatchi-style grill, this is no problem.If you’re using a small, round portable, place it in the bottom center.
Add your hardwood. I like to add too much because it makes the fire smoky for a while before it starts to burn.
Place your meat on the grill, making sure there’s enough space between pieces to ensure good smoke circulation. Then close the lid and let the smoke do its magic.
Jerky on the grill for smoking Jerky after an hour of cold smoking
You’ll know the meat has enough smoke when it starts to turn a little pink. With a small grill this might only be 15 minutes, a large grill or sidebox might be up to an hour (depending on how much meat you’re smoking).
Dehydrate
Once you see that pink tinge, move the meat off the grill and on to your dehydrator rack(s), again making sure there’s plenty of airspace between strips.
Jerky after 24 hours on the dehydrator (those are pepper seeds on the jerky)
Set your dehydrator on medium and let it run. Depending on your dehydrator and how much jerky you’re dehydrating, total curing time can be from 8 to 24 hours. I do 3 pounds at a time and it takes 24 hours using one we picked up at a big box store.
Store and Enjoy
Once your jerky is dried completely it will be stiff and stringy with no give when you squeeze it. Remove it from the dehydrator and place it in an airtight container right away.
Store your jerky in an airtight container.
Keep the jerky in an airtight container when you’re not enjoying it too. Jerky loves to pull water from the air making it weird and a little slippery, which is not what you want in jerky.
That’s it. Try that one little change to a plain beef jerky recipe and tell me it’s not the greatest jerky you’ve had (except for maybe that one at a truck stop in Elko, Nevada).
This isn't my first Ariel that's not of a Tyco brand, but it's probably the best one I now have. She came pretty dirty to me still in box. I had to clean her, sadly her tail suffered a tiny bit of damage (nothing a needle and thread can't fix) and her hair remains a little stringy but still much better than what it was.
As this is from 2002, I never snagged her on first release. By 1997 I was finished with dolls, or so I forced myself to be, mainly because I knew for a fact I couldn't continue without people finding out in school due to family (it had already been told once.) So the only memory I have with her now is clean up and looking her over.
She's on a Teen Skipper body, which is interesting, but it makes sense considering Ariel's age (much more appropriate than Jasmine being on a busty regular Barbie.) The bra is or a shiny, plasticy material, and the fin has a reflective design on it. All in all, a high quality doll.
name: Ericka
Good Morning,
It was a weekend of hikes.
A short 20 minute drive, east from our house, gets you up into the northern reaches of the Santa Cruz Mountains. We love these mountains because they act as a fog break for us. When Half Moon Bay is socked in, we're usually enjoying sun in Belmont. While we've loved them from a distance, this weekend we took two hikes to explore them - up close and personal.
Nana & Cha-Cha were kind enough to take the kids to a movie on Friday night. This let Chelsey & I head out on a date. Again we ventured up into the mountains to go for a hike. We walked along the Russian Ridge trail for a few miles in the wind and clouds. We talked about our plans for the waning days of Summer and beyond. Dinner was burgers and a nice glass of wine at the fantastic Mountain House restaurant. We wrapped up the day with a hug and a kiss goodnight to the kids.
On Saturday morning, the boys and I jumped in the car and set off to explore the Tunitas Creek Redwoods. The boys powered through solid 2 mile hike. We covered a good bit of vertical terrain. We counted 8 banana slugs. Listened to birds. We looked under fern fronds for their see pods. We checked out several species of lichen and moss -- the boys giggled when they learned that the long, stringy moss, hanging from the Madrone trees is call Old Man's Beard. It was a great way to start our weekend.
Sunday, the boys decided they wanted me to teach them how to shave. I took the blade off the razor. Lathered them up. And let them have at it. It was pretty hilarious.
Sunday night, Sharon & Kenbo hosted us for Sunday Family Dinner. The boys loved playing with Alex & Evan. We enjoyed catching up with Kenbo, Sharon, Aunt Leslie, and with Auntie Cookie and Carolyn who had dropped Samantha off at Berkeley for her Sophomore year.
Great day. Great weekend. Great life.
We're lucky.
Love to you all.
Mike
As always, you can see all our photos here: www.flickr.com/photos/michaeltadlock/albums/7215765541229... and here:
This photo is copyrighted and may not be used for publication without permission.
went around the neighborhood with my boyfriend. this is what i got, one more in the cmnts.
Eucalyptus regnans, known variously by the common names Mountain Ash, Victorian Ash, Swamp Gum, Tasmanian Oak or Stringy Gum, is a species of Eucalyptus native to southeastern Australia, in Tasmania and Victoria. Historically, it has been known to attain heights over 100 metres (330 ft) and is one of the tallest tree species in the world.
Good Morning,
It was a weekend of hikes.
A short 20 minute drive, east from our house, gets you up into the northern reaches of the Santa Cruz Mountains. We love these mountains because they act as a fog break for us. When Half Moon Bay is socked in, we're usually enjoying sun in Belmont. While we've loved them from a distance, this weekend we took two hikes to explore them - up close and personal.
Nana & Cha-Cha were kind enough to take the kids to a movie on Friday night. This let Chelsey & I head out on a date. Again we ventured up into the mountains to go for a hike. We walked along the Russian Ridge trail for a few miles in the wind and clouds. We talked about our plans for the waning days of Summer and beyond. Dinner was burgers and a nice glass of wine at the fantastic Mountain House restaurant. We wrapped up the day with a hug and a kiss goodnight to the kids.
On Saturday morning, the boys and I jumped in the car and set off to explore the Tunitas Creek Redwoods. The boys powered through solid 2 mile hike. We covered a good bit of vertical terrain. We counted 8 banana slugs. Listened to birds. We looked under fern fronds for their see pods. We checked out several species of lichen and moss -- the boys giggled when they learned that the long, stringy moss, hanging from the Madrone trees is call Old Man's Beard. It was a great way to start our weekend.
Sunday, the boys decided they wanted me to teach them how to shave. I took the blade off the razor. Lathered them up. And let them have at it. It was pretty hilarious.
Sunday night, Sharon & Kenbo hosted us for Sunday Family Dinner. The boys loved playing with Alex & Evan. We enjoyed catching up with Kenbo, Sharon, Aunt Leslie, and with Auntie Cookie and Carolyn who had dropped Samantha off at Berkeley for her Sophomore year.
Great day. Great weekend. Great life.
We're lucky.
Love to you all.
Mike
As always, you can see all our photos here: www.flickr.com/photos/michaeltadlock/albums/7215765541229... and here:
Good Morning,
It was a weekend of hikes.
A short 20 minute drive, east from our house, gets you up into the northern reaches of the Santa Cruz Mountains. We love these mountains because they act as a fog break for us. When Half Moon Bay is socked in, we're usually enjoying sun in Belmont. While we've loved them from a distance, this weekend we took two hikes to explore them - up close and personal.
On Saturday morning, the boys and I jumped in the car and set off to explore the Tunitas Creek Redwoods. The boys powered through solid 2 mile hike. We covered a good bit of vertical terrain. We counted 8 banana slugs. Listened to birds. Talked about moss. We looked under fern fronds for their see pods. We checked out several species of lichen and moss -- the boys giggled when they learned that the long, stringy moss, hanging from the Madrone trees is call Old Man's Beard. It was a great way to start our weekend.
Nana & Cha-Cha were kind enough to take the kids to a movie on Saturday night. This let Chelsey & I head out on a date. Again we ventured up into the mountains to go for a hike. We walked along the Russian Ridge trail for a few miles in the wind and clouds. We talked about our plans for the waning days of Summer and beyond. Dinner was burgers and a nice glass of wine at the fantastic Mountain House restaurant. We wrapped up the day with a hug and a kiss goodnight to the kids.
Sunday, the boys decided they wanted me to teach them how to shave. I took the blade off the razor. Lathered them up. And let them have at it. It was pretty hilarious.
Sunday night, Sharon & Kenbo hosted us for Sunday Family Dinner. The boys loved playing with Alex & Evan. We enjoyed catching up with Kenbo, Sharon and with Auntie Cookie and Carolyn who had dropped Samantha off at Berkeley for her Sophomore year.
Great day. Great weekend. Great life.
We're lucky.
Love to you all.
Mike
As always, you can see all our photos here: www.flickr.com/photos/michaeltadlock/albums/7215765541229... and here:
This is a woven bowl using all polymer clay.http://playsculptlive.blogspot.ca/2014/03/ironcraft-is-getting-all-stringy.html
This is a necromancer I have been working on. It took about 2-3 days to complete. I tried to keep the skin tones fairly pale, but around the eyes theres glazes of liche and warlock purple. The toxic/poison/gloop is made with UHU glue (the yellow and black one) and carefully put in place with a modelling tool, its very stringy sticky stuff so good for things like this and blood and gore. I tinted the clear glue with thraka green and a scorpian green + glaze medium wash.
I have trouble figuring out the bokeh on the Leitz Apo-Telyt 180/3.4. Even when comparison shooting (which I don't like doing since light and framing are never exactly the same). This is certainly not great bokeh, and it worsens when the lens is stopped down.
Especially with fine structures in the background, the bokeh seems busy and "stringy" - wonder if this is due to the fact that the resolution of this lens is likely higher than anything else I own. Under certain conditions, the bokeh seems very similar to the one from the two-ring Nikon 80-200/2.8 - which is puzzles me since that lens is said to have fairly decent bokeh. In similar situations, the Sigma 150/2.8 macro certainly delivers a smoother bokeh.
I also realized that the AWB had less problems with the Leitz lens than with the Nikon or Sigma - but that might have been due to the time elapsed between taking the shots - the Leitz kept the colors in the green whereas both the others drifted into magenta.
Everybody is always saying that the meat from the chicken-leg is so much nicer for stir-fries than the that from the breast and today I forgot to defrost the fillets I had in my freezer but I did have some chicken-legs in the fridge which I had bought to make stock. So I decided to finally give it a try. I have to say, de-boning the legs was a pain. (even though I didn't have to be that precise because I had too much anyway and still wanted to make that stock, that turned out brilliantly if I say so myself) I didn't like the result at all. The meat was uneven, the cubes weren't cubes but looked like leftover meat or something, with lots of stringy bits, fat and thingies. I was on the verge of giving up and use it for my stock anyway. But I tested a few bits in the pan and really, I didn't notice the stringy bits, it taste quite succulent.
So later that day I made Chicken With Chiles (la zi ji) with it and that was a success. Shit, this means more work from now on! As I'm not sure I want to use chicken breast again. ;-)
If you want to try de-boning chicken-legs you might want to check out this youtube instruction before you start. Not after, like I did: www.youtube.com/watch?v=myt6Gkx77GY
Good Morning,
It was a weekend of hikes.
A short 20 minute drive, east from our house, gets you up into the northern reaches of the Santa Cruz Mountains. We love these mountains because they act as a fog break for us. When Half Moon Bay is socked in, we're usually enjoying sun in Belmont. While we've loved them from a distance, this weekend we took two hikes to explore them - up close and personal.
Nana & Cha-Cha were kind enough to take the kids to a movie on Friday night. This let Chelsey & I head out on a date. Again we ventured up into the mountains to go for a hike. We walked along the Russian Ridge trail for a few miles in the wind and clouds. We talked about our plans for the waning days of Summer and beyond. Dinner was burgers and a nice glass of wine at the fantastic Mountain House restaurant. We wrapped up the day with a hug and a kiss goodnight to the kids.
On Saturday morning, the boys and I jumped in the car and set off to explore the Tunitas Creek Redwoods. The boys powered through solid 2 mile hike. We covered a good bit of vertical terrain. We counted 8 banana slugs. Listened to birds. We looked under fern fronds for their see pods. We checked out several species of lichen and moss -- the boys giggled when they learned that the long, stringy moss, hanging from the Madrone trees is call Old Man's Beard. It was a great way to start our weekend.
Sunday, the boys decided they wanted me to teach them how to shave. I took the blade off the razor. Lathered them up. And let them have at it. It was pretty hilarious.
Sunday night, Sharon & Kenbo hosted us for Sunday Family Dinner. The boys loved playing with Alex & Evan. We enjoyed catching up with Kenbo, Sharon, Aunt Leslie, and with Auntie Cookie and Carolyn who had dropped Samantha off at Berkeley for her Sophomore year.
Great day. Great weekend. Great life.
We're lucky.
Love to you all.
Mike
As always, you can see all our photos here: www.flickr.com/photos/michaeltadlock/albums/7215765541229... and here:
Emu Bottom Homestead is a historic homestead near Sunbury, in Victoria. Built around 1836, Emu Bottom is the oldest existing farmhouse constructed by settlers in Victoria. It was so named because it was on low lying ground which was the haunt of numerous emus. The main homestead and some of its outlying buildings were constructed from local stone, dry coursed with creek mud and stringy bark.
Emu Bottom is also a rare example of early Australian colonial architecture, with its twelve paned deeply recessed windows recalling the old world, whilst the homestead was also intelligently adapted to the new harsh Australian environment with its wide verandas and easterly aspect.
The building of Emu Bottom homestead commenced circa 1836. George Evans (1785 – 1876), who had arrived on the Schooner Enterprise from Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) in 1835, settled near modern day Sunbury. Emu Bottom, later called Emu Vale, was occupied by George Evans, by squatting license, as one of many large squatting runs on Crown Land. In 1843, George Evans, then aged fifty-eight, married eighteen year old Anne Holden. Six children were born from the union and grew up at the homestead. After 1851, many squatting runs, including Emu Bottom, became available for outright purchase. To George Evans' dismay, “his” run was purchased by the immensely wealthy pastoralist W. J. T. Clarke. The homestead block of 640 acres stayed with George Evans, but this was hardly viable. In about 1860, George Evans leased the property and moved to operate the Royal Oak Hotel in Queen Street in central Melbourne. He died in Melbourne in 1876, but his family eventually returned to Emu Bottom. In 1916 the last of Evans’ son’s died and the property passed through several owners, being renamed “Holly Green.”
In 1968, the property was purchased by the current owners, and Holly Green was completely restored and was given back its original - if perhaps less poetic - name. During restoration, several discoveries were made including the original kitchen fireplace and oven, as well as some artifacts. Today the homestead and surrounds are managed as a reception centre.
Nave foundation stone 27 Oct 1846 by Miss Fanny Conway of Jiddown Estate, architect Moses Garlick, opened 12 Sep 1847, consecrated 13 Mar 1849, tower by 1872, new bell 1896. First church of stringybark & shingles opened 4 Jul 1841 on land given by John Wickham Daw. Foundation stone Sunday School hall 21 Oct 1865, opened by Mar 1866, replacing earlier stringybark church/school. Church originally known as "St Mary's on the Sturt", later “St Mary's South Road”. Suburb named after the church.
“Church, erected by voluntary subscriptions, on the Onkaparinga road, mid-way between the river Sturt and the Brownhill creek, was opened for public worship, by the Rev. C. B. Howard, Colonial Chaplain. . . The structure of the Church is both simple and neat. It is composed of stringy bark, and is capable of accomodating [sic] almost two hundred and fifty persons. A Sunday School is attached to the Church, and a Day School is about to be established.” [Southern Australian 6 Jul 1841]
“Saint Mary’s Church. The foundation stone of this church was laid on Tuesday last in the village of St. Mary's, on the Sturt, and some few acres south of the old church. . . Saint Mary's Church, In the Village of St. Mary's, on the Sturt, County of Adelaide, South Australia. The foundation stone of this church was laid by Miss Conway, of Jiddown Estate, On Tuesday the 27th October, 1846, being the tenth year of the reign of our most Gracious Sovereign Queen Victoria. Lieut. Governor of South Australia-Major Robe.” [South Australian 30 Oct 1846]
“The foundation-stone of a church near the old wooden building known as St. Mary's Church was laid on Tuesday last, in the presence of the Colonial Chaplain, the Rev. Messrs Woodcock and Newenham, and some of the settlers in the neighbourhood.” [SA Gazette & Colonial Register 31 Oct 1846]
“A meeting was held on Wednesday, at St Mary's, on the Sturt, of the inhabitants of that district, to take measures for erecting a parsonage. The Rev. John Fulford has been licensed by the Lord Bishop of Adelaide for the cure of souls within the district It was resolved, after a lengthened and friendly discussion, to build on the glebe approaching Tapley's Hill — the situation being centrical for Christ Church, O'Halloran Hill, and St Mary's — which churches, for a time at least, will be supplied by the same clergyman.” [South Australian 8 Sep 1848]
“the Lord Bishop of the diocese performed the service of consecration at St. Mary's Church, on the Sturt, and afterwards preached to a large and most respectable congregation. The Very Rev. Archdeacon Hale, and the Rev. T. Fulford, bore part in the services of the day. The church, having accommodation for 130 persons, is exceedingly neat, and a very commodious parsonage house is nearly completed.” [South Australian 20 Mar 1849]
“the opening service at St. Mary's, Sturt River, on Sunday, September 12, 1846, was taken by the incumbent of St. John's (Rev. W. T. Woodcock). St. Mary's at that time being apparently an off-shoot from St. John's.” [Register 11 Feb 1928]
“St. Mary's Church Sunday-School, Sturt. . . The spot selected is situate a little to the north of the present church, being the site of the first church of St. Mary's.” [Register 4 Jul 1865]
“St. Mary’s Sunday-School, Lecture Hall, and Institute. The ceremony of laying the foundation-stone of the above building was performed by the Lord Bishop of Adelaide at St. Mary's, Sturt on Saturday afternoon. October 21. . . The site of the proposed building is a short distance north of St. Mary's Church. It was originally selected for the church, but circumstances occurred which caused the latter to be erected where it now stands. The new building is to front the west and its size is to be 22 by 42 feet. . . The style is Gothic. Messrs. Wright and Woods kindly prepared the plan.” [Register 23 Oct 1865]
“A tea and public meeting took place in the St. Mary's Schoolroom and Institute, Sturt, on Thursday evening, March 22.” [Advertiser 24 Mar 1866]
“As the designation of the Church — St. Mary's, Sturt — causes confusion, particularly in the Post-Office, letters so addressed being sent to the Sturt Post-Office, instead of the Edwards Town one. No fault, whatever, being attributable to the Post Office authorities; it was considered advisable to change the title to St. Mary's, South-road, and the Chairman was requested to write to the Secretary of Synod, with a view to all future Synodal communications being so directed.” [Advertiser 7 Apr 1866]
“Concert at St. Mary's, South-road. . . held in St. Mary's Hall, on the South-road, in aid of the funds of St. Mary's School.” [Register 20 Jul 1872]
“St. Mary's. Church, South-road. . . The tower of the church, for which subscriptions were raised a year or two ago, is now finished at a cost, including extras, of £65 5s. 3d. A new bell, weighing more than 1 cwt., recently sent out from England, will soon be hung up inside the tower.” [Advertiser 24 Apr 1873]
“a very successful fancy fair with music, singing, and tableaux, was held in St. Mary's Hall, South-road, with the object of raising funds for the purchase of a new bell for the church, the present one having been cracked in hanging some years ago.” [Advertiser 17 Apr 1896]
“the dedication service in connection with the new bell was held in St. Mary's Church, South-road, by Bishop Harmer, assisted by the Rev. W. S. Moore (incumbent), and the Rev. A. Honner.” [Evening Journal 14 Jul 1896]
“St. Mary's, South-road. . . thanks were also passed to those ladies and gentlemen who had taken put in the entertainments to raise funds for the new bell, and. . . to Messrs. Ragless, of Tonsley Park, for their kindness in not only flooring the bell tower, but also in providing wood for the same, and ladders to reach the bell floor.” [Advertiser 8 May 1897]
“Old St. Mary’s, as the Anglican Church on the South-road is affectionately called by the inhabitants of Edwardstown and district, is shortly to be embellished with stained-glass windows. The Church has been a familiar landmark for upwards of sixty years, and the present edifice, which replaced a wooden temporary structure over half a century ago, is the oldest ecclesiastical building still remaining intact in the province. Persons who hail from the old country are often carried back in imagination to their native villages when passing by its distinctly rural English aspect, with its orthodox square tower and picturesque churchyard.” [Evening Journal 26 Sep 1898]
“within a few days, the removal of one of the oldest landmarks alone the main road. For more than 80 years the original St. Mary’s Anglican Schoolroom has stood just past the angle where the South road is joined by Daw's road. . . Mr. Daw gave the land for the schoolroom, and for St. Mary's Church and rectory a little farther south. . . The schoolroom was used in the first place for church services and other purposes, afterward serving for many years as a school and for social gatherings. It is being taken down at last by the direction of the Succession Act Trustees as past repair.” [Register 11 Feb 1928 with photo p 14]
“More than £800 had been spent on renovations to the 106-year-old St. Marys Church of England, South road, St. Marys, before last night's fire. . . destroyed the south-eastern section of the ceiling and roof and burnt the church's historical records. The fire began in the vestry and quickly spread through the shingle, straw, and galvanised iron roof. . . The last service at the church was on Sunday, but the doors are never locked.” [News 3 Jun 1953]
“The church organ was extensively damaged by water. A woman member of the congregation has offered to bear the cost of restoring it. In addition to the damage to the building, elaborate needlework by the women of the church was destroyed.” [News 4 Jun 1953]
“The fire had destroyed baptismal, wedding and burial registers dating back to the 1840's, together with candlesticks, vestments and altar linen which were stored in the vestry.” [Advertiser 4 Jun 1953]
“The weekend arson attempt on SA's second-oldest church — St. Mary's Church of England on South road — is the thirteenth deliberate attempt to burn down churches in Adelaide in six years. . . But for Saturday night's fire, which destroyed a £200 organ, members of the congregation would this week have completed restoring the £3.000 damage caused by the earlier fire.” [News 5 Oct 1953]
“For the first time in years, the doors of St. Mary's Church of England on South road have been securely bolted following Saturday night's arson attempt.” [News 7 Oct 1953]
“An organ to replace the one destroyed by a fire in St. Mary's Church of England, South road, St. Marys, on October 5, has been given by Mr. H. M. Wood, of Greenhill road, Tusmore. . . Mr. and Mrs. Wood had offered to pay part of the cost of restoring the organ, which was in need of small repairs.” [Advertiser 19 Oct 1953]
Deboxing the 2013 Formal Merida 11'' doll by the Disney Store. She has been removed from the backing, and place face down on a counter. The packaging restraints have been removed, as well as her bow and arrow. Her hair has been evened out in the back. It is in two distinct layers. The upper layer is in tight, stringy curls with hair product making is stiff. The lower layer is mainly straight, with soft curls at the ends, and has no hair product. The lower layer is about an inch longer than the upper layer, mainly because it is much less curly.
US Disney Store
$16.50 US
Released Online February 15, 2013
Purchased in store February 14, 2013
First Look
Fully posable 11'' doll of Princess Merida in her Formal dress, made of glittering light blue-green satin, with gold trim. There is a printed golden Celtic design at the hem of her skirt. She also wears a gold satin sash around her waist, with a printed Celtic pattern. She wears light teal flat shoes. Comes with bow and arrow, and quiver. Her exact height is 11 1/4'', although the Disney Store lists her as 12'' high.
She is a companion doll to the 2012 Classic Merida 11'' Doll, who comes with the same accessories, but with a dark teal Adventure dress. There was also a slightly different 11'' Merida in formal dress, that came with the Brave Merida and Angus Doll Set (currently sold out). I photograph her boxed, during the deboxing, and fully deboxed. She is also shown with comparable dolls.
Good Morning,
It was a weekend of hikes.
A short 20 minute drive, east from our house, gets you up into the northern reaches of the Santa Cruz Mountains. We love these mountains because they act as a fog break for us. When Half Moon Bay is socked in, we're usually enjoying sun in Belmont. While we've loved them from a distance, this weekend we took two hikes to explore them - up close and personal.
Nana & Cha-Cha were kind enough to take the kids to a movie on Friday night. This let Chelsey & I head out on a date. Again we ventured up into the mountains to go for a hike. We walked along the Russian Ridge trail for a few miles in the wind and clouds. We talked about our plans for the waning days of Summer and beyond. Dinner was burgers and a nice glass of wine at the fantastic Mountain House restaurant. We wrapped up the day with a hug and a kiss goodnight to the kids.
On Saturday morning, the boys and I jumped in the car and set off to explore the Tunitas Creek Redwoods. The boys powered through solid 2 mile hike. We covered a good bit of vertical terrain. We counted 8 banana slugs. Listened to birds. We looked under fern fronds for their see pods. We checked out several species of lichen and moss -- the boys giggled when they learned that the long, stringy moss, hanging from the Madrone trees is call Old Man's Beard. It was a great way to start our weekend.
Sunday, the boys decided they wanted me to teach them how to shave. I took the blade off the razor. Lathered them up. And let them have at it. It was pretty hilarious.
Sunday night, Sharon & Kenbo hosted us for Sunday Family Dinner. The boys loved playing with Alex & Evan. We enjoyed catching up with Kenbo, Sharon, Aunt Leslie, and with Auntie Cookie and Carolyn who had dropped Samantha off at Berkeley for her Sophomore year.
Great day. Great weekend. Great life.
We're lucky.
Love to you all.
Mike
As always, you can see all our photos here: www.flickr.com/photos/michaeltadlock/albums/7215765541229... and here:
Emu Bottom Homestead is a historic homestead near Sunbury, in Victoria. Built around 1836, Emu Bottom is the oldest existing farmhouse constructed by settlers in Victoria. It was so named because it was on low lying ground which was the haunt of numerous emus. The main homestead and some of its outlying buildings were constructed from local stone, dry coursed with creek mud and stringy bark.
Emu Bottom is also a rare example of early Australian colonial architecture, with its twelve paned deeply recessed windows recalling the old world, whilst the homestead was also intelligently adapted to the new harsh Australian environment with its wide verandas and easterly aspect.
The building of Emu Bottom homestead commenced circa 1836. George Evans (1785 – 1876), who had arrived on the Schooner Enterprise from Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) in 1835, settled near modern day Sunbury. Emu Bottom, later called Emu Vale, was occupied by George Evans, by squatting license, as one of many large squatting runs on Crown Land. In 1843, George Evans, then aged fifty-eight, married eighteen year old Anne Holden. Six children were born from the union and grew up at the homestead. After 1851, many squatting runs, including Emu Bottom, became available for outright purchase. To George Evans' dismay, “his” run was purchased by the immensely wealthy pastoralist W. J. T. Clarke. The homestead block of 640 acres stayed with George Evans, but this was hardly viable. In about 1860, George Evans leased the property and moved to operate the Royal Oak Hotel in Queen Street in central Melbourne. He died in Melbourne in 1876, but his family eventually returned to Emu Bottom. In 1916 the last of Evans’ son’s died and the property passed through several owners, being renamed “Holly Green.”
In 1968, the property was purchased by the current owners, and Holly Green was completely restored and was given back its original - if perhaps less poetic - name. During restoration, several discoveries were made including the original kitchen fireplace and oven, as well as some artifacts. Today the homestead and surrounds are managed as a reception centre.
Salted turnip (really, 白萝卜 daikon radish) that is salted and bundled like this is new to me. Each bundle consists of a the unsightly knobbly top of the radish rolled in a thin sheet or radish, cut lengthwise, and finally wrapped with the salted radish tops. The radish tops were tought and stringy, but might be ok to flavour a soup. The rest of the salted turnip was quite tender but so salty you wouldn't believe! As is typical with these salted veg, you're supposed to rinse, then soak until the saltiness is about right, and you don't add any more salt to the dish you're making.
Batons of salted turnip, together with the minced beef and some finely diced celery and chopped spring onion, the salted turnip gave the steamed meatloaf a fragrant mustiness. Surprisingly, there was a nice sweetness to the salted turnip, and I was glad I cut them differently t allow them to stand out.
Not a bad dish, if I do say so myself :)
It was good that the flavour and minerally Little Creek grass-fed beef was beefy enough to hold it's own.
Little Creek Cattle Company Pty Ltd.
190 Douthie Road, Seville 3139 Victoria, Australia
Tel: 0419 887 712
Emu Bottom Homestead is a historic homestead near Sunbury, in Victoria. Built around 1836, Emu Bottom is the oldest existing farmhouse constructed by settlers in Victoria. It was so named because it was on low lying ground which was the haunt of numerous emus. The main homestead and some of its outlying buildings were constructed from local stone, dry coursed with creek mud and stringy bark.
Emu Bottom is also a rare example of early Australian colonial architecture, with its twelve paned deeply recessed windows recalling the old world, whilst the homestead was also intelligently adapted to the new harsh Australian environment with its wide verandas and easterly aspect.
The building of Emu Bottom homestead commenced circa 1836. George Evans (1785 – 1876), who had arrived on the Schooner Enterprise from Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) in 1835, settled near modern day Sunbury. Emu Bottom, later called Emu Vale, was occupied by George Evans, by squatting license, as one of many large squatting runs on Crown Land. In 1843, George Evans, then aged fifty-eight, married eighteen year old Anne Holden. Six children were born from the union and grew up at the homestead. After 1851, many squatting runs, including Emu Bottom, became available for outright purchase. To George Evans' dismay, “his” run was purchased by the immensely wealthy pastoralist W. J. T. Clarke. The homestead block of 640 acres stayed with George Evans, but this was hardly viable. In about 1860, George Evans leased the property and moved to operate the Royal Oak Hotel in Queen Street in central Melbourne. He died in Melbourne in 1876, but his family eventually returned to Emu Bottom. In 1916 the last of Evans’ son’s died and the property passed through several owners, being renamed “Holly Green.”
In 1968, the property was purchased by the current owners, and Holly Green was completely restored and was given back its original - if perhaps less poetic - name. During restoration, several discoveries were made including the original kitchen fireplace and oven, as well as some artifacts. Today the homestead and surrounds are managed as a reception centre.
I think this is called an aeonium succulent plant. This thing is wild and I love to watch it grow. Up close this looks like something out of Jurassic Park to me. This tiny stringy vines are reaching for the ground and taking root.
Zone: 3-9
Height: 35-45ft. tall and 15-25ft. wide
This is a vigorous weeping evergreen and adds contrast and texture to the garden. Long stringy branches droop from pendulous branches. Light green in color and silvery-blue cones.
Hickory Hollow Nursery and Garden Center
713 Rt. 17
Tuxedo, NY 10987
845-351-7226
hickoryhollow@optonline.net
www.facebook.com/pages/Hickory-Hollow-Nursery-and-Garden-...
Call or Email for pricing
Good Morning,
It was a weekend of hikes.
A short 20 minute drive, east from our house, gets you up into the northern reaches of the Santa Cruz Mountains. We love these mountains because they act as a fog break for us. When Half Moon Bay is socked in, we're usually enjoying sun in Belmont. While we've loved them from a distance, this weekend we took two hikes to explore them - up close and personal.
On Saturday morning, the boys and I jumped in the car and set off to explore the Tunitas Creek Redwoods. The boys powered through solid 2 mile hike. We covered a good bit of vertical terrain. We counted 8 banana slugs. Listened to birds. Talked about moss. We looked under fern fronds for their see pods. We checked out several species of lichen and moss -- the boys giggled when they learned that the long, stringy moss, hanging from the Madrone trees is call Old Man's Beard. It was a great way to start our weekend.
Nana & Cha-Cha were kind enough to take the kids to a movie on Saturday night. This let Chelsey & I head out on a date. Again we ventured up into the mountains to go for a hike. We walked along the Russian Ridge trail for a few miles in the wind and clouds. We talked about our plans for the waning days of Summer and beyond. Dinner was burgers and a nice glass of wine at the fantastic Mountain House restaurant. We wrapped up the day with a hug and a kiss goodnight to the kids.
Sunday, the boys decided they wanted me to teach them how to shave. I took the blade off the razor. Lathered them up. And let them have at it. It was pretty hilarious.
Sunday night, Sharon & Kenbo hosted us for Sunday Family Dinner. The boys loved playing with Alex & Evan. We enjoyed catching up with Kenbo, Sharon and with Auntie Cookie and Carolyn who had dropped Samantha off at Berkeley for her Sophomore year.
Great day. Great weekend. Great life.
We're lucky.
Love to you all.
Mike
As always, you can see all our photos here: www.flickr.com/photos/michaeltadlock/albums/7215765541229... and here:
Good Morning,
It was a weekend of hikes.
A short 20 minute drive, east from our house, gets you up into the northern reaches of the Santa Cruz Mountains. We love these mountains because they act as a fog break for us. When Half Moon Bay is socked in, we're usually enjoying sun in Belmont. While we've loved them from a distance, this weekend we took two hikes to explore them - up close and personal.
Nana & Cha-Cha were kind enough to take the kids to a movie on Friday night. This let Chelsey & I head out on a date. Again we ventured up into the mountains to go for a hike. We walked along the Russian Ridge trail for a few miles in the wind and clouds. We talked about our plans for the waning days of Summer and beyond. Dinner was burgers and a nice glass of wine at the fantastic Mountain House restaurant. We wrapped up the day with a hug and a kiss goodnight to the kids.
On Saturday morning, the boys and I jumped in the car and set off to explore the Tunitas Creek Redwoods. The boys powered through solid 2 mile hike. We covered a good bit of vertical terrain. We counted 8 banana slugs. Listened to birds. We looked under fern fronds for their see pods. We checked out several species of lichen and moss -- the boys giggled when they learned that the long, stringy moss, hanging from the Madrone trees is call Old Man's Beard. It was a great way to start our weekend.
Sunday, the boys decided they wanted me to teach them how to shave. I took the blade off the razor. Lathered them up. And let them have at it. It was pretty hilarious.
Sunday night, Sharon & Kenbo hosted us for Sunday Family Dinner. The boys loved playing with Alex & Evan. We enjoyed catching up with Kenbo, Sharon, Aunt Leslie, and with Auntie Cookie and Carolyn who had dropped Samantha off at Berkeley for her Sophomore year.
Great day. Great weekend. Great life.
We're lucky.
Love to you all.
Mike
As always, you can see all our photos here: www.flickr.com/photos/michaeltadlock/albums/7215765541229... and here:
Klick Link For Read Online Or Download The London Cookbook: Recipes from the Restaurants, Cafes, and Hole-in-the-Wall Gems of a Modern City Book : bit.ly/2h333rt
Synopsis
From an award-winning food writer comes this intimate portrait of London--the global epicenter of cuisine--with 100 recipes from the city's best restaurants, dessert boutiques, tea and coffee houses, cocktail lounges, and hole-in-the-wall gems--all lovingly adapted for the home kitchen.Once known for its watery potatoes, stringy mutton, and grayed vegetables, London is now considered to be the most vibrant city on the global food map. The London Cookbook reflects the contemporary energy and culinary rebirth of this lively, hip, sophisticated, and very international city. It is a love letter to the city and an insider's guide to its most delicious haunts, as well as a highly curated and tested collection of the city's best recipes. This timeless book explores London's incredibly diverse cuisine through
Grapefruit Givré
sesame halva, rose loukoum, grapefruit sorbet
($12)
The stunner that we also came to CB for. I'm not a fan of turkish delights, but the loukoums used here are QQ like mochi but tugs back and you at the same time as giving you a generous warm smile. Great interplay of textures: thin crispy sugar veil, the cool and clean smooth grapefruit sorbet, the soft and stringy halva and how it's all bound by sweet whipped cream. Plus its a gem on ice.
I don't have a Mont Blanc chestnut puree nozzle to pipe out the stringy mounds for this treasured winter cake, but I did pipe out a mixture of sweetened chestnut puree (I made it) spiked with Brandy, and folded together with fresh whipped cream. The sponge cake was a simple syrup soaked base for the light creamy topping, which I dusted with confectioner's sugar and topped with grated 72% chocolate.
I brought this cake along with a batch of White Chocolate, Cranberry and Macadamia Nut Cookies to Auntie Mary's for a belated Xmas dinner. As usual, it was a great night of good food and lots of laughs. :)
"So what is that huge ugly stringy thing?"
"I think that's my eyebrow magnified in the lens"
"No, the other thing"
"Oh, that's my face."
This lens is a Canon XI 90mm f/1.0 lens I found being discarded. Of course the allure of the f/1.0 kept me from letting it disappear in the trash, but maybe that's where it truly belongs. It has no aperture control, so you can only shoot wide open. It also has no focus control, so the plane of focus never changes, and is always about 1 foot from the lens and is roughly 5mm wide, so not true macro, but only useful for shooting macro-like images. Also, it didn't have any way to properly mount to an EF body, so I had to make my own mount. Also, it's filthy inside the glass. It is incredibly sharp (I can tell by looking through it, and it would make a most excellent loupe if I had a need for such a thing. The depth of field, as you might imagine, is razor thin, which can be cool but also severly limits the utility of this lens. On the plus side, though, it makes a wonderful and cool paperweight and lets me tell people that I have an f/1.0 lens.
Emu Bottom Homestead is a historic homestead near Sunbury, in Victoria. Built around 1836, Emu Bottom is the oldest existing farmhouse constructed by settlers in Victoria. It was so named because it was on low lying ground which was the haunt of numerous emus. The main homestead and some of its outlying buildings were constructed from local stone, dry coursed with creek mud and stringy bark.
Emu Bottom is also a rare example of early Australian colonial architecture, with its twelve paned deeply recessed windows recalling the old world, whilst the homestead was also intelligently adapted to the new harsh Australian environment with its wide verandas and easterly aspect.
The building of Emu Bottom homestead commenced circa 1836. George Evans (1785 – 1876), who had arrived on the Schooner Enterprise from Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) in 1835, settled near modern day Sunbury. Emu Bottom, later called Emu Vale, was occupied by George Evans, by squatting license, as one of many large squatting runs on Crown Land. In 1843, George Evans, then aged fifty-eight, married eighteen year old Anne Holden. Six children were born from the union and grew up at the homestead. After 1851, many squatting runs, including Emu Bottom, became available for outright purchase. To George Evans' dismay, “his” run was purchased by the immensely wealthy pastoralist W. J. T. Clarke. The homestead block of 640 acres stayed with George Evans, but this was hardly viable. In about 1860, George Evans leased the property and moved to operate the Royal Oak Hotel in Queen Street in central Melbourne. He died in Melbourne in 1876, but his family eventually returned to Emu Bottom. In 1916 the last of Evans’ son’s died and the property passed through several owners, being renamed “Holly Green.”
In 1968, the property was purchased by the current owners, and Holly Green was completely restored and was given back its original - if perhaps less poetic - name. During restoration, several discoveries were made including the original kitchen fireplace and oven, as well as some artifacts. Today the homestead and surrounds are managed as a reception centre.
(Rollover picture)
Main lobster tail "cuite sous vides" sauced with a saffron-vanilla emulsion and topped with a tempura Arrowleaf spinach leaf. The lobster is accompinied by a perfectly round ball of wilted Arrowleaf spinach.
Notes: My companions and I were slightly disappointed in the slightly tough and stringy lobster meat. I don't know how the meat could have been so tough in light of its sous vides treatment - unless the temperature was set a bit high? I don't know. Not to keep comparing it against its sister restaurant, I'd have to say that I liked the shellfish dish at Per Se ("Langoustine") infinitely better than this lobster course at The French Laundry.
While you can never get enough of a good thing, I found the whole vanilla sauce with lobster just a bit tired, after having seen it played out in numerous other restaurants by chefs like Morimoto and Rick Tramonto
Like so many other courses at The French Laundry, I found the side element(s) to be more compelling. The ball of wilted spinach was stellar - agreed by all in my party.
Emu Bottom Homestead is a historic homestead near Sunbury, in Victoria. Built around 1836, Emu Bottom is the oldest existing farmhouse constructed by settlers in Victoria. It was so named because it was on low lying ground which was the haunt of numerous emus. The main homestead and some of its outlying buildings were constructed from local stone, dry coursed with creek mud and stringy bark.
Emu Bottom is also a rare example of early Australian colonial architecture, with its twelve paned deeply recessed windows recalling the old world, whilst the homestead was also intelligently adapted to the new harsh Australian environment with its wide verandas and easterly aspect.
The building of Emu Bottom homestead commenced circa 1836. George Evans (1785 – 1876), who had arrived on the Schooner Enterprise from Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) in 1835, settled near modern day Sunbury. Emu Bottom, later called Emu Vale, was occupied by George Evans, by squatting license, as one of many large squatting runs on Crown Land. In 1843, George Evans, then aged fifty-eight, married eighteen year old Anne Holden. Six children were born from the union and grew up at the homestead. After 1851, many squatting runs, including Emu Bottom, became available for outright purchase. To George Evans' dismay, “his” run was purchased by the immensely wealthy pastoralist W. J. T. Clarke. The homestead block of 640 acres stayed with George Evans, but this was hardly viable. In about 1860, George Evans leased the property and moved to operate the Royal Oak Hotel in Queen Street in central Melbourne. He died in Melbourne in 1876, but his family eventually returned to Emu Bottom. In 1916 the last of Evans’ son’s died and the property passed through several owners, being renamed “Holly Green.”
In 1968, the property was purchased by the current owners, and Holly Green was completely restored and was given back its original - if perhaps less poetic - name. During restoration, several discoveries were made including the original kitchen fireplace and oven, as well as some artifacts. Today the homestead and surrounds are managed as a reception centre.
The Cotton Memorial Institute Hall of Mylor
The original hall at Mylor was stringy bark and corrugated iron built on land donated by George Witherage Cotton. Born in Kent, England, Cotton arrived in South Australia in 1848. He became a land agent and politician, working tirelessly for the system known as the “Working Men’s Blocks” scheme, whereby the Government of the day offered, at low rent, small parcels of land up to 8ha to working men. Cotton was known as the “Blocker’s Friend”. By 1896 about 12,900 people, lived on such blocks in Adelaide’s suburbs and at country towns such as Mylor.
After Cotton died, it was decided to erect a hall in honour at Mylor.
Mylor, the leading blocker’s town of South Australia, was en fete on 13 February on the occasion of the opening of its Institute Hall by His Excellency the Governor, Sir Fowell Buxton KCMG.
His Excellency drove from Marble Hill to Mount Lofty Railway Station, where the Ministers and party were awaiting his arrival. The Treasurer and the members drove up from the city. Others took the 10.20 train from Adelaide, while Dr. Cockburn drove across from Mount Barker
A drive round the hills brought the party to Scott's Creek, a number of blocks being passed en route. His Excellency, accompanied by the majority of his companions, left the vehicles at Mr. Acland's, a blocker who has a very comfortable place. They received a cordial welcome, the lady of the house producing delicious peaches, apples, and other samples of the fruit which is grown on land which a few years since produced nothing but the eucalyptus. The Scott's Creek School was visited.
Thenceforth climbing the heights and getting down on the other side over rough and deep rutty narrow roads was somewhat perilous. More than once the travellers had very narrow escape from accident, but expert handling of the reins carried them safely through. These half-made tracks were certainly never meant for vehicles of the description in which half of the party were driven.
Sir Fowell left the vehicle whenever there was a halt, and on one occasion he walked a considerable distance over the rough country that he might enter the houses and talk with the inhabitants. Leaving Leslie's Creek the travellers eventually got to the Old Echunga road. Campbell Cottage and Glen Cotton were personally inspected, and after more rough riding through Aldgate Valley. Mylor was reach at 2.30pm. His Excellency visited the public school and the children granted a half-holiday the next day.
His Excellency, Captain Guise, and Dr. Campbell then proceeded to Warrakilla, the residence of Mr. G. W. Goyder, with whom they lunched, while the rest of the Adelaide visitors sat down to a very acceptable luncheon provided in the Institute by a number of the ladies.
The Cotton Memorial Institute formally opened after 4pm. The building, which is only a temporary one, has been erected by subscription. It is of wood and iron, which can be utilized for the permanent structure later. It is 30ft x 20ft.
[Ref: Mylor History Group and the Advertiser 15-2-1896]
In 1922 a new hall was constructed of local stone on the same site by local builder Eusebius Wilson Jnr., who had built a number of homes and other buildings in Mylor. The hall foundation stone was laid 24 June 1922 by Sir John Langdon Bonython KCMG.
The committee then entertained Sir Langdon Bonython at afternoon tea. Later a public tea was held and was well patronised. In the evening a concert was given to a packed house.
Interesting memories of early days of the movement were recalled at Mylor on Saturday [27 January] when the new Institute, to be known as the Mylor Cotton Memorial Hall, was opened by Mr C H Cotton, a son of the founder of the settlement.
Mr L Meredith (president of the institute committee) said the fine new hall had been built on the site of the temporary building which had served the needs of the district so long. With his friends and neighbours he had striven hard to obtain an adequate building.
Ten years ago they had organised working bees to clear the land surrounding the old Institute, and it had been intended then to proceed with the erection of the new building. The war, however, had driven the project into the background. The people had therefore lent all their energies to patriotic purposes. The honour roll that hung on the wall testified to the patriotism of the district, for it contained the names of 47 soldiers and two nurses, a number of whom had made the supreme sacrifice.
[Ref: Chronicle 1-7-1922 and the Advertiser 29-1-1923]