Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Oceans Away...

When you go to the coast, it’s all about the ocean and the flora, fauna and activities there about. Here are the last of the vacation photos.
Above: Houda Point, near McKinleyville, CA.
Sea stars and sea urchins at low tide
Assorted seaweeds bejeweled by barnacles
Bouy collection at Crescent City, CA
The bright blue Pacific between Trinidad and Big Lagoon

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

We Love to Eat

One of the fun things about vacationing is eating new and different foods and having them cooked by someone else! One of the highlights of my recent trip was a visit to the Humboldt County Farmer’s Market in Arcata, California, where we bought fresh oysters (and other good stuff), then cooked them on the grill. Fantastic!


This bad boy was only $1.00!!! Humboldt Bay is one of the biggest producers of oysters in the country.
My sister (and hostess), Allison, is a wonderful cook. She introduced me to the world of oyster pairings beyond lemon; pesto, BBQ sauce, salsa, etc. We had quite the feast.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Delightful Dahlias

I’m just back from my vacation and still basking in the memories of beautiful ocean vistas, charming gardens, fabulous local food, and, of course, great company!

My brother-in law, Jonathan (also my gracious host), is a dahlia nut. He digs, over winters, replants, labels and generally pampers his flowers year after year. He’s amassed a wonderful, eclectic collection which I got to enjoy viewing and cutting for big bouquets (did I mention that he’s gracious?) during my stay.

Here are photos of a few of my favorites…