camp out

Last night I camped at Rocky Mountain National Park with a friend. Why? Because the elk are out in the meadows bugling by the camp site, because we wanted to hike, because, well, because it was a Monday and we could. This morning we hiked up to Fern Lake. The aspen tree leaves are turning yellow and in the hours we hiked it changed from sunny to cloudy than rainy. Fall is here.

paper cuts

I adore paper. I have drawers of paper, I rip out and save magazine pages, and craft with paper. I think paper art is an egalitarian art- cheap and accessible. But recently I have seen paper used in some pretty high class places. Here is one of the paper pairs in the Vdara lobby by Peter Wegner. It is 45 feet high and is all vertical stacks of paper. The other is paper blouses in a Louis Vuitton window featuring luggage. For more posh paper pictures, click here.

summer recap: gnocchi

Gnocchi is not a summer dish. But summer is a time of the year that I have time to try to make new things. This summer was full of new recipes and experiments: fried chicken, scallops, feta, roasted chicken, lemon cake, meatless meatballs, reductions, cod, and coffee ice cream. But my favorite dish was sweet potato gnocchi with butter, toasted walnuts and fried sage. Scrumptious summer.

summer recap: paddle

Going to the lake means going kayaking. Being so close to the water is calming and energizing at the same time.

summer recap: water dog

Pirate is a terrier. The very breed name means "of the earth." He is supposed to be a land mammal. His hobbies are to include chasing vermin in fields and napping in the grass. But he longs for the sea, the lake, the pond, the pool. Any body of water will do as long as he can paddle and splash.