Hey, we’re cold too! It’s around 20 right now but we’re supposed to be back in the 60s tomorrow. I feel your pain though if it was cold enough for Giddy to sleep inside.
We got ice Saturday night…and with the little bit of melting and winds yesterday to shake the ice coating loose from the trees, it looks like someone shattered that glass ceiling all over our yard. 🙂
It’s gotten a lot colder here since yesterday morning.
Here`s a shocker.
I put more up, you can see them at the flickr set linked to this one.
Most of them are multiple images merged for a larger resolution composite.
I think “wary” would be a better description. These photos were taken in Mt. William national park, which is the only place on mainland Tasmanina that still has the big Eastern gray kangaroos. Mostly we saw Bennetts Wallabies, like this young male. Which are very cute but hard to get too excited about since we see them most days in our backyard (incl. last night).
lol! I went to see the movie Australia — and Nicole Kidman’s character was saying “awwww” about the kangaroos right before the guys she was with shot one and plopped it on top of the truck to take back to eat.
The only hard part about this is that you have to brown the butter and then let it “rest” – after that it is really easy.
Brown Sugar Cookies
Makes 2 Dozen Cookies
14 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks)
1/4 cup granulated sugar (about 1 3/4 ounces)
2 cups packed dark brown sugar (14 ounces)
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons (about 10 1/2 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Heat 10 tablespoons of the butter in a pan over medium-high heat until melted. Continue to cook the butter until it is browned a dark golden color and smells nutty, about 1 to 3 minutes. Transfer the browned butter to a bowl and stir the rest of the butter into the hot butter until it melts- let this rest for 15 min.
While it rests, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a baking dish, mix granulated sugar and a ¼ cup of the brown sugar until combined well; set this mixture aside to roll dough balls in later. Mix flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl. Add 1 ¾ cup brown sugar and salt to cooled butter and mix until there are no lumps. Add egg, yolk, and vanilla to butter mixture and mix well, then add flour and mix until just combined. Roll dough into balls about 1 ½ inches in diameter, and roll balls in brown sugar and white sugar mixture. Place balls about 2 inches apart on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake sheets one at a time until cookies are puffy and lightly browned, about 12- 14 minutes. (The cookies will look slightly raw between some of the cracks and seem underdone, but be careful not to overbake.) Cool on sheet for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a rack to cool.
I’m not sure it’s as fucked-up as you might think.
Remember, mid-winter festivals are ancient in origin, with a thin veneer of Judeo-Christian crap (pardon the pun) on top. In many cultures the old god/king/year would have literally been slain and so that the his blood can fructify the new year. Excreta of any sort can sometimes stand in for blood and be accepted as a blood substitute.
Whatever the original custom, the Spaniards are clearly holding on to some ritual of pagan origin, and that’s not necessarily a bad or “sacrilegious” thing. If anything it speaks of a deeper religious connection to the earth and our reliance and dependence thereon. If they like the idea of Obama as the old pagan “trickster” in the saccharine creche scene – more power to them.
On our way home from the NE we drove the back (dirt) roads for awhile. Just around a bend in one road we spotted two Tasmanian wedgetail eagles sitting on the ground. Of course the “wrong” lens was on the camera and by the time we had stopped the car and got the lenses sorted the eagles had taken flight. Imogen hopped out of the car (I was driving) and got these great photos.
Tasmanian wedgetail eagles have been separate from the mainland population for at least the last 10,000 years and are considered a separate race. They are down to their last 200 breeding pairs.
yes, there’s that. plus i’m listening to a CD I was given at least 10 years ago: Winter Solstice on Ice. Very festive stuff, but I’d much rather be under a blanket at home in my pjs. 😉
Yeah, me either. I wonder why that is? I just got done wrapping presents, which I put off until today. Fortunately, it’s not very time-consuming to wrap socks. We’re having a very “green” christmas this year.
merry christmas frog ponders!…from the land of ice, snow, big rocks, and sunshine:
clik to enlarge
and for the little ones peering over your shoulder, wanting to know “when’s santa coming?”…or if you’re just a kid at heart…you can keep tabs on his whereabouts with NORAD’s Santa Trax, and for our foreign friends, you can find the proper greeting here, at sant’s net:
Wow, this place is hopping this afternoon.
I guess everyone is charged from the prospect of an extra day or two off.
Well, winter solstice passed and we’re in Yule.
Scandinavians still celebrate the pagan tradition of Yule since our greeting at this time of year is still: “God Jul” – nothing related to Christ or Christmas.
Balder’s Dream
Balder’s dream is the beginning of the end.
The battles of the gods or Ragnarok.
Balder the most fair and beautiful of all
the gods were having dreams for telling his death.
In these, Loki is reviled as truly evil
and responsible for the coming of Balder’s death.
Odin, Balder’s father, takes his eight legged horse Sleipnir
to Niflheim to persuade Hell not to take Balder.
The Hell hound, Gram, chases the Allfather.
Odin takes no notice.
He gallops hard on the eight legged horse
until he comes to Hell’s deadly hall.
In Voulspa the Seeress tells; I saw for Balder,
the bleeding god, the son of Othin,
his destiny set: famous and fair in the lofty fields,
full grown in strength the mistletoe stood.
Balder’s Pyre
They carried the dead Balder down to his boat Ringhorn.
A pyre was build around the body, treasures laid.
Balder’s wife Nana was watching.
The sight of the lifeless body was too painful and broke her heart.
She was laid beside her dead husband.
Odin whispered something in Balder’s ear
and then at his sign the boat was set afire.
All the Gods wept as the boat was drifting out
and the wind filled her sail and she sailed away.
This myth is suggested to symbolize the winter solstice,
especially because Balder is one of the only Gods
to be reborn after the Battle of the Gods.
[Last link is to Balder’s mythology, and if you make it to the bottom of the article you’ll find a link to Ask and Embla.]
A nice short week this week…of course, that just means today and tomorrow will be action-packed with holiday preparations.
For us, breezy yesterday, frigid today. Its 5F at our house this morning, but thankfully, no ice as yet.
We could tell just how cold it is because our malamutt, who loves to sleep in snow, slept inside the entire night.
But it looks like the Alberta clipper is going to clip on through today and we’ll back to warm weather in the 30s tomorrow.
Guess that means we’ll be huddling under the comforter tonight.
Your kugel in the other cafe looked yummy, btw.
Signs point to yes.
Not to brag or antyhing but it was scrumptious.
Hey, we’re cold too! It’s around 20 right now but we’re supposed to be back in the 60s tomorrow. I feel your pain though if it was cold enough for Giddy to sleep inside.
Well we’re going back to the mid-30s so I guess I don’t have to be jealous of your 60s. ;P
We got ice Saturday night…and with the little bit of melting and winds yesterday to shake the ice coating loose from the trees, it looks like someone shattered that glass ceiling all over our yard. 🙂
It’s gotten a lot colder here since yesterday morning.
Eight degrees now, going up to the 50s later this week. Maybe it’s Spring.
That’s the spirit…think positive!
Cabin girl,
Here`s the cabin crew I mentioned. My tribe at the log cabin, up in the north woods.
(circa i970)
This is the Christmas lodging for Teri`s sons who just came in from London & Australia, respectively. Note the flower season still at hand.
The sunset a little later.
Me after almost breaking my neck running down there before the 10 second timer clicks the shutter.
Man, that sunset is electric!
Here`s a shocker.
I put more up, you can see them at the flickr set linked to this one.
Most of them are multiple images merged for a larger resolution composite.
That’s spectacular!
That’s a fantastic set.
My favorite was “TONIGHT`S MERGE AUGUST 14TH flat”
Just back from a few days in the northeast of the island.
Female Gray Kangaroo, with her joey’s tail hanging out of the pouch (large image).
Who you lookin’ at? Two females Grey kangaroos with a large joey.
Looks like they found you just as interesting as you found them. 😉
I think “wary” would be a better description. These photos were taken in Mt. William national park, which is the only place on mainland Tasmanina that still has the big Eastern gray kangaroos. Mostly we saw Bennetts Wallabies, like this young male. Which are very cute but hard to get too excited about since we see them most days in our backyard (incl. last night).
Aww!
lol! I went to see the movie Australia — and Nicole Kidman’s character was saying “awwww” about the kangaroos right before the guys she was with shot one and plopped it on top of the truck to take back to eat.
heartless bastards! Hey, remember I was worried that the christmas cookies I made wouldn’t make it til christmas? They didn’t. Sigh.
Time to make more.
I have a recipe for simply outstanding Sugar Cookies (BROWN Sugar Cookies) – the best I’ve ever tasted. Want it?
Sure, why not? Though my patience for baking is sadly lacking these days…
The only hard part about this is that you have to brown the butter and then let it “rest” – after that it is really easy.
Brown Sugar Cookies
Makes 2 Dozen Cookies
14 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks)
1/4 cup granulated sugar (about 1 3/4 ounces)
2 cups packed dark brown sugar (14 ounces)
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons (about 10 1/2 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Heat 10 tablespoons of the butter in a pan over medium-high heat until melted. Continue to cook the butter until it is browned a dark golden color and smells nutty, about 1 to 3 minutes. Transfer the browned butter to a bowl and stir the rest of the butter into the hot butter until it melts- let this rest for 15 min.
While it rests, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a baking dish, mix granulated sugar and a ¼ cup of the brown sugar until combined well; set this mixture aside to roll dough balls in later. Mix flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl. Add 1 ¾ cup brown sugar and salt to cooled butter and mix until there are no lumps. Add egg, yolk, and vanilla to butter mixture and mix well, then add flour and mix until just combined. Roll dough into balls about 1 ½ inches in diameter, and roll balls in brown sugar and white sugar mixture. Place balls about 2 inches apart on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake sheets one at a time until cookies are puffy and lightly browned, about 12- 14 minutes. (The cookies will look slightly raw between some of the cracks and seem underdone, but be careful not to overbake.) Cool on sheet for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a rack to cool.
Oh, those sound amazing!
sounds like snickerdoodle yummy-ness, i will have to try it out sometime.
Yep. And some of our upscale restaurants even serve Roo or Wallaby. And Emu. Our national emblems.
It’s a nice 13 degrees here now. But at least it’s a dry cold. < rolls eyes >
brace yourselves, because we are having wet cold here. I think that means you all will be in for another wallop in 3-4 days.
This is fucked-up.
I’m not sure it’s as fucked-up as you might think.
Remember, mid-winter festivals are ancient in origin, with a thin veneer of Judeo-Christian crap (pardon the pun) on top. In many cultures the old god/king/year would have literally been slain and so that the his blood can fructify the new year. Excreta of any sort can sometimes stand in for blood and be accepted as a blood substitute.
Whatever the original custom, the Spaniards are clearly holding on to some ritual of pagan origin, and that’s not necessarily a bad or “sacrilegious” thing. If anything it speaks of a deeper religious connection to the earth and our reliance and dependence thereon. If they like the idea of Obama as the old pagan “trickster” in the saccharine creche scene – more power to them.
On our way home from the NE we drove the back (dirt) roads for awhile. Just around a bend in one road we spotted two Tasmanian wedgetail eagles sitting on the ground. Of course the “wrong” lens was on the camera and by the time we had stopped the car and got the lenses sorted the eagles had taken flight. Imogen hopped out of the car (I was driving) and got these great photos.
Tasmanian wedgetail eagles have been separate from the mainland population for at least the last 10,000 years and are considered a separate race. They are down to their last 200 breeding pairs.
Those are wonderful, especially the top one which show the feathers so beautifully. Congrats to Imogen for a great capture.
Wow!
some ornaments. 🙂
click for larger
Very pretty. What are they?
Hophornbeam seed pods.
Got everything ready for Santa to come down the chimney? 😉
Of course not. It’s xmas morning and we still have part of our contribution to the family meal to cook and presents to wrap.
We’ve got about four hours before we have to start the drive south to Imogen’s mum’s house, so I think we’ll manage OK.
It’s a lovely day – there’s a bright blue sky and temps forecasted for the mid-70’s. I plan to wear shorts. 🙂
cool pic. I love the skeletonized leaves.
Finally got on to BMT. Icy roads here but it will warm later on. Happy holidaze to all!
Stay safe then.
I should have wrapped gifts last night but instead I did nothing (except watch The Grinch). So I’m paying the price today.
sigh.
I’m not much in the holiday spirit this year. But I’m trying.
i’m at my desk at work. i’m trying, too…
Fortunately I have the day off today. But I saw on FB that you have LOTS of food to entertain you 😉
yes, there’s that. plus i’m listening to a CD I was given at least 10 years ago: Winter Solstice on Ice. Very festive stuff, but I’d much rather be under a blanket at home in my pjs. 😉
Where are you going tomorrow? Parents?
yeah, heading up there this afternoon. i’m closing up shop around two.
Well, in case I miss you later, a very Merry Christmas to you and your familia.
right back atcha, maryb! stay warm out there.
Yeah, me either. I wonder why that is? I just got done wrapping presents, which I put off until today. Fortunately, it’s not very time-consuming to wrap socks. We’re having a very “green” christmas this year.
Did you knit them? 🙂
(ahem).
But more importantly, what are you doing for your birthday?
Wrapping — what’s that? Oh yeah I remember … that’s that pain in the ass stuff I had to mess with before the Hanukkah Elf invented gift bags.
Merry Christmas, all you pond dwellers!
Same to ya, neighbor. Enjoy the quiet in town.
merry christmas frog ponders!…from the land of ice, snow, big rocks, and sunshine:
clik to enlarge
and for the little ones peering over your shoulder, wanting to know “when’s santa coming?”…or if you’re just a kid at heart…you can keep tabs on his whereabouts with NORAD’s Santa Trax, and for our foreign friends, you can find the proper greeting here, at sant’s net:
Joyeux Noel!
have a great one!
Thanks for posting it.
And Happy Holiday to you and your family.
¡Felices Fiestas a todos!
Have a great holiday, Manny. Can you go up to Mount Lemmon and get a white Christmas? 🙂
Aka, Bart.
I’m off to feed the critters and do all the last minute chores before we leave. Cheers to everyone and have a merry whatever you are having.
Wow, this place is hopping this afternoon.
I guess everyone is charged from the prospect of an extra day or two off.
Well, winter solstice passed and we’re in Yule.
Scandinavians still celebrate the pagan tradition of Yule since our greeting at this time of year is still: “God Jul” – nothing related to Christ or Christmas.