Photography
Blazing Tulips, Kumquat Vodka, a New Mountain Bike and Mr. Squirrel
A week in photos
Spring has sprung here in Southern California. Last week, we hit 85.˚ The local hillsides are exploding with mustard and the irises in my garden are nodding in the breeze.
This week, though, we’ve returned to sweater weather for a few days and are expecting some much-needed rain. Those of you in colder climes might laugh, but I have a fire going at the moment, with the french doors open (so that I can still hear the birds and feel the breeze). My kitties, Uma and Emerson are very much in appreciation of the warmth and are snuggled up in their kitty cups beside me while I edit photos and write.
The nectarine, apple , and plum trees are just about done with their spring show. I’ve always loved the soft colors of these nascent buds.
I got a new mountain bike last week and have been having a blast riding the local trails. It’s my first “pedal-assist” e-bike and I am absolutely blown away by how much fun it is. I always seem to end up doing a lot of “hike-a biking,” but, with my new toy, I am riding things that I never thought possible.
The wisteria has been putting on quite a show for the last few weeks, but, alas, the last of the purpled petals have fallen like snow, drifting around the feet of my newly-planted tomatoes.
My kumquat tree just exploded with fruit this year, so I decided to make some kumquat-marinated vodka. If you’ve never tried it before, it’s super easy to make. I just sliced them in half, squeezed the juice into a glass jar and marinated the fruit in the vodka for a week or so — delicious! And the strained fruit you are left with at the end is quite tasty too.
Mr. Squirrel has been up to his usual antics, hanging from his toes to steal food from the “squirrel-proof” feeder. I bought him this cool little ring that holds peanuts and he thinks he is quite sneaky when he reaches in, grabs a few and then runs off with his treasured stash.
But, after all those peanuts, he really needed a drink from the bird bath.
My husband and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary this week. It’s crazy to think that it’s been that long since we were married. Time flies when you’re having fun!
We celebrated by going out to lunch (something we haven’t done a lot of this past year) and then floating around the pool.
Bisou has been enjoying the garden quite a lot this spring. I grow catnip in clumps all over the backyard. This is his post “nip” look.
I hope you have all had a lovely week. Thank you, as always, Dennett, for the week in photos challenge.
Erika Burkhalter is a yogi, neurophilosopher, cat-mom, photographer, and lover of travel and nature, spreading her love and amazement for Mother Earth’s glories, one photo, poem or story at a time. (MS Neuropsychology, MA Yoga Studies). Erika is also an editor for Mindfully Speaking.
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Photos and story ©Erika Burkhalter. All rights reserved.
