The Rain in Spain......Gives It a Somber Beauty

Even Ernest Hemingway in "The Sun Also Rises", describing events and places

of 90 years ago in precisely this area of the world

said that France seemed more "suburban" than Spain.  I've seen pictures of the Costa de Sol and I know that "suburban" definitely applies there.

But here in this part of Navarre widespread commercial development has still not hit.

There are a few extremely new shops on the border selling goods that the French

come to purchase at cheaper prices than in their own country.

But you will not find the big-box stores, the hyper-marches, billboards, music blaring

out of speakers everywhere, vast parking lots, CCTV cameras, generic Chinese-made goods.

Instead, life is lived closer to the earth, as it has been for centuries.

Things are still made by hand, or very nearly so.

Roads are not straight, but they meander - according to the contours of the mountains or following the turnings of a stream.

Everything is still mostly made "for the ages".

The structures seem to be deeply rooted in the earth and immoveable.

Indifferent to change's buffeting winds.

 This is a good thing for any visitor who craves tranquility, a sense of life lived in common

with others, and continuity....the sense of knowing where you've been - and the reassurance that 

where you're going might look quite similar to what you've left behind.

It's a place to move gently and quietly through.  Almost reverentially.

To sit often and look around oneself.

A place to seek comfort or simply, rest.

To be fed generously - as Hemingway describes, the Spanish dine copiously compared to

the French.

To breathe in lots of clean air.  And plan a long walk.  For when the rain stops.  There will be calories to walk off.

Food and Fruit on a Summer Garden Theme

I might have mentioned it before.....

With a long drought ongoing in the American West, and watering restrictions almost statewide

in California, it has been hard to garden.

I've learned (sometimes the hard way) what CAN grow with little water, and that has surprisingly, 

has included quite a few tropical things.  (Who would've thunk it? - I did not!)  

Loquat trees from my neighbor's garden were so full of fruit that the long branches sunk down over our fence and landed festoons of leaf and fruit into my yard for a couple of weeks until I picked them clean and cut them back.  Mr. P. then made a delicious jam with them (- we had to quick because they don't keep!)  It was perfumey and light, tasting half like apples, half like apricots.  We have many Middle Eastern, Chinese and Phillipino neighbors who've planted or enjoy loquat trees so they are quite common.  Many others don't know what to do with the large seeded fruit and just let the loquats fall and rot.  I am here to tell you officially: Jam is the answer!

It's been a summer of long anticipation for the passion fruit - which we planted almost two years ago.  Mr. P. was certain it would not bear for him.  He was happily wrong - though I felt I had to help the bees pollinate by fluffing the flower pistils and stamen with a long soft paintbrush every couple of days through most of May and June.

A terribly neglected pineapple plant in a pot (Second pic, above) seemed impervious to drought and sent up a perky little orb with lavender flowers bursting off of it in early August.  I watered and fed it last Thursday to keep its spirits up.  We'll see how big it gets - happy as it seems to be.

A non-garden discovery (top pic) that kept my spirits up through a sometimes difficult summer was my new favorite breakfast of:  shredded wheat'n'bran, blueberries (- frozen are prettier, no?) - toasted hazelnuts, chia, and sliced bananas (not shown here).  OH MAN!  So good.

(SERIOUSLY!)

And finally.......the pomegranates have arrived.  I can forgive the raccoons and skunks and possums for marauding about in my yard, when I contemplate all these lovely gifts of nature in my kitchen and on my dining table!  

So all in all, a successful season.  Can't wait to do it all again next year.  

And now the rest of you?  Any fruit bragging you'd like to do?  Before the winter weather arrives?

UP LIFT - via Bungalow Classic

And here for you.......

some anti-doldrums pics lifted

by moi-meme last November

from Bungalow Classic a blog(ger)

with a delicious talent for lifting

some of the best visuals from around the internet.  (I have never wanted a Barbie physique but I must say - legs that look like this in ankle laces make me very desirous - of a Cinderella evening in skimpy slippers and a very full skirt)

Even with sun and 80+ degrees here in L.A. this past week

instead of being out and charging about I still favor using this time of year for resting, re-charging,

and dreaming.

When I used to live in cold places, chilly nights would often be spent with plant catalogs and sewing.

With a warm animal close by.

Now I just dream too much about shopping and summer dresses.  Because Spring is still sometimes a surprise too soon here.  And I never feel properly dressed for the new season.

And I think I SHOULD be painting.

It's a funny twix and tween thing.

All that oppositionality (is that a word?) still lives in me.

Between cold and light.  Hello!  How are you?  What are you doing?

Arctic Circle Wonder via the New York Times

Photos by Christopher Miller for the New York Times

These photos remind me of an aunt who traveled to Lapland years ago and whose beautiful reindeer pelt was stolen from her New York City apartment.  She inspired my own love for the larger world.  

The images accompany an article here about this remote place in a part of Canada's arctic circle

where a big new highway is being built.  The article explores how it might change this landscape.

It's Spring here in Los Angeles.  I still marvel about that.  Hope you all are staying warm.

HAPPY WEEKEND to you all

  

The Ludlow Hunt 2015 - No Foxes Were Harmed in the Making of this Post

We were told to get there by "half ten" or it would not be possible to find a place in front of the

castle.  In a light drizzle they began to arrive, leaving their horseboxes parked on the outskirts

of town.

Oddly.  It was mostly young women in the saddles.

I don't know very much about horses but they did seem to me an outstanding bunch.

I adore a white speckled horse.  And leggy, furry dogs too.

The riders were very relaxed, unlike those at a previous hunt gathering that I've witnessed (near

Mr. Paradis' hometown) there was none of the tension of strict discipline and anticipation of a "kill".

Instead it seemed a friendly group of neighbors gathering for a bracing ride.

Father Christmas was there.

As were quite a few young riders from the local pony club.

The horses were gorgeously groomed and shaved.  (Tho' I can't tell you what the purpose of the shaving is.)

And no two looked the same.  Perhaps a way of "I.D.-ing" in the chaos of the hunt?

This dark beauty was letting it all hang out with her fountain of tail and fringy fetlocks.

In this hunt it only seems to be the Master of the Hunt and the Master of Hounds in "pink" coats.

But some wore tinsel on their hats and plaited into their horse's manes and tails.  For color and cheer.

Instead of the hounds being kept in a tight pack in the center of the town square.

They were allowed to run a bit free in the little park in front of the castle.

Accepting pets and cuddles from some that they already knew and some not so familiar.

I cannot tell you who owns them and where they are all kept.  Only that we did not receive curious and welcoming sniffs and offers to be petted.  Apparently the Paradis family did not smell "local" enough.

For an hour or so there was milling about and chatting and much admiring done.

Everyone was very friendly and still in the glow of the Christmas spirit.

Mlle Paradis should have been chattier and asked more questions but she was too busy trying to get a good shot, and staying well out from under foot and ominously lifted tail........

As a prolonged wait for stragglers carried on....it became time to turn the camera to the shorter-legged

parties.  Who no doubt were a bit jealous that they weren't going hunting too.

And seriously, I cancelled all my Westminster and Cruft's dog show reservations after this.  Who needs 'em?  I've seen every sort of lovely dog now!

Oh, and as time went on it was necessary to also avoid a fair amount of this.  Although a nice man told me it would be "good luck" to step in it.  I told him:  "Better it be your luck - than mine!"

And then suddenly, a signal.  I never heard a horn....or a whistle.

But the stillness and calm was transformed into

a RUSH and a flurry.  And then they were away.  Out to the hills and fields.

And the Paradis family were in the wrong place to wave off the galloping powerful receding hoofs.

So it was back to dog-shopping.  (And time to find a pub!)  We were very well satisfied with the hunt. For lazier onlookers with our feet on the ground, it was a very nice way to usher in a New Year.

More here and here on the Ludlow Hunt.