Spring Weekend with the Kids

I captured our spring weekend with the kids using the billion-dollar app Instragram. The images I created with this app are priceless. I took photos with my iPhone, then used Instagram to produce images that mimic the old Polaroids I used to take. Blurry, grainy, and off-color, but full of character.

Redbud Alley

Redbuds are now in full bloom in West Virginia. The beautiful trees line both sides of Route 50 on the way to the cabin!

The kids are running loose on the roof of the cabin!

Dinner at Sunset with My Signature Dish

Polenta and Tomato Napoleons

Serves 6

Polenta:

3 cups water

1 cup polenta

Salt and pepper

Pesto:

1 cloves garlic

3 tablespoons pine nuts (toasted)

2 cups basil leaves (omit stems)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon vegan parmesan cheese (optional)

Salt and pepper

Toppings:

6 medium ripe tomatoes, sliced very thinly

Olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Fresh pepper

Kosher salt

Pine nuts

To prepare polenta . . . boil water and stir-in polenta slowly to avoid clumps. Continue stirring until polenta gets thick, about 1 minute. (Stand back to avoid being burned by bubbling polenta!) Remove from heat and add salt and pepper to taste. Then, pour polenta onto oiled plate and spread-out evenly to about 1/2-inch thickness. Set aside to let polenta cool and solidify.

To make pesto . . . begin by mincing garlic in food processor. Then add pine nuts and chop. Then add basil, olive oil, vegan parmesan cheese. Process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To assemble napoleons . . . begin by using an inverted drinking glass to cut polenta into four discs. On each plate, put a polenta disc onto the center, then spread a heaping tablespoon of pesto over the disc. Next, artfully stack tomato slices over each disc (about the equivalent of one tomato for each). Drizzle with a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fresh pepper, and kosher salt. Garnish with pine nuts.

Eviction

This spring, a family of squirrels has set up a home in the crawl space under the cabin. Just when we have the ants under control, along comes a different critter. It's always something out here in the woods. That's why I call this blog "Cabin Adventures!"

When I realized I was in over my head, I called Chip from A All Animal Control to get the squirrels out and repair the damage they caused. Last weekend, he set traps to catch the squirrels and relocate them. To lure them into the traps, Chip is using peanuts and a secret paste with a strong scent.

Early Spring in Black & White

Before the forest soon explodes in full color, I captured some images in black & white. Click on the photos to enjoy a larger view!

A decaying tree on the way to the field

Some trees in the boggy area along the nature trail

Looking up into the redbud tree with early blooms

The bark of a persimmon tree along the nature trail

The nature trail winds up the hill out of the boggy area

Huge Rabbit Seen in Shower at Cabin!

Peak Fall Color

It's a beautiful time to be at the cabin! The fall color is now at its peak. The second image is the view looking straight up from the new outdoor shower. Click on any image to enjoy a larger view.

Oasis

The outdoor shower adds a new, sensual experience to the cabin. During our summer of extreme drought in West Virginia, this was the only water flowing. Showering at night by candlelight was one of the highlights of my summer!

Special thanks to Bill Sawicki for designing the drainage system, Rodney Wilson of 1st Rate Plumbing (304-822-5782) for an innovative plumbing solution, and Del Construction (304-822-4222) for bringing my idea to life.

Click to enjoy a larger image . . .

Summer in a Bowl

In these last few days of summer, I'd like to share my gazpacho recipe using the abundance of tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. This easy soup captures the feeling of summer, and the memories of eating it while watching the sun set from the deck of the cabin.

Gazpacho

1/8 red onion

1 clove garlic

3 medium, ripe tomatoes

1 red pepper, seeded

1 cucumber, peeled and seeded

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

For garnish: thinly sliced avocado or julienned basil

In food processor, mince onion and garlic. Then add all other ingredients (except avocado or basil), and puree until smooth. For added texture, reserve a small amount of tomatoes, pepper, and cucumber, dice by hand, then stir into the pureed soup. Chill mixture a couple hours. Garish with avocado or basil.

Serves two

Drought of Summer 2010

The water is flowing nicely at the new outdoor shower, but this summer has been bone dry. The nearby Little Cacapon River is completely dried up, and several trees and plants at the cabin have died. Below is a shot of me doing a rain dance in the dried riverbed. Please, please rain!

Click on any image for a better view . . .

Plan for a Pan

Now that the wood structure of the shower is built, the plumber will be connecting the water lines to the shower. Simple enough. But he'll also be installing a complicated drainage system.

When the contractor tried to obtain a permit to build the shower, they discovered that Hampshire County regulations prohibit the waste water from draining into the woods. The water must be collected and diverted into the cabin's septic tank. I was frustrated because none of my research into designing an outdoor shower mentioned this problem, let alone offered a solution. For weeks, it seemed like this project would not move forward.

Bill Sawicki offered a solution. His plan called for fabricating a metal pan which would sit underneath the shower's wood floor to collect the water. Then, a drain at the bottom of the pan would connect to a line into the septic tank. The shower's wood floor would need to be removable to access the drain and clean leaves from the pan. Thanks Bill!

Here's Bill's plan, plus an image of the removable floor to access the pan underneath.

Click on each image for a larger view.