Welsh Cakes

I fell in love with Welsh Cakes on our trip to the British Isles a couple years ago. You could buy them in any grocery store. I brought several packs home and rationed them until they ran out. I recently tried my hand at making them. They were pretty good but not as good as the bought ones. I'll keep trying though. They are really easy to make. I got some of them too brown.
I like having a little something with my morning or afternoon tea. A graham cracker usually does the trick, but sometimes I get tired of them and want something with a little more substance like a scone or tea cake.
These cakes are perfect with tea. They're not too sweet but have currants in them, so they feel healthier than just plain cakes. Or did I use raisins? Either one is good. Try them with hot tea and see if you don't think they're just right!

Harl

Many Scottish houses have an exterior finish of harl - a covering of small pebbles, stone chips, or shell chips as here, embedded in what was traditionally a base of lime render. The finish is supposed to offer good protection against the Scottish weather. All sorts of buildings are harled. The Great Hall of Stirling Castle (which is having its limewash re-done this summer), Crathes Castle, and my Dad's house, where I took this shot. We have the shell chip variety of harl. The chips are tiny - I used the macro setting on my camera. I'm rather fond of our seashells, and of sharing a building technique with famous castles.
We've been away for a while getting things organised for my Dad's return from hospital, and helping him settle in at home. Six months is a long time to be in hospital, and he still needs a lot of support. But he has a team of carers coming in to the house 4 times a day to help him make the transition to coping by himself. This amazing service is free. Thank you, National Health Service.

Had to Get Out to Ride

Today was the day I am/was planning to head South for the Holiday. After breakfast, I rested and worked on packing.
About noon, I stuck my head out of the door (probably to take a load to the car0 and I decided I just HAD to ride this afternoon - even if it means delaying my trip. Hell, It was over a month since i was last on one of my bike! I quickly donned a cycling kit, grabbed the road bike, and headed for the Wabash Trace Trailhead Park.
Figured the Trace might be a little soft (warming up this afternoon). Headed towards Manawa on the pavement. Was about 42 as I started riding.
Stopped by the mountain bike trail area (river-side boat landing). Trail Leader was in the area 9saw his truck, not him). Took a couple of photos. Today's blog photo shows the sand/silt that was deposited during the flood this year.
My original destination was the Trails Center. With the month off the bike had taken its toll on me. When I got to Indian Creet Bridge, I decided just completing the loop around the lake and back to the car would be enough.
Sunny, light breeze, 48 degrees on the way back home.
Gave me just enough drive to get the bikes loaded on the car rack. Basically finished packing. Now sleep time.

Tramworks

First day of digging up Princes Street, as part of the great tramworks scheme.

A slushy contender in the Maine event

Its has been a great time slogging through the back country of midish Maine. Hubert pitched me out of the car at The Forks. I spent the first few days slipping sliding, slopping and plodding on snowmobile paths. As amazingly beautiful as it was the going was incredibly tough. The snow was just to soft. I couldn't have had more than couple of pounds in each tire and still no traction. I never spent more time going forward with the bars turned or fallen off so many times in a day before. I could look behind me and see a zig-zagging rut with several pits where I hit the ground. That was the better times when I actually could ride. As fun as it was I've retreated to plowed roads. There is a cold front rumored to be coming in and I hope to get back off road.

Orange Pepper

This 'California Wonder' bell pepper is almost ready to be picked. Anyone have some good recipes using bell peppers?

Glowing Clouds over McFarland Lake

After making the "Celestial Fantasy" photo I continued driving up the Arrowhead Trail until I arrived at the swimming beach on McFarland Lake, which is one of the best places in Cook County (in my opinion) to watch the northern lights. This beach has a great view to the north and the lake is often very calm at night, which means you can get great reflections of the lights in the water. Unfortunately when I arrived at the lake the sky was still completely covered with clouds. I hung around here for almost two hours hoping the sky would clear, but it never did. Several times, however, the cloud cover got thin enough that the glow from the lights could be seen even through the clouds. This particular photo is from one of those times when the clouds were thinner. It is my favorite photo made during my time at the lake waiting for the sky to clear.