EXPLORING BALESTRAND NORWAY

Although I loved every place we ventured into
 during our Scandinavian vacation, 
My favorite place was Balestrand. 

Abundant natural beauty...
 Excellent local food: plums, apples, cider, sausage, fish, and shrimp.

Gorgeous accommodations, a home that we rented right on the fjord...

We hiked the mossy, ferny hillside, foraged for wild berries,

swam the cold water, explored the fjord by ferry boat,

then fell asleep to the sound of waves...

 Our spectacular views:

Amazing in every direction

  Ethereal place, such beauty

 Need I say, I never want to leave?

Can there exist such a place on earth?

And were we really there?

OSLO LOVE

           As seen from a sidewalk in Oslo...
         

Preserving the Bounty

Autumn in Minnesota is Apple time!

Such a sweet time of the year when trees are producing delicious fruit, and there's amazing abundance throughout the garden.  We have wild crab apple trees in the back of our property along the lake.  They are scrubby trees that we neglect, until fruit is red and heavy on the branches...calling us...

Now what to do with the harvest?

French apple tart?...ahhh...put the coffee on

 Next French apple jelly.  France,  my go to country for ALL fruit recipes.  I made two batches.  Enough for everyone!  The recipe comes from one of my favorite blogs, from Paris dweller, David Lebovitz.

Here's the recipe if you're interested:
https://www.davidlebovitz.com/apple-jelly-jam-recipe/

I've been busy preserving as much as I can...Hot Dilly Beans, Sweet and Sour Pickles, Ginger Carrots, Slow Roasted Tomatoes...We will eat well this winter.

Beautiful Bounty!!

Joshua Tree National Park

Our visit to Joshua Tree National Park was done on a whim, on a day of 96 degree plus temps, during a stay in Palm Desert, California.  Bryan and I found ourselves with an air-conditioned car and an open afternoon.  We have always heard of this national park and decided now- time to explore!

After an uneventful drive in from the south entrance, we encountered a field of flowering cacti. Very unexpected life, color and texture, surrounded by barren rock.

         Other-worldly formed rock...
         driving north through the park, the temps
         dropped 15 degrees
         

                       The Joshua Tree really isn't a tree...it's a form of Yucca.
                                                                Who knew?

A forest of Joshua trees, as far as the eye can see!

             The park was unlike anything we've experienced before...
             a beauty all it's own.

Red ball

      A sure sign of Spring is a new, fresh, fully inflated, bright, glossy, big ball.  Bringing delight to any young child.  A simple joy, my kids loved a new one every year.  When my youngest was 3, he painted this picture on his bedroom wall, (yes, on his wall:) of playing with his new ball in the backyard.  Notice his happy face!!!  Pure happiness!!

SPRING VACATION :)

Minnesota's Spring has arrived weeks early...dampening my desire to escape.  I would be content to stay home...yet we have a vacation planned to Sonoma, California, and Maui, Hawaii.  Yes, we are going west and then further west!

We stayed at the gorgeous horse boarding ranch owned by our lovely friends, Steve and Leah.  Their guest house is newly built, and we were the first guests to have the honor of staying.  So quiet and peaceful. The cottage itself is exquisite, we could want for nothing, and the surroundings, amazing.  The property is bordered by vineyards and spectacular hillsides.

Truly beautiful!!  The eucalyptus trees are old, stoic, fragrant and remarkable!  If we could only only grow these in Minnesota, I would plant a forest.

The wildflowers were abundant.  California poppies are a sure sign of Spring.  Steve and Leah have yellow roses planted along their property fence.  Happy yellow and gold!

Of course we made our pilgrimage to the Mumm Napa winery. We adore all their bubbly!  One of our favorite stops.  The winery includes a gallery with unbelievable photography by the great, Ansel Adams, which one may enjoy while sipping a flute of sparkling rose.  Bubbles + art = heaven.

Old zinfandel vines welcomed us to the Ridge winery.  A new favorite, they make amazing wines!
It wasn't all wine tasting for us, we did get out hiking the gorgeous countryside.  Our favorite hikes were at Jack London Park and Spring Lake Park in Santa Rosa.

Spring Lake Park photos above.  Jack London photos below.

Meandering redwoods, prairie, vineyards, lush forest.  We also visited Bodega Bay.  A cool day, rough waters.

Next stop, Maui.  Paradise, yet somehow I neglected to take a bunch of photos...but here you are... a sunset over the resort (Grand Wailea) and yellow hibiscus, a sunny face!  Mahalo :)