Photo-Finish Friday -- Wild Horses

It's the Year of the Horse.
In its honour here are some wild horses that live at Harlech, near Nordegg, Alberta.






Aren't they beautiful?

Gratitude Monday -- Great Day

The other day I went looking for a book I needed to refer to, but it wasn't there. I'm quasi-organized about my books. For example, UFOs in one case, witchcraft in another, science fiction in a third, with plenty of overlap based on years purchased.
The book I needed should have been on the second shelf, right siden of the fourth bookcase I'd acquired and located in the spare room.
It wasn't.
I looked twice through the whole case and then looked at other shelves in other bookcases.
Nothing.
I needed to do some straightening as the case devoted largely to cookbooks was a glorious mess. I decided to fix up four of the five bookcases yesterday. The fifth only requires re-shelving and will have its moment another time.
I found the book I needed nowhere near where it ought to have been, another one above it it I can also use, several books I forgot I had, several more that needed reading, and best of all I found the guitar pick I'd lost two years ago.
I am grateful for the chance to go through my books and hold them and read the covers and wipe off the dust that accumulates when a books sits and is not actively loved.
It was work, yes, but it was good work and if I hadn't done it then I would not have moved the books on the shelf near where I keep the guitar stuff and therefore I'd not have been reunited with my favourite yellow pick.
It was a great day.

Photo-Finish Friday --Apple Blossom Time Is Coming

Remember these?

They'll be back soon.

Failed, But Still A Win

I wanted to make pizza cooked on a cast iron grill.
This is not it.

Shrimp and 'shroomie with double the fat in the crust.

But I can still call it a win for many reasons.
The crust worked out very well, on the whole. I had an idea to add extra fat. I had fresh bacon grease around so added it as well as the olive oil called for in the recipe.
How much?
Excellent question.
It was more than a tablespoon, but not by much.  It called for a tablespoon of olive oil, but that I didn't bother measuring. It was nearly a tablespoon.
I had this idea that if I put down wax paper over the cookie sheet, then the crust would come right out with no problems.
I was wrong.
It stuck to the wax paper and had to be teased away. It left its mark on the paper and was thin in spots
My intent was to cook it on a cast iron grill just to see what would happen. But it fell apart in places and would not transfer to said grill.
But I must note that on the whole it held together reasonable well for a gluten-free concoction.
I used fava and garbanzo bean flour along with soy, rice, and sorghum, and I threw in about a tablespoon of whole fax.
Next time I'll use double or treble the amount of psyllium fibre. I used about a tablespoon this time and it was adequate. If I'd cooked it in a pizza pan or kept it in the cookie sheet and not moved it, then it would have been fine.
However, it was very tasty.  Doubling the fat works and I will likely continue with that modification.
The experiment will continue.

Gratitude Monday -- Snowshoeing Edition

We went showshoeing at Crimson Lake on Saturday. It was warm and sunny and it was wonderful to be outside.
I'm am grateful for it and for my husband who helps me with my snowshoes.



Snowshoeing in the bush was exhilarating.



And in the open was just plain fun.

Photo-Finish Friday - Along The Nile

A Felucca sails down the Nile near Aswan, Egypt.

But It's For The Birds

We got hold of some free peanut butter we put out for the birds.
We put it in the trough section of  Mr. Snout, the feeder my husband built.
The birds want nothing to do with it. Perhaps due to the cranberry mix in it.
However,

The deer seem quite taken with it.

Here's a closer look.

It's a tough year out there what with all the snow. It's warmed a bit and that's going to make it even worse once it freezes again.
I do not begrudge the deer the food. I am not going to deliberately feed them, but they are welcome to it.
Even if I chased them away they'd just come back.