turkey feathers

Walk on the Wildside

Earlier in the month, along backroads bordered by wildflowers, the Mister and I took a day trip to a neighboring town and stopped at Dancing Oaks Nursery on the way.  It's been a few years since we last visited this amazing place, famous for it's curated collection of unusual trees, shrubs and flowers gathered from all over the planet, as well as more common species showcased in mass plantings along pathways and in separate garden areas and took our sweet time meandering through.  The weather was perfect, warm but with a slightly overcast sky, nice for outdoor photography--which I took full advantage of at every turn in the path.  Even so, it is difficult to capture the full scope of this vast landscape.  This wondrous paradise with its unexpected surprises tucked in here and there.  No matter how many times I visit, I see something new and am inspired.  

Happy Indie Day

Yesterday, just for kicks, we took a ride on the Santa Maria Steam Train.   We sat in the big open car behind the engine with most of the other passengers--my ears are still ringing from the deafening blasts of the whistle.  Babies and small children quickly retreated to the inside cars after the first one!  I admit, it was a bit jarring.  Those whistle blasts can be heard for miles.  The train took us north, just past Cheadle Lake and through open fields bordered with woodlands on one side.  It was a lovely morning excursion under an overcast sky, just clickety-clacking along the old tracks, hair whipping in the wind.  A fun experience. 

Back at the home front, we've been watching LIV Golf and loving it.  It's a new dynamic golf sport (and apparently controversial by PGA standards), with a team concept that had its debut last month in London.  The teams gathered in Portland, Oregon this weekend at Pumpkin Ridge golf course for a 3-day competition that ended yesterday.  It's really great to see folks getting out and participating in all sorts of activities again. 

And speaking of that, it's time to get started on our July 4th BBQ.  

But first, I want to share my delicious VEGAN potato salad dressing recipe.  After trying a bunch of different dressings (made without dairy or eggs) I  discovered Tahini Garlic Sauce works great!  It doesn't soak into the potatoes like other substitutions tend to do.  Tahini  has about the same caloric count as mayo, so it's not necessarily low-fat, but it's delicious and creamy.  I mix in prepared mustard, onion powder, celery salt, garlic powder and about a tablespoon of dill pickle juice (vinegar) from the jar.  A few dollops is all you need, just enough to coat the potatoes.  You can also make your own tahini sauce, there are a number of recipes online--but this is the brand I buy from the store. 

Enjoy!