Bamboo, Fish, Fire, Cookbook & Garland

I love bamboo.  I fell in love with it when I was 18 and living in Hawaii and a bunch of us young free spirits (hippies) climbed down into a volcano crater for a "love in".  We traversed down into the big meadow of the crater through a massive timber bamboo forest.  Lots of us were there and we all made music and danced about and had a lovely time.  It was quite beautiful and memorable.  It was our statement - "Love Not War" during the Vietnam war.  I've been anti-war my whole life.

So, here on the farm I have, over the years, found and purchased 5 different varieties of "clumping bamboo" - which means it is not the "running" variety which can spread badly.  The one below is a Golden Bamboo.. and you can see why as the sun illuminates the golden leaves, plus the canes are golden.

This one is called "Blue Fountain Bamboo" as when the canes are new there is a blue cast to them.

This one is called Bambusa multiplex "Willowy" and has arching canes that look like weeping willow branches.

This one is called "Dwarf Variegated Bamboo" and Dayle just cut this clump down to the ground as it was looking rather scraggly.  I didn't show the Black Bamboo as I did in one of my recent posts.

One of our little new koi is braver than the other two and it has been swimming with the big boy.  See him?

He has a big black marking behind his orange face.  What would you name him?  I have forgotten the name of my big one!

Here is the little one.

Can you believe the difference in size?  Dayle told me he saw the other two little koi in the "hide-y hole" on the side of the pond - he said he saw two little noses there.  I wonder when they'll come out and swim?  I will be on the look out.

When Dayle was cutting down the dwarf bamboo he found a hummingbird nest and I asked him to give it to me.  I placed in on a branch in the bonsai tree on our deck railing to take a photo.  I am going to bring it inside, I have a few more nests in my old kitchen queen cabinet.  

Dayle spent two days working out how to make a base for our new outdoor fireplace.  He found several items that would work right here on the farm.  3 pier blocks and one cinder block for the base and 4 cement pavers.  Then after he cut down the little bamboo (see the mound behind him?) and dug down in the soil to place the blocks and then the pavers on top.

Ta-dah!

He bolted on the pretty little legs and maneuvered the extremely heavy cast iron stove into place.

The he hefted the pizza oven part on top...

Then the chimney part on top of that.. and at the very top is a little cap with a knob that closes up the top.  You take it off when you have a fire going.

And finally.. FINALLY.. Dayle started a little fire in it to season the cast iron so that it's safe to bake pizzas in soon.  He started with this small fire and we'll make bigger ones tonight and each night until it's settled in.

I have Susan Branch's blog on my side bar and it's quite wonderful.  She just published a 30th anniversary edition of her wonderful cookbook, so I ordered one.

I must tell you that I thoroughly enjoyed perusing the book after it was delivered and am looking forward to trying some of the recipes.  Her artwork though the book is delightful!

She's a wonderful writer and artist!

Look at that wonderful watercolor of her kitchen!  I do recommend adding this to your cookbook collection.  :-)

I am about half done with my Attic24 flower garland project.  It's been fun and I look forward to having this across our TV cabinet.  I just strung these up temporarily so I could figure out how many I will need to make to cover the width of this.  I think I need to make 5 more of the big ones and 7 more little flowers.  I must say this project has really helped pass the time during our confinement.  :-)

As I was laying awake this morning before arising, it occurred to me that having this blog has also given me purpose during this time of staying home for weeks.  So, thank you for coming to visit and some extra special heartfelt gratitude to those of you who take the time to leave a comment.  To me it's your response to what I put out to you.  And it's important to me.  

*T*H*A*N*K* * *Y*O*U*!*!*!* 

((hugs)), Teresa :-)