Summer ~ Fishing ~ Homemade Bread

There is so much pretty-ness this time of year.  Our flowers are all enjoying the bright sun and the cool breeze.  Hollyhocks ~ Clematis ~ Roses and the Sunflowers are growing so fast you can almost stand there and watch them getting taller .... I know why they are called Sunflowers.  The top leaves of the plants face the sun all day long ~ in the morning they are facing East and by evening they are facing West.  Such smart little fellers . . .

Some of the original seeds didn't want to come up so the smaller plants were replanted a few weeks ago.

We are enjoying our grandkiddos for two weeks and as always we went to the lake and the park for some play time.  Papa and Grandson #1 were skipping rocks until this cute little family swam by . . . we watched them for the longest time.  It seems that mama was showing off her brood to all the visitors at the lake.  She made sure to swim right along the shore line ~ the fishermen reeled in their line, the walkers stopped to look ~ everyone was interested in her little family.  So Cute!

Hubby and I had a hankerin' for Sourdough Bread.  So I went shopping online at The King Arthur Flour Company and decided to order the sourdough starter, both kinds ~ the quick easy starter and the slow-feed-me-every-day-make-a-commitment-to-me starter.  A dear friend agreed to make the quick starter and I made the slow starter bread and then we compared loaves.  The flavor and texture of both loaves were wonderful, almost identical!!!   But we both kinda like the slow starter so that we can share starter with friends and family.  It only lasted for two days here at home ~ nothing better than fresh baked bread.

More About Feathered Friends ~

I found this birdhouse at a country gift shop . . . it's a little rough around the edges but fits in quite nicely around home.  I like anything handmade!

Posing for this picture is one of our Acorn Woodpeckers and it's our first year having them.  As their name implies .. they depend on acorns and other nuts for survival.  We have several oak trees in our yard which explains why they like us!  They live in small colonies which consist of up to five males, one or two females and up to a dozen juveniles from previous years with all members helping to raise the new babies.  They are very vocal, giving a loud, nasal "wheka-wheka-wheka" call.  

Granddaughter #2 catching her very first fish . . . all by herself . . . no help from Papa.  She actually caught two on this fishing trip.  Her big brother caught five but even so ~ she was tough to live with after that.  We are so proud of them both!

What good is the warmth of summer,

without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.

                                                                                                ~  John Steinbeck