Blue Bonsai, Plus

The news of today is all about the return of the snow. I think we only got about 4 inches, but it's super fluffy.

The best picture goes in the "moods of my backyard" series, and it's pretty nice.

What started the post was a picture I took when I went shopping. Just trees in the parking lot, but I like how they looked.

But just before I took the first picture, a look out the kitchen door showed blue sky behind the white "apple bonsai." Cool!

I did the usual things and went shopping. Not very energetic. My insides are a little jumpy. I don't think it's anything serious, but I may go lie down with a book.

Got news that a friend from college days has passed. More and more of the people my age are fading. It feels weird.

See Three Tales of a Tree

Patterns on a Loop

I wanted to get in a decent walk today. Was planning to go to the trail, but it was raining fairly hard in the morning. Then I decided that the trail might be just total slop if the snow wasn't completely melted, and I would need to drive 26 miles round trip just to find out. So after lunch, I opted for a road loop. The only way I'll be able to take my hoped-for hike this fall is to keep moving. One aspect of ageing is that you get really stiff if you stop.

Pre-determined that I WOULD find something to take pictures of. So... here are some more patterns that I think are interesting.

This is my favorite: moss growing between pavers.

Can you tell what this is? Guy lines for a utility pole against a field

OK, so this one maybe isn't too exciting, but the wire fence wasn't all bent up, so the squares are very regular.

This one isn't bad. Can you figure it out? This is looking up through the edge of the railroad overpass.

I did all the usual things. Life in the not-very-exciting lane.

Miles walked in 2026: 14.2

Road walk loop, 4 miles.

See Patterns

Best Recipe Finds of 2025

Three recipes I tried this year make the cut.

First up is this granola recipe. It's supposed to stick together enough to make bars. I think it needs more honey to do this (or maybe I didn't use enough- not sure). But the taste was great. I skipped the chocolate chips because I didn't want them to melt if taken outside. Mine fell apart into clumps. Still tasted good. I will be making this again with more of the "glue."



• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup nuts (almonds, walnuts, or cashews), chopped
• ½ cup dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, or apricots), chopped
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup peanut butter (or almond butter)
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips (optional)

Steps:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking dish (8x8 inches) with parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, chopped nuts, dried fruit, and cinnamon.
3. In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the honey and peanut butter until melted and smooth, stirring frequently.
4. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
5. Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients and mix well until everything is evenly coated.
6. Press the mixture into the prepared baking dish, making sure it's evenly spread and compacted.
7. If using, sprinkle the chocolate chips on top, pressing them gently into the mixture.
8. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the center is firm.
9. Let cool completely before cutting into squares or bars.

Rhubarb Glazed Chicken is so good, I've fixed it several times. It helps that I have a ton of rhubarb. Remembered to put some in the freezer this year. The recipe is at Rhubarb Glazed Chicken. I did leave out the hot sauce. This batch might have gotten a little too done, but it really didn't taste "blackened."



I've also fallen in love with this recipe for Green Goddess Herb salad dressing. I've been somewhat unhappy with all the extra ingredients in bottled dressings. It also now costs more than $3 for a 16-oz bottle unless you can catch a sale. I'm not sure this saves any money. It does eliminate all those extra ingredients.

a few stalks of basil
a handful of fresh dill (or I've used dried dill when I couldn't find fresh)
a handful of fresh parsley (or I've used dried parsley when I couldn't find fresh)
a few green onion stalks
several garlic cloves
2 c. lowfat yogurt
2 c lowfat sour cream

Chop the herbs and garlic fine. Mix with the dairy products

It has some preparation issues:
It says to blend with an immersion blender. That is mostly a mess because any herbs you don't get fine enough beforehand just glob up. I have switched to chopping the herbs or cutting with scissors. I've finally decided that they don't have to be quite as fine as they suggest.

Keeping leftover herbs is also an issue. Freezing them in water was a mess. Chopping and freezing was a mess. Now I'm just freezing them whole and dry and trying to use before they have been in there too long. Chop them white still frozen.

Also, finding all the fresh herbs is usually impossible, and then they are expensive. After making, I kept half in the fridge while freezing the other half. The last half of the second half tends to separate and get watery. Still tastes OK.

So, I've sort of alternated between commercial dressings and this. It's hard to compare prices. When I can get the fresh herbs they aren't cheap, but a bunch is enough for at least 3 batches if I can sucessfully keep the leftovers.



I was really good today. Dishes, laundry, editing, walked a mile (just along the road). I think I'm going to lie down with a book.

Miles hiked in 2026: 10.2

One mile of roadwalk

See Best Recipes of 2020

2.5 Sloppy Ones

Since yesterday was so nasty, I really wanted to get out and do some hiking today. Cathy and I went to Timber Creek. The snow was better for snowmen than for hiking.

It was very sloppy. I wore the foam snowshoes, and Cathy just wore cleats. Neither was ideal. Ideal was not an option. The woods was stark with wet trees and partially melted snow.

The most interesting thing we saw was a hole where some critter poked its nose. We didn't see tracks, though.

We walked out and back. So if you want to hike north from Timber Creek things are pretty well compacted for 1.25 miles right now!

I edited and did miscellaneous stuff.

Miles hiked in 2026: 9.2
Hike 100 2026: 6.7

North Country Trail, Lake County, MI. Timber Creek north for 1.25 miles out and back.

See SPW January Hike

Best Purchases of 2025

Between Covid and the "big hike" a whole lot of things haven't happened for several years. The last year I did a "best purchases" of the year was 2020.

But I think a few things are noteworthy from this year.

For starters, after thinking about something like this for almost six months, I finally decided on the brand I wanted, and it was on sale. I bought one of these little power pruners. Most of them weigh closer to nine pounds. This one by Greenworks is four pounds. With the battery. The company makes a lot of other tools that take the same battery pack too. With this, I was able to get truly serious about some of the autumn olive. I didn't buy it until November so only a couple of complete bushes got whacked, but next year those nasty autumn olive are going to take a big hit.



It's strictly happenstance that another great purchase is lime green. It's a popular comsumer color these days.

This is the kitchen chopper I got for easier salad prep. It's holding up perfectly, and I use it regularly. It cleans up easily if you don't let stuff dry on it. I wasn't sure if I could chop the cucumber and pepper and have it stay fresh enough. But I'm keeping paper towels in the veggie tub to absorb a lot of the moisture. I'm using more towels than I like to, but I think it's worth it to not have to chop the parts of my evening salad every single day.



I'm really happy with several plants I bought, but assuming it comes back in the spring, perhaps the favorite purchase is the Lewisia 'Safira Coral.' It bloomed for nearly two months.

I think I'll include one more purchase because it just makes me happy. At the end of our Adirondack adventure in June, at a convenience store, they had some fleece blankets marked at $9.99. That seemed reasonable as a nice souvenir. When I took it to the register, it rang up at $29.99. "Oh, no," I said. I took the clerk to the display, and she did give it to me at the lower price! It's a great reminder of the Adirondacks, and cuts the drafts on my legs as I do computer work.

It is a romance map of the Adirondacks. I do love romance maps! I've also seen it as a poster, but I like being able to snuggle up with it.

Today was nasty outside. I opted not to hike before bell choir. Cathy and I are going to try tomorrow. It was raining and just above freezing. Ludington actually didn't have school because it was ice in the early morning. Betty is on her way to a warmer clime for the winter, so there will be no afternoons of crafts for now.

I did do all the usual- editing, bell choir, miscellaneous little things.

See Best Purchases 2020