Dandelion Wine

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When Kirby was at Aunt Vera's cleaning out her apartment he came across this old picture and recipe for Dandelion Wine and decided to bring it home to me. I love it. If someone out there wants to feel like an old hippy and decides to make this, please let me know how it turns out. I don't ever want to have 2 1/2 quarts of dandelions in my yard!

• 2 1/2 Quarts dandelion flowers
• 4 Quarts hot water
• 4 Lemons, sliced
• 2 Oranges, sliced
• 3 Lbs sugar
• 2 T. granulated yeast

1. Remove stems from flowers. Place in crock, pour hot water over flowers and let stand for 3 days.
2. Strain. Dissolve yeast in small amount of cold water.
3. Add dandelion water, yeast solution, lemons, oranges and sugar.
4. Cover crock & set in cool, dark place.
5. Wine is ready to decant when you hear it working; in about 3 weeks.
6. Strain before decanting.
7. Makes 4 Quarts

Golden Torches

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I have been wanting this picture for the longest time. So many times I have driven into the parking lot at work and seen this golden sight and wished I had my camera. Today I did! There is a paper mill very near us sitting on the Cooper River and I pass it every day when I go over the bridge. If my timing is just right with sunrise and the air is clear, this is what I see. It looks like flaming torches doesn't it? But it is just the sun rising over the ocean and peaking out behind the rising plumes of steam. If we ever have spring the trees will fill with leaves and this golden sight will go away. It just isn't the same with the green leaves. At least there are some good things about the cold of winter!

Snow in South Carolina

Not Natural and Not Right!

With all the talk this week of the snow and the prospects of our getting snow tonight here in Charleston I just couldn't resist posting some snow pictures. This picture was taken back in 2003 in Tehachapi, CA at Christmas time. We were not prepared for snow when we went and didn't have proper clothing - like shoes that weren't mesh and maybe some gloves. But it was beautiful.

In 2006 we moved aboard our boat in Maryland. We knew we would probably see snow and ice that winter and sure enough - we did.Our boat was at the end of this dock.It was so beautiful that it was almost worth it. But it was not fun walking through this to the public (warm) showers! And everyone knows how much dogs love the snow, right? Just look at our Holly running like crazy and loving it so much!
Ane this one - well, it just was not a nice day!

Happy Superbowl Sunday! I don't watch football. I don't even watch TV. So, I hung out at the Cave, enjoyed the fire, ate some hamburgers and potato salad and enjoyed friends. I am home and the game is going. I would rather play with my camera and my pictures than watch football. Sorry world!

I was sitting at the fire watching the shadows as the sun fell low on the horizon and decided I just had to run home for the camera.

I guess I am just fascinated this year with the bare trees and the light behind them. I just sat in my chair and clicked pictures. It was fun.
Even the poor palm trees aren't so happy this year. It has been too cold for them. Look at this poor thing almost frozen to death! It looks warm and sunny, but I promise you - it was not. It was about 45 degrees when I took this picture.

Guess I better go check who is winning the game. Kirby told me we are for the Saints! Go Saints!

Winter Where We Live

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It is COLD. It is not my favorite time of year that is for sure. I have a hard time even finding something pretty to take a picture of. But I did enjoy the bare tree with the bright blue sky we had today. (The nest you see is actually a squirrel nest) I think we have about another 4 weeks of the REALLY bad and then it will be better. The trees will begin to bud out and I will have to spend some time in the yard. That is the good thing about winter - no yard work. Oh, I could go out there - there is certainly plenty to do, but I don't want to and it is COLD!

Three Years Ago

Today was a really hard day at work and I am tired. I don't want to think about life here working and the stress that goes with it so I am remembering our life on Tobias 3 years ago in the Bahamas. Here is the link to the Jan 28th entry. Just click there and you can read about life on another planet. Are you ready to escape with me? Let's go..............

Opossum Love

We just happened to look out in the yard this morning and saw a opossum. I ran for the camera and a jacket and by the time I got back, there were two and they were very busy lovin' on each other. That poor little girl doesn't have much hair on her back any more as this went on and on and on. He was very much in love with that little pointy nosed gal.


In a couple of weeks she will give birth to many little opossums and they will make their way to her pouch where, attached to a teat, they will remain for 70 to 125 days. Only 13 can survive in her pouch as she only has 13 teats. When they leave the pouch they will hang on her back as she goes in search of food. When they are too heavy to hang on any more - the fall off and go out on their own. Don't you wonder what happened to the lover boy?

Brendan's Early Birthday

Brendan's birthday is this week but he returned to college today so last night we surprised him with a little celebration. Christie had come over about noon and we put up a few decoration and baked a Cookies and Cream cake. I had problems with the frosting on the cake and then today realized that as usual, I didn't read the recipe correctly. It called for 1 Cup of Condensed Sweetened Milk and I used 1 Can. Not good. But Christie did a good job working with my soft, runny frosting and the cake looked fun and tasted just great. Believe me, Brendan did not complain! I insisted on taking a family picture as we get so few of those.

My Boys!!

After one of our favorite dinners - Shrimp steamed in beer and Old Bay and a fresh garlicy Caesar salad, we played our favorite game - Mexican Train. Casey won with the lowest score and Michael "Had the Most Fun".

And today Brendan headed back to cold New York.

Here is a picture of the cake and I will add the recipes. Just remember about the milk!!


Cookies and Cream Cake

1 Pkg white cake mix
1 1/4 C. water
1/3 C. vegetable oil
3 Egg whites (save the yolks for the frosting)
1 C. Chocolate Sandwich Cookie crumbs
Cookies for decoration

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9 in. round cake pans.
2. In a large bowl, mix the cake mix, water, oil, and the 3 egg whites with an electric mixer on high speed for 2 minutes. Gently stir in crushed cookies. Pour batter into the prepared pans.
3. Bake for 25 - 35 minutes in a preheated oven or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
4. Cool 10 minutes in the pans. Remove from pans and cool completely on racks.

White Chocolate Frosting

1 CUP sweetened condensed milk
8 T. butter
8 oz white chocolate chips
3 large egg yolks
1 C. confectioners sugar

1. Melt the butter in a pan over low heat. Add the white chocolate chips and stir until the chips are melted. Add the milk and mix over heat until all is mixed and the milk is warmed. Do not get it too hot or the milk will stick and burn.
2. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
3. In a mixing bowl beat together the egg yolks and the sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy.
4. Add the white chocolate mixture and beat until thick.

Kirby and Lee - 1990 Sailing to Mexico

In 1990 Kirby took his son, Lee, out of school for 6 months and sailed off to Mexico. It was an opportunity of a lifetime for a 13 year old boy and the they both had a great adventure. When they returned Kirby wrote his "story" for Aunt Vera who was an adventurer at heart and wanted to hear all about it. That was 20 years ago and Kirby lost all track of his story. Then when he went to California last month to move Aunt Vera to a "Rest Home" and cleaned out her apartment, he found is old document.

Last week I read it. It is wonderful and I think I have found a way to share it with everyone. It is not a quick read nor a short story. But it isn't quite a book. It is 23 typed pages of pure adventure. I think you could print it out and read it in bed like I did. I didn't want the adventure to end any more than they did. I had such a good time with it.

If you would like to read what sailing was like 20 years ago - give this a read. You won't be disappointed! Just click here to be redirected to my Google Documents page.