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Author Archives: Teri J Pieper

An American Dipper and a Green Growing Plant

One day, earlier this month, we had a short walk in Big Valley. Normally Luna and I would be skiing out there every week. MVSTA grooms a ski trail and dogs are allowed. But with so little snow, there is no grooming at Big Valley this year. Insert big sad face here.

It’s always fun to get to the river in the winter and watch for American Dippers (formerly referred to as Water Ouzels). These amazing birds with short tails ‘swim’ underwater finding insects anytime of the year. In the winter they are on the main river. During high water and breeding season they go to the smaller tributaries to make their nests and raise their young.

The dipper is standing on a rock in the middle of the river, balanced on one foot, and scratching its ear. Birds are amazing.
There are quite a few of these plants growing in a little side channel. Do you know what they are?

We Walk at Home

We walk at home just about everyday. Even if we have a bigger outing, we will often do a quick loop just so the dogs can get their yaw yaws out and I can stretch my legs. And on a sunny day like this one – we go for longer walks.

Luna needs a haircut and more attention
We don’t usually get this close to deer. This one must have been enjoying the sun too.
Peek a boo

Pearrygin Lake Walk

We have had quite a few days of ice fog. That combined with no new snow can make a pretty bleak picture. The little snow we have has been softened and frozen into an uneven frozen track that often makes walking difficult. I put ‘yak traks’ on my shoes just about every time I go out for a walk. One day last week there was a hint that the sun might be shining just a little higher up and the dogs and I had a few minutes before meeting our friends for agility practice. So we went up to frozen Pearrygin Lake to see if we could find the sun and to stretch our legs. There were glimpses of sunshine, sucker holes, but by the time we left, it was just gray again.

We saw some folks walking their goats through the state park
A sun spot/sucker hole on the hillside
Sky at five months and 40 pounds.
Sky and Luna playing
Sometimes she looks distinguished
Bubbles in the ice
This bubble looks like a UFO
There’s that spot of blue sky

Full Moon Rising

These images are from January 15. I think they speak for themselves.

Pasta Class!

I’ve been busy the last two weeks – there was a lovely wedding to photograph out on the ski trail and of course lots of computer work following. And this week I needed to produce a newsletter too. Now that I’ve finished both of those projects I can go on to some personal stuff. The dogs and I have had a few walks with friends and one evening this week I got to take a pasta making class at Tappi, a wonderful Italian restaurant in Twisp. It was a small class – just five students – taught by the owner and cook who learned cooking from his mother. I love that he cooks by feel, not so much with recipes; that’s how I cook. He showed us some cookbooks but then went on to say he doesn’t use them although some were obviously old and well-thumbed through. For the pasta, he said one egg per serving and enough flour to absorb the egg. How much flour? Well that depends on lots of stuff – how big is the egg, how humid/dry is it, how warm/cold are your hands, and so on. For the three sauce he showed us, he gave us a list of ingredients and approximate measures and then he showed us how he makes them in his own kitchen. There was Emma’s (his mother) , Diavolo (the devil) and Carbona (yes, there was bacon in it, lots of bacon) sauces. And the best part of a cooking class is the eating! To go with the three pastas, he fixed us a lovely salad with a nice chevre and roasted buttercup squash and red onions from the brick wood-fired oven and it was all paired with wonderful wines from Italy. By the time we finished eating, well after 9 pm, I think everyone was very satisfied with the evening.

Here are a few images from my cell phone. It was all too good NOT to photograph!

Flour waiting for an egg
Diavolo sauce simmering
Now we used our fork and fingers to make the dough
Sauces and water on the stove
Using the hand crank Atlas machine
Now I know why I’ve always had a hard time with mine. It really takes three hands to do this.
The electric version is much easier
Sheets of pasta drying before cutting.
Some of our noodles. We all got to take home the noodles we made.
He made this pasta for us to eat.
And some of the food!