Farmer's Market Bounty

Hello all!

I decided last week to post photos of my "take" from the farmer's market, and just never got around to it. So, I'm posting my photo essay of what I got! I really encourage everyone to support your local farmer's market. Small farms in America are really disappearing fast. I'm really lucky to live in the Pacific Northwest where farmer's markets abound with the fresh harvest.

Garlic, shallots, peppers, and a Thai eggplant!

Purple bell pepper, hot serranos, and more eggplant

Fresh fillet of sockeye salmon, just out of Alaska not 24 hours before!

Cucumbers for pickling :)

Local artisan bread and cheeses!

Who doesn't love a nice wine with some crusty bread???

I'll be making some blackberry jam this week!

Beautiful fresh berries; get 'em before they're gone as the season comes to an end.

I hope you've enjoyed this kindof rustic imagery, and will give your local farmers a try.

Photo Essay: Beginning of Autumn

I hope everyone has had a good week, and is enjoying their holiday weekend! I had originally planned to put up a photo essay of my visit to Lopez Island for this week's blog, but I was rather inspired by nature this week. You can really feel fall coming in the Pacific Northwest, and this year promises to be a mild yet wet winter, as per the Farmer's Almanac!) In the next weeks, the leaves on the trees will really start to turn, and you'll be able to see Autumn in all it's glory. So instead of a photo essay of Lopez Island, I've put together a photo essay on Autumn instead. Some of these are older photos, but they represent the season to me.

"For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together.
For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad."
- Edwin Way Teale

Getting Back to Me

Spencer Spit State Park, Lopez Island, WA
© CND Photography 2010
I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright. ~Henry David Thoreau

Hello everyone! After a much needed vacation, I'm back and feeling refreshed. It's funny how alittle time in nature can really help you to refocus, ground & center yourself so you can get back to being productive. Personally, I never feel more centered than when I'm outdoors enjoying the planet! That's what I really needed when I went on vacation last week. With the economy being what it is, I knew I couldn't go far, but I wanted to get out of Seattle, so I went to Lopez Island (the smallest of the San Juans; highly recommend it for nature-lovers). It's a very small place, very natural. The locals are very protective of it and are very eco-minded. Many people don't drive or drive little, and often bike around the island. Not having done much biking since I was a kid, I thought this would be perfect opportunity to see the island, and get around. So I biked, hiked, and kayaked my way around the island for 4 days, which was really wonderful. I was completely exhausted, and had no idea my legs could be so sore, but it was completely worth it.

I'm hoping to have a photo essay put together by next week to show you some of the highlights of my trip, and the little cottage I stayed in (seriously, so cute and the perfect place to get back to nature while still being close to the center of town). Until then, I wanted to share with you the image above. This was taken at Spencer Spit Park, and it just a beautiful image of the island. This was the only day I was there it was sunny for more than a few hours, but that's life in the Pacific Northwest! Have a great week!