it's a river day - come and join us!

check out the beautiful sky - it's a river day for sure! and we'll bring you all with us!



hey - hold up there kids! there are cabinets to be built, cats, birds and squirrels to be fed, plants to water and other chores! we try to get all of our major chores done by noon on river days. that way we can go down to the river for the afternoon. but before all the chores, you need a good breakfast. how about some eggs florentine with deli-sliced ham - yummeh!



after years of trying a variety of hollandaise sauce recipes - i have finally perfected it! i put lots of cayenne pepper and extra lemon in my hollandaise and it kicks you right in the head! jambaloney makes the best rice in the world - the best - even better than the chinese! but i make killer poached eggs and a mean hollandaise sauce. we stuffed our faces on these babies. we made them on a half a bagel, with sauteed spinach, deli-sliced ham, 2 poached eggs each and a bucket load of hollandaise. that will keep you working til dinner!

allrighty - get all the chores done and head off to the river! august and september are the best river months - the water is still freakin' freezing but it's hot enough out that you just want to jump in that cold river. and when you get out - the sun dries you off in minutes! we sit on our blankets and snack and go for a dip. come back, dry off in 15 mins and go back for a dip. we do that for 3/4/5 hours in an afternoon - we love it.

did someone just ask why we love the river so much???? have yourself a gander -

 

can you even believe how gorgeous that river is? neither can we. i guess that's why when we have river days, we get as much done as possible around the homestead and then down tools and head for the river. it's invigorating, rejuvenating, uplifting and a balm to the soul. everything is possible and attainable when you stare at that sky!

another reason we love going to the river is - PICNICS! we love having our dinner down at the river! we dip and dry in the sun and dip again, more drying and then snack. we snack the whole time we are down there - there is just something about drying in the sun and snacking on delicious food!

 

that's some home-made salsa, home-made guacamole, celery, carrots, green onion, cherries, home-made hummus, store-bought pita that i baked and added olive oil and a ton of spices and some local peaches and plums. we love snacking down at the river!!!!

and here's my favourite towel-holding tree. you can see jambaloney's little half-umbrella shade thingy in the background. i am in the river taking this pic...you can see that the river is full of delicious water and silt.



here is a little wild rose bush growing down at the river - so pretty!



and some crazy lily pad flowery-things growing in the ditch beside our road. they are beautiful tho.



alas, after 3/4/5 hours down at the river, it is time to come home and feed cats and do chores. afterwards, a supper of fatoush salad with some grilled chicken.

and that has been our day today. a better day couldn't have been asked for. but we are in the dog days of summer here which means that for the next 5-6 weeks, we will have many river days and lots of stuff to soon start harvesting. as well as getting ready for our fall garden. but river days are special! and when the magic of the Manor screams "river day", you get your chores done and get down to the river as soon as possible. you never ignore the magic of the Manor. never.