GRIZZLY PEAR
We recently picked up a rotating compost bin and I’ve been depositing the goods every morning.
Our local ants have discovered this new treasure trove in the backyard.
I wonder what they are thinking when everything goes spinning around for ninety seconds before settling back into normal until the next morning.
I went back to my standard 75 hydration for this fellow after the train wreck of last week.
400g all purpose flour (King Arthur)
300g water
40g starter
4g salt
I started it around 6am, I thought I had put it in the fridge when we went out for a few hours in the afternoon, but the dough was sitting on the kitchen island when I came home.
Fortunately, given the small amount of starter, it was not over proofed and it came out quite poofy and pretty.
I’ve read about psychological studies which show that people actually get more enjoyment out of a movie or book that has been spoiled.
I’m not really sure I buy into that theory. I certainly avoid spoilers for any movies I intend to watch.
But I just watched Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and I suspect I will definitely enjoy the movie more the next time I watch it.
It was certainly an enjoyable watch the first time. But let’s be frank, the plot is pretty much as you expect from a superhero flick.
So getting rid of the minimal uncertainty about the plot details will just let me concentrate on the insane graphics.
Then again, would I have prefered to have this first viewing pre-spoiled?
Nah.
Driving up McLeod after lunch, I noticed a man on a bicycle with a couple foil balloons.
One each side of him were his two kids.
A trio in the heat, slowly heading home from the dollar store.
The practical man questions such fleeting luxuries.
The father in me knows he’s done right.
I pulled out my long forgotten harmonica and played it while watching the kids run around the yard in the lingering evening heat of the back yard as my wife picked tomatoes off the vine.
I can make noises that sound like blues and bend a little to boot, but honestly I don’t know what I’m doing.
Just pushing some fresh air around, entertaining myself and the kids as the last bits of daylight disappears behind the masonry wall.
In preparation for school, we started baking bread again.
The first one was the classic Jim Lahey No Knead Bread, which basically has a 90% hydration ratio. I had never done one of my loafs using yeast per his recipe, so it felt like a good way to get back into baking. It came out fine, no complaints, but the flavor is a little flat, as to be expected with a loaf using yeast.
The second loaf last week was a return to my old ratio, slightly tweaked due to the summer heat, since we keep the house at 80 degrees and I feared it would rise too fast, it did indeed rise very quickly.
400g all purpose flour (King Arthur)
40g ground flaxseed
320g water
80g starter
12g sugar
That loaf came out fine, but my wife thought it was a bit salty (after all those steamed breads, we’re not used to the usual bread!), and she wasn’t fond of the flaxseed.
So yesterday I decided to mess with the ratios, lowering the salt and starter
400g all purpose flour (King Arthur)
320g water
40g starter
4g sugar
It proofed all day, but I was too tired at night to bake it, so I put it in the fridge. This morning I pulled out the bread and it felt good in the hand so I let it sit a little but it seemed totally overproofed as it reached room temperature.
So I’ve added another 100g of flour and hopefully I can rescue this loaf.
Back in the game I guess.
A few weeks ago, we went up to Mount Charleston. On the way there we picked up some sandwiches at Dakao while my wife and daughter got veggies at the little grocery store next door. When I mentioned that there were some guys playing Chinese Chess at the sandwich shop, our daughter really wanted to watch but we were already on the road. So I promised I’d teach her the game instead.
The next day I picked up the set at my parents house and we sat down to play. She played in her usual silly, amusing way. I’m not even so sure she played as much as moved the pieces according to my advice. But even so, I think we had fun messing around.
My philosophy is that games are for playing, not winning, so I’m OK with that.
When she was born five years ago, I had two games I wanted to teach her – Xiangqi and Mahjongg. I’ve played MJ with her a couple times, and now I’ve introduced her to Xiangqi. Who knows if she’ll really get into either game, indeed I would prefer that she doesn’t become super serious about either game.
But at least this pair of games have now been given flight. Now I’m the one along for the ride.
So our girl stoically walked into school yesterday morning.
But I had a hard time seeing her go.
You’d think all that practice with preschool would prepare me for this. But I had puffy eyes all day.
Letting go isn’t easy, even if it’s just for six hours and twenty one minutes.
But she enjoyed her first day. On to day two!
My wife and I went on a run checking out the movies of Mamoru Hosada. We haven’t had a chance to see his most recent film Mirai, but we did get to see The Girl who Leapt Through Time, Summer Wars, and Wolf Children.
Each of these three films are fun enjoyable watches;
Each of them are very well done, but they aren’t completely crafted.
Almost there, but not totally.
I haven’t seen a great library of japanese animation outside of Studio Ghibli, but using their catalog as a yardstick, I would place them just a touch below middlin’.
So definitely worth a watch, but don’t expect a classic, even if there are some excellent moments.
Which reminds me, I need to rewatch Princess Mononoke, it’s been a long time since I saw that film.
The kids really do enjoy being pulled around the backyard.
The route is a looping crooked figure 8, with a portion of it on the lawn.
The air is still quite warm, even after the sun has set down beyond the block wall.
I doubt they will remember any of it when they grow up.
But I hope I do.