After the rain

Lately I've been exploring a more narrative approach to photography.  While I remain as steadfastly averse as ever to having my picture taken (the notion of a selfie is about as alien to my character as you can get), the urge to present a more expressive view of the world, this landscape that I am witnessing and with which I feel a deep connection, compels this sort of staging, this necessity to lend a human presence who is seeing what the camera sees, as well as taking/making the picture. In the process of creating a drawing or a painting, I achieve this kind of concrete, durable and satisfying cohesion with the subject, but with photography the connection is, frustratingly, both more ephemeral and mercurial. That's where these semi-anonymous, yet personally meaningful images have their source.

Over the last couple of years, I've begun cooking and baking the majority of the food that we eat in this house, rather than buying premade/prepackaged anything. One of my go-to recipes is for protein cookies; they are really easy and quick to make, and packed with good things:

1 cup peanut butter

2 scoops plain or vanilla protein powder

1 cup quick oats

half cup wheat bran

2 eggs 

half tsp baking soda

Mix it all together. You should end up with a sticky dough that holds together well. If it's on the dry side (depending on the size of the scoop and brand of protein) add a bit more peanut butter or a dash of soy/almond/cashew milk. Roll it into 15 or so balls, press them flat on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 7 or 8 minutes. Done.

This baking has now extended to the dogs; they still get bagged kibble from the store, but I've recently learned that baking treats for them is both nutritious and economical, and minus the yucky preservatives.

2.5 cups wheat flour

1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

2 eggs

quarter cup skim milk powder 

you can add parsley, grated apple, a bit of peanut butter if you want

Mix all together, forming dough into a ball. Roll it out and cut it into shapes. Bake at 350 for 10 to 15 minutes (10 for smaller shapes; 15 for larger ones) then flip them and bake another 10 to 15 minutes. Store in an airtight container.

One of the things that I love about these dogs is how much I trust them with each other; I take it for granted that they can cooperatively lick the spoon clean with nary a grumble; they are even careful to keep each to their respective side :