Canine cannon ball, etc.

I follow a couple dog blogs (here and here) that feature AMAZING action shots of dogs. Of course, it helps that those bloggers have amazing cameras and lenses (and one of them is a professional photog), but point-and-shoot fits my life (and budget) better. And most of the time I'm satisfied-to-thrilled with the photos I get from Mr. Lumix. But actions shots of the dogs are not our forté.

That's why I was pleased the other evening to catch Dozer in mid-flight. Dozer is a typical bulldog; he's built like a little brick outhouse. So it always surprises us that he can jump so high! Whether leaping in play or into your lap, he gives the impression (and has the impact) of a launched bowling ball:
Bear in mind that my husband is 6'5" tall; that bulldog is getting some AIR! (You can click to biggify.)

Our weather remains cooler and wetter than normal. Personally, I prefer this trend; I don't tolerate heat (or humidity) very well. If the summer weather prediction featured on Anna's blog is correct, things may not change much here. My comfort aside, though, I'm worried about whether we'll get any local hay or produce from our garden. We depend on both to keep expenses down.

Remember the odd cluster of apparently albino maple leaves I found last year near the Ram-ada Inn? Well, they're back!

Meanwhile, this is the latest iris to open:

And the island bed is all set for Independence Day celebrations a month early with its red, white and blue display:

Biscotti, anyone? Yesterday I had a hankering for cookies and an overabundance of eggs. My biscotti recipe calls for butter; I wondered if there was a recipe that calls for oil - maybe olive oil - instead. In my search I found this "traditional" recipe that contains NO butter or oil! I used whole wheat pastry flour and aluminum-free baking powder along with the dry-roasted almonds and our own fresh eggs, so they are full of good things as well as being really good. I intended to dip them in semi-sweet chocolate, but ran out of time last night, had no electricity all morning . . . and don't have enough left now to make it worth the hassle. I think I'd better make another batch – and double it!

That's it for today from . . .