It was a slow burner this morning, but streaky and colourful enough for me to grab the camera. A morning pigeon stopped for a silhouetted pose. Thanks pigeon.
(c) K Wicks
Found a geode
Fossil hunting was something I had always wanted to do and it wasn’t until mid 30’s I got round to it. For my birthday my husband took me on holiday to the Jurassic coast, where despite the choppy weather we took to the beach. It was Spring so not too choppy, but not calm or warm by any stretch.
There were a couple of great finds that day and one of them was finding a massive geode. I didn’t think I would ever get to see a real one in situ. I have an ornamental one my husband gifted me which is marvelous and polished up all nicely. But this one was sharp, gnarly and where it was mean to be. I was overjoyed. Only one problem, in the stone it was unbelievably heavy so would not be coming with.
A small piece was taken instead as a keepsake, so I can touch a piece of the geode we discovered thinking just maybe mine are the only human hands to have ever touched that piece.
I will also share the lovely amethyst one I have because it’s still one of my favourites. In fact I think they are all my favourite, it’s hard to choose when you see the beauty in so many things.
(c) K Wicks
Loose Ends @ 34 Orchard — cmsaunders
I generally try to avoid literary fiction. In my experience, it is a path lined with pretentious smugness and people all trying to sound more clever than the next. On rare occasions, though, I stumble across a literary magazine which is filled with quality writing but less elitist and altogether more accessible. 34 Orchard, edited […]
Loose Ends @ 34 Orchard — cmsaunders
Lavatera Tree Mallow
I don’t always know what the names of the flowers are that I take pictures of, but I always try and identify them if I can. This lovely pink flower is a lavatera tree mallow.
(c) K Wicks
Maya and her tyre
She’s been such a good dog from the start, but unfortunately toys don’t last very long. This tyre was a firm favourite for weeks until she realised her most favourite thing is to chew. Luckily this hobby of hers is confined to her toys only, but it means she has limited toys and they have to be replaced regularly. Not many toys can stand up to the might of Maya.
The little face got bigger and cuter and never fails to entertain with her silly adorable antics.
(c) K Wicks
The normal fears… (poetry)
The normal fears
That we have faced
Have been rewritten
And replaced
That there are those
Elected through charm
Who actually mean
To cause us harm
If it was nature
Throwing the curve
We’d find our feet
And then observe
How we can group
And organize
But not when trapped
In all these lies
The mental threat
Looms ever near
While slowly taking
What we hold dear
Through all of this
I can but hope
We make it through
And manage to cope
It’s a strange road ahead…
Rhyme and Reason
(c) K Wicks
Under the Apple Tree – Going well
It’s been just over a year now since I released my first book of short stories – the second one is half finished, but this year has really hampered creating for me. Under the Apple Tree and other dark short stories came from various ideas I had been mulling over for decades and two of the tales actually are adapted from real life experiences shared with me by someone close. So it was really exciting to receive a good review, then another and now I have six, all of them positive. One review mentions being reminded of The Outer Limits and The Twilight Zone, and another actually likens my stories to Tales of the Unexpected by Roald Dahl. That in itself is an achievement! I loved reading Roald Dahl growing up, have read my fair share of creepy stories and watched all three of those shows. Some of those horror tales obviously left their mark on me. I can only hope to do the same for someone else.
Part of one review – “Although the stories are set in present day, the author’s writing style is reminiscent of classic horror like Stevenson or Shelley, which can feel odd at times but carries the stories well. And, similarly to the classics, there’s not a lot of gore or curse words, which makes this collection enjoyable for fans of all ages. In a way, Under the Apple Tree: And other dark short stories remind me of scary stories you tell around the campfire or are passed around during sleepover parties, and like those stories these tales stay with you for a long time”
(c) K Wicks
Today’s sunrise- 20.11.20
Today’s brief bit of early sunrise today led me believe it would be a good one. But this is all there was before the grey moved in.
Still lovely though.
Within 10 minutes, it was gone.
(c) K Wicks
Blueberry and Raspberry Cakes Recipe
I like baking, sweets more than savoury so far and this recipe is a favourite of mine for some tasty cakey fruity treats. I have amended the recipe to scale down the ingredients. I’m not a big eater and my husband does not eat hardly anything I bake, so smaller the recipes get. But this still makes 12 little cakes. The original receipt is just for blueberry muffins, but they seem more like fairy cakes than muffins, and I decided to add raspberries to give it an extra zing and gooeyness. Full recipe at bottom of post.
To start my baking I always weigh up all the ingredients first, and always have to have a recipe – funnily enough it’s the opposite with savoury food, no recipe, don’t weigh up anything or even check I have all the ingredients first. On that note, I shall share with you that the other night I had ‘Joke Chicken’. What is this is dish you may ask, well, it is when you don’t read the shopping delivery receipt properly, presume you have chicken and start cooking roast potatoes without checking. Then upon realising, have no back up so just end up eating roast potatoes for dinner! (which really wasn’t that bad). And even for this recipe – I nearly couldn’t do it as I had run out of baking powder and hadn’t added that to the shopping, despite it being on my list. Luckily the corner shop was open and in stock.
Although I love my mixer and use it for pastry, I always cream the butter and sugar by hand. Taking a bit more time and care than previously and it may sound cheesy, but I can taste the difference.
I don’t tend to stir in the fruit too much otherwise you lose the raspberry a bit and from experience cut a few of the blueberries in half. Otherwise they all have a tendency to sink to the bottom of the cake, which is nice, but better to have them do that and still be throughout as well.
Again with this one, I didn’t check the oven temperature adjustment until they had been cooking for 10 minutes, then realised that I had typed the recipe out when I had a normal gas oven. Now I have a fan assisted electric one and it seems to keep throwing me when using it. So while doing this write up I shall amend it so no-one has the issue and will print myself a new one.
These only took 20 minutes because I have learnt my lesson when it come to taking things out when you think they are done, not when the time says so. But if you start with the correct temperature, then 25-30 minutes is probably accurate.
They were then enjoyed with a cup on tea (on my rather colourful MKW coaster).
Blueberry & Raspberry Cakes
Ingredients
Makes: 24 muffins Makes: 12 muffins
- 110g butter * 55g
- 250g plain flour * 125g
- 250g caster sugar * 125g
- 2 eggs * 1 egg
- 125ml milk * 62.5 ml
- 2 teaspoons baking powder * 1 tsp
- 1/2 teaspoon salt * ¼ tsp
- 225g fresh blueberries * 112.5 g
Method
Prep:15 min › Cook: 25min › Ready in:40min
- Preheat oven to 180 C / Gas 4 (160 c for fan assisted). Grease and flour a muffin tin or line with paper cases. Sieve flour, baking powder and salt together and set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat well. Add milk and flour mixture. Beat until combined. Stir in blueberries.
- Fill muffin tin 2/3 full. Bake at 180 C / Gas 4 / 160 c for 25 to 30 minutes.
How could it be… (poetry)
How could it be
That we are here
I know the facts
But they aren’t clear
Confusion used
As weapon and tool
To hoodwink us
They hope to fool
And change the way
We think and live
What they’ve done
I can’t forgive
As time goes on
The future’s scrapped
Instead they say
Try to adapt
To this new norm
Still changing fast
All I think
Is it cannot last
Forever
Rhyme and Reason
(c) K Wicks
