homemade potstickers

This was the first time I'd ever made these dumplings (gyoza to the Japanese) and they were totally addictive. It helps to have pork from a pig that grew up just around the corner, and fresh herbs from the garden, but I think using krachai (Thai wild ginger, sadly not from the garden) instead of the regular kind definitely helped with the flavour. Frying them after steaming was a little gratuitous but, well, YUM.

copper coloured garter snake

At least I think it was a garter snake, it looked so different from all the others I've seen. And it was kind of tiny - maybe a foot long or a bit over. Beautiful thing though and not too alarmed at me pointing my camera in its face.

birthday paddle to the Ragged Islands

Duck Lake hike