fauna

We had friends over for dinner this week and it was so nice to share our new home and new kitchen! We still don't have a fridge in the kitchen yet (fingers crossed for next week!) so the kitchen flow still isn't great, but I'm still managing to make some simple, easy meals. At this point in the season the fruits and veggies are so amazing that simple food really is best. On a hectic night last weekend I made a salad of little fresh mozzarella balls (bocconcini), balls of sugar kiss melon, and slivers of prosciutto. It was like summer in a bowl.

In addition to meeting the neighborhood dogs and cats, we've found two wooly bear caterpillars and a praying mantis. The praying mantis visited us briefly one evening. I'd never seen one before. It was much bigger than I had anticipated. The wooly bears are now living in our kitchen, feasting on fresh mint and rhododendron leaves. We hope to watch them spin their cocoons.

This morning was quite chilly and windy. The street is littered with leaves, twigs and acorns. I happily wore my boots. It's the perfect time when it's chilly enough to wear a sweater and drink tea, but warm enough to still have the windows open, smelling the fresh air while listening to the rustling leaves. I'm pretty sure every post I write will be a bit of an ode to autumn until the crisp air is replaced by rain.