Heat Bound

When the blizzards come in the winter in the snowier parts of the world, people become snow bound...forced by the cold to stay home where it is warm.

During this past week, the heat has broken records around here in the North Bay near San Francisco, climbing each day near or past 100 degrees. Today we got out early and walked the dog and went to the hardware store, but once we got home I decided that I was going to be heat bound. The night cooled our concrete floor enough that the closed up main floor stayed cool through lunch time. Now the air conditioner is on, but at the Smart Cool setting. No baking today!

Instead of baking, I made some pancakes for breakfast, topped with perfectly ripe, juicy peach chunks. I added some nutmeg to the batter since nutmeg and peaches have a true affinity for each other. Since we had gone out early without breakfast, I decided that using the low fat biscuit mix to make the pancakes was OK...I was already pretty hungry after all the errands and didn't want to take the time to measure out a lot of dry ingredients. I used egg substitute and skim milk, too. Some rolled oats whirled in the blender to flour added a little fiber and gave the pancakes a nice texture. They were delicious with the peaches.

In the afternoon Sweetie and I hung the eight pieces of watercolor I've painted that I feel are worthy of being hung. Wednesday I matted and framed seven of them. The last one had been in the group show in the summer, so it was ready to hang. Today Sweetie added eye hooks and picture wire to the ones that needed it.

Here is how it looked as we began. The wall is the unbroken hallway wall that leads from the front entry to the living room.

Here is a shot taken after most were hung. These are closer to the front door.

Here is a shot taken of the group closer to the living room.

When there was only one left, I realized that the painting of my daughter would look better in the living room under a photo taken by her grandfather, so where that painting had hung we substituted a painting of a vista in fall. The view was from a photograph I took from a winery's deck, looking off over the Dry Creek valley in Sonoma County.

It's pretty heady seeing a wall filled with paintings I have created...and ones that I'm OK with hanging. I still think that they all are far from great works of art, but they are decent works, and I had fun making them.

It's supposed to be really hot tomorrow, too. Wonder what I can find to do to keep busy? If it turns out to be interesting, I'll let you know.