Monday, August 3, 2020

Summertime and the Living is Quiet



So far the summer of 2020 has been a very quiet one. June and July blended into one, and most likely so will the month of August.  My husband and I have basically stayed home except for a very occasional shopping trip for groceries or a doctor visit. We sadly canceled all our social engagements if they can't be done by computer Zoom video conference.  We are being extra precautious, as we both feel this coronavirus would hit us hard and we don't want to take any risks. I worked as an RN in medical and surgical intensive care before retiring and I took care of many ventilator patients. It is not an experience I would want to go through if I can avoid it.  So we've enjoyed "Home Sweet Home." Our favorite spot outside at home is the patio we have in front of our house as it has a wonderful shade tree and there always seems to be a pleasant breeze.



As you can see in the photo above, our community is located in a valley at 6,000 plus (1828.8) feet elevation right up against the Colorado foothills.  They rise up about 1,000 feet above us and beyond them are the Rocky Mountains.  Our county has the nickname "Gateway to the Rockies" and you can see why on this prior blog post--click here. 




It really is a beautiful location as we are only about 25 minutes away from the city of Denver, but where we live feels so rural and bucolic.  We love it here!


Someone else also loves our foothills....lots of wildlife...and occasional elk, mule deer, bobcats, mountain lions, rattlesnakes, fox, coyotes, and yes, bears!  All the bear photos above were posted by neighbors on our community Facebook page. The one standing in the street was seen very early one morning up the hill from where I live. I've only seen bears here once--click here--to read that post.   Bears have a great sense of smell--I've read that they can smell food five miles away, so living near suburbs is a hazard for them as there are too many enticing smells.  We are told to keep our garbage cans in our garage until the morning of pick up, to take down our bird feeders and hummingbird feeders until November, to clean our grills well, keep our garages closed and leave no food inside our cars, not feed pets outside and remove the fruit from trees and bushes to help keep the bears wild.  Sadly, sometimes people don't comply or forget. We are supposed to make a lot of noise to scare the bear away if we do see one--they should remain afraid of people. If they become too at ease coming into a community or associate people with food, Colorado Parks and Wildlife will come, sedate them, tag them, and relocate them.  They tell us that bears usually will come back and if it keeps happening they sadly have to be euthanized.  It's sad--we are the ones who should know better!


My husband and I have enjoyed our gardens this summer...


...and the cute local wildlife and butterflies and birds, etc that visit us.

I've realized during this pandemic that slowing down to enjoy all the little pleasures and moments in life has not been such a bad thing. It can be very peaceful.  We love to travel and see new places--last year we were in Alaska and we had planned a trip to Italy, Greece and other cities along the Adriatic Sea in Europe which we obviously canceled, but I'm content that life will one day go back to normal and we will be able to travel again. 


One experiment I tried this summer was growing zucchini! I planted them in flower pots primarily for the blossoms.  We often ate zucchini blossoms when we lived in Brooklyn, NY, as they were easy to find in markets.  They are so uniquely delicious!  

What does one make with zucchini blossoms? So many recipes! Only the male blossoms are used--the female blossoms produce the squash.


I battered and fried them, stuffed them with mozzarella and anchovy and fried them, made them stuffed with a ricotta and mozzarella cheese mixture and cooked them in sauce, made them in risotto, added them to scrambled eggs, made them into fritters, made a  frittata with them and the fresh basil I grew.  I also put them into a lemony sauce for macaroni.  I really, really, enjoyed these blossoms!  We have not ventured out to restaurants as yet so I've done all the cooking since March. It's fine as I love to cook and my husband helps and washes the pots and pans.

Life is good!  We've also walked some of the 45 miles of trails in our neighborhood, which we are very fortunate to have.   I'll show you them and the wildflowers we've seen along the way in my next post. Meanwhile, stay healthy and safe!


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44 comments:

Lorrie said...

You live in such a beautiful area. I'm glad you've been able to enjoy the beautiful scenery and the wildlife. Your zucchini blossom photos are inspiring. So many delicious looking ideas.

eileeninmd said...

Hello, Pat

You do live in a beautiful area and a lovely neighborhood. I would love all the wildlife sightings there.. Your flowers are gorgeous.
The food looks delicious. I never realized how much you can do with the zucchini blossoms, WOW! Wonderful photos and mosaics. Take care and stay safe! Enjoy your day, have a happy new week!

Penny from Enjoying The Simple Things said...

Colorado is a beautiful state. One of my sisters lived in Denver for years. If you have to stay home it is a lovely place to be for sure! I love zuchinni blossoms!

Beth said...

Glad you are enjoying life and staying safe! You have a beautiful home and yard!

Jeanie said...

You and I are on the same virus path. Stay in, be super careful and do it for as long as it takes. Like you, I am finding some good things about the slow down and really being able to stop and take the time to appreciate so much, try new things in the kitchen, notice a few details I might miss and sometimes just stop and sit and look. We all hurry so much. I have no illusions -- my life is privileged compared to so many. And I am very grateful.

Maggie said...

Like you we have come to the conclusion that there really is no place like home this year. We are enjoying the slower pace of life and are very grateful that we managed to relocate back to the UK from France earlier this year.
Love your zucchini mosaic. so many wonderful things there to eat, delish!
Happy MM.

Carol @Comfort Spring Station said...

I've been staying home too but not in such a scenic location. Love the flowers and views. Take care.

Ciao Chow Linda said...

Pat - Like you, we are being extra cautious so far and have actually savored this time of slowing down from social engagements and going out. The only drawback is not seeing our families, and I miss the grandchildren so much, not to mention my daughter in London. You have wisely spent the time enjoyng your beautiful gardens and each other. Let's hope we can all get back to normal in 2021.

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

I know you are so happy to be living there while all of this goes on. It's been a scary summer and we are still taking extra precautions too. Love seeing your home and all of the beautiful flowers there. And it's great to have good trails to walk and enjoy nature...and a breath of fresh air! Take care! Hugs!

Villrose said...

At least, it seems to be a good place to spend a quiet summer.
Interesting squash flower recipies!

NCSue said...

I've only seen a bear that wasn't in a zoo once, and I thought I was hallucinating. They're not commonly seen around here... although they do travel through.
Thank you for sharing at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2020/08/pretty-posies.html

Ruth Hiebert said...

I would look like you have ample entertainment during this stay at home time.The scenery all around is beautiful and so are your gardens.

Angie said...

Pat - I can see why you enjoy that patio space. Up until last week, which was super HOT, I could always find a cooling breeze in the shade - aren't we blessed to have low humidity? You live in a beautiful community - I share your sadness when a bear has to be euthanized - usually our fault! Ah, zucchini blossoms - a splendid memory from my youth! Thanks for linking up and sharing all your wonderful photos (especially your garden) with everyone at Mosaic Monday!

stevebethere said...

I liked all your photos some very quaint but the food looked delicious I want some heheh!


Have a safetastic week 😷😷😷

Soma @ inkTorrents.com said...

I can easily see why you love it there. I couldn't agree with you more about the bears. It is our responsibility to know better. Your garden is beautiful. I am looking forward to travelling again one day as well, but for now I wish you health and happiness in your home and garden.

-Soma

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

You are doing quarentine right!! We pretty much stay to ourselves. I am getting out more by my activities of running, geocaching, and biking are outside.

Lydia C. Lee said...

OMG!! That bear on the footpath! Imagine going for a jog or walking home from school and seeing that!

Janice said...

There are so many things to enjoy in your lovely post and photos.

Powell River Books said...

You are very creative with your zucchini flowers. I've grown them but never cooked or eaten them. We finally decided it was time to go home to Canada. While we aren't immune to the virus up here, we have less spread and fewer deaths. To make sure we were COVID free we had to drive straight to a place of government monitored quarantine for two weeks. Fortunately the place we chose was our off grid float cabin home. If we had stayed in town at the condo we would have been restricted to indoors and our small balcony. But using strict rules has helped keep the infection rate lower than where we were staying in Washington State. - Margy

ellen b. said...

Such pretty mosaics. Love your porch space. Looks so refreshing. How nice that you live in such a pretty spot while isolating.

Jackie McGuinness said...

Other than my husband's golf with social distance and my solitary outings we are also keeping to ourselves. I also love to cook so that isn't a burden. We did eat out last week on a patio with lots of distance and precautions. The server even said he wasn't allowed to top up our wine glasses!
The hardest thing is having no travel plans, but we can wait.

Magical Mystical Teacher said...

So much color in your world! Thanks for sharing it with us.

Dawn said...

Beautiful area and it looks like the wildlife were enjoying your yard/garden as well.
Dawn aka Spatulas On Parade

Su-sieee! Mac said...

I am definitely growing zucchini next year. I like eating the blossoms. Mama added it to her summer vegetable stew pot, which I didn't like as a kid, but now do since I can make my own version of Mama's dish.
You have a lovely yard and entryway, so happy and inviting. The Husband and I are like you and yours. We stick close to home. It helps to have a yard to step out to. :-)

XmasDolly said...

Wow, you do know a good picture when you see it. Some place like where you live people would have to travel to see... like me! I totally envy you! Thanks for sharing!

Traveler In Me said...

That's a beautiful home in a beautiful location with a beautiful garden and wildlife :) We have been staying safe by being at home since March end. No complaints as God is watching over us.

Your photos show that the stay at home is being enjoyed to its fullest. Home produce and interesting recipes being cooked. Keep enjoying life and all the lovely things it has to offer

Tanza Erlambang said...

beautiful garden....
thank you for series of wonderful photos

Sandy Carlson said...

Your photos illustrate a beautiful life--and a very droll bear!

betty-NZ said...

It sounds like a wonderful place to keep safe! I am not much of a people person so my life hasn't changed much at all since all this began.
I love your views and your flowers. I did NOT know you could do so much with the flowers! Wow.

How terrific it is to see you at 'My Corner of the World' this week!! Thanks for linking up with us.

Julie said...

Nice photos!, it looks you are enjoying life the best that you can right now.

Jim said...

Great shots.

Michelle said...

Kudos to you for being extra cautious. Here we have put off school until August 17th. Going to school at all seems crazy to me, and I am a teacher! I have to tell you that I love seeing all of your meals on Facebook. I think you are an expert cook! Thanks for linking up!

Spare Parts and Pics said...

Quiet is good. Sounds to me like you have the best of both worlds... easy access to the city when needed, but all the enjoyment of living in a rural community. Interesting that you get so many critters!

Nanda kumar said...

Beautiful rainbow!

Penny @ Penny's Passion said...

The zucchini blossoms have me so intrigued! I have two zucchini plants but am hesitant to pull the blossoms. I need to just do it!

A Bit of the Blarney said...

Wonderful photos!! I especially like the ones of the wildlife! We're sorry that we've had to cancel our trip to CO this year. The first time in 20years. But then there is always next year! Have a grand weekend.

Marielle said...

I found your link at the Friendship Friday blog hop. Incredible pictures! So much beauty. We have chosen to live in a place with a similar feel...it's not too far away from a city, but it feels like we're on our own with the critters. So peaceful! I have never even heard of eating the zucchini blossoms...going to have to try it! Thanks for sharing! Keep staying healthy and enjoying the slower pace!!

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

I’m happy to know we aren’t the only ones being careful. So many people seem to have decided not to care any more. ... We are actually quite enjoying the quieter time as well! Your “backyard” really is a slice of Paradise. ... your flowers and wildlife just wonderful. (I am making a wild assumption that the people who “forget” to follow the common-sense bear precautions also are ones who think they shouldn’t have to wear masks.... honestly some people.....)

Maureen said...

What a beautiful place and I hear you about staying home. We are doing the same. Anyway, aside from minor inconvenience of not being able to leave the house, it’s not so bad being able to have more time with my son and hubby. That’s crazy seeing a bear like that but they are truly beautiful creatures aren’t they?

Maureen | www.littlemisscasual.com

Lowcarb team member said...

These photographs are so lovely, you do live in a very beautiful area.

All the best Jan

Rambling Woods said...

Thank goodness for Mother Nature...

Louca por porcelana said...

Awesome post!Hugs!

Barb said...

I love seeing all your recipes that include zucchini blossoms! I made a lemon pasta with capers and sun dried tomatoes last night. Why is it whenever I make pasta I think of you and Vinny? We're having leftovers tonight as a side dish. We also have 2 neighborhood bears drawn by people leaving trash outside. I keep alert when I walk!

Jeanie said...

What I meant to add in my comments but was flying when I wrote earlier, is that I am adoring every photo. You're such a wonderful photographer and you must have good equipment because it is all clear as a bell. I loved every single image. You could be a food stylist for any given magazine! And your home is beautiful!