Setting the Stage
March 30, 2010 Posted by: ERIN
I've been mentally working up several posts for a while now, and strangely enough they all seem to somehow involved the field station's water catchment basin. So I figured it was time to bite the bullet and just showcase the catchment itself, rather than try to squeeze what the heck it actually is into some other broader reaching post.
It's not that the catchment is all that interesting or glamourous in and of itself, but it really seems to play a somewhat central role in my life. It's where we take Zipper for walks on a daily basis, and where we get the sediment to use as the base for our garden soil. It's where the osprey and feral cows come to visit, and where people are artistically inspired. And most importantly, it's where our entire water supply comes from.
The island does have a limited amount of fresh groundwater, but not enough to support the number of people who visit the station over the course of a year. When the station was originally built as a sub-tracking base back in the 1950s, the Navy decided to clear-cut and pave the entire hillside at the back of the property. While not exactly the most ecological choice by today's standards, it has certainly withstood the tests of time and usefulness. You can see over the past 60 years, some vegetation has grown up, but that gets cleared out periodically and doesn't do too much to disrupt water collection in the interim.
The idea is that the paved hillside prevents rainwater from seeping into the ground and channels the runoff into a pond at the bottom of the basin. From there the water is pumped into the first of three large holding tanks. As it's moved from the first to the second tank, the water is filtered and chlorinated, and then filtered and chlorinated again between the second and third tanks. Then it goes out to all the faucets, showers, hoses and toilets that our visitors enjoy. Each tank holds about 400,000 gallons, bringing our total holding capacity up to approximately 1.2 million gallons. Not too shabby. And the quality of the water is excellent.
So that's the water catchment basin in a nutshell. It allows us to be completely self-sufficient in regards to water supply, and now when I mention it, no one will be uninformed. Phew!
Queen Bee
March 25, 2010 Posted by: ERIN
Way back in October, when Alexis and I started studying for this year's spelling bee season, I thought it would be a good idea if we set some goals for ourselves. My goal was that she improve on her placement in last year's national bee, where she had gone out in the first round. Her goal was to make it to Washington.
Well folks .... done and done.
This past Sunday at the 13th Annual Bahamas National Spelling Bee, Alexis correctly spelled fiesta, totem, pragmatic, orthodox, trajectory, flamboyant, allegro, quisling, indigenous, douane, mihrab, vocation, nucleus, guava, and mambo before succumbing to 'spontaneity' in the 16th and final round. Her performance earned her a 2nd place finish and a spot at the Scripps National Spelling Bee to be held this June in Washington, DC!
It was incredibly thrilling. Alexis was outstanding. She was confident and relaxed up on stage, and she spelled with focus and poise beyond her eleven years. Meanwhile, I was a bundle of nerves in the coaches section. I didn't even get decent photos because as the rounds went by my hands were shaking more and more. And once they were down to the final three I was positively light-headed.
To say that I am tremendously proud of Alexis just doesn't do her accomplishment justice. To know that those long weeks of hard work and endless words have paid off is a spectacular feeling and a great source of satisfaction for us both. But in the end, was it the blondies that gave her that extra boost of spelling intensity? Or was it the two hours I let her spend in the hotel pool the day before the competition, much to the clucking disapproval of the other contetants' coaches? Perhaps we'll never know. All I can say is, those children at the Scripps Bee better watch out because The Bahamas is coming to town!
B-L-O-N-D-I-E
March 14, 2010 Posted by: ERIN
Do you know what a blondies is? Some people don't. Take the classic flavor of a chocolate chip cookie and cross it with the dense, satifying chewiness of a brownie ... and you've got a blondie!
The first time I made these blondies, Alexis was over for spelling practice and she graciously agreed to sample them for me. Her only criticism sounded something like, "do you think it would be possible to cut these a little bigger next time?" So needless to say, she's a big blondie fan and recently decided it might be a smart idea for us to take a batch along on our trip to Nassau. I couldn't agree more. With all the nerves and pressure of the Bee, we just might need a little comfort food.
Chocolate Chip Blondies
Adapted From Epicurious.com
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (1 and 1/4 sticks) butter
2 cups (packed) dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 cups chocolate chips (divided)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Remove saucepan from heat. Add sugar and stir to blend. Stir in eggs and vanilla extract.
Add butter mixture to flour mixture, and stir to combine (batter will be thick). Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips. Spread batter into a greased 9x13-inch baking pan. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips.
Bake blondies until golden, approximately 25 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack. Cut into squares and serve.
Random Thoughts on a Rainy Saturday Afternoon
March 13, 2010 Posted by: ERIN
1. Poncho is Zipper's best friend. Normally, Zipper really dislikes other adult dogs, but he has known Poncho since he was a puppy, so somehow that makes him a non-threat in Zip's mind. Zipper is the curmudgeon of the pair who can get a little annoyed with Poncho's boyish exuberance at times, but they are super cute when digging and chasing and wrestling on the beach together. Here they are at a calmer moment in the yard:
2. I've been trying to catch the mice that live near our compost pile. I was able to peacefully co-exist with these mice for several weeks. That is, until they started munching on my precious strawberries. Now they must go! Since I don't want poison to contaminate the garden soil, and those sticky traps are just cruel, I'm trying a homemade humane trap made from a 2-litre bottle (instructions here and here). No luck yet, but I think they won't be able to resist the peanut butter bait much longer.
3. I finally got a picture of a hummingbird! Granted, it is not a great picture (it was taken through my dirty kitchen window in poor lighting), but it's a start.
4. Last night the doorbell rang at 1:11am ... a handle to one of the showers in the girl's dorm had blown off and water was pouring everywhere. Being the supportive wife I am, as Tom was leaving to go fix it I drowsily mumbled, "Is there anything I can do to help?" In truth, I fully expected him to say that I should just stay in bed, so you can imagine my sleepy surprise when he requested that I go along. D'oh! Should have pretended I was still asleep!!
5. This Wednesday Alexis and I head to Nassau where she will once again compete in the Bahamian National Spelling Bee. She'll be spelling her heart out, and I'll be coaching like there's no tomorrow. Wish us luck!
Banana Ketchup, You're the One
March 6, 2010 Posted by: ERIN
At first glance, it seems a little strange, right? I was skeptical myself. But take my word for it, banana ketchup is really delicious. It starts with the sweetness of banana and ends with the tanginess of its tomato-based cousin. All with less salt and sugar! Great for dipping, and we even used it to baste some grilled chicken last weekend ... sooooo tasty. Thanks to the island of St. Lucia for inventing, or at least distributing, this wonderful product. And lucky for you, you can buy it online.
Yum. Yum. Double yum. (Name that children's book!)
Tomatoes for Harry
March 4, 2010 Posted by: ERIN
Today would have been my Grandpa's 88th birthday. When I was a kid, every summer he had the most beautiful vegetable garden with tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, corn, cucumbers, zucchini, yellow squash, string beans, butternut squash, pumpkins, blueberries, and raspberries. He even had an asparagus patch and grapevines. Of course, there was never, ever a weed in sight, and he'd always plant a row of gladiolus flowers. Those were for my Grandma. He'd bring them to her up at the house a few stalks at a time, where she would put them in a vase on the kitchen windowsill above the sink and call them her "glads".
I like to think that I got my own green thumb from my Grandpa. I loved walking the garden with him as I learned all the plants, and he taught me everything I know about digging potatoes. To be entrusted with gathering the daily harvest was a pleasure that gave great pride to my 12-year-old self. All the tomatoes, zucchini, squash, and cucs that were not eaten right away were put on the plastic-gingham-clad picnic table in the garage, where a green faux-turf rug crunched underfoot. No visitor went away empty handed, and leftovers were made into zucchini relish and pickles for canning. There was an ever evolving three-bean salad in the fridge, there were fresh cherry tomatoes with homemade bleu cheese dip every night before dinner, and the first of the late summer corn was a very big deal.
From his impeccable beds to his prize-winning pumpkins to his tireless dedication, my Grandpa is my constant gardening inspiration. What I wouldn't give to be able to pick his brain these days. I hope I've made him proud.