Our seaside cottage is located near Lubec, Maine. If you see a US map, go all the way to the eastern most point of the shore lines of the Atlantic Ocean. You’d find Lubec right on the border of Canada and the US. It’s a beautiful remote village with no frills. It’s the Real Maine, Real McCoy. My favorite spot is a long stretch of natural dune, called Sand Bar. (See maps below.) A few days ago, on a sunny day, I hiked the Sand Bar with my dogs.
わたしたちのセカンドハウスは、メイン州のLubecという海沿いの村の近くにあります。合衆国の地図を大西洋沿いにずっと北東に辿ってゆくと、いちばん東端のカナダとの国境沿いにその小さな村はあります。ここまで遠くに来ると、夏の盛りでも観光客の数は知れていて、まったく観光ズレしていない「本物のメイン州」が見つかります。わたしのお気に入りスポットは、Sand Bar と呼ばれる場所。細く長い砂丘が海に突き出している。すぐそこにカナダが見えている。下の地図では Bar Road とあたかもそこに「道路」が作られているような表示ですが、実際には、ここには「道」はありません。おそらく何千年も何万年も昔から、そこにそうしてあったように、ただ長い砂丘と浜が続いているだけです。数日前、お天気の良い日にワンコ達をつれて、ここを散歩してきました。
For Thanksgiving this year, we decided not to go for the traditional turkey dinner. First, my husband and I were not expecting any guests here in this remote Maine cottage, and a big butter ball turkey would be just too much for two of us. Second, our dogs are not big fans of turkey meats anyway. So we just made a simple regular meat loaf and a few vegetable side dishes. Easy and simple. But just for deserts, I stick to the traditional American favorite – an apple pie!
Around our seaside cottage, there are many big old apple trees. It appears that farmers were growing apples around here many many years ago. No one takes care of the trees any longer, but the trees still yield many fruits year after year – What a magic of Mother Nature. By now, many apples fell to the ground. Doggies were checking them out.Obviously the peak had passed, but some apples still looked good.I picked a couple of pounds of beautiful apples, some from the ground and others from branches. Getting ready to make the apple pie!
Ingredients – 材料
リンゴ （芯を取り皮をむいて）１キロぐらい （apples, about 2 pounds, peeled and cored)
無塩バター 大さじ２～３ （2 to 3 table spoons of butter, unsalted)
シナモンパウダー 小さじ半分 （1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon)
オールスパイスパウダー 小さじ４分の１ (1/4 teaspoon of ground all spice )
塩 小さじ４分の１ （1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt)
グラニュー糖 半カップ (1/2 cup of granulated sugar)
コーンスターチ 大さじ２ （2 table spoons of corn starch)
アップルサイダービネガー 大さじ１～２杯 （1 to 2 table spoons of apple cider vinegar)
市販のパイ皮 （pie crust – I bought Pillsbury’s at a super market)
卵 ひとつ （one egg for egg wash)
グラニュー糖 大さじ１ （1 table spoon of granulated sugar to sprinkle)
Peel, core, and cut apples into chunks. Do not cut them too thin or too small. Chunky apples taste better. Loosely cover and let it sit in the fridge overnight, or up to 3 days. (To reduce moisture of the fruit.)Melt butter in a large frying pan (or sauce pan). Medium heat. Add apples, stir to coat the fruit with butter. Cook a few minutes, turning over occasionally.Mix ingredients 3, 4, 5 & 6. Sprinkle the mixture over the fruit, continuously stir and combine.Cook 10 minutes or so. When the fruit starts to soften, sprinkle apple cider vinegar and corn starch, mix well. Remove the pan from the heat, and let it cool to room temperature. （Zoolander has decided to participate in this project. )I used Pillsbury’s pie crust, sold in any supermarkets. (The package contains 2 sheets.) Fit one sheet into a 9-inch pie plate. Place the plate and dough in the freezer. (Zoo is making sure I’m doing OK.)When the pie filling is cooled down, preheat the oven at 425℉. Out of the freezer, fill the pie plate with the cool filling. Then, place another pie sheet on the top and close the edges. (Zoo is checking if I’m following correct procedures.)Using a small knife, cut open several vents in the crust for steam to escape while cooking. Brush the top of the pie with egg wash. Sprinkle granulated sugar on the top before the egg dries. （Zoo is patiently waiting for the result.)Place the pie in the oven, bake it on the baking sheet. 20 minutes at 425℉. Then reduce the temperature to 375℉, continue to cook until the pie surface is golden brown and the filling bubbles through the vents. 30-45 minutes.Voila! Let it cool for at least 2 to 3 hours to room temperature. It’s better to refrigerate further before cutting. Do not cut the pie while hot. The pie would fall apart if you cut before it’s completely cool.
Wonderful aroma of cinnamon and apple filling the kitchen. Frankie joined the project. Doggies are ready to celebrate Thanksgiving!Cut the pie while it’s cool. You can quickly reheat the piece in microwave oven before serving. Serve with sour cream (shown in photo) or vanilla ice cream. Y-U-M-M-Y!!!
There are many natural reserves, parks and trails around my Westchester home, but Ward Pound Ridge Reservation is my favorite of all. It’s over 4300 acres, more than 4 times larger than Mountain Lakes Park (see my last entry). Furthermore, it’s even closer to my home; it takes only a few minutes by car. These photos were taken last week.
大きな馬牧場の脇をすり抜けながら歩きます。Walking alongside a large horse farm is my favorite route.勢い込んで飛び込んだけど、水が冷たい。Jumping into the cold water. 地表は枯葉で完全に覆われています。Dead leaves completely cover the ground. 2時間近く歩きましたが、散歩中のお爺さんひとりとすれ違っただけでした。During our 2 hour hike, we met only one old man walking alone. トレイルは全長40マイル以上（70㎞）あり、何度も来てますが、まだほんの一部しか歩いたことがないです。Though we visit this reservation often, we have walked only a small part of 40-some miles of the entire trail system of the Reservation.
On the last day of October, I took my dogs to Sal J. Prezioso Mountain Lakes Park. It’s just a several minutes ride from my home in Northern Westchester. The 1000+ acre park is vast and gorgeous. The beauty is, we usually don’t see anyone while walking on the trails.
紅葉は終わりかけています。Dead leaves all over the place.
フランキーとズー。眺めのよい岩場で。Frankie and Zoolander on the top of the Lookout rock. 高台から見ると所々に湖が見える。A beautiful lake view from the Lookout. 遅い午後の木漏れ日を浴びながら何マイルも歩いた。We walked miles in the wood in the late afternoon sun.
To Denis Coderre (Mayor of Montréal, Québec, Canada):
モントリオール市長へ
If you and your city council politicians insist on restricting and banning dogs because of the way they look, then we and all of OUR friends will choose not to contribute to the City of Montreal tourism revenue.
As long as you have breed-specific language in your laws, we will boycott the city of Montreal.
ある特殊な犬種を法律に盛り込む限り、我々はモントリオール市をボイコットします。
We will not condone the discrimination created by you, Mayor Coderre, and your political friends. You already know from every expert that this type of legislation does not improve public safety.
Instead of implementing proven bylaws and programs that work, as long as you are willing to take the lazy approach to public safety, killing thousands of unoffending family pets in order to look like you are “doing something”, then you, your city council, and your city do not deserve our money.
Montreal Please Reverse Your Decision to Ban Pit Bulls!
モントリオールよ、どうかピットブル飼育禁止の決定を取り下げてください！
A few weeks ago, we learned of the potential of Montreal banning pit bulls, but we certainly didn’t think it was going to pass. Sadly it has and it is a virtual death sentence to thousands of dogs in the area, but we can stop it.
At a meeting Tuesday, Montreal City Council passed a measure that effectively bans any dog that looks anything similar to that of a pit bull. Dogs in the shelter with this look cannot be adopted.
For dogs without an owner, the day of the legislation, those dogs will be effectively euthanized. It is worth noting that rescue groups were able to get some of the dogs at risk out of local shelters in advance of the measure passing.
This ban needs to be stopped now. We have the utmost confidence that with your help, and our extensive networking in the animal rescue community, we can stop this.
崩壊から11日後の現場の上空写真。がれきの山からは煙と焦げるにおいがしばらく立ち上っていた。394886 21: An Aerial View Shows Ground Zero Of The World Trade Center Disaster Area September 22, 2001 In New York City Following The Suicide Terrorist Attacks On The Twin Towers. (Photo By Getty Images)
Fast Lane Slow Life 