First Blush: Big Dish between downpours

It was raining pretty hard when the female DJ went out to pick up the newspapers and, having gotten soaked yesterday morning, she wasn’t looking forward to another damp outing. That shower must discouraged lots of people because she had the Dish almost to herself – all under clearing skies. She could see the squall move across the Bay to the East Bay hills; the shape of the clouds were great. And at the top, her favorite oak sported fresh green leaves…

First Blush: Spring sunrise

The female DG thought this was a pretty sight – the sun rising and the storm clouds coming in.

Cooking class yesterday pays off tonight

The male DG has yet to blog about his cooking class yesterday led by Village Pub chef Dmitry Elperin but the female DG benefited tonight. It really was a more “inspired by” meal than actual results from the class that featured roasted fish, meat and vegetables (the attendees ate the product, with no leftovers, the female DG adds). As they often do on Sunday, the DGs purchased over-the-top fresh fish from Pietro Parravano at the Menlo Park Farmer’s Market, along with mixed braising greens and young carrots. In ways that the “keep me out of the kitchen at all costs” female DG can’t comprehend, the ingredients were  transformed into a meal featuring petrale sole almondine (pictured). What she’s really waiting for is the roasted chicken he was taught to cook…

Update: the male DG reports his cooking class.

First Blush: The herd’s on duty

Saturday morning always brings a steady stream of walkers and joggers to the Big Dish. Today they were treated to greetings on both sides of the cow catcher with the two resident herds of young cattle. And none were in any hurry to get out of a passerby’s way. The female DJ thinks they’re pretty…

First Blush: Yesterday’s photo

For decades the male DG (dual gimpy and grumpy) has been as almost daily blogger at http://www.gulker.com; for years the female DG chronicled her morning jogging outings at First Blush, now combined at Gimpy and Grumpy. Now neither of them has time. In the male DG’s case, people are alarmed – what’s wrong? (The female DG heard he was going to try to do some kind of update tonight.)

Meanwhile, the female DG (aka the female Dawn Jogger) had a magical morning – yesterday – with rain clouds overhead in the still dim dawn light (pictured). And today, jogging her new long Menlo Park route, she came upon a very strange sight. But because it was in Menlo, it’s been dedicated for InMenlo.

And that’s really the root of the current problem, there are so busy writing and photographing for InMenlo, there’s no time for other stuff.

First Blush: Finally this year’s herd up close

It’s taken a half dozen jogs up and over the Big Dish, but the payoff came today. The female DJ got to inspect this year’s herd up up close. There may actually be a couple of herds. For the first time in many years she’s been running the Dish, a large group was grazing in the area near the Piers Lane entrance – in other words on the other side of the cow catcher. She’s hoping this doesn’t mean an early season departure…

First Blush: Saturday means Dish again

It was up and out with the female DJ doing the regular Saturday Dish run. The tiny purple flowers that the DJs both enjoyed had sprouted. (They could have been there on Wednesday but too dark tell see them!) Then on to a busy afternoon…

First Blush: Catching the sunrise

About the only thing the female DJ can do with the current morning darkness is snap a photo of the first hint of the sun’s rise. Today it coincided with hitting the San Mateo bike bridge towards the end of her long Menlo Park run. At least it’s not cold and dark…

First Blush: Misty lake in the predawn

The female DJ at one time used to be able to jot a few words down immediately following her dawn outing. Lately, that has been less and less impossible for a variety of reasons. But it doesn’t mean she cherishes her dawn moments any less. Like finding Lake Lagunita shrouded in mist even amidst a clear sky overhead…

First Blush: Big Dish before sun up

The female DJ doesn’t find virtue that she hit the top of Big Dish this morning before the sun was up, only inconvenience. What she did notice in the dim light: 1) her favorite oak tree is sprouting leaves and 2) she’s starting to feel more and more like her old pre-surgery self with each additional Dish run.