Friday, 28 September 2018
Last year I swore I would not work if the temperature was over 75. But needs must…
Shelburne Hotel
We watered the Shelburne garden just in case the predicted rain did not come. The hotel was hosting a big weekend of food and music with a band called The Super Saturated Sugar Strings. One of the band members, a chef, was going to prepare the Friday dinner in the Shelburne Restaurant. I like the name of the band and it all sounded very interesting but I had no energy to attend, just to get the garden ready for guests.
The Sugar Strings event sounds fascinating as I read about it now. I have regret at not making the effort to dig deep for a bit of extra evening energy.
“5-course dinner and Parlor in the Round music featuring members of SSSS
Sugar Strings frontman Carlyle Watt will be crafting a multi-course dinner at the historic Shelburne Hotel in Seaview, WA. Carlyle studied at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in California’s Napa Valley, and he is currently the head baker and executive chef at Alaska’s award winning bakery, Fire Island Rustic Bakeshop. In 2017, he was nominated as an outstanding baker by the James Beard Foundation. Carlyle’s ability to merge baking, pastry, and culinary techniques creates a unique and memorable dining experience. When the Sugar Strings go on tour, Carlyle brings his passion for food along, hosting pop-up dinners, guest-chef appearances, and generally keeping the band well-fed to sustain their high energy shows.
Collaborating with Carlyle in the front of the house will be The Sugar String’s bassist, Kevin Worrell, presenting his hit Alaskan singer-songwriter showcase, Parlor In The Round. This dinner theater will feature local favorites Pretty Gritty and the Strings’ own Kat Moore, taking turns with songs and stories inspired by the evening’s bill of fare. As host, Kevin will select written submissions from the audience as prompts for musical improv games, and as fodder for his quick-witted banter.”
I don’t think I could have dug deep enough for improv energy, though. As long as no audience participation was required, I would have been ok.
A different event was taking place in the pub tonight (the hotel has a pub and a dining room). We think that is the event for which Todd was bringing flowers.
As Todd hurried off to another obligation, Allan and I had time, for once, to do a thorough job of weeding, deadheading, and tidying the paths without rushing off to another obligation of our own.
Not only did we have time for a nice garden tidy (except for big projects like battling the aegepodium or houttuynia), we took time for a tasty pub lunch of two new menu items. Because we rarely take a break for lunch during a work day, our lunch is usually some sort of home made sandwich scarfed down while we work. This was a special reward for working in hot weather.
We thought because of the heat that it would be a good night for a campfire dinner. Allan bought some hot dog buns at the grocery store across the street while I did a tiny bit more gardening.
Ilwaco
As soon as we approached Ilwaco, we decided the campfire idea was not a go. Between Seaview and Ilwaco, we drove into a cool and breezy fog, so welcome after two days of heat.
I worked for awhile on the boatyard garden while Allan watered the Ilwaco planters, we fervently hope for the last time in 2018. The Long Beach parks manager spoke this week of winterizing the LB planters because of rain being predicted, and yet the forecast only calls for slight chance of minimal rain. I would love a good rain at last once a week now. We are so tired of watering.
I like Cosmos ‘Happy Ring’ very much, just have not seen it for sale anywhere lately.
I walked home via the post office and the fire station to weed and deadhead those two small volunteer gardens.
This time, the day had been well planned enough that Allan was not out watering in the dusk.