Rain, Pesto, Caterpillars, and Parents

Finally, some cooler temperatures have come to this part of the coast.  There was a front that came through bringing rain and dropped the temperature by 10 degrees.  The garden is about on its last legs.  There are still a few tomatoes, peppers, and egg plants left.  But the other beds have been prepared for fall.  Now, I am waiting on the plants to come in so that I can get them in the ground.

We made some pesto from the basil in the garden.  It was wonderful.  Here is the recipe:

Put hand fulls of basil leaves in a food processor,  add garlic cloves and olive oil and pine nuts.  I don't know the exact amount but put about five cloves, 2 cups of olive oil,  and a cup of toasted pine nuts in the processor.  Then I add in a cup and a half of parsley and about 2 cups of fresh grated Parmesan.  I don't add any salt, but if added it will bring out the taste of the basil.  All of this is then pulsed in a food processor.  Serve it over whatever pasta you like.  Orzo is one of my favorites and makes a nice pesto dish with fresh tomatoes added and shrimp, if you like.  

Interestingly enough, the parsley was mostly eaten by the caterpillar of the black swallowtail butterfly.  I grew enough for the hungry caterpillars who can easily strip a plant in about two days.  But they are so beautiful, and the butterfly that eventually results from the metamorphosis of the caterpillar is also wonderful so I leave them alone as they eat. 

We are preparing for a weekend excursion on the boat.  Some of our friends are going to meet us at the mouth of one of the rivers down south.  It is a longer run for us, but the location seems to have good water depth for anchoring and a sandy beach nearby for walking and exploring.  We will have a picnic lunch on Saturday along with swimming and floating on rafts. 

All is well with the parents-in-law who have decided to hire live in help.  This is a couple who will cook and clean as well as maintain their yard, do the shopping and other errands as well as take them for doctor appointments.  We were both surprised at their decision to do this.  But I think that it is a good one because it will hopefully allow them to stay in their house which is what they want to do.  And it greatly reduces the time we spend cooking, cleaning and doing other errands for them.

The couple are currently in Lebanon where they have managed a large estate and will be coming back to the US in October.  I am hoping that it will work out for all concerned.  I just wonder how the couple will react to my father-in-law's political views which are pretty far to the right.  That will be for them to sort out.  I simply don't stay around when he starts his political rants and running commentary on the news.  "I have to go wash the cat/dog" is one of my favorite lines when the ranting reaches high decibel levels.

Well,  time to go read a bit before sleep comes on.  We both have our piles of books on either side of the bed.  I am mostly through Keith Richard's book Life.  I think that it is interesting but find that he  romanticizes the drug use a bit.  He is definitely not afraid to write what it was like, what happened, and what he is like now. 

Good bye until tomorrow.