A gifted CSA led to the discovery of the watermelon radish (with ID help from Donald), Old Raj martini (thank you Jed) with extra olives and an "Embrace the Gray" colored manicure (my first in at least two years), self-gifted Wegman's tulips with Dolly Parton and sunshine, puzzle from my lifter upper dear friend Katie, Ringwood hike with Eliot, Eliot and Sarah cider taste test Saturday night, driving home from work early, snow from the den above a giant pile of shaded laundry, our Sycamore, Aurora, NY on Cayuga Lake for Valentine's Day, curriculum development for Wall of Birds at CLO, matzo balls and guest-left pink champagne by the fire while dreaming of trips to Africa, sunshiny puzzle working today, tulip demise, and a hike at Ellis Hollow with some found vandalism. 

Sometimes you need to leave work before the sun sets. 

Luckily, our new Canadian friends taught us how to play Crokinole, and it is super fun!

It isn't a real party until there is a blow dart competition. ​

Bathroom art is important. 

The Cayuga trail blazes are works of art. Below, old and new beaver sign. There is nothing for scale, but that Cottonwood is one of the largest I've seen. 

A stop at our local brewery, Hopshire, for some sunset behind oak. 

Sunday brunch at Classic Chef's in Watkins Glen before some chilly, but sunny hiking. This place was amazing!!! There were people eating old school tall dish sundays, rice pudding, BLTs and dressed up! The lady behind us had definitely had her hair done and her most exquisite clip on earrings adorning her ears. It was like a little time capsule with perfect home fries, golden glittered formica tables and chunky white coffee mugs. I love diners! 

Check out these sweet bathroom tiles!

​Below is a hike in Watkins Glen State Park. The lower trail is closed due to its state of ice, but the upper trail had great views, hemlock, sunshine, flocks of birds, and we finished up at an area with a lot of cattail and a hemlock hammock tree. It was a grand adventure. 

And then, the Superbowl, biologist style, with a a little hedgehog friend at half time. 

Ever since I went to Mark and Jill's Brown County State Park wedding in 1986, I've loved lemon poppyseed cake the most. They were dad's graduate school friends and my siblings and I were thrilled at the thought of a wedding where we could camp. So exciting! I honestly just used the Betty Crocker mix for years, but this time, I modified a Bon Appétit recipe for Lemon Buttermilk Bundt Cake. I went with two round cake pans because I wanted a schmear of lemony cream cheese in the middle to break up the sweetness (I have a non-scientific idea that this lowers the glycemic index and I'll live in denial because baking is so infrequent in hour house). I added poppy seeds and I used a cream cheese/lemon/maple syrup icing. Just in time for my birthday, mom sent this amazing cake tin from home that I've been oohing and ahhing over for ages. Not only is the handle an acorn, but there is an oak leaf pattern around the perimeter. Adorable and we love oak trees in this house. 
We had a few friends over for the tree burning and then we made them sing to me and fed them some of  this cake. Very festive!

Time consuming cake or meditative lemon peel grating? You be the judge. Eight lemons, sunshine aroma, and an improved mood!

Thank you, Mom! Oak love to the max. 

Now, back to being the antler holder for a couple of months. 

My little brother Jon and I at the Brown County wedding in 1985 loving cake.