And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been. Rainer Maria Rilke
We’re getting ready for another storm but yesterday it still was sunny and warm. Check out these south-facing sandpipers, all looking in the same direction. I wonder what they’re thinking about…
Maybe they’re hoping 2026 will bring peace and harmony and love to the world. That’s my wish, too.
Do you know what a group of sandpipers is called?
There are many recognized collective nouns for a group of sandpipers:
𓅪 a bind 𓅪 a cluster 𓅪 a contradiction 𓅪 a fling 𓅪 a hill 𓅪 a time-step
This photo was taken at the beach on a spectacularly warm December afternoon. The sky was blue and the Pacific Ocean was full of sparkles; a magnificent day.
Photo by Enchanted Seashells
Ode To Our Ocean
The sea sings out to its many saviors: Teenagers with fists thrust into the air at climate strikes, Scientists converging around their data, A child who stoops to scoop up a piece of trash.
The sea sings out for its singular subjects: Arching whales that wave from their waves, Turtles that teeter down their shining shores, Coral reefs shining brightly as cities.
The sea sings out its suffering, Knowing too much of waste, screeching sounds And pernicious poison, its depths bruised by Atrocities in the Atlantic, Misery in the Mediterranean, Its tides the preservers of time past.
The story of the ocean and the story of humanity Are one and the same, a Great River that Knows no borders and notes no lines, Only ripples. While we might call it the Seven Seas, Today we sing out your true name: The one ocean. For no matter how we try to separate your waters, You are the colossus that connects us.
Water makes up 70% of Earth, 70% of the human heart, And 70% of the human being, All of us, bodies of water, For we, too are oceans, Or at least beings bobbing in the same boat. To stand up for for our ocean Is to stand up for our own ship The sea is a restless, strong collective of many pieces. So are we. The ocean can recover. And so will we. Let us not divide the tides, But discover all they have to teach us– Green meadows of sea grass that survive pathogens, Blue-bloodied marine snails that can fight off viruses. There are more lessons to learn, Still more work to be done. So we lift our faces to the sun. May the seas help us see healing and hope, May we sing out the ocean’s survival and revival. Being the people of this blue planet is our most Profound privilege and power, For if we be the ocean’s saviors, Then it is surely ours.
Written by Amanda Gorman for World Oceans Day. Harvard graduate Gorman is an American poet, activist, and model. Her work focuses on issues of oppression, feminism, race, and marginalization, as well as the African diaspora. Gorman was the first person to be named National Youth Poet Laureate.
No green flash, but a gorgeous sunset after a sunny, warm day in SoCal.
Photo by Enchanted Seashells
A “green flash” is a rare optical phenomenon seen briefly at sunrise or sunset, where the sun’s upper edge appears to flash green due to atmospheric refraction. This optical effect is caused by the Earth’s atmosphere acting like a prism, separating the sun’s light into different colors, with the green light being the last to be visible as the sun sets or the first as it rises
…they opened their wings softly and stepped over every dark thing. Mary Oliver
Sitting at the top of a tree near the lagoon, this lone egret seems deep in thought and as bewildered as I am about the time change; like why is it almost dark at 5pm?
It’s a bird I’ve never before seen and I’m sooo happy he chose to visit the gardens at Casa de Enchanted Seashells!
The Black-headed Grosbeak is a migratory bird, with nesting grounds from southwestern British Columbia through the western half of the United States and into central Mexico.
I think this is a male; black head, black wings and tail with prominent white patches. Its breast is dark to tawny orange in color, more like the color of cinnamon.
Not a great zoom with my phone
The black-headed grosbeak eats pine and other seeds, berries, insects, spiders, and fruit. I didn’t hear him sing, however, his voice is a rich warble similar to that of an American robin, but more fluent, faster, softer, sweeter, and mellow with rising and falling passages that make the song much longer than the robin’s. The note is a sharp ik or eek. Both the male and female sing, but have different songs.
Its symbolism includes a message to live in harmony with yourself. to forgive yourself, trust your instincts, meditate more, and be kinder to yourself. When this bird flies into your life, it also prompts you to practice contentment. Alternatively, a Grosbeak meaning suggest being supportive of those around you who are struggling.
It’s been such a reallyreally long time since I baked pretzels that I almost forgot how to shape them, but it all came back pretty quickly as soon as I started rolling.
Pretzels are so easy to make, it’s something everyone should try, especially now that it’s officially fall. I like them simply salted and plain or served with a vibrantly spicy mustard dipping sauce.
Easy Soft Pretzel Recipe
Ingredients
2 and 1/4 teaspoons instant or active dry yeast (1 packet)
1 Tablespoon brown or white sugar
1 and 1/2 cups warmwater, not too hot
2 Tablespoons oil or melted vegan butter
1 teaspoon salt
3 and 3/4–4 cups all-purpose flour plus more as needed
coarsesalt, for topping
Baking Soda Bath (Some recipes use lye but I think that’s not healthy, so I never have tried it and wouldn’t recommend.) In a large pot, add 1/2 cup bakingsoda to 9 cups water, stir, and bring to a boil.
Instructions
Whisk the yeast and sugar into warm water.
Cover and allow to sit for a few minutes.
Whisk in the oil and/or vegan butter and salt.
Add 3 cups of flour.
Mix with a wooden spoon (or dough hook attachment if using a stand mixer) until combined.
Add 3/4 cup more flour until the dough is slightly tacky and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If it is still sticky, add up to 1/4 cup more flour, one tablespoon at a time.
Kneadthe dough. Keep the dough in the mixer and beat for an additional 3 to 5 full minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 3 to 5 minutes. If the dough becomes too sticky during the kneading process, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flour at a time on the dough or on the work surface/in the bowl to make a soft, slightly tacky dough. Don’t add more flour than you need because you don’t want a dry dough.
Shape the kneaded dough into a ball. Cover lightly with a towel and allow to rest for 10 to 30 minutes or longer.
This is a good time to start the water + baking soda boiling.
Preheat oven to 400° degrees.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. If using parchment paper, coat with nonstick spray.
With a sharp knife, cut dough into twelve equal balls.
Roll the dough into a 20–22-inch rope.
To shape a classic pretzel, roll dough into a long rope, form it into a U-shape with the ends pointing away, then cross the ends over each other twice and bring them down to the bottom of the U, pressing to seal.
There are lots of great YouTube videos that explain in detail how to shape pretzels if you need help.
When the baking soda water has come to a rolling boil, drop 1–2 pretzels in for 20–30 seconds. Any longer than that and your pretzels will have a GROSS metallic taste.
Using a slotted spatula, lift the pretzel out of the water and allow as much of the excess water to drip off. Place pretzel onto prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the top with coarse sea salt. Repeat with remaining pretzels.
If you want, you can cover and refrigerate the boiled/unbaked pretzels for up to 24 hours before baking.
Bake for 12–15 minutes or until dark golden brown.
I used my stand mixer to knead, placed in another bowl, let rise for about 30 minutes, and cut into 12 equal balls.
Roll to about 22 inches. This is the fun part.
eatlittlebird.com
Not perfectly shaped, but it doesn’t really matter as long as they taste good.
Drop into the boiling baking soda water for only 20-30 seconds. The water isn’t dark gray, not sure why the photo shows that color.
Bake 15 minutes or so depending on your stove.
They won’t win any awards for beauty but they were DELICIOUS.
Tip: Don’t forget to put the salt on before you bake or it won’t stick.
She felt vaguely upset and unsettled. She was suddenly tired of outworn dreams. And in the garden the petals of the last red rose were scattered by a sudden little wind. Summer was over — it was Autumn.
“She felt vaguely upset and unsettled. She was suddenly tired of outworn dreams. And in the garden the petals of the last red rose were scattered by a sudden little wind. Summer was over — it was Autumn.” L.M. Montgomery
Rainbow Valley is the seventh book in the chronology of the Anne of Green Gables series of novels by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Photos by Enchanted Seashells.
Enchanted Seashells | Princess Rosebud 