I'm so lucky where I live: within an hour's drive, I can be in a big city, or in quirky suburbs, or standing on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, or gazing up and up and up at the tall tops of majestic Redwood forests. During the same visit in which we plundered the citrus trees on campus for marmalade, a few of my good friends and I packed up an amazing vegan feast--complete with wild rice salad, curried carrots, sweet sauteed mushrooms and kale, roasted acorn squash (and onions and garlic), Blue Chair Fruit jams, a crusty Tartine loaf, and cold-brewed tea--for a picnic under the shady canopy of the Big Basin Redwoods. Then we went hiking to give our over-stuffed bellies a rest and promptly got lost wandering through the damp, dark green forest on a soft carpet of redwood tree needles. It's days and picnics and hikes like this one that provide a wonderful, analog antithesis to the always-on-the-go, always-connected life that I live the rest of the time.
Happy Friday, everyone!
I have never seen such huge mushrooms while walking in the woods. Here in Italy they are not quite as wild anymore, meaning that a lot of people go foraging and so...I am never able to get any! :( Anyway, your day seemed very special, and yes, you must live in an amazing place, so close to such beautiful nature. I like you pic nic table --I am quite fond of pic nics myself, and I always bring a big piece of rustic bread, too. Oh, I miss that! Thanks for reminding me that I should organize one :)
ReplyDeleteI love how rustic everything looks! Gorgeous shots! I've always wanted to travel out west. The redwoods look like a must do. :-D
ReplyDeletewhat a gorgeous place. beautiful photos & the food looks awesome!
ReplyDeletethe redwoods are one of my all-time favorite places i've ever been...they're just SO stunning. i would love to take my hubby there for a picnic!
ReplyDeleteThat is the yummiest looking picnic I've ever seen.
ReplyDeleteYour pictures are gorgeous, by the way. Especially the mushrooms and the hands slicing the bread! :)
xoxo
I'm so jealous! I've never been to the west coast, it looks so gorgeous out in the redwoods.
ReplyDeleteYou have an enviable life, although you already seem well aware of your blessings and take full advantage of them! That's some feast -- love the colors.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
*Heather*
That looks like an amazing picnic - you are indeed very fortunate to live in such a beautiful place! Great pics, thanks - I might head out for a picnic in the mountains around Bogotá tomorrow....
ReplyDeleteWhat lovely pictures! A picnic sounds great...too bad it's rainy today in Florida.
ReplyDeletejust gorgeous and so cozy. I want that crusty bread!
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous forest. I love the forest. I grew up in an area with lots of forests and when I moved away for a while, I really missed it. Somehow the air smells different in an envirement with lots of trees, don't you think? Luckily I moved back here and now I can let my children enjoy the feeling of the forest too :)
ReplyDeleteour kind of picnic :)
ReplyDeleteIt is absolutely beautiful! And you're right, you're lucky to live close to a place like this. I have been to San Francisco but that time Tartine Bakery wasn't open. My big dream to go back, visit the bakery and spend a day there! :) Sigh...
ReplyDeleteI'm not going to lie. I'm jealous. The land out here in the midwest is grey, dead, and dry this time of year. You cant tell the difference between the sky and the earth on a cloudy day. You photos bursting with green and full of life looks like a piece of heaven.
ReplyDeleteyou are SO lucky... I miss those red woods! Beautiful shots, looks like a blast!
ReplyDeleteyes, yes! I love the smell of air with trees around, the dampness and the freshness.
ReplyDeleteWhow! That looks like an amazing day! And an even more amazing picknick. I l-o-v-e your photos! You're incredibly talented! Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeletewhat a magical looking place! living in norcal offers so many beautiful places! i really should take advantage of all the redwood forests around here!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures!
ReplyDelete