...isms of Smith

Hawaiian Bison?

2008-10-04T15:15:00.000-07:00

This bull didn't quite get it. It's Buccaneer Days here in Two Harbors this weekend, and nearly everyone is masquerading as pirates. Instead, this bison must have confused the party with a luau and wore a single branch over one ear.

Watching this video filmed at last year's party will explain everything, me hearties. Well, definitely not everything, but you'll come away with an appreciation of masquerade parties! Aaaargh!

Maybe the old soul was heading for San Francisco, or heard about the festivities and thought it was the Gay Pride Festival held in Long Beach each summer. Or, maybe, like all the costumed revelers, he just wanted a little attention.

Buffaloes for Obama

2008-09-26T17:44:00.000-07:00

In Two Harbors, even the bison are for Obama! Don't forget to watch the debate tonight at 9:00pm Eastern time.

Tragedy in Two Harbors

2008-05-24T15:14:00.000-07:00

Paradise jolted into a horror film this morning. As my neighbors worked to free the helicopter pilot and passengers from the searing debris, onlookers stood paralyzed, in shock. One victim, trapped beneath the wreckage, screamed in agony but the lay rescuers could only shout assurances until the fire department arrived with heat repellent gear to release her. That's when precious seconds cease to move, as if suspended in a viscous fluid. The pilot lived only a few moments after being pulled free, and two other passengers were pronounced dead on the scene. The three survivors had to endure a final helicopter ride to Los Angeles for medical treatment. My neighbors, now heroes, are traumatized. Things like this just don't happen in paradise.

No More Schlepping - almost...

2008-05-23T10:44:00.000-07:00

Bringing anything here to the island requires a degree in logistics, enrollment in an ongoing strength training program, and the patience of Job. After living with this arrangement for several years, I grew accustomed to the routine of loading the car, repackaging and reloading goods onto the boat for a 24 mile crossing across the San Pedro Channel; then unloading the boat to reload the car, and finally schlepping the salt-sprayed bins, bags and boxes up the last few steps to the house. Yeah...pain in the patootie.

The first step to my liberation was discovering (Thank you Sweet Tooth Haven) , a farm to door delivery service, Beachgreens! Of course they don't deliver to the island, but almost. They drop off my fresh fruit and vegetables at our San Pedro boat terminal on Thursday, and the wonderful folks at SCMI make sure it gets on Friday morning's supply run to the island. I feel like I'm cheating somehow when the bin 'magically' appears on Friday morning. It feels good - like finding a winning horse racing ticket. And even though they let you know what goodies will be delivered a few days before the produce arrives, I don't peak at the flyer. This way I can open the bin and be surprised.
Amazon's Subscribe & Save program brought me closer to salvation. At first glance, it didn't look like that great of a deal. I'm not used to buying so many items in bulk and the cost seemed a bit much. But wait! Free shipping AND a 15% discount! It was more than a little embarrassing when the UPS truck unloaded about 20 boxes into our small administration foyer. Believe me - I got over it quick. What makes me feel doubly good about all this, is that I've reduced our carbon footprint in so many ways, and on a more intimate level, I'm feeling so deliciously pampered!

Growing Carrot Cake (on my hips)

2008-05-11T09:17:00.000-07:00

Secretly we were glad our spearfishing neighbors didn't come back for seconds on the carrot cake. Just knowing it's there all snug in the kitchen for me to partake any time I want gives me great satisfaction. I've noticed however; that there is a direct correlation between the amount of cake diminishing and the telltale expansion of my hips.
Despite the calories, I love this cake. It's health food. The carrots, delivered to us from Beachgreens, were organically and locally grown as were the pecans (I was out of walnuts). The eggs were from range free and organically fed chickens. The icing non-dairy, and the oil, grapeseed. We won't talk about all the sugar. Besides won't all the benefits of the good stuff outweigh the damage of the sugar? If only I could have fastened my jeans this morning.

Click here to discover the way to grow carrot cake on your hips!

Hours Fresh, Filleted and Delivered to Our Door

2008-05-10T19:23:00.000-07:00

It doesn't happen often enough. But the last few nights have been a boon. It's late evening and there's a simple knock on the front door. The few seconds it takes to get to the door are filled with unbearable anticipation. I can hardly wait to answer. A plethora of scenarios jumbles up my mind and I hope beyond reason that someone is bringing good news.
The best news is undeniably when one of the spearfishing neighbors scores a big one and wants to share. Two days ago, Juan & Rory proudly surprised us with three 1 1/2 inch thick white sea bass fillets. "It was a 20 pounder!" he boasted. There must have been a competition, because last night Phil & Juan brought us two more! Still in their wetsuits, Phil's eyes wide with unabashed pride said "Juan got his last night and I got mine tonight!" I love these guys. It's a friendly neighborhood, and I like to encourage this behavior. So, on the first night, I gave the guys some spicy seafood stew and the last of our cold Coronas. Last night, I had just finished icing a carrot cake. I think they preferred the beer and stew.
The Sea Bass Provencal I made the following night was exquisite!

Shouting Out Spring

2008-02-17T13:33:00.000-08:00

While most of the country is enduring blizzards, freezing rain and even random tornadoes, we here on Catalina Island are blissfully enjoying cloudless skies and bright green hillsides.

After 18+ months of drought and the implementation of Phase I water rationing, just a few spring showers unleashed a cornucopia of sprouts, buds and flowers. The long suffering deer and buffalo have left town for the inner canyons and lush valleys. Occasionally now, deer can be spotted scampering along the ridge, ground squirrels popping in, out, and from around rocks and bushes, the small Catalina Island Fox cleverly poised on an outcropping above the road, and the buffalo catching an afternoon snooze in the shade. Life is sweet.

Update - Housing Progress!

2007-08-26T13:29:00.000-07:00

Not unlike watching a child assemble a fortress with building blocks, the house moving crew easily placed four units on their foundations in a matter of days.

Oh! Give Me a Home...

2007-08-20T17:40:00.000-07:00

...where the buffalo roam, and the deer and the antelope play. Where seldom is heard a discouraging word, and the skies are not cloudy all day."
This song plays over and over in my head as Mr. Smith and I venture out to our favorite campgrounds for a picnic. Hundreds of buffalo have the same idea. Yes, hundreds! Little Harbor is nestled in a charming valley dotted with palms. Here, fresh water is pumped into a trough for the buffalo and there are showers, portajohns and shaded picnic tables for the campers. The temperature is at least 10 degrees cooler here where the ocean freshens the desert breezes. We bond with the buffalo while they graze on sparse grass and we dine on our potato salad and shrimp cocktail picnic. We offer to share but they snub our table. Little did they know I had fresh from the oven banana bread too!
To get to Little Harbor from Two Harbors, just follow the only road out of town and the signs to the airport. You can't miss it! Or, if you are traveling by boat, navigate around the west end of Catalina Island to the back side, sail beyond Catalina Harbor and it will be the next harbor with suitable anchorage. Shark Harbor is just beyond. And if there aren't any buffalo there when you arrive, stick around awhile!

It's All Uphill From Here!

2007-08-04T14:52:00.001-07:00

As I sit back in my cozy island cottage to write at my leisure, a crew of exhausted men are struggling to haul two prefabricated housing units from USC's Wrigley Marine Science Center's pier up 2 steep hills, around a corner and placed ever so gently on their foundations. Yesterday it took them 10 hours to get just one of the houses off of the barge. They were constructed in San Pedro and shipped over in the wee hours of the morning. Today, after yesterday's trial and error lessons, they were able to unload the 2nd house within two hours. Getting them uphill is reminiscent of the ancients, hauling large precut stones up into place on the pyramids with levers and pulleys. This project however will use large trucks with powerful engines and hydraulic winches - both engineering feats reflective of their respective eras. See full story in the Los Angeles Times
Having once made a living as a construction worker, I can sympathize with the men, their aching backs and heavy arms, but that's about as close as I'm going to get. I've thought about making them all some cookies or margarita cupcakes, but I'd rather just think about it - and write a tribute to their accomplishment instead. Then I'm going out for a walk.

Surviving Lactose Intolerance

2007-07-14T11:39:00.000-07:00

And enjoying it! I'd never thought I'd live to say it. Fifteen years or so ago when I first discovered my inability to digest lactose, I just knew my life would soon end. How could I survive without cheddar cheese, pistachio and almond fudge ice creams, luscious cream sauces and mounds of sour cream on baked potatoes? Then I remembered a girl I met years earlier who suffered from schizophrenia. She had literally willed away her monthly period. The memory shamed me and I became determined to will away my desire for dairy products. It seemed unnatural, but I soon realized it to be as simple as a lifestyle choice of mind over matter. So for years, I denied myself of these simple pleasures with a sometimes resentful heart.

Then soy products entered my life, and I was liberated. In the summer of 2000 while at sea, a vegan scientist (Thanks Rachel!) introduced me to Tofutti brand products - namely Tofutti Cuties. Once ashore, I went to the nearest Trader Joes Grocer and bought a box. I managed to make it into my car without tearing into the package. My hands shook as I tried to unwrap the 'cutie' and only managed to get half the wrapper off before indulging myself with a big bite. The entire box was gone within two city blocks.
Since then I've added a few other delicacies that have made my dairy-free life not only tolerable, but downright fun! I try to never run out of Tofutti cream cheese, Silk Light Soy Milk,and sheep feta from Israel.

My daughter loves to find treats for me and if it weren't for her, I would have never had the courage to try sheep and goat cheeses. Basically, I've learned that if it doesn't come from a cow, I can eat it!
If you're lactose-intolerant, and you dearly miss dairy products, don't be shy about trying the new soy products and the ever growing varieties of sheep and goat milks and cheeses.
Evaporated goat milk is the newest addition to my gourmet dishes and is exquisite with Chicken Marsala, or any dish that calls for cream. For a different flavor, you can substitute milk or cream with coconut milk. This works well in dessert and rice dishes.

When an ice cream craving comes, I love the dairy free desserts from Turtle Mountain. Their brand, "Purely Decadant" says it all.

There are a plethora of new vegan cookbooks available that have fabulous ideas for enjoying dairy-free meals and desserts. My new favorite is "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World"

No longer do I regard being lactose intolerant a disadvantage. My life is a lot healthier and more interesting now. There are still those awkward moments like when ordering from a menu and trying explain to the diner waitress that eggs aren't dairy products. Then I am tempted to say, "Have you ever seen a cow lay an egg?"

How to Freeze Fresh Green Beans

2007-07-11T13:47:00.000-07:00

This is so easy! It will take less than an hour from basket to bag - depending on how many beans you have.
Step 1: Harvest the crop. These are pole beans.

Step 2: Rinse beans well to clean.

Step 3: Snap off the stem-end of the beans only. The other ends contain good nutrients. Break longer beans in halves or thirds.

Step 4: Meanwhile bring to boil a pot of water salted with Kosher or sea salt - I use about a tablespoon per 2 quarts.

Step 5: Add the beans to vigorously boiling water, top with the lid until it reboils and cook for 3 minutes.

Step 6: Drain the hot water from the pot and add beans to iced water to cool.

Step 7: C'est Fini! Label and bag your beans!

Where the Buffalo Roam

2007-07-10T19:34:00.000-07:00

He just sat there. High on a knoll overlooking the harbor, the town's resident buffalo took on a kingly air. I first spotted our elusive town mascot this evening on a stroll with Mr. Smith on our way into the village to mail a letter. With camera in hand I set out following the 'buffalo chip trail' to get a closer shot.
And he continued to just sit there as I tiptoed from behind him, closer, then around the front, easing my way with quiet determination. It wouldn't have been prudent to startle the beast. They can move fast and change direction seemingly on a dime. We made eye contact and his tolerant expression never changed as my camera whizzed and I inched nearer. As I hunkered down in the dry grass in front of him, I noticed his tagged left ear, and the multitude of scars on his hide. Despite the Catalina Conservancy's best effort, buffalo don't think twice about walking through barbed wire fences when the grass looks a bit greener on the other side.
Now you can't blame them. This year is proving to be the driest on the Southern California's historical record. I have never seen the island so dry and it wouldn't take too much imagination to envision the scrubby hillsides as sand dunes. Lately I had been noticing quite a few more 'chips' scattered about than usual - evidence that a few had broken away from their inner island herd, no doubt searching for edible vegetation and a watering hole.
Originally 14 bison were transported to the island for the 1925 filming of The Vanishing American. Since then the population of bison has grown and has been as large as 400. To maintain their health and the island's ability to sustain their population, the bison herd is occasionally kulled (reduced). Buffalo burgers can be found on some island menu's, the most famous served from the Buffalo Springs Station located at the Catalina Island Airport. Buffalo meat is often seen in the meat section of Avalon's grocery stores.
They are an amazing animal, and aside from their inability to clean up after themselves, I view buffalo as a whole, a generally polite species. On your next visit to the island, pay your respects to our local residents and bend an elbow in salute with a Buffalo Milk libation.

A Fish in Hand

2007-07-08T14:48:00.000-07:00

It isn't every day that your neighbor hands you freshly caught yellowtail.As if that isn't amazing enough, he had already cleaned and fileted the succulent fish. Immediately I searched http://www.epicurious.com/ for a recipe that would honor the catch. MACADAMIA-CRUSTED YELLOWTAIL WITH MANGO-PAPAYA SALSA
was perfect served with coconut lemon rice and fresh spring salad greens mixed with bartlet pear, sheep feta, and a light thyme dressing. We thanked our benefactor by presenting him with a generous serving. As a result, we worked out a win-win relationship. He'll catch the fish and I'll cook them!