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Thirsty Thursday: Roadside Market

Rambler: Beth

Drink at Hand: Marin's Vineyard 2010 Viognier

Another Thirsty Thursday here again! Time to pour something yummy and make those weekend plans. As a a few of Welliver Photography's Facebook fans have likely figured out, I spent last week in Nicaragua as part of a MBA study abroad program through Portland State. The ten-day experience was, well, an experience...in a good way. To journey through the second poorest country in the western hemisphere after Haiti was eye-opening. Yet, despite the immense poverty, there are smiles and laughter and a feeling of having enough...even among those who have virtually nothing. 

My final project for this course is to make a documentary of our experience. I had my camera and/or a borrowed video camera in my hand virtually the entire time. I collected a ton of photos and videos...and I could tell I was rusty when I started the week, given the focus on school over the last year and resultant lack of focus on photography. Plus, taking "people photos" is not my forte. I was quickly working at the fringes of my comfort zone yet slowly found myself loving the challenge of searching for connections with the people I encountered and finding ways to visually convey what I knew I wanted to share when I got back. This trip reinforced for me why I love taking photos, reminded me how much I miss my camera time, and reinforced how important the time spent behind that viewfinder is for me mentally. Clarity comes from seeing. 

These photos are from our second day in Nicaragua. This was the start of our journey out of Managua and into the campo (countryside). We stopped at a roadside stand to grab some fruit. This was the first day of finding my stride with the camera...though the strides were short, they were important! More to come in the coming weeks. 

 

Get out there and find your own roadside fruit stand this weekend...but if you find one in Nicaragua, stick to the fruits you have to peel!  

Thirsty Thursday: Veggies

Rambler: Terry Drink in Hand: 2010 Montoya Pinot Noir

Not a lot to say this week. It was suppose to be a regular week, but all I can seem to do is think about wandering around Portland. Here's a few shots from the Portland farmer's market...which I wandered around for about three hours while I was there. The produce was awesome!

Kitchen Adventures

A few weeks ago we decided to start having a fresh box of fruits and vegetables delivered from a local farm, otherwise known as the CSA box. Each Wednesday, a brand new box of garden fresh organic goodness shows up on our door from J&P Organics.  Each box is a surprise...we get a little information about what might be in the box each week, but really we don't know exactly what we'll find until we open that magical box. The best part of the CSA box is trying new stuff we've never had before, like chard and kale, as well as trying new recipes, like a yummy cauliflower cabbage potato soup and the most amazing sweet potato and chard gratin. I've also tried a few other kitchen experiments like homemade bread and parsnip fries. So far everything has turned out well (Dad, don't look so surprised!).

Here are a few photos from the last couple weeks of kitchen adventures. More to come I'm sure. I might start doing a weekly recipe post here just for fun.