Downpour

Rain all day calls for baking -- or more specifically in my case, Rum Cake! I have been looking for any excuse to make Rum Cake, and today's downpour finally seemed like the perfect excuse for some cooking.

Cooking on a boat is always a but different than cooking in the comfort of your 'land homes.'  While our oven is perfectly capable, everything is just a bit smaller, and in general you  just never quite know what your going to get.  A ferry wake could come by, and your whole cake could suddenly have a 45 degree slope (If you follow my Instagram, you'll see I know this from experience...)  It is also difficult to gauge the temperature of the oven, calling forth the 'Franny method' of cooking -- which is pretty much the stress free, recipe free mentality of 'it'll be fine!'

Dreaming of the Abacos throughout all this rain!

Our Dutch flag feeling right at home on all the rain!

Storm Watching // Pt. Reyes

One of my favorite activities is storm watching.  There is something about the mayhem and absolute chaos of an uncontrollable storm that is absolutely electrifying down to the very core.  I can remember stormy days in August on Cape Cod and driving around with my mom to the different harbors watching the impact of the wind, rain, and terror wreak havoc on the normally picturesque New England summer landscape.  I think that's what hooked me.

Piet and I recently took a day trip up to Pt. Reyes to watch a front come in -- just an hour outside of Sausalito and we were immediately transported to a coast in another world.  Ireland? Portugal? We could have been just about anywhere -- that is the magic of this coastline.  Thankfully we didn't see any boats out beyond the shores, but we did see some mighty fine wind, waves, and rain...keep it coming mother nature, I've got my wellies on. 

Best view in all of California goes to -- The Park Ranger Palace

Someone's hair got a little crazy!