Goodbye good friend...

Well, I suppose you could say that this current weather pattern is here to stay. As such, "Change in the Weather" is now officially ending with the post of my parent's last days here. We wanted a place online that felt a bit more like it belonged to both of us. So, if weeks and months go by with no updates, everyone can blame me AND Kristina equally!

From now on, we'll be over at "Two Capstan Row", So, update your bookmarks, RSS feeds, etc.

-Weslie + Kristina

Midsommar food, final round

In addition to the beef and fish, there was some of this:

But mainly, lots of this...

and this....

and this....

and this! A great time was had by all!

Midsommar food, round two: Smoked whitefish

The next big thing was smoked fish.

Here is the fire going in the bottom of the fish tower to get it extremely hot.

The salt-cured whitefish on the rack, ready to go!

Said fish being lowered into the "oven" with smoking, fresh juniper branches and alder wood chips.

Now, we wait...

20 minutes later, you get this! Yum!

Midsommar food, round one: Beef Loin, part II

Here, Kika and I are carefully (for all parties involved) unwrapping the beef.

The final product.

Cutting with an invisible knife? I have no idea what's going on in this shot.

Midsommar food, round one: Beef Loin, part I

The night before we went to the cabin, Kristina and I prepared a beef loin with olive oil, salt, pepper, Southern Flavor (!), and various fresh herbs.

Early the next morning, Tage and Sara went to the cabin to dig a small hole and start a fire on a collection of rocks to heat them. The fire went for about 4 hours or so to get the rock at the right temperature.

Here is the beef being lowered into the ground with a layer of heated rocks underneath.

More rocks are placed on top of the beef with a final layer of sand to seal everything in. Another fire is started so the oven effect can really work its magic.

Here is the beef after 2 1/2 hours...

Midsommar at the cabin

For midsummer, the entire family headed out to the cabin for some relaxing fun in the sun.

Some tried fishing...

Others tried fishing...

Still others tried fishing...

And finally had a "little" success!

Boating, II

Our true destination was Tankar, a nice little island that is the midsummer place to be if you've got a boat. People have been living off the waters surrounding the island for many, many years, so the village also acts as a sort of heritage destination as well.

There is also a functioning lighthouse on the island.

The landscape sort of reminded me of southwest Ireland.

Neat little chapel on Tankar. Some of Kristina's friends were married here not too long ago.

On the way back...a little romance. Or maybe he's trying to convince her to get a boat like this?