Mobius Bagel Odyssey

My daughter Jodie posted this challenge on her Facebook wall on Friday.

Cut a Bagel into Linked Rings

I've been thinking about it ever since. I even dreamed about it last night.

How to Cut a Mobius Bagel
Click the link above to learn more
HIGHLY Recommended

So this morning I popped over to the nearest bakery to purchase some bagels that weren't pre-sliced. Then I set to work.

Setting up the tools

Scoring the Quadrants

Scoring Points A, B, C and D

Scoring the Cutting Line

Beginning to Cut

The First Through-Cut

First Half Complete

Completing the Cutting

Gently Pulling the Rings Apart

Uh, Something Went Wrong Here

So, back to the drawing board. I realized my mistake. I thought I was to cut completely through from the outside of the bagel into the center hole to make the cuts. Then I realized that wouldn't make two rings, it made the bagel into the infinity symbol. So I started again. This time I marked all the cutting lines on both sides of the bagel.

Marking the Bagel with a Sharpie
(guess I won't be eating this one)

Rethinking My Tools
Pumpkin Carving Knives!

Cut Only Half Way Through
to the Interior of the Bagel

First Cut Complete

Finishing the Second Cut

Gently Separating the Bagel

Tweaking the Through-Cuts

Ta-Da!

Bagel Links

 
Lady of the Rings

So, how did YOU spend 2-1/2 hours on this cold Sunday morning?

Hush ...

 
November Sunrise

[click image for larger view]

First Snow

Yesterday

 
Autumn Splendor

Today

 
Winter Wonder

 How quickly the seasons change

[click on images for larger view]

Autumn Color

The height of color is upon us.

Rows of trees full of olive and gold

Brilliant splashes of orange and yellow

The fading greens and browns

And deepest magenta

Soon obliterated by wind and snow

[click images for larger view]

.

Election Day

Up before dawn 

Waffle, bacon & hot chocolate at Denny's 

with my sweetheart

Chat with our favorite staff there

Walking home, the fog began to lift

I stopped at the elementary school to vote

Superb way to begin election day

Sunrise Silhouette

[click for larger image]

Spider Magic

I walked home in the fog this morning.

 
Dewdrop

[click for larger image]

LaJollaFly

While walking along the beach in La Jolla, 

I happened upon a small butterfly garden.

 
The Sunbather

[click image for a larger view]

Gettin' All Wet

On my final morning in Las Vegas, I grabbed my camera and ducked into the Aria. My daughter Jeanne, who lives in the area, said this is one of her favorite casinos to visit. She said to make sure and see their 'fountain.'

Into The Vortex

I found it difficult to photograph this interesting water sculpture due to the way it moves, where it's located, and the number of visitors. Here's a photo and video I found on the web that will give you a sense of what it's like.

As you can see, it's a series of glass tubes filled with liquid that rises and falls, like a lighted cyclone. Check out this video to watch it in action:

Duh-na ..

We spent one lovely morning at the Natural History Museum.

 
Say "Ahhhhhh!"

I made a friend.

[click for larger image ... it'll scare you better]

Harvest Time

I'd heard wonderful things about the atrium in the Bellagio in Las Vegas.  I was so glad I got to experience it for myself.

Autumn Bounty

[click for larger image]

The best moment in the atrium was when I asked an older couple if they'd like me to take their photo with their own camera. I got a really nice shot of them. Then the man put his arm around me and said, "Thank you so much! You made our day. This is our 60th wedding anniversary and now we have this nice picture to help us remember."

 

October Fun

For most of October, Dale and I were on a long car trip. He had conferences for work in Las Vegas, Nevada and La Jolla, California. He invited me along this year. While he was working, I got to spend some time with my daughter Jeanne and some good friends from high school days.

I also got cozy with my 35mm DSLR camera. True, the photos I took were all using "auto" settings, but I finally got used to carrying a bigger camera around and trying out a few functions. So over the next weeks, I'll hope to share some of the photos I took.

We're Going to the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo

This is us having some fun at the San Diego Zoo, taken by zoo staff.

Pokey Little Birthday Card

My brother-from-another-mother had a birthday last week.

I had so much fun with the pin poke technique with my Heart Cards, that I decided to use the same method to create his birthday card. It gives such a fun 3-D effect.

This is what it looks like with light shining through from the back.

On the inside, I composed a short message using an inside joke, and made slits to insert a gift card.

 

I got the word that the card arrived safe and sound, so now I get to share!

.

Fall Haze

At the last full moon, at the end of September, I took Dale up to the top of a hill where he'd never been before. On a clear day, there is a great view of Post Falls, the surrounding farm land, and the Spokane River rimmed by mountains.

Smokey Evening, Full Moon

 But that week, the entire valley had been very smokey from the fires burning in central Washington. The view from the top was not so far-reaching ... but beautiful in its own way.


.

Recipe

One plant

Window

Open blinds

Add light

 
Autumn Morning

Changing Light

I looked out the window to the back yard. 

The sun, setting in the west, 

 was reflecting on the leaves of Ashley the ash tree. 

 
The Sun Sets on Ashley

Jeanne, my 27 year old daughter, planted this tree
when she was in elementary school.

Ashley struggles to get enough sunlight 

amid the tall pines and the maple that surround her.

But this evening, she is the star.

Her changing colors caught the sunlight

and her beauty shone.

Jeannie, this one's for you!

Bread Experiment

Know what this is? 

An experiment in "baking" bread.

Or, in this case, rolls made from frozen dough.

I learned from the LifeHacker website

that it's possible to cook bread dough in a crock pot.

So I tried.

I had some rather old dinner roll dough in my freezer. 

So old that I wasn't sure it would rise.

[It barely did]

But it was enough to try in our small crock pot.

I had it in the crock pot on the high setting for a bit over an hour. Too long ... but I got distracted and forgot about it until I could smell it.

Yum.

I wanted the top browner, so instead of putting it under the broiler as suggested, I just flipped the rolls over and let them brown in the crock pot.

They tasted pretty good! Fun little experiment.

I'll probably try a full loaf in my big crock pot later.

-----

 

Anomaly

Can you see this?

I have a single very odd

wonky long eyelash.

Weird, huh?

( And no shame about pointing it out. :: giggle :: )

 

 

,

Lingering Blooms

The geranium on our front porch is in bloom.

Vivid Geranium

We won't see many more of these flowers this season.

The nights are fairly crispy cold now.

.

Approaching Storm

September 10, 8am

Flat pearl sky hovers over the deck
Low breezes rustle ivy, rattle mini blinds
High winds sway pine tips above East Hill
The pitch of a passing street sweeper & heavy gusts conjoin,
          a muted rumble chasing through woods
Chin raised, I detect the aroma of tomatoes
          ripening in their pots
While thick air swirls, raising goose bumps
I don my fleece sweater
          and taste the approaching storm

Garden, Fall