The week has flown by as is often the case when one is very busy. It has been a good week weather wise for walking. I managed to walk every day sometimes twice in a day. Usually a dog walk first and then I would go out and do a “me” walk afterwards. I managed to get 28.2 miles done which constituted 9 walks. Found another book to listen to that was quite different. It was called Dodge & Twist by Tony Lee and was a take on Oliver Twist all grown up. These books are a new offering with Audible and are short stories that work well when you don’t want a full length book.

Sometimes it can be a very social event when walking the dogs around the neighborhood. We found friends around every corner but this one was the best. Everyone got along beautifully but the humans had a little trouble with the leashes. They got quite tangled up. There is a new pup in town and he was right in the middle of the whole thing loving it. He’s the little gold golden and his name is Eli.

As I walk around here I am noticing subtle signs that spring is actually coming to the Lowcountry. The camellias are blooming, the flowering trees are bursting forth with some early color, there are little green buds on some of the bushes and the tea olives are blooming again and smell so sweet. It’s a given that spring will come but it seems rather early this year. I feel as if I went to sleep and woke up after a couple of weeks and missed something. It just snuck up on me.

Overall it was a quiet week with no travel and a number of quiet nights at home for a change. Except for Valentine’s Day. One of the things that keeps me busy in retirement is that I manage a number of non-profit websites on a volunteer basis. One of those sites belongs to the Beaufort Harbormasters a wonderful group of 4 part harmony/barbershop singers. Their thanks to me was to arrive at my door on Valentine’s Day with a rose, a card and a singing valentine consisting of two great songs. What they didn’t bargain on was a large golden retriever who insisted on using their legs as wickets to go through and a small white dog who wanted to sing along. They told me it was the highlight of their long day of delivering singing valentines all around Beaufort. What a special treat!

The dogs get a Bark Box every month filled with goodies. The folks at Bark Box are smart, this month their gift arrived right on Valentine’s Day. We have done this for a couple of months now and they really are getting quite good at getting into the box and pulling out the goodies. Bean practically fits in the box.

One of our friends farms oysters on Long Island which so far is the only friend we have that does this. When I found this picture with caption it immediately was emailed to him. I do not eat oysters unless they are in Oysters Rockefeller so they are doctored up enough I don’t really know what I am eating. However, they are easy to grow and just look at what they can do for our environment. So I thought I would do a bit of research on them. Did you know they are packed full of protein (5 grams per oyster), low in carbohydrates (2 grams) and are considered to be low glycemic. They do have a little fat (1 gram) so will have minimal impact on your fat intake. They are full of wonderful vitamins and minerals too. Down here in the Lowcountry, oyster roasts are very popular. They are plentiful in our waters so easy to come by. No raw oysters for me though!!

Recipe for you to try – of course Oysters Rockefeller, why not?

RECIPE BY SOUTHERN LIVING
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup fennel bulb, chopped
1 teaspoon chopped fresh chervil or tarragon
2 to 3 chopped celery leaves
2 cups watercress or baby spinach leaves
1/3 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons anise-flavored liqueur
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 (4-pound) box rock salt
2 dozen fresh oysters on the half shell
Rock salt
Garnish: lemon wedges

How to Make It
Step 1
Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium-high heat; add parsley and next 4 ingredients. Sauté 2 to 3 minutes. Add watercress, and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until wilted. Cool.

Step 2
Pulse parsley mixture in food processor with the remaining 13 tablespoons butter, breadcrumbs, and liqueur until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides.

Step 3
Add salt, pepper, and hot sauce.

Step 4
Fill pie pans or a large baking sheet with 2 pounds rock salt. Dampen salt slightly, and arrange oysters on the beds of salt.

Step 5
Top each oyster with a spoonful of the parsley mixture.

Step 6
Bake at 450° about 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly. Serve on a bed of rock salt, and garnish, if desired.

Step 7
Note: For testing purposes, we used Pernod for anise-flavored liqueur.