Traveling Chef // Joshua Ploeg

Joshua Ploeg is a man of many talents (some of you may know him from past music projects such as Mukilteo Fairies, Lords of Lightspeed & Behead the Prophet N.L.S.L.). The most tasty talent being his mad culinary skills. If you ever have the chance to attend an event where he is cooking, don't miss out.

Aaron & I were lucky to host a dinner at our house last week when Joshua rolled through town. 6 courses of amazingness were served and Joshua realized we have known each other for 17 years. My goodness.




figuring out how to seat 15 people was an interesting last minute challenge as was realizing I didn't have 15 spoons for the melon gazpacho.




We were all so full.

Joshua also has a number of cookbooks distributed through Microcosm that you can pick up here & blogs here about his meals, traveling dinners & shares recipes regularly.

A Montana wedding

I flew from Seattle to Idaho Falls, ID. It was my first time at their tiny airport, I rented a car, visited all the local thrift stores then headed about 2 hours North-East to one of my best friends weddings in the middle of nowhere.

Eilis & Nathaniel were married Saturday, August 21st at the J Bar L Ranch in Centennial Valley Montana surrounded by friends and family from around the world. These are a few of my favorites from the short weekend in Big Sky paradise.


Exit 0, Montana


Exit 0, Montana


From Exit 0, it took 45 minutes on this gravel road to get to the ranch.


Oota


J Bar L Ranch


J Bar L Ranch




We picked wild flowers for the ceremony


Big Sky


Family: Thurman, Lugh, Micaela, Oota


Thurman


Oota




Bride & Groom (Nathaniel's beautiful suit was made by my friends over at Dutchess Clotheir)


Erin






We danced for hours then howled into the night with Lalo

Full photo set here.

Family: now & then

It's complicated to explain where I "grew up", but this is sort of relevant to the two photos I wanted to post-

I was born (at home) in Minneapolis, MN. I spent the 4th year of my life in a van (the maroon balloon) driving around the United States and Mexico with my mom & dad until it was time for school. We settled in California where my mom grew up. Then along with a ton of other 1980's LA people our family of 3 migrated up to Seattle where I started 6th grade and finished high school. I stayed in the Pacific NW until 1998, then sorta randomly ended back in Minneapolis with my first boyfriend living in a wearhouse called the Spice Factory (it really was a spice factory).

This past week I flew with my man and 6 of his family members to Seattle for a vacation. Considering I am an only child, this was a pretty epic trip for me.


The Polansky-Johnson's + 1 Levine family in front of the Olympia free wall

A part of this family vacay was spent driving up to my mom's farm for the night. While there she passed on to me a box of old slides, photos and letters. Tonight, out of that box, I just unearthed this mysterious envelope addressed to me from 1978 in my dad's handwriting.



Turns out it's a letter from my dad to me while he was away on a business trip when I was 7 months old.

It's now one of my most treasured items.

It's nice to be "home" for a bit.

Road Trip: part 2 {water}

Posting this a little later then planed but better now then never right? Right. In Seattle getting ready for tomorrow's lecture at the Conference of Creative Entrepreneurs.

There has been a slight change of plans this trip, not shooting next week for the Sign Painter movie due to unforeseen circumstances but there is PLENTY to do while here including an exhibition I am really looking forward to checking out at the Museum of Northwest Art about Fishtown and the Skagit River (a exploration and multi-layered survey of the creative settlement that grew up on the Skagit River delta when artists, poets, and scholars occupied a series of abandoned fishermen’s shacks beginning in the late 1960s for nearly twenty years.)

These photos are the top picks from about 95 images I selected to post from a trip last week to visit my friends who live in a community on the Mississippi River of house boats/boat houses. It was one of the times I felt lucky to be alive and to know the people I do. I can't wait to go back and spend more time there sooner than later. Thanks Gerty, Auralee & Pucker (the dog) for having us in your home.

Welcome to Wolf Spider Island....


The dome house boat.


This river community has existed since the 1960's


Host {Gerty}


Hostess {Auralee}


Boat dog {Pucker}


Catfish picked clean by the Turkey Vultures.


I realized everything had to be tied to shore.


River clam


Okra flower growing on a floating river garden




Inside the dome boat, living quarters.


Inside the dome boat, screened in kitchen.


Inside the dome (the original structure was built in the 60's)


Homegrown.


Dinner. I didn't notice that boat on my plate until I uploaded the photo.




After dinner river catch, Mr. Northern Pike.


After dinner dip in the Mississippi.


Dusk on the Mississippi


Island fire before bed


Sunrise on the Mississippi through the mosquito net.


Up early, my man still asleep.




later days Wolf Spider Island......boat ride back to the car.

Full photo set here. Check out photographer Monia Lippi's "Floating Winona" images to see more of this community from another perspective.

Road Trip: part 1 {land}

We took a quick 3 day road trip to visit some nearby spots before the summer was over. I know, I know Summer isn't over, but it IS over in the Midwest for this lady. After a 2 year record breaking 46 days home in Wisconsin I'm back on the road again as of today. I'm currently blogging from the air with Aaron to the left of me and 6 of his family members sitting behind us. We are on our way to stay in a cabin near Olympia, WA for a few days & then visit my mom's farm. Then those guys are heading back to WI and I am speaking at the Conference of Creative Entrepreneurs. THEN shooting a crew of sign painters lettering the side of my mom's barn in Bow, WA for a week. THENNNN off to a besties wedding in the middle of Montana. Packing for this trip was interesting. Anyways...

Road Trip: part 1 included staying in Trempealeau WI, visiting the Rock in the House and the Prairie Moon sculpture garden. All are highly recommended.


Trempealeau Hotel, home of the walnut burger and $40 rooms.


It's on the honor system at Rock In the House, Fountain City WI


The entire house is labeled with these types of informative signs.


That lead you to.....


This!

Then, just down the road from the House in the Rock is the beautiful & magic Prairie Moon sculpture garden.










Then we are off to find Wolf Spider Island!

Full photo set here. Part 2 with photos of our stay on the Mississippi river in our friends geodesic dome house boat coming soon.