Seasons Where the River Bends

Hello everyone,

This last month has been moving along steadily.

I'm progressing with baking the shortbread and flat bread in a 16cm frypan, and also a 25cm frypan. This has been mainly to gauge the optimum time at low temperature, for these things to be cooked correctly in the different sized pans.

On an equally exciting note, I bought a copy of Jimmy and Jane Barnes' latest cook book, "Seasons Where the River Bends". A truly useful and inspiring reference.

(c) Katherine Stuart 2025

Dochas Books Film

Staircase Maintenance Completion

Hi Guys,

One final varnishing of the rails and posts of the staircase had to be done, but now all is completed for this financial year. 

Onwards with developing my baking techniques, using the frypan instead of an oven. Very exciting 😀 

I am establishing an understanding of 3 fundamental baking methods -

-  Well method - with Flat Unleavened Bread

- Crumble method - with Shortbead

- Creaming method - with Melting Moments       Biscuits

Using the frypan, and saucepan, on very low heat, is working very well 👍

Stay safe everyone. 👋

(c) Katherine Stuart 2025

Dochas Books Film

Staircase Maintenance

Hi Guys,

It's been that time of year

when all the re-painting on the staircase

and restaurant tables had to be done

for the new financial year, 

and this work is starting to draw to a close.

Otherwise, I've been cooking flat bread 

and the Big Melting Moment biscuit in my new 16cm frypan.

Stay safe all of you.

Katherine

(c) Katherine Stuart

Dochas Books Film 2025

USA Chemical Plant Explosion

 Hi Guys, 

If you live in Sydney, Australia, then that petroleum vapour that you can smell at the moment, as of 3.25 pm here at Coogee, is most likely from the chemical fire at the Roseland, Louisiana USA, supply plant that happened 3 or so days ago.

This morning, around 11.30 am, when I was coming back from shopping on the bus and passed Maroubra Breach, the low lying, blue purple vapour cloud could be seen stretching from the east to the south east on the horizon en route towards us.

(c) Katherine Stuart 2025

Dochas Books Film

Sydney (Australia) CBD - Tue 19 Aug 2025

Hi Guys 😊,

I've been into the city this week to look for a small, stainless steel frypan that I can use to to cook big biscuits, cakes and bread etc., especially for the individual.

I found one that is 16cm, which should be suitable 👍.

(c) Katherine Stuart 2025

Dochas Books Film

Santorini - Livestreams

 Hi Guys,  😊

It would seem that now both the previous Santorini Livestreams, presented by,

- Webcam Greece,      and

- Alexis Place

are no longer.

So, this discontinues my coverage on this topic, for now.

Things seem to be escalating in the area of global weather and natural phenomena in any case. So, maybe it's better to sit back and look at it all as a whole.

Including, keeping an eye on the possible major earthquake etc that has been predicted for Japan this month.

Stay safe everyone. 🙏

(c) Katherine Stuart 2025

Dochas Books Film

Santorini - Electrical Disturbances

 Hi Everyone. 😊

Summer is definitely in full swing at Santorini, with clear skies and lots of sun the last few weeks. I can only imagine that it would be relatively hot as well.

I haven't seen a lot of volcanic activity lately, though the gas vapour is continuously rising more or less, from the lake and the island.

Something interesting that I have noticed, is that preceding the rising up of magma, as opposed to phreatic (steam and ash) events, the town lights go dim (during the night) and can't be seen by the livestream camera.

The most recent of these was on -

Tue 8 Jul 2025

Though the magma is only just coming up to below the surface, as indicated by 2 glowing lights in the water of the lake at night, one in the middle of the Northern lake section, and, one near the ferry wharf.

The glowing light in the Northern lake section rose up higher and brighter as a ferry passed by, then receded as the ferry moved further away. The ferries here, are large and generating a great deal of electric light energy.

A day of volcanic smoke followed.

I'm watching -  Alexis Place Livestream,  

for now.

(c) Katherine Stuart 2025

Dochas Books Film