Scroll · menu appears
— the journalfield notes · recipes · sightings

notes, loosely kept & often in the wrong order.

Short things we write down before we forget them — a bird on the jetty, a recipe the cook won't part with, Tuesday's weather doing something unusual. Updated when something is worth writing down.

entries to date — 47 — last updated 16 · apr · 2026
year2026

Editor's pick — this week

the waterfall running full in monsooneditor's pick · 01
photo story12 · apr · 2026· 6 min

The waterfall is early this year.

It usually turns up by the second week of June, with ceremony. This year it began on the 4th of April without asking. We walked up and counted three new pools where last month there were none. Twelve photographs, one damp notebook, a pair of shoes that may never dry.

Read the entry → worth the wet shoes
the café bar under hanging lanternseditor's pick · 02
kitchen note02 · apr · 2026· 4 min

Jam season, seven jars, no measuring cups.

The cook has never used a recipe. I have watched him make the jam four times now and each time I ask how much sugar, and each time he says "enough, you'll see". This is as close as I got to a recipe. It makes seven jars. Sometimes eight.

Read the entry → bring your own jars
the café stage set up for a live seteditor's pick · 03
event recap28 · mar · 2026· 3 min

Friday unplugged, forty-three people deep.

We thought the new wooden stage would sound dry. It turns out teak is a generous thing. The band played for ninety minutes without a microphone, which surprised them as much as it surprised the crowd. The cook made biryani for everyone. There wasn't any left.

Read the entry → photos in comments

All entries.

— 10 shown · 37 more below
the waterfall in early light photo story12 apr

The waterfall is early this year.

6 min2026 · 04 · 12

A raven sat on the kitchen pass for four whole minutes — judging us.

— filed under: wildlife we did not invite, but now feed anyway.
2 min2026 · 04 · 09 · short note
a café table laid under warm bulb light kitchen02 apr seven jars

Jam season, seven jars, no measuring cups.

4 min2026 · 04 · 02
the café stage, speakers and decks lit green event recap28 mar

Friday unplugged, forty-three people deep.

3 min2026 · 03 · 28
2025 — 23 entries
two guests kayaking on the still lake photo story19 nov

The lake is a mirror at 6:14 am.

5 min2025 · 11 · 19

We found a family of otters by the inlet. Boho the dog did not approve. Otters did not care. We think they've been here longer than us.

— a short, petty rivalry begins.
1 min2025 · 10 · 04 · short note
a tree strung with lights on the lawn at night event recap31 oct full house

Diwali at the café, sixty-eight candles.

4 min2025 · 10 · 31
the lake under monsoon cloud, a kayak crossing photo story14 jul

Three days of rain, zero plans.

5 min2025 · 07 · 14
2024 — 10 entries
a shipping container set into the slope, deck framed out building22 sep

Two containers arrived from the port today.

6 min2024 · 09 · 22

The first monsoon on the new property. The tents held. The deck did not. We relearned the meaning of 'drainage'.

— entry filed under: expensive lessons, cheap fixes.
2 min2024 · 07 · 08 · short note
Load next 10 entries → — or subscribe; we send a postcard monthly.