Back in Arizona

Word of the Day

Tizite - Cool; Awesome; "tite" (tight).

~~~~

Needless to say, I'm back home in Arizona and have been here for a bit more than two weeks. Not long in the grand scheme of things and with all that's been going on here. The trip back from The Lake took almost a week. I spent two nights in Omaha visiting with DD Daughter, Ms. En, and Mr. T. While there we spent a day a the zoo. Nice zoo. And then, as a surprise, HTP flew in to join me and us. He hadn't seen the kidlets for quite some time and didn't have much time to see them before we had to continue on our journey. One night spent near Oklahoma City and then we continued on to spend a couple of days with Sarge, Tammy, Little Jon, D Buddy and Jessie. Sarge was REALLY surprised to see her Dad in the car with me. HTP was thrilled to meet Little Jon. We had a wonderful time in Texas before continuing on for one more night on the road and then home.

Home! Lots of doings here. Aside from unpacking, BF had lots of plans for things to do. LOTS! We had a garage sale that first Saturday, and then the Women's Expo on Sunday, and Bingo that same night. Not to mention that I ended up with cold...again...and so did HTP. I think Mr. T gave it to us. Aside from not being able to hear out of my left ear for almost two weeks, I didn't feel all that bad.

Meanwhile, I'm back at yoga AND I've started going to Walk Away the Pounds. Monday, Wednesday and Friday for yoga. Tuesday and Thursday for the aerobic Walk Away the Pounds where I "walk" for THREE MILES. I can do this and maybe, just maybe, I'll lose some weight while I'm back here in Arizona.

Cleaning. I did my best but ended up hiring a crew to come in and do a one time cleaning. My friend from church gave me the name of the gal that does her house. They're actually inside right now cleaning my house while I'm out here on the deck keeping Kylee out of their way. Kylee would really like to go inside and visit with them all. There must be twenty of them all cleaning. Wow! I'm shocked at what a thorough cleaning and how many are all attacking my house at once. My house will be REALLY clean and this is supposed to be only a light cleaning? I may just have to have them come out every year when I get home from The Lake. They've been at it for two hours and I expect that they'll be at it for another hour. My house really needed cleaning. There's no way that HTP will think I did this all on my own.

~~~~

Random Quote of the Day

Happiness is not a station you arrive at, but a manner of traveling.

Margaret Lee Runbeck

One Last Night

Word of the Day

The ness - A series of positive or complimenting words that all end in "ness" like greatness, coolness, awesomeness, sweetness, sexiness, etc.

~~~~

And so Kylee and I have arrived at our last night here at The Lake. The car is loaded with space remaining for those items that can't be put in until tomorrow morning. My coffee pot has been programed for one final pot of much needed coffee for on the road. A final fireplace fire has been built and is being enjoyed.

I took Kylee to the groomer's today. While she was having a bath, a blow-dry, her nails trimmed and her undercoat stripped, I was having a relaxing pedicure at our little mall across the street and afterwards, picked up some last minute items at our local Walmart and lunch at Arby's.

And then it was time to say goodbye to my folks at their assisted living apartment...and that was really difficult. I won't be seeing them again until next spring....and then a similar goodbye to my sister, BW, who lives across the lake from me here at The Lake. *sigh*

Last minute details have been taken care of and will continue until those final items are loaded into the car tomorrow morning. Every item checked off my To Do List and my Packing List. BW Babe and JC gave me some more of the venison from last year's hunting season. DD Daughter has assured me that she'll keep my frozen items frozen while I'm visiting with her, Ms. En, and Mr. T...tomorrow night and the next day. We plan a visit to the zoo and a visit to the airport. I promise that I'll try to take pictures.

I'll try to blog but... If I fail to blog during my cross-country, 2,500 mile trek back to the Arizona home, I'll catch you up on things as soon as I can.

~~~~

Random Quote of the Day

Anyone who truly loves God travels securely.

Saint Teresa of Avila (1515 - 1582)

Fall Colors

Word of the Day

Tjuzs - To fashionably roll up the sleeves of a shirt. Also: tjuzing, tjuzed.

~~~~

I've been busily adding and checking off things on my To Do List. This morning, even though it wasn't on my list, I mixed up the pie crust that needs to sit and chill in the fridge before I can roll it out and make the pies that I promised to bake for tomorrow and the next day. Then, again not on my list, I washed and detailed my stovetop and my kitchen sink. I still need to do a bit more canning but, I just couldn't stand it anymore. Besides, I really don't have too much to can anymore.

I pulled in the hummingbird and oriole feeders and cleaned them...in my clean sink. I'm not sure how the wasps ended up inside my bee/wasp proof hummingbird feeder but at least they were dead. Yucko! I ended up having to clean the sink again. I'm waiting to pull the seed feeders in until they're empty. By the look of things, they'll be empty tomorrow. The woodpeckers have hit the seed really hard. They'll have to find a new source since I really don't have much more time here at The Lake and refuse to store the feeders away with seed that could mold. And...since I haven't seen any bugs that are bugging me (no mosquitoes) I unplugged and stowed away my Stinger BugZapper. There's LOTS of wasps out but I'm keeping my handy-dandy tennis racket style bug-zapper a the ready when I'm sitting out on my cushion-less rocking chair.

Since I was out on the deck with the six-foot step-stool, I decided to bring the wind chimes in and store them (now I can only hear the wind)...and then I moved on to the rain gauges. I plan to leave the temperature sensor out until Thursday or even Friday morning. In the past, I've been too quick to pull the sensor and then I have no idea what the real temperature is outside.

I brought the geraniums inside and stowed them in the basement service room. I had planned to throw them out but there is a possibility that they may survive the winter without water if they're in the basement. It's happened in the past. If they don't make it, I'll throw them away when I get back here next spring. We'll see.

Meanwhile, I emptied out the freezer in the basement and unplugged it. Done! I thawed out the steaks and will bring them over to BW's place tomorrow for our meal on Tuesday night. I thawed out the ground beef and made meatballs (also going over to BW's) for our meal on Monday night. I thawed out three quarts of tangelo juice...guess where they're going. Yup, BW's, along with three packages of my homemade spaghetti sauce (Monday night). Are you noticing a trend? Actually, some stuff I'm keeping. I vacuum-sealed three packages of ground beef and some lasagna, and I'm keeping a couple quarts of lemon juice and a couple quarts of grapefruit juice. Some stuff will keep. Other stuff....I'll either toss or gift to BW Babe, or #1 Son and #1 DIL.

I've decided that I've done enough for one day. The hoses will have to wait until tomorrow and I'll finish cleaning out the fridge after I bake those pies. That way I can bring a load of things over to BW's before The Harpist and Lord Douglas get here AND on the way back here, collect the garbage barrel and store that away for the winter.

My mind is really trying to do things in a logical fashion. I'm itching to load the car but that can't be done until Wednesday...or even Thursday since I've still got things that need tucking in and laundry to do with more things to tuck in. Oh well, this isn't my first parade.

~~~~

Quit worrying about your health. It'll go away.

Robert Orben

Harvest Moon - Photograph Taken by Willie

 

Word of the Day

Tubswizzle - To slide oneself back and forth in the bathtub in order to mix the extremely hot water with the cooler water.

~~~~

Six Days and a Wake UP! ACK and CRAP! There's so much going on here that it'll actually be a relief when I pull out of the driveway on my way back to Arizona. Don't get me wrong. I really love being here at The Lake but all the To Do Lists and Packing Lists tend to spike my blood pressure and cause endless nights of spotty sleep.

I'm packing. I'm canning. I'll start loading my car sooner than HTP would think necessary. I sit here writing my blog, feeling guilty that I haven't blogged since the end of August and, as the same time, feeling guilty that I'm taking the time to blog. I've got so much to do and so little time for the doing of those things.

Since I blogged last, I harangued my folks into a trip to The Big City to see Willie and his family. I guilted Ma into it. Yes, she was going to back out at the last minute but this might be the last time she gets to see Willie's daughters and wife. Ma is turning 90 in January. I brought Willie back for a short visit...really too short. He stayed two nights here at my place and one night over at BW's. JC took him for a wild ride through the woods on his UTV. Fun times. Willie took the moon photo here at my place. I'm planning on blowing said photo up and framing it for here...and probably for back in Arizona. However, maybe, just maybe, DD Daughter can paint me a picture of it. I'd love that.

I have a new tooth! OK. It's not a real tooth but it feels like a real tooth. It's an implant. The implant process started last summer and yesterday was the culmination of the process. I'm amazed at how real it feels. No tribble at all. My tongue isn't even flapping around feeling the oddity of something strange after dealing with a gap for the last year. I was a bit stressed by the sharp instruments entering my mouth but....I DID IT! No gas, no meds. OK...let's be honest, I thought I was going to go a bit crazy there for a bit...sweaty palms and all...but...I've got a new tooth and even though I forgot to bring my mouth guard in for adjustment, my mouth guard fit just fine last night. I will not have to go to the dentist again until next year. Yeah!

I made ten more pints of salsa from the last of my green peppers. I'm out of onions now. I still have more tomatoes ripening on the top of my kitchen table. I expect that I'll end up canning a few...maybe. Or, I'll end up gifting them to BW Babe. I already gave her all my remaining green tomatoes along with their vines....attached. This year was an awesome year for tomatoes and all my efforts to fight the blight paid off. I've put all my gardens to bed for the year and covered my Earthboxes with a HUGE, REALLY HUGE, tarp. I got fed up with the two smaller (free with rebate) tarps that I used last year and that the mice nibbled. For goodness sakes, what was I thinking when I bought this new tarp? It's big enough to cover my entire deck...and I have a HUGE deck. Oh well...at least it isn't too small.

I've brought the Acadia in for an oil change and a tire rotation. It's all ready for my return drive to Arizona. The leaves are starting to turn. Fall has arrived. The only birds at my feeders are the Flickers, the woodpeckers, the nuthatches and the chickadees. I need to bring in the hummingbird feeders but I'm reluctant to battle the wasps. LOTS of wasps.

BW and I will be attending a farewell dinner/celebration for a good friend that will be moving from The Lake to Idaho. *sigh* I made a vegetarian lasagna from some of the last of my summer produce. We'll miss him but have only best wishes for him. Then, The Harpist and Lord Douglas are coming on Monday (staying at BW's place) for a couple of nights. It'll be great to see them. However, I'm soooo glad that they're going to be staying over at BW's place. The Harpist and Lord Douglas are going to a harp exposition in Canada...driving. Both BW and I are going to gift them some of our summer produce and some of the Arancello and Limoncello that I made last winter in Arizona along with some of my summer wine. I wish I could have had them stay here but I've only got six full days and a wake up before I'll be heading back to Arizona. NOT a good time to entertain. However, I plan to make two more pies (desserts) for while their here. Lemon meringue and rhubarb. This I can do.

Meanwhile, in the news, #1 Son and #1 DIL have purchased a home...closing in November if the home inspection checks out. Happy Belated Birthday to Little Jon! DD Daughter's divorce is still processing. Ms. En has started school. Kindergarten.

I will blog but don't be surprised if there's gaps. Six days and a wake up don't allow for too much free time.

~~~~

Random Quote of the Day

The function of science fiction is not always to predict the future but sometimes to prevent it.

Frank Herbert (1920 - 1986)

Dill Pickles!

Word of the Day

Tellum - The complete opposite of a mullet; Short in the back, long in the front.

~~~~

BW Babe and I went to the Barron County Market yesterday. Very nice. We didn't have to wait until Saturday to buy produce from the Farmers' Market in the city. I wanted to buy some pickling cucumbers and some dill so I could make more of my Spicy Dill Pickles. I thought, last year, that I'd make a life-time supply of dill pickles but, apparently, my dill pickles were a "HIT". I'm down to four jars here at The Lake, and a similar amount in Arizona. DD Daughter requested more and HTP's brother loves them. I love them too. So, I needed to make more. #1 DIL's Dad commented, when I said that I made another 23 quarts of my dill pickles today, that I made a life-time supply. I made a similar amount last summer. Am I going to have to go through this every year? Who eats this many dill pickles? Oh well, I bought a bit more than a 1/2 bushel of the smaller cucumbers at the market yesterday and ended up with 23 quarts of my own Spicy Dill Pickles. I always add a bit of heat to my dill pickles. You can't find that on the shelf at your local grocery store. I also bought 50# of sugar at the market. Hey! It ended up costing 45 cents per pound....no limit. I have paid less but only at the opening of a new grocery store. That doesn't happen too often.

My life here continues as normal. I end up watering all the plants every other day. I pick tomatoes EVERY day. I've canned six quarts of seeded and diced tomatoes. I have 1 1/2 quarts of raw tomato juice in the fridge for the best Bloody Marys that you've ever tasted.

I'm not a vegetarian but I've been eating mainly vegetari1an meals lately. I made an awesome Zucchini and Potato Bake that I jazzed up using onion, mushroom, and tomatoes...no meat. I've made some awesome little appetizer pizzas using zucchini as the crust. And tonight, I enjoyed some guacamole with corn chips. Yummy!

It's Friday! Not that it makes much difference when I'm not cued into the working day schedule but....I am working. The weekenders have returned to The Lake. After all, it is Labor Day Weekend. #1 Son and #1 DIL are having a special event in the city for all their friends. I won't be doing anything special but I remember weekends, celebrating similar events here at The Lake. I was thinking about that. What will I be doing this weekend? I'll be bottling my summer wines this weekend. And? I'll be canning more tomatoes.

~~~~

Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; but remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.

Epicurus (341 BC - 270 BC)

Tomatoes!

Word of the Day

Tworp - Describing one who is a twerp and a dork or dweeb.

~~~~

Happy Belated Birthday to HTP! So much doings this weeks. I sent a HUGE tub of popcorn to HTP for his birthday. Not nearly enough but we'll celebrate his birthday again when I get back to Arizona in October.

Meanwhile, the tomatoes are indeed ripening with the heat and humidity that has returned to The Lake. I've been picking every day and have gifted boxes of tomatoes to my folks and to BW Babe and JC. I'll be canning...probably tomorrow. There's no way that I can eat all these wonderful tomatoes by myself.

I did cook up a batch of oven-fried green tomatoes and ripe tomatoes and some oven-fried summer squash this morning. No, I didn't eat it all. I saved some of the oven-fried summer squash for tonight's dinner. I'm thinking about making an Italian-style meal, using the oven-fried squash as a base, topped with spaghetti sauce, mozzarella and parmesan cheese with fresh basil on top. Mini-Margarita pizzas without the high carb crust.

With all the heat, I decided to get an early start this morning on watering all the plants, picking the ripe tomatoes, and picking the pole beans. The pole beans have grown so tall that I have to use my 6-foot step stool to get to them. I ended up with enough beans for a meal AND enough to pickle. Three pints of Spicy Dilled Green Beans. I love pickled beans. Even with my early start, I ended up "glowing" all over the place, having to shower and change clothes before I could continue with my day. Thank goodness for air-conditioning. Today was certainly the day for it as The Lake remains under a heat advisory.

On Thursday, BW Babe and JC brought Toby over for me to dog-sit again. Kylee and Toby spent a great deal of time while Toby was here playing but I had to stow away Kylee's more fragile toys after Toby decapitated one and spread fluff all over the living room. After that little incident, they ended up playing with the Kong-style toys. BW and JC picked Toby up on Saturday night....and I got two bottles of wine out of it. They really didn't need to bring a gift. Toby is a nice boy and a perfect guest.

Friday, I had my mammogram....not my idea of fun times but necessary. Though there is no history of breast cancer in my family, I don't like taking chances. As it is, I've had to have a needle biopsy which was NOT fun due to a questionable dense spot on a past mammogram. The result was negative but they still need to keep an eye on the area. It's been several years since then but I still feel uneasy until the results come in every year.

I've started to think about my return trip to Arizona with only a bit more than a month remaining of my time here at The Lake. There's a lot that needs doing between now and departure day. But, I'd rather not think about that right now. My cold is better but is tiring me out faster than I'd like. Things that I wanted to do this summer are going to have to wait until next year. Right now, I've got wine that needs to be bottled, more jam and jelly to make, tomatoes to can, and, and, and... I'm not ready to make hotel reservations...not yet.

~~~~

Random Quote of the Day

Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.

Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)

Mystery Bird

Word of the Day

Tubarine - A margarine tub.

~~~~

Happy Belated Birthday to Ms. En. I didn't forget. I sent a present. She'll be starting school this fall. I'm looking forward to seeing her in October. Happy Birthday to my nephew, Mr. Lego Man. I got to talk to him for a bit on the phone this afternoon. Family is important and I don't get to connect with family nearly enough.

#1 Son and #1 DIL left early yesterday morning because #1 Son had to leave for a business trip on Sunday afternoon...again. While they were here, they picked the raspberries and cooked every single meal so I didn't have to do diddley. Nice...since I didn't really feel up to doing much of anything (still have my cold). They also rescued a tiny bird that banged into one of my windows. Poor thing. I'm not sure what kind of bird it was but I'm pretty sure it wasn't a female goldfinch. Regardless, it eventually recovered and flew away into the woods.

After my company left, I racked the wine. In two weeks I'll be bottling. I'm not sure if #1 Son and #1 DIL will be there to help me but, I've done the bottling on my own before...I can do it again.

Life goes on here at The Lake. I spent over an hour watering plants, a chore that needs repeating every other day...and sometimes every day. My tomatoes are just starting to ripen. I hate to start thinking about leaving here but...it is what it is. I'm glad to see the tomatoes ripen. Hopefully, I'll be canning tomato juice (V-8) and diced tomatoes soon. Whatever tomatoes remain "green" I'll have to make into Green Tomato Salsa and Piccalilli Relish. It seems like I need to buy some pickling cucumbers at the Farmer's Market too. DD Daughter tells me that she loves my spicy dill pickles and, apparently, HTP's brother likes them too. I "thought" I'd made LOTS of dill pickles last summer but, shockingly, most of what I made is gone. Eaten and gifted. I need to buy more Pickle Crisp too.

I'm making oven-fried eggplant for dinner tonight. I'm not sure how it'll turn out...it's an experiment using Shake and Bake for chicken. Smells good.

~~~~

Random Quote of the Day

I've grown to realize the joy that comes from little victories is preferable to the fun that comes from ease and the pursuit of pleasure.

Lawana Blackwell, The Courtship of the Vicar's Daughter, 1998

Fun on the Deck

Word of the Day

Tractionate - The act by which a creature without apparent feet will move from place to place, such as with a snail; this only applies to creatures that can move across walls and/or upside down. Note: Snakes don't tractionate - they slither.

~~~~

No sooner than my friends arrived on Saturday, I succumbed to a cold, gifted to me either by my sister, BW Babe, or Ma. At this point, it doesn't make a difference. Nasty stuff. However, with the help of added supplements, LOTS of water, plenty of anti-viral tissues, and cutting back on too many strenuous activities, I muscled on and my friends were VERY understanding.

While my friends were here (BFF1, Mr. Fix-it, and Le Chimiste), we took some short hikes, enjoyed spending a great deal of time out on the deck, picked raspberries and watched three Transformer DVD's that BFF1 and Mr. Fix-it's daughter, Le Chimiste hadn't seen before. And then, of course, we had to all go out and watch the Perseus meteor shower on the last night while they were here. It was a bit cold but the bugs stayed away due to the new Stinger (a bug zapper) that Mr. Fix-it installed for me out on the deck. Works great...along with the tennis racket-like bug zapper that takes out even the biggest bumble bee. Fun times. We got a few giggles out of that little toy.

While Mr. Fix-it was here, he took on lots of the To Do items from my list. After I purchased a new chain for our chain-saw and more oil and gas, he easily took care of the huge oak tree (double trunk). It had fallen this spring and while not actually blocking my driveway, would have given the snowplow people an excuse not to plow my driveway this coming winter. Then, he put up two new shelves in the garage and then helped move almost everything that remained sitting on the floor (bushel baskets, coolers, gardening supplies, etc.) onto the shelves and off the floor. Nice! My garage is looking WONDERFUL! He found a plug to cover the hole in the control panel of the boat left by the repair people because I was afraid the mice would find it too tempting. And, he installed The Stingerwhere it should take care of invading mosquitoes out on my deck. We didn't get too much of a chance to give it a workout but I didn't notice any mosquitoes while we were out watching the meteor shower. That's a good sign...right?

My friends left on Tuesday morning and I'll miss them. I gave Le Chimiste some preserved lemons and a Moroccan Chicken recipe that she seems eager to try and she gave me some stinky cheese that is incredibly tasty...despite the smell. I know I'll be seeing BFF1 and Mr. Fix-it this fall when I get back to Arizona, but I'm not sure when I'll be seeing Le Chimiste again. I hope she'll keep in touch.

With the departure of my friends, it's back to reality here. Reality with a cold. Laundry still needs doing. Garbage doesn't take itself out. Mail doesn't come hand-delivered to my door. Plants need to be watered. Bird-feeders need filling. And, Kylee keeps shedding. I did make myself a bit of home cure for my cold and I can feel the cold germs dying as I write this. There's nothing like Hot and Sour Soup when it comes to curing the common cold and even the uncommon cold. I made a huge batch of Hot and Sour Chicken Soup yesterday which I'll be enjoying for the next few days. Yum! I'm feeling better already. I took care of a small HOA problem for my folks' home in Nevada that is being rented out and I ordered propane for the tank out back. They already came out and delivered it.

And now? I'd better get downstairs and remake the beds with the sheets I washed yesterday. #1 Son and #1 DIL are coming this weekend.

~~~~

Random Quote of the Day

There is no need to go to India or anywhere else to find peace. You will find that deep place of silence right in your room, your garden or even your bathtub.

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Word of the Day

Twinkidue - The residue on the inside of the wrapper that every junk food addict eventually gets to.

~~~~

I'm looking forward to having one of my best friends and her husband and daughter here at The Lake for a few days. I've been cleaning and prepping for days. Plus, I've had all the other daily stuff that needs doing on my To Do List. All the beds have clean sheets on them. All the bathrooms are clean and have CLEAN towels. I've got possible menus dancing about in my brain. In the meantime....

I made two loaves of 9-Grain bread. I went shopping...grocery shopping...with the goal of tempting the most demanding pallet. I even went out and bought the sweetest of sweet corn and the juiciest and best of vine-ripened tomatoes. I've got prime ribeye steaks thawing...but....also....bratwurst. There's nothing like grilled bratwurst with sweet onions and sauerkraut. So many options. And...BW Babe and JC offered their pontoon boat for an evening ride out on the lake. Appetizer night.

And then, today...I ran out to dust my tomato plants and water the plants on the upper deck. It's amazing how much water container and Earthboxes need this time of year, even with the cooler temperatures. Plus...I needed to do some "wining". Clarification. I needed to add the stabilizer and special "stuff" to the wine that I've been making to clarify the end product. It won't be long now before I'll be bottling.

Meanwhile, BW Babe called me this morning. We're part of the "Oreo Generation"...which isn't all that big of a deal...at this point... but, on occasion, issues come up that need attention. "Hello, we're from the government and we're here to..." ACK!!! God Bless America! Somehow, my Dad's Social Security check went missing. BW Babe and Me to the rescue. Thankfully, we didn't have to drive all the way to Superior, Wisconsin to take care of the problem. Thankfully, my folks moved to an assisted living facility that is serviced by a Social Security office...closer to home. Such would not be the case if they still lived here at The Lake. Thankfully, both my folks are still able to communicate (off and on) and we were able to add BW Babe onto their SS account so she could take over maintenance of their SS account...just in case...in the future. All this took over three HOURS but...it could have been worse. The guy who eventually helped us when our number was called wasn't too nasty and short with us. So...it's this bad at the Social Security office...and don't get me started with the DMV office....and BW Babe sat on hold waiting to have someone help her with my folks' Medicare problems for several hours...so....add on to this Obamacare? I don't want to even think about it.

I have a package waiting for me at the post office here at The Lake but I didn't get back home in time after "a day in the city" to collect it. I'll have to check the mail tomorrow morning before my guests arrive and pick up the local free newspaper, The Early Bird. I have a long To Do List before everyone gets here tomorrow afternoon. *sigh* The house was vacuumed yesterday but Stan came and mowed and now I managed to spread grass-clippings EVERYWHERE and Kylee felt the need to spread more shedding fur so...I'll be vacuuming again tomorrow morning. It'll all get done but I know my friends don't care if it gets done or not so...that's what good friends do...or don't. I can't wait to see them tomorrow and share special Lake-Time with them.

~~~~

Random Quote of the Day

Don't be discouraged by a failure. It can be a positive experience. Failure is, in a sense, the highway to success, inasmuch as every discovery of what is false leads us to seek earnestly after what is true, and every fresh experience points out some form of error which we shall afterwards carefully avoid.

John Keats (1795 - 1821)

Jelly !

 

Word of the Day

Tripendicular - Akin to, or the disorienting view one has while falling or moving as in an arc, or in a direction other than just horizontal or vertical.

~~~~

One of the most difficult parts of making jam and jelly is the prep work. I dug through my supply of jelly jars in the basement, hauling all of what I had upstairs (28 jars), washed them, removing labels, and sterilized the bunch. I set out my ladle, my funnel, my spoons, my bowls, collected more sugar from my stash, found my recipes, got the lids sterilizing in a small pot, got my timer set and at hand, and got the rings and the pectin in reach along with a clean dish rag for wiping off the rims....oh...and butter so that I wouldn't end up with too much foam. Ready, set, go...

After making two batches of Prickly Gooseberry Jelly, it became obvious that I didn't have enough jelly jars for the five batches of jelly I planned to make, having already used up twelve jelly jars. I figured that I'd need at least two more jars. I called BW Babe and she told me that she indeed had a dozen jelly jars that she could give me if I would replenish her supply when I got the chance (I'm going shopping on Wednesday...it's on the list).

Upon returning home with the jelly jars that BW Babe gave me, I noted that it looked a bit like rain. I decided that it would be a good idea to pick the raspberries while the picking was good. The remaining three batches of jelly would have to wait. Actually, I would have loved to postpone the picking until tomorrow but, rain and raspberries don't mix. I could just imagine the smashed and moldy fruit on the bushes. Besides, it's supposed to rain on Monday AND Tuesday too so... Thankfully, it looks like the season has peaked. I only ended up with two buckets of berries which I'll take care of tomorrow.

Back to jelly making. In total, I ended up with twelve jars of Prickly Gooseberry Jelly, six jars of Black Currant Jelly, and twelve jars of Raspberry Jelly. Plus...I had enough leftovers for sample jars of each to enjoy. I brought BW Babe a small sample jar of the gooseberry jelly to try. There's always that little bit leftover that doesn't fit into a sealable jar.

My kitchen is once again clean. I'd have made myself some dinner but exhaustion set in so I made do with some chips and the guacamole that I made the other day. There are days like this that you just don't have enough remaining energy to eat....not a bad thing if you need to lose weight.

~~~~

Random Quote of the Day

Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.

Theodore Roosevelt (1858 - 1919), Speech in New York, September 7, 1903

Juicing

Word of the Day

Tinger - A taste that is pleasantly sweet and sour like that of an orange.

~~~~

I started my morning with a project in mind. Juicing. But, before I could juice, I had to go down to the basement and bring my steam-juicer and the steam-juicer that Sarge loaned me upstairs. Sarge's steam-juicer was...not in tip-top condition. It looked like the hose had been chewed. I fixed it, removing the chewed part. As for the rest of the juicer, for some reason it was full of dents...even the lid. I fixed that...as well as I could, knocking out the dents in the strainer pan with a rounded rock and in the lid with the judicious use of a pliers. The clamp which clamps the hose so that juice doesn't flow when you don't want it to flow was....what the heck? I had to use my clamp as a model so I could figure out "what the heck"...using two pliers. I fixed it. I'm glad that she loaned me her steam-juicer because I really NEEDED it today and...I feel good that I was able to fix it so she'll be able to use it when I return it. As for my steam-juicer...it was fine. OK...two juicers, ready and useable.

I cleaned three trays of raspberries, saving the best ones for dessert and had one steam-juicer full of the remaining berries. I picked my black currants, mourning the loss of my red currants from some mystery disease...or old age. I ordered five new plants from Burpee's and I'll plant them as soon as I dig out the old ones. Another project for my friend's husband? I knew that I had enough black currants for one batch of currant jelly but I also knew that the woods are full of wild gooseberries...ripe for the picking?

After hiking the woods, I ended up with two buckets of gooseberries. Nice! It looked like the guy that mows my lawn got to some of my bushes before me but, he doesn't know my woods. Two buckets of gooseberries were plenty for me to try my hand at making gooseberry jelly so I wasn't upset with him, especially since I told him that he was welcome to harvest what he wanted.

I set up the juicers, one with raspberries and one with the black currants. The black currants only yielded on quart of juice (as I thought) and I added the gooseberries to that juicer, keeping the pulp of the black currants in the juicer to lend color to the gooseberry juice.

The raspberries yielded three and a half quarts of juice, some of which I'll make into jelly, some that I'll add to other raspberries to make a jam with half the normal amount of seeds. As I said, the black currants only yielded one quart which I'll make into one batch of jelly. As for the gooseberries, so far I have two quarts of juice and...the juicer is still working so...three quarts? I'll make jelly from some of it and add some of the juice to liven up whatever blackberry jam that I make later this season.

OK...by this time, you're probably wondering what the heck I plan to do with all this jam and jelly. HTP and I can't possibly consume all that I make. Not to worry, I never have any problems finding welcome homes for my jam and jelly. DD Daughter and her family, Sarge and her family, #1 Son and #1 DIL and her family, my folks, BW Babe and JC and their family, AND my friends. I'm lucky to have enough left for HTP and me after I'm done gifting. But before that, I'm running out of the special low sugar pectin that I use. I discovered that it costs a lot less if I order it online so...done and did. I'm set for pectin for the rest of the season...I hope.

~~~~

Random Quote of the Day

Strive for excellence, not perfection.

H. Jackson Brown Jr., O Magazine, December 2003

RASPBERRIES
Four Minus One Equals Three

Word of the Day

Transvert - A psychological type that alternates between introversion and extraversion and combines features of both types.

~~~~

I picked the boat up from the repair place in Hayward yesterday. It's fixed. Now, I have bruises that I didn't have before that event. Actually, towing the boat from Hayward to The Lake wasn't that big a deal...aside from the hour that it takes to drive to Hayward and the hour driving back. The problems came about when I unhitched the boat and tried to muscle the boat around so that it would be lined up and easy (easier) to push into the garage for storage. That bugger boat is HUGE and HEAVY. Patting myself on the back, I did manage it but ended up getting stung by a wasp for my troubles. No...I didn't push it into the garage all by my lonesome. I'm not that strong.

BW Babe and JC returned early from their trip to The Big City so JC helped me muscle the boat into the garage when they came to pick up Toby. It was LOTS easier to move the boat with the added help. The help deserved the wine and the beer that I served. The boat is going to stay in the garage now until next season. I consulted with #1 Son and #1 DIL and they don't think that they'll be visiting here at The Lake for more than two more weekends....hardly worth the expense of launching the boat and having it winterized. To be a bit girly...I must say that the new throttle looks nice. However, I'm going to have to figure out what to do with the hole that remains from the old throttle. My friend's husband likes to figure this sort of thing out so I'll add it to the To Do List that he wanted me to make for him. They'll be here next weekend.

I picked FIVE full buckets of raspberries today. The humidity, despite lower temperatures, makes berry picking a VERY tiring activity. I ended up having to divide the project into five sessions, separated by a short time to dry off and re-hydrate. It took me lots longer today than I was expecting. The currants didn't get picked and they won't get picked today. I'm just too tired. I called BW Babe and told her that she could have one of the trays of raspberries that I picked. JC came right over and picked it up. Five buckets of berries fill four large trays. I'll have to get busy cleaning my three remaining trays...I'll get right on it....later....maybe tomorrow. I plan to bring my steam-juicer up from the basement and juice the raspberries, the currants, and...eventually, the gooseberries (when I find the time to get out and pick).

Berry-picking wasn't the only thing that I did today. I fertilized and watered my tomato plants on the lower deck and watered all the plants on the upper deck AND picked some more beans and my very first large ripe tomato. I'm pleased that I only had to pick off four green tomatoes with blossom end rot and dispose of them. I think those already had the problem before I treated the tomatoes with the hydrated lime. None of the newer ones on those plants are showing signs of the disease. There is some blight but not as much as I had last year. I'm hoping that fertilizing will boost the plants' strength enough to battle the problem...along with my dusting. In the meantime, I'm looking forward to enjoying lots of ripe tomatoes this year.

I'm going to nosh on guacamole (BW gave me a couple of avocados that really needed using) and ceviche (also from BW Babe). I'm just too tired and hot to make too much for dinner tonight.

Random Quote of the Day

Give me the luxuries of life and I will willingly do without the necessities.

Frank Lloyd Wright (1869 - 1959)

One Cow Hoof, Two Dogs - Kylee and Toby

Word of the Day

Twinch - The movement a dog makes with its head when it hears a high-pitched noise.

~~~~

I didn't think it was worthwhile blogging yesterday. Laundry, garbage, and raspberry picking and cleaning. See? Nothing worth blogging about. But today?

I've got two dogs....temporarily. I'm taking care of BW Babe's dog, Toby, for a couple of days. I realized that Kylee and Toby are pretty much the same size. Well-matched. Of course, things were a bit hectic to begin with when both dogs decided to run and chase inside the house. Since I couldn't let them go outside to run off their sillies because I've been informed that Toby isn't all that great at sticking around if you let him out loose and, worse yet, he doesn't come when he's called, I let them rough-house a bit before calling a halt before it went too far. I'm not sure who was rough-housing with whom. Kylee seemed intent on herding...and she seems to continue with this mistaken activity. Herding Toby away from her toys, herding Toby away from her water dish, herding Toby away from ME. They do seem to have settled down a bit. I thought there'd be a bit of a problem when Toby stole Kylee's new horn that I purchased for her the other day but...she was a good little girl. So, I got her a cow hoof out of my tin of Kylee treats, at which point Toby abandoned the horn and wanted Kylee's cow hoof. He wanted it really bad but was a perfect gentleman. However, as I watched, he laid his head on the edge of the coffee table and looked so depressed and sad so...I caved and gave him a cow hoof too. They are both in separate areas in the living room, happily chomping on their treats. Apparently, cow hooves are a lot tastier than horns. My living room smells like...cow hooves...which smell like, a barn. Oh well, it's just me and the dogs.

Before my guest arrived with all his stuff (kennel, leash, tie-out stake, food, and dishes), I ran around and cleaned like a crazy lady. I knew I wouldn't have much time to do any cleaning while he's here....at least until I could trust the two dogs together. After seeing that everything was settling down nicely, and after things dried off outside (we've had enough rain to make things really wet outside) and after the sun came out, I left the dogs inside while I sallied forth to try out my new Dust-Mizer. I dusted all my tomato plants, thoroughly, and in record time. Awesome! Of course, I had to wear an bandana (bandit-style) to keep from breathing in all the dust flying around, but, I love my new duster.

~~~~

Random Quote of the Day

Everybody knows if you are too careful you are so occupied in being careful that you are sure to stumble over something.

Gertrude Stein (1874 - 1946), Everybody's Autobiography, 1937

Let Us Have Lettuce!

Word of the Day

Toe cleavage - The result of women's footwear that is cut too deeply along the top of the foot, showing where the toes begin, but not the entire toe.

~~~~


After vacuuming two days in a row, I decided that it was past time for my darling Kylee to go into the groomers'. They reopened in July...it's July. I kind of figured out why they went out of business for a while. It's not like there's a huge demand for high end pet products out here in rural Wisconsin. I still think they're going to have to re-think their product line. Who in the heck buys spends $30 for a elk horn for their dog to chew on? I did buy some sort of horn for $5 but...$30? I love Kylee but for that much, I'm going to saw it up and make some jewelry out of it. However, I am willing to let someone else furmenate the heck out of my dog for $30...bath her and trim her nails. The amount of "furmenating" that my dog needs (since it hasn't been done since before I left Arizona), is beyond my capability. I admit it. I'm don't "furmenate" my dog on a daily basis. However, I think that's why we get along so well. I don't trim her nails, give her shots, or any other sort of thing that would damage our relationship...other than daily obedience training which she doesn't object to because...she gets treats. My Kylee LOVES treats.

While Kylee was off getting beautified, I took the chocolate chip cookies that I made yesterday (no, I didn't keep a single one for me) over to my folks' place along with some choice, cleaned raspberries that I picked the other day. The raspberries are really big this year, beyond my expectations. And here I thought that they wouldn't produce so many berries this year because I was delayed in pruning....and I didn't get around to fertilizing. Who am I to complain?

I hadn't planned to do any shopping but, since I was told that Kylee's appointment would take THREE HOURS, I decided to stop into The Dollar Store to check out the merchandise. I purchased some more "This isn't Tupperware" products and some of those neat little shower cap-type things that you can use to cover stuff in the fridge or to keep flies off for picnics (love those) and I resisted purchasing a lot of dollar-priced items...feeling incredibly virtuous until I found myself in line behind a group of senior, one who hadn't purchased a single item. *sigh* Oh well, I really needed those shower-cap thingies.

Actually, the only reason that I'd baked the cookies and that I'd gone to the city in the first place was because someone had left an empty box of dishwasher detergent cubes under the sink in my kitchen. I didn't do it. It becomes apparent that my darling son is just that sort of person who leaves an empty box of...nothing...under the sink, thus making everyone else think that there just might be something in that box. After making seven batches of jam, I discovered the hoax. I was down to two mere cubes of dishwasher detergent....and then, after baking four dozen cookies...I was down to one.

I don't like going to the city (30 minutes away), without figuring out how to maximize my time, cost (gas mileage), and effort. Thus...I made four dozen chocolate cookies for my Dad (T-Square)...which both Ma and T-Square appreciated, I cleaned and put aside some of the choicest of my raspberries for my Dad and my Mom (which could have been mistaken for strawberries because they were so big...and they were...mistaken for strawberries by some of the other residents of the senior apartments where my folks live) , I scheduled a grooming appointment for Kylee (only late by five minutes but we got stuck behind a tractor), I made up a Shopping List and checked it twice (and...of course, I forgot to put band-aides on the list...should have checked that list three times), and decided to get a pedicure, but, only if I found myself with some spare time. THREE HOURS?! I had time...or almost. And, I really should have worn flip-flops instead of socks and shoes. What was I thinking? Oh well, JC Penney had a clearance sale on their really cheap flip-flops so I didn't have to wear the totally weird Pro-Nail flip flops that I was given to wear at Pro-Nail. Thankfully, the groomer wasn't upset about spending additional time with Kylee. I'm told that Kylee loves to give lots of kisses and hugs....and "She's such a cutie!"

I resisted the temptation of stopping at our newest grocery store, Gordy's, to buy a small pizza from their deli or some of their delicious sushi...but...I succumbed to temptation at the drive-thru at Arby's. Kylee was very good and didn't do more than glance and drool a little when I bought some Arby's Jr. Roast Beef sandwiches from the dollar menu. Why?! I just lost ten pounds and I feel like I need to gain it all back? I only ate two...after I got back home. I'm freezing the rest....so they can call to me in a siren-type voice.

Lettuce. I'm having a salad for dinner tonight. It's not like I don't have a LOT of the stuff. Meanwhile, I think I might have burned off my Arby's calories when I picked three buckets of raspberries from my bushes. Looks like I'll be making more jam and jelly. I need to pick currants and gooseberries too. Tomorrow?

~~~~

Random Quote of the Day

The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.

Bertrand Russell (1872 - 1970)

And it's started...putting up jam and jelly for the 2013 season.

Word of the Day

Touron - A very annoying and possibly stupid tourist.

~~~~

All the jam that I put up yesterday, for gifts and for use, has been labeled and stowed away and my kitchen cleaned for my next project. Chocolate Chip Cookies. Not for me. I promised T-Square that I'd bake and bring him some chocolate chip cookies...back before I went to Ireland. I don't forget. The cookies have been baked and stored away to drop off at T-Square and Ma's place tomorrow. Of course, I had to taste one...just to make sure that the cookies would poison anyone. Only one.

The sun finally made an appearance at about the same time that I finished cleaning my kitchen...again. However, I can't go out and pick berries today. It's just too wet out in the woods and in my raspberry beds. Maybe tomorrow. I've got lots on my To Do List for tomorrow. Thankfully, it looks like our July temperatures will be returning to near normal. Still cool but not the winter coat temperatures as it's been for the last few days.

~~~~

Random Quote of the Day

We must beware of trying to build a society in which nobody counts for anything except a politician or an official, a society where enterprise gains no reward and thrift no privileges.

Sir Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965), Radio broadcast, London, March 21, 1943

Hope?

Word of the Day

Toastate - To impatiently pop toast, or some other item, up and down in the toaster, thus increasing the likelihood of burning it.

~~~~

Cold! It was supposed to be this cold yesterday but...it really wasn't, at least not as cold as it is today. Plus, we weren't really supposed to get rain yesterday. We did. Just enough rain to confuse my lawn which has long since decided to turn brown and dormant. Today? The high temperature today, the end of JULY, is going to be 60 degrees. I'm considering whether or not to enjoy a fireplace fire...which reminds me that I need to order more fireplace wood. I know, I live surrounded by 140 acres of woods but, then I'd have to cut and split and age it all and...I don't do that. However, I do make jam. I plan to heat up the kitchen and myself by making jam today. Seven batches of jam.

It's a perfect day for jam-making...especially since I've got enough frozen strawberries to make six batches AND I've got enough raspberries picked (thanks to my tame raspberries that surround the house), to make one batch of raspberry jam. I'll be picking my black currants soon and as soon as the woods dry out, I'll be picking gooseberries. Jelly. And...of course, more raspberries. I'm not making sugar-free jams and jellies this year. HTP and I don't actually eat enough jam or jelly to mess with our blood sugar levels. Carbs? That's where we have our problems.

I picked my first three cherry tomatoes yesterday. I spotted the ripe tomatoes as I was treating all the tomato plants for blossom end rot. 1/4 cup of hydrated lime to one gallon of water....per plant in my containers, and into the water tube and thus into the water reservoir of my Earthboxes. I actually don't have too much blossom end rot but I've plucked off a few, discarding them. There's no point in wasting the plant strength ripening fruit that can't be used. I also spotted my first regular (Sir Speedy)tomato that is showing signs of ripening. I am so looking forward to having my first meal of vine-ripened tomatoes.

~~~~

Random Quote of the Day

I've always thought that a big laugh is a really loud noise from the soul saying, "Ain't that the truth."

Quincy Jones, Victory of the Spirit

My Pole Bean Wall

Word of the Day

Time hole - A device or seemingly harmless collection of objects, either real or digital, that absorb particles of time unless one is wary enough to keep a strong sense of time passed. Considering the low impact black holes have had toward life on Earth, time holes have shown far greater affects on life as we know it.

~~~~

"Steve" showed up at around 9 AM (not quite MY definition of first thing in the morning) to fix the generator. It didn't make me feel all that great to have him ask me what the problem with the generator was...after he finished fixing it. I blinked and told him that the control mechanism that regulates the flow of the propane into the generator (the fuel)had a valve that was sticking and that the other generator guy recommended replacing the mechanism. OK? *sigh* I asked him if I should call them if I had any more problems. Meanwhile, I'm wondering if he shut down my AC unit...like the other guy. Since I haven't had to use the AC for the last few days and I won't be needing it in the coming week, I may have to check before I NEED the AC...just to relieve my mind. I don't like dealing with new guys who I've never met...new guys that look younger than #1 Son....lots younger. Not that I'm an ageist but...

Having blown off yoga for the day, I decided that Kylee REALLY needed a bath. I didn't feel like driving into the city to check out the groomer (besides, Stan's friend does dog grooming and...),but, Kylee has been shedding like crazy and smelling like a dirty dog so I decided to give her a bath. Nails...forget about it. I don't do nails. Did I mention that I got the windows cleaned last Friday? After giving Kylee a bath, I had to wash the two huge windows that adjoin my bathtub. I suppose I could have washed her outside but it's been pretty cool outside. I could have given her a bath in the bathtub in the basement but...from past experience...that would have ended up being an even bigger mess. The carpeting in my bathroom got a bit wet despite the two huge swim towels that I used to dry a sopping wet Kylee after her bath. Kylee has a LOT of hair. She doesn't mind baths, much. She did look a little disgusted with the whole process but only shook off the water a few times, thus showering my clean windows, the tub surround, AND me with water. Thankfully, she waited to shake off until I'd thoroughly rinsed off all the soap. Then, after I pulled her from the tub, wrapped securely in a swim towel, she graciously allowed me to attempt the hopeless task of drying her off before she decided that she'd had enough and raced off into my bedroom, rolling madly on the floor, racing into the living room and rolling on the carpet in there, and then jumping on my bed....but she didn't have a time to roll around on there before I chased her off. I put a clean, dry towel into Kylee's kennel and treating her with a Milk Bone, stowed her safely in her kennel where she could dry in a safe environment (safe for my furniture, carpet and bed).

Kylee was still a bit damp when we took our walk to the main road and back later in the afternoon. She didn't seem to notice or mind. The deerfly seemed to be attracted by her new scent but she didn't seem to mind them either. She was just glad to be out for an actual walk...on leash. I don't walk anywhere near the main road when I have Kylee with me without having her on leash. When I was a child, we had a dog who went off exploring on her own and ended up being hit and killed by a car. I don't take chances and though I allow Kylee off leash near the house and around the lake and into the surrounding woods, she's NOT allowed to go up the driveway off-leash...and she knows it.

We met up with Stan...second time for the day...after Kylee and I had checked the mail at the road and rolled the garbage barrel back. He wanted to know where the pin cherry tree was that I'd mentioned earlier in the day when he'd stopped by. He walked with us halfway back to the house to where the pin cherry trees are located near our logging road. For some reason, he was expecting to see chokecherries. I explained the difference, telling him that chokecherries are different than pin cherries. Actually, I prefer pin cherries to chokecherries. The chokecherries aren't ripe yet. I also showed him the gooseberry bushes, loaded with green gooseberries.

I really should go out and pick some for gooseberry jelly. I won't be getting any red currants this year. All my bushes are totally blighted with some sort of fungus. I'm going to go out and dust them with fungicide but the damage has already been done for this year...maybe forever. The bushes look HORRIBLE! All this happened while I was in Ireland for those three weeks. Hopefully, the bushes will survive and come back strong enough next spring. Thankfully, the black currant bushes don't seem to be effected by the fungus. If necessary, I'll dig out the old, damaged bushes next spring and replace them with new plants...but...I'll worry about that next spring. In the meantime, I'll see if I have enough black currants to make black currant jelly and pick enough gooseberries to make gooseberry jelly....AFTER I make six batches of strawberry jam from all the strawberries that I have prepped in my freezer.

~~~~

Random Quote of the Day

You have succeeded in life when all you really want is only what you really need.

Vernon Howard

Wining 2013

Word of the Day

Tile comet - Any streamer of toilet paper attached to a person's heel as they emerge from a restroom.

~~~~

In the news, a Prince of the Realm was born yesterday afternoon. I was waited to mention it until the proud parents gave him a name. However, I've been made to understand that this is a VERY diplomatic and DEEP process for a royal. It may take over a month for the proud parents to decide which names to give the poor little baby. He (Male Child) went home with Mom and Dad (William and Kate)today. I wonder what his life will bring? Much speculation in the news. Will they leave him alone...just for a bit. I hope.

I made some Baba Ghanoush today. Having never tasted it or made it before, I had no idea what to expect. I found a recipe on All Recipes and followed it to the letter....but...I halved the recipe because my single eggplant wasn't all that big...not as big as the eggplant (huge) that they pictured in the video on the website. Altogether, it tastes pretty good. I'll probably make it again but...maybe not so much lemon juice. BW Babe tells me that I have had it before but...no...I'd remember. She called it Poor Man's Caviar but...nope...I still don't remember it. She told me that she makes hers rather chunky...not according to the recipe and video that I had. Oh well...it tasted great for lunch today with carrots and corn chips as a dip.

As I was cooking up the eggplant, I noted a distinct smell in the air. I was wondering about it. Did cooking eggplant actually smell that strange? Nope. It finally occurred to me that the odor I was smelling was coming from my buckets of wine...brewing and bubbling. Wine farts. It sounds like a rather demonic clock is ticking in my living room...the air-locks are letting the wine farts escape...ticking, ticking. Like a tell-tale heart.

I called the boat repair place...after procrastinating madly. I HATE calling people that I HAVE to call because it's on my To Do List. I cringe at those calls. I asked them why the cost quoted was so much higher than I was expecting. Oh...now I get it. They had to replace the entire throttle. *sigh* Throttles don't come cheap. This will be our third throttle for this boat. I swear this boat has been nothing but a LEMON when it comes to throttles. Regardless, I informed them that I wouldn't be able to pick the boat up...and pay for the repairs...until next week sometime. JC won't be able to help me roll it into the garage until next week and I don't want to pick it up and let it sit out on the driveway...unprotected, not that it isn't probably sitting out on the repair peoples' lot right now...unprotected.

My second call was to the generator guy. He was out...getting lunch at McDonald's. However, he called me back...eventually...after I collected all the garbage in the house and drove it out to the road AND picked up the mail in town. The part needed for the generator arrived and STEVE will be showing up first thing in the morning to replace the part. Steve? Who's STEVE? And...what is the generator guy's definition of "first thing in the morning"?

~~~~

Random Quote of the Day

I prefer the company of peasants because they have not been educated sufficiently to reason incorrectly.

Michel de Montaigne (1533 - 1592)

Daylilies Gone a Bit Wild

Word of the Day

Thumbulation - The state of being thumbulated.

~~~~

I decided to have a lazy day. No outdoor work and minimal To Do List stuff. I cleaned and sorted the raspberries that I picked yesterday. Some, I prepped and froze to make into jam or jelly, some I plan to enjoy for dessert tonight. Vanilla pudding (sugarfree), fresh raspberries and a dollop of Kool Whip. I really need to start making jam soon. I already have enough prepped strawberries to make six batches of strawberry jam and from what I'm seeing outside, I'll need to make room in the freezer for prepped raspberries. Oh well...maybe tomorrow? It's obvious to me that I'll need to add more pectin to my shopping list.

But, for today, I wasn't entirely lazy. I got off my duff and dedicated an entire hour to yoga exercise this morning. Much needed yoga exercise. With the resultant yoga energy high, I spent some time cleaning the refrigerator, sorting out what needed to be eaten and what I should toss. I HATE throwing away food but some of that stuff was well over a week old and I HATE getting sick a lot worse than throwing away food. I'm on a "get healthy" kick right now (I need to lose some weight AND dedicate some time to my yoga exercise). With all the fresh lettuce and salad fixings just outside on my deck, I'll enjoying lots of salads in the coming weeks. I've also been picking and cleaning male zucchini blossoms which I'm looking forward to having for breakfast tomorrow morning. I'm not sure what I'll do with the eggplant growing bigger every day out on the deck but...I'll figure out something. Eggplant Parmesan? In the meantime, I've got some chicken breasts marinating to grill and slice for future salads.

~~~~

Random Quote of the Day

Make your own recovery the first priority in your life.

Robin Norwood

First Picking of 2013 Raspberries

 

Word of the Day

Thumbulate - 1. To lean forward while pressing the buttons on the remote hoping that the extra inch will make the remote control work better. 2. To push harder on a button in hopes that it will revive a remote with clearly dead batteries.

~~~~

I slept in this morning, rising only at the demands of my poor dog. 7 AM. I know, as far as sleeping in goes, it doesn't sound like all that much actually sleeping in occurred but Kylee is used to me getting up at least an hour earlier than that, so I imagine she thought I needed a bit of prodding or she'd be stuck in her kennel all day...not that such an occurrence has ever happened but Kylee doesn't take any chances.

I spent most of the morning, aside from feeding Kylee, checking things off my To Do List and checking my emails. HTP made it safe and sound back to our home in Arizona. He let me know that everything looked fine.

My summer wines are now sitting in air-locked 7 gallon buckets doing what wine must do....does. Whatever, I don't have to do anything with the wine for a week and then, I only have to check the hydrometer readings and if the readings are correct go onto Step 2 of the brewing process. Wine-racking.

All the plants on my upper deck have been watered but, with the cooler temperatures that we've been enjoying for the last two days, the plants don't seem to be quite as thirsty. Regardless, I will continue watering the Earthboxes on a daily basis. You can't over-water the plants in the Earthboxes because the excess water just runs out/off. I haven't been watering the tomato plants on the lower deck quite so often but, I've been keeping an eye on them...so far, they seem to be able to last a bit longer without watering. Two to three days.

I did dust all the tomatoes for blight again despite having to deal with a duster that has been constantly fighting me. It's getting old. Aren't we all? Anyway, I managed to dust the last of the tomato plants this morning before it (the duster) bit the dust. I relegated it to the "dust bin". I purchased a new duster (online) and it should be here later this week but I doubt I'll actually need to dust again for a couple of weeks. Dragoon Dust seems to be working quite well in controlling blight. Knock on wood. However, I'm noticing a bit of blossom end rot. Argh! Next time I'm in town, I'll have to pick up some garden lime.

Feeling a bit guilty about procrastinating (I should have picked the raspberries when I first noticed that they were turning), I sallied forth with Kylee with ice cream bucket in hand and a little scissors. Normally, I like to pick the raspberries, pinching them off the bushes, leaving the stems on but using my fingernails to cut through the stem, but...my nails are showing a bit of distress these days. I think it was the shellac that I had applied (manicurist) before heading to Ireland...or maybe the acetone that I used to remove the shellac after I got back. Either way, my nails are in no shape to be cutting anything. Oh well, I probably shouldn't be using my nails as tools anyway. As a matter of fact, a manicurist once told me this as she looked at my well-worn, abused nails. She even mentioned that I should be wearing, *shudder*, gloves when I clean and garden.

While out picking, I discovered that Kylee is a raspberry hound. I've never seen anything quite like it. Ever the opportunist when it comes to food, she delicately grasps the berries between her lips, nibbling the ripe fruit off the bushes, gorging herself, never minding the prickly branches. I had to speak to her rather sharply about this behavior, however, I suppose, since I picked a full bucket of raspberries, there will be plenty for Kylee to enjoy a few...as long as she continues to chase off the chipmunks and the birds. The first picking of the season is always...slim-pickings. I was amazed at how many I'll end up having to clean and process. Two more days and I'll have to be out there picking again...and I'm betting that I'll be making lots of raspberry jelly and jam this season.

I harvested some of my Italian and Curly parsley from the deck garden to make Tabouli salad. I enjoyed a bit of it for lunch. Cracked wheat, lemon juice (fresh frozen from Arizona), olive oil, LOTS of parsley, minced onion, diced tomatoes, garlic and, this time, I tried a bit of fresh basil (from my deck garden) instead of mint, which I didn't grow this year. It turned out great! I liked the flavor of the basil a lot better than the mint. A perfect summer salad...at least for me. HTP isn't fond of Tabouli.

This weekend is the Bluegill Festival in town. I didn't go to check out all the doings but I hear that the town was packed with tourists. That's a good thing. Our little town could use the boost.

~~~~

Random Quote of the Day

See, that's all you're thinking about, is winning. You're confirming your sense of self- worth through outward reward instead of through inner appreciation.

Barbara Hall, Northern Exposure, Gran Prix, 1994

Hiking the Logging Road....Many Moons Ago

Word of the Day

Tictactic - A technique used to try and receive one tic-tac from its container.

~~~~

It's been a busy day. HTP and I drove to The Big City to meet #1 Son and #1 DIL at The Akita for HTP's belated Father's Day present from #1 Son and Sarge. All-You-Can-Eat Sushi. Yum! It was great to chat see #1 Son and #1 DIL. Turns out that #1 Son will be flying off to France tomorrow morning for work. Wow! He sure does travel a lot for work and to places that I've only read about. Poor #1 DIL, I know that she doesn't like all this traveling...without her. I don't blame her.

Speaking of travel, after lunch, HTP and I headed off to the airport. *sigh* HTP's on his way back to our home in Arizona. Meanwhile, I drove back here to The Lake....alone. But, it looks like I'll be keeping busy. Turns out that our boat that I was hoping to have all fixed and useable while HTP was here?...apparently, it's fixed and ready for pick-up. Well, they're just going to have to wait now because I can't just drop everything and drive out to Hayward to pick it up and I sure can't launch it until #1 Son and #1 DIL can help....in a few weeks. Maybe I'll pick it up next week sometime, if I can get someone to help me roll it into the garage until I can get it launched. But, I'll worry about all that tomorrow...or the next day. I've got quite a long To Do List for the remainder of the summer.

Tomorrow? It looks like the raspberries need picking and it's past time to get the summer wine projects started. And, I've got strawberries all prepped for jam-making.

~~~~

Random Quote of the Day

Bureaucracy defends the status quo long past the time when the quo has lost its status.

Laurence J. Peter (1919 - 1988)

Deck Gardening

Word of the Day

Trafficy - Describing a period of heightened traffic.

~~~~

Laundry Day. HTP is heading back to Arizona tomorrow so I, once again, strayed from my iron-class rule of only doing laundry on Tuesdays. Not wanting to send HTP back to Arizona with a suitcase-full of dirty laundry and not wanting him to have to spend his entire remaining day of rest, Sunday, before going back to work, doing laundry... I spent my day, Friday, doing laundry....and other stuff.

Having arranged for the care of Kylee (JC, BW Babe's hubby, is going to stop in tomorrow to give Kylee an opportunity to "stretch her legs"), HTP and I will be spending our day tomorrow driving to The Big City tomorrow (airport run) plus a belated Father's Day celebration our kids planned. #1 Son, #1 DIL and Sarge arranged a special sushi treat for HTP. All-You-Can-Eat Sushi at the Akita, a restaurant in The Big City. And then, afterwards,....*sigh* , HTP will be leaving on a jet plane, heading back to our home in Arizona while I'll be driving back to our home here at The Lake for what remains of the summer.

It's going to be pretty quiet here at The Lake with just Kylee and me. I'll be starting my summer wine project, cooking up jams and jellies, canning produce, battling the evil squirrels and chipmunks, trapping crayfish, and....getting the Gator fixed and making sure the generator is fixed. In other words, I won't be spending a lot of time twiddling my thumbs with a lack of anything to keep idle hands busy. Of course, I won't actually be spending the entire summer all by my lonesome. I'm looking forward to spending time with T-Square and Ma, BW Babe, JC, and #1 Son and #1 DIL...plus, I'm looking forward to a visit in August from one of my best friends, her hubby (Mr. Fix-it) and her daughter. No devil's playground for me.

~~~~

Random Quote of the Day

Kneeling over a trickling mountain stream and pumping every ounce of water you use though a filter can really change your perception of turning on a faucet.

Eric Voorhis, Camping Earth, Backcountry Camping Can Be A Stressful Pursuit, 03-02-12

The Raspberries are Starting

Word of the Day

Thumble - A thimble worn on the thumb. If worn for a prolonged period of time can deform the thumb to the shape of the thumble.

~~~~

Wow! Where has the time flown? So much to do and so little time to do it. Sometimes blogging just has to be pushed to the side. HTP will be heading back to our Arizona home on Saturday so blogging hasn't exactly been a priority.

Tuesday, we stopped over in Hayward to visit our boat and enjoy a meal at one of the local Asian restaurants. Nothing to write home about...or blog about...but it was OK and a good chance to get out of the heat and humidity for a bit. We dropped off a part for our boat and were told that the Lund deck boards that had been ordered would be delivered sometime this week. I'm starting to wonder if it will be worth launching the boat once I get it back here. We'll see.

Wednesday morning, HTP and I hiked the property with the forester to clarify what we want done as far as logging goes with an eye toward the future. He'll be accepting bids from the various loggers in the area but we don't expect to see any actual logging trucks in here until late fall or sometime during the winter months. Our forester told us that logging could take place any time during the next couple of years, however, right now there's quite a market for our trees. Again, no, we aren't clear-cutting, we're harvesting mature trees and opening up the canopy to encourage the new growth of sugar maples.

The weather has been really warm and majorly sticky. After hiking the woods for two and a half hours, we returned to the house, wringing wet (and not from dew or rain). Thank goodness for air-conditioning! After a cool bath, we put our feet up and relaxed until dinner with BW Babe and JC. A visit here isn't quite complete without going out to eat at The Bona Casa and having a family-style Italian meal. Lots of food...and leftovers. BW and JC had never been there before but they have enjoyed the homemade raviolis from there. Cheese and chicken, and cheese and raisin. VERY good!

Today? HTP and I went out to Cumberland to meet a friend of ours who we hadn't seen for a quite a while. Of course, we keep in touch with her via Internet but it isn't the same. She and HTP are heavily involved and interested in genealogy and the Italian history in this area of Wisconsin....and into Minnesota....and back in Italy. What better place to meet than at the Corner Bar? A great place to sit and chat, eat, and chat some more. No-one blinks to see us sitting at a table with laptop open, tracing ancestors, connections and relationships.

After returning home, I noted that my poor plants were wilting out on the upper deck. I'm going to have to start watering them on a daily basis. They NEED water and we NEED rain. I gave them water for now but even if it rains tonight, I'll be out there watering again tomorrow. It's that time of year when the plants suck up a lot of water. They're producing (I have a harvestable eggplant which I plan to enjoy next week) and they'll be drinking lot more from now until fall. I tied up all the tomato plants again. We're supposed to be getting some storms tonight...maybe. If we do, I don't want any branches snapping off. I get enough of that from the critters who still seem to be munching on my green tomatoes.

Speaking of critters, I suspect that I had a visit from a raccoon out on my deck last night. Whatever, carefully pulled one of my hummingbird feeders over to where it could be easily emptied. Apparently, someone likes sugar water. Thankfully, since this particular hummingbird feeder is made out of glass, "someone" didn't drop the feeder and break it into tiny little pieces which I'd have been REALLY angry about...mad enough for me to try out my gun. However, instead, I brought the empty feeder inside, plan to bring the seed feeders inside tonight...and every night until I catch this certain "someone" and transport him/her, far, far, away. But, not until after HTP leaves. He requested that any angry raccoon issues (they REALLY don't like to be trapped) wait until after he's safely back in Arizona. You know...I wonder if I can find a good recipe for raccoon stew? Wait...it doesn't seem quite fair to shoot a trapped raccoon, besides, he didn't break the feeder. I can always cook up more sugar water for the hummingbirds and the orioles.

~~~~

Random Quote of the Day

Rumor travels faster, but it don't stay put as long as truth.

Will Rogers (1879 - 1935), 'Politics Getting Ready to Jell,' The Illiterate Digest, 1924

My Deck Gardens
Lots of Tomato Plants on the Lower Deck

Word of the Day

Thrux - Something that is the absolute core and driving force behind something.

~~~~~

I noticed that my raspberries are just starting to ripen. It's too soon to actually go out there and pick but...soon. In the meantime, I spent a great deal of time watering all the plants on both my decks. With the heat that we've been getting, all my plants are really thirsty.

The generator kicked in...reluctantly, at the correct time. The sticky part still needs to be replaced but it feels good to have the generator up and running, albeit, reluctantly. Meanwhile, HTP has been researching the problem with the Gator and tomorrow, we'll be visiting our boat in Hayward...just to drop off a part.

~~~~~

Random Quote of the Day

It is far more impressive when others discover your good qualities without your help.

Judith Martin, (Miss Manners)