The Gate

One Last Bouquet Before Leaving

Word of the Day

Yaaow - Yo; hey; used to call attention to a subject or situation.


Kylee and I have taken two hikes to the main road and back...despite the damp. Our first hike was done in a rather magical fog. Our second, well...it wasn't mizzling but...almost. It's wet out and the driveway is muddy but we'll be leaving The Lake tomorrow morning and our next chance to hike here won't be until next spring.

I've checked off everything on my To Do List and my Packing List that I can for today. The rest of the items on both lists will have to wait until tomorrow morning. I've printed out my lists and the list I made for #1 Son and #1 DIL. I called the credit card company to let them know that I'll be traveling. Hopefully, there will NOT be a problem with my credit card this time.

I still need to pack a box of perishables to bring to BW Babe's place tonight and load up the last bag of garbage to discard in her barrel. I won't be eating here tomorrow morning. Instead, I plan to stop for gas in the city....and I'll pick up coffee and a roll while I'm there.

My plans are to feed Kylee and load her and her kennel into the car. Then, I'll pack up the coolers and load them into the car along with my suitcase and laptop. Oh...and then, if it fits, the wine corker. #1 Son called late last night to check up on me...and yes, he's going to pack up some of his home-brew for me and his sisters.

I built a nice fire in the fireplace but it's faded and I won't be adding another log to the fire since I'll be heading off to BW Babe's for dinner. Even though I had the fireplace inspected...it's time to shut it down for the season. I'll have to remember to close the damper tomorrow morning when the embers have cooled.

I may or may not have an opportunity to write in my blog in the coming days but, we'll see.

Random Quote of the Day

Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself and know that everything in this life has a purpose.

- Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Little Jon's 2nd Birthday

Word of the Day

Walkative - Inclined toward or willing to walk.


Kylee and I had to forego our daily walk today because it's been raining and wet....however, I still made over 10,000 steps. I checked off most of the remaining items on my To Do List and loaded most of the things on my Packing List into the car. Of course, I couldn't do that until I put Kylee and her kennel into the car. I needed to have the kennel in the car to make sure that it had enough space, but, Kylee gets all weirded out when I pack her kennel and she won't settle down until I pack her too. She settled right in and calmed right down after that. The car is now all loaded with space left for the two coolers, Kylee and her kennel, my suitcase, one small cooler for the front seat and my laptop. If...a BIG if, there is enough room remaining on Friday morning, I may put in the wine corker that #1 Son wants to use this winter. I'll be stopping at his place before continuing on to my hotel near DD Daughter's place. I WILL have a lot of room and will HAVE to adjust my packing once I drop off a load of things for #1 Son...maybe...because he mentioned that he's planning on sending some beer back with me, gifts for DD Daughter and Sarge...and me.

I actually managed to make myself a bit ill today with all the things I accomplished. I do still have tomorrow to finish up with everything else on the lists but the closer I get to hitting the road, the more anxious I am about getting things done.

Before loading the car, I put in a 45 minute aerobic exercise. My workout clothes went into the laundry with my sheets and were then packed along with my workout DVD.

I did an additional load of laundry, as I mentioned. The sheets on my bed are CLEAN and...should #1 Son and #1 DIL come up here with friends, my room should be usable. Almost clean sheets....clean enough since I plan to take a bath tonight. I washed my hair earlier. I don't plan to get sweaty tomorrow.

I canned the last of the tomatoes. Two and a half quarts...or two quarts and one pint. My pressure canners are clean and stowed away in the basement.

I brought the last of the geraniums which I prepped for storage last night down to the service room. I've left the parsley upstairs in the kitchen and will water the plants before I leave.

As I said, I packed the car which means a lot of aerobic exercise as well as weight-lifting.

I cleaned the refrigerator...kind of. I'll tackle it a bit better tomorrow.

I vacuumed, but just upstairs....the kids are on their own for the downstairs. It's clean enough.

I entertained Stan the Man when he stopped by to pick up some frozen food items...but that wasn't exactly planned. But, on the plus side, I talked him into slicing some stump rounds for me to use as small tabletops (art project for next summer). After gifting him said items, I was able to clean and turn off the chest freezer in the basement. Yes! And, I've got my coolers plugged in so they'll be pre-cooled for Friday morning when I load them with frozen things.

Meanwhile, I've been enjoying a fire in the fireplace...but...this requires frequent trips to the woodpile to keep said fire going.

So...I've managed to exhaust myself to the point of having to take pain meds. I'm making one last dinner here at The Lake while sipping on a glass of wine. Tomorrow, I've been invited to have dinner over at BW Babe's place. That dinner had been scheduled for tonight but BW and JC had so much going on today that...it was postponed until tomorrow. Actually, that worked out best for me. I got more done and, quite frankly, I'm not feeling like eating all that much tonight. Besides, I REALLY need a bath tonight.

Tomorrow is another day and I'm hoping to keep things light and easy.

Random Quote of the Day

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882), (attributed)

Camouflaged

Word of the Day

Vegetabible - A book pertaining to the ways that a vegetable should live. Sometimes referred to as a gardener's book on growing vegetables.

I got my 10,000 today! More than that... I put in 45 minutes of aerobic exercise followed by hours of checking items off my To Do List. I put fuel stabilizer into the Gator....which really should have been easy but the people who make that stuff put it in bottles that look like they should be easy to use but...they aren't. I had to rig up a short length of tubing and a funnel so I could get the stabilizer where it needed to go...in the gas tank. Then, I drove the Gator over to BW Babe's place with all my garbage and recycling...because I don't have garbage service anymore, at least not until next spring. Since I was using her service, I rolled her barrels up to the main road for her, which shouldn't have been a big deal but it rained last night and her driveway was REALLY muddy. NEXT? I actually spent 45 minutes on hold with our Internet and phone provider and then, frustratingly, since I didn't have the last four digits of HTP's SS number, I had to do it all over again, after I e-mailed HTP to get the digits. I'm one of those people who can't sit quietly on hold. I pace. I pace a LOT! I didn't have to spend quite as much time on hold with our satellite TV provider but, for the first time in years, they didn't want to let me do anything with our service because my name wasn't on the account. WHAT THE FRACK?! After sitting on hold with our Internet and phone provider...twice, I'm afraid I might have lost it a bit. For YEARS!, I've NEVER had problems with this and NOW?! they're going to give me problems?! They let me put our (key word "OUR") on hold for six months. NEXT? What a JOY! I called our insurance agent and put the Gator in storage for the winter, as of October 6. Talking to our insurance agent was a PLEASURE! All of it is from October 6th. I HATE dealing with Internet, Phone, and Satellite services. What part of service don't they get? Thankfully, my insurance provider knows the definition of service...at least...our provider here at The Lake. I can't say the same for our provider (same company)in Arizona. So....end of LONG paragraph? I paced for MILES today. Then, I e-mailed HTP and told him to PLEASE make sure that I'm on our account, from now on, for our satallite provider. I thought I'd taken care of this a couple years ago when my neighbor lost her husband and found herself in a world of HELL when it came to billing issues. When I get back home to Arizona, I'll have to make sure to check ALL our accounts.

Kylee and I didn't have to hike up to the main road and back today but I NEEDED to hike up to the main road and back. After finishing up for the day, before making something for dinner, I NEEDED to get out and walk off my bad humor....and, if I can't whine on my own blog well...at least I will be enjoying a bit of cheese tonight with it. It's Big Bang Theory night and I'm looking forward to bit of humor.

Random Quote of the Day

For most men life is a search for the proper manila envelope in which to get themselves filed.

- Clifton Fadiman (1904 - 1999)

A Logging Road, Begging to Be Explored

Texture

We Made It

Word of the Day

Uberize - To tack the German Prefix "über" (meaning really, very, or super) to any English word to make it sound cool.


OK. I admit it. I got lost. Well, not lost in the sense that someone had to rescue me, but, lost in that I ended up 180% turned around today while out hiking with Kylee. My goal was to end up at BW Babe's place and, I think that I almost got there but somehow...I got turned around and ended back to where I'd started. Oh well, Kylee and I spent almost two hours exploring logging trails today. This will probably be my last opportunity this year to do this. Shame on me that I haven't gone hiking before this but...with all the logging activities, it just didn't feel safe to be out there. However, today, I actually rubbed myself down with mosquito repellent and went for it. LOVED IT! Tomorrow? It's supposed to be a LOT colder and rainy so...I picked the best day.

My horrorscope mentioned that I should take it easy today. Well...I did....well, at least, even though I got more than my 10,000 steps in, I only did what I wanted to do. I took pictures and hiked with my best friend, Kylee. Tomorrow? I'll can the last of my tomatoes but, today was for me.

Random Quote of the Day

Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.

- Carl Sandburg (1878 - 1967)

They're Back!

Word of the Day

Telecrastination - The act of always letting the phone ring at least twice before you pick it up, even when you're only six inches away.

It was cold this morning, cold enough to make my joints hurt. HTP would tell me that I probably should have shut the window and turned on the furnace but it won't be long before I'm complaining of the heat again.

With only a week left...not even that...I continue my packing activities. I made my 10,000 steps with only one trip up to the main road and back. Of course, I did put in a 3 mile aerobic workout so.... I prepped and stowed some of my geraniums in the basement for the winter along with my amaryllis plants. I've still got three more geraniums to prep and stow but I want to enjoy them for a bit longer. The deck is already looking a bit bare with all the Earthbox gardens stowed away.

It eventually warmed up enough this afternoon to make my jeans and long-sleeved shirt a bit almost unbearable. I changed the long-sleeved shirt for a t-shirt but I'm still feeling a bit overly warm. I know that this too will pass and I'll be suffering from cold again tomorrow morning. The temperature out on my deck is 82 degrees. Warm!

I noted a few lady-bug/Japanese beetles crawling on the ceiling of my bedroom again. *sigh* I went outside and took a picture of one that was crawling on the side of the house. They're back and I KNOW that I'll be vacuuming them up again next spring...but...I'll think about that, next spring. I've got enough to do and worry about between now and then.

Random Quote of the Day

My theory is that all of Scottish cuisine is based on a dare.

- Mike Myers

Fall Offering

Word of the Day

Scirish - A person of mixed Irish and Scottish descent.

It's been a day...a beautiful day...but full. I finally got around to putting the container gardens from the lower deck to bed. DONE! I hauled the debris off to the woods and stacked the containers under a protected area where it will stay dry. I found two more tomatoes that I'd missed...still green but....maybe they'll turn inside...maybe. It feels good to have that chore all done. DONE! My Fitbit didn't really record the aerobic exercise it took to put the lower deck gardens to bed but....oh well.

Stan the Man showed up and I was able to pay him ahead of time for lawn mowing, snow plowing, chimney cap painting, and general landscape improvement. I wrote him a check for part of it and cash for the rest. The cash part is MY money that I'M paying to have part of this work. I don't always want HTP to have to foot the bill for my stuff. The Lake is mostly my stuff and I realize that. I'M paying to have him spread three loads of oak mulch on all my gardens. I'm hoping for beautiful flower gardens when I get back here next spring....God Willing.

Kylee and I made three hikes up to the main road and back so that I'd get my 10,000 steps in today. I'm determined to get as much exercise as I can in while I can since I know that I'll be missing out on ANY aerobic exercise while driving cross-country back to Arizona. Plus...I won't exactly be eating healthy.

I've been putting off working on some of the things on my To Do List. It's just so final. *sigh* I finally brought in all the lawn art, the decorations, and the wind-chimes. My Havahart traps are stowed in the garage. At this point, I'm not all that worried about chipmunks and squirrels getting into my gardens. They're done...all of them.

Suitcases? Yup...I'm packing. MY hallway is full of boxes and stuff that will need to be brought to....Minnesota, Nebraska, Texas and Arizona. I'll be picking up and dropping off in Minnesota...to and from #1 Son. I'll be dropping off in Nebraska and Texas. Old Grey Frog Moving Company....that's me. Despite the fact that I've got a packing list....there's always more that I'm adding to the list each day. I'd hate to forget anything. Meanwhile...I have lost enough weight that most of my clothes may just stay here this winter...to be donated next spring. Why should I bring all kinds of clothes that don't fit back to Arizona with me? And some stuff? I just can't pack some stuff because I NEED to use it. I plan on doing laundry on Thursday so I won't have to bring too many dirty clothes back home to Arizona with me.

Random Quote of the Day

I've always found paranoia to be a perfectly defensible position.

- Pat Conroy (1945 - )

The Dock has been Dry-docked for the Winter

Word of the Day

Realizement - A revelation, an epiphany. Something becomes clear or understood after being previously puzzling.

I exercised, I canned, I hiked, I got my 10,000 and then some, I built a fire in the fireplace, and I coached the guys who came from Seasonal Toys on how to take out the boat AND the dock. And after all that...I've been driven to drink, actually, I was fine until the guys came to pull the boat and the dock. *sigh*

My first indication that there might be a problem when I noticed that the guy who was attempting to row my boat over to the shore where I keep it over winter was busily rowing and rowing and rowing while the boat was still attached to the dock. I ran down to unhook the boat from the dock and noted that he'd totally unfastened the rope I use in the bow of the boat and left it dangling on the dock. *sigh* I'll have to remember to re-fasten it to the rowboat next spring.

Next? I noted that they were pulling the dock boards off the dock which would have been just fine but...they hadn't lifted the legs as yet. You know, I really tried to stay out of things to let them pull the dock on their own but....I had visions of my dock, totally wrecked and wracked. So, politely, I asked, "Ummm, you guys know that you need to lift the legs of the dock before you pull it...don't you?" They didn't know that. *sigh*

Finally? I'm watching them as they attached a cable from their ATV to the end of the dock. You know...if HTP and I can easily pull the dock up onto shore without the use of an ATV, at least until the wheels hit the shore, you probably don't REALLY need an ATV...at least not to pull my dock. Once again, I stepped in when it looked like these guys intended to make the job a LOT harder than it needed to be. They planned to pull the dock out...where it never was intended to go. "Ummmm....I hate to butt in but....it's easiest to pull the dock up onto the sidewalk area." And then, he asked me if I wanted the wheels out of the water. Yes...that's the ONLY hard part when it comes to pulling my dock. ACK!!!!

Oh crap! What did they do with the oars to the boat?! I'm going to have to have #1 Son and #1 DIL retrieve them. I just ran down to check and...I think they stowed them under the boat. NOT a good thing. CRAP!!!!

On the plus side...the dock and boat are both IN. I canned two quarts of diced tomatoes and one quart of tomato juice. I brought the garbage barrel back to the garage and stowed it inside the garage (no Teddy Bear Picnic), I pulled in all the hoses so they won't freeze. I've got LOTS more that needs doing but...I'm done for today. I've got a nice cheery fire going in the fireplace and I'm done for the day.

Random Quote of the Day

It has all been very interesting.

- Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (1689 - 1762)

View From My Driveway - Open created by the logging

Word of the Day

Quash squash - The act of walking on the outer sides of one's feet to dampen the squishing sound of squeaky tennis shoes. Literally, to annul a squishing sound.

I finally got my 10,000 in today...just now. Exhaustion. Of course, I handicapped myself today. I forgot to put my Fitbit on this morning so all the steps I made while getting the laundry collected, sorted and started...were stepped but not counted. Oh well, regardless, I benefited. Kylee and I had to make the hike up to the main road and back THREE times today. Again...despite how tired I'm feeling, I'm sure I benefited. However, I was HAPPY to feel the buzz of my Fitbit that told me that I reached my goal.

Had a fun night last night with BW Babe and JC. We had hamburgers on the grill with French fries....and then...later....chocolate zucchini bread (kind of like a really yummy brownie) with ice cream and hot fudge. Yum! We watched the premiere of The Big Bang Theory. What a wonderful show! I was really happy to see that BW Babe actually drove over here...despite...OK. JC is a bit critical and not exactly helpful when it comes to encouraging BW Babe's attempts at driving. I'm just glad to finally see her DRIVE. She really NEEDS to know how to drive!

Milestone today. I brought a final load of garbage out to the road. There will NOT be any more garbage collection this summer/fall. Tomorrow, I'll have to roll the garbage barrel back to the house to store in the garage.

I've been busily whittling items off my To Do List. Today? I picked the last of my green tomatoes. I decided to try something different. I invented Green Tomato Chili. I fried up the last of my ground beef (that I didn't vacuum seal) and four large boneless pork chops (diced) and then cored and diced all the green tomatoes (there were plenty), added hot pepper flakes, the last of the tiny jalapenos that decided to form on my plants, a splash of green jalapeno sauce, onion flakes, beef bouillon crystals, a half a pint of green tomato salsa, a splash of lemon juice, some fresh parsley and basil, garlic...lots of garlic, and some salt. In other words, a bit of this and a bit of that. I boiled the heck and back out of it and then...yummy. I canned three quarts of it (experiment and I still need to create a label for the jars), ladled three more quarts in to containers to enjoy while I'm still here and gift to BW Babe, and ate a bowl of it for lunch today. Yummy. I mean...really good. This just may be one of the best ways to use up those final green tomatoes from my vines....plus...added benefit of using up the last bit of meat from the freezer.

I got my laundry done. I'll only be washing clothes one more time while I'm here at The Lake this Fall. Mile Stones.

Random Quote of the Day

We have to fight them daily, like fleas, those many small worries about the morrow, for they sap our energies.

- Etty Hillesum, O Magazine, October 2002

Fall Wildflowers

The Wildflowers are Still Blooming

Log Piles at the Side of my Road

Fall Color Along My Driveway

New Logging Trail - It begs to be explored. Where does it go?

Word of the Day

Palpicake - To test baked goods for freshness by prodding.

It's getting harder and harder to get up at my normal 6 AM....or, I suppose, I could say that it's getting easier and easier to sleep in until after 7 AM. I imagine it's all part of daylight saving time. I tend to wake up when the sun rises and I prefer to go to bed when the sun sets.
Studies have been done that state that the ideal amount of sleep is around 7 hours. However, that's uninterrupted sleep. *sigh* I don't often sleep that well. I am going to have to get used to using my pillow speaker again. My tinnitus tends to make sleeping without some sort of backup sound (from my Kindle Fire), impossible. The ringing in my ear is just too distracting.

I sorted out my pills this morning. I now have three weeks of pills measured out and I was able to pack the rest of them. Packing has started. I've got a pile of taped and untaped boxes in the hallway. In the coming days, I'll be adding things that need to go home to Arizona to the untaped boxes. I'm starting to check items off my To Do List and my Packing List. I've actually packed as much as I can for today. I still NEED some of the items that need to come home with me so there's no point in packing stuff, only to unpack it and then pack it up again. HTP often accuses me of doing this but...I don't.

We got about a half inch of rain last night so I can't pull in the windchimes, solar lights, lawn art and the birdfeeders until they dry off a bit. Next week? In the meantime, I ordered three grill covers online. They'll be coming on Wednesday. Three? Yup. I need one to cover the grill on the upper deck, one to cover the smoker on the lower deck, and one to cover the grill on the lower deck. I figured that this might be the best way of saving some closing labor. I do need to go down to the dock and haul up the rest of the fishing gear and bail out the rowboat. Some time this week, Seasonal Toys plan to pull in my dock and rowboat. I need to take the tie-downs off the dock too. One year, they ripped up one of my dock boards because I hadn't had the chance to remove the tie downs.

It's Sunday. I deserve one day of rest...don't I? The sun is shining and I think I'll take my first hike of the day up to the main road and back.

****

Update - I'm about ready for bed but...I made my 10,000 steps and a bit more. No sooner than I messaged the guy that mows our lawn and takes care of maintenance work, he drove down my driveway. I've arranged for him to spread three loads of oak mulch around my beds this fall...before snowfall, and, mow the lawn a couple more times. Also, he plans to paint my chimney top, two coats after sanding. AND...he plans to plow the driveway this winter....eight mows. I'll pay him for more as needed. In the meantime, I plan to write him a check...tomorrow morning. I want a receipt and he forgot to bring his receipt book tonight.

I checked a few more items off my To Do List today...more than I planned but...it isn't going to rain anymore while I'm here so...might as well pull in the rain gauges.


Random Quote of the Day

There is no use in loving things if you have to be torn from them, is there? And it's so hard to keep from loving things, isn't it?

- L. M. Montgomery (1874 - 1942), Anne of Green Gables, 1908

Giant Puffball - Growing at the side of my driveway

Kylee

The Last of the Tomatoes?

Word of the Day

Opup - To push one's glasses back on the nose.

Tuesday was a total loss when it comes to getting anything accomplished. I'd promised BW Babe and JC that I'd help them drive their second car into the big city. They were trading both their old cars in for a brand new GMC Sierra pickup truck. They were SO excited to have this new truck with all the bells and whistles. Although I regret the loss of time, I don't regret helping out. Besides, they treated me to a wonderful meal. By the way, riding in the back seat of a pick-up truck...even a brand new one, isn't good for your back. I was happy to get home that night. It takes a LONG time to sign all the paperwork and learn how to use your new car. I read two Smithsonian magazines and TOTALLY regret that I didn't bring my book.

My new Foodsaver came on Wednesday so I spent a great deal of time on Thursday, vacuum-sealing frozen packages of cooked puffballs, ratatouille, homemade spaghetti sauce, fried Italian peppers, fish, and miscellaneous meats that I don't want to get freezer burned over the winter. I still need to vacuum seal a few more things but...I still need to eat so it'll have to wait another week? I SO am starting to panic at how time is flying by. However, the food items that I'll be bringing back to Arizona with me are ready to go.

Seasonal Toys came and picked up my big boat so they could winterize it. The dock is looking a bit lonely. However, they brought the boat back on Friday and helped me stow it in the garage. They even pressure washed it and said something about vacuuming it and cleaning the inside next spring. I KNOW that I'm going to be paying big bucks for this but....

Friday was spent canning. I canned another three quarts of diced tomatoes. And...then, BW Babe asked me why I don't can my frozen lemon juice that has been taking up space in my freezer. Huh...hadn't thought of that. So, I "canned" four pints of lemon juice. I put the work "can" in quotes because you don't really need to "can" lemon juice. It is so acidic, no real canning is necessary. All I had to do was bring it up to a boil, ladle it into jars, add lids and rings and wait for the jars to seal. They did. I labeled them and stored them down in the basement.

Fall is coming fast and furious. Kylee and I sat down on the dock last night. It was peaceful...until Kylee noted some leaves floating by and under the dock. At this point, she HAD to bark at them. *sigh* Crazy dog. The leaves are turning and starting to fall.

I NEED to get moving here. I'm looking forward to getting back to Arizona. I'll miss my folks and my time here but it's past time to go home. I miss my HTP! Plus, I'm am so looking forward to visiting with my children and my grandchildren on my trip back home. Too bad it takes so much time and effort packing and loading. Once I'm on the road again, I'll be fine. It's getting to that point that always drives me a bit crazy.

Monday? I'm going to take some me time. While Kylee is at the groomers, I'll be enjoying a relaxing pedicure. That night, I'm having BW Babe and JC over for hamburgers on the grill. We're going to watch the season premiere of The Big Bang Theory. And...we're going to enjoy dessert with a present that Sarge and D Buddy left for me when they visited this summer.

For the most part, I've been making my 10,000 steps per day....but some days it's harder to do that than others.

***

Update: I got my 10,000 steps in...after hiking three times up to the main road and back with Kylee AND hauling in my crayfish traps and bringing those and my fishing gear up to the house. Now...I'm just waiting for the pot of water to come up to boil so I can cook the crayfish that were unexpectedly in the traps. It looks like we might get some rain tonight so I didn't bother bilging the rowboat. The mosquitoes are back so I dragged out the Thermocell lanterns. I WILL sit out on the deck to enjoy this evening and not darned mosquitoes are going to stop me. Kylee decided to spend her time in her nice safe kennel. Someone has been target practicing and she doesn't like the sound of gunfire.

Random Quote of the Day

Behold the turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out.

- James Bryant Conant (1893 - 1978)

Canning Vegetable Pork Soup

Word of the Day

Newify - To make something, that was once old, to become new again through refurbishing, painting, repairing, or some other activity.


I made my 10,000 today but, it was NOT an easy thing. I didn't sleep well last night so it was hard to actually get moving this morning. Plugging in a Walk Away aerobic CD helped...a bit. I know that the workouts do improve my mood. Depression sucks. Workouts help. I'd rather spend time working out than take some Big Pharma medication...if I can.

My first attempt at canning soup ended up with a 50% success rate. NOT good. Two of the quarts didn't seal. Apparently, I filled the jars too full. Most of the websites for this venture recommend leaving 1 inch of head space in the jars. *sigh* I am so used to only leaving 1/2 inch to 3/4 of an inch. My second attempt...just two quarts this time, ended up with a 100% success rate. YEAH!!!! I'm not sure if I'll ever end up having to can meats or soups with meat but....I am intrigued that I might be able to can and preserve my turkey stock this winter instead of freezing it. Meantime, the soup that I canned will taste wonderful...even if I have to add fresh ingredients to provide mouth appeal.

I've continued putting my gardens to bed for the winter. All my Earthboxes are prepped for the winter and #1 Son has promised that he'll cover them with a tarp...which I'll put out for him.

Tomorrow is laundry day...and garbage day....and...I promised to help JC and BW Babe drive into the big city to pick up their new truck. They are trading two of their current vehicles in for this new truck and...JC can only drive one of the trade-in vehicles. BW Babe doesn't drive so...I'll have to drive the second trade-in vehicle. Hopefully, I'll be able to stop at a Target while I'm in the big city. I'd like to pick up a birthday card and a gift card for Little Jon. His birthday is coming up and...I am sooo not good at sending birthday cards and presents. BAD GRANDMA!

Random Quote of the Day

I didn't mind getting old when I was young. It's the being old now that's getting to me.

- John Scalzi, Old Man's War, 2005

Prepping Earthboxes for Winter

Looks Kind of Like Spring?

No...I didn't plant that Sunflower

Word of the Day

Malbingophobia - The fear among some bingo players that they have incorrectly marked a square, and calling "bingo" could cause them not victory, but public humiliation.

I had planned to use my FoodSaver to vacuum-seal things that I've been freezing to bring back home to Arizona with me. *sigh* Best laid plans and all that. My FoodSaver is no more, it's dead, it has passed, it is no more. I ordered a new one online but...it won't come until next week...even with Amazon Prime. So? Now what?

I took another look at my itinerary and decided to cancel the hotel reservation for my last night on the road to Arizona and switch it to another. I decided that it would be smarter to drive a bit farther on the day that I leave Sarge's place and a little less on that final day of driving. So, I'll be staying at a really nice hotel in Van Horn, Texas on that final night before returning home...and I've stayed there before. Pampering time.

I started putting my gardens to bed. Started is the operational word here. I've still got lots to do but, it occurred to me, why do I always feel like I have to do everything on one day? Tomorrow is another day. I've got a bit of time yet to do all this.

Meanwhile, I found a couple of Italian peppers that I'd missed when I was picking everything the other day. So...I decided to make an End of Season Soup. There is no recipe for this soup. I decided to use some frozen pork chops, some of my potatoes, a zucchini and some baby zucchini that I harvested from the plants before I hauled them off to the compost heap, green beans...I'm still harvesting those, and fried puffballs, and some jarred tomatoes from 2010. Hey! They're still good! I used some special spices and decided to make my soup into a sort of hot & sour soup. It ended up tasting WONDERFUL! But...what the heck will I do with a huge pot of soup? I decided to can four quarts of it. Yes, you can can your own soup but...wow...90 minutes at 10 pounds pressure? I've NEVER canned something for that long. I imagine that the resultant soup will end up a bit like soup stock. I mean, what the heck could be left after it's been cooked at pressure for that long...certainly not dangerous organisms, and, I suppose that's the reasoning. Oh well... That's OK. I'll use it for a base for a future soup next year. Canned, it will last 3 years so...I'll have time to use it up. I still ended up with at least three more servings of the soup to enjoy...fresh.

I've made two trips up to the main road and back with Kylee but despite all that I've done today, I will not make my 10,000 steps. I'm just too tried to do more. I've got a venison burrito/chimichanga prepped for dinner tonight. I'll make my 10,000 tomorrow when I plug in my aerobic workout. No...I didn't pick any more giant puffballs.

Random Quote of the Day

Set all things in their own peculiar place, and know that order is the greatest grace.

- John Dryden (1631 - 1700)

Summer of the Giant Puffballs

Word of the Day

Lackapatious - Bored, restless, lacking patience.

Actually, I'm not bored...however, I am feeling a bit restless and patience is NOT my strong suit right now. I feel like for every step forward that I make, I end up having to take two steps backward and then three steps to make up for the loss of time and progress. Yesterday, I brought in all my frost tender plants or covered them. We didn't get any frost. *sigh* So, this morning, I spend valuable time hauling all the plants that had taken up residence in my kitchen, back outside. Then, I took all the sheets off the tomato plants, four sheets that I'm in the process of laundering right now and that will have to be folded and put away. I don't expect that we'll have another frost chance between now and the time I need to put all my Earthboxes away for the winter.

Meanwhile, I prepped and canned two more quarts of diced tomatoes and one quart of tomato juice. Then, I juiced some of the raspberries that I froze over the summer and made seven pints of raspberry jam. Of course, this made it so that I had to clean the juicer...and only for ONE batch of jam because my raspberry bushes didn't produce much this year. Hopefully, I won't have this problem NEXT summer. I don't mind cleaning my juicer but, I'd rather use it for more than one batch of jam or jelly. OK, to be honest, this summer I also made two batches of black currant jelly but, I normally make LOTS more jam and jelly than three batches. ACK! It's a good thing that I don't expect to have to gift too much of my jam and jelly this winter.

I've got a second load of dishes, washing in the dishwasher...which means that they'll have to be put away. It's a beautiful, sunshiny day. I would so much prefer spending time outside today. I've got a long To Do List that needs to be worked on with less than three weeks remaining and I'm hoping this "two steps back for every step forward" changes. I need to spend a LOT more time moving forward.

My Navigator is back home! The repair person couldn't fix the radio but he brought my car back to me. I'm a bit afraid to move it right now. He left it in the driveway, blocking the way when I have to store my boat. Will it start?

****

The Navigator started and I've got it stowed in the garage. I walked to the main road and back and....I found two more puffballs. I cooked them both up...and some as "steaks". Talked to HTP and...added more stuff to my To Do List. *sigh* I think I'll take another walk up to the main road and back. I only need 2,000 more steps to make my 10,000.

Random Quote of the Day

The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be only the beginning.

- Ivy Baker Priest, in Parade, 1958

Going....

Going....

GONE!

Word of the Day

Kabomb - Anything that makes a kaboom sound of varying intensity.

The logger came today and took out the old oak tree that has stood for years on Blueberry Hill, shading blueberry bushes and my kennel garden. It was amazing how bright that area is now that the tree is down. Of course, now I'll have to figure out where to put my outdoor thermometer.

I've been really busy, busy, busy today. I harvested all the tomatoes from the upper deck and some from the lower deck. Then, I covered the rest with sheets. We'll see if they survive the predicted frost. BW Babe called to tell me that she got frost last night with some of her plants drooping. I lucked out. Maybe it's because I'm up higher? Who knows the vagaries of the weather here at The Lake.

I brought all my geraniums inside along with my amaryllis, basil, and parsley. Eventually, I'll store the geraniums and amaryllis down in the basement. I've already harvested plenty of basil for drying but.... As for the parsley? It's so cheaply purchased in Arizona, I'm not going to bother with drying any. I probably could have left it outside to freeze but maybe #1 Son and #1 DIL want it?

The Italian peppers are all fried up and ready to freeze. The remaining hot peppers are all pickled with the remaining green cherry and plum tomatoes. If I like this recipe (which I invented), I'll have a good way to use up green tomatoes in the future....other than green tomato relish and green tomato salsa. There's always a need to find a way to use up green tomatoes at the end of the season.

Kylee and I hiked up to the main road and back and....I found two more giant puffballs. WIN! Of course, now I have to clean and fry up puffballs instead of putting my feet up. Oh well...I'll get to putting my feet up eventually.

Random Quote of the Day

My future starts when I wake up every morning... Every day I find something creative to do with my life.

- Miles Davis (1926 - 1991)

Hummingbird - Picture taken by Willie

Giant Puffball - Harvested in September

Step One - Cut off that Muddy Bit 

Step Two - Cut in Half

Step Three - Cut into Manageable Portions

Step Four - Peel the Slices

Step Five - Chop

Step Six - Fry in Olive Oil and Butter with Garlic Salt and Pepper

Step Seven - Fry until...DONE!  

Food Porn/Awesome Fireplace Fire!  

Sunset on The Lake

Word of the Day

Jampage - The screaming and dancing rampage one goes on when they jam or stub a body part on a household object.


And...it's September. This is my last month at The Lake. No more woodticks, so...no more woodtick count....I hope. I know that they're out there but...do I really waste the Frontline on Kylee? Mosquitoes? There have been a few but...not many....not enough to bother when it comes to using Off Spray.

I've made hotel reservations for my return trip to Arizona. *sigh* And...I've pulled up my To Do and Packing Lists. I've started checking items off my lists. My lists are longer this year because #1 Son and DIL won't be able to help with the The Closing as much this year. They won't be able to come up here until well after I've left...November. *sigh* And, I wonder how much I should depend upon their help. *sigh* I'll be paying to have someone pull the dock and the boats this year. NOT a minor expense.

Our first frost is predicted for this Friday. ACK!!!!! I already dug all the potatoes that I planted. They're all sitting in my sink room...no light...just sitting. I'll figure out what to do with them later. I've got time. NOW?! I've got to deal with green tomatoes. I prepped 17 pints of green tomato salsa today. There's LOTS of green tomatoes out there that I'll need to deal with....tomorrow. I "think" I'll drape sheets over some of the plants to give myself some time but....in the meantime...I picked the rest of the chili peppers and the Italian peppers. I'm "thinking" about making some hot pepper/green tomato pickles and frying up more Italian Peppers.

Did I mention...ha-ha...that I've been finding more Giant Puffballs? And...there's more out there. I'll be vacuum-sealing a LOT this fall.

Happily, I connected with one of the loggers while Kylee and I hiked out to the main road. YES! Tomorrow...or the next day...they're going to come and "free of charge" chop down a tree that has been shading my kennel garden and threatening my house, should there be a major storm...and we have a few here at The Lake.

Meanwhile...I'm tired....really tired...and with so much to do in the coming days, exhaustion will end up being a normal part of my life.

Random Quote of the Day

Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.

- Will Rogers (1879 - 1935)

Family - 2014

90th Birthday- Take Two

Clue on the Deck - Vintage

Making MarVite Toast

Sharing Data

So many memories that I need to store up for the future. *sigh* I had a wonderful visit with my brother this summer. How wonderful that we once again were able to get together as a family. Seven years ago, we took a similar family picture. It was a mixed emotional "bag". The situation with my brother and his family is heart-breaking. Prayers? God? Please? As I write this, I can hardly breath from the pain and tears that are heavy in my heart....and I remember the promise that I'd see in past photos taken of my brother's children....before they were struck with this awful genetic degenerative disease that has challenged their faith. And now, my folks are in the twilight of their lives. Well, heck....I'M in the twilight of my life!

Happy Birthday HTP!

Word of the Day

Ima - I am going to.

Woodtick Count - 8

Canning has started. I've canned five quarts of tomatoes so far. Three quarts, yesterday, two quarts, today. I've got more tomatoes ripening in a box on the top of my kitchen table...which...I'll have to move before Willie gets here on Monday. I'm hosting the Welcome to The Lake dinner on Monday night. Steaks on the grill, Caprese salad, fresh sliced tomatoes, home-grown potatoes (yes, my purple potatoes will be on the menu), and...I'm thinking about making a lemon meringue pie. However, it's been so humid that...NOT the best weather to make a meringue pie. Heck, I haven't even been able to pick my raspberries. I'm still hoping to pick enough so I can at least make one batch of raspberry jam. *sigh* So far?...not happening.

I've been exercising like crazy but....I've also been giving into my popcorn craving. I weighed myself after my aerobic exercise this morning (OK...given that it was a LOT later than I normally weigh myself, so that may figure into it) but....I'm NOT losing weight. My fault. I really have been CRAVING popcorn...with BUTTER! ACK!

I won't be exercising tomorrow...well...if the weather allows and if JC's doctor appointment that he went to today ends up encouraging....I'll be taking BW Babe to the Rutabaga Festival tomorrow which would mean a LOT of walking...exercise.

The weather has been "Soft". Icky! However, the table that my Mr. Fix-It helped me install out on the deck is LOCKED into the deck right now...versus...wobbly. Apparently, all we needed was a LOT of rain to help swell the wood. Happy. I went out on the deck tonight to sit on my rocking chair with my nightly glass of wine and...aside from the fact that I need to sweep (hail storm), and aside from the fact that I had to put my homemade "sit upon" cushions on the rocking chair so I wouldn't end up with a wet butt...it was nice. Yes,....the weather is definitely "soft". Hazy. HUMID.

It was HTP's birthday yesterday. I feel horrible that I wasn't back in Arizona to help him celebrate. However, I felt really happy that Sarge sent a special present to HTP at his work. Of course, if I'd done that, HTP would have been majorly unhappy. Last year, I sent him a canister of caramel corn. He thanked me but...told me never to do that again. I sent him a card. But...*sigh* I wish HTP was here. I wish I was there. I wish we were together. I HATE that he can only be here for a couple of weeks during the summer. I HATE the fact that health insurance costs are the cause of this. I WISH that HTP loved it up here a The Lake like I do. More guilt? I didn't call him yesterday. I emailed him but....the time difference makes phone calls a bit miserable.

I bottled and labeled my red wine. 27 bottles of Eclipse Cabernet Sauvignon. I also re-bottled a couple bottles of the Coastal White that I'd bottled earlier in the month. It really helped clear it out. I'll have to do that if I plan to gift it to someone who doesn't understand "decanting". I'd planned to gift a couple bottles of each of my wines to HTP's cousin. However, despite the fact that he told me that his son would contact me....it hasn't happened. No matter, I'll gift the bottles to my brother. I'd rather gift them to my brother anyway.

Did I tell you that I burned the heck our of my little toe? I dripped some molten hot fudge sauce on it which only goes to show you that...I shouldn't have been treating myself to a hot fudge sundae. No wonder that I'm not losing any weight. Anyway, on Day 3...my toe has a HUGE blister on it...not yet popped. Yucko!

Random Quote of the Day

The squeaking wheel doesn't always get the grease. Sometimes it gets replaced.

- Vic Gold

Hail! - OK...not the best picture but....Hail!

Word of the Day

Habitosis - A disease affecting those who continually form habits out of every aspect of their life; the condition of making every action into a habit.

Woodtick Count - 8


Habit.... It's Tuesday, therefore, it's laundry day. I have my reasons which I've discussed in previous posts. Good habits are easy to break, bad habits...not so much. In my humble opinion, my habit of doing laundry on Tuesdays is a good habit which I NEED to maintain. I've already had problems maintaining other good habits....blogging, exercising....

No...I did NOT exercise today but after the day I put in, I can honestly say, I've had PLENTY of exercise. Aside from laundry day which requires several trips up and down stairs, I went down to the dock...more upstairs and downstairs and up and down hill, to bail and bilge the boats. We had 2 inches of rain yesterday...but, it was probably more because it's hard to measure hail. Yes, we got hail. I noted, immediately, that the water in the rowboat was up to the bottom of the seats. ACK! LOTS of rain! I set IT to work. "IT" is my portable bilge pump. LOVE IT! IT immediately went to work pumping water out of the rowboat. Then...I stepped into the big boat and pushed the switches and....nothing...nada...no response. *sigh* NOT GOOD! I checked to make sure that the batteries were good. As far as I could tell...they were. UP hill and UP stairs to call the people who help me with the boat. Yes, #1 Son probably could have fixed the problem. Yes, HTP probably could have fixed the problem. Me? Not so much. There was water pooling around BOTH the marine batteries. NOT good. I had visions of the boat, sinking. NOT GOOD! I RAN up the hill and up the stairs to call "Seasonal Toys". Thankfully, "Mike" took pity on my and...hey...it isn't high season out here at The Lake...and he came out to take a look. After a lot of checking this and that, he determined that our bilge pump had bitten the dust. Croaked. Ceased to be. Not only did it "ceased to be" it took a fuse when it went to "The Great Beyond".
The new bilge pump worked great and the big boat has been bilged. Done and did.

The hail really made a mess of the plants on my deck. I've got mashed basil and lettuce. I had to pick up LOTS of green cherry and plum tomatoes that were knocked off their stems. I haven't even started to barely think about cleaning up the mess. Meanwhile, Stan the Man, is currently mowing my lawn, removing all evidence of fallen leaf debris that the hail deposited on my lawn.

I'm tired. I still need to see if I can destroy the ground wasp nest that was created in my big boat. WTF?! I need to refill the hummingbird feeders...again. And...even though I brought empty wine bottles up from the basement, I still need to sterilize them and then...bottle the red wine that is waiting to be bottled. Oh...and I need to can tomatoes and make salsa. And...I need to pick raspberries. Why can't I find the energy to do everything that I need to do?

My brother is going to be coming next week. I am sooo looking forward to seeing him and catching up...even though he is LIBERAL.

Random Quote of the Day

Sometimes in life you don't always feel like a winner, but that doesn't mean you're not a winner.

- Lady Gaga (1986 - ), Ellen Degeneres Show, 09-08-09

"Lasagna"

Cooked Lasagna

Dinner

Word of the Day

Gleak - 1. A fountain of saliva which spurts out of the mouth in large droplets. 2. When a person extends the muscles in their mouth in such a way as to send a minimal amount of watery saliva a great distance.

I try to pick my zucchini before they turn into logs but, sadly, there's always at least one that hide and get away from me. At that point, I have to figure out what to do with them...other than burn them in the fireplace or leaving them by some unsuspecting neighbor's front door. Ma would frown upon such an action. BW Babe and I both suffer from this particular Ma Guilt. I mean...normal people...would just throw the dang thing away. However, if I'd thrown the darn thing away, I would never have enjoyed my wonderful noodle-less lasagna last night. Using a combination of several recipes, I thinly sliced my zucchini log. Dipping each slice in a bowl of beaten eggs, I covered each slice with a combination of Panko crumbs and dried garlic. I ended up with two large sheet pans of slices. I baked these for 15 minutes at 400 degrees...flipped...and then 15 more minutes. These, I used as my noodles for "lasagna". Then, dragging out my Betty Crocker Cookbook, I followed the recipe that I've used for years....kinda. I used hamburger for the meat. I used jarred spaghetti sauce instead of taking the time, I used cottage cheese AND ricotta cheese. I used fresh minced parsley. I used Romano cheese instead of Parmesan, and I topped it all with mozzarella and freshly minced basil. Totally wonderful!

With the aroma of homemade "lasagna" still lingering when I woke up this morning (Eau Di Garlique), I decided to pick my maturing peppers....both Anaheim chili peppers and the Italian peppers from the plants that I'd purchased from Burpee, thus giving my plants more strength to keep producing. I cleaned, minced, and froze the Anaheim chili peppers. The Italian peppers? I cooked them up using the "recipe" that I got from HTP's Mom....she had two "recipes" but, my favorite was the one with tomato. I had so many peppers, that I ended up frying up three batches. Recipe? Well...it's hard to actually pin this down to a recipe card type thing. One large onion, chopped in hunks, an equal amount of Italian peppers, chopped in "hunks", three or four large cloves of garlic, minced. Fry the bunch in a pan with olive oil and garlic salt to taste until most of the juice is gone (REALLY wilted and COOKED), then, add about a half small can of tomato paste. Done. Repeat. Actually, for the last two batches, I diced up some of the tomatoes that the squirrels munched on. Hey! I cut off the munched on portions! It's another Ma Guilt thing. They were really nice and large tomatoes that I just couldn't bring myself to waste...unlike the nasty squirrels who seem to only want to take a couple of bites before tossing said tomatoes aside. Grrrrr!!!!

I've set traps for the squirrels but...so far...no takers. Meanwhile, I've had continuing problems with them munching on my tomatoes AND my jalapenos. *sigh* I guess treating my plants with cayenne pepper won't work.

Random Quote of the Day

Comedy is nothing more than tragedy deferred.

- Pico Iyer

Rest in Peace Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951 – August 11, 2014)- You made us all laugh but... all I can think of is the lyrics of Smoky Robinson's song..."the tears of a clown,
when there's no one around."

Boiling Up my First Potatoes of the Season

Word of the Day

Flavorite - Referring to a flavor that is preferred above all others.


Woodtick Count - 8


I dug a hill of each of the types of potato that I planted this spring. With the plants dying back and drying....it's time to dig and enjoy. I plan to steam some of them up today and then add them to a bacon, sweet sour sauce...my own version of German potato salad.

Willie emailed a couple of days ago to let BW Babe and I that he'd be coming to visit us the last week of August. We're hoping that we can all go out fishing again. I'm glad he's going to be here for more than a couple of days this time. BW Babe and I are already planning for his visit. We'll have to have one family meal for when he's here.

In the meantime, I promised one of HTP's cousins that I'd get him some of the wine that I've bottled. I'm going to try to connect with his son during the Rutabaga Festival in Cumberland next Thursday. I'll have to call the guy. I "think" I met this kid (no longer a kid) while HTP and I and our kids were visiting Disneyland...I think.

I got my hair dyed and cut yesterday. ACK!!!! She REALLY dyed my hair dark this time. I KNOW that it'll fade out but I manage to startle myself every time I look in the mirror. I also stopped by to see my folks to give them some of my tomatoes. Yes, they were startled too at how dark my hair ended up. ACK!!!

***

BW Babe and JC stopped by to pick up some of my ripe tomatoes and some of my eggplant. I also gave them some of my newly dug potatoes. Before they left, they also tried a bite of my German potato salad. It turned out so yummy! I steamed the potatoes before throwing them into a sauce (recipe in my Betty Crocker cookbook). I was going to wait until dinner to enjoy the potato salad but I just couldn't wait. I had an early dinner 3:30 PM of German potato salad and then popped up some popcorn to enjoy with a glass of red wine for a snack at around 5:30 PM. Since I never got much exercise today...I cut back on calories.

Random Quote of the Day

Nothing contributes so much to tranquilizing the mind as a steady purpose - a point on which the soul may fix its intellectual eye.

-Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (1797 - 1851)