A few random pictures

from a walk around DTY's yard and garden.

 

Not so Random pictures

of something I have finished lately. Number 9 of 12, hanging out on the rosemary bush in DTY's back yard.

 

These are for me, made from the Hacho yarn gifted by Gaylen. The extra cool thing is that as of noonish tomorrow, she will no longer be a "pretend friend living in my computer" as I am taking Amtrak up to see her, JB, and her pack for an overnight! I am very excited to get to meet her in person! We are planning on hitting a yarn store or two for some funny reason, and I believe I get to see an apron in action (as well as kiss all the dogs on the nose for Chan).

Hubband reported in that Friday's CSA was wonderful (salad mix, fennel, escarole, beets, rainbow chard and a bunch of sweet cherries); though perhaps more than he could eat all by himself in a week, so he shared with some friends, but has promised to put cherries in the freezer for me.
On the gardening front, he harvested the two cucumbers we had that were getting big, but says there are plenty more coming on for when I get home. I think he should have a couple of peas ready soon and he had started harvesting chilies before I left (I know those will continue until frost sets in). Apparently hen he was watering the flower bags yesterday (which involves taking them down off the post and putting them in a bucket of water) he discovered a frog that had decided that was a good place to hang out. The big question is "How did it get up there?" He did inform me that by the time he got back with the camera, the frog had left. Sad that, but maybe it will be back for a second chance.

(More) Random pictures

(this time) of our deck and gardens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Random pictures

from our northern vacation "to The Lake" last weekend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rather different than the last time or two I walked around there.

Tuesday's rides were uneventful,

which is always a good thing when it involves driving to the airport, catching a plane to one place and then a second plane to your finial destination. Well, the final city anyway; DTY met me at the airport and then we took MAX and a bus to her place. I love public transportation in cities that believe in it!
Today we walked to her school and I was able to meet the director of the place where her work study job is, and and see the spot where her SRO license certificate will hang (as well as the current RO one in place). I also got to help her with one of the weekly duties there that involves safe trash disposal. (No pictures there, but she said we might be able to get some later, if cameras are allowed.)
So far vacation is wonderful!

Since at least one of you

out there has reported starting to go into "Oribel Withdrawal," and I would not particularly want to be responsible for that, I have some new pictures for you. (Though if the withdrawal got really bad, one could just look at old pictures of her, clear back to when she was a wee small baby. I suppose I am responsible for any addictions out there to pictures of and stories about her.....)
One of her favorite places to sleep is on the ironing board. Well, on one that is set up in the kitchen so that it has a view that is. It makes it really easy to just turn one's head to see if there are any birds or other creatures in her yard. She has also been known to reach down and pet the dog sleeping on the pillow under her. (Happy late Whiskers on Wednesday!)

 

Inquiring minds want to know

if I share my granola recipe; I think it has something to do with sending it in a couple of packages as well with the Mission Trip folks from church. The answer is, "Yes, I do." In the interest of sharing it with several people and in a timely manner, given that I am leaving town tomorrow for the weekend, then leaving for ten days on Tuesday, I am going to go ahead and give it to you without "cooking photos." If you all really want them, let me know and I'll have a "redo" in a couple of weeks.

Granola (Pretty much how I got it from my oldest brother years ago.)

Mix together in a large bowl:
6 cups oatmeal (can be either old-fashioned or quick or a mix)
1/2 c brown sugar
3/4 c raw wheat germ
1/4 c (white) sesame seeds (optional)
1/2 cup coconut (optional, I use the unsweetened kind)
1 c chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds, whatever you prefer)
1/2 c non-fat dry milk (in the original recipe, but I don't use it anymore and don't notice the difference)
1 tsp (+) cinnamon
1/2 tsp (+) nutmeg

Mix in a 2 cup glass measuring cup:
2/3 c honey
1/2 c vegetable oil
2 TBS water
1 1/2 to 2 tsp vanilla
Heat for about 1 minute on high in microwave, stir, and pour over oat mixture. Mix well and spread out on two cookie sheets or one large roaster. Bake at 300 for 25-35 minutes or until toasted to your preference, stirring several times during baking. Remove from oven and add 1 cup (+) raisins and let cool. Break up lumps if desired. Store in airtight container.

Variation:
Sub real maple syrup for honey and Mapaline flavor for vanilla (I use pecans when I do this one).
Other dried fruit (cranberries, blueberries, etc.) can be used as desired; pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, as well, but you may want to reduce the other nuts if you do.

(The original recipe also had 1/2 cup dry milk in it, and I used to put it in, but haven't for a couple of years and no one around here seems to have noticed.)

A little of this, and a bit of that.

Last Friday's CSA included escarole, salad mix, sugar snap peas, fennel, arugula, purple scallions. It was also our first week of fruit; I knew we were getting blueberries, but I have to admit to being surprised that it was a full twelve pints of them! DTY sounded very jealous of all the blueberries and I am sure she wishes there was a way I could bring some to her next week when I go out to visit her, but I just can't see how they would survive the trip stuffed in my suitcase. I promised to get her some at the store instead and I think she'll manage with that solution. So far blueberries have been consumed all by themselves, in mixed greens salad, on homemade granola, on Cheerios, and in pie. If there are any left in a day or so they will probably end up in the freezer.
My first foray with fennel last week was to slice it thickly, coat lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with balsamic vinegar, and then roast on a cookie sheet until tender. (I could have done it on the grill, but decided to forgo the lighting of charcoal for just that.) I had been a bit unsure about it, since it tastes kind of like anise/licorice, but it was totally transformed with cooking! This week we sliced it thinly and sautéd it until tender, then tossed in the head of escarole that had been separated into leaves with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar for a wilted salad. That was also very yum, and Hubband and I both enjoyed the opportunity to try some new food stuffs we have never had before. The arugula has also proven to be tasty, despite my original concerns about the "peppery" taste. (Well, that and the fact that my oldest brother said he didn't particularly care for it. I worry if there is a green leafy food that he doesn't like; it might be dangerous. He has been accused of being part to mostly rabbit by several people.)

 

In the knitting department, I have finished a market bag, which holds a lot of groceries. (I have a five pound bag of flour, a quart of half and half, a pint of cream, and several other things in there, as well as room left over for more stuff if I wanted.) I have also made significant progress on the second Dr. Who Scarf I wave been plugging away at, and another pair of socks about half way done. I hope to have the scarf done before I leave for Portland on Tuesday, but if it isn't, it will be staying home. I will be taking the socks if they aren't done, as well as several other pairs to work on. I am sure there will be a couple of balls of yarn for dishcloths in my bag as well, just in case.

 

I have been doing some more sewing and have finally gotten something made for Hubband. He gets to have my first two zippers on the new machine! This one is the bigger one of the two, at about 7" high and 5" wide;

 

and this one is about 5" high by 4" wide. I was happy with the way they came out and hoped they would be useful to him. He is thrilled with them and that they can clip onto his bag or wherever else he wants. (The clip isn't really visible in the picture, but it is on the loop.)

So, after over

seven months, it is finally over. A legal and legitimate process that all parties involved had the right to pursue, has finally come to a conclusion. I am glad it is over, I am impressed with the way it has been handled and the things that the state has learned along the way. I am glad that some rules and regulations are being reviewed and that some will probably be changed. That is all there is to say about that.

Well, that was exhausting.

This morning I had to go outside to do a little bit of plant management. I had more to do, but after tending to the ones out front I had to come in and rest up before I could deal with the ones on the deck. Seriously, I was probably only outside for about ten minutes and I had to just come in and flop! I was hauling about buckets of water and some wet plants, but I do that several times a week so it shouldn't be that big of a deal.

 

Why was I so exhausted after such a normal amount of activity? This is why (sorry it is tiny and hard to read, I used my snipping tool but it will improve with clicking).



We had all kinds of heat advisories all day to stay inside in air conditioned buildings, go to public places if you don't have AC and you are elderly, young; heck, just alive.

 

Later on, after I had rested up and drank a glass of water and at least one of ice tea, I went out and tended to the million sixty-six plants on the deck.

 

 

It had actually cooled down a little by then, it was only 91° and "RealFeel" of 104°. Trust me, even that little bit was better.

But by about five thirty this evening we had a major improvement with some wind and stuff.


It went back up to 80° for a bit but has stayed nice and is back down to 77°; I can have the AC off and the door open. The animals are all happy because they can go out and hang out on the deck, which is where I am headed right now.