First off, my camera or computer won't download my pictures again, so sorry-=I had pictures for this blog that were really cute!
Well--last month I spent over $100 on cat food and we have two fairly small cats! So, you might ask, "why do they eat so much?" I can tell you that if I only fed 2 cats, I could get by on about $24 a month. But, living somewhat in the country, I feed cats and an assorment of critters. We have fed in the garage, but we have about 6 stray cats on our property and so I started feeding them in the mud room--leaving the door open during the day so they can eat. Our traditional critters have been magpies, racoons, mice and stray cats.
Anyway, we came home from the 480 2 nights ago right after it turned dark, and went in through the mud room. Unknown to us, we both walked right by a new critter. Lola was acting strangely, but being tired, I dragged her into the house. Lola and I went in the house and Ron came in last. I heard him yell for me to come see, and a critter was just exiting the mud room. I missed it. So, I went into the house and a few minutes later the phone rang--it was Ron. He said, "Get your camera and look out the window and try to get a picture of the new critter eating the cat food." So, I grabbed my camera, looked out and saw a SKUNK in the mudroom. I opened the door a crack and stuck my arm out only far enough to click the camera. It captured the tail in the picture. Ron started to come out of the office, thinking it would run, but it didn't. Hunter was sitting 4 feet away--by the chair, watching it eat. Again, I opened the door a crack to try to get another picture. Lola was in a tizzy and litterally pushed me out of the way and dashed out the door into the mudroom! So, scene: Running out of the mudroom was a skunk, followed closely by 2 cats, followed closely by LOLA! I thought I would never see Lola again as she raced into the dark night in hot persuit of a skunk! And, I feared, if I did see her she would likely smell very bad!
but, she did come back about 10 minutes later, feeling very proud of herself indeed! And, lucky for her and the rest of us, she didn't get sprayed!
The next morning, Ron said he laid awake about 2 hours thinking of what could have happened if the skunk would have sprayed in the mudroom--us, the cats, or Lola. Or, Lola the mighty chaser, or the cats in the garage! All kinds of interesting possibilities there! So, now we close the mudroom door as soon as it starts to get dark and hope we don't see that skunk again! But--everytime we have to be gone, we feed the cats (and the critters ) in the garage! We'll hope for the best! Ahhh, country living!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
All is Safely Gathered in, er the winter storms begin
Well--These pictures are really out of order--still haven't figured that out! Anyway, A couple of weeks ago (when I was younger), in a weak moment I bought 2 boxes of pears for canning! So, the day finally came when I was exhausted from walking 5km the previous Saturday! Lola (who I am babysitting for Krissy) even thought I was crazy!
I started early in the day, but by dinner time (actually way after dinner time) Lola is beginning to wonder if anyone is getting any dinner!
Actually, Ron was wondering the same thing!
. . .It just so happened that in the beginning Ron pealed several bowls of pears, but after the first 7 quarts he gave up and headed for a less messy task. If he wanted dinner on time, he just should have pealed a few more pears!
The result of the hard work was 24 quarts of pears! Here's part of them. . .+
Just when I was finishing, Shannon appeared on the doorstep with a box of apples for me--good for cooking, canning, freezing, but not real tasty for eating! Now, I have to ask myself. . .do I want to cook, can or freeze this hugh box of apples, Well, maybe. . .on the other hand those horses at the cemetary are looking mighty hungry lately!
Notice in the background, Lola's still wondering if I'm crazy!
I guess it was all worth it--ask me tomorrow after I wake up fresh!Saturday, September 13, 2008
Crater Lake
Of course, the mountain in the lake is always the focus of attention, and a picture can't capture its beauty!
It was cold--40 degrees! and in August! The lake is such a pretty blue color. (actually, the lake isn't blue, it's clear, but the reflection is blue because the atmosphere filters out all the other colors! : )
Beautiful girl in a beautiful picture!
This scene speaks for itself!
When we were in Roseburg, we took Trampis and Ella to see Crater Lake. Now matter how many times you go, it is always awesome! We all enjoyed the trip. (I'll have to remember the first picture I download becomes the last on the blog!)
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Exhusting but Fun!
This is the very festive dessert table, it was very nice, suggested by Gwen and created by Krissy and Diane Winkle. 
Ron is unveiling the famous Huckleberry ice cream to top off the dessert table. It's always a hit!Here I am in the kitchen proping myself up after the big dinner! I was exhausted, and if dad and Krissy hadn't helped me, I never could have finished the job! Thanks Dad and Krissy. It was a big success and had LOTS of compliments.
Friday, September 5, 2008
You Have to Have a Sense of Humor
Well, a short time ago (when I was younger) I agreed to cook the dinner for the class reunion., I was thinking around 100 people--that's like the familyl Christmas Dinner--ok. Well, it turns out, we are looking at 150! They want BBQ beef and a buffet.
Well, as time goes on (the event is tomorrow night), I have decided to do this you need: A vision and the ability to be flexible, the ability not to panic, and a sense of humor!
So, I started a month ago on the BBQ beef, cooking 6 reasonable sized roasts a day for 6 days! I cut them up, put BBQ sauce on them and inserted them in the freezer! Then my vision: could I visualize them cooking in my two table top cookers with rusty lids? Absolutely not. So I went to every store in town looking for table top cookers--none to be found. I looked in every store in Roseburg (where I was watching Trampis and Ella for a few days)--none to be found. So, coming home, we stopped in The Dalles for dinner and stopped at BiMart-Yes! We bought two. Now, as I began to think about it, how am I going to cook potatoes and ham? How many cookers do I need? Well, for 150 I need one more plus 2 ovens (which they have at the 4-H center). Great! Wait a minute, how many plugs do they have out there? Will that many plug ins cause a fuse to break? Well, I'll find out tomorrow! Like I said, you have to be able not to panic.
So, on to the salads--A green salad bar with things to put on the green salad. So, what does a salad bar have? Lettuce, with grated carrots and purple cabbage to start, On the side: eggs, cheese, onion, cucumbers, coleslaw, potato salad, some sort of pasta salad, broccoli. etc. So, here's the deal on salad: I ended up with all of the above--but for 150: A large coleslaw, potato salad, broccoli salad, pasta salad. Whew, almost done, then here comes dad: "Aren't you having fruit salad? Why did we buy canned pineapple if you aren't going to have a fruit salad. I think you need fruit salad with ham! So, add a fruit salad, and oh, yeah, I forgot the cottage cheese salad! Like I said, you need to be flexible.
On to breads: I hired Shannon and Cristine to each make 9 dozen rolls. Then Cristine is diagnosed with cancer and can't do the rolls! So, I decide to do a variety of breads. In my freezer, I had friendship bread and chocolate bread , so I made banana bread and pork and bean bread. Well, I snuck that one in because you have to have a sense of humor! (new recipe, delicious!). Then, I got out the cookbook and looked for recipes of French bread. So I made 8 loaves of braided french bread (new recipe and new braid technique I'd never tried before! I might as well have a little fun with this dinner while I'm trying not to panic.) The last batch, though was a little stiff--must not have got the right amount of water in it. I'll just attach a sign, "Eat this last, it's a little stiff". 68-year-olds would understand that, don't you think? And, oh, yeah, I'll pick up Shannon's bread Friday or Saturday, she didn't know!
That puts us at desserts. Two weeks ago I made, Rolo cookies (new recipe), shortbread rasberry cookies, chocolate chip-carmel cookies, and maple-vanilla drop cookies (new recipe). I forgot to mention that part of my vision is the opportunity to be adventuresome. So, yesterday, I made 3 peach/pineapple crisps. (new recipe that I made up) Then, I was going to make 3 German Chocolate and 3 Carrot cakes, but got to thinking--those are 3 layer cakes, so why don't I make two of each, but make them two layer cakes and then I'd have 3 two layer cakes instead of 2 2-layer cakes. In other words, I'd have 3 two-thirds cakes instead of 2 three-thirds cakes, which would look like I worked hard enough to have 3 cakes when I only worked hard enough for 2 cakes! Now, hows that for answering those students questions "When am I every going to use math?" so, I made a carrot cake with nuts and raisens and one without. Bu t, wait, that means I'll have on 2/3 carrot cake with raisens and nuts, and one 2/3 cake without, but what about the other 2/3 cake. Ok, half and half one layer with raisens and nuts and one without. but, when it came time to put them together and frost them, I couldn't remember which layer had what so . . . So, I'll just put up a sign. "If you don't like what's in your cake, pick it out and get on with your life" A room full of 68-year year olds would understand that, don't you think? Like I said, you have to have a sense of humor! Well, the GC cakes were another story, The first batch went fine, except one layer tore apart pretty badly when it came out of the no-stick pan (where it was stuck) The second batch got safely into the oven, looking a little runny, when I looked over and saw the 2 cubes of butter sitting on the counter. So, I snatched them out of the oven, poured them back in the mixer and added the butter, then returned them to the pans and the oven For some reason, when they cooked, they cooked really lop-sided and when they came out of the pan, two of them stuck and tore. (in my new no-stick pans) Well, with my ab ility not to panic and my vision of 3 2/3 cakes, I thought, "Ill just patch them together the best I can, and if I can't, I'll ship the pieces to Randy--he'll eat them! Thank goodness the frosting makes a good glue, and I could piece them together with the glue. The low side of one of the two layers matched with the high side of the other so that worked! That one's a little crooked, but I'll attach a sign, "If you don't like crooked cake, just eat something else," I think a room full of 68 year olds would understand that, don't you? Like I said, you need a sense of humor to do this job!
Now getting it all there.... Wish me luck. One things for sure, I'm really glad I have 2 extra refrigerators and 2 freezers! I'm exhaused and may go home after I get that food on the table! I think a room full of 68-year olds would understand that, don't you!
Oh, no, I just thought...how am I going to keep everything hot so no one will get food poisioning, or cold for that matter???? Like I said, I have the ability not to panic. . . . maybe!
Well, as time goes on (the event is tomorrow night), I have decided to do this you need: A vision and the ability to be flexible, the ability not to panic, and a sense of humor!
So, I started a month ago on the BBQ beef, cooking 6 reasonable sized roasts a day for 6 days! I cut them up, put BBQ sauce on them and inserted them in the freezer! Then my vision: could I visualize them cooking in my two table top cookers with rusty lids? Absolutely not. So I went to every store in town looking for table top cookers--none to be found. I looked in every store in Roseburg (where I was watching Trampis and Ella for a few days)--none to be found. So, coming home, we stopped in The Dalles for dinner and stopped at BiMart-Yes! We bought two. Now, as I began to think about it, how am I going to cook potatoes and ham? How many cookers do I need? Well, for 150 I need one more plus 2 ovens (which they have at the 4-H center). Great! Wait a minute, how many plugs do they have out there? Will that many plug ins cause a fuse to break? Well, I'll find out tomorrow! Like I said, you have to be able not to panic.
So, on to the salads--A green salad bar with things to put on the green salad. So, what does a salad bar have? Lettuce, with grated carrots and purple cabbage to start, On the side: eggs, cheese, onion, cucumbers, coleslaw, potato salad, some sort of pasta salad, broccoli. etc. So, here's the deal on salad: I ended up with all of the above--but for 150: A large coleslaw, potato salad, broccoli salad, pasta salad. Whew, almost done, then here comes dad: "Aren't you having fruit salad? Why did we buy canned pineapple if you aren't going to have a fruit salad. I think you need fruit salad with ham! So, add a fruit salad, and oh, yeah, I forgot the cottage cheese salad! Like I said, you need to be flexible.
On to breads: I hired Shannon and Cristine to each make 9 dozen rolls. Then Cristine is diagnosed with cancer and can't do the rolls! So, I decide to do a variety of breads. In my freezer, I had friendship bread and chocolate bread , so I made banana bread and pork and bean bread. Well, I snuck that one in because you have to have a sense of humor! (new recipe, delicious!). Then, I got out the cookbook and looked for recipes of French bread. So I made 8 loaves of braided french bread (new recipe and new braid technique I'd never tried before! I might as well have a little fun with this dinner while I'm trying not to panic.) The last batch, though was a little stiff--must not have got the right amount of water in it. I'll just attach a sign, "Eat this last, it's a little stiff". 68-year-olds would understand that, don't you think? And, oh, yeah, I'll pick up Shannon's bread Friday or Saturday, she didn't know!
That puts us at desserts. Two weeks ago I made, Rolo cookies (new recipe), shortbread rasberry cookies, chocolate chip-carmel cookies, and maple-vanilla drop cookies (new recipe). I forgot to mention that part of my vision is the opportunity to be adventuresome. So, yesterday, I made 3 peach/pineapple crisps. (new recipe that I made up) Then, I was going to make 3 German Chocolate and 3 Carrot cakes, but got to thinking--those are 3 layer cakes, so why don't I make two of each, but make them two layer cakes and then I'd have 3 two layer cakes instead of 2 2-layer cakes. In other words, I'd have 3 two-thirds cakes instead of 2 three-thirds cakes, which would look like I worked hard enough to have 3 cakes when I only worked hard enough for 2 cakes! Now, hows that for answering those students questions "When am I every going to use math?" so, I made a carrot cake with nuts and raisens and one without. Bu t, wait, that means I'll have on 2/3 carrot cake with raisens and nuts, and one 2/3 cake without, but what about the other 2/3 cake. Ok, half and half one layer with raisens and nuts and one without. but, when it came time to put them together and frost them, I couldn't remember which layer had what so . . . So, I'll just put up a sign. "If you don't like what's in your cake, pick it out and get on with your life" A room full of 68-year year olds would understand that, don't you think? Like I said, you have to have a sense of humor! Well, the GC cakes were another story, The first batch went fine, except one layer tore apart pretty badly when it came out of the no-stick pan (where it was stuck) The second batch got safely into the oven, looking a little runny, when I looked over and saw the 2 cubes of butter sitting on the counter. So, I snatched them out of the oven, poured them back in the mixer and added the butter, then returned them to the pans and the oven For some reason, when they cooked, they cooked really lop-sided and when they came out of the pan, two of them stuck and tore. (in my new no-stick pans) Well, with my ab ility not to panic and my vision of 3 2/3 cakes, I thought, "Ill just patch them together the best I can, and if I can't, I'll ship the pieces to Randy--he'll eat them! Thank goodness the frosting makes a good glue, and I could piece them together with the glue. The low side of one of the two layers matched with the high side of the other so that worked! That one's a little crooked, but I'll attach a sign, "If you don't like crooked cake, just eat something else," I think a room full of 68 year olds would understand that, don't you? Like I said, you need a sense of humor to do this job!
Now getting it all there.... Wish me luck. One things for sure, I'm really glad I have 2 extra refrigerators and 2 freezers! I'm exhaused and may go home after I get that food on the table! I think a room full of 68-year olds would understand that, don't you!
Oh, no, I just thought...how am I going to keep everything hot so no one will get food poisioning, or cold for that matter???? Like I said, I have the ability not to panic. . . . maybe!
Monday, September 1, 2008
You're a Redneck If. . .
You're a Redneck If. . .
You Drive 35 miles into the mountains to lock two gates that are miles from anyone. . .
You're a Redneck If. . .
You pick up KFC for a picnic when you get there. . .
You're a Redneck If. . .
You set up two lawn chairs side by side across from the last gate in Billy's pasture for your picnic. . .
You're a Redneck If. . .
You are quickly surrounded by 15 of Billy's cows, one of which is standing 5 feet away staring at you and you just sit happily eating your KFC. . .
You're a Redneck If. . .
You look up and see a pickup approaching--and Lo and Behold, you know the people who are in it! (Jennie's Husband, Joe and his dad (I'll call him Ken). . .
You're a Redneck If. . .
You keep right on eating while visitors stand talking surrounded by 15 cows, one of which is standing 5 feet away staring at you. . .
You're a Redneck If. . .
You drop a bite of coleslaw down the front of you while you are eating and visiting surrounded by 15 cows, one of which is standing 5 feet away staring at you. . .
You're a Redneck If. . .
Your husband is happily chatting with Ken about who lived where and when. And you find out he is looking for the graves of his ancestors buried somewhere around here, and, yes the male Redneck knows where they are buried!. . .
You're a Redneck If. . .
You finish your picnic and your visit and you load up to leave still surrounded by 15 cows, one of which is standing 5 feet away staring at you. . .
You're a Redneck If. . ,.
You spend the last 45 minutes of daylight looking for the graves of ancestors of Ken who you don't know. . .
You're a Redneck If. . .
You can't figure out how to download your pictures to illustrate your story of a visit during a picnic while in the woods locking gates miles from nowhere surrounded by 15 cows, one of which is standing 5 feet away staring at you!!
You Drive 35 miles into the mountains to lock two gates that are miles from anyone. . .
You're a Redneck If. . .
You pick up KFC for a picnic when you get there. . .
You're a Redneck If. . .
You set up two lawn chairs side by side across from the last gate in Billy's pasture for your picnic. . .
You're a Redneck If. . .
You are quickly surrounded by 15 of Billy's cows, one of which is standing 5 feet away staring at you and you just sit happily eating your KFC. . .
You're a Redneck If. . .
You look up and see a pickup approaching--and Lo and Behold, you know the people who are in it! (Jennie's Husband, Joe and his dad (I'll call him Ken). . .
You're a Redneck If. . .
You keep right on eating while visitors stand talking surrounded by 15 cows, one of which is standing 5 feet away staring at you. . .
You're a Redneck If. . .
You drop a bite of coleslaw down the front of you while you are eating and visiting surrounded by 15 cows, one of which is standing 5 feet away staring at you. . .
You're a Redneck If. . .
Your husband is happily chatting with Ken about who lived where and when. And you find out he is looking for the graves of his ancestors buried somewhere around here, and, yes the male Redneck knows where they are buried!. . .
You're a Redneck If. . .
You finish your picnic and your visit and you load up to leave still surrounded by 15 cows, one of which is standing 5 feet away staring at you. . .
You're a Redneck If. . ,.
You spend the last 45 minutes of daylight looking for the graves of ancestors of Ken who you don't know. . .
You're a Redneck If. . .
You can't figure out how to download your pictures to illustrate your story of a visit during a picnic while in the woods locking gates miles from nowhere surrounded by 15 cows, one of which is standing 5 feet away staring at you!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
