Hunting Wabbits!

Just when I think Babs is getting dementia, she does something normal.  She was hunting wabbits!

I started watching her on the deck.  She had her nose down to the wood, and she began scratching at the slats.  I went out to see what was there, and sure enough, I could see the bunny's fur.  She would follow the scent around the deck, and when she would lose it, she would go to another place on the deck to find it.  When she would pick it up again, it was pretty obvious . . . that little tail would begin to wiggle back and forth and she would begin scratching again.

It is fun to see an old dog get enjoyment about something she used to do as a pup!

Farmers' Markets

We have several farmer's markets in town, and I usually go to the one right near my house.  I normally pick up a few tomatoes or a cucumber, maybe some meat or honey.  On occasion I might find something unusual, but I have to say I have been generally uninspired by what I find.  It just has seemed to be the same old, same old stuff.  Last Tuesday, one person had some interesting squash, but I am tired of squash, so I didn't get that either.  But I believe in buying locally when I can, so I try to support the local merchants as much as I can.

Wednesday morning, however, I went to a new Farmer's Market a few miles away.  I went because some friends of mine were displaying their produce there, and I wanted to see what they had.  And at their Verdant Farm booth, I felt like I was at a Farmer's market in California.  Not only was their produce beautiful, it was displayed attractively.  The red onions mixed in with the yellow ones, gorgeous white scallions, hearty red beets, chard . . . I wanted to take it all because it looked so appealing.

I had never bought chard before, and Dana convinced me to take it home.  It was very good, and I will buy it again.  Beets and scallions were the other two purchases of the day, and the beet soup was really good.  Don doesn't particularly like beets and beet soup isn't his favorite, but he even thought it was great.

The Mandas jumped into organic gardening a year or two ago, but last year was so hot, I only went to one farmer's market.  I saw their booth and purchased some food, but the heat sapped any energy I had for cooking, and I doubt that I paid much attention to what I was cooking.

This year, I am totally on board.  The Verdant Farm booth was a breath of fresh air.  Beautiful, tasty produce attractively displayed . . . can't beat it!  I have become their #1 fan . . . and I can't wait for next Wednesday!

You Can't Say You Saw It If You Didn't See It!

I called my brother last night and told him, "You can't say you saw it if you didn't see it."  His reply?
"I tried, but I couldn't see it."  His wife said, "What are you talking about?"

I called my sister last night and told her, "You can't say you saw it if you didn't see it."  Her reply?  "I tried, but I couldn't see it."

I called Diana last night and told her, "You can't say you saw it if you didn't see it."  Her reply?  "What are you talking about?"

It is obvious that my brother, my sister, and I were raised by a man who was very interested in astronomy.  Katie, Bart, and I all had tried to find a way to see the transit of Venus, and the mystery language I used was as clear as a bell to them.

I was sad that Diana didn't get it, but apparently I didn't do a good enough job infusing a curiosity of the stars in her.  Or it could be that she doesn't take the paper and doesn't watch the news so she wasn't as tuned in as we were.

Anyway, last night after the River Festival, Don and I drove out to Lake Afton observatory.  They had numerous telescopes set up for us amateurs to look at Venus going across the sun.  We could also see a number of sunspots on the surface of the sun.   It took us longer to get there than it did to get a viewing, but that's ok.   We can say we saw it!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Since I have been retired, I have been baking more.  I am still not very good at it, and I have a lot to learn.  But one thing I know for sure . . . there is no such thing as the perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie.  Everyone has their own preference, and what is one person's perfect cookie is another person's average one.

Cook's Illustrated published their version of the perfect chocolate chip cookie.  I have to admit it was very good, but it was a lot of work.  In order to make it perfect, the butter had to be browned, after the sugars were mixed the cook had to wait to seven minutes before mixing . . . too much work, and I didn't think they were that much better than most.

Diana thinks she makes the perfect cookie.  She never uses a mixer, preferring to do the combining and creaming by hand.  She puts in more brown sugar than most recipes require, and again, they are very good.  But I don't like to do the hand-work necessary.

I have experimented with many different recipes, and my current favorite comes right off the back of the Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Chip package.  I love the taste of the milk chocolate chips, and this particular recipe has just the right consistency and taste.  I made them last week while at the cabin, and I liked them especially up there.  I think something about the high altitude made them cook just a little differently, making them particularly crispy on the edges but chewy in the middle.  Cooking them at home makes them not quite so crispy, but I like them anyway.  And the best part?  The raw cookie dough is amazing.  And isn't that why we REALLY make chocolate chip cookies?

Wildflowers

One of my favorite walks in the Pecos is to the top of Grass Mountain.  It is a shortish hike, challenging but not too, beautiful with vistas and forest.  We were told about a new trail to the top that would eliminate the most challenging portion of the walk, so we tried it.  Amazing.  We ended up at the same place with much less stress.  If I had known about this trail when the Ramseys came to the cabin, Aubrey might not hate hiking!

Anyway, I took my wildflower guide with me, as I forget year to year what flowers I have put in it.  I am glad to say that every flower we saw on the hike was in my guide.  Made me feel really good that I had covered the majority of the flowers that bloom at this time of year.  Iris, golden banner, strawberries, Richardson geranium, groundsel, Indian paintbrush . . . and more.  I was delighted! 

The day was picture perfect.  It was cool enough for a long-sleeve shirt, but too warm for fleece.  The sky was cloudless, the wind was light, and birds were noisy . . . spectacular.  Once we got to the top of the mountain, Bart and Jerri spent a little time photographing the vistas.  Their pics are better than ours, but here's a little of what we all saw. 

The Pillars of the Earth

I am so proud of myself.  Yes, indeed.  Proud.  I just finished The Pillars of the Earth.  Now I know many of you have read it, but this is quite an accomplishment for me.  I started it last weekend . . . and here I am, done.  Mind you, Diana read it in a day . . . but I am not Diana.  And this is a miracle.

I purchased it for Di when Oprah was raving about it, and Di confirmed that it was a great book.  As a matter of fact, just last week she said it was still her favorite book . . . which is saying something, since she has read many more books than I.  Our book club decided it would be our summer read, so I determined to read it early.  So glad I did.

For the first 600 pages, I couldn't put it down.  The intricately-woven plot kept me guessing throughout, and Follett's well-drawn characters were likeable or loathsome, but never uninteresting.  The reader could not feel ambivalent about any of them, and the various mysteries surrounding them don't become totally clear until the very end.

Although the last 300 pages seemed a bit contrived and too tidy, it ended up being satisfying.   Perhaps it ended a little too perfectly, but there was plenty of imperfection in the story.  Follett certainly did study the medieval times, construction, and the church, and the history alone is worth taking the time to read.  If you haven't read it, put it on your list.  Don't let the over 900 pages scare you. Diana is right - it is a fast read.

Old School

One of the charming parts of the cabin is its "old school" attraction.  When Mom and Dad purchased it, they kept many of the older items that were in the cabin.  An old rocker, many old paperback novels, old spices, a bed, and a chest or two are just a few of the things left.

When we inherited the cabin, I didn't have the heart to dispense with most of it.  I did change some of the curtains and the sofa, but many of the old items still remain.  When getting out the wax paper, I noticed the price on the box - 29 cents.  29 cents?  Hard to imagine . . . and for some reason, Mom had bought three boxes.  So I have three boxes of 29 cent wax paper . . . and they are big rolls.  Don't think I will be buying new for a long time.

Many of the Reader's Digests are from the 50's, as are the Zane Gray novels.  And there aren't just a few!

I have seen spice boxes such as these in antique stores.

Rotary phone.  No television nor internet.  No shower - just a claw-foot tub.  Old School.  And we love it.