Unfulfilled Lists

It is 8:30 p.m. and I didn't even get to the main things on my to-do-list for today. It started, I suppose, with the realization that the basil and kale needed to be picked and processed TODAY. I didn't want them going to seed. So, I washed and blanched and froze the kale and made the basil into pesto to freeze. It was lime basil and had a peculiar flavor, but was still yummy.

Then my brother and his friend agreed to help The Wood Artist change the transmision fluid in our "new" Tahoe. They bartered for a home cooked meal. So, of course, leftovers just wouldn't do. I made mazidra.

Added into the day was a swimming lesson and grocery shopping and an errand for The Wood Artist and here I sit, tired, with my to-do-list mostly intact! Oh, well. What doesn't get done before our weekend get-away will just remain undone!

This picture is a little hard to see, but it is a mommy and baby mountain goat traversing a very steep snowfield on the mountain we hiked a couple of weeks ago.

I'd love to hear how your harvests are coming along! - Nanette

Happy Anniversary!

Today is our 13th anniversary. How can it possibly have been that long? It doesn't seem more than 5 years! We will go out to dinner tonight. In a couple of weekends, we will have a get-away.

Mr. Blueberry Eyes woke up with a sore throat this morning. I hope the oreganol oil I gave him works quickly. I'm letting him take it easy. He's watching nature videos.

There's not much noteworthy going on in our lives right now. I doubt you want to hear about the piles of ironing, weeding and garage cleaning that need doing! TTFN - Nanette

Fireworks

I'm tired today! We stayed up very late celebrating the 4th of July with dear friends. The Wood Artist took some treasured pictures of our fireworks. The children ran around screaching and laughing. The little ones covered their ears and said, "This is the best 4th of July eva'". We belted out patriotic tunes and ate all-American food. Fashionista Sister has the perfect baked bean recipe - a secret, of course.
Today I enjoyed a walk/jog of nearly 5 miles. A thunderstorm was chasing me, but I won. My health is steadily improving and it felt good to feel strong.


I harvested some huge German Giant radishes today from my garden and weeded two onion beds. Now I'm just being lazy and intend to stay that way for the rest of the day! I think I hear a book calling my name! - Nanette

Happy Birthday, America!

I'm sitting here at my computer, sharing my Ipod with my son. He has one ear bud and I have the other. His face is sticky with corn on the cob and peaches. We are listening to Shania Twain... "You're still the one!" He is grinning and occasionally bobbing his head to the music.

These pictures are from our hike last Sunday. We hiked a mountain that is about 45 minutes from our house. It was beautiful and I was proud of the kids. Because we drove part way up, the hike was only about an 1800 foot climb. The views were spectacular and so was the wind! The mountain goats were slightly skiddish, but not very shy. One of them had a tiny baby who scampered across a steep, snowy hill so fast we held our breath!

The bear skinning yesterday went well. We were saddened to discover that she had massive bruising on her hind quarters - likely she had been hit by car before the person had to shoot her in self-defense. She must have been really hurting. We should get the hide back from the tanner in about 5 months. The one freak-out moment was when the make-shift table we were using got upset and we dropped the bear and the skinning knife I was using stabbed me in my finger. It was only a scratch, but I was completely grossed-out and worried about infection. The doctor assures me that bears don't have any terrible diseases.

We are looking forward to celebrating our country's birthday. There will be a picnic with friends. I'm taking black bean salsa - my 4th of July tradition. After dark there will be a "potluck" fireworks show. We will read stories about our forefathers and marvel at their courage in the face of an uncertain outcome. (We'll miss our friends that can't be there - especially Piro-Man and his family. How we miss that family!)

Now, our earphones are playing the Judds and Mr. Blueberry Eyes is singing along: "Grandpa, tell me about the good old days.... Did lovers really fall in love to stay? Did families really bow their heads to pray?"

It has been a long, hard two weeks and I'm tired and grumpy. But I'm going to get some sleep and trust that my Saviour can restore my peace of mind! And, I'm going enjoy my country's birthday. I hope you do, too! - Nanette

Bridesmaid Dressses and Bear Skins

Someone just said I live a unique life. I suppose I do. Some would call it barbaric. Some would call it a dream life. I think it is somewhere in the middle. Just enough uniqueness to have fun and just enough civilized to not be too barbaric - I hope. However you characterize my life, it is NOT boring!

My current project is altering a lovely bridesmaid's gown. I have this great barter arrangement with a massage therapist. I sew or alter clothing for her, and she gives me massages. Its a win/win. This alteration has to do with an ill-fitting neckline and I'm trying a simple thing first. If it works, it will save me tearing into some very sensitive fabric.

But today is a big day in other departments. I think I mentioned that we heard from the Fish, Wildlife and Parks that we cannot have the bear that my Dad shot some weeks ago. It looks so much like a grizzly bear that they are doing a life-size mount and will display it next to a grizzly mount. I'm told one of the rangers thought it was a grizzly.

Anyway, they did have another cinnamon colored black bear for us. It is much smaller (about 1/2 or less). So today is skinning day. Trapper Girl is here to help us with her expertise. When we are done, we will take it to a tanner. Can't wait to let the students touch the pelt. The Warden said he will help us get other pelts and skulls for our Tutoring Service. The kids love to touch and handle things like this.

I'm done with my morning students and am heading out to change clothes and try my hand at skinning a bear. Barbaric? Maybe so. - Nanette

Grasshopper Update and Misc. Gardening News

The bear grass is stunning this year. On one of our recent explorations, we were continually exclaiming over the beauty of the profusion of blooms. It is truly summertime here. I spent much time weeding lastnight. Today, I will harvest parsley, sage, and chives to dry for winter.

On the grasshopper front, I still see many, many grasshoppers when I walk around the garden, but they don't seem to be eating my plants anymore. That would be consistent with the information on how Semaspore works. They start eating less as the virus multiplies in their bodies.

I visited a wonderful farmer's market the other day and ran into the teacher who had taught my organic farming class at the college. I mentioned to her that I was having grasshopper troubles and she said, "Oh, there's this wonderful stuff you've got to try! It is called Semaspore." When I told her that I had already appplied it about two weeks before, she said that that was perfect! I was pleased to have confirmation from a source I respect so much that I was onto the thing!


The Mighty Hunting Hound is still being crated while taking steroids. She is doing SO much better! She will have a follow up exam with the vet tomorrow and hopefully she will be off of her physical restrictions. Here is a picture of Mr. Blueberry Eyes sharing her exile with her for a few minutes.

We made a great discovery yesterday. Radish tops are edible! Who knew! We sauteed them with kale and ate them over rice with fresh chopped tomatoes, topped with an olive oil/lemon/garlic dressing. It was really yummy!

Frog Day

Wednesday we had a great adventure. Our Forest Service has a Frog Day that volunteers and children are encouraged to participate in. This was our first year to join in and did we ever have fun!

It started with about an hour of training and then we were divided into groups. Each group had at least one biologist or experienced person in it. Ours had two. Pat, our driver was a fish biologist and had quite the knack for finding critters. He decided he wanted us to see tailed frogs, so he plunged into a very cold, rushing mountain stream. Within seconds, he'd collected 6 tailed frog tadpoles (pictured above).

We were outfitted with hip waders and nets. The hip waders ran out, though, so I used my rubbers. We spent the day splashing through wetlands, searching for amphibians. We were rewarded with 20 spotted adult frogs, four common garter snakes and hundreds of tadpoles of the spotted frog and quite a few salamander tadpoles. We learned that salamander tadpoles have gills. At the first and last wetlands of the day, I fell in past the tops of my rubbers and filled them with pond water. I must say that carrying several extra pounds of water weight around was interesting!

Mr. Blueberry Eyes and Laughing Water thoroughly enjoyed it. While I was initially just going for the kids, I really had fun, too. We even saw a black bear cub while we were driving. I'm reminded that there is no substitute for just getting out and enjoying nature! - Nanette