Our Arizona Trip

Last weekend brought forth a road trip to Goodyear Arizona to celebrate my Papa Wally's birthday. My grandmother and uncle flew in from Ohio as well. My step brother Trevor happened to be in the Phoenix area doing some work for the company he works for back home in Portland. Family from all over was there to celebrate and eat. Unfortunately, Jim was unable to get the time off work, so he stayed home with our critters while Stown and I made the drive south.

We were welcomed by a colorful sunset....

That kept getting better!!
(Actual colors - no photo shopping - I don't know how to do that fancy stuff any how.)

Our weekend was filled with family and fun.

Papa Wally, Stown, Trevor and Uncle John

We played dominoes in the sun.
(Shortly after this picture the table was moved off the porch and into the middle of the yard - where the chickens could stroll under our feet and eat the chips we had dropped.)



Trevor the Croquette Master!!

We played croquette on the lawn - the course stretched from one end of the yard to the other, over an irrigation hump totalling about 50 yards in length. The rules required playing one handed with a beverage of choice in the other.

The "International" Rooster - he has no clue what time zone he is in and crows at all hours of the day and night. Which wouldn't be so bad except Stown and I had chose to sleep in a tent in the backyard for the weekend. Our last tenting "Hurrah" for the year!!

It was so warm we ran around in tank tops (shirtless for the guys) and barefoot the entire time. The sun tanned our skin one last time before we would head home and settle in for a snowy Colorado winter.

Goofin' with Uncle John.

A walk down the road to the cotton fields.

Papa's Ruth, Papa, Granno, Uncle John, Me and Stown (on his tippy toes)

The Men - Papa, Stown and Uncle John

Notice the family resemblance? Hint hint - Eyebrows!!

Me, Granno and Stown

Monday morning brought an end to the festivities, up at 4:15 am to say goodbye and one last picture as we all went our separate ways.

A parting shot of Arizona, the San Fransisco peaks of Flagstaff snagged a passing cloud.

We had a great time with everyone. Lots of cooking took place and I think we all gained a few pounds. It was good to see Trevor - an unexpected surprise for me. Stown enjoyed spending time with all the crazy men of the family and seeing his Great Grandmother (aka - Granno). We all live so far apart it's hard to get together. It was well worth the drive and I can't wait to do it again - whenever that may be.

Love Your Family While You Can!!!

No matter how nuts they might make you - hehe!!

Thanksgiving Baker

Every year for Thanksgiving we are invited to our dear friend's house to share in an amazing feast. Every year I am asked to bring maybe a side dish or rolls but always a dessert. This year Stown took charge of the kitchen and made the dessert.

Carefully measuring...

and stirring...

Viola!!
German Apple Torte!

A beautiful marzipan crust wrapped around apples cooked in a Calvados (apple brandy) sauce - over three inches thick!!

It didn't last long once the first cut was made. I think I have a baker on my hands. Stown enjoys playing in the kitchen. We like to cook together and I try to teach him all my secrets - one by one. Perhaps one day he will tell me to relax, hand me a glass of wine and serve me dinner. As for now, we are having fun together!!

Hope you had a truly wonderful Thanksgiving!!
Remember to be thankful every day.

Happy Man Food!

Picture by Jim

I don't always cook dinner.

Sometimes Jim makes "Happy Meals" - Brats & Onion Rings!!

Sand Canyon with Steve

Yesterday was a crisp early winter day here in the Four Corners area. A perfect day to head west to Sand Canyon with my good friend Steve and our dogs.

(As with all pictures I post, if you click on the photo it will enlarge for you. I highly suggest it on a few of the following pictures.)

Steve pausing for a sip in the sun with snow dusted mountains in the background.

Ruins you can walk up to. We nicknamed this one "Chimney House". Doesn't it look like it's sitting in a little patio stove?

Stopping for lunch, Steve demonstrates -
"You can lead dogs to water but you can't make them drink".

Aspen watches with curiosity as the water displaced by her body overflows down the rock.

Only a few inches high, I fell in love with this cute little "tree".

Nicknamed "Sun House" - Look at the size of this building!!

Unlike Mesa Verde and other National or State Parks, Sand Canyon is the way it was left hundreds of years ago not reconstructed for tourist to see. So why are these still standing while others had to be rebuilt? Mostly due to the remoteness, not many are adventurous to hike miles to see them. There are also not very many dwellings, more of a sporadic rural settlement not a "city", so scientist didn't excavate them like the larger areas (i.e. Mesa Verde, Chaco Canyon, Chimney Rock) Hike over and explore but leave no trace.

Click to enlarge - Dwelling in arch in the center

There is still active building in the area.

This ant mound was spectacularly constructed.

Natures Sculptures

Amazing display of erosion on the side of a boulder (click to enlarge).

More Sculptures

On top of the left mesa there is a circular rock wall (click to enlarge).

Was it an ancient look out?

Perfectly Framed

I love that all of this is just a short drive from our home here in Durango. We are constantly out exploring and grateful that these areas have not been discovered by the masses. I am sure someday they will pave this too as they did Mesa Verde, give tours and serve fast food. Until then we will continue to enjoy our hikes there with minimal interaction with other.

Thanks for sharing in our adventure!!

Cats & Laundry

How is it that a cat knows the minute the warm laundry comes out of the dryer and into the basket?

Wrapped in a dryer fresh sweatshirt to keep fur her off my bed.

Or when you have stripped the sheets off the bed and don't want her lounging on your mattress pad?

Cat - Tastrophe

Yesterday I noticed the Oldest Beast Dinah the Cat limping when she was out in the back yard. When she came up onto the porch she held her right front paw curled underneath her. She licked it a few times but then seemed to give up. I picked her up and expected to find a pine needle between her toes. Instead, I found that one of her nails had curled under and grown into the toe pad!!

I wrapped her in a towel and set her on the counter under a good light. With a stray piece of rye grass still in her lip she, she patiently watched as I went to work on the nail.

It appears that as the nail grew so did the skin around it becoming calloused. It wasn't red, hot or inflamed. I used clean toenail clippers to cut the nail between the entry point and the quick.

After a bit of vocal protesting from Dinah, I backed out the nail. The hole had an awful stench but no puss and only half a drop of blood. I rinsed it twice with hydrogen peroxide. Then I proceeded to trim all of her nails to prevent this from happening again. See, she is very old and her self hygiene is not the best. She's not real active so her nails don't wear down like they used to. After lots of lovin' and a bit of lunch meat for a treat I put her in her bed to rest.

This is what was embedded in the poor girls toe. It was submerged up the the 1/4 inch line, where the color changes from clear to cloudy.

Dinah limped around the rest of the night, however, upon inspection this morning her toe appears to be fine. She is walking normally again and is back to her grouchy self.

Weekend Dirt Biking

Stown going fast!!

Yeah, for BLM!!

From our house we headed south to Glade Run in New Mexico for the afternoon. Contrary to it's name, there is no glade nor will you find runners. (OK, maybe the latter but I've never seen them.) Glade Run is a ... Well , just read the sign. There are oil wells dotted through out the entire area, which make for nice parking areas. They aren't too noisy, like white noise, the sound seems to go away after a short while. There are plenty of jeep roads for beginners and single track for the more advanced riders. This nice new sign reads "Eagle Scout Project 2005 Kurtis Donisthorpe" along them bottom. They must have created this one be cause the old one was used for target practice. Thanks Guys!! For more information on this great area click on the link :

http://www.blm.gov/nm/st/en/prog/recreation/farmington/Glade_Run_Recreation_Area.html

Despite the fact that it states "Discharging of firearms is prohibited" this old sign was riddled with shotgun blasts.

Speaking of shot guns, I did some clean up work while the guys were out riding. I was meditating and doing yoga in the middle of the flats, when I peered through my feet during a wonderful downward dog to see bright red shells littering the hillside. Upon further investigation I found remnant of the computer they took out their anger on. Trust me, there are days I, too, would like to fire of a few rounds at my 'puter - but not in the middle of a beautiful area surrounded by native plants and critters. Finishing my series, I grabbed a plastic bag from the truck and gathered all the trash I could find in the vicinity.

(Click on photo to enlarge)

Jim is enjoying some of the single track up on the ridge line.

Doug

The dogs and I hiked up to the crest of a nearby ridge to survey our surroundings.

We really enjoy this area. It's vast options of parking places and lack of people make it ideal for a beginner, like Stown, to get used to his bike with out the worries of traffic. Jim found a four mile loop that Stown was able to practice on by himself. Shifting gears and getting the feel for the bike we hooked up the GPS and he managed to clock almost 25 mph. Not bad for only his second day! It's amazingly clean despite it's public use. We were discussing how graffiti would cover everything if it were near a more populated area. For now we left it cleaner than we found it until next year. As of this week, the dirt bikes will find a home in the shed for the winter. It was overcast and in the low 40's while we were there and the wind was making it feel even colder.

Snowboard season is on the horizon - Time to switch sports again!!

Hot Breakfast!

Welcome to Winter!!

Cold mornings demand a hot breakfast before walking to the bus stop. Normally, I get up and make Stown a big bowl of oatmeal with milk, raisins and brown sugar, or sometimes bacon and eggs. However, as the holidays approach and my work hours lengthen there will be days he has to make his own breakfast. He usually goes for the quick and easy yogurt and granola. Not quite warm enough for the early morning temperatures that have been in the teens lately, at least in my opinion.

I got to thinking of something quick and easy that he can throw in the toaster oven (we don't have a microwave) while he gets dressed and came up with individual breakfast casseroles!!

I picked up three 12oz Pyrex bowls at the thrift store. I buttered each dish and layered them with boiled potato chunks, left over ham and shredded cheese. Then I mixed three eggs, a splash of milk, salt and pepper, and divided between the bowls. I topped them with bread crumbs before I baked them at 350 (until the centered were cooked), covered them and put them in the fridge.

Now Stown can enjoy a hot breakfast even if I am catching up on my recovery rest.

Put to Bed Just in Time

As I finished up my winter yard work the snow started to fall again.

Looks like I got everything done just in time.

Insulated with straw, Ms. Parsley will winter over in her plastic pot nestled in an old dilapidated oak barrel.

The S.S. Sidedish has been mostly cleaned out and docked for the season.

Packed in the straw under an old window still grows mixed lettuces and spinach. See the milk jug buried in the background? It has holes through out the sides and that's how I water them without weighing down their little leaves with heavy wet droplets.

New pine needles and scrub oak leaves on the path to the shed.

It keeps the ground from getting all muddy when we shovel away the snow.

(We need access the shed through out the winter.)

The last of the goodies for the year.

First Snow

"Be careful what you wish for"

That's what they say. (Who are "they" anyway?) Well, so far everything I post comes to me the next day. Two days ago I was ranting about it not being cold - yesterday: freezing temperatures. Yesterday I complained that if it was going to be cold it should snow - this morning: Snow!! Maybe to day I should discuss the poor economy? Who knows, perhaps a bag of money will show up on my doorstep tomorrow. (Wishful thinking.)

Meanwhile, I never got around to putting away all my garden containers and winterizing my herbs. Why waste the beautiful weather we've been having to do chores that bring such sadness? It is definitely the end of the season when I put everything in it's place for the winter and stop harvesting even the smallest herbs. Besides, I don't procrastinate today - I wait for tomorrow to do that.

Terry, our androgynous yard gnome, was looking a bit sassy with all the snow on it's hat.

My poor frozen plants. The snow's melting off the roof as I type, I will let it warm up some then head out to take down the 'Mater house, pull up the chard and clean out the box of cilantro. I am sure the worms in the compost will be happy to have new greens. But for now...

I will spend my morning doing one of my favorite things - Rummaging the pages of cookbooks!!

With a cup of coffee and a hot bowl of teff, I am going to sit at the table and flip pages. I pulled these two off the shelf in search of inspiring comfort foods. Sarah Leah Chases's Cold-Weather Cooking, I picked up at the Friends of the Library used book sale last spring for $4. I put it away until the seasons changed. I think now is a good time to dig through it. Stew Leonard's Winning Recipes Cookbook was a gift from a friend a few years back. It contains great twists on old favorites, like "pizza potpie" and "honey baked acorn squash".

Although, dinner for tonight has already been decided. Stown helps me in the kitchen at least once a week. I think it's important for him to learn to cook. My mom never taught me, I learned from books and endless experiments. In fact, I am still learning and experimenting - not too modest to say they don't always turn out great but are always edible. Like Jim says, " That was OK, but if you never make it again that would be OK too." Got to love the man who eats almost anything you put in front of him!! Stown mixed the rub and applied it to the ribs last night. Today he will learn how to braise, grill and glaze them to create "barbecue-braised country spare ribs with beer and mustard glaze". He will also learn how to make homemade mac 'n' cheese and steamed broccoli. Of course we will have a fresh loaf of bread, but he's already mastered the baking of that.

For now, it's up for another cup 'o' joe and more page turnin'...