Last Day

The last day of October.  The last day of regular hunting season.  Up and hunting with a drizzle and warm temperatures.  I wish you had been there with us.  The full moon glows behind heavy clouds spitting out a warm mist.  It is quiet.  The only sounds are the clop clop clop of our animals.  Darkness makes finding the trail head hard, but once found, the mules know their way. Here is a picture from the apex of our morning hunt.  Pretty darn quiet in them there mountains this morning!  If you look close, you will see the camouflaged hunter glassing next to his mule.

We have permits to hunt on the elk refuge the end of November so we aren't going vegetarian yet!! 

Home to the well digging setup which you all must see!  What a mess!  Yesterday, the drillers hit hard stuff so it is going very slowly.  Maybe luck will strike and there is a vein of cool, clear non-sulfur water below......Meanwhile, water shuttles continue so we have enough water for shower and dishes.  It could be worse.....

And to close, our "tornado" Ruby.  She's growing up but not settling down much!  Sally lives on, now at 15 years and 9 months!

 

Who says it's too late to be harvesting?!  Rainbow swiss chard...mmmmmm!

 



Pumpkin Snicker Doodles

Everyone loves snicker doodles!!  This recipe (right out of Martha Stewart -thanks ol' girl!), works well for gluten-free too (substitute 2 c white rice flour with 1 tsp xantham gum added).  Enjoy!  Fall has been really great here this year!

 Mix dry ingredients:
2 c flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t cream of tartar
1/2 t salt
Pinch of nutmeg

Wet:
Melt 1 stick of butter, cool
1 c sugar
1/2 c pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 t vanilla


Mix up the wet ingredients and dry.  Combine and don't over-mix.  Make into spoon sized balls, roll in:
1/3 c sugar
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t allspice

Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Enjoy!

Sunday Morning Moving Cows

The day started out with a pouring rain.  With slickers tied on saddles, and mulitiple clothes, we readied for a morning of moving cows.  Once we got going, the rain quit and the sun eventually came out.  Very nice!  Tomorrow the calves get shipped.  All are staged and ready to go!

 

When The Earth Moves

Turns out, the pump was stuck in the well shaft because the earth moved.  This is a very bad thing.  A new well must be dug.  A new pump must be installed.  This will cost a bunch of money for our landlords. 

Meanwhile, Michael is moving water.  A 200 gallon tank now in the back of his pickup.  It is a really hassle for him - another thing to do once or twice or three times a day.  But, we get a shower in the morning and today we do laundry.

I am recovering from some major dental work and a freak incident which has made my face very sore and swollen.  I'll spare you the picture.  Antibiotics on board.  Feeling better as the day goes on.

I spent Monday through Wednesday in Park City, UT this week for work.  It is an interesting mountain town, complete with a Walmart and a discount shopping center.  Oh, plus, a very good steakhouse!  These are pictures from my walk through a wetlands reserve where I had just enough time for a good walk after the Monday arrival.

The Well Run Dry

An early morning alarm got us up to find no water.  Having no water is kind of a big deal.  So, hunting was cancelled.  The well guy showed up after lunch and indeed, the well motor kicked the bucket or there is a wiring problem.  Either way, we still have no water.  They will be showing up tomorrow to hopefully solve this problem. 

Oh, and the computer screen kicked it too...are these two things related, one ponders?  That was an easy and relatively cheap fix. 

I dug Sally's grave today.  Oh, she is doing fine, but winter is coming.  And it's really hard to dig in frozen ground.  I know, sad, right?  But still, she deserves a nice grave.  I will plant poppies on top of it when she is gone.  What a good, good dog.  She is now 15 years, 8 months old. 

The picture below is from a really great day on Jackson Lake in mid-July.  We thought we blew a head in the motor on the boat that day, but further checking has made us believe it was either running out of gas or into some bad gas......I sure hope it is okay.  Love being in that boat on the lake!!

Have a great week.  Be safe.  Laugh more than you did last week.  Promise to do this!

Movin' The Cows!

An annual event, the Walton cows make the 9 1/2 mile trek from one end of the valley to the other, via Spring Creek Road.  Imagine the traffic jam and the road covered in cow poop!  It is a privilege to be invited to ride along.  I hope no one was embarrassed - I was the only one riding a mule (see mule ears on photo 2)!  Happily, another was wearing a riding helmet!  Ruby received the MVP award, nipping at the heels of the cows at the back, zipping back and forth, and making sure they kept moving.  She is unquestionably a cow dog.  It was really amazing to watch her work.  The day went well - only one calf escaped out of 680 head of cattle.  There is still a bull in question - missing or not missing!  Most of us think he is not missing.  A giant lunch to end the event.  It was a great way to spend a Sunday morning and afternoon!