Dirty Socks

 Mom sent me a GREAT book (Nose Dive), inspired from my excited sharing of smells.  Which, amazingly, I have been able to smell.  It is a sense which disappeared years ago.  I figured of all things, losing one's sense of smell can't be the worst thing a human body experiences.  

Anyway, I will spare you the details of how, but my smell is back.  Mike finds my joyful proclamations funny as I open the jar of dark roasted coffee beans and take a giant smell in shouting out how goooooood the coffee beans smell.  But exactly what do they smell like? 

And that's what inspired the book.  Mom heard the author on NPR (because she listens to it non-stop!) and new I needed the book. 

Did you know smells are volatilized atoms?  AND, here is the really cool part, many atoms are similar to others.  

This is a picture of ALL the kraut I have sitting on the counter, happily fermenting away.  Some of it is waiting to be jarred up, some of it is bubbling away.  Our house smells like dirty socks!!  And now I know why!!  The atoms the ferment throws into the air are certainly similar to those of dirty socks!!  And I'm just 20 pages into the book!!  

I need adjectives!!  Incidentally, I have plenty of kraut!  Some of my Fans have discovered that this stuff is not only delicious, but good for you too.  Mike and I eat it on our eggs, our sandwiches, and our steaks.  Certainly a good addition for building up immunity - not a bad idea right now!! 

It has been snowing.  A bunch!

This is a picture out the back door yesterday morning, before it snowed another half foot.  Winter came early this year!! 

Happily, we found my elk before the big storm came. 

Thank you Miss Elk for standing still so long so I could make a good shot.  Your meat will be relished and appreciated!  We are so lucky to have a freezer packed with lean, organic meat.  This year, I have asked the processor to put aside the burger (with some pork fat mixed in) and I am going to make a variety of breakfast sausage.  Please send me your favorite recipes!!  

I love the smell of breakfast sausage sizzling in a pan but I have no clue of how to describe that smell......the greasy smell of pork fat filling the air and making me hungry!!  

I Never Thought of That!

As Mike awaits the final sale of his Hoback house, he threw out the idea about a month ago that we should look for some snowmobiles.  I was all in!  Of course, as life goes, once you start thinking about something, you start seeing that something.  One of the guys we snowmobiled with back in the day had this sled up for sale.  His son was selling the other.  A person we totally trust, they were purchased without hesitation.

And as we loaded them, Mike quipped, I could have bought a couple of mules for what we paid for these things!  I never thought of that!!  

Word around the valley - north and south - is that snowmobiles are a hot commodity.  No one wants to be in a tram car on the ski hill and many are thinking snowmobiles are the perfect social yet isolated winter activity.  The trails will probably be busy. 

Don't they look a bit like bees??  These are two stroke sleds.  Pull the cord and blap blap blap they growl!  An 800 and a 600 engine size.  Get stuck once, and you have your daily workout!  

Yes, it's a bit redneck, however, once we spend the entire winter in Freedom, these toys could be a very nice distraction to impending boredom!!  

Raising Funds

It is a tragic story.  One of a 9 month old in his stroller.  Mom runs into the tent to grab a coat while dad leaves.  Dad see the back of the stroller and figures all is well, gets in his truck and backs over his nine month old son who crawled out of the stroller. Tragic, heartbreaking, and an event that brought the community together to do something.  Something for this young couple that lost their beautiful baby boy.  Someone started a Facebook page and they did a community fund raising event through an auction.  Local people donated a ton of things.  I think they had close to 800 items donated.  I donated a sour cherry pie.  It fetched $90 and was delivered this last weekend.  

I also donated a case of wide mouth pint jars with lids and rings.  It fetched $55.  Those are almost collectors items this year!! 

The family is overwhelmed with the love and care from the community.  They have more money than they need, so I have heard, and will help out other families when needed.  

I doubt there are many more things more difficult to endure.  I hope they find some very good counseling so they can go on with life.