5 Reasons Why

Mike is east-bound.  Made it on time to Chicago.  Safe travels, my love.

I was just thinking, in case any of you might be thinking about coming this way, here are 5 reasons why you should (you know who you are!):

1. Fall colors are turning.

 

 

2. Reds and yellows below the clear blue sky.

 

 

 

3.  Smoke and Ruby like walks!

 

 

4.  Hot tub is set to 104 degrees!

 

5.  Need I say any more?

Only In Wyoming

A snippet from today's event report from Grand Teton National Park.  

Do you know what a mother bison tells her little baby boy when it comes time to leave home??

Bi-son!!!

Save $$ Today

Did I get you thinking about an Insta Pot?  On sale - just today - at Amazon.  You'll save $30!  Check it out at IP On Sale  If you want to support a great online IP site, go to Check out this IP Site and buy through their site. 

Mike is packing to head home and be with his mother.  It will be good for the whole family to be together during this health-challenging time.  I'm sure having family surrounding her bedside will be uplifting for Janet.  He leaves tomorrow.  The dogs, cat, fish, chickens, and horses will be under my watch for the next week. 

Cameras Back Up!

For those of you watching, Foscams are back up - you can view the cold, wet and somewhat miserable day we are having.  Tomorrow's high - 44 degrees.  Lovely.

For those of you not in on the cameras yet, let me know.  I'll get you in to look at our Freedom backyard.

Janet, On Our Minds

Mike's mom, Janet, landed in the hospital this week with a life threatening infection.  She spent some time in ICU, but is now out of this intensive care.  Scott and Stephanie and Steven sit by her side, work with the doctors, and keep us updated on her condition.  What a great team of advocates and support!

It's so hard to be so far away.  My mother reminds me there is nothing more a mother wants than to see her children happy.  Michael flourishes in Wyoming, especially now with the new farm.

We are relieved to hear of improvements and are keeping Janet in our thoughts, knowing the difficult health challenges she has faced and is facing.

Stay strong, get well face.  We miss you.

Long, quiet stretch

Greetings All!  My apologies for the long, quiet stretch on this blog site.  I keep thinking things will slow down.  Hah!  Silly me!  Last week just kept throwing things at me and I just couldn't make time for a post.

As I think of last weekend, it seems so far away, looking now outside to a snow-covered landscape.  The last several days have been gloomy, cold, wet, and a bit dreary.  To begin, here is a great picture of Todd and Janet as they began their float down the Salt River.  We enjoyed a wonderful evening in Freedom, sharing Janet's meatballs and pasta and consuming a enthusiastic SIX bottles of wine.  Oh my, oh my!!  What a fun evening!  They learned to play Pitch - one of our favorite card games.

I think I will make Todd & Janet a large print for their wall - love this picture!!  Their float got them some great fish and a memorable ride down the river.  Fortunately, no damage was done to their ship!!

This weekend - a view from our back door, dawn.  The top of the hot tub (bottom right) is snow-free because we enjoyed our morning soak!!

And here, a little friend.  All puffed up and close to his food source.  Yup.  The hummingbirds are still around.  This week's forecast looks a little better....we'll see.  There is plenty of sugar if they are sticking around.

Here it is.....the Winter Weather Warning!!

Right now, blue sky and white puffy innocent clouds light up my south facing window at work.  It is a late summer day.  The wind wafts about, not certain about what it is to do.  My phone dings.  A weather alert.  Check it out.   Time for long sleeves and fleece jackets!!

The full report reads:

The End of Summer 2017

Poof.  Just like that!  The weather is coming, the long sleeves and layers need to come out, the summer clothes go away.  Grass got cut last night.  Probably the last time for the season.  Here is what is coming.

Busy Saturday

While Michael was storing hay in the hay shed, we had the fire we were all worried about - and I was on duty.  Ironically, the fire started when some folks were trying to start an old fire engine!  Here is the story.  Click here to read Fire on the Mountain

We awoke a to a wet walk and drops of water hanging from the fence line.  Perfect!  The forest service crews (most of the fire occurred on forest service land) will have an easy job of securing the fire and wrapping it up. 

Today, another fire department event (keeps me from going south!).  The Moran Fundraiser is today.  I have an apricot vanilla bean pie in the oven for auction.......

Tomorrow is the anniversary of 9-11.  We will solemnly remember that day tomorrow on the Jackson Town Square, starting at 0800 Mountain Time.  You might get a glimpse of the event at Live Video Jackson Hole Town Square if you tune in then.  A quick walk to our Station 1 bay and we swear in the new Chief of Jackson Hole Fire/EMS, Brady Hansen from Logan, Utah.  It will be a very full day - and added to my list is an investigation report and multiple incident reports that must be completed.

Living life to the fullest is exhausting! 

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes!

And your lungs!  It's been smoky around the west.  We have been lucky - thus far, and there are no big fires close by.  That does not mean there isn't smoke in the air, however.  The sun sets and rises in a hue of fluorescent orange/rose color.  The closest color I can come up with is raw wild caught salmon meat. That is the color.  The moon too is smoked color.  Tough year for the west.  We hold our breath and look to storms on the horizon.

This is, incidentally, the first year I am not all stressed out about dry weather and no rain.  Why?  Because Mike is currently putting up green, lovely alfalfa hay.  I wish I had a picture. 

Here is a cool link to show you the smoke moving from all of these western fires.  You will see the corner of Wyoming in the bottom right of the image. 

Check it out by clicking on this link Smoke in the West

Sauce from the Insta Pot!

Along with many other neat things (okay, some not-so-neat things too), there is a pretty apple tree at the Freedom place.   Step one:  fill the insta pot three quarters full with apples.  Wash right in the container, drain the water and seal up.  Put on high pressure for 6 minutes.  Do not quick release or you will have sweet apple water all over (trust me on this one!!).  When the 6 minutes are up, just turn the thing off and let it release pressure naturally (this is a good time to paint a utility room or cut the grass - just sayin'!).  Here are the pretty little apples ready to be cooked!

Turns out, not everyone knows what a food mill is!!  Here is a picture of one working.  There are many selections at Amazon!  Check it out at Amazon Food Mill Selection  Squishing out the sauce and holding back things like skin, stems, and seeds.  Wishing there were chickens in Freedom, this is great chicken fodder!  

Once processed, I added some sugar and cinnamon and heated up a bit.  Careful not to burn the applesauce (trust me - again! - on this).  There are a zillion apples on this tree!  I'm hoping neighbor Pam (new blog follower) comes and gets some!  Anyone else?  

House Warming

Warmed by a gathering of friends, we had a great party last night!  The earth moved, it was such a great event!  About 15 miles from here, these was a 5.3 earthquake.  See the news report here at Earthquake  Neighbor Pam and I were in the kitchen and absolutely felt the house move.  I was worried we had put too many people in the house! We both wondered what had actually just happened, but shortly after, cell phones began buzzing and indeed, there had been a quake.  Certainly, a memorable addition to the wonderful evening!

Here is who came.  First to arrive, Ken and Cyndie Griggs, pack trip friends.  Then Todd and Janet arrived in their pop up camper where they spent the night.  Next to arrive, Johnny and Coralia Robinson with their little ones, Clara and June.  Neighbor Mary arrived with a plate of Benni's elk jerky - Benni to arrive later, he was out cutting hay.  Then neighbors Pam and Lou buzzed over on their 4 wheeler.  Finally Jim and Jess found the place and arrived with their little ones Maisy and Jimmy and their two dogs.  It was a full house!!  We ate, drank, listened to music, told stories, and our friends now understand where we are going for the weekends.

Mike made his first bale of hay yesterday - a very momentous event!  I walked around the field helping him get the accumulator adjusted.  Now a neat eight pack of hay sits in the field to be picked up and loaded.  Baling hay is somewhat of a miracle to me!  Just the tieing of the bale strings amazes me!  That, folks, is technology!!

Jimmy and Maisy got to go for a ride on old Bishop.

The horses were amused with the party and hung around to get apple handouts.  Turns out, there is a nice apple tree on the place.  The apples, although small, are just the right mix of sweet and tart and the tree is loaded.  Six minutes in the Insta Pot and they are ready to go through the food mill in making great applesauce.

All are off in different directions today.  Mike is raking hay, getting it turned up to dry out for later afternoon baling.  I am cleaning the house.  Funny, you clean before company comes and then need to clean even more once they are gone!!  It's all good, it's all very good!!

We have a barley field just to the west.  A departing image.  Thank you friends for your warm and wonderful house warming gift.  Yourselves.  Filling our house with your love.  We thank you for this gift!  

Getting to Work for Labor Day Weekend!

Done with work tomorrow at noon.  Heading south.  Improvements thus far to the Franch home include; a giant mirror (48 x 80"), a bed frame for the free king size bed mattress and springs, a dining room set with 3/4" round glass table. 

Saturday will be the apex of activities.  Jim and Jess  and kids are coming Saturday.  Coralia and her kids too.  Maybe Todd and Janet!  We'll have a pile of people.  For those of you not connected, if you want the user name and password to our camera viewing the scene out the front door, just let me know!  It is really cool to see the horses and mules walk by - live time!!  There should be plenty of activity come this weekend...

I may disc.  I may drive the tractor with the accumulator.  I may cook.  I will drink!  And I will celebrate this new and wonderful place!! 

First Crop!

As I write, Mike is running his swather back and forth, round and round, the field of first year alfalfa.  He sent me this shot from the cab.

 

 

This is a big day on the franch!  Yesterday, friend Tom made a visit and helped fix all the machinery.  Thank you Tom!!  With the acquisition of this farm equipment, farming is going to be 75% mechanic and 25% farming for a while!!

 

It is hot outside (the cab has no air conditioning....) and dry and perfect for cutting hay! 

 

He must be roasting in that cab! 

 

I am on duty and stuck in Teton County.  How I wish I was watching this show!! 

You Can't Make This Stuff Up!!

The title of this blog is a phrase we often use in emergency services when things happen that are just hard to believe!  This report, just read off the state-wide news, made me laugh.  I hope you will laugh too!  

Read this story by clicking on the text You Can't Make This Up!  I can totally imagine this happening!

Yesterday was wonderful.  The day ended with Brahm's Violin Concerto; sweet notes swirling around my tired head as I cooked another meal - you guessed it! - in my Insta Pot!  Cooking is "flow" for me.  All the worries of the day are chopped up in the onions, grated finely in the garlic, and sauteed to a crispy brown in the burger.  Prior to dinner, I got in a nice walk, albeit, a hot one.  Took off early from work and got fairly caught up with the work which had accumulated while we awaited Totality.  

From my greenhouse, pictures of pride!  This was a better-than-last-year for tomato growing.  I can smell the bacon cooking.....!!

Eclipse Diaries, The Day After

Magic.

This is the best word to describe how it was.  Totality was magic.  Watching the light change as the moon eased its way over the sun's path, seeing the sun whittle to a sliver, and then - totality.  There is nothing like it.  An eclipse is neat.  Totality is magic.

We got out lawn chairs and eclipse glasses.  A flock of four sandhill cranes flew over, squawking their gravely vibrato.  Minutes later, three elk - including a yearling from this year - crossed the highway just to our east viewing point.  The darkening of the sun had just begun.

Yellows changed to silvers as time ticked on.  Shadows became sharp-edged and the dried flowers standing a foot off the ground looked 3-D.  The radios and pagers were hushed as everyone had settled in for the show.  Cars and people were everywhere they could be under this umbrella of totality.  The park was packed.

An early morning kidney stoned called one ambulance into service.  They were able to return in plenty of time.  There would be no county-wide calls for fire or ems until far after the 11:36 totality.  Thank you everyone.  Thank you all so very much.

A firefighter gave up looking through his telescope to make some pictures happen.  I wanted to get an image showing how emergency services were ready during this magical event.  Three firefighters jumped into their gear, rolled the engine up into the parking lot, and charged the master stream for this unique image.  The photo went viral, locally at least.  I spent most of totality (we had a bit less than 2 minutes in our north location) adjusting shutter speed and f-stops in hopes to get one good image.

Mercury popped up in the darkened sky.  The light was very similar to that just at dawn, although the horizon was bright all the way around - north, south, east, and west.  Despite being completely blocked by the moon, the amount of light from the sun was surprising.  As I worked through various shutter speeds, to expose for the engine and firefighters, my lens accumulated the sun's light.  The dark pin hole shows the eclipse.  It is hard to be prepared for photographing an eclipse!!

Here, a series of images from the brief two minutes of totality.  Two minutes and a memory of a lifetime!!

Interesting image, but not what I was looking for!! 

Thank you Lieutenant Preuss and Lamoureux and Firefighter Schweitzer for giving up your Totality Time so we could have this image! 

Here, a local news reporter mixes up his fire stations!!  This was not taken in Hoback and the firefighters from Station 4, I am sure, are not pleased.  Still, nice to give a shout-out to many who were ready to answer the call the day the moon passed the sun's path.

Standing By article, click on words to read.

Eclipse at Station 4!!!!

Very Cool!!

Eclipse Diaries, The Big Day

Stationed up north and briefed up for the morning.  We standby and hope there are no emergencies to distract us from the event!!  Here is a webcam of the sun as seen here in the Tetons.  Watch the Eclipse!

Eclipse Diaries, Day Five

We prepared for a lion.  So far, kittens are all that have shown up.

Another quiet stretch of time with minimal events leads all of our organizations to consider ramping down.  A tough decision for leaders.  We all know the switch could still get switched on.  There is risk to sending folks home.

This morning's pre-briefing starts at 0630.  Ugh.  In order to get in some hot tub time, shower, and coffee, the alarm clock breaks into my deep sleep at 0500.  The hot tub lid flops open, breaking the morning's hushed silence.  Orion sits on the eastern horizon and Pleiaides bunches its triangle formation just above.  Clouds creep across the darkened sky.  A hummingbird zips by on its way to the feeder; early riser too.  Mike and I soak and quietly talk about the day ahead.  Shared moments are few for this couple during these long days of summer.

My crew today is on the west bank of the valley.  I load up their breakfast and lunch bags and journey over the Snake River; the official dividing line of the valley floor.  Somewhat like the Mason-Dixon line, crossing the river takes one to the high-end side of the valley.  The line's divider is well-known amongst locals.  The crew's briefing format is relaxed.  They chatter, all over the place on topic selection; I let them wander about in their conversation before directing a more formal overview.  An hour later we finish and I head out to get a glimpse of Teton Village.  Driving through the residential areas, every driveway has a car.  Cars are parked along roads.  This place is filled up.  There are bikers, runners, walkers, and para-gliders dropping from the sky.  Orange cones are every where; fluorescent predictors of a road to be closed tomorrow.

Traffic on the main road is not bad and I easily enter my lane without delay.  A drive south to the town of Wilson.  There are people out the door and lined up for breakfast at the famous Nora's Fish Creek Inn.  Their huevos rancheros dish, topped in homemade green chili sauce, is the best.  I want to tell them their wait is well spent.  Roll up that warm flour tortilla, dip it in that hot sauce and grab a mouth full of over-easy eggs and you will understand why the wait was worth the time!

Settled in at the desk at Fire Station 2, I join a conference call arranged by the Incident Commander.  We are briefed on the weather for today - low humidity and stronger winds will contribute to wildland fire behaviors, should we get a fire.  Grand Teton Park is opening a section of road from the main highway to the town of Kelly at 0500.  One way traffic with parking adjacent could be a very popular ticket for Eclipse watchers.  A traffic jam is anticipated.  The road is directly below the path of totality.  Had I not taken my oath years ago and be free to do what I wanted to do for the day, I think I'd get in line.  It will be a great place to be and a 5 mile tailgate party!! I'd throw the grill in the back of the pickup and pack the fixings for bloody mary's with eggs and bacon!  Or maybe I'd be in the hills on my mule....

Instead, I will leave Hoback at 0430 to try to make the 47 mile drive north and get to Moran Fire Station 4 by 0700.

Here is what we are hoping for tomorrow.  It is going to be an amazing experience.  I love how the weather station got this pre-view made for us!  Check it out at What It Is Like To Watch a Total Eclipse 

We wait.  We wonder.  The anticipation of the thing has us collectively holding our breath.  Worry, concern, some fear, and a whole lot of excitement continues to build!

Eclipse Diaries, Day Four

Today, on duty as a second Deputy Branch Director, personal life keeps brushing into the Eclipse work.  Nothing is happening.  There have been no calls, no fires, no nothing.  Being somewhat down the chain of command in this position, it is easy to run off to get a battery in my watch changed, take the 13 ears of sweet corn grabbed from the Farmer's Market down to the fridg in Hoback, and set down at my work desk and make this entry.  Too bad the Re-Store is closed today!  Nothing is happening.

We have pretty much planned for the end of the world on this one!  The Emergency Operations Center is running full force with key positions occupied.  There are easily a thousand people working to ensure this is a safe event across the county.  The forest service ordered crews in from Grand Canyon.  The local police have officers from all over the state.  We have super-staffed for when all hell breaks out.

And nothing is happening.

Of course, we all wish for a Y2K event.  This would certainly be the best outcome.

So, since nothing is happening, I will show you my blue ribbon garlic crop of 2017.  I am very pleased!  The addition of a thick layer of horse manure might have just been what turned this crop into the big clove harvest.  Every one of the 48 heads is beautiful!  Looking forward to doubling my crop next year given a farm to plant them on.....

Eclipse Diaries, Day Three

How does the man on the moon cut his hair?  E-clipse-it!!!

I took the day off from the eclipse yesterday.  Mike and I made out way down south to celebrate a special day.  Almost to the day, three months ago, we bought the place and yesterday, we sat on the font porch of the big house for the first time.

A whole mess of things have happened in the last three months. Four tons of garbage have been hauled to the dump (with at least another ton or so to go),  a new septic tank installed, a field of alfalfa planted, irrigation pipe stepping its way down the field watering the hungry plants (with Mike's help, of course), new floors on the main floor of white house along with cove heat, Nest alarms, new paint, new light fixtures, upgrades on the dishwasher and refrigerator, new windows where old had lost their seal, new bathroom sink top, and all the while, working on weed mitigation, lawn maintenance, and brush removal.  The congratulations go out to Mike.  He has been working like crazy and although there is still much to do, about a year's worth of work got done in 3 months!  Next up - the hay needs cut and the utility room needs a new floor.  No rest for the weary.


We brushed up to the topic on a back road drive to Thayne.  Marked in glowing yellow signs was the word - painted in hot pink paint - ECLIPSE CAMPING.  The signs directed campers to a large field for eastern viewing.  Everyone is trying to make a buck off the event.

The evening ended in Hoback with a Insta Pot of chili.  Turned out very good, if I might say so myself!  Followed this recipe at Darn Good Chili  The recipe says you can put non-soaked beans in and cook, but they were a bit crunchy so I'll soak them next time.

The  humming birds are making their last visits to the feeders.  We make the mix strong with sugar as they prepare for their southern migration.  Sandhill cranes are heard sqaulking in the surrounding fields getting ready for their flights south.  It was, indeed, a ten minute summer this year.

Eclipse Diaries, Day Two

Driving home from the Moran Station 4 training last night (Moran sits at the north end of the valley, Hoback sits at the south end; the drive is about 47 miles through Grand Teton National Park and the Town of Jackson), I pondered the black dark sky.  Days are getting shorter, the mornings are cool, and fall is in the air.

The stars pinned light holes through the black velour skyscape.  How will the two minutes of darkness on Monday differ from the darkness of the night?  This morning, I looked up to the sun's position at 10:30 after a morning briefing with the Forest Service.  Brightly shining in a clear, blue sky, I tried to attach the sun's position on my internal compass for Monday bearings.  

This once-in-a-lifetime event brings up all kinds of deep emotions.  A once-in-a-lifetime event stirs up thoughts of mortality and brings a layer of depth and real meaning to the event.  Looking up to the sky rustles up the wonder of the universe and how stupidly small we ego-bound, self righteous humans can be under a galaxy of planets, stars, comets, and this eclipse.  Like our concerns mean anything!  We are mere molecules in the vastness of it all!

Today is a day of agency briefings for me.  Finishing up one, preparing for the next.  The Forest Service facilitator noted 100,000 people are expected to descend upon our mountain town.  Everyone is planning.  Patience is the key word as we watch our streets and highways condense their lanes with traffic.  A gas station ran out of fuel yesterday.  The grocery stores are a mess.  I have heard that gas, ice and booze will be the commodity items as this continues to intensify.  I have a bet with a friend about grid lock.  She doesn't think we will grid lock.  I say we will.  We are not sure how to put rules on this bet, but we both are sure we will know who the winner is by next Tuesday.  I win a eggplant Parmesan meal.  She gets to pick the meal of her choice, should I lose.  Both meals will be graced with ample bottles of big, red wine and we will look back on the Great American Eclipse.

You can watch in live time how busy the downtown intersection is getting and how many people are walking around the square by checking out Jackson's Web Cam (just click on the words and it will take you right to the web cam).

Tomorrow will be one day closer.  Close to the eclipse, closer to the eclipse being over, and closer to the things we don't yet know of what is coming.

May the Universe be With Us!!

Eclipse Diaries

I do not have time for this.  But I will make time.

For the last two years, many of us in this county have been planning for this Monday's event, the total eclipse of the sun.  There have been meetings and more meetings to the point of ad nauseum.  Rooms filled with overstuffed people and inflated egos, passing out paper and chewing on chocolate covered donuts.

Unlike most events, no one can predict what will happen.  Take a car crash.  You expect highway blockage, the need for one or two medic units, bleeding and stressed out patients, the possible need for extrication.  But this event.  This event is unpredictable.

Rumors abound.  300 people climbing Sleeping Indian Mountain to watch the shadow race across the valley floor.  Masses of people driving into the valley from the three ways in Monday morning.  Cell phones are anticipated to fail.  Radio repeaters are already down with frenzied repair technicians repairing lightning damage from last week; just discovered.  I have packed 4 walkie talkies and three packages of AAA batteries to feed them, just in case.

It has been personally verified that the grocery stores and their associated parking lots are a war zone.  Produce is wiped clean from display cabinets.  Customers are surly in their angst to make sure they get their goods.  A sense of anxiety it thick through the barren aisles.

Also verified, the increase of traffic on all streets.  Grid lock is expected.  There are air resources ready for responder and patient transportation.  Civil Air Patrol will fly the darkening sky the day of the eclipse to provide updates for highway congestion.

I am sad Mike and I will be separated in distance during this remarkable event.  He will be in Hoback ready to respond for calls out of his station and I will be in Moran, acting as a North Division Deputy Chief.  I wish we could share this together.  Our commitment to this community pulls us apart.  We swore the oath years ago.

Baring the lack of internet, I will make a daily entry into this blog, noting my observations on The Great American Eclipse event about to happen here in Teton County, Wyoming, the Path of Totality going right through the airport.

It won't be something we forget.  It will challenge us and push us to work together.  And it just might be so amazingly awesome that we sit back and say, wow, that was really something!

Here are two great articles - if you have time for reading - that are worth the reading. Join The Crowd!  and a bit longer, but exceptional piece Annie Dillard's Writing   Enjoy.

White Farm House Make-Over

Mike has been working hard on the white farm house getting ready for the new renters who will be moving in tomorrow.  There will still be work to be done after they move in, but not nearly as much as there was one week ago!  Here is the new kitchen floor.  The two bedrooms, living room, ,and front entry got a new pecan laminate floor.  Things are looking good!!

Monthly Photo

The smoke finally went away and stormy skies made for a beautiful Sunday at the farm.  Mike, Mom, and I made the final touches on the white farm house, readying it for the new renters, arriving this week.  The day of work was a break after Saturday's busy Hoback BBQ picnic, feeding over 1000 people.  It is such a huge effort on so many peoples' part - pulled it off again.  It seems to get just a bit easier every year.

Pictures from the Picnic....Mom's "Solar Eclipse" quilt went for $4,500!  It was so wonderful to have her present and able to witness this community's generous support!

This week, we all take a deep breath and get ready for the big, solar eclipse event coming up in one week.  After next week, life should settle down a bit.  Many of us are looking forward to the break!!  

Stay safe out there.

Perfect Rice!!

Yup.  Another Insta Pot recipe.  Someone told me these things were getting sold on TV in those commercials everyone dreads.  If this is so, I am really glad I do not have a TV.  I would have never bought one!  Clearly, I love this thing.  Here is another recipe to try!  This cut from my adventures using OneNote.

Mac & Cheese, Made Easy

  

 

Noodle cooking is usually a mess for me.  Preferring gluten free noodles, they get gummy, stick to the bottom of the pan and each other.  I'm never very proud of my noodles.  

 

They rave about noodle cooking in an Insta Pot on the web.  What is there to lose?  I give it a try..... 

 

Here is the simple step by step process: 

 

Put 1 pound of noodles in the Insta Pot.  Add 4 cups of water, 3 tablespoons of butter, and 2 teaspoons of salt (unless you add ham, as shown above – then no salt needed).  Put on the lid, set to high pressure for 4 minutes and release the steam to find perfectly cooked noodles inside.  

 

Throw in 1 cup of heavy whipping cream (oh my, oh my!!) and 2 cups of shredded cheese.  This will all ooze and melt together, stir a bit, add some pepper and be very very proud of your perfect noodles!!   

 

PS  After this batch, I made another for the folks selling tickets tonight for the Hoback Volunteer Firefighter BBQ picnic happening Saturday, August 12 noon – 4pm at Astoria Hot Springs – join us for delicious (non Insta Pot cooked) BBQ ribs and the fixin's and the fun!   $15 gets you in and then you get a $20 gift card for the Hoback Market – how can you go wrong with that kind of a deal?   

 

PSS  After the second batch, I made a red lentil soup.  It's about to be finished..... 

 

This is what the mac & cheese looks like, when the lid comes off!!

 

 

 

Today's Insta Pot Discovery

This morning........rolled oats oatmeal out of the Insta Pot in 4 minutes!!  Check it out at Oatmeal for Breakfast!!  I'm getting some steel cut oats next!!  Did I tell you about the baked beans I made for our Sunday night party?  Delicious!!

Off to see Yo Yo Ma perform tonight at GTMF .  Should be awesome!!

Taming the Beast

This lawnmower was a gift from Tom Breen.  It is a 1977 Ariens model 16 horse mower with a big mowing deck.  Since we got the mower, fondly referred to as the "Beast", Michael has fussed with the ignition switch, the choke lever, changed the fuel filter (no wonder we were going through gas so fast!!), and then the mower belt (a challenging task indeed!).  There was an incident in which the thing could have easily caught on fire!

Cut grass last weekend and it's running like a charm! This old lawn mower has new life!!

The Picture You've Been Waiting For!

Yup.  There was a sliver in his hand.  Complete with paint even!!  I picked Michael up from recovery (they knocked him out for the digging around procedure) around 6 pm last night.  Here is a picture of what was causing all the fuss.

Of course, the sliver was in his right hand.  He is on his way this morning to the farm to figure out if changing irrigation pipe one-handed is even possible.  Doctor visit tomorrow.  All are hoping for a quick recovery.  That takes care of this year's health insurance deductible!!  We wait for the culture results to see what kind of bad stuff came along with the sliver of wood.

Hand Surgery

Two weeks ago, Michael went shopping at Home Depot.  While there, he got stabbed by a piece of wood, right in the crook of his hand, palm side, by his thumb.  The next day, his hand started swelling fast.  He found a doc.  The doc dug around and sent him home with antibiotics.  Yesterday, taking the last pill, there was still a tender spot.  Called the local (famous) hand doc.  This afternoon, he had surgery on that hand!

She called to tell me a 2cm sliver -with paint - was found!  Surrounded by infection, they will do a culture to know how to kick the germ's asses.  He's in recovery (surprise on that for me) and I am off to pick him up here shortly.

It rained all day on the alfalfa.  Perhaps he might think about taking tomorrow off......

Sorry I don't have a cool picture to share!!

Crazy-Cooking!

Okay, I am super-sold on this new appliance; my Insta Pot.  All week I have been trying out new recipes.  It's been hot and I am really pleased with the fact that the entire kitchen isn't getting hot as I cook.  A bonus, for sure.

So far, 3 successful batches of Jasmine rice (really, you say....you two are eating that much rice?), beef broccoli, pork roast, Asian beef, a whole chicken, and the best of best of all - potato salad.

I gotta say, I was sure this was going to be a disaster.  Following the online recipe, I put water with chunked potatoes into the pot and added 4 raw eggs.  Set them right on top the potatoes.  Closed it up and cooked it.  I was sure when I opened the thing I'd find egg whites and yolks and shells all over the thing.  Nope!  It worked!  The eggs were hard boiled, the potatoes cooked perfectly - done, but yet firm.  Michael is raving about this potato salad.  Says it's the best he's ever had!! Of course the dressing is key, but still, the eggs - they didn't burst!! Who woulda guessed?!  Here is a picture of what this looks like before the lid goes on.....

You can find the recipe at Miracle Potato Salad

Fast, furious exhausting work continues on the Freedom Farm.  Mike has been dealing with an infection from a puncture wound (he may need surgery.....), a tweaked back, an ancient (free) Ariens lawn mower with a blown belt and cracked fuel filter (no wonder it was slurping up so much gas!), hot and dry weather (the alfalfa needs irrigation), post holes that won't dig, and Hoback picnic ticket sales.  Starting tonight.  Groan.  Oh, I forgot to mention we had no water at home one day too.  That required a new pump, cleaning of a filter, and now the door - left open by the well dude  and ripped off during a storm - needs replaced (note, I did not say repaired).  

This is the view over a neighbor's barley field.  Beautiful, soft fields grace the country landscape.  This is beer barley.  Really pretty fields down south now. 

Another Appliance

We live in a small space.  There is no room for superfluous items.  In fact, it would be good to cull some things away to the second hand store!

So, when I kept reading about this new contraption called the Insta Pot, I resisted.  The thing kept showing up - especially on one of my favorite blog sites, French Blog Writer .  She raved about the thing.

Then, I had some baked beans made by a friend after branding their calves and cows.  The beans were delicious!  Pam couldn't quit raving about the thing and went on and on about its many features.

So, I did some research.  This is an electric pressure cooker, a crock pot, a machine that can saute and then pressure or slow cook, a really great RICE cooker (something I've always wanted but hesitated on getting; another appliance!), and much more, from what I'm learning.

The thing is intimidating.  I will confess, I was intimidated.  There are a bunch of buttons and it's a pressure cooker!!  Following the directions, learning the parts and buttons, one can feel comfortable using the thing in two or three tries.

So far, I've made two successful batches of jasmine rice.  Easy peasy and quick!  I pressure cooked up a thin sliced tri tip and seasoned it into something quite delicious and tender for an excellent dish served over the rice.  Last night, a whole chicken went into the thing.  In less than an hour, the chicken was tender and cooked through with nice, tasty juices - to serve over the rice!

Anyway, I recommend this.  Yes, it is one more appliance.  However, currently the thing now lives on my stove top - and not only for the reason that I haven't figured out where to store it - I'm using the thing every chance I can.

A great gift for your favorite cook who is sure to groan about another appliance, certain to be a bit intimidated by all the buttons, and almost guaranteed to fall in love with the thing!! All this for $100!!

PS.  There are tons of recipes on Pinterest.

Back from the Mountains

A great trip into the wilderness!  We set up camp and did day rides out.  Wonderful.  Relaxing.  The bugs were not bad and the stock - including all the dogs - did great.  New pack tripper, Jaicie (age 9), rode in on So-Long Sally and impressed us all.  Good kid!  We came out on our 11th year anniversary day (good grief, how did all those years fly by so fast??) and have since enjoyed spending some time with Jean and George.  Another sour cherry tree was planted at the Franch yesterday and today's tour took us all to Red Rock Ranch up the beautiful Gros Ventre drainage.  Nice to see you on the road today Addie!  Have a great day and next week - you are all in the midst of your summer busy season.  The place looks beautiful!!  Flowers are gorgeous!  

Hot Hayin' Weather

If we had full-grown alfalfa, we would be full-on haying now.  Hot and dry, the neighbors work in fast frenzy to cut, rake, bale, and stack this year's crop.  Mike moves his pipe today before we leave on a pack trip which is shorter this year for many reasons - alfalfa needing water being one.

Thanks to Mom and George who arrived on Thursday for watching our place while we are gone.  Feeding the cat, the fish, the chickens and keeping the plants watered is a lot of work and we appreciate them coming!  Thank you thank you thank you!!!

Until we return, July's picture of our place.  Stay safe out there!

The Art of Cutting Grass

In the midwest - and probably around the country - large lawns reflect on one's wealth.  Growing up on the farm, we had an enormous lawn, or so it seemed to those of us charged with cutting the lawn.  A white and yellow Cub Cadet riding mower was the tool to get the job done and the job was one the youth were tasked with performing.

I recall Dad critiquing my grass cutting skills, "You're just driving around and around in circles."  As I cut the grass at our new place in Freedom, I ponder this comment, remembered from my youth so well.  To this day, I still don't understand how else one can cut grass.  As I work toward straight lines (always a goal), I find myself.....going around and around in circles.

The lawn at Hoback is a long narrow lawn on a fairly steep slope.  You ride the side of the seat most of the time to keep from tipping over.  In some places, the slope is steep enough the gas won't flow in the fuel line and you have to aggressively rock the mower - on the slope - to keep fuel running until you level out.  To date, I have not tipped over the mower.

Mike has me cut at the highest setting.  When completed, the thick lush lawn looks like a polar fleece green blanket with lighter shades of green striping it lengthwise.

I long to cut this yard on the diagonal.  The steep slope makes it pretty much impossible, but I still yearn to cut across the grain.  The small square lawn at the Jean Street AFrames made diagonal cutting a breeze and I'd change up each time I cut. Diagonal to the right, diagonal to the left, then straight across.  There are few things more visually pleasing than a fresh cut, straight-lined lawn.  This could be a personal penchant toward nicely kept lawns, I fully realize.

A day off - of work at the Franch - tomorrow.  This is the week to get gathered up for the annual pack trip vacation.  A break will be nice!