Let the Fun Bee-gin!!

The bees arrived this Mother's Day.  Packed in a wax, cardboard box, the instructions were to take them home, place where the hive was to go, pull the yellow plug and get out if the way as " the bees will be pissy". 

The next instruction was to suit up, get the smoker smoking, and move the bees from their temporary box to the actual hive.  Mike suited up and performed like a well-seasoned bee keeper.  He did confess it was a bit unsettling to remove the top to the thing and hear the loud noise of a zillion buzzing bees.  The transfer was completed successfully with out one bee sting.

And meanwhile, the flowers are blooming nearby!  Things are green and blooming!  What a beautiful time of the year, indeed!!

Six Weeks

This week, I get to type again!  It's been six weeks since I made the error of judgement and used a kitchen knife as a tool.  I am reminded every day as the healing process advances, of how stupid that was to be using a kitchen knife! 

Mike has returned from his great Midwest adventure with a loaded trailer.  Thank you Dad for the piece of machinery!  I'm not sure which I am more excited to see arrive in Hoback - Mike, the culdepacker or the generous gift of frozen sweet corn!! 

Road weary and happy to be home, we got an early night sleep and soaked up some hot tub time this morning.  I am on duty this weekend (first time since my bad knife decision) so no Freedom for me this weekend (sad face).

Spring is winning.  The hummingbirds are back, the grass is growing, and the trees are leafing out.  Our bees arrive next Sunday; on Mother's Day.  The moment of discovering if I am or am not allergic draws nearer! 

Today's work - dependent on 911 calls - includes cleaning the fish tank, the chicken coop, and the dog poop in the back yard.  That's a lot of poop!!

Thanks for your patience as I have healed.  My ring finger can't really feel the key yet, so there is some backspacing to this missive, however, it is sensationally easier to type with two hands rather than one!! 

Have a great week ahead!!

Spring in the Mountains

There are many things to dislike about this time of the year in Jackson Hole Wyoming. The vexing argument between winter and spring occurs every day.  Winter wins on most days.   Every now and then, a nice spring day teases up flaunting blue skies, warm temperatures, and joyous celebrations by all creatures great and small.  The day soon is crushed by Winter's strong arm and cold temperatures and snowflakes appear before the gray backdrop. It is a vexing time of the year indeed.

Today, on the way to work, I hear an osprey on the nest above Janet and Todd‘s house!  Brave Warrior here to help in the seasonal battle.

There are other signs of spring. The aspen trees buds start to swell and get all fuzzy looking. There are new birds that have arrived; I can hear them in the distance, see a red robin, and catch a flash of the ubiquitous bluebird every now and then. The grass has a slight green tinge to it, around the edges, sort of not totally green by any means but you can just see some of the south slopes starting to get a green sense to them.  The snow is melting on the valley floor and the dirt and dust come up and get swept around with blustery winds.  Rocks fly up into vehicles causing yet another crack in the windshield for the spring season. The south bare slopes are turning dry and the real threat of a grass fire starts to exist. The ground maybe wet, the ground may be frozen but the grasses are tall and dry and thick from last year‘s growth.

The thing I like the best during this mud season time is the elk. The elk at this time of the year can be seen everywhere! They’re coming off of their winter feed grounds in clusters of 30 or 40 or 100 or 200; they gather up looking for those green shoots heading higher and higher as the snows recede but staying close enough just in case Winter wins again.

At the Walton Ranch, new birth celebrates spring with the oncoming arrival of young calves.  Yesterday our cow had twins! This time, unlike the last time, both are alive. More and more come every day, born in cold temperatures, drying off and sucking for the first time that warm milk from their mother. Today's newborns will be greeted by Winter.

The Proper Use of Tools

There is a magnet above the sink where I cook. On that magnet hangs many knives. I have a curved knife for cutting orange skins, I have many pairing knives because pairing knives are my very favorite. I have a big Globe knife that Diana gave me years ago but still cuts magically through slices of rare flank steak cooked on the grill. I have a serrated knife because everyone needs one of those to slice through crispy hot ciabatta bread just out of the oven.  I have a long straight edge knife, it’s used for this and that not that much at the end of the day. But knives should not be used as tools other than the tool of knifing.

Yesterday morning our coffee pot ran over because Michael was in a big hurry on Friday coming from the ranch where many cows had been birthing and he had to get to dinner with Todd and Janet who graciously fed him (and me with leftovers) to pick me up at the airport Friday night and he forgot to put the coffee pot underneath the coffee maker. When that happens the water boils up inside of the coffee pot and makes a mess out of everything. It’s happened before. So dutifully I started cleaning the coffee pot after I got up on Saturday morning.  There was just enough to have a cup of coffee but it needed to be cleaned so I worked away. A knife should not be used as a screwdriver.  I have made this mistake before but never with quite the results of yesterday's slip of the hand. I knew as soon as I felt the ting in my finger that I had a pretty deep cut. “I’m going to have to go to the emergency room and this one'" I said to Michael.  There was a profanity uttered as well.  He immediately and rightly so began to question as to what had just happened realizing that I had cut myself really good this time with a knife.  Way to ruin a perfectly good day.  In the end I waited for 3 1/2 hours for the doctor to show up because he had a complicated wrist surgery before me. By the time he got to me it was 1:30 and then took 3 1/2 hours of surgery to connect the artery back together, the nerves, and the tendon that I cut through.  Now all bandaged up, I look back with a grimace of shame for doing something so stupid but also with elation that I didn’t cut off my finger. You always need to find something to be thankful for. The whole event ruined a perfectly good Saturday and now Michael’s behind and I feel bad. He’s off to Freedom to try to get things done.  I sit at this computer wondering how I’m going to do this.  It’s of course my right hand.

Good friend Cyndie, the owner of a hand therapy clinic, will be working on my hand tomorrow and getting me set up hopefully with a splint which I will be able to at least use some digits on my right hand; the two affected digits you can see below. Sorry it’s kind of a gory picture that may make some of you wintz.

Productive Weekend!

Great weekend with nephew Evan and his wonderful gal, Dani!  Mike and I rocked it for getting things done!! Especially Mike!!  My photo of us all enjoying beer and apps is on my phone; you will have to wait for that photo.  Here's what got accomplished.

First, five bluebird houses.  Three are up in Freedom, two are waiting to go up in Hoback.  These are made using the plans from Gilbertson Bluebird House design.  Supposed to be sparrow resistant.  I hate sparrows about as much as flies.....  You paint them to look like a birch/aspen tree.  Hopefully, the bluebirds will not judge their potential homes by the exterior artwork!!  They will, I am certain, be very impressed by the brand hanging off the pole!

New lights in the kitchen make this cook VERY happy.  The old lights buzzed.  I hated that!  These sleek low profile lights are a huge improvement!!

Next on to the sink faucet.  Getting rid of the low profile always-in-the-way, this faucet stands tall over the sink, giving more than ample room to wash dishes while enjoying the beautiful western view out of the window.

And then, the light over the sink.  It was about as bad as the other!! Mike found a nice piece of old barn wood (lots came with the place) and mounted this second hand store fixture.  The lights will be changed so they are all the same color.  HUGE improvement!! 

Other things that happened this weekend - new forks for the tractor!!  Very exciting!  The hot tub is fixed!!  Very, very exciting!!  This was the repair, actually, that started the weekend out right!!  

And lastly, when you have an airplane and a hanger, it's nice to have a giant door into your shop.  When you have no airplane and a hanger, it's nice to keep this insulated area closed up.  This beautiful door addition was completed a couple of weeks ago.  Great work, T!

Spring Was Here!

Seriously.  It really was here.  For two and a half days, we lavished in warm temperatures and marveled at the spring birds singing away.  Snow melted, rivers got muddy, and the sky was oh so blue. 

Today, it is gray and cold and threatening to rain/snow. 

So during this lovely time, I went for a walk up behind our house.  Here are some images.

Afternoon Radiance.

A Gift.

  The Hoback Place 

Melting Out.

What it feels like to be a member of the fire service family.....

This is what it feels like.  I was bummed there were very few (any?) women, but it still captures what it's all about to be a member of the fire family. 

Proud to be a Firefighter

Winter Beauty

Wintery Sunday

This weekend has been a good effort from the weather department to make sure we all feel we've gotten a bit of winter this year.  Cars line up to get to the ski hill, snow blowers relocate inches of snow from walkways and drives, and plow trucks run up and down the road.

We are reminded of the difference between a slick road and a dry road after Friday night's dramatic crash in the Snake River Canyon.  A truck with a single passenger flew off the edge of the canyon to a tragic final ending, upside down, in the Snake River.  A dad with two kids and a wife lost his life and icy roads certainly contributed.  In the blink of an eye.  This is a picture down to the edge of the river where the vehicle came to rest.

Mike and I have one day together in Freedom this week and anticipate a long week ahead.  Monday night fire department meeting, Wednesday night crew checks, Friday night banquet with our friends up north, and finally all day Saturday in another training.

Had to run an errand this morning and got some winter pictures from here to Etna and back.  I am guessing spring is near by......

Drive safe.

Tips for Stephanie!

(Or anyone else ready to make their own fermented vegetables!)  Here are some tips for jumping into fermenting.  I'd love for you to link into Amazon with these items  (Amazon is about to pull my account, as no one has linked in to order.....)

The following is in no particular order and random!  Sort of like my life!!

Salt.  Ridiculously expensive, this salt is perfect for fermenting.  And it's beautiful.  Nothing else in it but salt.  Love this stuff - thanks Coralia for this gift which I now use all the time!  Awesome Salt

Lids.  I think fermenting in one quart jars is the way to go.  Small batches are ready in 2-3 weeks, fun to watch, and pretty on the edges of the counter (where it is dark).  These lids are easy to open, have a cool way to mark the day the product starts, and breath out only, keeping this process anaerobic.  It's really easy to over-fill a jar and lose that wonderful brine.  I recommend a 3/4 full jar.  These lids come with a pump which removes air when you store your ferment.  Trouble is, then your lid ends up on a jar in the fridg.  Mine are in constant use, so this "bonus" isn't that handy.  Wide Mouth Fermenting Lids

Weights.  You need weights to hold the whole thing down.  Once the bacteria get going, things start happening in your jar.  Do not buy the ones that are just flat.  Mistake (take it from me!).  Get the kind you can pick up from the top of the jar.  I love these Glass Weights for Inside of Jar

Pounder.  I resisted this thing and now, for reasons of being in a hurry and not paying attention, I now have two!  They are good tools.  Stephanie, I'll send you my extra on Monday.  It is really important to get your vegetables smashed into the jar tight.  Air is not good.  This tool beats the heck out of pushing it down with your fist (again, I speak from experience!).  Packing Tool

Help.  This is the very best fermenter out there online.  She is passionate.  Sign up to help Holly reach 50,000 people fermenting in a year.  Her recipes are spot-on.  Every one I have made has been delicious!  Holly Howe Rocks!

Recipe Book.  This was one of the first things I got when inspiration hit.  The book is beautiful and walks you through process.  Recipes galore as well.  It's worth the money if you are jumping into fermenting.  Recipe Cookbook

Lastly, don't be afraid.  This process gets the pH down to a safe level for preservation.  Don't cook this stuff - you kill all the beneficial bacteria!  Be inspired, there are a zillion combinations of things to ferment - I've used fresh cranberries in a batch and they were amazing!  Enjoy!  Besides the health benefits, your fermented creations will be delicious!!  

Many of the below are coming out of their jars this week!!  Yum!!

End of a Busy Week

Monday was a government holiday.  For some.

Thanks to a fire in the chase of a giant chimney in a giant house, I spent my Monday doing fire investigations.  The house is 13K square feet.  Wow.  That's a whole lot of house to clean!!  This is the Teton Village Truck set up for roof operations.  This is the kind of stuff that firefighters LIVE for!!  My "day off" was a bit cancelled.  Oh well.

Kraut continues to ferment in the kitchen.  The one I am watching is called "By The Sea".  It has green cabbage, blood orange, and arame sea weed.

Off to Freedom tomorrow afternoon.  FREEDOM!!

Winter Returns

Over a foot of wet, heavy snow arrived during the night.  Mike and I spent the day moving it.  Heavy and stubborn the snow has been scraped off decks and walkways, blown off car aprons and parking spots, and plowed away to giant heaps at the end of the road. 

Here, a view through the orchids.  Do note, the orchid sending out a blossom stalk!  Always a noteworthy event, for me, when you can get an orchid to bloom again.

Crazy for Kraut

Or just crazy.  Your call!!

 

Living Vicariously

It is a beautiful morning in Freedom.  I sit at my desk in Jackson, enjoying the view!  I got the cameras for Mike's birthday.  Not too expensive and seemingly kind of slick, I thought it would be a good gift.  Live web cam.  You can find these cameras at Fos Cam .

The cameras tie into the wifii there and can be pulled up off an app where ever one might be.  I cannot be there every day in person, but I can be there vicariously, viewing the changing weather, the sun moving shadows across the new snow, the clouds scattered in the blue morning sky. 

There is an added security feature for one of the cameras; live recording in the Cloud so if something funky happens, we can roll back to that time and see what went on.  So far, the coolest event was an owl coming in to snag a mouse at 2am.  There are three cameras now.  One on the garage, one in the Corporate Headquarters (this a portable camera which moves to various places), and one out at the hanger with a big northwest view of the place.  I am happy to share the user name and password with family and friends.

This long President's Day weekend finds friend Jason and son Ollie enjoying the Freedom home.  Mike and I will make weekend day visits, working on various projects in the hanger.  Enjoy the long weekend, if you are so lucky to have one!

PS  The time stamp is wrong!  I'll fix that right now.

For the Love of Valentine's Day

Who doesn't like Valentine's Day?  I suppose people who are alone do not.  We celebrated with an amazing meal and good friend Janet last night (her guy, Todd, off doing some training).  Shipped fresh from Legal Seafood, we banked the wonderful gift certificate Steven and Victoria send for our enjoyment every Christmas.  And enjoy, we did!  Mike got out the big boiling pot, gas flame roaring outside the front door.  As the water heated, we drank delicious wines, tasted appetizers, munched on a fresh green salad, and slurped the rich clam chowder that arrived with the lobster.  Mmmmmm, so good.  Then came the crustaceans!  We all got quiet and serious about the chore of releasing the tender sweet flesh from the exoskeleton holder.  This might need to become a tradition!!

 

Diary of a Food Hoarder

As I wailed in pain after the brick of frozen meat fell out of the freezer onto my toes, Michael mumbled something about me being a food hoarder.  The proof of this statement was directly in front of me.  Sour cherries, frozen flat in a ziplock bag waiting to become a pie - from 2012!  Flat stacks of frozen peaches from the Presbyterian church annual peach sale.  Flat packages of frozen pulled pork, green chili verde, bags of nuts, packages of slices cheeses, rounds of elk burger, some packages of frozen lasagna.

Like any addiction, recognizing one is addicted is the first step to curing the illness.  I pulled out the cherries and made jam, incorporating some hibiscus flowers.  It turned out delicious. 

There is a certain pride in having full cupboards, refrigerator, and freezer.  I recall the time in my life when money was as scarce as the food in the empty cupboards.  Like a person who lived through the depression, I take pride and relief to see there is food, plenty of food.  Food to eat, food to entertain, and food to save for when food is needed! 

There are several tools which have been extremely helpful in my food hoarding obsession.  I was using a sealer similar to this one last night Seal o Meal , and pondered how this little creation has changed and improved my freezer hoarding.  Inspired from Alden, Seth's amazing and creative wife, during our summer pack trip, I knew as soon as I unsealed the breakfast burritos from their airless heavy plastic packages that I had to have the unit that made all this happen. 

More batches of fermented vegetables are coming out of the kitchen.  Happily, I have found some folks who really like and understand the bacterial benefits of fermented vegies.  Soon, there will be more kraut around here than I can give away!  Mike says our house smells like an old shoe.  This is a real hazard of making your own fermented vegetables!!  You really should sign up for Holly's email newsletter Start here to find out more! and help her with the quest to get 50K people making fermented vegetables!  Her recipes are spot-on and easy to follow.  I've made three recipes with success!  No more $13 pint purchases of kraut for me!!  And, I created my very own label! I love Publisher!!

This summer found me buying a beautiful (extravagant) copper pan for jam making.  Actually, Mike got it for me for Christmas - I think he knows that.....!! This Beautiful Thing is not only practical, it is a piece of art, hanging on the wall, waiting for the next batch of fruit to simmer up inside its shining walls. 

The best batch was the apricot jam.  Sweet and tart all at the same time, the jam was thick with pulp and just the right consistency.  I found a great book to help me along the way of jam making, Blue Chair Jam .  I read something about this gal buying 2000 pounds of fruit weekly in the summer.  Whoooa, that's obsessive!!  Mike and I went to the winter's farmer's market yesterday and found jam at $6/cup.  I guess at that price, you could do well to make a bunch of jam.  Honey was $18/quart.  There was a lot of honey around.  I bought $4 worth of fresh butter crunch lettuce from Vertical Harvest which I am always happy to spend a bit-too-much for the things they produce (check them out, what they do is pretty darn cool).  Also bought a half pound of fresh shitake mushrooms, a dozen delicious green chili chicken tamales Great Tamales (brought home and frozen up for later - HOARDER I AM!!), and the non-pasteurized ice cream from Shumway Farms .  This stuff is truly amazing.  Look for this at Michael's big birthday bash September 1!!  At $7 a PINT, they've got something going!! 

Dinner last night - pistachio encrusted sea bass cooked in a parchment bag, fresh butter crunch salad, and a taste of amazing ice cream.  Working on a batch of bacon-ends split pea soup to take to work tomorrow and for dinner, spaghetti and meatballs (the meatballs were found in the very back of the freezer last week!). 

The Winter of 2018

Things got colder after Sunday night, thankfully.  Now the slop is ice-hard and crunchy.  For a bit, the ice was treacherous, but it is what we call "rotten" now (ice and snow that have warmed and melted and warmed and melted) and traction comes easier.

Here are some pictures taken before we left on Sunday.  Uck.

Lastly, check this out!  These are some crocus bulbs I planted last fall - clearly confused! - showing their brave selves!! 

Soggy Ground Hog

Truth is, there are no ground hogs in Wyoming. We have badgers and marmots and chislers living in the ground.  Had any of them emerged from the frozen ground, they would have been pretty disappointed in the winter of 2018.  The day began with snow and quickly warmed up to slop and rain.  Last night's temperature never got below freezing.  Mike and I wore hats as we soaked in the Freedom hot tub, our exposures pelted with cold raindrops.

The yard is showing splotches of grass.  The roofs are sliding their burden of snow with the sudden and unexpected crash and clamor that always causes surprise.  Dark clouds lay heavy on the mountain tops.  Are we in for four months of spring mud season and dreary weather?

I am unclear what it would mean had one of our underground critters emerged from the frozen ground yesterday, but today things aren't looking much better and the thermometer hovers at 38 degrees.  Ugh.

There will be no cross country ski this weekend.  Two Adirondack chairs need painting, dinner with neighbor Pam, and an early Sunday departure to get back, make chicken wings, and head to friends' for the Super Bowl.  I'd rather watch the President's state of the union address - which I did not anyway because, thank goodness, we don't have TV!

Kraut Facts

Rarely do I post twice in one day!  Know that I'm posting this mainly so I will have it for future reference!  Check this out - a bunch of kraut facts.  Click on this link Kraut Facts and get inspired to add some live things to your diet. 

Here are some interesting salt facts.  1 oz of sauerkraut (two folk-fulls) equals 243 mg of sodium.

So yeah, there is salt in the stuff.  I put 1 tablespoon in 28 oz of cabbage mix vegetables.  Like all good things, moderation is the key.

I tell you, I could eat a quart of the first batch at once!  It turned out great!!

Branded

Getting a Wyoming brand is not easy.  I made several attempts before, finally, the letter of acceptance arrived.  Idaho approved the same brand which we were simply ecstatic about!  Essentially, it is a K with a M on its side, facing the K.  Some call it "K lazy M" brand (which certainly does not fit the "M" part of this team!) and others call it the "KiM" brand.  Either way, it's our brand and even though there aren't thousands of cattle roaming around the plains with this brand on their right rear hip, hey, we've got a brand!

Mike has been learning how to use the ranch's plasma cutter.  This along with his welding skills have produced some awesome brands for the Freedom place.  It is now branded!  At the front driveway, the below hangs, swinging slightly in the breeze.

Hanging off the east porch, this heavy piece of metal frames the hanger.

 

And here, on the side of the old wood barn.

 



This last weekend, I sunk my mind into learning about bees while reading Beekeeping for Dummies which is a very thorough and good start to the current hottest backyard hobby.  Before I jump in too far, it seems prudent to find out if I am allergic to the things as getting stung is inevitable.  Appointment is made for a blood test next week.  More to come!  Might be honey in your next year's holiday gift!!

Mike and I watched the big lunar event this morning from the hot tub - a perfect viewing location!  Hope many of you got to watch this unique event. 

It's Tax Time Again

It's tax time.

Michael pours over papers, peers into the computer screen, and shouts out questions - "so when does your credit card charge you?", "why did you make two entries in two different months that are exactly the same?"  Exasperation exhaled with his every word. 

When we met, I had a handy little system to deal with taxes.  Everything had an envelope with a title.  Medical bills, rent, utilities.  It made perfect sense to me (and still does!).  At the end of the year, I'd take each receipt's amount, write it on the outside of the envelope, total the envelope and then total up all the individual envelopes and deliver them (with pride, by the way) to my tax guy in Dubois.  I found Jerry in 1995.  We still have Jerry doing out taxes.  He called me the Envelope Gal.

Our taxes have gotten a bit more complex since then.  This may be the apex year of complexity.  The rental in town up to the middle of last year and then the purchase of the Freedom property.  Now a new rental, a farm, and a house.  There are 1099s that must go out (did you know you have to have one for your lawyer? - even the government doesn't trust lawyers!), credit card bills that have to be sorted out (thanks to my continued inability to make sense of Quicken), and a whole bunch of other stuff that I have stayed far, far away from.

I think he is getting close to being done.  The questions posed with disbelief at my lack of understanding are beginning to wane now.  Addressed envelopes are to be delivered to the post office. 

Every year I try to improve.  I try to get checks entered into the Quicken account.  I try to get bills paid on time.  This year's improvement plan includes turning over the monthly credit card statement to the internal accountant - Mike.  I am hopeful that next year will be easier come tax time.

Meanwhile, I continue to create.  That's where my brain is its most happiest!  Dreaming of a new kraut recipe, making some kind of goat cheese with the half gallon of goat milk staged in the refrigerator, and tending to the work of a Fire Marshal and Battalion Chief. 

Here is a photo for the day.  Dreaming of warmer days ahead.