Raising Chicks, 101

Step 1. Drive to nearest Cal Ranch store (Idaho Falls, 110 miles) and find chicks.

Step 2. Spend a great deal of time convincing your mate you really have to have 6 chicks but will compromise with four.

Step 3. Buy chicks in a box and transport to Jackson.

Step 4. Find appropriate box, place in warm bathroom with food and water, wood shavings and chicks.

Step 6. Keep dogs and cats from eating chicks.

Step 7. Watch chicks grow!

Step 8. Return box to local post office in clean condition when chicks start jumping out (any day now!).

Today I Graduate!

I now have an Associate's Degree in Fire Science!! Feels good!!

Addie's Amazing Cookies!

My friend Addie is an amazing cook. What's really amazing about Addie is that she is willing to share her amazing recipes so we can all be amazing cooks like her!! I love this recipe. As the last batch cooks in the oven, I send you out the ingrediants so you too can be like Addie; an amazing cook!

Don't bother making these if you don't like ginger - all three types are within; dry, fresh grated and minced crystalized! Wow! I take a microplaner to the fresh ginger and just chop the crystalized up into small little pieces. The combination of butter and shortening give these cookies just the right texture too.

Addie's Ginger Cookies

2 1/2 c. flour
1/3 c. minced crystallized ginger
2 t. bkg soda
1 1/2 t. ground ginger
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ground cloves
1/4 t. salt

Mix all dry ingrediants together then cream:
6 T. butter, unsalted and room temperature
6 T. shortening
1 egg
1/2 c. packed golden brown sugar
1/2 c. packed dark brown sugar
1/4 c. molasses
2 t. grated fresh peeled ginger

Sugar for rolling cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degress. Mix flour with creamed mixture. Roll cookies into 3 T. sized balls. Roll in sugar in an bowl. Place on sheet and bake 10-12 minutes.

Thanks for sharing! My friend Addie at Enos Lake Hunting Camp.

Enough, Already!!

I like winter, but come on!! It's MAY!! The view out the back door. 20:30 hours. Wednesday night, May 5, 2010.

100 Years and Amazing!

This is my Great Aunt Ione. She turned 100 years old in April. "What was the most amazing thing that happened in your lifetime?" I ask her. "Electricity," she replies, without hesitation.

Uncle John (age 86), Aunt Betty (age 90) and Aunt Ione (age 100) and myself as driver all packed up and headed to the Kinzer Farm on Monday. The day went perfectly with a stop at the LaSalle Nursing Home to visit brother Key (age 96).

After our lunch together, we left Key to his afternoon nap and headed to the Kinzer Farm. It was a lovely day for a drive through the country side.

With the old farm house in the back, father Ken (he'd rather I not mention his age, but he did turn 70 this year!), Uncle John, Aunt Betty and Aunt Ione.

A short but wonderful visit with friend Diana Carlson and Mom joining us for dinner on Tuesday made for the close of a great visit back to Illinois during such a beautiful time of the year.

Next on the calendar of events - graduation from Casper College Fire Science program. Mom and friend Evie will be driving out to join the graduation festivities! Can't wait!

Spring - Kind Of!

A lovely Friday off work! We walked the 3/4 mile down to the Hoback River to get a line wet yesterday afternoon! What a beautiful place. The dogs joined us and waited patiently. Just as we were about to declare the stream fish-less, Michael got one on the line! A cute trout got a sore lip and released back into the chilly water.

This morning's frosty 14 degree temperature has prompted indoor chores; cleaning, check book reconciliation, fish tank cleaning, ect. We wait for the temperature outside to increase. The garden is still frozen rock solid. This time of the year is a stand-still for so many projects. Waiting for the garden to thaw. Waiting for the temps to get decent to go horse back riding. Waiting for the lake to thaw to go fishing. One's life is in a state of anticipation, trying to best fill the time with what activities can be enjoyed!

I leave you with one more picture of the Hoback River area.

Hill Climb and More Winter

Sort of like a NASCAR race on snow, last weekend's World Championship Snowmobile Hillclimb rocked the face of Snow King Mountain as snowmobiles made their way up the steep face of the rutted course.

Michael and I visited both days, equiped with fold up chairs and binoculars on Sunday. The crowd was huge! Folks in Skidoo, Artic Cat, and Polaris jackets walked about with their darkest sunglasses and "team" ballcaps. Most carried a beer; it's a big party! Of course, Jackson liberals rant about stupidity and drunkedness in the editorial pages of the paper this week (okay, there is some of that), but the event brings in a whole lot of needed money to Jackson's ailing economy. That's really not such a bad thing.

We made a run to the Walton Ranch after the King of the Hill earned his sought-after title and visited the horses and the mule. The furry critters are starting to shed their winter hair; a fact they certainly have come to regret this week as we have had quite a bit of snow and 15 degree morning temperatures. Brrr. The ski hill over the Pass got 22 inches of snow in the last 24 hours. We just got the best snow storm of the season in the last two days.

Michael finished the snowmobile work season on Wednesday, washed and dried his gear and put it away yesterday. The snowmobile company had a fun end of the season party yesterday afternoon and just like that, it's over. He is looking ahead at the weather to find a window of opportunity to begin the roofing project on our little cabin.

Changing of the Seasons

Just in the nick of time, Michael got me on a snowmobile to make sure I didn't miss a year of 'biling! Saturday took us touring the Gray's River area; a place I had never been. We rode 90 miles in 2 1/2 hours and viewed some lovely country.The next day we went out again, this time to country I remembered well. Funny, I spent the day recalling wrecks from the past - the tree the woman from Tennessee ran into, the edge the guy from Monsanto dropped off (and didn't die!), ect. The picture above is from Togwotee. Friend, Coralia Miller, got us a great deal on transceivers so we can ride feeling a bit better in avalanche country.

Spring came quickly and we are going fishing this afternoon! There are a few patches of snow left at our elevation, but it is melting fast.

Michael was a featured speaker at this weekend's Anti-Wolf Rally which was held on Jackson's Town Square. A crowd of over 300 people stood to hear speakers talk of the dramatic impact of the reintroduced predator on the elk and moose population. He did a great speech, highlighted with comments of his degree in biology, "That and a buck and a half will buy you a cup of coffee!" Many laughs from the crowd!

We head to Casper on Wednesday and will return home Friday night after three presentations by very notable folks in the fire world. Should be a fun get away! Have a great changing-of-the-seasons week!

Fast DC Weekend!

One of the advantages to being out east for two weeks is the weekend! Mom made the trip from Illinois to spend about 40 hours with me here in the DC area, including a day of walking around the national monuments in Washington, DC. What a thrill to figure out the Metro, get the fare right, and get to the right place. We felt so "metro"!! A brisk wind kept Mom's hood up and my hat on as we walked out way west to the Word War II monument (pictured above). I love this picture of Mom next to the columns of the Lincoln Memorial (below)looking east toward the Washington Memorial and the White House.

We walked on to the Korean Memorial, a spooky, erie, and enchanting monument to the soldiers of that war. Then north back over to the Vietnam Memorial past the long wall of names. A park ranger presentation helped us learn a bit more about that emotional tribute.

We then began walking to the east. Landing at the back entrance of the Natural History Museum, we (especially me) had one thought in mind and it wasn't a woolly mammoth; it was lunch. Amongst a crowd of squalling children we dined. I liked it much better outside! So there we went, in search of the aquarium. In a dark space filled with bubbling aquariums, we viewed electric eels, poisonous frogs and the coolest sea urchins ever!! On then to the Red Cross headquarters to realize there was no reason to come there!! Our feet were very tired.

We turned directions and sighted in to a southeast trek back to the Washington Monument. A pause on top of the polished white marble benches and onward to the Metro. Our day was completed with a fine meal shared with Michael's family; father Earl, mother Janet, brother Steven, sister-in-law Victoria,and nephew Taylor. As I write this, she is still traveling. Thanks Mom, for a great weekend! It was a wonderful diversion from the week of study ahead here at the National Fire Academy (final picture).

Happy Weekend!

Ah, the joy of a day off! Some of you should get this posting immediately, if all works. I'm trying to upgrade my blog site. Please try to "become a follower". It may require a yahoo or google account, but both are free and easy to set up.

I have been advised that I should be on a wheat free, dairy free, egg free diet due to allergies. I've worked at this for a month now and am somewhat convinced that I might actually feel better. But can you imagine that kind of diet? So today's posting is for any of you who want to try a non-wheat bread (trust me, if you don't have to, don't!). The recipe requires strange ingrediants as follows:

2 1/4 cup white rice flour
1 cup brown rice flour
2 1/2 t. xanthan gum
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
3 T. sugar
1 T. egg substitute
1/2 c. dry milk powder (I used water)
2 1/4 t. yeast
3 eggs (I used 3 T. ground flax/12 T water pureed)
1 t. cider vinegar
3 T walnut oil
1/2 c. warm water

The process of making this bread began with the discovery that Butch, the garbage can hound, snuck off with the bag of xanthan gum last night while we were out to celebrate Jason Wright's 43rd birthday (how did he get so old???). I found the torn open bag in the back yard with enough left for the recipe. I wonder how that is making old Butch feel today? So far, he seems fine.

Anyway, you throw the drys together (mix them up well) and the wets together (give the yeast time to grow), put it all in the big mixer and try for something that looks like bread. Spray a bread pan, plop the stuff in and let it sit somewhere warm a good hour or more to rise. Bake 30-40 minutes at 325 and you're set. Here's the actual link if you want to check it out. Just click on Rice Bread.Tomorrow is Super Bowl Sunday and we are party-bound in the afternoon to Spotted Horse Ranch for the festivities! Michael found a GREAT chicken wing recipe which you can find at this link Great Wings. I don't know why you'd even waist your time of rice bread when you could be making these wings!

So enough for now. Let me know if you actually got this new posting and have a great weekend!!

Frosty Winter Landscape

How could one not like winter in its beauty?

Okay, so it's cold out there, but look, the landscape is stunning!

Mid January Ponderings

So, I came up with the name for the class I will be teaching at the April Trauma Conference, "Staying out of the Body Bag". Thanks to all of you who sent in with ideas!

Thank goodness for the day off today. I am weary after travels to Illinois and quick turn-around for a week of teaching in Casper. Getting caught up this morning on blog posts (have you ever seen the Teton County Civil Air Patrol blog site? Check it out at CAP Blog. Just click on CAP Blog to go to site.)

We are all watching the weather reports to see if the big winter storm will actually hit us. No one is too optimistic. It has been a very bad snow year for Teton County so far.

If you haven't see Avatar yet, go! Although it's not much of a plot, the visuals and sound are amazing!! I would have loved to have seen it in 3-d!

Micheal is off snowmobile guiding. The dogs are wishing we were out for a walk and the chickens have laid three eggs already this morning. Yesterday we took a fun drive with the Breens to look at some mules. Unfortunately, the one I want doesn't look to be for sale!

This picture that I took with Addie Hare's camera (thank you Addie!) is in the 2010 Ferrara (company that builds these trucks) calendar! Ah, the sweet feeling of being published again!! Ha, didn't get a penny for it either!

Help Me!!

Today, I had the honor of getting asked to teach a one hour class at the upcoming Trauma Conference, April 15ish 2010. (At a later moment, I realized I had plugged a spring break into this very time slot, which now, I will have to change - argh!). This is hosted by our EMS folks and brings people from all about Wyoming, some even from Idaho, to be entertained and learn some good and often gorey EMS stuff. My quest - to combine something EMS with something Fire. To educate and entertain. To be a dynamic speaker because it is difficult to find dynamic women speakers. Dynamic, I have. Topic, I do not.

So, always up for a challenge, I have accepted the mission. And always willing to look to my friends for help, I send you this blog site. Any and all ideas will be considered!! Pleeeeease, people, help me out here!! Of course realizing many of you are neither firefighters nor EMTs, I realize this may be a desperate plea. So following are some pictures of our Fall 09 Tour to Illinois and back! It was a splendid trip, indeed. Happy 2010 - I feel good about this year!!

Is Anyone Looking?

Thanks for the picture Diana!

New Picture - Our Place From The Air!!

Children's Learning Center Goes Up!

This is to be my Fire Inspector-ing project. I thought it would be fun to document this structure from the ground up! This will be the county-owned Children's Learning Center. Built in a flood zone, water is just below the surface. A huge water-moving project ensued as the foundation got set. The solid wall is a west-facing concrete wall, poured inplace in forms. The 8" fire main was recently tested to assure there were no leaks in the water main.

It's a huge project being undertaken by a county concerned about their revenues in this new, recessed economy.

Building Construction

Insulated Concrete Forms. This is a residential home being constructed in Teton County. It is over 5000 square feet, so it shall be sprinklered (County ordinance). The walls are 6" of poured concrete with a cold roof overhead.Here are a series of pictures from this site through a Flicker slide show.

Turns out, the garage will be sprinklered and the storage area above as well. Notice the steel beams supporting that light weight construction floor. I will try to learn if there will be more than one layer of gyp board covering that garage ceiling.

I also learned yesterday at this site, that the ICF forms have a hard plastic on the inside. This plastic becomes a mounting location for applying drywall directly to the ICF walls. I still haven't figured out how they run the electrical chases.....

AREA OF REFUGE So, I don't know much about this code, found both in the Building and Fire Codes under 1007.6 Areas of Refuge. Having a building presently under construction less than two blocks away, I decided to use this opportunity to get smarter on this code; much to the chagrin of the General Contractor! Here is another series of images from the area of refuge. Note the little silver box with button and speaker. One would wheel one's chair out to this safe area of refuge, push the button and talk to someone......ooops, my building may not have a 24 hour attendant! And I don't think this button will talk to the local phone, which it must do, per code. I also learned code states that each area of refuge must be labeled with illuminated signs, INCLUDING the International Symbol of Accessibility AND tactile signage must be located at each door as well. Tough stuff to dump on a GC four days before his CofO!!(Did you see the nice little sprinkler head at the top of the stairwell?)

Lastly, as you probably figured out, this is my personal blog site. You can get an amusing glimpse into my life by clicking on past posts! It is a great way to combine photos with the written word and pretty darn easy to do, I must say. I will do it again if it proved helpful for anyone. Maybe follow the construction of the ICF home....

Thank You for the Great Party!

Despite the dark clouds looming above, a great time was had by all at Michael and Kenlyn's birthday party. Nearly 40 pounds of giant king crab legs were devoured and a table of dishes brought by well-wishers complimented the meal. Most of the 10 gallons of beer was consumed as well! Just click on the right arrow to watch a fun slide show of the party!

Thanks to our 23 friends who helped make this a real celebration! Kids and dogs added to the festivities!!

What a great picture of Michael and Earl bringing in wood for camp. Earl did great; he's a very good horse! More pictures of camp set-up below!

"I'M HOW OLD?!?"

Here, a picture of the soon-to-be birthday boy (with dad, Earl - picture taken at the recent Trumbower Reunion!!) Birthday party to be held, rain or shine, this Sunday, August 30 here at our Hovel on the Hill!! Addie promises to bring the birthday cake (look for future pictures on this site of that cake and said party!!) and we'll cook up a bunch of crab and drink a half keg of lager! Also celebrating, dear friend Kenlyn Long!! This will be the actual day of her birthday - how great to celebrate together! Yippie!

The cherry pie won't be at the party! Look at the great sour cherry pie we were able to enjoy!! Thanks to a picking of Butch's sour cherry tree, enough sour cherries were procured to create one batch of sour cherry jam and one sour cherry pie. MMmmmmm!! Three springs ago I planted a sour cherry tree at my place in town and I have my fingers crossed that next year will be its year. Makes me think of Grandma Kinzer's tree!

I promised a picture of Mom with her prize fish from our day fishing at Jackson Lake. The picture was snapped just before she dropped him! No harm, no foul - it was dead! Too bad we didn't have the presence of mind to snap a picture up at the most beautiful lake around!! Nice day of fishing; thanks for spending some time with us here in Jackson, Mom!

Look! Four beautiful zucchini!! There are lots more growing too and we have a week of warm weather ahead! Thanks to Michael's diligent covering of the delicate plants during our four days of frost, we have succeeded!!

YIKES!!

Okay, it's been a long, long time since I've done anything to this site. Glad they didn't turn it off on me!! Here is a picture from our wonderful pack trip. I wanna go back!! Check out this batch of jambalaya. Oh man, was it good! Don't ask me for the recipe; I doubt that I'll ever come up with this again! And how can you beat cooking over a wood fire? Delicious!

Life has been crazy busy, like everyone else. The chickens are doing great! Seven eggs out of six hens the other day! The bonus egg! We had a great trip back for the Trumbower Reunion. Lots of Trumbowers to meet! Whirlwind trip. Got to see the Orioles and Reds play in Camden Yards which was awesome! Our flights there and back went well. It was a nice trip!
This weekend is the Hoback BBQ Rib Picnic. 2800 pounds of ribs will be cooked and it will all be done for another year by Saturday evening's end. This year's planning has gone well. Wish you all could come!