Smart Squirrels!

I found this out in the front crabapple tree the other day - it's a small gourd that was part of my Halloween yard decorations. The squirrels (there are 2 that live in the back yard and play in the front) wedged it into the fork of two branches, resulting in a little gourd-ateria!

I couldn't help myself....mwa ha ha ha...

Halloween Decor

Punkin' Carving 2008

This was my first ever pumpkin carving event, at the age of 39. What a sheltered life I must be living! My friend and his children came over to show me how it's done. Amid pizza, root beer, and a break to warm up and watch the Simpsons, we ended up with some real show-stoppers, I think!!

The pumpkin guts were truly disgusting. I'd heard that they smelled bad, which I didn't really find to be true - but getting the stuff out of the pumpkin wasn't nearly as easy as I thought. I started with a big soup ladle, went to a serving spoon, and then a regular tablespoon - it's hard work. But at some point, it seems inevitable that you have to just roll up your sleeves, shove your hand in, and pull out the goop. Which made me feel a bit like doing what I intended for my pumpkin to do......

I can't take original credit for that - think it's a classic - but all those pumpkin guts, as we called them, came in handy for this guy.

Mwa ha ha ha haaaaaa!

The Evolution of a Bedroom

The Before...

And the After.....

I KNEW it!!!!!!

They ARE having an affair!

Photos from recent trips

Washington, D.C. Note the cool orange eclipse - my rental sportster - and the proximity of my streetside parking spot in front of the Capitol!

....and adjacent to the newest Smithsonian addition, the Museum of the Native American Indians. The architecture was breathtaking. Part of the landscape are some rows of corn, sheltering beans and gourds growing on the ground. The Capitol in the background provides an interesting juxtaposition.

From the interior; a kiva-inspired dome.



Lone tree, South Dakota

Gary's horses nuzzling.....


Badlands, South Dakota


Djiini is good about tolerating my occasional quick photo stops.....note chin resting on dashboard!


Djiini is confused - it's snowing, but I'm wearing my vacation lei! (note the snow flakes on her nose)

Later that day, at the river that runs through Gary's ranch....





Hiking in the Big Horns, Wyoming


Wild Horses (there were more but I could only get two in one frame because of their spread).
Christmas in September! In the Big Horns, we encountered a bit of snow one day.....followed by a day at lower elevation (and much hotter!).

So, I think I've found my first ever Christmas Card Photo in September......


On a recent trip to Wyoming and back, I took my dog Djiini. To make up for some doggie photos to come, I'm posting an image of Kathman here....kind of a cat and doggie karma.

South Dakota: sunflowers. Giant, big-as-your-head sunflowers.


Crazy Horse, South Dakota.
Seems to me it is taking an awfully long time to complete this sculpture. In fact, an Egyptian pyramid could have been built in the time it has taken this sculpture to reach its current state. Egyptian as in ancient & without tools. I think it's a shame that such a wonderful tribute and idea has been so long delayed.

Djiini at Gary's house, Hyattville, Wyoming.

Travel photos coming soon.....

So far in September this year, I've done a bit of travel - driving from NW Ohio to Wyoming and back, and then flying to Washington D.C. (and staying in Virginia). So, in less than 2 weeks, I've been to:
Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana (and back), Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.

Unfortunately I haven't been super photography oriented during these trips, but there are some worthwhile images that will be posted here soon.

What's your Geography IQ?

Well, mine was 112...which I'm not sure is good. The only issue: If the map were larger, you could actually see specs on the map such as Easter Island or the Maldives. Good fun, though! Good luck -

Yellow......

The sunflowers are from the yard, and I hear that a squirt of lemon helps preserve them as cut flowers. Not sure if that's true or not, but I picked up a lemon yesterday. Oddly, Kathman is crazy about this lemon. He has 'kneaded' it several times, no doubt releasing some lemon oil essence. I couldn't help but snap a photo - the yellow of the hibiscus outside - the flowers - the lemon - and a little yellow glint in his eye just seemed to jump out at me.

Here Comes the Sun(flower)

Turns out the overspill from the bird feeder provides a delayed gift. Unfortunately, the squirrels like them...so the day after these photos were taken, all that was left of this sunflower was a bare stalk and some petal remains on the back deck. Which is where, I suppose, those buggers like to sit, relax, and dine.

Anita & Arve, Photo Gold!

Well, going through the 1000+ photos from Anita & Arve has been a thrill! Thank goodness for high speed wireless.... I think it's about time for another vacation visit...

You All Apparently Want Homemade Cherry Pie...or, Home-Made Cherry Pie, redux

In reviewing some site statistics, the most repeated google search landing visitors to the site are those searching for some alphabetical variation of home made cherry pie. Last year, I posted an entry about just such a thing when visiting friends in Wyoming. With a photo. Here is that photo, and just so that those searchers actually find what they're probably looking for - a recipe instead of a photo - I'm posting that here as well. Bon Appetit!

Homemade Cherry Pie Recipe
Stuff you’ll need:

• Pastry for Two-Crust Pie
• 4 cups of fresh de-stemmed and de-pitted cherries
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
• 2 tablespoons margarine or butter

Stuff you’ll need to Prepare:

• Preheat oven to 425F
• Prepare pastry for Two Crust Pie - 9 inch pans.
• Prepare pie pans (glass or metal: add a touch of oil, butter, Pam, etc - to extra-non-stick it).

Stuff you’ll need to Do:

1. Combine cherries, sugar and flour and blend lightly. Most recipes advise adding a splash of almond extract, but I'm not sure why.
2. Taste your cherries. Are they a touch too sweet? Add a splash of lemon juice. Too tart? Add a squirt of honey.
3. Spoon into pastry shell.
4. Apply a little butter/margerine here and there.
5. Add the second pastry shell to the top, or use it to make a lattice crust.
6. Fold edges of top pastry under bottom pastry.
7. Press together to seal and flute edges.
8. Cut slits in several place in top of pastry.
9. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until juice bubbles through the top crust.

Alternative / Options:
Create a show-stopping top crust by applying an egg wash and some raw sugar crystals!!

• To create an egg wash you’ll need an egg yolk and a splash of water, and a new ~2” paintbrush.
• Blend an egg yolk and a teaspoon of water. If the wash doesn’t appear to be easily spreadable with your brush, you may gradually add a little more water – but be careful of making the mixture too runny.
• Brush mixture on the top pastry of your pie – whether lattice or whole crust.
• This yeilds a shiny, golden-brown effect to the pie crust. Additionally, it allows things to stick – like a couple of sprinkles of raw sugar crystals. For the same effect, but with less shine, use the whole egg.
• For an additional neat presentation effect, use a decorative item to press into your pie shell fluting. Examples are something with grooves, lines, patterns, etc. If the texture is flexible, it can be wrapped around a pencil, using the pencil to press in the fluting
• Finally, add a sprig of spearmint (not catmint) to the top for presentation zing.

Norwegians Sweep America!!

I wonder how many erroneous futbol or rugby hits that title might gain.....

Well, my short trip with my Norwegian friends Anita & Arve is over, and they're on their way back to Norway today. Somehow, I didn't end up taking a lot of photos of Las Vegas. That truly is another planet.