Apropos of Nothing v.18

Happy Birthday Lynn!

I love love love this time of year. Weather shifting, garden starting to change, sleeping under blankets, thinking about cooking savory braises and soups. Planning for holidays. I actually wore socks and real shoes yesterday, instead of sandals or Reefs.

Laurie, it sounds like you will be the perfect human for the dog. Does this dog have a name?

I love the fall - my favorite time of year hands down. Like Judi, I love 'soup weather.' Altho I do plan for holidays all year round, it's time to shift into high gear!

I too love the fall, but would prefer to just skip the holidays.

Holidays are not obligatory. Do them the way you like. Its fun that way.

Thank you portland, I have no further info about doggie - they give very little away until you pass muster. I haven't even seen a photo yet - what if she is awful and into tutus and pink nail polish!! OHMIGAWD!! nah, its a terrier - never that tidy.

Gwen - soup is nice. Yum. I like taking it outdoors to eat. That way you get to hug the bowl and its not bad table manners.

Laurie, I know what you mean about 'passing muster' on rescue animals, although I believe I've sufficiently schooled myself to acceptable answers. I miss the ol' cardboard box full of kittens/puppies at the grocery store days myself.

And, yes to all, soup is sounding mighty tasty these days.

I just threw out a freezer full of soup, stock, and other stuff. The freezer broke. The repairman is here as I type. Once he leaves, I can start cooking and restocking! I plan to make tomato sauce tonight.

Gwen, how awfull to have lost all your freezer contents! I don't know what we'd do if ours broke. We have a generator for power outages, but no contingencies for appliance failures!!

Oh Gwen that sucks. But think of the fun you'll have restocking! I can imagine you busy in the kitchen with pots bubbling on (or in) your Aga. Dogs lounging at your feet. Music playing softly, or maybe rock & roll and you're dancing between the sink & stove.

I too love the fall. I get to gather wood, cut, split, and stack winters need for warmth. We do about 10 cords a year. I have been thinning my lower forest this year so it won't be too hard this year. Karen isn't doing much anymore with the gathering of wood (RA) so it is all up to me. Also I get to go hunting in a couple of months, and feel the cold every night to ready our bodies for the cold.
I'm a little worried about starting my commute with the boat in the fall cause some pretty rough storms hit the coast that time of year. Oh well courage my friend. It is only about 5 miles of open ocean in my cruise each way.

Sofer, I think several of us just breathed a sigh of relief to hear that you do get worried. Go safely, dear friend.

After a few rough crossings I will be better but I haven't had a moment in the boat yet so there are so many unknowns. I hope to have a nice sail in October when I am there to get the kinks worked out. Laurie the boat is made in England that I am sailing. The Northshore Yachts Co is in Chichester, West Sussux England.

The other side of the county from me - but my goodness! How in the world did they get it too Alaska! No matter how you go it is a long long way! I wonder if the builders are still in business.

Freezer now working and yes, it is fun restocking! I just roasted tomatoes, peppers, onions and garlic in the roasting oven for a couple hours and will now put it all thru a press/strainer and then into cartons for freezing. It makes the best tomato sauce.

My son who likes to cook and his gf (who also likes to cook) will be home tonight and visiting for a while, and we'll make several varieties of homemade ice cream, which will be fun. I'm dying to try salted caramel ever since I had some in an ice cream place in Seattle last summer. So I think we'll be making cookies and cream, coffee, and salted caramel.

Tonight I'm going to see Ondine, which I have been waiting to see forever, and I cannot wait!

Gwen, you are a very busy bee indeed. All I've been able to do today is look out the window at Joe Pye dancing in the wind and pound on my computer (work and play, intermittently).

The boat came up from LA. Probably shipped there from UK.
Gwen you have too much energy. I would still be feeling bad and looking for store bought replacements.

I spent this rainy day filling out forms for my clinical preceptorship, which is a requirement for my Oregon license. I've been offered a spot to do it at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility - a prison. I've decided to do it, it's only 160 hours, and have to go through a rigorous background check. Anyway, I'm enjoying the rain, and look forward to the leaves changing, and to Sofer delivering fire wood to all of us. He could get a bog truck and make the rounds.

I spent the rainy day out dividing plants to box up and ship. LOL figures it would rain on the day I really need to get out there and do stuff!

Awesome dog video--.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nc9xq-TVyHI

Yikes, BeaHive, had to shut it down. Not too fond of dogs in drag. Very clever, though, what I did see.

Portland, I loved your typo (?) - I assume you meant log truck, although bog truck would certainly fit the bill today!!

Sofer, do you have any other source of heat other than wood? We have a wood/electric forced air furnace and burn about 6 cord per winter. I like the electric option for days like today, when just a little warm-up is needed in the morning to take the chill off. Not worth building a fire for and waiting for it to heat up and get into the ductwork. We burn alder, which we have an abundance of.

Wow, I've seen some freestyle dance competitions, but that's the best. He did a great job with that dog!!

Actually Bonehead, I meant big truck, but I guess the bog truck would work as well!

Sofer is delivering to ALL of us? I think that means my load is coming by boat!

And MINE Is coming 'round Cape Horn!

We heat almost exclusively with wood but have oil for a backup. Our wood comes from our 20 acres of mixed pasture, marsh and woods; there are always trees that need culling due to disease, crowding, or lightning strikes. I think we probably burn about five cords a winter, but our house is fairly small - and tight. We have a soapstone stove which we really like.

I didn't realize it was a typo - just wondered to myself what a bog truck was. Thought maybe it was a PNW thing. LOL

Way to go, Portland, on pursuing your OR lic. You will be one busy bee.

Well, night one of a 3-night at-home sleep study finished. I am tired. The machine talks to you. Quite a few times it said " Check breath sensor". Will be interesting to get the results.

What is an OR license? And Jan, what's the sleep study for - possible apnea?

wow, well trained doggie! I have been told that it's bad to have dogs on their hind legs like that. Sofer, what's your opinion on that? Jesse likes to have Buddy jump up to greet him, but I told him not to because it was bad for Buddy. They seem to both enjoy it, so if I'm wrong, I'd like to know! (Of course, occasionally jumping up on someone is not quite the same thing as the endurance of this dancing dog.)

OR - Oregon license. If I remember correctly (that's a BIG if) it's in nursing or architecture Correct me if I'm wrong, Portland.

Yes, GG, for sleep apnea. I took a nap earlier. I could hardly stay awake while mom's nurse was here.

I can cetainly contribute the logs for Sofer's local deliveries. I also have plenty of fallen stuff from snow and occasional winds. I even have a log splitter attachment he can use with my tractor. That will help with his production of large quantities.

That dancing dog was incredible!

That was a great viedo of the dancing dog. My Amber is good at standing up but Mindy doens't like to do it.

Wow! What a dog. My two are not even close. Just dogs and great companions.

OK first for the wood I understood Bog truck as a truck delivering lots of heavy stuff in the soaked rainforest of PNW.
Next the dog was.........AWESOME........ how does a dog follow a memory lead to dance into its owners lead?????? Wow! I was impressed. Even Sophie couldn't have done that..
Last the wood delivery is ongoing to provide ME and MY DW with the warmth that we crave living in a cold clime. I have elec in the floor and forced air gas and Wood to make life wonderful. We prefer the wood to see the snap crackle and pot of a warm ember and it heats the walls, floors, ceiling, furniture, and bottom to keep us warm in our sunroom exposed to the north winds.
Though I have been busy making my GD a hay wagon to entice her to come over here when she is chasing Beaus. I have built it all day and just finished it. Pretty cool huh? I guess I will have to wait until tomorrow.

I love the hay wagon - and my goodness, hayrides under the watchful eye of Grampa - her mother must be purring.

Looks like a very authentic haywagon. What we do for our grandkids, huh?

Oh my...I remember a few hay rides from high school days. Soooo very long ago. That hay wagon will make memories!

I am going to get Straw today and get some cozy photos for my DD to see how much her Dad loves her. We are having our friends go for a ride next weekend and try it out. I use this for Trick or Treating with all of our friends in the past. Kind of fun. Of course you need a designated driver. LOL
I have added a few features to the wagon. 1. pull behind rope for wheeled creation to follow (a boy/man show off device). 2. A reentry rope (for those who jump or fall off). 3. Will have 2 bales of straw at front for inboard seating with cooler between bales. And 2 longitudinally for people who want to see over those with feet hanging over side. I feel this single trailer will accomidate up to 17 people.

In Portland there are bicyclists that pull kegs on wheels - you might want to check that out for pulling behind the wagon.

The final product. Yes I already have a step from trailer to the back of the pickup which will have a keg and a Wine rack for the choices of all in the hay wagon. You can see it on the front of the trailer.
I took a long nap this afternoon on it today. The smell reminded me of the nights that I took my motorcycle to EWA and slept on the big hay piles in Ellensburg in the 70's. I would get up early and be back to work at 9am. What you had to do to have some rest when you worked 6 days a week.

This message was edited Sep 2, 2010 9:27 PM

A hay wagon with a wine rack - the ultimate in luxury! I hope you play the guitar and can serenade folks while they look at the stars. Best wishes for lots of fun times on your beautiful work of art!

AND THE LIGHTING YOU HAVE ARRANGED!! How flattering it is! Golden light will make all the 'young' damsels and gents look soooooooo fetching! You do think of everything.

I wanna go on a hayride! That's an awesome wagon, Steve, Well done. :)