Chuck and Gang Head to Southern California!

Speaking of Disneyland, or thereabouts -  Chuck and Gang were at California Adventure Land today and here's the picture to prove it!

What a fun trip - Chuck wrote that they were about to get on the "big roller coaster" - does MikelAnn look nervous?

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Wild Idaho

A friend up the road (where Frankie had his famous roll-over a few years ago) sent out this email and these pictures. We really do have wildlife in our yards!

"Yesterday a hummingbird flew into my garage and couldn't find its way back out through the large, open door. I had this happen once before and since they have to eat often it died within a few hours.  This time I attempted to coax it out with the use of a leaf blower, but it stayed near the ceiling and flew from beam to beam until it was too tired to fly any longer.  When it was obvious it could no longer fly I put the platform on the forklift and had Sally raise me to the bird.  I peeled him off the cable he attached himself to and she lowered us back down.  We attempted to get it to drink nectar from a feeder, but it wouldn't do it, so Sally put her finger on its long beak and shoved it into the hole.  It took several large gulps and then pulled back out.  I continued holding it while Sally went inside for the camera.  She took this one photo, then the little guy looked me straight in the eyes and flew off.  She later saw it at one of the feeders, or one just like it anyway."

"The other photos are of the moose visiting a few days ago and then of Chester, the deer with the broken legs that we nurtured through the past 2 winters.The other photos are of the moose visiting a few days ago and then of Chester, the deer with the broken legs that we nurtured through the past 2 winters."

" He spent this last winter in and around our yard where we fed him cracked corn and alfalfa.  Now he comes by once every couple weeks and always wags his tail when he sees us.  If he makes it through hunting season I'll probably feed him again this winter as he's fun to watch and gets so excited when his corn dish is set out for him."

Ron

Some times it sounds like the wilds outside, or like the Tiki room at Disneyland!

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Sea World and More!

The weather looks so good in Southern California! Here's another set of pictures from Chuck from Sea World yesterday.

Julie, Ellie, Tracy, MikelAnn, Dylan, and Justin at Sea World.

Shamu!

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Memories

'Our Liz' years ago having a dolphin day at Sea World.

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Chuck finally met up with his friend Beetlejuice at Universal Studios today!

x o x

Cherry Season

Delicious with even half the sugar the recipe (Joy of Cooking) called for.

It's pretty obvious that the weather is cruddy, and I'm inside working on this Blog most of the day!

We've finally had some locally grown organic cherries at our market, so I experimented with the dehydrator and did some baking. The cherry pie and dehydrated cherries were a hit, but the cherry 'bars' I made were heavy and dry - no picture of those.

These came out very dark, almost raisin like and sweet.

The cherries were incredibly good, and I didn't want to waste them as fresh, local, organic produce is expensive and hard to come by up here. So, when it's cherry season again, I'll make pies and dry cherries for the winter.

x o x

Bored Rainy Day

Frank sent me this recipe and I thought you'd enjoy it. While I was researching images of what kind of fruitcake this recipe might produce, I came across these pictures so I interspersed them throughout the recipe.

HOLIDAY FRUITCAKE RECIPE

A sober-looking fruitcake. Not what we're making here!

You will need the following; a cup of water, a cup of sugar, flour, 4 large brown eggs, two cups of dried fruit, a teaspoon of salt, a cup of brown sugar, lemon juice, nuts, and a bottle of Jack Daniels whiskey.

There's something missing....!

Need we say more?

Sample the whiskey and check the quality.


Take a large bowl. Check the whiskey again. To be sure it is the highest quality, pour one level cup and drink. Repeat. Turn on the electric mixer, beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl.. Add one teaspoon of sugar and beat again.

So, what is free? The fruitcake or the tin?

Make sure the whiskey is still okay. Cry another tup. Turn off the mixer. Beat two leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fit. Mix on the turner. If the fired druit gets stuck in the beaterers, pry it loose with a drewscriver.

This is more like it...

Sample the whiskey and check for tonsisticity. Next, sift two cups of salt. Or something. Who cares? Check the whiskey. Now sift the lemon uice and strain your nuts. Add one table. Spoon. Of sugar of something. Whatever you find.

Something like this...?

Grease the oven. Turn the cake tin to 350 degrees. Don't forget to beat off the turner. Throw the bowl out of the window. Check the whiskey again and go to bed.

OR...

X O X

Happy 26th Wedding Anniversary Bob & Sherry!

Our Wedding Anniversary takes place on the Feast Day of St. John the Baptist, who is the Patron Saint of Married Couples, among other things.

It's traditional all over the world, and in many cultures, to have a  large mountain-top bonfire, bake bread into shapes, and/or have a beer party.

In years past we've done all three at once!

Here's some pictures.

x o x

Disneyland!

Chuck just emailed these to the Blog from Disneyland! What fun! Today they are off to Sea World. Have a great day! 

Chuck and the "Grand Kids" on the Space Ship. 

The "Grand Kids" - oops - I mean the "Grandparents" and my favorite Disney character.

Now here's the Grand Kids!

I had to enlarge this picture several times, but I think that's Tracy - the 'Mom' - with Dylan and Ellie, "the Grand Kids" at the Disneyland castle!

Tragedy/Comedy

Gail and Bob's entrance to their high-rise apartment in Portland, Oregon, with the freshly silver-leafed Comedy and Tragedy masks her brother Bob brought her back from overseas while he was in the Navy. They look great, and to think how long she held on to them!

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Bruce's First Tomatoes!

Hi s

Here's the first tomatoes of the year

and early too

We also harvested apricots

All 6 of them

I have a mouse

He likes my cherries

Mouse 6 Bruce 2

Out of the 10

The last 2 are under lock and the trail cam is on

We're hunting wabbits

Luv boo

Zack & Chelsie

Zack & Chelsie have had an eventful time lately! Not only have they gotten married (congratulations!), but they were in 'tornado country' when the big one hit last month! 

Here's some pictures of both events from Zack's Facebook.

Zachary and Chelsie
May, 2013

Beautiful in black & white too.

'Grandpa Chuck' officiated.

Zack & Chelsie are moving to Kansas this week. They're still in 'tornado country', and let's hope to get updates and pictures when they settle in.

Happy Birthday Tod!

Is This Retirement?!

"Our Bella" 
The most important things first! Bella is just what her name implies!

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Chuck on his toy taking pictures!

Better picture of 'the toy'.

Little Home On Wheels for 2013!

Mount Hood

 from Chuck's email:

'We got home last evening from a week in central Oregon's Blue Mountains.  We rode about 150 miles through wild flowers and animals, even saw a wild badger,  lots of blue birds, elk and deer.

'The picture of the waterfall I took a couple of weeks ago riding, near Mt. Hood, came upon a bear but no time for photo. (I wonder why?)

'One of many pretty sites along the trail...'

'We leave with Grandkids later this month for Disneyland for a week, I think.  Then Mike and me will go to Hawaii for our 50th anniversary.

'Then we are home for a few days and plan road trips camping near Sisters Oregon, near Crater lake, on to Silver City, Idaho.  Will be out most of July and August we hope.'

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Hope you have time to squeeze in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho. But either way, can't wait to see some pictures! Hint.

Flung Far Family

I've been thinking that we are really flung far and wide. 

It's been so good for us to see what everyone is looking like and what they're up to and to share photos. 

My family is in California, and Bob's is as far east as the East Coast, and as far west as the West Coast! 

Gail and her husband Bob, have both of their sons and their families on the East Coast, although Gail and Bob live in Portland, Oregon. They have really beautiful Grandchildren: son Todd and his wife, Kimberly's 'baby boy', Henry; and their son Cory and his wife Zib's children: Cloe, Cameron & Colin, shown here who is 8. To me Colin has a strong resemblance to his Grandpa. 

We hope to get more pictures of them and their families with an update on what they're up to. 

Colin, 8 years

Oh, and Happy 50th Birthday Todd!!

I should start posting the baby pictures...hmmm...

X O X

California Dreaming

We're just getting our first lettuce here in Idaho - it's been a real weather ride! In San Rafael, California, my brother Bruce (Boo) is on his second crop! Only gardeners would appreciate the beauty here. I do! 

Hi S
We have a mouse
It's after our cherries and strawberries
There's apricots and pears and plums on the way
We have a mess of raspberry plants
But no berries
More later
Luv boo

A picture of Bruce's 'toy' - who needs fish when you can have a beautiful view like this?

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Hi S

Its a pair of islands off San Rafael

Called the Marin Islands

It was my first trip in the bay

All on battery no paddling

5 miles

3+ hours of run time

speed. 5 mph max 

Fish caught 0

Luv boo

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Really wish I was there - this looks so peaceful. WOW.

X O X

Birthdays

I added a side bar with the Birthdays I have. Please send me any others I may have missed, especially spouse birthday dates. I also would like to add a wedding anniversary list so would like to have those dates too.

X O X

Bob and Elmer and the Boat

I can usually find Bob and Elmer on the deck in good weather. What a great dog - very well trained, not a barker, loves humans, has great house manners and on and on. Bob really likes Elmer. Elmer really likes birds! And water....

Bob has taken the boat in for electrical work and a tune up. The lemon of a depth finder has been replaced with a new one and still doesn't work, so he's buying a different brand. We're planning several day trips around the lakes here - hope we finally get to go this year 'cause I bought a new boating outfit!

x o x