More Vacation Photos!

Crater Lake with smokey skies from two forest fires.

Mobile brewery!

Tired after a busy day!


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Happy Birthday Chelsie!

On Vacation and The Grandkids

Justin up front, Dylan in back, Ellie's head up front.

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Happy Birthday Frank!

Frank and Theresa
2013

Liz and Her Wild Hair

We've had a couple of Lizzie's out of town friends here for the past week for a wedding - lots of weddings this summer! It's been nice to have all the noise and girl mess! 

Frank's having a quiet Birthday today and enjoying a day off!

x o x

Dead Trees

The largest Pine, and maybe the largest tree, on our property has died this year. It's in the 'way back' in the vernal creek (Spring Creek!)

We have about 4-5 trees that are like this on our property, but this is by far the oldest and largest. Good, and free, firewood if you can fell them yourself!

We've also had a large number of birds and now we're over-run by wasps, which I love! Right now we have a Bluebird family in a nest by the house - rare. Earlier we had Swallows, and our Dove 'family group' has grown to 8!

x o x

Apricot & Raspberry Season

It has been Apricot and Raspberry season here lately, and I made the mistake of taking Bob to the local organic produce store and ended up with all of this to 'can' last week! I think he was using my inability to garden as an excuse to load up with homemade jam which he passionately loves!

 All organic, local, ripe and 'just picked' fruit - 12 pounds of Raspberries and 20+ of Apricots. 

So I canned, and dried and froze. I made fruit leathers and also dried leftover organic cherries and grapes. Everything is delicious - even with 1/2 the sugar (organic) or no sugar added.

Fruit Leather Ingredients: 

5-6 chopped and pitted Apricots,  

1 peeled, cored, cooked Apple 

1/4 c lemon juice

 1/4 c honey 

blended together. 

Cook until just boiling, then when cooled but still warm, spread over dehydrator sheets and dehydrate until rollable in plastic wrap, and not wet but still warm. Store in bag or jar, in fridge or pantry. 

You can play with this.

Cream cheese filled for appetizers. Yummm...

RASPBERRIES!

One day I was on my feet for 10 hours, which was really hard on my back, so, I'm not taking Bob shopping for fruit again!

Beside using it for Pesto you can also freeze parsley (and even chopped onions) for winter soups, sauces, etc. Just take fresh clean parsley into a bunch with your fist and cut with clean scissors into a freezer container. Cut the 'squished' bunch close to your fist.

x o x