Since Hibernation Isn't an Option

Seafood chowder will have to do.

We had two days of rain.
Now it is snowing.

It could be worse.
It could have all been snow.

A Fairly Quiet Christmas

That is except for the sound of a sewing machine going to town on some of mom's red flannel hoard.  I don't know why she bought an entire bolt of the stuff, but it seems a shame to let such good quality flannel sit around.  Now mom and stepfather have matching father Christmas and mother Christmas sleepwear.  He's too slender to play Santa Claus.  Did I mention it is really, really red!

It is good they sleep with their eyes closed.

The staff at the assisted living should get a giggle out of this.

Unfortunately, there is still more red flannel left.

What am I going to do with it?

Make mom a spare nightgown - or two?

(Hers is actually a dress pattern widened and shortened, but I figured the really loose raglan sleeve would work well for her getting in & out of it easily with her sore shoulder.)

Something More Appetizing

After rolling, baking, decorating and packaging, they are on their way.  Sorry sister-in-law in Britain, they'd be stale by the time they arrived.  Local ones were hand delivered.  The ones traveling through the postal service should arrive on Monday.

Radio cut-out cookies and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies with hickory nuts (in dad's box only).

Hope you all are well and enjoying this Christmas season!

Dogs Don't Understand Cats

Poor Ember, she's been having some digestive tract issues the last few days, tummy troubles and some diarrhea.  Thankfully the cause may have passed this morning.  She probably thought the cat was giving her a gift.  Hopefully, the next time the cat horks up a hairball, Ember doesn't think it is one of her pack sharing dinner with her.  When a cat throws up, it is throwing whatever was in its stomach away, forever.  When a dog throws up, it must be a throwback to wolves feeding their pups after a hunt; dogs think it is perfectly alright to eat it again.  Ember must have looked at Tigger's barf and went "Oh gee, thanks a bunch, pre-chewed food for me?  Thanks heaps for the present!"  In the meantime Tigger probably strolled away thinking "stupid dog".  Ember doesn't understand Tigger at all.  What won't Ember eat when our backs are turned?  Honest, we feed her plenty of good quality dog food, but she is always scouting for forbidden things to nibble.  It's like she has a raccoon in her family tree or something.  Hopefully Ember learned her lesson, but I'm not holding my breath.

Someone Shook the Snow Globe

It is snowing, again.  Thankfully the previous storm was all rain, or we would already have big piles of snow.  Once it finally stops snowing, my round of clearing begins.  Hubby did the sidewalks and enough of the driveway to get out to work.  I'm not looking forward to clearing this place in time for his return later and then doing dad's driveway and sidewalks as well.

The big question is this.  If I mix up a batch of Christmas cookie dough today, will I have the energy tomorrow to finish the job of rolling, cutting, baking, and decorating them tomorrow.  Then packaging and mailing them to family on Tues.?

Feline Assistance

is not required.

And no Tigger, I'm not giving you raw ground venison.

An Eventful Day

Ember's haircut was mostly finished.

(She ran away before I could trim her tail.

Either she likes it very fluffy, or she's afraid of scissors.)

And hubby got a deer.

It was a small buck, but was considered antler-less, because the antlers hadn't really started growing yet.  It was probably a yearling and should be nice and tender.  The last deer hubby shot was another antler-less buck, that had gotten its antlers broken off in a fight.

I'm going to be busy cutting up meat tomorrow.

If hubby has the energy to go back out hunting, there are two more tags he could fill.  The DNR does seem to over-issue deer tags.

Thankfully the temperatures are cool enough that the garage will provide refrigeration, but will not be so cold that the deer would freeze solid.  And no, kiddies do not play in that pool, ever.

No Longer Filthy Furry Beasts

They're clean now, but they sure can give dirty looks.

Ok, technically, Ember is hairy, not furry.

Almost dry.
No, they did not get a bath together.
One at a time was bad enough.
Tigger only gets bathed when she needs a dander buildup washed away, maybe twice a year.  She didn't object too much once she figured out the water was hot.
Thankfully, only the dog needs to be shaved.

My Minion, My Slave

Why dost though awaken me with the overhead lights and take a picture that makes me look fat?

Queen Tigger,
just call it revenge for your barfing on the quilt last week.

Surprise, Surprise

The snow melted enough, and the lawn dried out enough that it was possible to mow up the leaves and grass then dump them into the compost pile.  I just kept going on the neighbor's lawn too until the mower ran out of gas.  With a west wind their leaves would become our leaves eventually anyhow, so it seemed like a better use for the gas than just letting the mower sit and run without accomplishing anything.

Trading Places

The lawnmower and the snowblower traded parking places today.  There is still a chance that the snow will melt and the lawn will need mowing before spring, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

On a completely different note, one of the mousetraps set in the garage has wandered off.  Hopefully I can find it before the spring thaw.  I hate it when that happens.  Either a rodent has suffered until it died of exposure, or there is a three legged mouse gimping around the garage.

Dried Nicely

Fresh Thyme

 Fresh Marjoram

Fresh Rosemary, Fresh Sage, and Fresh Lavender picked 10/23.

They've been hanging out by the pellet stove drying since then.

The only upside to the cold weather is being able to run the pellet stove to dry herbs.  The cold hit rather early and stayed this year, so that the basil was a complete loss.  Thankfully, the other herbs that I had planted were a little more cold hardy.

Top to bottom, left to right we have

Rosemary, Sage, Lavender (hanging and in pan below), Catnip,

Marjoram, Thyme, Marigold seeds, and

Pole bean seeds

Once the herbs are removed from their stems, they occupy much less space.  Now you see why good, dried herbs and spices are so expensive in the store; they really shrink a lot when dried.  The sage and thyme grow as perennials here unless the winter gets very cold.  The Rosemary, lavender, and Marjoram plants are not winter hardy here and will probably have to be bought again next spring.  Even with the cost of rebuying plants each year, the price was still lower than buying the herbs at a store.  I have found it is best to put the year picked on the containers, it makes it easier for stock rotation.  Some people cook with lavender, but I think the best use for this batch will be to tie some inside cloths and put them in with the blankets and quilts.  I'm not big on perfumes, but this lavender smells good!

The catnip, which only smells good to a cat, is locked away in a plastic bag, safely out of Tigger's reach.  Some will be sprinkled on her cardboard scratching station for positive reinforcement or her favorite tennis ball will be coated with catnip sprinkles so she can play.  She's getting pretty old; play is rather short and a relative term now.  I pity any mouse that crosses her path though - good kitty.

A Pretty Good Sign

that the garden is all done for this year appeared floating on top of the rain barrels in the form of 1 1/2 inches of ice.  I had been trying to eek out another week or two on the dragon's tongue bush beans planted at my house to get them to go to seed by covering them at night with a quilt and tucking in two 1 gallon vinegar jugs filled with very hot water.  This afternoon, I gave up and admitted defeat.  The cold snap isn't breaking, and three or four hours of sunlight at a high of 36 degrees F isn't enough to get the seeds to mature.  Winter is coming early, whether I want it to or not.

Unfortunately, the dragon's tongue bush beans, that had been planted at dad's house and were designated to go to seed for next year, were eaten by dad when he got back from his summer vacation.  I'll have to buy seeds for next year. (Dad is the king of not following directions when it contradicts what he wants to do.  I can't fault him too much on that.  They probably looked quite tasty, and it is his yard after all.  He said they were quite tender, even with the big seeds.)  I guess next year, the beans planted at my house will be the ones designated as the plants to go to seed, live and learn.  Thankfully, Walmart does ship to store, so that at least this time when I buy seeds, the shipping won't cost as much as the seeds.  The dragon's tongue heirloom bush beans seem to have increased in popularity since the last time I bought the seeds, enough that Walmart got into the bulk seed selling game.

Tomorrow is supposed to be above freezing during the day; it might even get up into the 40's - woo-hoo.  Hopefully, it will be possible to clean up the yard and the garden without getting pelted with rain or snow.  The yard was nice and scary looking for halloween, but a steady diet of scary dead plants is just icky.  Maybe the snow will melt and the lawn will dry out enough to mow one last time; here's hoping.

It looks like we're going to cut down the remaining apple tree.  It is getting too big and the trunk has developed a spot where the bark is missing.  I don't know if the bad spot was caused by the directional boring for the new gas mains a few years ago, or if part of the graft just went bad.  It is better to cut the tree down at our convenience rather than having to clean it up when it blows over and blocks the public sidewalk, late at night, during an ice storm in March or April....  It will still be missed.  Maybe I can plant some of those single stalk "little-big trees" that Jung or Gurney's sells.  I know those actually stay small, my Aunt Gin has one.  It produces a few gigantic Macintosh apples. enough for eating and a pie or two.

I have also been contemplating replacing the apple trees with some hazelnuts.  Nuts have fewer carbs than apples and the trees only get to be about 15' tall, so no getting in trouble with the power company.  (Otherwise, I'd plant hickory trees in a heartbeat, but there is no place in our yard to put trees that will grow to 60 feet tall when mature.  Too bad nobody sells dwarf hickory trees.)  The first concern I have about hazelnut trees is that the ones sold in the catalogs are hardy to zone 4.  Here in Wisconsin, we are mostly zone 4 but can drift to zone 3 depending on the severity of the winter.  The other concern is squirrels.  Would we get anything out of the trees for ourselves or just get all the nuts stolen by those vermin with pretty tails?  Have any of you out there in internet land grown hazelnut trees under similar conditions?  Did they do well?

We hope you all are safe and warm.  If anyone actually wants me to post the recipe for the 10"dia. x 3"tall turtle cheesecake from a few posts ago, let me know by leaving a comment.

Fill in the Blank?

This view from the grocery store parking lot made me laugh yesterday.

Landscaping can really mess with your advertising banners.

Sorry it's been getting dark earlier & earlier.
Is that Duck Month (we have had a lot of rain),
Buck Month (It is bow hunting season),
Truck Month?
Perhaps the dealership should move the truck so that customer's don't fill in the blank with something inappropriate.
Maybe the employee who parked the truck is a Chevy or Dodge fan and parked it there on purpose.

Fall Color?

Guess what happened last night.

I'm dreaming of a white halloween, ugh.

Six Down,

Only twenty more to go.  Aluminum storm windows are so galling. Sorry, pardon the pun.  I've been trying to get the storm window tracks cleaned and lubed with welder's nozzle gel before the weather gets so cold that they freeze shut.  Washing the windows after cleaning the storm window tracks is merely incidental.  I'm not sure that the increased visibility of snowflakes flying by the windows this winter is really desirable, but having the interior cavity of the windows clean between the storm windows and double hung interior windows will reduce corrosion and mildew issues.  I had to laugh when the city assessor went through our house, and she asked if all the windows actually open.  To which I replied, why yes they do.  I suppose that is no small feat to find none of the windows painted shut in a house that was originally built in 1875 and remodeled (with the windows likely replaced) in 1939.

Nozzle-gelling and cleaning the storm windows is a chore that has been sadly neglected over the last few years with the demands of mom & stepfather's care and sorting and proper disposal or distribution of their numerous belongings.  (I'm still not completely done yet).

I'm quite certain you don't want to see pictures of an old toothbrush covered in nozzle gel, worn out and occasionally punctured nitrile gloves, and numerous dirty paper towels.  So far there has only been one puncture in my hand, but even with gloves it is murder on my fingernails.  It is also time to take out and clean the air conditioners, clean the box fans, put them all in storage, and get the humidifiers out of storage.  I can only reiterate that catching up is hard to do.  Well, numerous chores await...bye for now.

Sunday Was Beautiful

Everyone else seemed to be enjoying the weather going for motorcycle rides, walking dogs, etc.  Unfortunately for us it was not a day of rest, sorry Lord.  The weather has been so lousy, that Sunday was the only clear, sunny day for finishing some very necessary chores.  The slight delay was caused by taking time to paint the wall in a corner of the basement before hauling pellets down for winter storage.  See, we have all this paint leftover from mom's house - lots of paint that nobody really wants.  It isn't the freshest, but it still works.  The previous owners of our house must have gotten a deal on army or air force surplus paint.  The color on our basement walls can only be described as what would be produced if you fed a baby salmon, squash, and raspberry sherbet and waited for what came out the other end.  See.

Now the corner looks like this.  Boring white is just fine with me.

And after much hauling (3.6 tons), we now have the last of the wood pellets in the basement.

The supplier didn't manage to deliver them until September, because they were short of delivery drivers.  Sitting outside all summer at their loading dock didn't do the pellets any favors.  As you can see by the duct tape repairs, some of the bags had water damage.  After performing surgery on the bags and removing the damaged pellets, we're guessing that out of 6 tons of pellets, we might have lost about 80 pounds to water damage.  All in all it still worked out alright, because I was busy moving mom and stepfather in July when they usually deliver pellets.  The pellets would have just sat in our driveway taking up space anyhow.  Fall delivery makes moving the pellets more urgent, but it is also a lot cooler.  The weather is turning cold now; so the rest of the basement walls will probably have to wait until next spring for painting.

Yesterday the weather went back to rainy and very windy.  Today was a repeat, only 15 degrees colder.  So a cheesecake was baked, chilled, and topped with roasted, salted pecans, homemade caramel, and dark chocolate.  The crust was made with pecans and graham crackers.  The filling recipe called for separating the eggs and whipping the whites then folding them back into the heavy cheese, egg yolk, and sour cream mixture.  It produced a fluffier than normal cheesecake, which looked a bit like a soufflé just out of the oven.  Because of adjustments/additions to the recipe, all of the filling barely fit in the pan.

It eventually sank.

 Today the turtle topping was added.

It didn't look as pretty sliced, because it tended to fall apart.

But it tastes just fine.

And the good thing about cheesecake is that it freezes well.

Thankfully

Today's weather is rain, not snow - so far.  At the moment we are still on the warm side of the comma shaped low that is spinning weather up from the south.  When it moves farther east and starts pulling cold air down from Canada over Lake Superior, things could get interesting.

This is a good day to bake something.  Maybe pictures will follow.

Colder Days

Last week before the bottom fell out of the thermometer readings outside, the remaining tomatoes were picked.

The last batch of fresh salsa for the year.

Time for some hot soup,

let's start with clam and shrimp chowder.

How's that Lakefront Property Now?

If you live on the shores of Lake Michigan (or any other lake, river, drainage containment pond, large puddle, etc.) and you haven't already bought flood insurance, I wish you the best of luck finding any at a price that doesn't break your bank account.  The upper Fox river has already been running with most of the dams open for the last few weeks, and will continue to do so with the additional rain anticipated for today and tomorrow.  The levels on Lake Michigan have been rising all summer.  The rest of Wisconsin is rather soggy too.

There will be no painting today or tomorrow for me, but that doesn't bother me too much, because I need to do a bunch of prep work inside before the skies clear again.  This old house never runs short of providing more chores than a day can hold.  Pictures of finished work to follow later, maybe if I ever finish.

Please Be Accurate

The weather forecast is calling for clear and sunny skies tomorrow. Oh please let them be accurate for a change, because I have painting to do, lots of painting to do.....

Suspicions Possibly Confirmed

Lately during our evening walks we have had to watch the sidewalks for more than just toads and frogs that might end up under foot.  Something has been leaving poo shaped "presents" on the sidewalks.  We have been guessing that it is a cat.  Late this afternoon on the way back into the house after picking the garden, I spotted a small cat by the back of the house.  It was in the vicinity of the trash cans, so I don't know if it was attracted by the smell of the cans or the bird water dispenser, that I had brought home from mom & stepfather's assisted living to clean.  (Goldfinches and cardinals don't seem to care that it is labeled for chickens, and filled half full it hangs just fine on the shepherds crook opposite the bird feeder.)  Anyhow, the cat gave the usual shocked four foot bounce backwards that teenage cats usually do when they are surprised and ran off under the trailer.  I must admit that my yard must appear to be a cat's playground in the summer with sunflowers attracting birds and butterflies, good hiding places, mice, voles, and catnip free for the taking.  It would seem that it is time to change the bait in the live trap to kibble, because summer in my yard is nice, but Wisconsin winters are very unfriendly and will return much sooner than we would like.  If we manage to catch the cat, I hope it is someone's lost microchipped pet.  But we'll cross that bridge if we can manage to catch the fuzzy little brat.

Well Technically

it hasn't rained for two days.  However, the weather has still not been very conducive to painting and actually having it dry.  Hopefully, the high humidity will go away.

Yesterday evening, after the Packers won their game earlier in the afternoon, the only sounds in our neighborhood were crickets and frogs singing.  It was eerie.  Usually there is some noise of clunkers, sports cars, Harleys, various other motorcycles, and pickup trucks with loud exhausts heading out of downtown.  Not so yesterday evening; everyone must have been partied out by late afternoon and tucked up in bed early. 

Rain, Rain

please stay away, for a while!  Between a nasty cold and the weather (4"-6" of rain depending on location) last week was pretty much a lost cause.  The fields need to dry out so that the farmers' crops don't rot and they finish maturing enough to harvest!

The rain was so bad that a rabbit might have actually sought shelter inside the live trap.  It dove for the nearest cover and was not terribly excited to be let go in an open field with no roof.

Beans and Tomatoes

With the need to get other things done this summer,

not as many tomato plants were planted.  The original plan was to do work on the house, but you've already heard of the monkey-wrench that fell into those gears - still trying to catch up.

Back to the garden, some of the usual tomato planting locations were used for beans instead.  It seems to have worked out alright, except for the main garden where the dog kennel was relocated to use as a trellis.  Perhaps, if mom and stepfather didn't have to be moved in July there would have been more time to weed and do pest control in the main garden.  As it is, the sunflowers and morning glories took over, and the voles cut off a lot of the bean vines at the bottom.  It also seems like the birds may have been nibbling at the pole bean blossoms in the main garden.  The chain-link fencing on the kennel provides too good a perch for them to wreak havoc.  So the main garden's production has been rather abysmal.  Thankfully, the other patches have picked up some of the slack.

Sunflowers and morning glories running amok in the main garden

Pole beans growing wildly at the former location of the compost pile.  There is a fence around the bottom to keep out the rabbits.

More beans, both bush and pole in the front planting bed.

The downspout from the front porch, self waters this patch, when it actually rains.  (And yes, I still need to weed under the trailer again.)

A mixture of the pickings.

The beans are kicking it up a notch.  I'm not sure why that one tomato ripened first on one side, but no worry - it caught up.

Beans gone wild.

I hope this is the peak of production.

Even with giving some away, once they were all cut-up, they filled a two gallon bag.  With the weather being so weird, I left a whole row of the dragon's tongue bush beans (yellow with purple stripes) to go to seed in dad's garden.  Maybe I should let some of the pole beans start going to seed now too, even though they are still quite tender.  The weather has been unseasonably cool the last three weeks.  The weather forecast is calling for a high of 83 on Tuesday.  I'll believe it when I see it, but I'm not holding my breath.  The city school board is pushing to have air conditioning installed in all the schools.  With this kind of weather, I don't see those proposals going very far.

A Hairy Situation

Hey, it isn't easy to come up with new and interesting titles for Ember's late summer bath and haircut.  So without further ado, here are some pictures of the victim of soapy water torture and assault with a safety clippers; at least that is how Ember would probably describe it.

One clean soggy doggy

Clean, dry and unsuspecting doggy

"Dad comfort me and scratch my ears, and chin.

Mom is so mean!  Protect me please.  Let's wrestle too, for some reason I feel cooler and energized."

"Mom, I know what you did; I'll think about forgiving you tomorrow.  You can hasten the process tonight, if you give me a treat for being a good girl while you shaved my ticklish feet."

The main haircut was done last week, but I still haven't trimmed the topknot and ears yet.  Poodles don't shed, but the trimmings from the occasional haircut sure are prickly and itchy.  I don't know how professional dog groomers stand it.

Summer Days

We managed to catch a car show this weekend.

So here are a few "summer" pictures.

 A Lotus

Not one

but two Karmann Ghias

Sorry for the lack of posts.

After July was devoured by moving mom and stepfather into a different assisted living facility, I have been trying to catch up on chores that can only be done when the weather is nice.

Catching up is hard to do!

Puzzling Sound

The other evening hubby was sitting at the computer reading internet stuff when Ember started her usual routine.  She came over and started pestering hubby in an attempt to get him to give her a milk bone treat.  He asks her if she has finished her dinner.  She "replies" by dancing around and attempting to hug/wrestle with him, which makes it difficult to stand up and check her bowl to see if she is "telling" the truth.  Usually, the food is only half gone, and hubby tells her to finish her supper.  The usual prancing tantrum continues until she finally gives up and finishes her supper.  Then the pestering begins anew.  Hubby asks her to show some manners, she sits, and she gets her milk bone for dessert.  Sometimes she is under the impression that one milk bone is not enough.  More pestering and wrestling ensues, followed by a stern "No".

On just such an evening, after Ember had supposedly stopped trying for seconds on dessert, hubby resumed his reading when he heard a puzzling sound coming from the dog chair in the living room.  What could it be?  Snap, pause, snap, pause, ....  It warranted a review, so he got up walked into the living room to find Ember dismembering a blue vinyl glove that she had stolen from the kitchen table.  She was having so much fun and was quite disappointed when hubby took her toy away.  A few days later she pooped out part of the glove.  What won't that dog eat?

14 Hours

That is how long the power was out here.  Many more are still without power.
WPS and WE Energies are Very Busy

On the plus side, the inside of the fridge is clean now.

The Question of the Evening

Will the local Independence Day fireworks displays finish before the big thunderstorm hits?

Here we go again.

Trimmed, Again

And ready for summer.

Dog hair is itchy, especially when it goes up your nose.

More Effective than a Rain Dance

How to guarantee rain?  Scheduling Country USA and a fishing tournament on the same weekend seems to work like a charm.  We were just starting to dry out a bit from Thursday's downpours, and it is raining again.  The robins are thrilled.  They're hopping around the yard gobbling up worms like hungry teenagers at an all you can eat buffet.

I might have to go get some muck boots to weed the gardens once it stops raining again.  Regular shoes would disappear.

Some Usual Stuff, Some Unusual Unwanted Stuff

The Usual:
Lawns are mowed in anticipation of more rain.
Air Conditioners are installed, because daytime temperatures have finally gotten into the 80's (F not C) and dew points are in the 60's.  We are officially into the summer muggy weather.  Ember has been brushed out and her ears cleaned in preparation for another bath and full shave.
The gardens are growing, and in need of weeding.  A fresh batch of Plantskydd needs to be mixed in order to keep the wild rabbits from eating everything.
I'm still waiting to find out if the local humane shelter will let me adopt a new rabbit.  (The new rabbit is wanted primarily for its excrement, which helps make really nice compost.)  They have this crazy idea that rabbits make really good house pets and should be allowed to roam freely throughout one's house.  I think they're nuts and have stated plainly on the application that the rabbit will be housed outside in the summer (spritzed with water when weather is hot), and in the basement in the winter.  It will be allowed to graze my lawn inside the protection of a cage.  It will only be allowed to run loose in the house in the basement, and only with close supervision.  I'm still waiting to hear, but I have the sneaking suspicion that our divergent opinions on proper rabbit care will not go in my favor.  Of course, they probably would not allow us to adopt a dog either, because our yard is not fenced.  In the end I will probably have to go buy a new rabbit from a farmer selling meat rabbits.  In that case, when I place my order, it will have to specify very much live and still kicking.

The Unusual and Very Unwanted:
Mom and stepfather's assisted living facility is closing.  Now we have to find them a new home, and move them within a month.  There go the locked in rates.  The new place recommended by the owners that are closing shop has lots of bells & whistles, and prices to match, probably 1/3 more or double what they are paying now, and guaranteed to increase as their health deteriorates, because there is no locking in a rate.  True, they will take mom & stepfather even if they run out of money (with the assumption that Medicaid will kick in), but at those rates they'll blow through what is left of mom & stepfather's assets pretty quickly.  I suppose it could be worse; at least we won't have to move them during a snowstorm.  Still, I will be shopping around again.  This will be the third shopping "trip" for secure lock-down memory care assisted living facilities.  The first one was for the in-laws in NC.  The second one was for mom & stepfather.  Third time's a charm?

The Yards Are Alive With the Sound of

Lawnmowers,

with good reason.

It finally stopped raining, at least for today.

Lawns need mowing, and gardens need weeding...see ya later.