Saturday, August 15, 2009

Catching Up....


Tahoe, as I noted below, is truly a wonderful place to visit. 72 miles around the lake... over 1700 ft deep, deep blue and quaint towns all the way around. The beauty is one thing, but the fun is another. Water sports galore, mountain biking, gondola rides, miniature golf, horseback riding and simply taking it easy.

Above is one of the annual things we do, which is horseback ride. How cool... meandering through the Tahoe National Forest, making river crossings, up hillsides and down again. One of the things I found myself wetting over, was; bear claw marks on trees. My mind began to race as I thought; do I have the horseback riding skills to outwit or outrun a bear? More importantly, does my 17 year old horse BARBIE, have the skills, anymore? Well, now my mind really raced, Barbie was not the skilled horse she once was and my skills are pathetic. I know to kick, steer, stop and whine. Not much of this is impressive to a bear. Oh No!!!!! My two girls are in front of me... My littlest wouldn't know what to do and my 13 year old is fine.... she has been trained. Now, I realize I am bad parent and have put my kids in danger of a bear attack. Oh good grief, stop it. I managed to get my mind to calm down. We made it back to camp, I calmed down and then realized how utterly beautiful the ride was, even though I nearly croaked.




Friday, August 14, 2009

Back Home...

I will hit the vlog with some fun information... horses, chickens, gardening and sleep.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Tahoe Chickens

They are everywhere. Ok, I have only seen rabbits, white tail deer and million tiny chipmunks.

I am heading to ACE in Truckee tomorrow and will take pictures of it... It is amazing.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Tahoe Get Away



So, I am leaving tonight to go to Tahoe... If you have not been to Tahoe, I would highly recommend making the trek... It is without a doubt one of the nicest, most beautiful spots in the world. Yes, the world... I have been blessed to have travelled many places and Tahoe still ranks in the Top 10.
Likewise, I am going to be hunting out chickens in various spots around Truckee and Tahoe City.

Truckee is another great - Old World mining throw-back town, which has wonderful restaurants, great shops and one of the nicest Ace Hardware Stores I have ever seen.



About To Graduate....



















Well, the kids are about the graduate - to egg-laying. Scary how time flys or in this case flies... I am so proud of them. Starting with six and having to deal with their only hope in Mr. Rooster, leaving for another home, they have coped well.

I have had to keep them in the coop the past couple of days, because I have put in new, immature plants, which they will lay waste to if given the chance. To be fair to them, I should put up a little 3 foot surround around the new plantings, but my time and level of enthusiasm to do so was outweighed by my desire to plant my head on a pillow.




















Sorry about the photo through the screen... I was in a hurry... Looks like a chicken playland... I am going to put a tire swing in the coop and cotton candy maker.

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Busy Garden Day

Oh my lord... it was so hot today, I saw my deceased Grammy, tell me I was going to be the Princess of Canada. I awaken with dirt in my nose, a dog licking the sweat off my neck and sunburn.

I tried to get some work done in the garden, but with temperatures hitting 100+ and my Grammy yelling at me, I came in tried hanging a door and finished off some wainscot in my den. Once the temps started to cool off and Grammy was but a happy thought, I ventured back out to the garden. A couple of chicken tips... chickens love the the leaves of bush beans. I have no leaves left on my bush beans. They also like arugula, who doesn't and they like cilantro. I pull my bush beans out since they appeared to have been ravaged with nothing left and got to work on planting some fall crops.

1. Swiss Chard - I love this stuff because you can dump in some water, wine, lemon and garlic.. boil it down and viola your 400 lbs looks like handful of weeds. Where did it all go? It is like a magic trick. I love the taste and if prepared right it really is killer.













2. Red Cabbage - another sleeper. If you hack this stuff up and add it to a salad the texture and taste makes any roughage taste great. We go to a little Italian restaurant down the street that takes this stuff and chops it up in a salad of iceberg, carrots, cabbage, salami, olives, peppers and thousand island dressing. A little bread and wine and your dancing around the restaurant with a pretend accordion in your arms singing - Mambo Italiano.












3. Onions - I went with a Walla Walla White and a Stockton Red - 12 of each. Onions are a staple in our home and great for lowering blood pressure and keeping loved ones away.

4. Lollo Rosso Lettuce - I already have a ton of Purple Basil and Sweet Basil with some arugula, Lollo Rosso is a good one to add. This stuff can get bitter if it is left to grow, so you really want to cut it when it is young.. it is really full of flavor when it is small.












5. Romaine: I love romaine lettuce and having grown up in Salinas, California - The Lettuce Capital Of The World (when I was growing up, I think it is now the murder capital of California - sad). I put in 12 of these as well.

6. Red Lettuce: Again another great leaf addition to the garden.

7. Celery - nothing like scoop sticks for Peanut Butter!

8. Garlic and Onion Chives - I put 4 of each in of these. WOW, these are the coolest herbies in the world. These smell JUST like their namesake and once cut up and put on a potato - mmmmm m MMM. That's good eat'n. These are also called Chinese Leeks. Those little flowers are precious in China!!! Really in any country. We should not discriminate over these little flowers they are sensitive and cry easily.














I am stoked about these additions. Along with the squash, corn, tomato's, basil, parsley, eggplant, cilantro, and peppers... we are crus'in into fall looking good.

Along with my rock hard abs!

Hotter Than Spicy Wings!!!!

It is another screamer here today. I will post pictures of the chickens and their mister...

101 with 45% humidity. For us baby's in California - that is hot.