FOUR DAYS TILL 40!
"Age is a matter of feeling, not years."
George William Curtis
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Bitten by the Baking Bug
I was bitten by the baking bug this past week! I made homemade donuts, a cake with homemade frosting and cookies all in one day. The donuts below are Cinnamon-nutmeg cake donut.
As they came out of the cooking oil, I dropped them in a bag of Cinnamon sugar. Yummy, Yummy goodness!
The frosting is a butter cream, an easy recipe that I have used for years. It is so good, you don't even need anything to spread it on!
The frosting covered Hayman's favorite cherry-chip cake! The sugar cookies are an old time favorite in our house. The recipe came from my mom and again, I have been making them for over twenty years now!
We had sweet treats to enjoy all week. It was a busy week indeed and coming home to some extra goodies was nice.
As they came out of the cooking oil, I dropped them in a bag of Cinnamon sugar. Yummy, Yummy goodness!The frosting is a butter cream, an easy recipe that I have used for years. It is so good, you don't even need anything to spread it on!The frosting covered Hayman's favorite cherry-chip cake! The sugar cookies are an old time favorite in our house. The recipe came from my mom and again, I have been making them for over twenty years now!
We had sweet treats to enjoy all week. It was a busy week indeed and coming home to some extra goodies was nice.Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Look at Us
We can fly! The photo below was taken on Monday evening. They babies were peeking out of the nest and watching Countrychick as she took their mug shot.
Yesterday evening when I got home from work, I noticed that the babies were sitting on the edge of the nest. I told Countrychick to grab the camera and snap a photo. Twenty minutes after this photo was taken we looked out the door and found an empty nest....the babies went out for their first flight. Momma and daddy swallow were nearby to provide encouragement and to attack anything that might harm their brood. Last night everyone was back in the nest sleeping soundly.
This morning as I headed out the door for work I looked up to see an empty nest...sniff. The babies were out for their morning flight! They do grow up fast!
Yesterday evening when I got home from work, I noticed that the babies were sitting on the edge of the nest. I told Countrychick to grab the camera and snap a photo. Twenty minutes after this photo was taken we looked out the door and found an empty nest....the babies went out for their first flight. Momma and daddy swallow were nearby to provide encouragement and to attack anything that might harm their brood. Last night everyone was back in the nest sleeping soundly.
This morning as I headed out the door for work I looked up to see an empty nest...sniff. The babies were out for their morning flight! They do grow up fast!Monday, June 22, 2009
Mr. and Mrs. Swallow
Are proud to announce the arrival of their brood. There are four babies in the nest. Momma and daddy swallow are very good parents. Not only did they share the responsibility of sitting on the nest together, but they work very hard together to feed the four hungry mouths peeking out from the nest.
Since the nest was built on top of our front porch light, I had some concern that the eggs would not hatch, as we use the door on a regular basis. But momma swallow became very use to our comings and goings and learned to sit tight and not fly off the nest to much. If you look closely you can see several little heads in the nest.
The babies are growing fast and are all most completely feathered out. They will be two weeks old this week. It won't be long and they will be learning to fly! The baby you see in the photo below is the biggest in the bunch. You can see the flat yellow line of its mouth as it rests its little head on the side of the nest. The babies have not been easy to photography as they hunker down in the nest when you get to close.
Now I'm off to go do the daily hosing down of the front porch. The babies are cute, but the entire family of swallows is rather messy!
Since the nest was built on top of our front porch light, I had some concern that the eggs would not hatch, as we use the door on a regular basis. But momma swallow became very use to our comings and goings and learned to sit tight and not fly off the nest to much. If you look closely you can see several little heads in the nest.
The babies are growing fast and are all most completely feathered out. They will be two weeks old this week. It won't be long and they will be learning to fly! The baby you see in the photo below is the biggest in the bunch. You can see the flat yellow line of its mouth as it rests its little head on the side of the nest. The babies have not been easy to photography as they hunker down in the nest when you get to close.
Now I'm off to go do the daily hosing down of the front porch. The babies are cute, but the entire family of swallows is rather messy!Saturday, June 20, 2009
A Very Needed Update
Hello all you happy people! I think it was Droopy Dog from the Warner Bro. cartoons that use to say that. Well folks, I do indeed hope everyone is happy and doing well? I haven't had much time the last several weeks for blogging or even blog reading for that matter. I knew once summer hit that my job was going to keep me very busy. The 4-H program really hits full steam ahead during the summer months! June, July, August and September will keep me on my toes and hopping like a cat on a hot tin roof! On June 8, Countrychick and I headed up to the 4-H cabin which is located about 50 miles from our town. The cabin has been in the county 4-H program for 30 plus years. We are very lucky to have the cabin as it sits on U.S. Forestry land. The cabin is on a ninety-nine year lease and as long as we pay our permit fee yearly and use the cabin, it will remain in our program. Unfortunately the cabin has seen little use the last 10 years or so. When I got this job back in November, the cabin was on my radar for fix-up and use. Because of its location, we can't access the cabin until late May or so...hence the trip up the mountain on June 8. We met several other volunteers up there for a day of clean-up. Clean-up was an understatement.....it was more like a gutting of the place. But many hands make light work and our task was mostly accomplished in one long, hard day of work. I will say one thing, pack-rats can and will take over a building and make it their own!! The following photos are just a sample of our day.......below was the traffic jam headed up the hill.
The road winds it way up the hill switch back style. All of our recent wet weather had the hills blooming in vivid color.
Yellow was the color of the day and looked so pretty against the bright blue sky.
The cabin in all its glory! We were in the process of taking everything out of it.....pack-rats and all!
Countrychick and her mandatory cleaning mask! I would not let anyone in the building without one. By the time we left, you no longer needed a mask as the cabin smelled fresh and clean!
I was armed with plenty of cleaner and rags!
These two young ladies are in the 4-H program. They worked on fixing the fence with their dad all day. I was very impressed with their ability to work and stay focused on the task at hand. They come from a hardworking ranch family and are very use to daily hard work and chores.
The views from the cabin are breathtaking! This photo was taken looking northeast of the cabin.
We headed back down the mountain late in the day exhausted but happy that the cleaning task had been completed. There is a three day 4-H camp scheduled for the end of June and now they will be able to enjoy the cabin to its fullest. I did have to order new mattresses for the cabin as the old ones...well lets just say the pack-rats made short work of them.
The following weekend after the cabin clean up found me two hours from home at another camp event. Our state 4-H program holds a camp for a week in July at beautiful Lake Tahoe. I had to travel to a camp training and spend the entire day learning all of the ins and outs of the state camp program. It poured rain for most of the day and I was exhausted when I got home from driving in the torrential down pours! This past week I put on a Cloverbud Day Camp for 5-8 yearolds in our 4-H program. I had the help of my great friend FunnyFarm Lady who is one of my 4-H volunteer leaders and also my county 4-H Ambassadors helped daily. For three hours each day we provided hands on learning and activities for the youth. The kids had a blast, we had a blast and yesterday we ended the week with a pizza party. I have forgotten how much energy little ones have. I was tired at the end of each day, but it's a good kind of tired. So my days have been busy which leaves little time for blogging when I get home in the evenings. As an update to our recent rainy weather.....it is still rainy and stormy almost on a daily basis. We still have hay on the ground that was cut three weeks ago. Every time we think the weather is going to warm up and be sunny, we get hit with another thunder storm. The photo below is from this afternoon. I had to drive Countrychick out to the hwy to meet a friend and on my back the sky was getting dark right over our hay fields.
I was armed with plenty of cleaner and rags!
These two young ladies are in the 4-H program. They worked on fixing the fence with their dad all day. I was very impressed with their ability to work and stay focused on the task at hand. They come from a hardworking ranch family and are very use to daily hard work and chores.The views from the cabin are breathtaking! This photo was taken looking northeast of the cabin.
We headed back down the mountain late in the day exhausted but happy that the cleaning task had been completed. There is a three day 4-H camp scheduled for the end of June and now they will be able to enjoy the cabin to its fullest. I did have to order new mattresses for the cabin as the old ones...well lets just say the pack-rats made short work of them.The following weekend after the cabin clean up found me two hours from home at another camp event. Our state 4-H program holds a camp for a week in July at beautiful Lake Tahoe. I had to travel to a camp training and spend the entire day learning all of the ins and outs of the state camp program. It poured rain for most of the day and I was exhausted when I got home from driving in the torrential down pours! This past week I put on a Cloverbud Day Camp for 5-8 yearolds in our 4-H program. I had the help of my great friend FunnyFarm Lady who is one of my 4-H volunteer leaders and also my county 4-H Ambassadors helped daily. For three hours each day we provided hands on learning and activities for the youth. The kids had a blast, we had a blast and yesterday we ended the week with a pizza party. I have forgotten how much energy little ones have. I was tired at the end of each day, but it's a good kind of tired. So my days have been busy which leaves little time for blogging when I get home in the evenings. As an update to our recent rainy weather.....it is still rainy and stormy almost on a daily basis. We still have hay on the ground that was cut three weeks ago. Every time we think the weather is going to warm up and be sunny, we get hit with another thunder storm. The photo below is from this afternoon. I had to drive Countrychick out to the hwy to meet a friend and on my back the sky was getting dark right over our hay fields.I plan to cook ribs for dinner on the BBQ....now I just need to get the weather to cooperate! The wind has really kick up since I started this post! Crazy weather!! Enjoy your Saturday evening.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Lovely Lemons!
My brother and his family came to visit over Memorial Day weekend. We look forward to his visits, not only because we get to see him and his family, but also because he brings these wonderful lemons to us. He has this amazing lemon tree in his backyard in California. I call it amazing because it produces some of the biggest lemons I have ever seen! I can't even begin to describe how wonderful these lemons are...nothing like what you get in the store at all! 
Hayman has a love for Lemon Meringue pie, so some of the beauties above became these below...
My dad and brother also love Lemon Meringue pie. My mom makes the best lemon pies ever and I learned from the best! I gave one of the pies above to Hayman's boss, Mr. B. and we ate the other pie.
Hayman has a love for Lemon Meringue pie, so some of the beauties above became these below...
My dad and brother also love Lemon Meringue pie. My mom makes the best lemon pies ever and I learned from the best! I gave one of the pies above to Hayman's boss, Mr. B. and we ate the other pie. Lemon Meringue Pie
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup corn starch
1 1/2 cups cold water
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
grated peel of one lemon
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 Tblsp. butter
1 baked 9 inch pie crust
3 egg whites
1/3 cup sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In medium saucepan combine 1 cup sugar and corn starch. Stir in water until smooth. Stir in egg yolks. Stirring constantly, bring to boil over medium heat; boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon peel, juice and butter. Spoon hot filling into pie crust. In a small mixing bowl, beat egg whites at high speed until foamy. Gradually beat in remaining 1/3 cup sugar; continue beating until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue evenly over hot filling, sealing to edges of crust. Bake 10 minutes in preheated oven or until golden. Cool on wire rack, refrigerate. Makes one yummy pie! Enjoy!
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Gathering Clouds
Can be very deceptive! One minute we are cloud watching, the next we are running for cover from the down pour of rain! 
These clouds gathered on the east side of our valley last weekend.
They became angry, whipped up the wind and produced thunder that rolled in the distance!
Pretty, but angry!
We had hay down...we did not need or want the rain!
But the rain came and it poured down on us with force! This was last Sunday and it rained off and on the rest of the week. It rained again all day yesterday. Very sad to see the hay that was cut almost two weeks ago still on the ground. Nothing to be done now but wait out the weather and hope for sunny, warm days to come. Now if only we could get the weather report to cooperate! 
These clouds gathered on the east side of our valley last weekend.
They became angry, whipped up the wind and produced thunder that rolled in the distance!
Pretty, but angry!
We had hay down...we did not need or want the rain!
But the rain came and it poured down on us with force! This was last Sunday and it rained off and on the rest of the week. It rained again all day yesterday. Very sad to see the hay that was cut almost two weeks ago still on the ground. Nothing to be done now but wait out the weather and hope for sunny, warm days to come. Now if only we could get the weather report to cooperate! 
Thursday, June 4, 2009
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