in no particular order

It's terrible to be sick in the middle of summer. I've been sick for a few days now, and with a heavy workload this week, I've hardly given hardly a thought to my garden... or my kitchen and cooking for that matter. It's just been so much easier to have someone else cook for me. (like the nice people at the Iron Horse and Biga's!)

I'm using my cold as my excuse for no new photos. I was looking through my old pictures though, and I found a few that I thought I'd post.

These first couple are from the Pintler trip a few weeks ago.

I love the way her ears fly up like that when she's running at full speed.

This is a modification I made to the Pioneer Woman's Crash Hot Potatoes. I was helping make dinner at the handyman's one night, and I had planned to make crash hot potatoes. The handyman was reluctant to give me free range of the oven since turning it on would have made the house into a little sauna. So, I took the potatoes, did everything just the same except I smashed them in an aluminum roasting pan - one of those semi-disposable ones from the grocery store. I tucked some tomatoes in there because I really like fresh tomatoes after they've been roasted a little. After spraying oil on the potatoes and sprinkling some chives (which I should have cut up a bit more) that came out of the garden, the whole pan went onto the grill. To be honest, there was nothing exceptional about the grill - the potatoes tasted just the same BUT the house didn't get all hot and stuffy. Note to self: cook outside as much as possible in the summer. Though most of you probably have air conditioners... I should have mentioned that first. A/C is getting more common here, but there are a few of us holding strong against the invasion.

This last picture is of some weeds that I had originally saved from the compost pile. When I got my community garden plot this year, I was pulling weeds in the back. This particular plant had giant roots, and I couldn't get a definitive answer from the handyman as to whether it would be beautiful or whether it would be a pesky weed. Turns out, it's both. And since even pretty weeds can be quite pesky, it's in the compost now. I took the picture so I could look it up later, but I've yet to do that. Anyone have any ideas? Was I mistaken to cast this lovely flower aside?

I've also gotten a little bit of flack from the handyman for my last post. He insists that I am to admit when I'm posting after a few glasses of wine, so that I will be forgiven for putting up so many pictures without text. There's my confession. And I suppose that's half the explanation that is promised. The other half is that I had duct work in the basement that didn't allow enough clearance for my dad to walk through without ducking his head. It was mostly unnecessary, so now it's mostly on the floor. The next step is to get the old ducts out and some new, streamlined, ducts in. Once that is done, the basement will have had all the attention it's getting for the year. Next year... concrete walls get some drywall.  And maybe I'll move into the big room!

(And, if that weren't enough, I've been asked the question, "How come the iron horse and bigas get credit for cooking for you, but i dont?"  So, thank you, Handyman.  The elk sausages and pesto ravioli were fantastic!  And thanks, Kassidy, for putting the elk in our freezer!)