who's hiding in there?

I've been very aware (and a little apologetic) that I haven't posted on gardening lately. But I hadn't really put two-and-two together to realize that was because I hadn't been doing much gardening lately.

The community garden plots were evidence of that.

water your lawn

I used to have a roommate.  She moved in one November, and we were fairly good friends, meaning we had lots of conversations and socialized together.  It was nothing to spend an hour or two chatting about issues in the news or what environmental organizations we might like to work for or the latest health problem she was sure she was afflicted with.  We talked a fair amount, and I would say it was fairly easy to talk as much as we did.  

One day during the next June, she approached me with great hesitation and a look on her face that quite obviously read, "I have something difficult to say, and I've been practicing how I'm going to say it because I'm worried you'll be offended." 

Not deterred by this face, I started the conversation by asking what was on her mind.

She paused.  And then spoke kind of slowly.

"You need to water the lawn."

Huh?  It's my house, and I knew how the controls to the sprinkler system worked.  But my roommate, who was quite capable of mowing the lawn yet had never expressed any interest in lawn care whatsoever, had just told me to "water the lawn."  Hmmm.... I could think of no health problem associated with an ugly lawn.

"Uh, yeah, I've let the lawn go and it's pretty brown.  But the bright side is that if I don't water, I don't have to mow."  Of course the unspoken statement there was, "And neither do you."

My, now undeterred, roommate then said, "I was listening to the radio and I heard that people should keep lawns green around their houses in case of a wildfire.  I'm just worried that the house is going to burn down in a wildfire."

God love her, she really was worried.  

I took her very seriously and explained that, "Really, we're fine.  We're two blocks from a river... oh yeah, and in the middle of town.  Creating clearance is mostly meant for folks living at the edges of open spaces that have a lot of vegetation - like a forest or grasslands or shrublands."

In her defense, if you haven't been exposed to wildland fire (or at least the responsibility of making decisions around a house in case of fire), you just don't know.  Better to be cautious.

Anyway, once I knew it wouldn't hurt her feelings, I laughed and laughed and laughed.  And then I think Mount Jumbo caught on fire that year, and we both remembered the water-your-lawn comment and laughed and laughed and laughed.  (Cause Mount Jumbo's just east of town and was not at all a threat to us.)

And then I had dinner with some friends tonight and emerged to an interesting site.

I rushed home to get my camera, and though the pictures aren't great, I did take them while standing in my lush green lawn. (Not fighting fire means I have time to mow now in the summers, so the lawn gets a little extra water-love).  

Yep, Mount Sentinel is on fire.   And I can't help but laugh and laugh and laugh.  I probably shouldn't, but I'm not under the impression that homes are threatened.  Mine certainly isn't.  But I'm also not digging line beside a fire at midnight right now.  And because I'm going to go to bed in a bed and not trying to catch a few zzz's propped up on my line gear.  And because I remember my roommate and how much fun I had with her paranoia cautiousness.  (It's a good thing WebMD can't send prescriptions or admit you to the hospital.)  But I probably laughed so much tonight because there was such a relief not to jump to attention at the sight of smoke.

Best wishes to all the firefighters out there getting zero sleep, eating MRE's, and digging up that bear grass (or some other tough piece of vegetation) to make a fireline.

the hooligans

The Handyman and I hiked through a rain storm that turned into a hail storm. I told him I was going to "hooch up" under a doug fir if it turned into a delouge - it did, but for some reason, I just didn't want to stop. I kept thinking that Johnson Lake just HAD to be around the corner... Soon, (or actually much later), it was. So we got to camp, tired and sore and soaking wet. I was also a bit chilly.

But what spirits can be low when there are hooligans around?!?!?!

First interaction with the hooligans upon entering camp.






Emma had the time of her life. I doubt her former caretakers and babysitters will believe it, but she slept/was low-key for two full days after we got back. That's a record.





Here's the hooligan headmaster: all smiles. Every year he takes a group of kids on a road trip from Michigan to... where ever. This year? Six hooligans. South Dakota Badlands and the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness in Montana. All of the teens are related in some way or another - sisters, brothers, cousins. You get the picture. It's one, big, not-always-happy family.

And the whole family piles in the van to get where they're going. Sort of a strange Partridge way of life (yes, some of them are quite musically inclined), but they totally love it. I stood within six feet of those van doors and knew immediately, I would not totally love it. And my sense of smell is really quite terrible.

For those of you (Kassidy) frightened by the fire drill "I-smell-smoke" picture of the Handyman, here's one that's a little more friendly. I figured it was obvious that the Handyman was not channeling his inner smoke detector in that photo. But that was the best, "I-smell-smoke" I could get, and I was in no position to argue!

mr. fox from the anaconda-pintler wilderness

I have so many photos I want to share, but I'm on the laptop. It's too much trouble to get on the big, powerful, yet-to-be-corrupted desktop, and I'm ready to be done for the night. But, there will be pictures of teenage hooligans, roughing it in the woods... wait... not just the woods...the wilderness. Tomorrow.

For tonight, I want to share some photos of this little fox we saw before meeting up with the hooligans in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest - where the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness is located. I'd followed the Handyman out of the parking lot on the wrong trail which was, of course, leading us in the wrong direction. This was his trip, and I was along for the ride - I neither looked at the map myself nor did I complain when we had to backtrack. Especially because after retracing mysteps for a sweaty half mile, I saw the Handyman with his hand and mouth in the "Shhh" position. Both dogs were obediently lying at his feet.

I snuck up and saw this guy lying on the trail. Mr. Fox was such a good sport! He waited for me to get out my camera, then looked around so I could get some good profile shots. Then Mr. Fox settled in for a snooze while the Handyman and the dogs headed back to the parking lot to reference our map (I hear your questions already, the map was too big to carry - long story.)

I waited. And waited. And had the most peaceful time clicking away tens of pictures of the little guy sleeping. I was getting worried that he was hurt or sick because he didn't seem at all eager to flee. Then Handyman came back to let me know that, yes, we were headed in the wrong direction, and Mr. Fox ran off with a lovely, lively bounce in his gait.

What a fabulous way to start a backpacking trip.

Tomorrow, I deliver the hooligans.

And then it's back to the cooking and gardening theme on this here blog...

egress windows: fire drill

Smells like smoke in here.

Better open that window and see if I can get out of here.

Good thing this window is regulation distance from the floor.

Um...

Coast is clear.

Gotta...keep...going... Whew.

In case of actual fire, never forget your furry friends.

the norwegian departs

Sadly, Bjorn left this morning for the motherland.

I did, however, learn some new interesting things about Norway while he was here:

1. I already knew that everything is much more expensive in Norway. Bjorn's shopping habits when he visits definitely make that obvious. And taxes? Whoa. If you buy stuff from the States and have it shipped, you're gonna pay big time. If you buy a guitar and tell Customs that it's brand new, you're gonna pay big time. (Which is when you rough up your case, don your traveling minstrel's outfit, and pull out your fake folk singer tour flyers). But, if you'd like to return home with a few books, or a few hundred, Customs asks for no $$. You can bring as many as you want. I'd give a lot of books for Christmas presents in that case...

2. A popular condiment consists of mayonaise in a tube. I hate mayonaise and have gagged a little as I write, but it's true. Imagine a toothpaste tube with shrimp-flavored mayonaise... or bacon-flavored mayonaise. (oof. I think I threw up a little in my mouth imaging the last one.)

3. Norwegians are paying about 13 kroner per liter of gas. I suffered through several conversations on converting kroners to dollors and liters and gallons, etc. It made me appreciate the fact that I hate math and am dating a human calculator. It's all about picking teammates folks. I'm forced to listen to the math, but I least I don't have to do the math when I don't want to.

I think that's almost enough about Norway for the day. I should mention that I'm pretty tickled I have a Norwegian reader (Hi there!). Now that I know someone, somewhere in Norway, comes to read every once in a while, I've decided that even though it's not a new project, I'm posting pictures of the Handyman's Christmas presents from me.

The first is the prototype, followed by the other, more creative, endeavors. There are four more cut and ready to be made, but my sweatshop gave out before I could get them done. (Just kidding, Mama! Your sewing-defecient daughter REALLY appreciates all of your help with those! I'll be back in December!)

So for the Norwegian who's departed, for the Norwegian who's reading this, and for the Norwegian who's handy, I give you a flag-frenzy!

(They're placemats, by the way. I read online that you can't make a flag into a tablecloth, but they didn't say anything about placemats!)

grand canyon: slip 'n' slide

It's hot in Missoula.  

I mean really hot.  

It's over 85 degrees at nine-thirty in the evening, and that's just almost unbearable.  Then again, if that's the case, I'll be moving before July's over, so I'll back it up a bit.  It's not unbearable, I just think it's unbearable.  Maybe I just need to get acclimated.  Maybe if I close my eyes and remember Alabama in August with just the attic fan and no air conditioner....  Nope.  Still hot.

All this hot-ness got me thinking of the canyon trip and all those pictures I never posted.  So tonight, if only because it's really hot, I'm going to share one of my favorite moments.  It doesn't have anything to do with a beautiful canyon or a big horned sheep poop or shooting stars at Deer Creek campground.  The title spoils the punch line.  It's the slip 'n' slide.

Yes, folks.  Day 20 rolled around, and we were tired and there were no more big rapids to run and we had way too much tequila than any self-respecting canyoners should have on hand at day 20.  And it was hot.  Really, really, scorch-your-feet-walking-from-shade-to-water's-edge hot.  Lick-your-lips-and-feel-them-crack hot.  Four-hundred-and-thirty-two-flies-buzzing-round-the-groover kind of hot.  (You probably could have done without that last image, huh.... Oh, what's a groover?  It's the poop can.  Sorry.  Well, I didn't want to leave anyone out.)

So what did we do on this really hot day?  Oh, that's right, you already know: the slip 'n' slide.  

What you may not know is that Emily Post has a chapter all on the proper way to huck one's self down a Grand Canyon slip 'n' slide.  I'll save you the trouble of referencing her great works and summarize here:

First you take a shot of tequila.  Shot glasses are for civilized folks not travelin' by boat, so you have to take 'er outta the bottle. (By the way, nothin' says handsome like five-inch black neoprene socks... I think I've mentioned that Handyman knows how to dress to impress!)

Then, you trust your buddies will splash the obligatory sliding component down on the slip 'n' slide else yer in fer a bit of a pinkbelly.  Assuming said buddies do said duty, you're on your way.

And then there's relief at the bottom.  It's really more fun than it looks.  And no, the handyman did not suddenly turn into a lady upon shock of hitting the surface of that delightfully cold water.  I missed a shot, and Wendy politely said she'd fill in as stunt double.

After you blow that water out yer nose and adjust your shorts so everything's comfortable, you come out grinnin', get another shot, and do it all over again!  

Just don't forget your black socks - I'm sure Emily would agree that they are THE accessory for slippin' and slidin'.

egress windows: window wells

The wells went in, and now the windows are officially done. Dirt will officially stay on the outside of the well, and sunlight will officially shine inside the well and into the new basement bedroom. I just haven't walked outside to take official final pictures, but how can I take final pictures if I'm sitting here at the computer? Soon. I will go outside and not get distracted and not pick flowers or water the vegetables or pick up puppy poop or go for a walk or take Emma to the river. Soon I will get those final pictures. (I'm embarrassed to say how long the project's been done. I'll just let it remain a mystery...)

cake prep, a cup, and candlight celebration

So I perused the pics from dinner the other night and found a few...

Getting ready for the cake.

Correct usage of the MagiCup.  (Though that pie crust tasted so much better than my other attempts that I may just turn the cup upside down when it comes to shortening in the crust-making.)

And a cake.  I do believe it was a happy birthday for the Handyman.  His actual birthday dinner was in a restaurant with a restaurant dessert and candle, but I couldn't resist the chance to plunge candles in this cake - candles make every icing job look festive and perfect (and it was close enough to his birthday to count)!

a dinner

Last night, my dining room table finally got broken in.  I think I'm going to toot my own horn here because I was SO pleased with how dinner turned out - and even though I felt like I was so busy my head would explode, it wasn't that hard to make a lot of it from scratch.  Most of these sites have pictures (and I admit, there were some high-priority guests that I didn't want to flutter around taking picutres in front of), so I'm just including the links.  

Well... be well and eat well!  It's Friday!!

Oil and herb marinade

Maple syrup teriyaki marinade

Crash Hot Potatoes - I think that the Pioneer Woman deserves an award for propagating these potatoes.  These were my favorite part of dinner.

Dinner Rolls - it's a recipe that came in the book with the bread machine.  Might have been the biggest hit of the night (though the marinades come close).  It's got a cup of water, 3 cups of flour, 1/2 cup of butter, an egg, 3 tbsp of dry milk, salt, and one and a half teaspoons of yeast.  You take it out of the basic dough cycle, separate, allow to rise, and bake till golden.  So many. So delicious.  So much for watching what I eat.

Banana Nut Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting