EXTENDED COUGAR ROADTRIP

We were up before the sun yesterday, so rather than have a long boring day at home, I thought it would be fun to hop in the car and go see if there were any baby ospreys. And then we just extended the drive instead of coming back home afterwards. I kept saying Trout Dale instead of Trout Lake while taking these pictures – (obviously I was still tired and not fully awake yet); I KNOW Trout Dale is in Oregon, and I KNEW we were in the Gorge on the Washington side of the river, but dyslexia took over and it just kept coming out of my mouth wrong. LOL!

Anyway <:-O

These pictures were taken IN Washington starting from Celachie, WA, where we saw an ancient volcanic cinder cone, moving along onto Cougar where we hoped to see Osprey nests … and found a mystery instead:

Still mystified and a little bummed, we decided to extend the drive and push on to Trout Lake. Along the way we pulled over at a scenic turnout a bit further down the road to view the backside of Mount Saint Helens, and continued onward to our goal via FS#30 in the Lone Butte Wildlife Area, which had us at 3,500 in elevation and in the midst of 2 thick black and red swarm; I assumed they were grasshoppers because their wings are that color too sometimes, but it was actually swarms of Cinnabar Moths: really small, but richly colored (our old alma mater colors; LOL) …

CINNABAR MOTH

When we finally reached Trout Lake, we were 4,050 feet in elevation and spotted a pretty Tailed Copper butterfly:

Disappearing Trout Lake being swallowed by weeds. Disappointing to say the least. There were 2 families already there with squabbling kids and racing dogs muddying the water; and parking and turning around was tricky. In another year or two this lake will cease to exist except in memories ...

TAILED COPPER butterfly

We debated whether to return home by backtracking through Cougar, but finally chose to revisit Carson because Hubs knows I love the Gorge area ;-)

So a little out of Trout Lake, we crossed a bridge and spotted 2 cool features on both sides of the bridge. Since traffic was heavy (on a gravel road in the middle of nowhere for Pete’s sake! And ALL of the license plates were Oregonian – go figure), Hubs pulled over and I walked back to the bridge to get a better look ;-)

And there were a few things we didn’t have time to visit, so we are planning on coming back this way again just to check them out. One is the Grist Mill on the south Lewis River (I want to get some honest-to-God REAL Apple Cider this Fall to make Fire Cider with); at this point in the daytrip we had already traveled 120 miles one way and it was time to head into Carson and homeward bound.

BUT when we neared Carson there was a blinking road sign that told of a wildfire near Carson … so instead of traveling the Gorge route home, we detoured across the Bridge of the Gods, crossing into Oregon to avoid the smoke and long wait, and ate Supper in Cascade Locks, and took the freeway home – where we saw a car catch fire along the freeway in Vancouver. It was a 90-degree day.

By the time we parked in our carport, it was late and we had tallied 244 more miles on the car. But WE HAD A FUN DAY :-D

Busy, BUSY, B.U.S.Y. Day!

Got up early this morning and the day got real busy real fast <:-O

Started out by watering the garden, deadheading flowers, and pulling unproductive plants … like the cherry tomatoes that the smoker next door murdered with his constant chimney smoking – it has not escaped my notice that the inconsiderate jerk does not smoke around HIS garden plants behind his house! This moron smokes one cigarette after another like there is no tomorrow and he literally sits as close to my garden beds as he can sucking and blowing smoke like a steam engine >:-P GRRRRR!!!! My cherry tomatoes never stood a chance …

… and as soon as I came inside Hubs suggested running into town and getting THREE MORE rain barrels to add to the one he set up a few months ago; oh yeah! I can go for that!

Second and third rain barrels to collect water in; YIPPIE!!!!

And a third - which makes a total of 4. Hubs has finally come to agree with me that this is a good idea; it is spendy to start with, but the savings will add up in no time at all. Add to the new barrels that will hold 400 GALLONS OF WATER EACH when full the 33 gallon barrel I already have PLUS the 33 gallon Garbage Can I have in my garden area to gather freefall water also … and we are set for bear ;-) Granted the garbage can does not gather water as quickly or as often as each rain barrel given that it is not connected directly to a substantial flow of rain water, but it is helpful – and every bit of free water is a boost as far as I am concerned – less $$$ going out to the City for poisoned water, and MORE $$$$ being set aside for enjoyable things; like mini vacas ;-)

Sturdy lumber to make the barrel stands to hold 1200 pounds of water - 33 GALLON BARRELS times 3 is A LOT OF WEIGHTY WATER!

I hope to have the new rain barrels installed along this corner of the house ... closer to the raised beds. The lava rock is nice for maintenance, but it is HELL on old knees. Closer to the raised beds sounds like a plan to me. The gutter drain is smaller, but it doesn’t matter really since the Emerald State is known for its ABUNDANCE of RAIN – long drain pipe or short drain pipe doesn’t really matter; it all adds up in the  nd to the same amount gathered. MPO

While we were running around downtown, I also bought 2 new perennials to add to the front flower bed by the carport ... a neon green leafed Coleus with teeny pale blue trumpet-like blossoms waiting in its designated spot to be planted tomorrow …

… and I also bought a brilliant blue hued double-petal Delphinium to go in the front flowerbed near the garden area; also waiting to be placed in it's forever spot tomorrow. Yu’all know I LOVE bold colors – whether I am working out new designs for the Bazaar circuit; or designing a flowerbed with a “pow!” appeal and I want these flowerbeds to say "HELLO!" all year long, so I am working on a scheme to keep each season colorfully prmoted:-D

And that got me to thinking that I really need to switch out the underside of the tree out front – I had thought that would be a shady spot, but it turns out that the sunshine throws some mighty bright/heat-infused rays under those branches! So I need to pull the parched and singed primroses and begonias, and tuck them in the flowerbeds where they can’t be baked to death, and replant that area under the tree with chunky hens and chick sedums that will thrive in the brilliant sun drenched patch of ground. I certainly have no shortage of those prolific things!

Today was a busy day; and it looks like tomorrow will be just as busy – if not
busier ;-)

RUBBER THONGS w-MOD EASY PEASY CROCHET TOE POST COVER

The thongs I bought last year have become very worn around the right toe area … 

… so I trashed them and bought new ones today at the $ Store to replace them. But the old ones had a comfortable fabric toe post and upper slings, and the new ones have a rubber toe post and upper slings:

So after we got back home from downtown and ate a quick and light Supper, I crocheted around the toe post of the new things with matching lightweight crochet cotton to keep my inner toes from getting blistered. I didn’t need it to be fancy … just comfortable :-D

There is no pattern; I just got busy ;-) But if you want to do something similar to your thongs, all you need is Size #10 Mercerized Cotton Thread, & a very small headed crochet hook. Make a chain to go around the thong post – join to encircle post and work in round to the upper straps, then crochet a chain long enough to reach around the strap, join to the beginning strap chain and sl st across the front of the post to the other strap and repeat. End off and weave thread in neatly. Repeat for second thong.

That’s it!

Easy peasy ;-)

OVEN PORK CHOPS AND POTATOES

This recipe is an old one and it seems to me like it is simply a casserole of pork chops and scalloped potatoes.

Very easy to put together and fairly economical too ;-)

I substituted whole milk for milk made from powdered milk and it worked fine … and I halved the recipe as usual, posting the original for larger families.

We had chocolate chips cookies for desert.

OVEN PORK CHOPS AND POTATOES ~ serve 6

6 Pork chops * 6 medium-sized potatoes * 6 TBSP Flour * 2-1/2 cups Milk * 1-1/2 teaspoons Salt * 1/8 teaspoon Black pepper * 2 TBSP Butter

Brown chops in a skillet.

Sprinkle chops with seasoning. Place chops in a casserole dish and put a layer of raw sliced potatoes on top of chops.

Heat milk – do not boil – and add flour and butter to hot milk, stirring until smooth. Pour this mixture over the potatoes.

Bake at 350-degrees for 1-1/2 hours … or until potatoes are soft and chops are baked.

Earlier, while preparing to mix up a batch of chocolate chips cookies, I went to the ‘fridge and realized I HAD NO EGGS! And after a day in the Park, I did not feel like driving all the way to Castle Rock to get another dozen, so Hubs said he’d drive to the store down the street and grab a dozen. What could I do? I needed eggs, so I said “okay” – which really meant … I suppose any egg in a crisis is better than no egg … I do everything I can to feed my family healthy and clean foods (no preservatives, no vaccines, no hormones: get the picture?) and I really did not want the watery tasteless store bought eggs.

My husband knows me well ;-)

THIS is what he came back home with – HEALTHY AND CLEAN EGGS, and they are brown too :-D

Who knew? If healthy/clean eggs are available at the local mom-pop-store, we may not have to drive an hour to get safe eggs anymore unless we get a hankering for Ameraucana eggs (pretty turquoise colored eggs - smaller, but tasty) ... these are a mere 5 minutes away :-D

I am not a girly-girl, but I gotta admit that I squealed like a girl when I saw them. With a twinkle in his eye, Hubs said he hunted high and low for eggs he knew I’d be happy with; and I’m thinking he really wanted those cookie too! LOL

I LOVE my man. ((((THANK YOU BABE)))) *kiss-kiss*

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ACTS ~ Chapter 6

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO Acts ~ Chapter 6

In those  days when the number of disciples were increasing, the Greeks in the group began to complain against the Jews because their widows were overlooked in the daily administration of relief. Therefore The Twelve summoned a meeting of the general body of disciples and said, “It does not seem right that we should neglect the Word of Elohei in order to serve at tables. Brothers, will you therefore choose from among you 7 men who are well spoken of and full of The Ruach, men of wisdom whom we can then put in charge of this matter. But we shall always devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of preaching.”

This proposal found favor with the whole gathering. So they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of The Ruach; also Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas, a proselyte (a recent convert) of Antioch. They set them before the Apostles, who first prayed and then laid hands on them. The Word of Elohei increased and the number of disciples in Jerusalem multiplied greatly. Even a considerable number of priests accepted the Faith.

Stephen, a man of great faith and power, performed great miracles and signs among the people. But a dispute started between Stephen and some members of a synagogue called the Freedmen, together with some Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and people from Cilicia and Asia Minor. But they could not match the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. So they bribed men to say, ‘We have heard him speak blasphemous things against Moshe and against Elohim.’ By this means they stirred up the people, the elders and scribes, and they rushed upon him, seized him and took him to the council. False witnesses were set up, who testified, ‘This man keeps on saying abusive things against the holy place, and against the law. We ourselves have heard him say that Yeshua of Nazareth is going to destroy this place and change the customs that Moshe gave us’.

The men seated in the council were all staring at Stephen, and they saw that his face appeared like that of an angel.

**ACTS 5: https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-gospel-according-to-acts-chapter-5.html

Arlo Guthrie - The Garden Song - 1987

Sorry about the breathlessness on my garden video; I suffer bouts of "environmental asthma" (aka: air pollution complications) in this locale; and if I sound confused and lost in thought, I am just trying to catch my breath before speaking again – on top of the poor air quality, it is also very hot and muggy here despite the raindrops falling on my head ;-)

Last week I planted sprouted corn seed in the new veggie planter box Hubs made for me and it is coming along great!

((((AND)))) I HAVE STRAWBERRIES! This is a 1^st for me :-D I have never had any luck with strawberries … E.V.E.R … but this year they are coming on strong: HAPPY!!!!

SPICY CHICKEN w-BROCCOLI Recipe

Too hot to cook a big meal today, so I pulled out one of my cookbooks and started thumbing through it for something quick and easy ;-)

I use what is in my freezer when I do not have fresh veggies on hand, so the veggies I used tonight are not “diagonally sliced” and that is okay with me and mine :-) I also served this meal with Jubilee Rice, which is a white-red-and black rice blend, instead of typical white rice. The Jubilee rice blend is tasty as well as colorful (the black and red rice tints the white rice a pretty purple color) – and yu'all KNOW I love color! LOL

My family is a small one, so I halved the recipe; but I am posting the original for larger families to enjoy.

SPICY CHICKEN w-BROCCOLI ~ 4 servings, about 1-1/2 cup per person

2 whole Chicken Breasts (about 2 pounds meat) * 2 teaspoons Cornstarch * ½ teaspoon Sea Salt * ¼ teaspoon White Pepper * 1 pound Broccoli * 3 Green Onions w-tops * 1 Jalapeno chili or 1 teaspoon dried Red Pepper flakes * 3 TBSP Vegetable Oil * 2 teaspoons Brown Bean Sauce or 2 TBSP dark Soy Sauce * 2 teaspoons minced Garlic * 1 teaspoon granulated Sugar * 1 teaspoon finely chopped Gingerroot * Cooke rice to serve 4 people

Remove bones and skin from chicken breasts; cat chicken into 2 x ½-inch pieces. Toss chicken, cornstarch, salt, and white pepper in a medium bowl – cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Pare outer layer from broccoli; cut broccoli lengthwise into 1-inch stems; remove florets. Cut stems diagonally into ¼-inch slices. Place broccoli florets and stems in boiling water; heat to boiling. Cover and cook 1 minute – drain. Immediately wash with cold water; drain.

Cut onions diagonally into 1-inch pieces. Remove seeds and membrane from chili pepper – cut chili into very thin slices.

Heat wok or 12-inch skillet until very hot. Add 3 TBSP oil; rotate wok to coat side. Add chili, bean sauce, garlic, sugar, and gingerroot; stir-fry 10 seconds. Add chicken and sir-fry for 2 minutes … or until chicken is white. Add broccoli and onions; stir-fry 1 minute or until broccoli is hot.

Serve over rice.