Thunderstorms and No Place To Go

I haven't left the house in 2 days and I need to go to the market.  Oh well, it will just have to wait until tomorrow.   Bill has been in the basement moving things around preparing for his equipment to be moved up here on Wednesday.  I've been piddling around the house putting things away and going around snapping photos.  We have been having some thunderstorm's breeze on through.  In the middle of the night woke up to a nice light show.  Then today the thunder was so loud it shook the house.  Olive didn't know what to think so she just barked.

Those are some angry clouds

I threw some peanuts outside and this little guy was enjoying them

I've had this journal for years I bet if I had some of this wine I could come up with something to put in it

This photo is brought to you by the Letter "Q" - Quartz Crystal

Until Next Time,

Pam

Renaissance Faire and Pirates

This morning I thought I would share with you my sister Lisa's Company Wayward Ware.  Lisa is a very talented clothing designer and seamstress.

Wayward Ware makes beautiful and affordable Renaissance clothing for Children not only that but she also makes the most darling line of Pirate outfits for boys and girls.   Here are a couple photos I took off her Website.

Until Next Time,

Pam

Not Welcomed Visitors

What a strange afternoon we had yesterday.  We have two alerts set up to let us know when people are coming up our drive.  Deer, foxes and squirrels have been know to set it off that is why we have two.  If both go off someone is headed to the house and the road dead ends at our house.  When both went off I went out to the deck a small white car was headed to the house too fast for this dirt road.  When they found out there was no outlet (it is posted) they turned around and left.

While I was out on the deck I noticed a truck parked down next to the livestock pen. Hunting season for big game with a bow is now open in Utah.   We are hunters and have gone hunting for Elk, Deer, Pig, Antelope, Turkey, Pheasant, Dove and Quail.  However, we do not hunt next to homes.  Also, the deer we have around here we do not consider game but pets.  We feed the deer, foxes, squirrels, birds, turkeys anything that comes up to the house.  The hunters are too lazy to go up higher and hunt were no one lives. Bill decided to shoot a few rounds with his .45 to scare off any deer that might be around and the hunter promptly left.  It's nice having a canyon next to the house makes for a lot more noise.

We are getting ready for the upcoming winter  Bill has already filled the garage full of firewood and now he is working on piling it up under the deck right next to the basement door.

We already have one tree changing colors.  Pretty soon all the scrub oaks on the mountain will changing colors and I can not wait to get photos of my first fall here.

Bill cleared out a section of our property and it has a park like setting.  My goal next year is to find a vintage travel trailer to put in this area and fix it up to look like a campsite.  What a fun place it will be to hang out and read or if someone comes up and wants to stay in it would be a lot of fun.  

I can just picture a vintage Airstream parked right here.

P is for Propane Tank, Pump (water), Pine Trees and Plow aka The Beast

I couldn't just pick one!

Until Next Time,

Pam

A Side Adventure On The Way Home

Today was the same old routine.  Go downtown to the post office and pick up the mail.  Bill started wondering if there were any ATV trails around our house so we started to drive around.  We took a dirt road about 2 1/2 miles from our house and started heading up.  We were on the other side of the Flat Head Mountain which is on the side of our property.  It was beautiful, very thick with pine trees and scrub oaks and a small stream going through.  Here are some of the photos I took.

I love the rock formations here in UT

The green foliage with the red rock is just stunning

I was pretty surprised to find this very old livestock ramp at the top of the mountain.  Even found some old rusted cans around on the ground.

I am just amazed how a pine tree grows in the rocks.  This photo doesn't even look real.  Bill said it looks like one of those landscapes that model train builders put around their tracks.

I don't know what kind of berries these are but they were very pretty

You can't tell from this photo but the caterpillar was very large.  The biggest one I've ever seen. 

Lastly on the way back up our dirt road we came across this young deer.  I think it is a he you can see a couple of buds above his eyes for antlers.  He is a pretty red come winter their coats turn a brownish gray.

O is for Ore Cars these little beauties are down next to the old train depot which is long gone

Until Next Time,

Pam

Photo Challenge Challenges and Olive

I know Photo Challenges can be just that a"Challenge".  I thought the A-Z Photo challenge would be easy until the letters like Q, X and Z, I was wrong.  I completely go blank on every letter.  I go around the house yelling I need a N word and so on.  Thank goodness for Bill and Anna they give me great suggestions.  

Well here I am at the letter "O" and half of my dream team isn't here.  Anna left early this morning for California for a visit with friends and family.  How can I concentrate on a"O" word while my baby is driving 7 hours across 4 states by herself!  I'm a wreck until I get that call or text that she has arrived safely.  Then in a couple weeks I get to go through it again when she comes home.

With all that being said I am going to do my "O" photograph tomorrow.  I know what I'm going to take a picture of when I go downtown tomorrow.  I will leave you with Olive baby pictures and another beautiful Utah sunset.

9.5 lbs of love

She will grow into those bat ears

Love this fat belly

Until Next Time,

Pam

Organizing The Craft Room

I worked in the Craft Room this afternoon.  I got some stuff put away but only got one box emptied.  I'm going to try to work in the craft room everyday for at least one hour.  If I can stick with it faithfully I should have all the boxes emptied soon. 

I got all my Copic markers, flowers, buttons, tags in one place

I need some more of these vintage cheese boxes for the rest of my paints

All my fabric is now in the vintage laundry basket and double wash basin

N is for Nature - I took these photos today while walking around our property

Until Next Time,

Pam

Basic Cookie Dough

Basic Cookie Dough

4 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour

2 tsp Baking Soda

2 tsp Kosher Salt

4 cups Softened Butter

1 1/2 cups Sugar

1 1/2 cups Packed Brown Sugar

2 1/4 tsp Vanilla

4 Large Eggs

Mix together flour, soda and salt and set aside.  In a large bowl combine butter, sugars and vanilla and beat until creamy.  Add eggs one at a time beating until well blended between each egg.   Add flour mixture a little at a time and  mixing between each addition.  

With a large batch of cookie dough I like to separate it into different bowls and add my favorite ingredients.  Chocolate Chips, Coconut, Candies (M&M's, Reese's chopped up, Nuts, Andes Mints)  You can add as much or as little as you want.  I do not measure I judge it by how much dough is in the bowl.   Drop by teaspoon onto a cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated over @ 375 degrees for about 9 to 10 minutes.  After they have cooled 5 minutes moved to wax paper until cooled.  Place in a air tight container.  Depending on the size of cookie can make around 6 dozen.  (My cookies tend to get bigger with each tray)

Enjoy,

Pam 

Busy in the Kitchen and Olive

I kept myself pretty busy today.  Anna and I went to town to pick up the mail, then to Joanne's and then to the market.  I made a double batch of cookie dough and then divided it.  I bought a bag of Mini Reese's and cut them up and added the milk, dark and white chocolate Reese's.  The other dough I added semi sweet chocolate chips and coconut I was wishing I had bought some pecans.  We then went for our nightly walk. For dinner we had panini sandwiches.  I had a swiss cheese with pesto, pepperonchins, tomatoes, spinach and onions.

Olive has a new trick while she is sitting on Bill's lap on the chair she climbs up behind his head and starts biting his ear.  As you can see from Bill's hand she plays pretty rough.

Olive favorite place to play is the deck and loves to scoot under my patio chairs.

M is for Mounds (my favorite candy next to Sees)

Until Next Time,

Pam

Are You Ready For Some Football? (Dip)

I love Football and the New Orleans Saints has been my favorite team for 35 years.  I am looking forward to the Season and I'm so pleased that The Saints will be kicking off the season against  The Green Bay Packers, September 8th.

Not only Are You Ready For Some Football but Are You Ready For  Football Food?

This is my version of

Chili Queso Dip

1 15 oz can Hormel Chili no beans

8 oz pkg Philadelphia Cream Cheese

1 4oz can sliced olives (saving some for garnish)

1 4oz can diced green chilies

 Tabasco Sauce (to taste, I put in 1 Tablespoon)

1/2 cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese (saving some for garnish)

Mix all ingredients together in a medium saucepan over medium heat until heated through.  Garnish with the remaining cheese and olives.  Serve with corn chips, tortilla chips or sourdough bread cubed.

We have two high schools in our town one had an away game and the other had a home game.  Anna and I had a fun time at the Football and our team won.  It was fun seeing everyone wearing the team colors and the school spirit was infectious.  Between two schools we are going to be having a great time at the Football Games. 

L is for Lady Luck

This is one of Bill's Tattoo's

Until Next Time,

Pam

Exciting Day Yesterday

We had quite the day yesterday a fire broke out 3 miles from our house.  If the wind was blowing any harder it could have been time to evacuate but thanks to our Fire Department they got the fire out fast.

This morning after getting out of the shower I looked out the bathroom window and their was a Doe and her twins.  By the time I got dressed and ran down to get my camera they moved so I couldn't get all three of them together.

Here's Babs enjoying the scenery in Arizona going through the Navajo Nation

K is for Kitty as in Hello Kitty - A very small bit of Anna's collection

Until Next Time,

Pam

Chili and Beans and Bab's Adventure in AZ

I fixed a pot of Chili and Beans this week and thought I would share my recipe

These are the 2 main ingredients for this family favorite

2 lbs ground sirloin

Carroll Shelby Chili Kit

La Victoria Salsa Brava Hot Sauce

1 1/2 Tablespoons Tony Chachere's Creole Seasonings

Water

4 15.5 oz cans Chili Beans

4 15.5 oz cans Kidney Beans

Topping's Bar

Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Chopped Onions

Louisana Hot Sauce

Olives

Sour Cream

Malt Vinegar

Oyster Crackers

In a large dutch oven cook the ground beef until there is no more pink.  Add the large spice packet from the Carroll Shelby Chili Kit along with the small packet of cayanne pepper (omit for mild chili), add the Tony Chachere's Creole Seasonings (omit for mild chili and subsititute the Salt packet for the Creole Seasoning).  Add the whole bottle of La Victoria Salsa Brava Hot Sauce, add enough water in the hot sauce bottle to come up to the top of the label and put the lid back on and shake to get all that hot sauce and pour into pot. (for the mild chili get the mild Taco Sauce and do the same) Stir together.   Heat on low covered for 15 minutes.

Add beans (do not drain) take the Masa packet from the chili kit and add 1/3 cup of water and mix together, stir into chili.  Take a little bit of the chili and put in the cup you mixed the masa in to get as much of it out and place back into the chili pot.  Cover and heat on medium until nice and hot.  Let your guests top their chili from the Topping's Bar and serve with cornbread, corn chips or saltines.

Note:  Chili on the first day is a little watery, 2nd day it thickens up.  If you like it thick make the day before.

I forgot all about posting photos of Bab's Adventure in Arizona.  I will share a photo a day for the next few days.

Bab's sitting on the bridge overlooking the Colorado River

J is for Juniper Berries

Until Next Time,

Pam

Finding a Recipe is Like Finding a Needle in a Haystack

I will be back to my regular blogging tomorrow it's been a busy couple of days.

One thing I have been doing is trying to find a recipe that I saw on a blog and of course I thought I would remember which blogger it was and what the recipe was.  Foolish Me!  To think I would remember that without writing it down or bookmarking it.  All I can remember is it had smoked pork chops in it. 

GRRRRRRR,

Pam

BLM and Fire Season

The BLM has been here the last 2 days.  They are getting to the end of fire season and it doesn't look like they will be able to complete the fire break this year.  They have gotten a lot done it is just a huge job since this area has never been thinned out.

I think there are a couple hundred piles of wood that needs to sit a year before they can burn the piles in the winter.  Here are some photos of the piles.  All these ares use to be solid trees.

The nice thing with all this wood and we can come down and pick up the logs we like and Bill cuts them down for the wood stove and stacks it up in the garage

Bill thinks these flowers are weeds.  If they are they are the prettiest weeds I've seen

We have a lot of clouds coming in and have 30% of Thunderstorms.  I hope they are right we could use the rain.

I is for Ice Tea

My favorite beverage of all time, no sugar please

Until Next Time,

Pam