Rich and Donna Visit

Our oldest son Rich and his wife Donna were here yesterday and we had a great time. Went to the quilt shop, 209 Main, and the casino. 

Picked up a rhubarb custard pie that Keri had made for us.

 Delicious! And we looked over a great many family pictures. Rich surprised us with the news that he will be working in Des Moines. That will be a big change from Moultrie Georgia. We are excited at the prospect of having him so much closer. It was a wonderful day.

This lady is rocking away at the quilt shop. She looked a little bony to me. Donna was quite taken with the shop.

 Donna, on the right in the picture below would very much like to have one of these fancy quilting machines. It does look like it would be fun.

 This was one they had just finished.

 Rhubarb Custard Pie made for us by Keri Brooker and it was one I would like to see again.

Although the next time we get together it will be French Silk. It is Donna's turn!

This mornings ride

This morning was already windy at 6:30 AM, but I decided to ride as far as I could stand it. To my surprise, it wasn't bad, and once I made it to the area of tree canopy it was downright pleasant. I could hear the wind in the treetops. I was untouched by it. I had not taken my phone because it needed charging. Always a mistake because invariably the photo ops will crop up everywhere and indeed they did. Five wild turkeys crossed the trail in front of me. A lone fluffy cloud in the sky above had the most beautiful long wispy tail. Looked much like a cartoon balloon. There is a name for those things but it is escaping me. You know the things that hold the words in a cartoon strip? At any rate, that is what it looked like.
I rode out to what we call Roger's road. Roger Conant, my deceased cousin Sherry's husband lives there. It is just before you get to Winkleman's Switch and 4.3 miles one way from our house according to the map below.

There is one area past the river that I call the church. It is heavily treed and as quiet as an empty church in the middle of a cornfield. It is a favorite spot of mine. I have several.
So I rode 8 miles this morning, a good distance for a quick morning jaunt before coming home and getting into a productive day. Of course that part remains to be seen. It always makes me feel productive even if I am not.
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I came home and made the following recipe. I made it in the pressure cooker. Takes 2 minutes. That isn't fair, because by the time you wait for the pressure to come up and then do its 2 minutes it gets closer to 20 minutes. Worth it though.

CrockPot Recipe for Make-Ahead Apple Pie Oatmeal

(Makes 4-5 servings

(I used my small 2.5 Quart Slow Cooker for this recipe, so if you only have a much larger size you'll need to double the recipe.)
Ingredients:

2 large Granny Smith apples, seeds removed and coarsely chopped (no need to peel them)

2-3 T sugar, Splenda, or Stevia in the Raw(depending on how sweet you like it)

1 T brown sugar (or use 1 more tablespoon of sweetener if you don't want to use sugar)

3/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

3 - 3 1/2 cups water (depending on how thick you like your oatmeal)

1 1/2 cup rolled oats

milk or soy milk for serving (I used a combination of milk and vanilla soy milk, which is what I always use to eat on cereal.)

Instructions:

Cut apples into pieces and remove the core with the seeds; then chop apples into pieces.  I made the pieces different sizes so some apples would dissolve slightly while others stayed chunky.  (No need to peel them.)  

Spray the CrockPot crockery container with nonstick spray.  Then add the apples, sweetener of your choice, brown sugar (or more sweetener), cinnamon, and salt.  Add from 3 to 3 1/2 cups of water, depending on how thick you want the finished oatmeal to be.  Stir together and cook on high for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Add oatmeal and stir ingredients together, then continue to cook on high for an additional 45 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes, depending on how soft you'd like the finished oatmeal to be.  (I would start checking after 45 minutes.)  
Serve hot, with milk or soy milk.
This oatmeal can be stored in the fridge overnight and reheated in the morning.  You may want to add a little water when you reheat it, then microwave for about 1 minute or heat for a few minutes in a small pan on top of the stove.
( freezes beautifully)

Enjoy your day!!

Long Lonely Walk

Today it was too windy to ride so I walked the same path Colleen and I walked all summer. It took forever! Or at least it felt like it. And when we walk together the time flies. So I took pictures to help carry the burden of walking alone and here they are...

 See Mr Flathead on the left? He is waving hello. In case that was too much for you, I outlined him on the right.

Fall asters on the trail.

 Southwind today

These were taken in my kitchen yesterday

shadow on the wall

Out my kitchen window...

And by the way... Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup is every bit as good as leftovers. That is if you have any leftover

Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup

Okay Folks, Here is one I have tried and give 5 stars. I did get Butch to take one small taste and he pronounced it as too green. In other words, it is delicious! I will make it again. No doubt about it!

☀ Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup!! ☀

4 servings

1 tablespoon melted butter

1/2 medium chopped onion

1/4 cup melted butter

1/4 cup flour

2 cups half-and-half cream

2 cups chicken stock

1/2 lb fresh broccoli (chopped into bite size pieces)

1 cup carrot, julienned

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese

salt and pepper

crusty bread

Directions:

1 Sauté onion in butter. Set aside.

2 Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and add the half & half.

3 Add the chicken stock. Simmer for 20 minutes.

4 Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat 20-25 minutes.

5 Add salt and pepper. Can be puréed in a blender but I don't. Return to heat and add cheese. Stir in nutmeg.

6 Serve with crusty bread and Enjoy smile emoticon

food.com Photo-Photo by HeatherFeather

Great Storage ideas and a bike ride

Lots of good ideas at this site. I plan to do number 6 and the one with magazine holders I have done for years. Which one is your favorite?
http://features.faithtap.com/3517/useful-storage-solutions/?v=1&l=1

Butch and I did a few chores around here this morning. One was exercising the generator on the motorhome. It is good to know all systems are go before we actually do it. And then we rode to Winkleman Switch, in fact, the road right before it.
I heard some wild turkeys, but it was on my favorite downhill stretch so no chance of stopping. Not giving that up to see some wild turkeys.
Bout ready for a nap now...

Loose ends

Been taking care of loose ends here and there. Mentally preparing for a southbound trip. It does seem that about a month from departure whether northbound or southbound the mental prepping begins. You start thinking of things you need to be in the right place at the right time. That is kind of what is going on around here the past few days.
Before Colleen left I was getting a bit antsy about getting the plantings around here taken care of...a different way of saying dump their little plant bodies in a compost pile. But then Colleen said NO, NO you must think about the bees, birds and other nice critters leaving them something to snack on while you are gone. So they are still here and I must admit I have noticed the bee activity and the other day a hummingbird was hovering around the petunias and for all you naysayers it was a hummingbird and not a gypsy moth.
We did some seeding in the backyard and perhaps if we are lucky we will be through with mud next season.
The mouse count ended at 5 and now it has been several days with zero mouse activity. We are still running our trap line in case we have a late visitor.
So till next time or something of note actually takes place around here.

A Little Wisdom from Dr. Seuss

The best advice is the kind that’s applicable to both children and adults. That’s why we all love Dr. Seuss, the man who worked with timeless themes and turned our little human complications into simplicities.

Dr. Seuss on…
1. being yourself:

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”

2. freedom and choice:

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself, any direction you choose.”

3. no regrets:

“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”

4. clarity:

“Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.”

5. creativity:

“I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life’s realities.”

6. love:

“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams. “

7. activism:

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

8. brain power:

“Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!”

9. looking after Earth:

“I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues.”

10. process and patience:

“If things start happening, don’t worry, don’t stew, just go right along and you’ll start happening too.”

Butch the mower guy

Tuesday's trail Pics

A squirrel and a ground squirrel each had a near death experience today on the trail. For the squirrel, I had to hard-break till he decided which way to go besides straight ahead. The ground squirrel decided a bit faster because I dinged my magic dinger far enough away for him to have a better chance of making the right decision. 

And for those sitting on the edge of their seat dying to know, the baby socks are still on the posts.

I started south and thought it was easy going until I turned around and headed into the wind I had not realized was pushing me. It seems that is a mistake I make on a regular basis.

 Trailside Corn

Party on

Great Party at Pete and Jerilynns Monday and here are a few photos. Some didn't stay for the Wii but "we" did.

L to R Judy, Pat, Sue , and Mickey. There is a story here but not sure what it is.

Pat and Kris having a kitchen chat.

 L to R-Donna, Leroy's legs, Linda, Jerilynn, Jack, Dee.

 L To R-Judy, Sue, Mickey, Jack H., and Doug.

Today's trail pic.

I rode 6.64 miles. Trail hazards are walnuts, hickory nuts, leaves and twigs, mosquitos if you stop, and small boys on scooters.

On a recipe search

I went on a search for this recipe because it is my contribution to a gathering we are going to later today. I finally found it in the 3rd place I looked. I have been putting the recipes I add to the blog into a PAGE on the blog called recipes. That was the first place I looked so I am making sure it is in there now. I suppose next time it will be the 3rd place I look!

Recipe:   CORN SALAD        9/7/2015

Category: Side dish

3 cans Mexicorn (whole kernel corn with red & green bell peppers),

drained

8 oz dairy sour cream

8 oz small curd cottage cheese

3 tbsp prepared mustard

Dash hot pepper sauce

3 green onions, sliced

large bag Fritos corn chips (regular curly size, NOT Scoops ; probably 6

or 7 oz bag)

Pour the corn into a large serving bowl. In a medium bowl, combine dairy

sour cream, cottage cheese, mustard and hot pepper sauce. Pour over corn

in large bowl and add green onion slices. Stir to blend well. Just

before serving, crush Fritos and add to salad, stirring to combine.

Makes a lot!
Storm, Neighbors, and Mice.
We had quite a storm last night getting over 2 inches of rain in a short period of time. They say we are in for another round tonight. Our tiny house is so well insulated that we cannot hear rain or wind. That is a good thing.
We have new neighbors on the south. Butch has met the mister and is pleased that he will be a neighbor. He is employed, has a partner, apparently in his 50's and from Ida Grove. So far so good. Not aware if he knows the houses history but this morning when I returned from my bike ride a nice big kitty was asking to be let in so I assume it is theirs. Cats will not be hunters unless they are taught by their mamas. I sure hope this one has been taught. Our mouse count is up to 5. Butch picked up some stick pads from Leo and the last one we caught was on a pad. The whole idea of it makes me cringe however at 4:00 am this morning I awoke to chewing noises in the breezeway so I was willing to be more aggressive in our battle. That is where we caught number 5.

From Brother Bill

While in Iowa, I fished in  Daughters pond, for about 5 minutes, and caught a 5# bass, but we didn't have a camera at that time, so when caught the catfish, here came a camera!! We guessed it at 22# because we just put it back in the pond!!

RVTravel.com

Butch and I have read Chuck Woodbury's RV newsletter for the entire time we have Rv'd and now and then I have shared something from his newsletter. I started reading today's entry about Chuck's findings from his past 3 months of living and traveling in his RV and I had to agree with 99% of what he wrote so thought I would share his findings with all of you. Great reading...
http://rvtravel.com/?q=node/1974

Would you believe!

Our neighbors to the south moved out. It is a rental. We liked them because they kept the yard clean and mowed. We found out they moved out due to a severe mouse infestation catching as many as 8 in a day. Our alarms went off so yesterday Butch bought 2 traps and set them in the garage and in less than 24 hours we caught 2 mice. So our alarms went off even louder and we upped the ante on them today. Stay tuned for further developments...and a death count.

I have 3 plastic file cabinets for hanging files with lids. I asked Butch to make a different lid for it. A flat lid so I could use it as a side table. He obliged as he is wont to do when I ask. Bless his heart. So I now have two little handy side tables with storage.

Colleen is headed west to see her son and his wife and will be out there for about 3 weeks. Then she will be back for a week and then off to Cincinnati to stay with her daughter and her husband for a while before going south. I miss her already. Today I rode my bike instead of walking and I snapped a few photos. The trail is decorated with wind chimes in preparation for a biking event this weekend. I wonder if they took the birds into consideration before doing this. I am guessing not.

The river is still riding high but it is perhaps 2 feet lower than the last time I was out this way.

 I love Pampas grass and the silvery flags

Computer questions and Internet Security

School has started, we are looking at fall and so I am guessing people's lives are beginning to turn in a different direction. How do I know this, you might ask? Because I am getting a larger number of computer inquiries from a lot of different directions.
Hence this post for those who need anti-virus/anti-malware protection. In fact Emsisoft is now calling their product Internet Security and that describes it so much more accurately.
Ultimately it is your choice.
I used to use avast. but now I am using Emsisoft and pay for it. The free ones make you jump through hoops to get it so I decided to pay for a good one so I could get and forget.

Avast

http://download.cnet.com/Avast-Free-Antivirus-2015/3000-2239_4-10019223.html?part=dl-85737&subj=dl&tag=button&ls=media

Emsisoft

https://www.emsisoft.com/en/software/internetsecurity/

Emsisoft at a discount. I trust this source.

http://thundercloud.net/emsisoft/

 

And as an added note for all my ChromeBOOK friends. You do not need any of them.

Today's Trail Walk

Pampas grass all silvery in the morning light

There is a story here. Yesterday Colleen and I saw these baby socks on the trail and picked them up. We suspect they may have fallen out of a stroller. They were about 2 blocks apart. So we decided to make trail art of them and see if they were still there the next day. We put them on top of the posts beside the trail. Still there today.

 Below is a picture you cannot get everyday. Sunkissed Corn.

And here is a pop of color for you.

Not telling

I am not telling that Butch and I went for an eye appointment in Ames and we were a week early. My fault. I looked at the calendar but saw the wrong date. That is the bad news. The good news is we had a wonderful lunch at Hickory Park in Ames and those in the know, know that was a special treat.

Computer updating

Colleen and I have talked all summer about getting some basic maintenance done on her computer. In her process of cleaning and clearing out her house, she found a little pink tablet she had lost track of so that came into the plan as well. She is still on the fence about Windows 10 as many people are so we are leaving that alone for now. Her little one does not have enough gumption for Windows 10 anyway. I knew that catching up on updates would be a part of getting the little pink one up to snuff but I sure didn't realize how much. I installed Kindle for PC on it as it is the perfect size for that and once I was done I shut it down. That was at 2:00 pm today. But whoa Nellie! There were 200 updates to install so  we commenced. It is now 9:00 pm and I took a picture a few minutes ago.

So it looks like we may have a couple more hours to go. I feel good knowing she is leaving for vacation with 2 computers with all the little loose ends taken care of.

Butch and his mower...

 Butch? Or is that Mister Magoo?

Women of Zimmerle

We did meet and once again I was so wrapped up in it all I failed to get any pictures! We did have fun though as we always do.
Those in attendance were:
Myrla Cripe Kloster- my nutty little sis
Theresa Brock Arts- my artsy sister
Phyllis Zimmerle Moss- my cousin
Joanna Conant Neff- my 2nd cousin
Karla Turley Hiller- my niece
Devon Hiller- Karla's son
We'll do this again next year!

BITS AND PIECES
The bike trail had an intersection with gravel on the last road before getting to the Raccoon trestle bridge. It has now been paved! The good news is you will no longer need to slow down because of the smoothness of the trail. The bad news is trucks come flying over a hill and would not be able to stop if you were in the wrong place at the wrong time and the terrain is such you would not see them coming.

Below is a picture of Leo and Keri's grandson Brady on the right. I love this picture with the corn as a backdrop and I would say these two are buddies. When Brady's brother was born just this past week he was asked if he knew his brothers name and he said yes. His brothers name is Beckett but he calls him Max. I gather this is not all that unusual. Cousin Joanna told us that when she brought her second son home her first son said the baby's name was Toby-it wasn't but they ended up calling him Toby until he went to kindergarten.