A busy week...

 So far I am enjoying winter.  I've been working on my quilt, beading earrings, making wine, baking cookies, enjoying the outdoors, and working out.  This week I was elated about the chance to spend time with my parents, sister, and her family.  I got to see the older girls play basketball, help the younger girls with their homework, and we all worked on a puzzle together.  The puzzle was finished tonight without me, but they sent a picture.  My nephew was adamant it looks like our cabin.  I got home for the weekend and was lucky enough to enjoy a glass of wine, cozy on the couch, with the dog.

 My brother made this wonderful tray and it works perfectly for my beading projects.  I love the juxtaposition of colors and textures in the photo above.  I'm finishing a feather a week on the quilt, so progress is good on that front.   

I rewarded myself today with a hot yoga class.  I've been watching on-line yoga videos for guidance every night, six days a week for three months and am amazed with the results.  A friend of mine teaches a Bikram yoga class in Spearfish.  Bikram yoga is done in a heated room at 105 degree temperatures.   I love sweat lodges and saunas, so Bikram yoga was right up my alley.  It was my first official yoga class and I was super excited.  It did not disappoint.  Afterwards, I enjoyed coffee with a few friends.

I was also pleased because I tried a homemade electrolyte drink for my yoga class and it was excellent.  I took 2 1/2 c. Water, 1/3 c. Lemon juice, 2 t. Honey, and 1/4 t. Salt.  I highly recommend it.  There is no sugar, it tastes good, and I felt great after drinking it.

I made my husband's all time favorite cookies, white chocolate chip cookies.

TOLL HOUSE WHITE CHIP CHOCOLATE COOKIES
2 1/4 c. Flour
2/3 c. Cocoa
1 t. Baking soda
1/4 t. Salt
1 c. Soft butter
3/4 c.  Sugar
2/3 c. Brown sugar
1 t. Vanilla
2 Eggs
1 1/2 c. White chocolate chips

Mix together and drop by tablespoon on a cookie sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes at 350 Degrees or 325 degrees at high altitudes.  

It has been a great weekend.  Tomorrow my huband and I are going on an adventure.  That should make the weekend perfect.

My husband felt bad for the deer around the cabin, so he got them a couple of alfalfa bales.  They must have told every deer in the tri-state area, because we went from 10 deer to 21.  Holy moly.

Well, that is all I know. What a great week.  Time with family, friends, exercise, projects, baking, and relaxation.  Life is good and I am thankful.  Who did you spend time with this week?  What projects did you work on?  Did you exercise?  Did you bake anything?  I can't wait to hear about your adventures.

Drat...

 Yes, you know what drat means.  It snowed.  Three inches so far with a prediction for 10 more.  Winter isn't coming, it is still here.  Despite today's woes, last week was wonderful.  Some friends came out to go turkey hunting.  We had a great time.  I think they saw a fox every day.  Turkey hens walked over their feet and they were swooped by a hawk.  Hunting is always an adventure.  They did get a turkey.  If they would have just sat on the porch with me drinking coffee they would have had several toms:)  That was the shining spot of May.  As you can see below, the birds are as aghast about the snow as we are.  Don't you love the look on his face and the snow on his forehead? 

 I was being a grump about the weather, but my husband sweet talked me into a walk.  I was glad we went.  Ella was upset that the men didn't take her bird hunting (you can't use dogs turkey hunting).  She was sure to show us her birding skills on the walk.  She pointed perfectly at our resident grouse. 

Well, that is that.  They still aren't done with the roof.  I am losing hope.  The roofer said they would try again tomorrow, before the big snow hit.  That is all I have for this week.  Please tell me I am not the only person with snow?

Patience...

This weekend project was paper making.  I'm hoping to use the final product for gift tags or cards.  We had plenty of shredded paper.

I added the paper and quite a bit of water to the blender.  When it was a pretty strong pulp I spread it out on a window screen.  It was easier to spread when I covered it with some plastic.  

I had a paper wasp nest I've held on to forever with hope of finding a use for it.  I put some of it in the pulp.  I covered the pulp with the rest of it.  I'm not sure how it will work.  I'm going to be patient and leave everything alone for a week, so it can dry throughly.

I tried to take a photo of the the cabin with the lights.  The snow kind of ruined it.

Ella and I went on our first snowshoeing trip.  It was beautiful outside.  One minute the sun was shining and the next it was an icy fog.  It was a breath taking walk.  Some of it the beauty and some was snowshoeing is hard work.

When we got back to the cabin the sun was shining again. Everything looked grand with a fresh coat of snow.

My snowshoeing partner is wore out.  Actually, so am I.

Have you ever made paper?  How did you use it?  What was the last new project you tried?  How much snow do you have?

Home

After a very long month, we had a quiet Christmas at home.  We just settled in and watched the blizzard.  It was nice not worrying about driving on bad roads.

 I took Ella snowshoeing, before the winds picked up.

 She was super happy to get out and run after being at the kennel.

 The blizzard started out quietly, but when the winds picked up it got pretty nasty. 

 The deer got their Christmas meal.

 The bird feeders were empty when we got home.  I filled them and within 4 minutes the birds came in droves.  

This month was difficult, but made easier by family and friends.  I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!

Winter awaits...

We have been busy.  Thus, I haven't been able to take Ella for her weekend run.  We were finally able to get out on Saturday.  She was super happy to get out, as you can see.

 See Ella Run.

 Run Ella Run.

Ok, maybe we should stop running.

That's better.

 I enjoyed watching this doe and fawn today.

 I needed to slow down and enjoy what is around me.

I guess they just want to see what is around them.  It has been a chaotic last few weeks.  I hope everyone else is experiencing a more soothing season.

Thankfulness...

Yes, it snowed.  It was bound to happen.  I enjoyed this fall immensely and cannot complain about a few inches of the white stuff.  I was too busy sitting on the porch soaking in the sun with my lovely sidekick.  I have to thank Gumbo Lily for her post on the joys of a French Press.  I saw one for $9 and thought, what the heck, I'll give it a try.  Wow.  It makes the best coffee.  Smooth as silk.  I am very thankful for this new pleasure.  

 It warmed up considerably today and life was good.  

 Kelly and I had the week off.  A stay-cation they call it.  I think of it more as enjoying the simple pleasures in life.  We went hunting.  I was lucky enough to harvest a 6x6 buck on the prairie.  I was then able to focus on bow hunting at our property.  The weather has been so warm it has been a joy to sit for hours in the treestand watching wildlife and listening to the geese head south. 

Unfortunately, that was cut a bit short on Thursday when at about 3:00 in broad daylight a very large male mountain lion trotted from our garage (where we both were about 15 minutes prior), up the driveway, and up the road.  He acted like he owned the place.  That brought an abrupt halt to heading out to the treestand in the dark or coming back in the dark.  It also brought an end to Ella and I taking our weekly jogs down the road.  We have moved to Deadwood for our jaunts. 

Ella now goes outside with an armed escort.  She thinks that is pretty cool.  Being housebound wasn't too terrible.  I had a quilt to work on, summer sausage to make, meat for deer jerky, and made some great biscuits and gravy.  Oh, I also enjoyed plenty of that coffee maybe even a little wine.  Kelly and I also enjoyed our favorite movie "A Good Year" as it was on quite a bit this week.  

 I still hunted, but with a camera, safely in the cabin.  This young buck thinks he owns the place.  While 4 does were around, he polished that one antler on a tree until is shone like ivory.  The does didn't look at him once.  Maybe next year.

 This 3 x 3 below is a little wiser.  He never came out into the open and courted the ladies very adamantly.   The does couldn't ignore him.  

It is back to work tomorrow.  Things will be getting busy with the holidays around the corner.  This week reminded me of all the things I am thankful for. Time with my husband is always coveted.  I also enjoyed a beautiful fall, a faithful dog, a good cup of coffee, a glass of wine, the ability to harvest meat, delicious food, a cabin in the woods surrounded by nature, and a sewing machine to quilt on.   I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving.  What are you thankful for? 

Thankful...

It was a busy week.  I had plenty of little projects to do around the house.  Nothing big, just a little here and a little there.  Our nephew from Minnesota spent the week with us deer hunting.  We enjoyed his company.  My only regret is he didn't harvest a deer.  

 My first project was to make more caramel apple jam and homemade bread.  It was just too hot this summer to bake.   I also froze two pans of apple crisp.  Our apples were outstanding this year.  Ella will attest to that.  Every time she heard one fall off the tree, she raced over to play with it.  In the end she would eat it.  I guess she figures an apple a day will keep the vet away.  I know I already shared photos of the Camp Robbers in the crabapple tree, but this week was so beautiful I couldn't help but take more pictures.  

Project two required some time with the chain saw.  I cut two birch slabs and then fished my grouse out of the freezer.  The poor bird had hit our window several years ago.  I couldn't let such a pretty bird go to waste, so I froze it until I could come up with something.  Then I saw what I wanted, a grouse fan on birch.  I have pinned the fan in place, after cleaning the tail, and covering it with Borax to dry.  In two more weeks I can complete the project and attach it between the two birch slabs.

Project three was to plant some lettuce and spinach in the greenhouse.  While I was at it, I found a few more things in the greenhouse.  A head of cabbage and some short little carrots.  Looks like coleslaw to me.  I'll let you know how things turn out.  

Project four was making a holder for all of our fishing poles.  This is a bit of a pilot, as I just wanted to try an idea.  Again I went into the woods with a chainsaw and came out with two slabs of pine.  The middle piece was already in the garage.    I drilled, sanded, and ground.  The end result worked pretty good.  The only thing I would change is I would move the divots for the bottom of the rods back a bit more.  Still, it worked and they are now all in the same spot and easy to find.

 The fifth project was to clean out the worm composter and save the castings to mix with water and fertilize my houseplants.  As you can see, Ella was interested in this project.   My sister gave me this composter probably 5 or 6 years ago.  They stay in my basement and I take them scraps about once a month.  I clean out the castings and give them a new bed of scraps, shredded paper, and some old potting soil every spring and fall.  

The sun is setting on a perfect week.  I got a lot of little things done and one big thing.  Kelly and I celebrated being married half my life.  I am very excited about that.  This week made me thankful for many things... an amazing husband, another year of living, a beautiful home, a wonderful dog, our families, my health, beautiful weather, and a good life.