Beating the winter blues...

 It was a beautiful sunrise on Polo Peak this morning.  There is something about seeing the sun hitting the mountain top that makes life seem full of hope. 

The wind and snow has kept me inside much of this week.  On the plus side, I finished the top of my latest quilt.  It is called Smoke and Fire.  I like how it turned out.  My little quilting nook was the perfect space as I had a lot of cutting, sewing, and ironing.  Now I need to figure out the border and backing.  

This time of year is always fun.  Antler hunting is a good way to get outside and take care of some cabin fever.  We were really lucky.  I found this shed on Thursday.  The next day my husband found the match.   

This buck has been around and has an amazing brow tine (that is the very first tine closest to their skull).  He had broken the brow tine off of the other antler, but it had a little sticker point.  We will be watching for him next year. It's nice when they have an identifying feature so you can see how they grow and change every year. 

I had to stop feeding my blue jays as the turkeys figured it out and won't leave the feeders alone.  Those dratted birds.  

We have had snow and terrible winds for the past three days but today was perfect. I was able to get out and do some snowshoeing.  There is a little over a foot of snow, but it wasn't too bad snowshoeing.  We won't talk about how shoveling went.  The wind had put a nice glaze on everything.  

Exercise in the winter keeps me sane. Getting 2 miles in on the snowshoes helps me beat the winter blues.  I also do yoga or lift weights in the evenings.  At work, I try to walk or run at noon.  I'm afraid working out at work isn't very consistent as something always crops up just as I'm about to head out the door.  

Cloudy over us, but sunshine on the prairie.  It was a bit chilly, but without a wind it wasn't too bad. 

Have you had any adventures?  How do you exercise in the winter?  Have you finished any projects since the first?  

Out with the old and in with the new...

It is that time of the year again.  Time to review last year and see if progress was made and set some plans for 2025.  It is usually about 50/50 if I am successful in my endeavors.  Still, you have to find something to work towards.  That doesn't mean it will always work out.  

2024 Goals:

More improvements on the flower gardening front.  This fall I added more color to the rose bed.  I planted more lilies and bulbs.  I pulled out many overgrown plants in front and hope this will encourage other plants to flourish.  I've been looking back at garden pictures over the years, and I need to bring back some old favorites.  Hopefully, I will be able to reseed my wildlife bed and keep the turkeys and deer out, so the butterflies and bees can enjoy.

I bought all sorts of bulbs and lilies.  The voles ate most of them.  I tried shooting and traps, but they got almost everything in the front bed and quite a bit in the rose bed.  What the voles didn't eat the deer did.  I didn't get to see my phlox or campfire rose bloom as the deer found them delicious. 

The edible garden still needs some tweaks.  I need to find the perfect eggplant.  Pea production needs to improve.  For some reason they haven't done as well in the new greenhouse.  I need to keep adding to the raspberry and strawberry beds.  The orchard also needs more apple and plum trees.  I am also going to try and graft better stock onto my flourishing yet fruitless pear trees.  I added a different elderberry last summer in hopes of cross pollinating with my wild elderberry.  With luck this will mean elderberries this year.

Gardening for food is always fickle.  I had tons of elderberries and then the birds ate them before they were even close to being ripe.  I had some good strawberries.  The raspberries were not so good, but did buy more plants.  The apples and asparagus were fruitful.  I didn't buy any trees.  My grapes, apples, currents, gooseberries, tomatoes, eggplant, pumpkins, carrots, peppers, okra, asparagus, beans, and squash all did fabulous. 

My husband and I added trails to our property and this year we are going to enhance them with seating areas and even a strategically placed picnic table.  For the wildlife, I want to work on my two frog ponds.  There are a few ideas for more efficient bee and bird waterers.  There are plans to add a few more wildlife shelters.  

We put a lot of work into our little trail system.  It has definitely been utilized by the deer, turkeys, our one skunk, and many mountain lions.  My husband got me a wonderful bird bath with a fountain.  I put my ground feeder next to the window so I can enjoy feeding the blue jays this winter.  We have lots of places you can sit and watch the world go buy.

I am hoping to improve the experience for visitors to our cabin.  Over the years we have compiled a pretty extensive list of things you can do when you visit.  I want to add more games for rainy days and places to go when the weather cooperates.  We enjoy having company and are excited to see who visits this year.  Last year we were truly blessed with all of the friends and relatives that spent time on our porch.  

We added some more seating on the porch. Sitting and visiting is the most important part of being at the cabin.  We were lucky to have family out several times.  Kelly's brother and sister. My cousin and his family.  Probably the most disappointing was that we weren't able to figure out the timing and for the first time in 10 years my nieces and nephew weren't able to come out for our traditional week at Aunt Bonnie's.  Hopefully, this year we can figure something out. 

My goals for 2025:  

To do some more trips with my husband.  We were able to go watch the cranes this spring and bear hunting this fall.  It was good to go somewhere and do something new.  I want to go fishing in Ely, MN or see the Bighorns in Wyoming.  

I need to devise ways to keep critters out of my gardens.  They are on every front from voles to deer to birds.  I am determined to harvest elderberries.  They even got my grapes this year.  I am always amazed how people survived when a garden was their main food source.  There are so many things that can decimate a garden:  hail, heat, bugs, animals, the list goes on. This has been a goal many times in the past.  It seems like I come up with one solution and 10 other ways to invade pop up. 

I have one last trail to finish to make a complete circle around our property.  It is pretty steep, but once done I can snowshoe without going across uncharted territory.  With all of the building around us it is harder to enjoy quiet time or snowshoeing where the road hasn't been plowed.  

Take time for myself.  I have a new job and new responsibilities.  It is very stressful.  I am working hard to get everyone on the same page, get processes in place, and most importantly my student's futures depend on my decisions.  It is difficult getting a rhythm going and there is a lot of pressure.  I really focused this winter break on not spreading myself thin.  I need to keep that up.  I have 4 years, 9 months and 24 days until retirement.  I need to get there and still be sane and still love what I am doing.   

Here is wishing you a fabulous, happy, and healthy 2025.  I have high hopes for the new year.  Let me know what you have in mind.  

Merry Christmas!

 Well, I got all of the blocks sewn.  Then I started stringing them together.  I got one row done.  I don't know why but going is slow.  It wasn't like we did a ton of things over Christmas.  We didn't go anywhere, had a nice meal, and went for a winter walk or two.  

We drove around and looked at Christmas lights on Christmas Eve.  It isn't the same as it used to be.  Long ago, whole blocks would have a decoration competition.  Now we drive to the same 5 houses in Lead and Deadwood that go all out.  Kind of sad really.  Still the houses that go all out are spectacular.  My photos don't do them justice as things are blurry if your husband doesn't stop the vehicle. 

I have really enjoyed watching the blue jays eat peanuts right outside the window.  Better than that camera birdfeeder they were selling at Christmas.  As soon as they see me go outside they start checking for peanuts.  

We got in several walks, made Christmas cookies, and had some friends over Friday night.  It was relaxing and I kind of needed relaxing this year.  I am ready for the new year.   

Did you have a good Christmas?  I sure hope so.  Was it low key or constant on the go?  Are you ready for 2025?

Well, drat...

We haven't seen the lions since November, but this weekend our neighbor's caught this on their camera at 5:00pm.  Drat. Looks like we are a breeding ground for mountain lions.  We checked our game cameras and looked for tracks. Luckily, we didn't see anything. Hope they stay on the other side of the road. 

It was super warm this weekend and I was lucky enough to enjoy coffee on the porch.  My husband and I also were able to take some nice walks.  Before his hip replacement 17 years ago, walking was out of the question.  I am so thankful that we are able to stroll together. 

I am making pretty good progress on the quilt.  I laid everything out Saturday and started some serious sewing. My goal is to have all the blocks done by next weekend. They aren't a fast sew as I have to add two a red corners to each block.  It isn't a fast sew by any means. I do value the challenge.   

Are you looking forward to Christmas?  Is there something that once you couldn't do that now you can enjoy?  

Moving along...

Had a busy week.  There is quite a bit going on.  Went to Sioux Falls to help my brother move. I am never going to buy him another book. Because I'm pretty sure he will move again and those suckers are heavy. Definitely got my steps in.  He and his girlfriend made me a wonderful meal to show their appreciation.  It was a good day. 

I got a little time to cut pieces for the quilt, so Iam still moving forward slowly. Somehow things aren't adding up so I will make adjustments. 

I really liked this pattern and looked everywhere for it, to no avail. Luckily, my amazing quilting friend managed to track it down for me. She is a great friend. 

When was the last time you moved or you helped someone move? 
 

Just a peek...

I'm finally quilting.  Don't know what took so long to get started this year, but I am way behind.  Luckily, the quilt I'm working on needed 2 1/2-inch strips and I found 2 jelly rolls with the perfect colors.  

I'm going to be dramatic and not show you what it will look like until it is done.  I got all of the strips sewn into rows of 3.  Next weekend I will cut them into blocks.  

The sunrises have been incredible.  Today it rained, snowed, and then the sun came out for an hour, and we got a quick walk in. Then came the clouds and wind.  I guess it is supposed to snow again.   I must say it is a bit dry here. 

Do you have any winter projects you are working on?  Are ahead or behind? 

Lefsa...

 What is the second-best part of Thanksgiving?  Making lefsa afterward.  It has become a tradition at our cabin.  I make a big batch of mashed potatoes and then that weekend use the leftovers for lefsa.  You mix 3 c. mashed potatoes, 1/2 c. cream, 1 t. salt, 2 t. sugar, 1/2 c. butter melted, 2 c. flour.  Mix well, roll into little balls (ping pong ball sized), and refrigerate for 1 hour.  Heat your griddle.  Roll out the balls as thin as you can.  You may want to swish between your hands to get the excess flour off.  Heat on the grill for 3 minutes on each side.  

I try to see how thin I can get them.

Swishing

It starts to bubble use a very thin spatula or lefsa stick to flip it for another 2 1/2 or 3 minutes.

Lay warm lefse on a flour sack towel and cover.  Continue to stack them in this manner.  After they have cooled you can freeze them.

I was able to go snowshoeing this weekend.  My husband laughed because truly he could have walked alongside as the snow was only a couple of inches.  The views from the top of the hill were amazing.

Luckily my nieces were on their way back to college.  I was able to meet them for lunch.  I loaded them up on fresh lefsa, summer sausage, jerky, jelly, and some sweetgrass braids.  It was wonderful to visit with them.  If only for a short time.  I sure don't miss college.

Do you have an after-Thanksgiving tradition?  Have you ever had or made lefse?