See the USA, in your Chevrolet!

We are getting ready to drive all the way down Cougar Creek Road to Alan's pond where we will pick elderberries.  We are going to drive our 1971 Chevy truck.  It's brakes are questionable, so it will make it a bit of an adventure.  Just in case you don't know, Cougar Creek Road is not a maintained county road and it's a bit steep in places as it follows the creek down the mountain.  The truck is necessary as we need to stand a ladder in the back of the truck to get at the elderberries.  

I should also mention that this truck is older than our youngest son, Dave.  Dave is also still going strong, but... may have some age issues too.

We love our truck. 

We bought it in 1974 right after we moved into the Loman cabin on Spring Creek Hill.  We were so proud of it as it was 4x4 truck and back in those days most people did not have the luxury of a four-wheel drive pickup.  In the winter there was lots of snow and Spring Creek Road was steep. You either chained-up your truck or car, drove a four-wheel drive, or you walked home.  Just above the turn into our driveway was the infamous S curve!  It was the steepest part of the road.  In the winter there were many times when chains or a 4x4 would not get you up the S curve.   Ok, Ok, back to what we are doing today. 

Chevy trucks, the heartbeat of America, that's today's Chevrolet!

This picture is blurry because there is no way I could hold the camera steady enough for the shot.  We did stop here - at the top of the hill - to do a brake test  to see if we actually can stop!   once we start down the hill.  

I should have taken the photo then.  

The windshield has several large cracks in it which made it even more difficult to take photos.  I don't know why the piece of firewood is on the dashboard.  I was afraid to ask.  Maybe to block the heat from the heater which is pouring out full blast and can't be turned off.  

Yes, I had my window down.  It's sunny and it's 71 degrees. 

Unfortunately,the window will only roll down halfway now.  

"No, we do not need a newer truck!"

Ok, back to the elderberry picking adventure.... Here we go headed down the hill.

We had to stop here and get this tree out of the road.

There just happened to be a pile of fresh bear scat in the road.  Lucky for us the bear had been eating apples not elderberries. 

And now the steep part....

Be ready to open your door and jump.....  just in case there's a brake failure.

Oh yeah, sure.

Well of course we made it.  We picked 25 pounds of elderberries and drove back up the hill.  More on the elderberry winemaking later.

Chevy trucks!  Like a rock!

Huckleberry Picking Ride 1978

 

We had no idea that this wasn't a safe way to travel.  

I know this is really boring unless you happen to be a gardener......

 March 15, 2011

I started twelve Red Robin tomato plants under the lights in the basement.  They started producing ripe tomatoes in May.  I moved them to the green house in June. 

 September 25, 2011

I moved this plant to the deck.  The others are still in the greenhouse.  They produced tomatoes all summer long. 

They are still going strong.  I have decided I will plant them again next winter.

Happy Birthday, little sister!

Look at those curlers in her hair!   Poor kid! Obviously my hair had already been curled.

 No curls here!

Here we all are in a line-up with our cousins.  Judy, Connie, Don, Nancy, Kathy (with the blond curls), Bobbi Ann and baby Jan. 

I should have stayed in bed.....

Yesterday.   Yes, I'm whining and I wined at the end of the day too.

First, at 8:00 a.m. my Strength Training Class was cancelled. 

I'm just going to get fatter and weaker. 

Next, I drove to Sandpoint for my guitar lesson and my instructor was a no show. 

Dang.  I'm never going to learn how to strum or pick. 



Then I took my laptop computer to the Dr. to find out it will probably cost me $300.00 to fix the white screen problem.  Since my laptop is only two years old I have decided to continue using it until the screen no longer works at all!  $300.00!   I refuse to pay that.  I will use it even if the screen is black!

Here's a complaint from an old person.  They don't make anything like they used to.....  # !@#%#  and so on....

Accordion Lady's Un Blog

My friend, Linda, had a great day yesterday.  She is the one

who has the fantastic outdoor pizza oven. 

Here she is, relaxing with a glass of her favorite wine, 

Pinot Noir.  I should mention that she has a vineyard with 

Pinot Noir grapes and she makes wine.  She even stomps 

the  grapes!

She had peppers that needed to be roasted so she started a small fire.

The peppers roasted quickly so she decided to roast some 

cherry tomatoes, garlic and basil....  Yum!  Those tomatoes

look delicious.

Then she added some blue cheese until it was soft and 

melty.  Next, she spread the tomatoes, garlic and blue 

cheese on artisan bread from the outdoor oven!  This girl 

should have a cooking blog!

Her only regret of the day was that she wished she had the 

grouse her grandson bagged the day before.  She could 

have roasted it in the oven.

Photo credits for this blog:  Linda Heisel and Will Rolofson.

Ok, ok, I know it's more peppers!

 There are just a few more left to pick.....

Jalapeno Peppers

You never know what you might find......

 Pileated woodpecker eggs found in a dead white pine log.  The eggs were dried out and not viable.  They were found in different layers of the log. 

I don't know, a bushel of peppers?

  and more peppers..

and a few other veggies....

back to the garden for more green beans

Happy Unbirthday, Julie!

Hmmm.  Not all of Ben's mischievousness comes from Dave?  Just look at that innocent face in the photo below. 

The Smokey Mountains

Last spring we thought it would never stop raining, but now it hasn't rained here since the 1st week of July.  The forest's are dry and there's no rain in the forecast.  There are several huge fires near Victor, Montana and our friend, Joe, is on a fire here that has grown from about 150 acres to almost a 1000 acres.  The sky is filled with smoke today.

This is the 41 Complex Fire in the Sapphire Mountains near Skalkaho Pass.  Julie took this photo a week ago.  This fire has more than doubled in size since then.  Julie took this photo from her patio. 

You can find out information about any fire in the U.S. by going to this link:     Inciweb     Joe's fire is The Birthday Fire.  It's in very steep terrain and they need helicopter's to fight the fire.

Sept. 11th

I skipped posting on Sept. 11th.  That doesn't mean I didn't think about it, because I did.  Ten years ago we had that same bright blue sky morning that they did in New York.   Jon and I were almost ready to leave for work.  At 5:45 a.m. I was on my morning walk and when I got back  Jon said, "Look at what just happened in New York" and I watched the news playback of the first plane crash into the tower.  I said, "That looks like a passenger plane"!  A few minutes later we were both watching when the 2nd plane crashed into the towers. I still have the same feelings as I am writing this as I did on that day.  Probably the same ones that you do.....

Ten years later we have another day with the same bright blue sky.  It is so beautiful.  

They just keep blooming.....

More veggies!

 A bowl of broccoli and a few green beans.

I actually paid a lot of money for this dog!

Border Collie's are supposed to be smart dogs.  This one likes to bite water squirting out of the sprinkler.  One should not be surprised to walk outside one morning to find the blue hose that is attached to this sprinkler, chewed in half.  Our dog is so smart that she chewed the hose in half because she thought that might turn on the water to the sprinkler!   Or.....bad doggie?

Peppers, Step 1: Day 1

 Marinated Peppers, Step 1:  Roast and put in paper bag.  Cool and remove skin.

I won't get to Step 2 until tomorrow.   I harvested some of my onions and they are drying in the sun for a few days to "paper up".  They are varieties that are good for storing for the winter.

And I couldn't resist taking a couple of photos of Jon's dahlias. 

Fall garden

 Green Beans at the back of the grapes are setting on like crazy! Dilly Beans here we come.

 Black-eyed Susan's never quit blooming once they start.

The grapevines look good but do have any grapes this year.  Too wet and cold!

Ben and Sophie Get a Drink

 Somehow I missed these two photos.  Ben and Sophie are both getting a drink from the fountain. 

Ben's parents thought that was not a good idea.