What! No window box?

What!..., wait a minute, where's my...., oh no!! Where is my window and the window box I was going to put the flowers in. The prospector made a management decision and ....














Don't you think that a small window would have looked good here. It would have broken up the big space, and with a window box below it I could have put real flowers in it because there is a hose and water close by.
Actually, we did talk about it and he said that we could put one in later if we needed more ventillation. The doors are dutch doors and will have a screen door behind them so , as you can see in the second photo, there will be lots of air flow on hot days.

So I'm thinking that I will fill up that wall with all kinds of things. .., pots of flowers on the ground, old signs and vintage farm things on the wall . Maybe an old window frame in the middle and a WINDOW BOX underneath.

There's no goat DECK either but I have see the error of my ways on this one. Goats like to sit in the dirt or go to sleep in the goat house, or run and play. So, a covered deck would have looked good but probably not have been used much by them. Especially after we fence the area below the house and they spend their day eating grass. What can I say. I got carried away. I'm a decorator . I always want to embellish everything. So, when I finish painting the whole thing I will work some magic on that wall. I've got about a 3rd of the painting done so far. The siding is really soaking up the paint. I will have to do two coats on everything.


Do the goats care about all of this? No..., they are just as happy with an old wash bucket.


They have slept in their new digs for two nights now and the Prospector said that they woke him up at 2:30 last night playing around inside the goat house. He said they were making a lot of noise. Must be the full moon. Silly goats!

I leave for the Bay area today to see my Mom. The painting will be put on hold for a few days. I will be back on Wednesday.

Murphy; goat update

Last night was a full moon night. I've been keeping an eye on Murphy to see if he was going to dance. Well, it seem that he's grow out of his childhood this month because there have been no signs of dancing or any other strange behavior. Maybe he is dancing late at night when no one is out there. Whatever he's playing it cool and acting like a grown up goat. This is about the silliest thing I've seen him do . He is rubbing his mouth on a piece of wood. I never get a photo of the inside of their ears, which are beautiful, so I'm glad he did this. Look at those ears!

I'll keep watching to see if he is up to his old tricks tonight. They slept in their new house last night so maybe he was confused. I will have some photos of the goat house tomarrow. There's no roof yet and I'm in the middle of painting it; but its basically done. I do have an issue with the Prospector about some missing architecture. Stay tuned.

Stratus Angelicus: no more smoke in the air!

"Blue skies smilin' at me
Nothin' but blue skies do I see.
Bluebirds singin' a song
Nothin' but bluebirds all day long." (lyrics by Irving Berlin)

I don't know much about clouds so I can't tell you, scientifically, what these are. I was taking an evening walk and these clouds where overhead. There must be a beautiful name for them because they are so lovely.
The prospector would call them "Cumulus Acillus". (That's pronounced with a hard C like aKillus). He'll say "Look, those are Cumulus Acillus clouds." But then I realized that he called all cloud formations "Cumulus Acillus". He acts like he know what he's talking about, until I say "Acillus?" , and then he gets a big grin on his face.
I think they should be called "Clouds being scattered by high unseen wind or "Stratus Angelicus. Yep, I like that. If the prospector can make up names..., so can I.

Good News Day!

I have recieved an award. Jo over at Moodscape (jonjdsbitsandpieces.blogspot.com) has given me a "just plain fun to read" award. She loves the writing, photos, family and animals in my life. She always consistently comments on my posts and leaves me funny emails that gives me incentive to keep writing and posting my blog...., and she calls me "Elly Mae".

Dang, Jo, This made my day and it was just a real dog-gone nice thing ta do.

Thank ya kindly, my friend.

*..... and,

I have an update on my friend, Karen. I got an email from her saying that the preliminary report from the kidney specialist was good news. She has minimal change kidney disease that will be very receptive to the prednisone that she is already taking and that this should show some good results. Her heart is ok ( I could have told her that) and she is feeling better. A new water pill is getting rid of some of the fluids that have made her so uncomfortable, which is an understatement because she was so swollen that she felt like a "water balloon ". She very tired because she still has fluid in her lungs. She is not completely out of the woods yet but , as the little boy on the Kaiser ad says...., " Things are looking up." Right Karen?

Bless your heart girl, no one should have to go through what you've been through this last few weeks. The prayers are still coming.

Wordless Wednesday: Possibilities

Goat house, cookies, helper dog and a jam session.

"Well Brownie, what do you think of this? The prospector and I are building you a nice shelter to sleep in at night. Something to protect you and the boys from all the nasty predators out there. Did you hear the coyotes last night? Even through Maggie always hears them and barks , we don't want them to sneak up on you while you're sleeping, now do we?" .....,Brownie looks at me as if he understands and then says"Maaaa...." That's no (or sometimes yes) in goat talk.

Then I went in and made some chocolate chip cookies with my helper dog, Moke. He cleans up after me and gives me moral support. He didn't stick around very long. I found him in the bedroom sleeping. He's getting so old. He has trouble going up the front steps now and seems confused sometimes.(sounds like me), but he's still my main man in the kitchen.

This morning after my cup of coffee, I went out and watered everything. It's going to be a beautiful day. Almost all the smoke is gone and it's at least 10 degrees cooler than last week. I bought some Lodi strawberries Saturday, so I made jam...., with helper dog, of course.

This time I used Sure Jell fruit pectin. I didn't cook it to death and the strawberries maintained their beautiful color. I followed the directions inside the box of pectin and guess what? It came out perfect. Third time's a charm. Remember? The first batch was too runny but had a great taste. It had pectin in it but I think I cooked it too long. The second batch, without pectin, took over an hour to cook and turned really dark. With the final batch I added some lemon rind and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. I think that is what helps keep that lovely color. So I'm pleased with this batch...., but this is my final jam session. On to the tomatoes, apples and my endless supply of basil. Moke would agree with me but he's in the bedroom taking another nap.

Wine & Art Summer Social 2008

Friday evening our gourd club had a table on the sidewalk at the Amador Wine & Art Summer Social. The event was from 5 to 8 p.m. It was a lovely evening. The heat and smoke were not the issue we thought they would be. The temperature was 10 degrees cooler than Wed and Thurs. The smoke was not too bad and everyone was having a great time. There was live music that made you want to dance, which many people did. All the local wineries were there, and for $15.00 you got a commemorative Amador City glass and this entitled you to taste wine from one end of town to the other. All the shops were open and the whole evening was very mello (probably because of all the wine tasting).

I just love Amador City. I've said this before. It's the quintessential "gold rush" town. Lots of old buildings, old mining remains, and some really nice folks. You can just feel the history here. I love the stores here; especially the Bell Flower Home & Garden. I want that big bird in my yard. Not only does the owner have a wonderful assortment of garden art, but he also has VERY reasonable prices. We bought our iron fence here and it was a "deal".

We sold some gourds, talked a lot, and watched the smokey (but beautiful) sun set over the western foothills. It was a lovely evening and a good time was had by all.

Drive Carefully; children at play

We have the cutest neighbors. These two young-uns were playing in the road and didn't seem too afraid of me. I took a picture then moved the car closer. Took another , and inched closer, until I crossed that invisible line that sets off their " Human..., getting too close" alarm. They turned away , trotted off, turned and looked once more, then went down into the ravine.

They are such beautiful animals. This is a mule (or black tailed) deer. They are abundant here. I've seen them with their Mom before. I hope she is still with them. They don't look old enough to be on their own.

I pulled over and got this shot looking down the hill. There they were, looking at me and the only thing moving were those huge rotating ears.
"I see you" I whispered...., and then there were gone.

7:00 a.m. in the morning

I was eating breakfast this morning and I heard the dogs barking. When Maggie barks it's usually the buzzards. She hates them and when they fly low over the house she has a fit. Moke, on the other hand hardly ever barks, unless it's something really bad. Well they were both behind the house and they started barking. I call it the "fear bark". It's different than any other. It's sporatic and in between barks they whine or growl.
I went over to the sliding door and listened to them. That's when I heard the rattle. I don't move very fast, anymore, but I think I broke my own land speed record . I ran out out the door and saw the dogs moving back and forth, barking ferociously. I couldn't see the snake but I sure could hear it. I screamed at Moke a few times and thanks to the training he got before we found him, he came to me. I grabbed his collar and took him into the house.
Then I flew back outside to get Maggie. All this time, in between calling the dogs, I'm screaming "SNAKE" to the Prospector( who was in the chicken house). " Snake..., get the gun." I got close enough to Maggie and she backed away at the same time. I was able to grab her collar and pull her away. As I came around to the front of the house, the Prospector comes out with my hand gun and says, of all things, "Stop yelling." I save the dogs and he says "Stop yelling"? Men.....

He killed the Rattler. It was over 4 feet long and had 12 rattles on it's tail. That's one big snake. The good news is that neither of the dogs got bit. Thank God! No horrendous vet bill this time and the dogs are ok.

I wish they wouldn't come into the yard but they do; looking for water and rodents. "I'm sorry you beautiful creature. I respect your being and your death will not be forgotten."

(All these photos were taken after the snakes demise. )

A Hummingbird in the Heat

This was the temperature on our front porch yesterday. I went out to water some plants that were looking desperate and while I was watering the containers this little hummingbird flew over and perched himself on the edge of the blue planter. We feed these little guys with a hanging feeder on the other end of the porch, so I'm use to having them fly around us when we're out there. I'm sure it was the water, trickling out of the hose, that caught his attention. But then he landed right nearby , which kind of surprised me.

I think it's an Anna's hummer. They are prevalent around here, but he seemed so small and lackluster. Maybe the smoke was cramping his style too. Maybe he was a young one.

Then he did the most amazing thing. He started drinking the water from the hose nozzle. He must have been dying for something cool to drink. He didn't even seem to mind when it splashed on him. He was having a good time..., enjoying the water that had finally come his way. The feeder that we fill every morning was almost empty and the water was very warm, even though it was under the porch eaves. Well, this little bird just decided to take matters into his own hands.

I love it when these things happen. He (or maybe it was a "she"; I'm not sure) took full advantage of the situation even though a human was standing over him. He must have been nervous about being so close to me but he went ahead and took the drink anyway. What bravery!..., and I got the photo shoot of the summer.

Wordless Wednesday: Sunrise into Smoke

The Goat house rises and the fires spread

This morning

Tonight

About the Fires

It was 108 degrees on the front porch today. There is very little wind and lots of smoke. We have no fires that are close to us right now. Thanks to people being careful, I hope. Most of the big fires are south, along the coast and in Northern California. A friend of mine spent the 4th of July weekend in Santa Barbara and she said she could see the fires from the plane as they flew down the Coast range. She said it was frightening.
We called a friend of ours this afternoon. He lives in Magalia near Paradise, which is east of Chico. They are ready to be evacuated at any time. The fire is in the canyon on the north fork of the Feather river and moving in their direction. I hope that they will be all right.

It's all so sad. So many folks have lost their homes. The fires seem uncontrollable. Please think about us here in California. We love this state and it's on fire. We live in fear of a lightening strike, a campfire left to smolder or a lit cigarette thrown from a car.

We are so appreciative of all the fire resources ,from other states, who have come to help us. They are all out there fighting these fires as if it were their own places, but even with all the help..., a prayer or two won't hurt . This is going to be a long summer.

Squeeky; at it again

Uh oh! Someone has broken through our blockade. I guess I know who that would be. All the tell tale signs are here.

Look at her with some other hen's egg sticking out from under her.

"Squeeky, what I'm I going to do with you. These eggs are not your's. When are you going to get this fact into your little chichen head."

Poor thing! Do you suppose that she is symbolic of all the people in the world who repeat the same behavior ,over and over again, with the same results and wonder why nothing ever changes? With Squeeky, the answer lies in ancient genetic behavior. What's my excuse?

Dance Party?

We were thinking that we should put some music on and do some dancing here before the goats sleep in it. A few strings of lights, after the sun goes down, and a glass of Merlot. Yea!
But, the reality is that we're both so tired at the end of the day that we haven't yet gone back out there and "cut the rug" That expression is for the over 60 folks. (That's different than "cut the cheese" young'uns: you need to know these things.) Anyway, I think it would be fun to turn on the radio and dance out there after dark. Nobody is going to complain about the noise; not with a buffer zone of 42 acres. The animals might get a bit confused but, knowing the goats, they'll probably join us.

The Standoff

"Where are you Moke? Here boy." Where is that dog? Probably digging a hole somewhere.
" Steve, have you seen Moke?"
"Yep, he's behind the fence facing off with a lizard."
I walked around behind the fence and there he was.

"Moke, are you bothering that poor little lizard?"

No answer.

What a hunter this dog must have been before we found him. Once a "flusher", forever a flusher.
He and this lizard had eye contact for 5 to 10 minutes. The lizard never moved a muscle.
Moke slowly moved closer, and closer, inching his way toward the lizard, one half step at a time. Stalking, predatory; as if this small, beautiful lizard was a prize bird in the bush waiting to fly away. They were almost nose to nose.

Still, the lizard didn't move..

And then it was over. I didn't even see the lizard leave. Moke hit the wire fence and left a wet mouth spot on the wood, but the lizard was gone.

"Well Moke, no lizard today."

No answer.

But I know Moke was seeing red .

A productive holiday: report on the homefront.

The prospector is trying to get the new goat sleeping quarters done before his Pinecrest fishing trip at the end of the month. As you can see the only help he is getting, in the photo, is advice from the goats. This man amazes me. He is 64 years old this year and we've been married for43 years ; and he still astounds me with his ability to get things done. He just makes a plan and goes to work.

I help, sometimes..., I hold things. I hold a 4x4 while he nails. I hold the level while he moves the boards up and down to make them "plumb". (I even know some of the lingo, like "plumb" and "4x4 pressure treated lumber". Wow! I'll bet you're impressed now.) I'm great at giving careful advice in the form of question, like..., "Hon, is there going to be another door on the side that has the storage room on it so we don't have to walk too far to dump the hay in the hay holder?" or " Do you think we need a step up into the the shed, kind of like a porch, for the goats?" or " Wouldn't a flower box look pretty under the ventilation window?" You know, practical things....

Then I get the "Haven't you got anything better to do" look and it's time to move on; at least until he needs another helping hand.

So....,
I went in and made some Strawberry Jam.
This was a new recipe that I found on the internet. The last one I made, even though it was more like strawberry SAUCE, tasted better.
This one doesn't use pectin but you have to cook it to death. I think the fresh flavor of strawberries is missing in this batch. By the time you cook the strawberries, sugar and lemon to 220 degrees F. , at a rolling boil, for more than an hour, it looks like cut up tomato soup and even scorched the bottom of the pan a little.
We taste tested the jam this morning and it's good..., and it's thick. I just like the other batch I did, a while back, better. That was at: tomsdomain.com/recipes/strawberryjam.
His had pectin in it and I don't know why it didn't jell. I'm no expert at jam making. I just follow the directions. But I'm determined to find a perfect recipe: Fresh like Tom's Domain but thicker like Katharine's at : allrecipes.com.

I Just love doing this. I'm getting to be the "Jam and Pesto queen" around here. It's so satisfying, so domestic...., so real. I may try tomato or apple sauce this year.
The basil is growing all over the place in the garden this year so I need to make a batch of Pesto soon. This I know how to do.

But first I will go out and see if the Prospector needs any help. He hasn't asked for any help today. I wonder why?
Maybe he's thinking about my "goat porch" idea and flowerboxes. After all, if we're going to have to look at this little house from the back porch everyday...., it should look *PRETTY*! Don't you think?

Happy 4th of July