Out of the frying pan ... Sunday, 8/27/17

NorCal has been H.O.T.  We've been gripped in a godawful heat wave for what seems like forever.  I know it's predicted to continue for at least another week, even past Labor Day. Unrelenting stifling heat.  It's been a very long summer.  What's hot, you ask?  How about 108° or 111°?  Those high temps are for the valley, Sacramento area.  Here in the foothills, we are (oh boy) maybe five degrees cooler.  Big whoop.  Jimmy and I have business to take care of in Roseville tomorrow, with 108° forecast. [actual high was 113°, according to the Prius, which doesn't lie].  Being out in it for even a little bit of time just sucks the life out of us.  I know I've mentioned before that me and heat don't get along.  It hasn't gotten any better as I've, uh, matured.

Rather than sit inside on a Sunday morning, it being too hot to go outside in Nevada City, we hopped in the Prius and made for the high country -- the Truckee River.  At 6,000+ ft elevation, I thought a walk on the Truckee River path would net us some exercise under cooler conditions.  Seeing so much water in the river this late in the season made us happy, and -- thank goodness -- because the water is still quite cool, walking alongside the river was very tolerable.

Thimble berries (or salmon berries) were ripe beside the trail.

They're fragile, but I managed to eat a few.

There's a reason Mallards follow the rafts.  And if no one throws tidbits to them, they'll swim or fly to the next boat or set of rafts looking for a handout.  They've become greedy little beggars, but cute.

For the past couple of years, we've seen this river almost devoid of water.

She's a-flowin' now!

I captured a buzzy-bee getting into a Fireweed flower.

Rapids, even!

For some reason, the rocks in this section are covered in a bright green seaweed.  You can see how thin the water is here.  We saw plenty of rafts jam-packed with six or eight people getting hung up on rocks/boulders, and they'd laugh and hoot, as it was all part of the fun. Lighter rafts could usually float over.  I stuck my fingers in at this spot and, yup, it was nice and cool.  With the breeze in our faces, we really enjoyed the walk.  (I carried my camera and a small water in my purse.)

Rafters always stop at this sandbar.  (I bet I know why some of those folks are in the water.) Personally, I didn't think it was warm enough to dip into, but the sun was very warm, so probably the water felt good.  If we'd thought about it beforehand, Jimmy and I could have made a raft reservation and joined the party!

Whee!

The Truckee is very thin here, as well, but we are nearing Labor Day, and rafts are still plying the river!  A testament to how much snow/rain NorCal had this past winter/early spring.  Feast or famine.

I took a video of the rapids, but I had no luck on uploading into YouTube or into this post, so phooey on it. Instead, here's a pic of what I did Saturday morning.  It was already hot, and I didn't want to spend any time in my yard, but my oven has an exhaust that pitches hot air back outside where it belongs.  Six dozen oatmeal spice cookies.  Uh-oh, six doz minus two cookies.  Wonder where those two rascals went?

They're delicious!

Babies, eclipsed, by produce! 8/23/17

Sometimes I wonder where the time goes; days become a potful of yesterdays, and before I know it, the earth has made another trip around the sun.  Speaking of sun, check out this baby!  Anyway, it's a good thing we're retired ... we wouldn't have time to be gainfully employed!  We stay busy.

Spending hours at Tumbling Creek farm, with one project or another, or harvesting summer's bounty, some of which you'll see in this post, takes time.  Once harvested, the produce requires something ... either eating right now (ooh, yum), blanching, freezing, canning, or cooking into good things to eat for a later date.

Lucky me (us) that our freezer is jam packed with fresh, organic grub, all kinds.  Bags of blackberries (above) aching to be made into cobbler, await.  I love a handful of blueberries on my morning cereal, and I have plenty of 'em in the freezer.  We picked them.

Then on the 21st, we watched the total solar eclipse right here in Nevada City.  Jimmy, Anson, and Fran (friends from across the street) are using their various save-your-eyes devices.  This area was in the 82% of totality range, so our morning plunged into what looked like late afternoon at the height of the eclipse, but it was far from dramatic.  Not the same as in, say, Salem OR.  My camera disliked capturing the process, but I did get a bite out of the sun, below -- first contact.

Babies are everywhere!

Well, now I am heartily tired of tomatoes.  Below is a batch of Tomato Confit fixin' to go into the oven.  Haha, I still have a pile of tomatoes on the kitchen counter.  But, I managed to make several batches of confit and marinara, all in freezer bags.  Plus the salsa Marlene and I made, and the jars of stewed tomatoes.  You see?  No mas!

It really is yummy served warm on a crusty loaf.

On Thursday, the 17th, Matt and Jenny and five-month-old Everly Rose came for a visit. We enjoyed lunch at Ike's Quarter Cafe in Nevada City, after which we spent the rest of the afternoon chatting and playing with that cute li'l tapper.

She already has two bottom teeth and is working on uppers.  She chews and drools!

Another trip to the farm netted squash, peppers (Bell and Anaheim), more blackberries and a whole colander full of tomatoes.  Did you think we were finished?  Nope.  Still at it.  And, there's lots more producing at the farm.  

Oh my!  Look at that pretty face.  Lucky, lucky me, I had a playdate with Everly Rose on Tuesday (the 22nd) in Sacramento.  Her Mom and Dad were at home, too, busy with their own chores, so Everly Rose and I hung out together.  She has one upper tooth visible and two more ready to pop through her gum.  She sure seems to be in a hurry to get those teeth.  Her Mom thinks she's about ready for solid food.  Bet she's right.

Aha!  Caught her blowing bubbles!  That's Mr Peabody next to her head.

And she bites/chomps on that little duck, relieving her irritated gums. 

I spent four hours with her, changed her diapers, gave her bottles, and my reward was watching that happy little face.  She is the sweetest, most laid-back baby I've ever been around.  Doesn't fuss, likes to voice joyful noises.  Jen and Matt are good and loving parents, and their child is sweet.  Blessed all the way around.  It was a great day.

Ah, switching gears again, Jimmy and I got a bit of walking in on the canal trail this morning.  We didn't get on the path early enough, with el sol already baking the earth (and me) when we started.  It's been a long time since we stepped foot on this trail section ... I guess since spring when mud gripped our shoes. Today's foliage looked crispy.  I did see a couple of Chicory blooms, though most everything was in the last throes of summer.  

A couple of Sweet Peas blossomed.  Wow, buzzy bee was "gettin' after it!"

Oh geez, look at this.  More vegetables from the farm, picked today.  That zucchini would end up in zucchini lasagna, but not all of it, as the thing was a monster!  The recipe is on my computer screen. Here's the finished product below, with my homemade marinara sauce atop.  Pretty tasty!

We're gearing up for our trip.  Our passports are in order, we have our visas, Tergel is in good shape, and heaven knows, we'll have plenty of delicious food for Tergel's pantry!  Yes, we are grateful, very grateful.  We'll pull out of Nevada City just after Labor Day. Maybe I'll be able to post more food pictures before we leave (whoa, kidding ... I think!).  Meanwhile, another week has bit the dust, more yesterdays ....

Round Lake Trail, Friday, 8/18/17

Jimmy and I are always keen on finding and hiking new trails (beats cleaning house or doing laundry!). Marlene and Cliff know of quite a few in the stunning back country of the Grouse Ridge area in Nevada County. They're in Tahoe Nat'l Forest.  Although these trails are in the 6-7,000' range, they're closer to our house than the Truckee/Donner trails Jimmy and I like to hike (which are about the same or higher elevation).  We arranged a date for Friday, with an 8:30 am start.  We were hoping for cooler temps in the high country, since Nevada City would peak out at 92 or so.  It's good that Cliff drove his high clearance vehicle, 'cause I don't know if Smartie could've navigated the last section of dirt road (filled with boulders!).

Round Lake trail begins on an old dirt road at a gate by the Carr-Feeley Trailhead sign -- Marlene and Jimmy, above.  It's rated moderate, but much of it is fairly flat.  We started at Carr Lake and passed by Feeley Lake, several ponds, Delaney Lake, and we finished up at Island Lake off Crooked Lake trail. Who knew this area had so many pretty mountain lakes? It's not possible for me to walk and look at the same time, but I tell you true, the forest of imposing white and red firs and Jeffrey pines commanded my attention.  The trees were splendiferous!

Marlene gazes out at Feeley Lake and Fall Creek Mountain.

These lake waters were crystal clear.

Feeley Lake is held back by the above dam, separating Upper Feeley Lake from Lower.  The original part of the rock dam looked old, as in CCC work, but I couldn't find any info on it.

Cliff and Marlene used to grow and sell mushrooms,

so seeing fungi like the orange growths above makes them pause (us, too).

This lovely lake didn't seem to have a name.  Never mind, I could have perched on that rock for a long time, or till my heinie protested, it was that peaceful sitting there.  I didn't see any fish.

Island Lake, surrounded by slabs of granite and firs and pines -- what a sight to behold! We walked to the left, beyond the peninsula jutting into the water.  If we'd continued on to Milk or Penner Lake (see, I told you there are a boatload of lakes up here), we would've put over six miles on our feet, but none of us wanted to climb the steep hill leading to either, so we called it quits at lunch time.

We stuck our fingers in the water and it was cool, but not cold.  Nope, that's not us splashing in the water -- just a group of fellas cooling off in the daytime heat.  Yeah, I looked thru my binocs, and they had on swim trunks! 😁 It was warmer than we wished at close to 7,000', warmer than it should have been.  In the 80's, but no big T-storms were forecast.  (Hah -- liars!  Late afternoon saw some tremendous thunderstorms in those parts, with hail.)

Wildflower season is nearly over at this elevation, but I was pleased to see the White-veined wintergreen (Pyrola picta) on the left, as well as a few clumps of purple and yellow wildflowers.

You could see deep into the water, so clear and pure.  We spotted one fish jump, but otherwise all was quiet.  I read that river otters inhabit this lake, but didn't read it till after we were home.  Seeing an otter would've been cool.

The guys resting after lunch.  We ate in the shade a few steps from the water.  I think the consensus was we could've easily dozed off here on a bed of pine/fir needles.  Cliff isn't sleeping, tho it appears so. He's fiddling with their Garmin.

Delaney Lake was little more than a dreamy pond with grasses and yellow pond-lilies.

As we returned, Jimmy walked ahead on the trail bordering Feeley Lake.   

I spotted these fine hikers behind the dead stump (above) when we parked the car near the trailhead. Cliff moved them to the top so they could be seen. But, they were still right there upon our return. Who would leave their hiking shoes behind?

Marlene mentioned last week that it's her custom to eat ice cream after hiking, but we didn't have time. Today, however, we MADE time to stop at the new TREATS location in Nevada City.  What the heck, we just spent hours burning energy, and needed to refuel, right?  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Oh no! Sunday, 8/13/17

I was looking for my Capital Reef NP post to see what year we'd visited.  I was shocked.  Here's what I found:  We were there September 25, 2008.  I posted photos of this wonderful park.  Tonight all I saw were exclamation marks where my pics had been.  I looked further.  2007, 2008, 2009 and into 2010 -- no photos.  Anybody else experience this?  How to get my pics back?  Need help!!!

https://intrepid-decrepit-travelers.blogspot.com/2008/09/capital-reef-natl-park-hikes-922-at.html

At it again! Wednesday, 8/09/17

I didn't know what to title this post, though I considered several ideas. Jimmy and I are home in Nevada City this month, preparatory to a long trip beginning next month. And it's high summer, full of fresh produce with its promise, via preserving, to carry us through winter ... at least in part. We gathered no crops last summer when we were Out and About in Tergel and then in Alabama with my dying brother. But this year, well, our cupboards are stocked and the freezers are filling up. That's a good thing, and it makes us happy.

We've been helping out at our friends' farm (lotta labor, whew!) a few miles away, and in return we've been fortunate to gather wonderful organic fruits and veggies. Tomatoes are IN now. We've "put up" stewed tomatoes, made salsa, and now it was time to make a mouthwatering Marinara sauce. One of my ideas for this blog title was Canning 101, tho truthfully, I think Marlene suggested it first. 😀 😄

Fran, our across-the-street neighbor/friend, couldn't make it to the marinara sauce undertaking, although you see her in the foreground picking tomatoes.  Marlene is at the far door.  So many tomatoes!  The dang things are breeding in that high tunnel like they're being paid!  There's peppers and melons and other goodies under that domed roof, too.

The buckets aren't quite full, but they are heavy.

Marlene is just adding more to the 'mater pile-up in the kitchen.

Oops, missed the opening.  Bad shot.

Look at the purty Marinara sauce.  I netted eight two-and-a-half cup freezer bags full of delish sauce (one bag was accidentally left out, below).  Marlene canned about the same. Maybe more ... she had no shortage of tomatoes!

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At the farm a few weeks ago, this lovely lady (an Ameraucana hen) decided to fly the coop, so to speak, and lay a clutch of eggs atop a stack of hay bales five feet high under a shed overhang.  A rooster had been introduced into the yard not too long before ... so ... one can imagine her eggs were fertilized.  Or, she could've been fooled.  We waited.  She'd peck your eyes out if you tried to look at her eggs.  She rarely left her position, but once when she did, Marlene counted the eggs and tried to see, uh, something (below).  Couldn't determine a thing.  Then ...

Two mornings ago, Marlene heard a "cheep cheep" as she neared the shed.  Aha!  The rooster knew what he was doing, and so did this fine lady.  Of course, it's the wrong time of year to hatch eggs, but they're new at it and probably didn't know this fact.  As of this photo, three cute (CUTE) li'l chicks were peeking out from beneath Mom's feathers.  This evening Marlene texted me to say there are now seven!  Good job, guys!

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Another possible heading for this post was:  Farmer Jones is in the house! I ix-nayed that one, as you see.  I've always had a garden, even if it was postage stamp-sized -- planting runs in the family.  My dad was a chemical engineer by trade, but a gentleman farmer was his real calling.  So, I offer no apologies for blogging about tomatoes and canning sauces and such.  Oh, wait a minute, I have a bucket of tomatoes on my counter, cajoling me, calling out to me to turn them into Tomato Confit.  Take a guess on how I pronounced that the first time?  Hint:  It was not correct.  Confit is on the schedule for tomorrow morning.

Their corn is near-about ready. I walked through the row, listening to the loud humming of hundreds of buzzy bees. Another good thing to have on the farm -- bees to pollinate. That corn reminded me of another peppy little verse I penned over twenty years ago. Enjoy! Click on it to enlarge it and use your back arrow to return to this post. I'm hitting the couch!

Our Golden Smiles are Sugar Sweet

We're the Ones you Want to Eat!

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