Oh Deer!

 Our yard seems to be a hub of deer activity lately.  I think they are coming out of the woods to escape the skeeters that Far Guy calls the Saber Tooth variety. 

I was playing 52 pick up and put away when I spied a deer out the window. 

This fawn was at the fire pit drinking water off the top of the steel cover on the fire pit. 

It was a very nervous fawn looking this way and that while munching on clover and lapping up water.  Far Guy was in the woodshop making noise or perhaps it was just nervous away from its Mom. 

Then it got really nervous and walked away. 

Fawn number one leaving and  fawn number two coming into view.  He/she was the leader of the family.

Family of three. 

Watching the deer number one leaving.  The fawns stayed pretty close to their Mom. 

So that was four deer in just a matter of a few minutes.  Fun to watch!  All photos taken out the living room window.

Far Side

Extensions

 I crocheted several mask extensions for a friend.   Her husband was having a problem with glasses, hearing aids and a mask. It gave me an excuse to go through my button jar.

I love all the shapes and colors and how they slip through my fingers as they are gathered up...of course many had to be turned over and admired before  I found the right ones for this project.

We will drop them off in their mail box tomorrow.

 Far Side

Rudbeckia Carving

 I painted the Rudbeckia carving for Far Guy.

The base comes from vacation 2018-2019 and it has been spoken for...it is a very pretty carving. 

Not sure what he will carve next.  

I mowed yesterday and took care of some weeds and had a nap. Just like that the day was over. 

Far Side

Inspiration

 Far Guy was looking for a new flower to carve. 

I suggested Rudbeckia because it is one he has not carved before.  He had a false start that didn't work out...but carried on...I asked him if he was carving a bouquet...he said NO.

This is a Rudbeckia in our wild gardens...it may be the one called "Rustic Colors."  It was his inspiration.

He has asked me to paint it. 

Here it is waiting on the dining room table. 

I will give it a whirl! 

Far Side

Quiet Sunday

 We had a quiet Sunday...we listened to church and then carried on with everyday normal stuff.   Laundry and some  housework...Far Guy worked on his woodcarving  he is making great progress.  

My brothers and their wives stopped by to visit.  My other baby brother called me from the grocery store to see what we needed...he dropped off some Outshine Lime Fruit Bars...just like a margarita with out the ta kill ya.  The ta kill ya just makes me sleepy anyways.  My baby brother stopped by when he was putting up No Trespassing Signs...he will pick some up for us too....many of our old boards are rotten and need to be replaced.  It has been on my list of things to do.  We had nice visits with them all. 

I worked on Christmas Cards...every few days I switch supplies just to keep it interesting and less like an assembly line.  I do six cards at a time.  First the inside then the outside since it is a tri fold card. 

I will not be attending the craft retreat this year in September...it wouldn't be a good thing for me to bring something back to Far Guy.  I always look forward to the retreat..maybe next year...one can always hope.  I was pretty bummed out about it...but I made the correct decision...I can check in with all the gals on facetime and I hope to schedule something fun to do here at home that weekend.  I usually work on my Christmas Cards at the retreat. 

It is hot and humid here...more like July weather than August.  Leaves are starting to fall out of the trees and make the patio and lawn look messy. 

Echinacea, Liatris and Obedient Plant in the wildgardens August 2020

Far Side

Tempting

 Jen and Andy were driving around.

LOOK what they found.  Andy started it for us...Far Guy told him how to start it.  Jen gave us a full tour via facetime.  It needs new brakes or they would have taken us for a ride! 

It is an awesome old car.  

Far Guy is tempted...and I support his decision what ever that will be. 

He said "What would we do with it?"  I answered...drive around on Sunday afternoons...and  make out in the backseat.

Far Side

Azure Blue

 Well we did it.  We bought a new vehicle. 

It has a few things our other Buick did not have..this one has an engine heater (for sub zero days) and the lift gate lifts by itself if you want it to.  Handy if you have your hands full and can stand on one foot and wave the other under the car with out falling over.  This one is a Buick Encore GX and it has more headroom and legroom than our previous Buick. 

The color is called Azure Blue.  

I don't feel real guilty as we saved up for this vehicle for quite some time. No car payments has been our goal...and we did it.  Now we will begin saving again for the next three years and the next new vehicle. At our age having a reliable vehicle under warranty is a plus. 

My super dooper Weather tech floor liners fit just perfect from one car to the other.  I am totally sold on those liners...they contain the melting snow in the winter and the sand in the summer and make cleaning up a vehicle a breeze.  I have not been compensated in any way by the Weather tech company but if they want to send me back seat floor liners or a hatch liner...I will give them a whirl. 

It took us quite a while to get everything switched from one vehicle to the other.  I certainly didn't need two Minnesota road maps....not sure why I need one...but I have one just in case. 

We haven't had a vehicle this color before...Red, Black, Red, Green, Navy Blue and White, Silver Blue, Red, Tan, Red, Black, Black, Turquoise, White, Light Green, Baby Blue, White, Willow Green were colors we have had before.  One of those vehicle was a favorite of mine and I drove it for 20 plus years it was a 1984 Navy Blue and White Ford Bronco II that I bought used in 1987...I cried when it left the yard...no tears were shed yesterday...three years isn't long enough for a real attachment to a vehicle.  

Far Side

Grocery report

 Ack I hate the new normal which is not normal at all.  I drop Far Guy off at the Infusion Center and then I do the grocery pickup. 

This week there was no lemonade, jar of yeast, Outshine fruit bars or Tator Tots.  So I masked up and went rogue in another grocery store getting everything except the yeast and doubles of what I was shorted at the other grocery store...the store I went in had only a few people inside and everyone wore a mask.  There is also a sign at the entry that says... Please limit grocery shopping to one person per household. 

There are only a few canning supplies on the shelves...no lids for canning. There are single packets of yeast but no jars of yeast...so I assume that everyone is canning and planning to make bread.  

I noticed that the paper aisle is mostly bare.  The other aisles seemed to be well stocked but not that aisle. 

As long as I was in the store I picked out more fruit and got a bunch of water for Far Guys coffee maker.

I also picked out some leaf lettuce...our lettuce finally quite producing...so I ripped it out and replanted seeds...in a few weeks we will have our own lettuce again.  Our last planting kept us in lettuce about ten weeks. 

I still disinfect all the groceries....

Coneflowers in the Wildgardens

Far Side

Laughter

 Years ago...probably about 13 years ago...the little girls were talking with their Grandpa about what they called "the olden days."  They were either mesmerized by his stories or bored silly.  Peals of laughter were heard throughout the house...and shouts of " Grandma is that really true? "

Well being a good Grandmother I had to stop and listen...mostly true...except for the tall tale "Oh my burning feet " that he would tell them around the campfire...they always asked for that story knowing it was going to be good and scary, they would end up screaming and covering their heads...as I recall he told that same campfire story to our daughters and they had the same reactions.  How in the world he expected them to sleep after scaring them half to death I will never know.

We laughed yesterday when one of the girls called us with a request.  Grandpa complied, it brought back many good memories.  As requested he wrote on the sheet of paper and took a photo of it and sent it on. 

Later he got a photo. 

His handwriting on a grandgirls arm. It made us recall all the laughter on an afternoon long ago.  

Far Side

Carving

 Far Guy woodcarves everyday out on the patio.  His latest carving was completed yesterday. 

My baby brother has a Whats this plant app on his phone.   It identified it as Creeping Bellflower.   

Here was the inspiration for the carving.

Creeping Bellflower in the wildgardens. 

I asked him what he would carve next...he didn't know ...so I sent him another flower photo for inspiration.  He is busy drawing out the petals and making a plan. 

I have not been carving at all since the Christmas Ornaments were finished.  I have a number of unfinished projects in my carving bag.  We got a call from one of the guys in the carving group...the library where we used to meet as a group is limited to five people in the building and you have to have an appointment...all others are turned away.  So our group meeting probably isn't happening anytime soon.

My baby brother brought over some pieces of black walnut one day so Far Guy carved him a spoon.  

Far Side

C for Changes and Car

 I got the car to town for the oil change /tire rotation appointment.  What is there to do in a car dealership whilst you are waiting...give our old salesman Joe a bad time about vehicles. Joe has been gone for a year he worked for a different dealership for a bit.  Now he is back...I shared with him how the other salesmen just didn't want to find us a Buick that had heated seats and steering wheel that was NOT white, black or silver.

I sent a text to Far Guy...then Joe called Far Guy. 

I took a picture so Far Guy could see the color. 

Far Guy says "I like that color."   This is NOT the vehicle...cause this one does not have heated seats or steering wheel.  However one this same color with  heated seats and heated steering wheel is available at a different dealership... so we are thinking about it. 

Yes it is a Buick...my Grandparents always drove a Buick.  

It is exactly the same as the Buick we have now...except that one is three years old and Winterberry Red. Far Guy says we should probably trade it in since the bugs are hard to get off the front.

Oh well...time will tell...who goes to town for an oil change and comes back with a new car anyways.

Far Side

B

 Bee

A pretty little Bumble Bee on the Salvia Victoria Blue in the small garden out front. 

Bums...the small garden is looking pretty good except for the bums that frequent our yard...Bunnies, Chippys and Squirrels.

Someone asked me about blocking.  Many knit and crochet projects require blocking to look good.  I purchased some blocking squares called Cheers to Ewe from a yarn shop online.  I have two sets.  The pieces are shaped like big puzzle pieces and you can make what ever shape you want.  I rinse  my project gently and then squeeze out the water without wringing.  The project is held in place by T pins and left to dry. 

Of course you can use towels spread out on the floor or a table and any kind of pins. 

One thing on my list...when I can actually go into a store is to purchase a plastic container to put all my squares in when they are not being used.  The squares are made of EVA which is short for Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate which is a closed cell foam.

 Babies...A very long time ago I had a whole set of children's foam puzzle pieces with alphabet and shapes on the inside..I believe they were given away as diaper changing mats and then play mats for older children....we had them in the toy box for a really long time when the grands were little. 

 Far Side

Maybe

 Maybe we will have Yellow Pear Tomatoes someday before it freezes.

Maybe Fall is on the way...

On my walk about I noticed this sure sign of Fall. Some kind of Aster.

Say it isn't so.  The signs are there...soon the acorns will be bouncing off the roof of the wood shed.

Some leaves are falling out of the trees...mostly the ones that were disturbed in the heavy rains ...but still...we should have at least 15 days of summer if not another month...maybe.

Maybe someday the days will seem different and not all the same...maybe. ( I had two Saturdays this week)

Far Side

Rain and other stuff

 It has been a wet August so far...usually August is our dry and hot month.  It has been hot and humid from time to time but it has turned stormy and rainy.  We had 1 6/10 inches at the rain gauge from early Friday storms and all day raining.  We had some strong thunder bumpers move in.  Just like little kids we counted from the crack of the lightning to the thunder to see how far the storm was away.  Far Guy was keeping track of the storms on his phone.  I slept on and off...mostly off...so we are both tired.

Not much happening outside...except rain. 

The wildflowers are happy. 

Far Guy finished his rose carving.  We sent it off to his sister before taking a photo. So she took one for us. 

We have found that peanut butter jars work great for cushioning a woodcarving inside of a box. Far Guy painted this rose all by himself.  We discussed the color at length....I won with shades of pink. 

Far Guy's sister begins radiation treatments in early September for six weeks.

Our oldest daughter Trica tested negative for Covid finally...she had no symptoms.  She wouldn't have known about it but they tested her before emergency surgery.  (She had two positive tests.)  She is back to normal again after her surgery. 

I am working on the watercolor Christmas cards...Far Guy is carving another flower one new to him that he saw in the wild gardens. 

Far Side

Red Shawl and Shopping

 I finally took the red shawl off the blocking mat and put a different one on. 

I love this one...it is a beauty!  Not sure where it will end up...I love this pattern...it is easy and I can crochet while watching television. 

Grocery pickup was okay...no lemonade, Outshine lime frozen fruit bars or pretzel rolls...but they must have gotten a shipment of dish soap because it was finally available. 

Jen picked up a number of items for us...Far Guys favorite Special Dark candy bars, his favorite coffee Folgers Black Silk, a ink cartridge for one of our printers, disinfectant wipes and some pretzel buns.  So we are good to go for a few more days. 

Far Side

August List

 One of the things high on my list of things to do in August was to get my military id updated as it expires at the end of the month.  Things have changed on base since the last time we were there, you have to make an appointment.  The Security Guard asks where you are going...takes your id and calls to the appropriate office to okay your admittance onto the base. 

Anyways we got it done.  As usual they were tearing down buildings to make way for new ones...nothing stays the same for long. 

It was a day. 

 

With a little luck I will go back in four years to get another updated id. 

The little four leaf clover was found in a book that was a wedding gift to Far Guys Paternal Grandparents in 1914.  The book now belongs to our youngest daughter.  Who knows how long the little treasure has been there.

August List:

1. Get  updated id.

2. Visit Andy and Jen's new home....we were very impressed!! 

3. Vehicle oil change and tire rotation...appointment has been made. 

 4. Far Guys appointment with his Pulmonary Doctor.

Far Side

Visitors

 Mama deer and her twin fawns.

I took the photo through the window...if I opened the door they would run off.  Although Far Guy had a close encounter with them one day ...they looked at him and started walking toward him...he reached for his phone to take a photo ...and off they went.

Deer Butts

I am not sure what they are eating...there is some longer grass where they are eating. 

Something ate the new growth that was coming up from the wild rose bush that we cut down last month.  Not sure if it is these guys or bunnies.

I mowed and noticed little hoof tracks through and around a mud puddle on the back road...the fawns must have been playing in the rain.

I have been water coloring Christmas Cards in my spare time...I watched a movie on Netflix  called The Zookeeper...totally my kind of movie I laughed and laughed...I give it 9 out of 10 stars. 

Far Side

 

Changes

 I changed the flag.

I changed the wreath outside the front door.

I have always liked the long legged Angel...I have one drawer upstairs (that is down from two drawers) that has "stuff" for this wreath.  How could I resist putting up  the sunflower?? 

Made an appointment to get the oil changed and the tires rotated on the vehicle...we don't drive that much...but Far Guy says the oil must be getting old...I think the last oil change happened when snow was on the ground. 

Far Side

Berry Report

 I completed picking Chokecherries on Friday morning.   It was a great ten days of picking. We started picking July 29 and picked off and on through August 7th.  My baby brother and his bride picked many days....they found some great berries and scouted some new picking areas.  I enjoy picking...the quiet of the woods and the plink plink of the berries as they fall into my bucket.

There are still some chokecherries to ripen and a really tall tree was left for the birds...I found a nice stand and told my other baby brother it would get better if he took some of his equipment and took out some brush and let the sunlight in! 

I froze enough juice for three batches of jelly.  I steamed juice for my baby brother so he has 20 plus cups in the freezer...he said he would make jelly next winter.  He shared chokecherries with Jo, Aunt Anna and our Mom. 

Chokecherries bloom in early spring and many times frost takes care of the flowers.  So we never know from one year to the next if it will be a good harvest or not. 

My new juicer/steamer worked great!  I put it away until Crabapples...we will see if we can find some for a batch of Crabapple Jelly.

Someone asked me what chokecherry jelly tastes like...it is tart, fruity, and floral...it doesn't compare to any other flavor. 

I give away most of the jelly that we make...it makes a nice gift!  I had 30 jars and 5 have been gifted already. 

Far Side 

Sights and Sadness

 On Saturday morning we went to the local transfer station ( fancy word for dump)  and on the way we saw movement out in one of the bean fields. 

Luckily I had my camera along but not my long lens.  There were three Coyotes in the field. 

We watched them for a bit and they watched us. 

We headed over to the cemetery.  It was going to be a busy place later in the day. 

Far Guy's Cousin's husband died and was going to be buried there in the afternoon.  He was a really nice guy and we always enjoyed visiting with him.  He was just 63 years old and died after having a seizure.  We did not attend the visitation or the funeral...we will visit the grave site again some day.  With Covid 19 on the rise in Minnesota to attend a gathering would be risky. 

Last Sunday there was a motorcycle vs car accident and a husband and wife both in their 50's were killed instantly.  They were going to be buried in the same cemetery side by side. 

Many people in the community knew this couple...I did not...but I knew part of the fellows family a long time ago. 

Far Side

Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.  James 4:14

 

Grocery Report and a Recipe

 This week the grocery saga...we finally got Pretzel Buns!!  Yeah us! 

Philly Cheese Pretzel Buns

Brown a pound of hamburger

Add a cup of beef broth or beef stock

Add 2 Tablespoons A1 Steak Sauce

Simmer until the liquid is absorbed.

Spoon the mixture on pretzel buns cut in half and top with mozzarella cheese...put under the broiler until the cheese melts...Far Guy did that part because I have a reputation of burning stuff under the broiler. 

You can add onions to the meat mixture...we don't. 

Since it uses a full pound of hamburger we only use half the mixture and freeze the rest...all set for a quick supper some night when neither of us wants to cook.

Anyways...Groceries...no Windex or paper plates.  Far Guy found some at another store ordered them and went in and picked them up curbside. 

Such is grocery shopping in the pandemic times. 

Far Side

Perspective

 Sometimes you have the opportunity to photograph a sunflower field....and they are all facing the wrong way...your only way into the field with permission from the farmerlady...any other way into the field would involve parking on the shoulder of the 60 mph highway and walking through a ditch...no thanks...

Sometimes we just have to make do and look at things differently. 

The back of a sunflower is pretty in its own way.

A side view isn't half bad either. 

Yes I could have walked into the field...but there were probably bees and I did not want to break any of the stalks...I walked along the edge...and then ran into a huge area of Poison Ivy...Sunflowers from a different perspective would have to be enough for the day. 

The Sunflower field still made me smile!

Far Side

Jelly and Art

The last batch of Chokecherries yielded 12 jars of jelly...one did not seal...not sure why.  It is in the fridge for now. 

I am done until we pick the last of the berries.

I am having way to much fun with the new art supplies!  The new pan watercolors are marvelous!  I have been playing around with different colors on some wintery cards.. 

Far Guy started a new carving project...it keeps him busy out on the patio most of the day...he has birds that talk to him ...they answer each other back and forth.  The Mother Woodpeckers were feeding babies almost as big as they are...fun to watch them communicate...the babies are finally coming to the suet feeders by themselves instead of squawking for their mothers help.

Far Side

Yellow

The Gray-Headed Coneflower is in full bloom...it lends a sunny color to the wildgardens.  Some people call it a Yellow Coneflower.  It is Ratibida pinnata.

Twenty years ago I planted just a few of these plants...they reseed themselves. 

They are quite tall plants...the other day I watched a Goldfinch try to land on a bloom.

I washed the dining room window...it is that time of year when the little spiders go crazy with their webs and can spin their sticky webs overnight.   I took a broom outside and swept the webs away from the front of the house.  I suppose the kitchen window will drive me nuts someday soon. 

It was a quiet day...same old same old.  Stay safe...

Far Side

New Art Supplies

I have watercolor pencils and pens and a set of shimmery water colors but not a real set of various colors.

As long as you are ordering you may as well try a few other things too!   The Molotow mask marker is way cool...you put it on a card here and there... then watercolor over the top and rub the marker away and your white paper shows through...it looks like snow falling.  I  have tried every thing so far I really like the Tombow markers...they blend nicely.  I ordered an extra red and a grey marker...as I will probably use more of those colors on the Christmas Cards...I like that I could order specific colors.

I love all the watercolors! 

We had a very busy day yesterday, I did the usual laundry and then mowed the yard.  I had a bunch of lose ends to take care of and bills to pay...got it all done. 

Far Guy ordered a curb side pickup in town so we drove in and picked up his metal garbage cans...the squirrels or chipmunks have eaten several holes in his plastic bird seed can...one at the top and one at the bottom just like a drive through restaurant.  Well the restaurant is now closed!

My baby brother and his bride picked chokecherries so I washed and steamed them. 

As they were steaming I had play time with all my new art supplies! 

Far Side

More berries and a nut

Far Guy and I picked about two ice cream pails of chokecherries yesterday.  There will be one more picking later this week...some of the trees that don't get as much sunlight will be ready by then. 

I am not sure how many cups of juice we got yet as it is cooling...and thanks to Far Guy all the dishes are done and the kitchen cleaned up.  The juice will be jelly one day soon or frozen depending on the weather. 

Far Guy was wondering about these berries.   My baby brother has a whats this plant app on his phone...we just have a little book   Wild Berries and Fruit field guide for Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.

This is an opposite leafed Dogwood, the berries are not edible when they turn color...birds and deer will eat them and leave the red stemlet that is pretty in the Fall.

We have lots of Hazel Brush...some of the fast growing branches make Hazelnuts. 

Most are being eaten by some kind of worm who likes the foliage and the nut.

So much for the Minnesota Horticulture lesson of the day. 

I completed another shawl and it is being blocked.  Another has been started.

All the Christmas Cards have been stamped...some new art supplies should arrive today...that is my reward for stamping them all!  I am trying some different water color "stuff" so we will see how it all works out. 

Stay safe! 

Far Side

Jelly

The Chokecherrys that we picked a few days ago are now jelly.  It was a cooler Saturday morning project.  I made three batches and it yielded 18 jars of jelly.  That was juice from about 2 1/2 ice cream buckets of berries....it was just a little over 10 1/2 cups of juice.

We will pick again today as many more chokecherries are ripe. 

These berries were bright red a few days ago. 

I have enough jars, sugar and pectin to do four more batches.  After that the juice will be frozen for use later in the winter.

My Recipe for Chokecherry Jelly

3 1/2 cups of chokecherry juice

1/2 cup of lemon juice

Add one package of pectin (Sure Jel)   

Heat and stir until the mixture boils and increases in volume...after that I stir about a minute.

Add 3 1/2 cups of sugar

Bring to boil  and boil for two minutes stirring constantly. 

Skim foam off the top. 

Pour into sterile jars, make sure the rim of the jar has no jelly on it, add a hot lid and a collar (ring) tighten up the collar on the lid but not too tight,  and put into a hot water bath with water covering the jars and boil for 5 plus minutes.

It has been my experience that one small batch at a time is the way to make jelly.  I enlist Far Guys help to put lids on the jars, then he lifts them into the hot water bath...he keeps the hot water bath going and the small pan with the hot lids ready for me.  AND gets something for me if I have forgotten it! 

I set out everything I will need...sugar is pre measured and in a bowl...bowls are set out for the skim and for a resting place for my measuring cup that I use to fill the jars. I usually cover the counter tops with towels...cause I am messy...the making jelly part took about two hours.  I wash my pan and all the utensils used after every batch.  Far Guy was a gem and helped with final clean up.

Far Side

Hello August

If you look at the brush in the woods, some leaves are turning yellow....mainly small popple trees.  The Goldenrod is blooming.   Goldenrod always means the end of summer.   August is the end of summer in Minnesota...no matter how long we want summer to last it will end.

My Yellow Gaillardia or Blanket Flower is in full bloom.   I always wait for this plant to blooms as yellow is my favorite flower color. 

I mowed in the neighborhood yesterday and checked on the status of the chokecherries. Far Guy will probably pick some that are ripe today...most of the berries need just a few more days. 

I have cut to size, scored the paper and started to stamp the Christmas Cards... I am making progress.

Far Guy and I designed the 2021 Christmas Ornament...he cut out the wood blanks...so they are ready.  He is still woodcarving everyday...I find other stuff to keep me out of trouble. 

Far Side