STORM CLOUDS - -KITCHEN SINK - - FOR THE BIRDS

Storm clouds building over the north western edge of Lake Massabesic, NH.

Steady rain for two days beginning this week followed by sun and warm summer days. Home gardens and lawns were as happy as can be. 

Bird feeder project ready for sealing, some paint and roof install. I am happy with the design and use of scrap materials from the wood racks.

SUMMER SOUP  everything but the kitchen sink

A pot of summer hamburger/meatball soup with fresh and canned stuff. 

At the ranch in the 1950's, I would pull fresh veggies from the garden, wash and trim as needed near the garden and then set all in grandmother's kitchen sink. By the sink, there would be fresh meat bones and assorted spices. Grandma's lunch soups, stews and family dinner meals actually included everything but the kitchen sink. The flavors of those days can only be approached by using fresh-picked vegetables along with fresh meat and bones. The fun parts of this kind of cooking is that the cook is only limited by his/her imagination and experience.

Hamburger browned and drained; assorted veggies from the fridge chopped and sauteed in olive oil, half-can of tomato paste, splashes of Chianti, garlic, carrots, can of cream corn, canned potatoes cut into thirds, fresh cut basil and thyme, small scoop of beef concentrate, a can of beef broth, a can of chicken broth, water to top off the pot, salt and lots of medium grind pepper, one chopped tomato, half stalk of celery and some love. Meatballs to be added after the first hour simmer on low. 

I think I enjoy this kind of cooking the best, along with home-making bread and pies. There is a lot of room for the kitchen sink along with basic soup stuff. All of this comes from family history of throwing together what was in the fridge and garden to make a meal. The very best meals. 

I miss old-time flavors, especially with serious dieting now. This pot of soup is for the most part low carb per serving. It is purposely designed to be a broth soup, although the first coming to simmer temperature as shown in the photo above does not show that. Soup in quart containers in the fridge also serves an immediate feed when I get hungry and keeps me away from junking. 

A large bowl of soup serves as breakfast, lunch or dinner. This pot will last a week or so. Spin-off is weight loss, appetite control and very little clean up from a hotted-up bowl in the microwave. 

After an hour of simmering and an hour setting, a first bowl tasting was in order. Rarely do I get a flavor just right. This time I did and not by skill. No two batches of soup here are exactly the same. Flavor range charts are according to my palette vary. 

Bird feeder with early morning roof painted. A little white touch up tonight and we will be back in business feeding birds. 

The bear was again back last week taking down the feeder pole. 

I am very happy with this bird feeder from scraps and leftovers. I am hopeful this one will last till the onset of winter hibernation.

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Thanks as always for the visit this week. Enjoy the summer but be mindful of those around you when out and about. Pay attention to things that do not feel or look right. Act immediately and appropriately. 

SAY IT WITH ME! "AMERICA...AMERICAN..

...MALE, FEMALE, STRAIGHT, WAR, CAKE WALK, HOLD DOWN THE FORT, STARVING AND .....* you and the horse you rode in on." I added the last part. 

All this from the inclusive communications task force at Colorado State University. 

From the bias free language guide in my beloved state of New Hampshire, the university of New Hampshire thinks AMERICAN is offensive. 

This Colorado stuff is recent and the UNH is from 2015. Colorado State notes that it is not an "official policy nor required policy..."  

Not a day goes by now, not a day that the core of our countries history, patriotism, love of country is under attack from within. Word police telling us how not to talk so as not to offend and Colorado State charges $30K a year to teach this to our children.

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Our home flag (pictured above) is some what worn; seasonal wear. Faded and on this day resting in the bath of the sun. She is not yet torn or in need of repair, just showing affects of time served. I will admit her grounds are in need of work, cleaning, weeding and sprucing in respect to her plot of land south of the moat. 

This constant crap from the left on my America, my America and pressure to bend a knee at every turn in the road has me getting to work on this overdue project.  Things I have control over.

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BIRD FEEDER BUILD

As noted in previous posts, the bear has done in the last feeder. The pole the feeder rests on is bare and not a bird around. 

Scrap wood, some glue, nails, little band saw work and a new one is starting to come together. Not a work of art because a bear lives here, but strong enough to get us into winter months. 

This one is a little smaller and I have gone with 30 degree cut angles for the roof. Opens up the entrance somewhat. More to come. 

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Short posting. 

Enjoy the warm weather and add a thing or two to the larder. 

Thanks for the visit.

GREEN OAK FIRE WOOD - - - 74 YEAR OLD MAN - - SHORTAGES

WOOD PILE ART

Delivered mid-week and quickly became a work of art. A one-of-a-kind photo. I have always appreciated a pile of firewood. It represents hard work and comforts of a warm home in the winter. In the 1950s, it represented grandma's wood cooking stove producing family meals. For us this summer, it represents another box checked off for being ready and prepared. Heating oil filled, check. Wood stove and chimney inspected and cleaned, check. House exterior sprayed for bugs, check. Little chores left to get to, not checked. Work in progress.

Late afternoon day lilies reaching for the few hours of sun they can get. They were in full bloom the next day. They come and go fairly quickly and are much appreciated for the color they bring to the moat and east bunker. Old age slows me down enough to stop and enjoy simple things like this. Appreciation for the moment and mother nature is a wonderful thing. As a younger man, I never knew that living could be so wonderful moving along in compound low.

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Weekend heat wave and weather folks are all excited and finding new words to explain to us in every way possible that it is: "gonna be hot, damn hot; real hot..."  Great entertainment watching the weather hype up every day weather reporting. Stay hydrated!!

These flowers never made the potting and planting that their peers did when we brought them home earlier this season. The pots we wanted to fill were and were set in place along the driveway and front yard. The flowers above were left in their original grow pots and ignored. I watered them to keep em alive, but failed to get them planted. Guilt won over and I finally threw them in this pot above with fresh potting soil. Stuffed in at random, tapped down dirt and a good watering. 

I think they are the happiest flowers on the hill. All were watered heavily this day and with temperatures approaching 95 degrees, these little guys were struggling to get through the mid-day sun. Yep, they are my favorite.

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"74 YEAR OLD MAN..."

I listened to me being described by my urologist as he dictated too many unmentionables into his computer. The yearly appointment hated by most all men had arrived. More questions continued of things I do not want to explain nor talk about: "yes, yes, no, yep and so forth." Then, sitting waiting for the inevitable  procedure while the doctor dictated more information about me, my age, blood work, PSA and history than I cared to know. But it is a new age and he would be all done with me and the reports when all was said and done. Efficient I guess. 

All in all, a good report.  

Six months follow up. 

I was much like my Golden Retriever when we had to take her to the Veterinary. Hated going in and did everything in her power to get out and get what was going to be done, done. She would literally grin from ear to ear when the doctor finished and could not run to the truck fast enough; even jumping into the back seat with out any help. 

For me, there was no long goodbyes, never is with this particular annual visit. My step was lighter and faster as I excited down the hallway, out the building and into the truck. My Golden would have been proud of me. I just may have matched her timeline from the doctor's office back to the truck. 

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MAYBE SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT.

POOR HARVEST SEASON. Availability down with a few pics. 

HOMELESS IN CALIFORNIA. Spin-off problems that may become bigger than the homeless problem. These problems will feed upon each other and not for the better. 

Keep an eye out in your local markets. This may be a bump in the road; temporary or could become shortages for all and higher prices. Act accordingly.

(FYI: Middle New Hampshire; just returned from local chain store. Canned vegetables case of 12 up 50% in price. Availability good.)

The homeless problems are excellent teaching moments of bad policy heaped upon bad policy. Garbage pile-ups and human feces can bring on serious diseases affecting the entire region. This problem can turn into a survival problem for the every day citizens over night.

Keep an eye open for upticks in new and growing diseases in your area/near by states and yes, act accordingly. 

Never think because these kinds of events are not close to you or will ever get out of hand to where you will be negatively impacted. These are the days of our lives to stay vigilant and prepare like never before. 

Today items are available on the shelves and affordable. Travel to and from unrestricted. "Shoulda, woulda, coulda." Extra pain meds, toilet paper, soap and if you are at all serious about an after; coffee x a bunch. The list is long.

Coming failures can be seen from afar now. 

Responsible for kids and a family? Just asking!!

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Early morning heat and humidity have arrived. Cat unhappy. Flower pots soaked. Blinds pulled. AC set to 73. 

Have a wonderful week and keep your heads up.

Thanks for the visit. 

INDEPENDENCE DAY JULY 2019 - LEGAL PIZZA

The forest surrounding the compound breaks sunshine all around us this Independence Day. One little flag lives with the basil. Simplicity of mother nature's offerings is much appreciated and to be taken in as a gift these days. Weather has warmed and no more pissing and moaning of being cold, chilled and drizzled on. A stretch of warm warm weather covers middle New Hampshire this holiday on both ends. Many folks passing by on the way to the lakes and mountains to vacation outside. A long 4-day weekend with weather to boot has been a long time coming. 

Wife has been down for a week now recovering from toe surgery. She has been coping with bendy toes (a genetic trait) and finally decided to get the surgery done. She has been behaving herself, following doctors' orders and moving around as best as she can. Her peg leg walking through the house eliminates her ability to sneak upon me. She complains some in that she is dependent upon me for little things. She also shares a common trait amongst the older generations that being dependent upon anyone else for any kind of care is outside of the box of life. She is fiercely independent in thought and actions. Getting any kind of help/assistance this past week has been against her grain. 

BUT, I do not mind as this taking care of each other in times of needed surgery or sickness is a two-way street. Upside here is she is improving and next week will get a walking cast and better be able to move around. Friends suggest I get her back on the lawn tractor as soon as possible, even if I have to rig up a throttle and breaking device. 

This 4th of July found us sitting in porch rocking chairs, enjoying peace/quiet/warmth/ a cold beer and wonderful chatting about things from soup to nuts.  Remembering our history and the sacrifices making this a great country. 

And yes, we BBQ'd. A small roast with baby potatoes and a plate of Caprese salad. Special flavor for the roast this day was dropping the whole baking dish, seasonings and roast on the kitchen floor on the way to the BBQ. Five second rule applied. 

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CHEATING PIZZA

A low carb diet has meant no pizza, until we realized that everything on top of the pizza is legal. A large everything pizza with extra cheese was ordered. Who knew? 

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GOD BLESS AMERICA

Thank you for the visit this week.