CLOUDS WELCOME - - BOKER AUTOMAT KALASHNIKOV 74 EDC - - DOG NOT DEAD

Along the back roads of East Texas. Fields meet sky mid afternoon. 

Simplicity of corn muffins to go with dinner. They keep in the heat, split in half with a poke of a fork and welcome soft butter. Each muffin maintains its warmth and crunch. Comfort muffins from mix; repeat.

When was the last time you caught 15 fish in one day?

MB3100-BRN 600 lumens LED motion detection light. I chose this one because it was the first one I picked up off the shelf. 

Thirty dollars and uses 4 "D" size batteries (good for one year, so they say). Screw in mounting bracket, plug and play. Light stays on for 20 seconds and gets two thumbs up in my need for nightlight book. The light comes back on for another 20 seconds from motion. Again and again.

Pocket knife is a Boker Automat Kalashnikov 74. Found it at a large gun show and the price was reasonable. The sales person said he only had two left. "I wonder how many times he said that during the show?"

This pocket knife has been EDC for the past 6 months and holds a razor sharp edge. One of the reasons I purchased the knife. And the reason my wife wants nothing to do with it. I have offered it to her to use when she has needed a knife for a simple cutting job, but always a polite, "no thank you."

Example: To this day, I cannot open plastic packed goods without having issue and getting P'Od. This pocket knife zips through the sides of this plastic product packaging easily and safely. Because it is razor sharp, all I have to do is control pressure and direction of cuts. The sharpness of the knife easily/safely moves through these tasks.

Another test, for what I consider to be a sharp pocket knife, is how many times I have to swipe through a piece of rope to make a cut. This knife is one swipe. 

The auto open is convenient as the other hand is often full when the knife is needed. Simple in design, comfortable in my hand and dependable function.

The Multi-Tool is one of several I have picked up at surplus stores. Not always on me, but usually close by. I find the plier mode most often used and in that use alone, worth having a few around the house and car.

(Yes, the stud finder works as advertised. First one I have ever used/owned)

As stated here before and often, the products I share are not an official endorsement. Just sharing stuff off the shelf that works for me.

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RIB EYE

Perfect sear keeps juices in and marbled fat turning crisp.

 

Two 14 oz. Raider Red Meats boneless ribeyes (Lubbock, TX.) gifted as a house warming gift over a month ago. They have been waiting patiently in the freezer.

Wiped the cast iron pan with oil, sprinkled salt on the bottom of the pan, medium heat to hot up the skillet and dropped in a steak. Two minutes each side. Then one minute turns till done. Wife is a 5-minute rare, mine 7-minute medium rare. Let rest 5 minutes a must. No other seasoning required.

By far the best ribeye steak I/we have ever had. Bar none!!

DOG NOT DEAD

The heat and humidity have returned. One hundred nine feel like weekend with humidity. Early to town, Farmer's Market, grocery store and home. 

A dog this relaxed in the middle of coming and going is a dog worth noting. Only when I got too close to photograph, did the dog half roll on its back, paws hanging loose in the air. Not even a full roll on his back submission move. Half hearted at best. 

As soon as I backed away the dog went back to soaking the cool out of the shade. 

Fresh string beans, baby red potatoes and many a "good mornin - - howya doing today". 

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The RNC 2020 convention, Hurricane Laura and Kyle Rittenhouse set the past weeks news to the history books.  

Your visit, as always, appreciated this week. Stay away from crowds.

SEEKING SHADE - NEVER-ENDING BACK COUNTRY - DOLLAR BANANA BREAD

 

111 degrees mid-afternoon, feel-like temperature. Neighbor's horses keep cool under a growth of trees. 

Early morning looking East.

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Settling in. 

For the most part, all is said and done moving to Texas. There will continue to be many little things to tend to, but our todays and tomorrows will be spent here. 

This past week saw our living room come together with rugs and furniture set in place. Guest bedrooms are set up, but continue to serve as storage for stuff to put away. Beds serve as flat surfaces to work from.  

We spend more time rocking in our chairs on the front porch here than all the previous years up north combined. Evenings are comfortably warm and we visit time away like water over a fall. We talk of life, living and chores of the next day. Who knew that husband and wife had a million little things to talk about for hours on end? The countryside always beckons for a road trip.

 

These flowers were tucked into a tree line on our way home from western towns. They are Fuchsia venusta and I do not know what new Blogger wants from now me when I try to post a link. So you will have to look it up until I figure it out.  

Eating out several times a week is a treat. Texas BBQ,  authentic Mexican from tucked away resturants and ice cream treats are appreciated.

We have found eateries w/o mask wearing issues and staff that welcomes us as regulars. These are small things, but in the current climate of social and protest meltdown, freedoms to live life every day are to be savored. 

 

All is quiet except for roosters talking near to far and small deer dancing in the large green pasture across the road.

We are learning how to find our corner of the world without using GPS. Back road turns are marked by trees, hills, ponds and fences of the lands. More and more local stores have been found for the basic needs from fresh fruits, butcher shops and vegetables to building/repairing materials. Major east/west freeways and north/south highways melt into never-ending back country in one turn.

My wife often mentions her impatience with getting back to hobbies we have enjoyed over the years.  Soon...very soon.

OTHER SIGHTS OF THE PAST WEEK

 

Inside the forest, vines climb trees for sunshine.

Farmer has a boat to float and fish his pond.

Rusted chicken farm.

Saturday morning market.

All fresh.

Photographer's playground.

Other side of the Saturday street.

More play.

Dollar banana bread. Just add coffee.

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I found fresh ground All Purpose White Flour at this market  and had to try a loaf of bread using that flour. The flavor and texture were improved. 

The fresh ground flour looked like sifted flour. More activity during first and second rising. I did let the first rise go 3 hours and the second rise 2 hours. A little more time given to the whole process. I also kneeded the bread a little more each time, too. But every kitchen atmosphere is different.

 

Thanks for the visit this week. 

NEW HOPE ONE MILE

A month behind on posting. Excuses, of course. No internet; busy unpacking and moving in; tired and Texas summer is upon us. This is the summer month locals have warned us about. 

One hundred nine degrees feel like hot Saturday and today. We have traded winter for summer, but not complaining. Get our outside work started at sun up and quit by 11 am at the latest. For us old folk, there is some of coming in and cooling off during those work hours. 

Homemade bread delivered to closest neighbors. They are within walking distance, but not in the heat of the late afternoon days. Both neighbors brought us house warming gifts along with introdutions and

welcome to Texas wishes a few weeks ago.

Local eatery mask notice. Yep!!

Good luck wishes in a BBQ joint sitting in the middle of a large red dirt parking lot. Located next to one of the major freeways running by just spitting distance out the front door.

Owner says lots of truckers stop to eat and order a pound of BBQ meat to go for their coolers in their big rigs. Said his daddy got him into BBQ at an early age and that he has always come back to running BBQ resturant. Said this is his last one.

Locals have told us that this is one of "the best places" to eat. No little fingers in the air eating here. Lots of paper towels, messy fingers and chins at the end of empty plates.  Of course, the owner stops at our table to see if everything is ok. Home cooking from the get go!!

The sign on his front door. Funny thing here was as a young customer was leaving the resturant, she put on a mask to go outside and get in her car. I swear!! 

New Hope is just a mile away in Texas. 

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We have been without the Internet for quite awhile now. Finally, Friday our electrician came and ran two ethernet cables for our towers. I plugged in my computer only to have the hard drive fail. Second time. Luckily. we still have a loaned lap top for the  checking blogs and, you know, "news." New lap top shopping time. 

Trying the new Blogger upgrade here and honestly miss the old one.   Cannot figure out how to get everything to correctly justify, no auto save and appears not to have spell check. UP GRADE??

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Appreciate the visit and patience with my being gone for a month. Barring any unforseen event, ought to be back now to the Sunday posting routine.