Thoroughly Thursday

 Allie and I had a wide-ranging, in-depth conversation as we set over tea and breakfast and discussed week 1 of our new Bible Study.  It was so good I hated to go home...but we did. 

She hit the books. Stacia hit the books. I got chili in the slow cooker and puttered around doing "things." 

Thursday night is life group. We meet twice a month. One family and a couple were unable to make it - a new gal joined us. It is always a sweet time. We enjoy an hour of eating and visiting and then we connect over an ongoing discussion on how to practically love God completely and love others well. I did not take any pictures at Life Group. 

The only picture I took all day is the following one.  Chain tea and scones. I do love having a bit supply of various scones in the freezer. LOL I made some Devonshire cream....the girls aren't sure they like it. I do. 

Fall Ministry Launch

It is a GOOD thing I did all I could on Tuesday to prep for tonight's Fall Launch. I can't even remember all that happened Wednesday morning, but I clearly remember the day was not going as well as I'd hoped. There were attitudes, the need for ANOTHER run to the store and, well, caregiver duties. 

As I stood in line at Freddies I sent an SOS for prayer out to the Gherkin Gals - though I missed Arielle in the text...maybe God knew she had enough on her mind that day. ::snort:: I simply told them the launch was that evening and things weren't going well at home - I could use prayer. Sweet girls. They prayed. Several offered to come visit with GG. One even offered to bake.... just the knowledge that they had my back made the day better. 

By afternoon I was done, everything was packed, GG was happy, had been fed twice and the laundry was done. I was able to sit and linger at the table with as close as I can come to Cafe Live Forever's scone set. Three mini-scones and a pot of tea. 

The launch went great. There again friends had my back. Lindsey found me muttering at the copier and took over copying. Jacque set flowers in vases and put them on the table. Lindsey came down and made coffee, and generally did "all the things." Joelle showed up with cream and brownies, Joann brought a meat/cheese tray, and someone brought honeydew. And we had lots of scones.  

Dorothy and Rachel assured me English scones "list" and so I threw out the gummy ones that "looked level" but were bleck on the inside...and went with the ones that gloriously listed. 

Everyone enjoyed the treats and the HOT drinks. I introduced this year's leadership team. I shared about our upcoming Bible study and Paint Night. I introduced Gather:Table which is modeled on resources from IF:gathering.com.  

I first got excited about the possibility of this for our women last March. I invited input from a few people.  I prayed about it some more. I ran a trial group over the summer so try out the questions and format. I waited for the right time and a fall ministry launch was perfect! Most women I have mentioned it to catch the vision. Three volunteered to host additional tables. At the launch we actually set up tables and set 4 - 6 women at the table so all could experience how simply an hour and 4 questions could move us to deeper connection.  We're in the sign-up phase and then I'll meet with hosts, set up groups and we'll get it going.  I'm excited at the possibility this will offer for women who crave connection but can't fit a weekly Bible Study into their schedule. 

It was a good night. It was wonderful to be back together with these women. 

All Things Chicken

 The girls were THRILLED with all the extra greens and stalks being thrown their way in the wake of the moose visit. 

Melon vines....sigh.

This gal thinks the best place to lay eggs is the top of the rabbit hutch. I'm quite sure Dash isn't happy about this scenario. 

Every morning is an Egg hunt! I love it. I found 9 this morning. The eggs are still tiny, but they eat well and taste great. I'm amazed such tiny shells can have double yolks. 

Some have asked about the chick. She's doing well. It's difficult to grab photos as Mama is protective and she's usually sits on her when I get out the camera. ::grin:: I have to be FAST to grab a shot...and the phone isn't very fast. LOL 

The chickens were a bright spot in the day. We like them better than the moose this time of year. The moose are fun to watch when we don't have a garden planted. LOL 

When the Moose Play

 I looked out the window, as I tend to do in the early morning, and noted the garden looked different. I turned back. The leaves were missing. Oh NO. I knew. Moose.  

I can't tell you how sick it made me feel. I knew the harvest would be less this year due to all the rain and things like beans not doing much. I knew my squash was struggling. BUT the cool weather crops were doing great. All the hard work. The battle with weeds. In one night - destroyed. 

Yes, it felt like the death of a dream. Yesterday was a busy day but I took 45 minutes to start cleaning up the mess.  First I confirmed it was moose...check the hoof marks...the way things are eating from the top down...often the middle is eaten and the outer leaves left. 

I noted they marched straight through the shorter beds and destroyed anything in their path. They tended to eat around the taller beds but didn't get into them. They could have. 

Kale gone. They seem to like the Russian kale better than the  Dinosaur kale. There were two plants left of the dinosaur kale. 

They thinned out the beet tops, but there are still lots.  I will harvest AFTER this busy week. 

While they liked the tops, they did not like the beets. This is a win for us. LOL 

Cauliflower (they don't like onions). The broccoli looked like this as well. 

They left the flowers - which is good as I plan to cut flowers for our Fall Ministry Launch. 

Red Brussel Sprouts are completely devastated. 

Will the sprouts they left continue to grow? We may get one meal from our 18 plants. 

Alas, I had to admit watermelon defeat too. It simply didn't stay warm enough to grow melons. They bloomed, grew little melons but didn't set. I pulled all the vines. 

I think the gardening year is coming to an end. I still have beets to harvest. I still have carrots and cucumbers to harvest. I have the bit of kale and more onion tops than I can deal with.  It did feel like accepting the death of a dream today.....but THEN...I continued to build the lasagna compost bed in teh garden...adding a layer of green from all the destroyed plants and a layer of brown - straw.  That's looking forward to next year. 

I also transplanted the small kale to the greenhouse. We'll see if it takes root. If not, we'll eat the leaves in the next day or two. I'm thinking of doing some baby greens in the greenhouse now that I pulled the melon vines. BABY greens - I think there's still time. 

How did this happen?  The first year we dealt with moose. Michael put up an electric fence and we've been VERY careful to keep the grass trimmed, the fence plugged in.... We have avoided this due to the electric fence. Our last night around the campfire the top wire of the fence was let down.  We didn't put it back up, we also didn't plug it back in. We unwittingly set an open gate before the moose, and they took advantage. I don't think they even fought the temptation. A moment of carelessness on our part and a season of work is devastated. That'll preach.  It's odd there was a moose in our yard. We got a bit lax as they NEVER are down here during hunting season. They show up the minute hunting season is over. Maybe hunting season is over? 

We are talking about covering the massive areas of weeds with black plastic and leaving it next summer. Planting only the beds and greenhouses...working on other projects...coming back to it the year after. We'll see. 

SCONE MESS OF A DAY

 I was up at 0500. It's now 10:26 pm (2226).  I thought it would be a great idea to get as much done as possible today for tomorrow night's Women's Ministry launch. 

Before I began any of the local projects, I did take time to check in with Bible Babes as we've begun a new study. 

I began baking scones. My oven is downstairs as the upstairs oven is still not here (a very long story).  The tasted good but they all listed to the side. I did NOT turn the cutter - straight down and up. Someone told me to place them on the pan so they touch - like cinnamon rolls - this was to make them rise up - instead of over...and it did...but they aren't as flakey. The texture is different. I may make more scones tomorrow and I'll have a zillion ugly (ok -  only 3 batches), listing, imperfect scones to eat here through the winter. I double wrap and freeze them. 

The blueberry muffins turned out well. 

I also got GG breakfast, spent an hour in the garden, and did a mountain of laundry. 

When I took Allie to work, I went ahead to the church to "do all I can do today...." I set up tables, decorated a bit...couldn't make the copies I needed to make....but made a good list of what I still needed to buy or bring from home....

I walked in the door, and it smelled wonderful! Stacia made chicken divan and a salad for dinner. I love having young adults. 

After dinner - not realizing I didn't like the texture of the first batch of close together scones, I made two more batches....pumpkin spice and plain...and placed them close together so they wouldn't list to the side. Y'all I follow all the tips...grate the butter, massage in the butter, round cutters...but this close together thing - I'm just not sure. I may just let them list. ANYWAY, while I waited for them to come out of the oven, I shared with Michael I thought I'd go do shopping for tomorrow night and Thursday night's event at 11:30 p.m. He asked to please go to Fred Myers. I had an hour - ran to the store, rushed through the store and got done before they closed.  His concern was things are a bit sketch around Carrs at midnight. 

The thing is I waited and pulled the scones out of the oven, and I ran off to the store. They were too hot to handle, and I didn't give it a thought. Um...it appears they should have been separated when they were hot. They cooled and I have a lovely pan of pull-apart scones.  I'm thinking more baking in the a.m. and I'll either,  ::shudder:: cut them into triangles like Americans DO...or I'll let them list delightfully to the side. Because they are SO flakey and yummy when I don't smash them together. I'm fairly certain the listing thing is why American's cut them in triangles....my triangles don't list...but they seem to be more evenly cooked in a round. I think I'm crazy. 

That will be tomorrow's project. 

No, not a single picture. I've been too busy today. I did take garden photos. I'll do that next and then hop into bed and start over tomorrow. 

Berries and Eggs

 We could not believe how nice it was today! No rain. 63 degrees - the forecast now shows no highs for the next 10 days out of the 50's.  We plan to work this week on buttoning down the garden and yard for the fall.... but TODAY...I PLAYED. Michael and Alex liked the idea of staying home with GG more than playing on the mountain. Nolan and Allie ended up both being too worn out from work during fair week to want to go play.  I thnk both actually worked on college. Stacia, Millie and I went Berry picking with Jamin. 

The drive up, the morning in the mountains, confirm beyond a doubt fall has arrived in Alaska. 

Gorgeous colors, fireweed is gone! 

BLUE skies

We found a spot where there were still berries - off the beaten trail a bit - and settled in to get berries.  Jamin pointed out it's a good summer in Alaska when you get harvest blueberries and salmon. We're blessed. 

We found while the bushes were picked over, if we looked low on the bush, we found more berries. This is later in the year than I've picked before, and I noted when the bushes are yellow one simply places a hand under the berries and the fall into your hand.  We picked nearly 2 gals between us...next year I want to go up earlier and go several times. 

I am wondering if this red berry is high bush cranberry. I could have picked gallons of them. I almost did, but Jamin thought I shouldn't on the off chance that it would kill us to eat them. I need to go with someone who really KNOWS the foraging scene in Alaska. LOL 

We got home about 1:30 p.m. Spending the time on the mountain was refreshing and just what I needed. Stacia got up early and did school before we left, when we got home and between evening events. She refused to get "behind." 

I had enough time at home to touch base with Michael, Nolan and Allie and to make Dad lunch. Stacia and I tool Allie to work...

We headed over to a young family's home for Stacia to spend time getting to know their kiddoes. I enjoyed sitting outside with a cup of tea and visiting with Joelle, their mom. Stacia looks forward to watching the kiddoes in the future. 

Nolan had offered Michael and I  two fair tickets and a parking pass. Michael was willing to go if I wanted to. He wasn't EXCITED about the crowds. Nolan and Stacia were home and determined the two of us go out somewhere and they would get GG dinner and stay with him.  In the end we decided to drive around, take roads we've never taken and eventually get dinner. I was a bit surprised when he pulled the car to the side of the road and told me to get out. WHAT? 

 He'd seen a beautiful rainbow in the rearview mirror. 

Earlier in the day, as I dropped off Allie, I received a text from Nora that said, "I see you." 

Sort of an eerie feeling. I looked around, wondered and confirmed she was at McDonalds. 

Now, we got back in the car, and I got a text from Jacque saying, "That's a beautiful rainbow you're taking a picture of." 

These encounters were GREAT. Connections. We are connected enough to be known when we go out in our community. We love smaller town living. We felt at home, at peace, we belong. 

From here we drove down several roads we've wondered about...and found a gorgeous Salvation Army camp on a lake...we thought we were probably close to John and Jacques new home...popped it in the GPS and we were 3 minutes away....so yes, I sent her a text that said, "We see you" as pulled into their drive and surprised them. 

Qdoba's was our next stop and then we came home to find the kids playing Mario something or other in the living room. 

Michael took care of critters. He suggested I go to bed - and I did. I'm assuming he got GG to bed and picked up Allie. ::snort:: 

Look at this! 15 eggs today. The crew from 2020 were simply not good egg layers. I had picked them out of a big box at the local feed store. I've learned. This year 1/2 of the chicks we ordered were from breeds known to be good layers. I'm done taking my chances. Two and half years of feeding 16 hens and getting 3 eggs a day - on a good day. LOL We now have 20 hens and got 15 eggs today. Yes, this is a better investment. Local friends may well begin receiving eggs on their doorstep. LOL  Most the eggs are still pretty small, but a few are getting up to the 2 oz size. 

It wasn't our normal Labor Day - but it was a great day nonetheless. 

Weekend Glimpses

The weekend is concluding, and I've not blogged.  Here are some shots from the last couple of days...in the order blogger threw them up. LOL 

The girls invited me to a spa night. Saturday night we did feet, face and I repaired a nail or two...while we streamed a fun show. I didn't realize these masks were in the shapes of ANIMALS...

 

I spent considerable time on Friday and Saturday writing a newsletter, making a fall launch slide, working on a brochure...getting ready to kick off a new ministry year. 

It's fall. The temps are dropping. The leaves are changing.  Arielle introduced me to the idea of SLIPCOVERS for pillows.  It's been fun to have some slipcovers for spring, summer and now fall. I set out candles. I have NOT set up the fall tree, or the outside decor. I'd like to get a better handle on harvesting the garden before I do that. 

I made some blueberry scones. I'd like to make some pumpkin spice and maybe something else before the fall launch. Frankly, I like to make this size and keep them in the freezer. Then I can grab one out and heat it with a cuppa chai when the mood strikes. These were a bit gummy - not sure if it was the blueberries or the sour cream. 

Church was great today. We were able to pick up a young man and give him a ride. It was great to have him in church again. His enthusiasm is contagious. We hope he's comfortable to let us continue giving him rides.  The sermon was wonderful...with lots of takeaways to ponder. 

GG fell coming out of church. That always adds excitement. He ripped a chunk of skin off his finger and the blood flowed freely for hours afterwards. 

Jamin and Jared hiked the peak. They took Jared and Larissa's dogs. Lassie got a bit tired, and Jamin carried her down. Check out the colors at the top of the peak. Jamin reports there are still berries, but the fireweed are done. 

📷by Jared

Alas, we did not save the island in this round! 

While tomorrow is a holiday, Stacia is determined to do school. We have plans to break and do some berry picking and to break and go visit a young friend's family so Stacia can begin watching her kids for her from time to time.  She was still insisting she would get school done.