Thursday, August 22, 2019

Noses to the Grindstone

Shew! It's a lot of work to leave town. πŸ˜…

Dad's first paper was delivered - right to the top of our driveway.  It was a luxury not to have to drive to town for a paper.  I had thought about doing this when we returned from Oregon...but Dad signed up a couple of days ago.  I'm learning to make a mean cup of Folgers so I guess he's content to get the paper here now. Some days I even skip putting the dried chaga mushrooms in his coffee. LOL

Michael and Dad took all the garbage and recycling to their appropriate centers.

I wrestled with paperwork and curriculum orders...and had an honest to goodness conversation where I insisted AK is ALASKA and NOT Arkansas.

"Are you sure? It seems Arkansas would have picked AK."

"Arkansas was a state way before Alaska, maam. I'm sure if they wanted to be AK they would be.  AK is Alaska. Please ship my things to Alaska."

Honest to God! I'm not sure she EVER totally believed me. ::snort::

Alex and Stacia had Japanese lessons.

Michael and Alex then took the shelves out of our utility trailer and are working to clean it up for our upcoming trip.

Stacia and I made a trip to the garden for a few veggies for lunch and dinner. This photo doesn't show how large the broccoli is. Stacia is in heaven....Cauliflower and Broccoli are her favorites.  I picked our first yellow squash and a zucchini for lunch - the "right" size. LOL  I was checking to see how the carrots are doing - yep - they'll be fine to stay in the ground until we return....but they are respectable this year. There are new tiny broccoli shoots starting so we should have more when we return....

Look! Our first VINE RIPENED tomato...there are many of them. I may see if I have enough to try some salsa tomorrow. We leave Saturday a.m. 

We cut the cabbage patch WAY back. I'm not sure if any more will grow...but I know last year it regrew several times when the moose repeatedly ate the center.....I gave the chickens 3 small, sluggy heads....once we got all the leaves trimmed, and any buggy leaves removed...this is what we had. 

Which I turned into this - yes, canned coleslaw. I read all the reviews for this recipe from TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE...same recipe...and decided to try it. 
I haven't sampled any yet - but it was great before it was canned. I have hope. Everyone SAID it was crispy when they opened their jars....you can eat it as is, drain and add mayo/sugar....or use it in egg rolls...I got 18 pints from 5 heads of cabbage. Not bad.

I noted my green cabbage had slugs and my red did not. Is that normal?????

Krista came home in the midst of the  canning craze. She and Nolan cleared her things out of the RV so we can pack it tomorrow.

She made Carne Asada for dinner. What a treat. We paired it with rice, tortillas, lettuce/kale, cucumbers, tomatoes from the garden, canned chili beans I'd made, a bit of the pre-canned coleslaw, and  steamed cauliflower and broccoli.

Krista and Stacia left to drive to Anchorage. They are taking a family friend who has been visiting BreZaak back to the airport.

Nolan and Alex left to buy "soap."

Michael, Dad and I played two rounds of Farkle (AKA "the game").

Nolan and Alex called from Dairy Queen to say Nolan's car wouldn't start. πŸ˜…πŸ˜‚πŸ˜ I guess they sell soap at DQ these days.

Michael went to help get the car started.

Dad went to bed.

The guys just got home. I'm about to go take care of the evening animal chores... I'm hoping the girls are home shortly. Krista works tomorrow.

The mornings are chilly. The evenings are brisk. Leaves are turning colors and falling.  Would it be "wrong" to say it's fall - even though it's only August?

And...will I be able to find pumpkin spice English Muffins outside? As in outside of Alaska? I could bring them back and make a mint. LOL

9:08 p.m. and the girls are home. They made good time.