September 17, 2007

inally I have time to blog for a moment before I get back to work on the Fall issue of the magazine to get it ready to be mailed on the 22nd. So if you do not see much of me here in the next couple of days, it is I am getting it finished and printed. 

My trip went well. I went down to visit my mother and family after my mom was diagnosed with liver cancer recently. I will be going down again soon. On my travels, I stopped at friends homes on the way down and back, to lessen the hours I had to spend driving per day. I used to do it all in one straight shot, but now I have the excuse not to. It is nice having friends living in strategic spots for an overnight stop. 

On my way down I stayed with some artist-type people (writers, painters, carvers, musicians, teachers....) on their island and I had a heyday. On my next trip down I am supposed to take my mandolin so Bob can teach me how to tune and play it. (I have always wanted to play a stringed instrument and my hands are too small to comfortably play a guitar, which I had taken lessons for once long ago.) I even learned how to do some of the traditional Morris Dancing. Well sorta.. I got to learn how to do a 'basic' windmill pattern with the holly sticks they use and managed to rap my teacher on the knuckles twice.. hard.. I felt bad and gave up for this lesson after the second time I hit him. To add insult to injury, I later played him chess and beat him twice. *S* Thanks for being a good sport Gerald! I didn't realize so many different instruments could come together either, banjo, recorder.. a whole hodgepodge. I also learned how to knit without needles and that may very well end up in an upcoming issue for a fiber article. Thanks Sarah! And have a magnificent year in Wales!!

Mom and her significant other took me here, there and everywhere and I have never eaten out so much in my life all in one week. We went to Lincoln City and I had a wonderful bowl of clam chowder and a crab sandwich.  And I finally got to play on a sandy beach for the 1st time in 6 years. I really miss the ocean. My friends insist it is due to me being a Libra.. we crave the ocean. I don't know about that, but I do really enjoy being there and playing in the water (but it was really rally cold). The tide was in, so I did not get to go play with the little rock crabs or starfish, but that was OK too. 

I stayed at my brother & Sister-in-laws one night. I have determined they have a more comfortable bed than at my mothers, so next trip down I will stay at their place *S* Sorry mom! Hehehe. My SIL made a wonderful meal with salmon as the highlight. And the view from their house is magnificent of the Cascade Mountains and the Willamette Valley. I do not drink alcohol, so I was able to have a whole bottle of Martinelli's Sparkling Apple Cider to myself, while everyone else was enjoying Oregon's fine wines. 

The next day Mom, My SIL and I went out on the 'town' (ok.. blink and you will fail to see all 4 city blocks of it) and went to a bistro (winery country here) and I had the most delicious Kabocha Squash Soup. I have not tried this recipe, but it must be close to what I had.. you should give it a try since squash are in season. 

Kabocha Squash Soup

Ingredients:
1 medium Kabocha squash
1 large onion
Olive oil
4 to 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
Pepper to taste
Sour Cream
Ground Hazelnuts/Filberts

1. Stab the squash several times, put it on a cookie sheet, and bake it in a 350 degree oven for about an hour. Remove it and let cool.
2. Scoop out the seeds, and separate the flesh from the skin. Put the cooked squash in a large bowl or pot.
3. Chop one large or two small onions, and sauté in olive oil over medium heat until caramelized. Add the onions to the squash.
4. Add 3 cups chicken broth, stir all ingredients a bit.
5. Run the soup mixture through a blender, portion by portion, until you've blended it all. At this point, you can add more broth to make the consistency you like.
6. Add pepper to taste, and a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkling of the nuts and chopped chives in each bowl if desired.

On the way back home, I got to visit Elena & family at their new home on 5 acres. She said I inspired her to buy the place (actually it is a huge responsibility to me as more than a couple people have said I have gotten them to take the leap into buying property/farms). We did not have alot of time together, but the time was well spend and we packed as much as we could in. We went to the Puyallup Fair. It is one of the largest fairs I have been to in a long time. I was there too early to see the rabbit judging as they came in on Friday, but maybe I will put in a bid for judging their 4-H rabbit show some year.

Elena also showed me the scarf she made from the directions in a past "Down to the Roots" magazine article. I love the colours she used. Although she did not spin the yarn, it is handspun wools. She is working on learning how to spin on her wheel.

On my final day, heading north to home, I got misplaced in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. I think this is the 2nd or 3rd largest city in Canada. I was not lost as I knew where I was.. sorta.. but could not find my way to the highway I needed. Too many detours and not well marked. I saw places in Vancouver I never needed to know existed. I instantly locked my doors!! I then decided to head 'downhill' as I knew there had to be water somewhere in that direction. From 11:30 am to 2 pm I was still in Vancouver and then I finally found the road to head to Whistler and the alternative route to home.  I almost bailed and went to go find my friends to crash there another night, but I was determined to go home. Two miles on the Squamish Highway and there was a rockslide which shut down the highway for several hours. People were laying on the road sunbathing or napping in their cars. I was next to a guy in a truck with a work radio and it was from him we were getting our road updates. I was wishing I had crashed at my friend's home another night by this time. I could see (almost) their home across the bay which kinda added insult since I had left it 6 hours earlier. The 2010 Winter Olympics are in Vancouver/Whistler and so they are blasting rock and widening the highway. The blasting has made weak rock and that is why the rockslide happened. When I made it to Whistler I had gone less than 160 miles in 6 hours. I made it home by 5 minutes after midnight. Those of you who have been in a vehicle with me at night, know how much this must have taken out of me as I do not drive at night. Those of you who know this are very very happy you were not with me on this day/night *L*.  This picture of the mountains and water is many miles up from the slide area and if you have the chance, I so recommend taking this route. The scenery is magnificent from Vancouver to Lillooet.

I also did not mention that I had 4 rather large house windows in the back of my truck from Oregon this whole time. Amazingly enough, not a single one broke.

I had a day to rest and check out what was happening on the farm and then Saturday I did a bikejorring demo for the SPCA Walk-A-Thon. It was not my best public speaking, but then again I have not done any in about 10 years. It went ok.. and my lead dog "Tasha", whom is also my PR dog, had a good time working for the day.

So that is it for my adventures for the last week or so. I now need to buckle down and get the magazine done. I went and interviewed someone about chainsaws yesterday and it will be in this issue. 'Tis the season for firewood after all.

Everyone have a great day!!