Morning Hike

I worked late most days this week so I could take a 2 hour hike up the mountain behind our house (30Oct15).

Our neighborhood, with our house slightly right of center.

Another view of the neighborhood.

Morning fog blanketing the valley.

The Wellsville Mountains with the valley covered in fog. A south-to-north wind kept filling the valley, while east-to-west winds through the canyons would push finger-gaps into the fog bank.

I came come in via the bottom of a draw, and it was like walking an empty creek bed.

Lagoon

Dad took his girls to Lagoon to ride the roller coasters. It was close enough to Halloween that we had a few spooky photo ops. We found that Rattlesnake Rapids had no line, so we ended with three fast runs there but were too wet to stay. It was a fun day. 

Chayce was a little too excited about the opportunity to "electrocute" Payge.

The new Cannibal roller coaster. We rode it first so that anyone that became squeamish could be told we went on the scariest ride first.  

Waiting in line. Once the girls learned there were lines, they weren't as excited to be there.

The force is strong with this one.

There were two trick or treat lines that Payge was still young enough to go through, and Chayce was allowed to go through with her.

Soggy after three turns on Rattlesnake Rapids.

Hiking

Quinton wanted to climb the mountain. But he is easily distracted, so I put him in the stroller until we got to the base, carrying Lillyth in the wrap. 

Going up the deer trail.

We got tired quick, but had fun.

Lillyth was not a huge fan of hiking in the wrap, but was a good trooper.

On the way home, Quinton demand that I take a picture of him standing on this rock at a neighbor's property.

After getting home, Lillyth wanted to go walking, and dirty feet ensued.

Another day, at the park. She thinks she's so big. 

Deer season. Zachary came out with me one morning. We saw several does, but no bucks. Just for fun, we shot a rock on the other side of the draw. 

Floods and Buffalos

On our way home from Seattle, our good neighbors called us indicating their son, who was watching our chickens, notices water pooling in our yard, flowing into Chayce's window well, and flooding our basement. An irrigation pipe had come disconnected. With the help of a couple neighbors, we got the carpet out and the standing water sucked up. Then we went to pick up our children, who were at my parent's house, and then went to Yellowstone Park. Since Chayce's room was out of commission, we re-arranged the bedrooms, ditched the beds, and put up hammocks for the children to sleep in. They have worked well for everyone but Zachary, who has returned to sleeping in a bed. 

September Miscellany

Lillyth inspecting dried paprika peppers

Our first table grape harvest from a vine planted spring 2014

A large pizza shared with our friends, the Carlsons. 

Paprika harvest

The little princess demanded I put one of her older siblings dress-up dresses on her.

Quinton helping dig trenches for a neighbor's irrigation system. 

Peach fruit scrap vinegar and pickled Greek pepperoncinis

Quinton put stickers on his wall

Jillian accompanied me to Seattle for work, and we went to Rachel's Ginger Beer. Good stuff, but it had to be shipped on ice, so we enjoyed it while we were there.

Chopped

Tonight we finally fulfilled our children's repeated requests to do a mock Chopped competition. Chopped is a mystery ingredient cooking competition on TV. We went in constrained expectations and...were pleasantly surprised. 

The mystery ingredients were grapes, squash (which none of them like to eat, we were curious how they would treat it), a hot dog, and a cheese stick. 

Quinton, getting his ingredients chopped up. At first, he just thought he was making himself dinner, and went to town eating it after cutting it all up. 

Payge, ketchuping her dogs.

Chayce getting into the freeze dried yogurt.

Zachary, making jam.

Quinton, getting inspired.

Chayce made tako-chan hot dogs, sauteed squash fries with garlic powder grated cheese sprinkled on top. In the yellow cup was vanilla milk, and in the blue cup was pomegranate yogurt bites (dehydrated yogurt) with fresh squeezed grape juice, served chilled. Jillian indicated that everything Chayce made was something she would eat again. Stephen liked the drinks. 

Zachary made cheese stuffed hot dog, nuked with the squash on top. The squashed was re-cooked with chili powder, garlic, adobo, and butter. The sauce  for the squash was made with ketchup, yellow mustard, dijon mustard, frank's hot sauce, chili powder, garlic, and adobo. On the buttered toast was jam made from grapes, sugar, cinnamon. In the cup was milk with brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, and freeze dried cherries, served heated. The judges both thought the squash was excessively seasoned, but liked the jam (Stephen kept eating it) and the milk.

Payge made little squash bowls filled with cheese, dehydrated squash, and corn. Payge is the most vocal disliker of squash, and the judges critiqued her for not really using the ingredient.  She made a pudding with milk, cinnamon, vanilla, lemonade powder, with dried cherries on top (the lemonade powder caused it to curdle, and Payge rediscovered ricotta! If she had just sweetened it more it would have been fantastic as a sweet dish). Toasted bread dogs with ketchup. Grapes with cinnamon water.

Quinton made soup with hot dogs, cheese, and grapes flavored with cinnamon. He stirred it lots. The judges said good effort and even succeeded at eating parts of it.