Laundry List

“A bear”

Those are the words that were whispered right into my ear this morning.

I had been sleeping nicely, all tucked into our warm nest but those two words immediately woke me up... as I suppose they should. My eyes popped open, and I was awake albeit a little confused. My brain was quickly working without me and while one part of my brain was trying to come all the way out of the fog of sleep, the other part was quickly trying to focus on where I should run… what I should do… listening for where exactly the bear was... trying to decide what my next course of action should be.

An explosion of neurons was/were battling it out in my head, adrenaline was starting to amp up and the two parts of my brain finally joined… my eyes focused and then I realized that it was not David who had whispered to me. He was still sleeping on the other side of the bed… facing the other direction. He had not moved. That did not help that whole adrenaline thing.

I still had not moved as I wanted to be sure of the direction I was going to move in when I needed to. I was still trying to figure out what exactly was going on, and who had whispered in my ear. In the darkness I could sense something was very, very close to me. I could feel it there in the darkness. It was only then that I realized that Cosmo was standing up right next to my head on the bed. Patiently watching me… ever so patient. Staring… waiting.


I have to tell you a little about Cosmo the Magnificent. He sleeps on the bed at my feet usually. When he gets too cold he either comes up to my side or David’s side and nudges us to lift the blanket so he can get underneath. If he does not nudge you (and frankly what is even worse than the nudging) is that he will stand right up next to your pillow and stare right into your face… barely half an inch away… close enough to feel the tickle of his whiskers… just smacking his lips. Believe me with those teeth and that breath you would wake up too. Forget about being woken just by the eerie feeling of someone staring at you.

Well, I looked at him in the moonlight and he just stood there.

“What did you say?” I asked… but he just looked back at me in the darkness … “hah!” he said inside his head, “like I will say it again while you are fully awake. Foolish woman. I will just let you think you are crazy… it is all part of my secret plan to take over the universe… now slave... lift the damn blanket for me so that I may climb underneath and get warm.”

I obeyed and he made a beeline to my toes and curled up and went back to sleep… leaving me still wondering about what I heard.

Deer Camp
Jerry's Deer Camp is nearly complete. We rode out the other day. I rode with David and Delta rode with Grandpa Jerry. (Cosmo the Magnificent stayed home by the fire planning complete domination of the world)


David helped Jerry put this thing together with many parts of our old cabin, and stuff Jerry has been collecting and had used at his old deer camp. Jerry has the propane hooked up, 3 bunks inside, a table, and a huge wood stove. He also has an older propane range (with oven!) hooked up for cooking, and a propane refrigerator outside on the porch, next to the water barrel. The siding is not on yet but it is wrapped and weather tight. They completed it just in time. The siding will come in spring.


The bathroom has also been redone or should I say re-dug... and looks quite accommodating.
Even though it might be chilly.


David's brother Keith and Keith's son Justin from Southern California, and their cousin Scott from Vermont were here for a visit and so as a "house warming"... or I should say "Camp warming "celebration we had a big dinner out there... 9 of us! We had venison steak, creamed corn, boiled red potatoes, pumpkin bread, apple pie and of course ice cream. It was very nice actually and plenty warm enough. In fact, the wood stove Jerry has in there could heat a place three times that big so it almost bakes you out... feels good to pop open the door once in awhile. The visitors did not stay long but while they were here they stayed out at camp... Jerry loved it! He is so proud of it. It was very nice for everyone actually.

De Colores

The color has left us...
after being so saturated with the fall colors this is a very big change.


Actually, I guess I would not say the colors have left... maybe just hibernating like the bear Cosmo was whispering about. The world here has gone from greens, yellows, and reds to blues, grays, white and black. When it is snowing and icy like this it is not so much the sky that is blue... because it is usually gray.. it is the trees, and the ice, and the snow that reflect blue.

It is a faint blue... very faint but it is definitely visible to the eye and to my camera.
Lots of blues and grays.

Actually, as I look out the window while trying to figure out how to describe it... I think I would add that there is a lot of lavender in the scenery as well... and in the early mornings if you are awake you are treated to a tinge of pink.

It sounds a little stark but I don't mind it at all. It has its own beauty really, a quietness... but it is deceiving and I know dang well to take it all very serious. Anywhere you go, if everything you see is brown and tan.... or if it is all white and grey... I think it is a good idea to be very careful. (the inner girl scout is coming out now... let me straighten my sash) The snow is beautiful and soft. It is light... like shredded cotton blowing around.. it almost appears to be dry... but the SECOND it gets on your bare skin it becomes wet and then you are in trouble if you do not get dry and warm right away. In contrast, the desert is saturated with tans, browns, and gold. Also very pretty, but just as dangerous.


The sand may be golden, glistening, and pretty and all... but if bare skin is exposed it is now the lack of moisture that will teach you how fragile you are.


Cooking

What we have been eating? (More people ask me than then one would think...) Click on the picture for the recipe and no.. I did not do the mint pesto thing... Mint belongs in gum, toothpaste, little red and white candies, and schnapps... not soup. I also did not add the fancy toasted coconut shreds on top but otherwise I followed the recipe very closely.

I have been making a lot of soups, stews, etc. It is a quick go to meal when it is cold outside and when you are wanting to save money like everyone is trying to do currently. That soup above is called Emerald Buddah Soup and I have made it before but I saved the recipe for our move here knowing it would come in handy. There is no meat in it and it is green (green as in color not green as in environmentally sound.) It also is a vegetarian soup and it does not need meat. A nice dark crusty warm bread would be great with it! However, if you must... chicken of course would be wonderful (imagine shredded chicken breast in this picture) but so would maybe a ground sweet pork sausage or something like that.

What I have been wanting to eat? (Besides avocados and fresh vegetables that is?):

Ahh.. it's like butta'!

And last but not least...
Musical Flashbacks

So we were driving to Iron River the other day... on a snowy icy dirt road and Dreams by Fleetwood Mac came on the radio.

I was singing along looking out the window at the forest passing by and

whoosh!!

No, that was not the sound of Stevie Nicks' gypsy duds flipping around while she dances...
(like my sister Brooke)

It was the sound of a full on musical flashback.

A flashback all the way to *gasp* 1977... Dreams had just come out... I remembered sitting on a bus singing the song looking out the window at the forest passing by on my way to science camp. I was in 6th grade. Yikes... that was 31 years ago... good grief. It rained the entire week at Science camp. We even were given plastic bags to wear over our coats to keep us from getting too wet. We participated in all the stuff that a good camp had to offer. We learned to make shelters, cook over a fire, act in goofy skits, how to lick banana slugs... it was great fun. When I checked out the science camp website.. not much has changed. What I don't think they told our parents is that they also showed us a film about baby harp seals.. and big burley fishermen literally beating the life out of them with clubs blood splattering everwhere while the babies and the mothers seals screamed. Not that I think that is ok but... Hey boys and girls... can you say... propaganda? I actually remember that week pretty well... there was a lot to remember... including apparently that Fleetwood Mac song.

Oh deer.

Along with preparing for winter, and actually I guess hand in hand with that, folks have been getting ready for deer hunting season around here. Actually, there has been a hunting season of one kind or another going on for what seems like a long time.

There is bear season, which is broken down into all crazy kind of ways like.. bear season for 12 year old males with bows only, then bear season with baiting, bear season with dogs but not for 9 year olds with guns, and bear season for only men and women wearing green flannel shirts.


For about a month during bear hunting season with dogs there were some hunters staying next door at the ‘white cabin’ with their hunting dogs. The dogs were fine but everyonce in awhile they would bay... I guess that is what you would call it. But it was not the typical bloodhound sounding kind of bay, instead it is an unearthly hound of the Baskervilles kind of sound. Would scare the tar out of anyone coming through the moors in the middle of the night.

Umm.. that is not a bear hound... I am not sure what the hell that is.
This below is a bear hound.. called a Plott Hound apparently they are good bear hunters. They use them to tree the bears so hunters then wander up and shoot them out of the trees.


Well, Cosmo and Delta took delight in the whole situation. They would chase squirrels over close to where those dogs were penned and dance around in front of them teasing them. After all, they were roaming around free and can hunt squirrels all they want!

The bear dogs were like…. Whatever. Just undo this cage door and we will show you what we can do.

Now deer season is nearly upon us and it seems that there are many more deer hunters than bear hunters. All of these old deer camps that you find here and there in the woods... the ones you thought were deserted all of a sudden come to life. The doors and windows are open, the bar-b-ques are going, beer cases laying around (Pabst) , and there are a bunch of men, trucks, and neon orange accessories of one kind or another.

Oh.. and don't forget the various hunter's toys:

Deer season is also broken down into guns, bows, ages, days, times, baited or non-baited.. I dunno… all I know is that once it really starts you have to stay off the atv trails until the season is over. No scaring away the deer… and no getting shot that way. It’s a good thing.

Men even grow beards and even if their work has a policy about shaving and looking scruff… apparently that is suspended during hunting season. Hmmm… must be some kinda cave man issue. Hairy hunters.


David is going to get his license this year and most folks we know are setting up their deer blinds and getting all ready. I have been invited to join in and have just not been real clear about my answer yet… I will eventually be letting folks know that I really don’t have any desire to go hunting.

Don’t get me wrong, I will eat deer and I have even help butcher a little bit before, but I will pass on the hunting part. Don’t get me wrong, I sure could shoot a deer if I had to but the thing is… I don’t have to.

If I was hungry, had no money, and needed to kill a deer or rabbit or whatever to eat I would. Plain and simple. But I am not in that situation, and frankly... I could eat beans and rice and do just fine. However, David wants to get at least one this year and put it in the freezer and that is okey dokey. I have no problem with hunting if you plan on eating what you kill, and eat it we will. I have some pretty good recipes that we will be trying out.

But given the choice and if hunger is not a factor then I prefer to see my venison like this (you may remember the first one from an earlier posting, click on the picture to remind yourself if you want):



than like this:
... of course I really do love this though:


and ... hmmm.. this looks good too:


Anyway, David, the dogs, and I went out and scouted around in a place where David might do some hunting.


We had tried to take the scooters back there during spring and summer but when we first tried there was:

1. So many maples and baby maples it was hard following and or even finding the path, and
2. Because we were going slow the mosquitos found me and were having such a feast on my flesh that I turned back and went home. Seriously. It was during mosquito season.

Anyway… we were able to walk through that area easily now that all the leaves are down and it really is a very pretty area now that it is all visible.

This country is filled with rolling hills and hidden rock formations. You just don't know that until fall and winter because it is so densely forested. Delta and Cosmo loved the walk of course.

We found a whole little section where there was handfuls of burrows… or dens. I don’t think it was a badger village or anything because I think they are more solitary creatures but I don't know what else would live like that. There were a few active burrows or dens and then a bunch that were not active this year. I think foxes are more solitary critters too but I looked up info on coyotes and apparently not only do they live in dens but they usually have a few nearby for backup in case their main one is compromised and they have to move the pups.


Anyway, I am kind of suspicious that they were older coyote dens because Cosmo who thinks he is a tough guy went halfway down into one (I had visions of badger terror and flipped the snap on my holster) but he sniffed around real good, and then peed on the outside of the burrow.

TAKE THAT! He said emphatically.
Scratch Scratch scratch hop hop hop.

Geez. Maybe he should grown a beard.