Bacon & Egg Potato Salad

With 4th of July celebrations just a few days away it is time for picnics, B-B-Q's and parties.


There is nothing quite like a tasty potato salad to go with B-B-Q'd steak, chicken, hotdogs or anything else you like.

This is one of my favorite Potato salad recipes.



5 cups cooked, peeled and cubed potatoes
¼ cup chopped green onions
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup water
¼ cup vegetable oil
11/2 tsp. Celery salt
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp. Dry mustard
¼ tsp. Pepper (I like white pepper)
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 hard cooked eggs, chopped
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 tbs. chopped parsley.

In large bowl, combine potatoes and onions.

In small saucepan, combine lemon juice, water, oil, celery salt, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and pepper; bring to a boil.

Pour over potato mixture; mix well.

Cover; chill overnight to blend flavors.

Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving; stir in bacon, eggs, Parmesan cheese and parsley.

Picture from www.eggs.ab.

Another day in the life of Keewee

We have this Gloxinia on our kitchen table and have been waiting to see the blooms open for weeks. This morning one bloom has finally opened and there are many more to follow. How beautiful it is.

The morning is very quiet, unlike yesterdays ruckus. We did not have any repeat visit from the owls.
We could still hear the bird's alarm cries for hours yesterday so I went to investigate. One of the owls had tried to take refuge from the birds in a large willow tree on the lower part of our property, but getting any rest was out of the question with all the birds dive bombing it.

Mr.C decided the owl needed to leave our area, so he took his Paint Ball Gun (kept for stray, pesky critters we don't want on the property) and lobbed a round through the branches of the tree very near the owl. We did not want to hurt the bird, just scare him away so he would leave the critters around here alone. The owl did not care to have paint balls whizzing by so flew off to find a nice quiet place to get some rest before his nightly hunt.

I so enjoyed my day off work yesterday, and had planned on getting our things ready for our trip to Juneau Alaska next Monday, but like many plans they were changed. Mr.C had a service call up in Coupeville so I decided to ride along, then when he was finished with the job, we would drive up to Oak Harbor do some shopping and have dinner at our favorite mexican restaurant.

It is time I stopped playing on my PC and moved my rear, and got myself ready for a day at work.

You all have a wonderful day.

Carnival of Cats

Do you like kitties, well stop by the carnival of Cats
over at pets garden

I saved the day!

It was a very early start to the morning. Just before 4 am we woke up to the slaughter, howls and yips of a coyote telling all his buddies *come and get it, breakfast is ready*

Mr.C and I jumped out of bed to look out the window to see if we could spot the rabbit killer and his buddies, as it sounded as though they were just outside the window. we did not see anything so decided to get a couple more hours sleep.

Mr. C was soon back in dreamland, but sleep eluded me so I lay there listening to the sounds of the Robin's early chorus. All of a sudden the Robin's chorus changed to one of alarm, and other birds picked up the calls.

My curiosity got the better of me so I donned my robe and slippers and quietly opened the front door and stepped outside into the moist cool morning. I was not having any scrawny coyote killing and eating any rabbits in our yard.

With a stick in hand and moving very quietly, I crept towards the bird sounds around the side of the house. As I rounded the corner, the crows started to swoop above the tree tops cawing their alarm cries and joining the distress calls of the other birds, what a helluva racket.

My eyes swept the tall grass and wild blackberry bushes searching for a sign of those stinkin' coyotes, but not a movement did I see and by this time the bird cries were almost deafening as they were all so very agitated.

There appeared to be nothing on the ground to be upsetting the birds, so I started looking up in the trees, and lo and behold, there was the cause of the commotion. Two huge owls, (they could have carried me off, well, at least a decent sized rabbit or other unfortunate critter) were seemingly oblivious to the dive bombing birds and were intent on catching their breakfast. Not around here they weren't.

I took a firm hold on my stick and beat on the trunk of the tree and with a huge flurry of wings the owls flew off with rowdy crows in hot pursuit.

Yah!! I saved the day, none of our bunnies are going to be breakfast, at least for today.

Some days are better than others

As I sat at my desk this morning at work, I glanced up and noticed this lovely butterfly soaking up some sun on the bamboo just outside the spa door.

After I had caught up on all my chores, I decided it was time to sit outdoors and enjoy the view while eating my lunch.

The kids were having a great time paddling around in their kayaks and exploring the beach.

On my way home at the end of the day, as I turned onto our road, this little doe slowed down enough so I could take her picture.

Carnival of the Recipes #97

This weeks carnival is being hosted by booklore.

It's a special Road Trip Edition full of recipes to travel tastily. Whether you plan to walk, bike, boat, fly, ride a train or drive a car, there's something you can pack along to make your journey a little bit tastier.


Picture from cowboychuck.com

They Did Ask for a Translation

Click on for larger view

Thanks to Roxie

Whine, Whine, Whine

*I suppose I will just have to wait here all alone while you two go off to play all day. OH! and while I'm at it, I wish you would get a camera that doesn't make me look blue*

Pin Top Shoot Today

It is a georeous sunny day for our pin top match in Coupeville. I am still getting used to my new gun, so do not expect too much from myself today.

Keewee timing in

Picture is of my previous gun, a Beretta, now I am shooting a High standard.

Here is the set up. Five Bowling pin tops to be shot off the tables in the fastest time, Whewww!

Pickled Onions

For all of you who have asked, here is the pickled onion recipe.

Keep in mind that I have not done any pickled onions for 30 years.
I used malt vinegar back then, but with this batch I decided on apple cider vinegar.
I also did not add any of the spices. It is up to you to add spices or not, depends on the taste you are wanting. Nothing like a little experimenting.

3-4 lb small onions
½ cup salt
water to cover
for each jar allow:
2 peppercorns
1 clove
1 chilli
vinegar

Pour hot water over onions to loosen the skin, then peel (use a stainless knife)
Put in a large china, stainless steel, or glass bowl.
Sprinkle with salt and cover with cold water. Cover and stand 24 hours.
Drain onions and place in clean pickle jars. Stand upside down on newspaper and leave to drain a further 24 hours.
In each jar place the spices and cover with cold vinegar.
Seal the jars, store for 4 weeks before use.

I drained my onions and rolled them on paper towels to dry them, then put them into the jars, and covered with vinegar. Saved me waiting the second 24 hours
In the picture, I have plastic wrap on the jars as I did not have lids at the time, but have since replaced the plastic with lids.

Have fun with the pickles and let me know how they turn out.
I will try to remember to let you know how mine turn out.

Ham and Cheese Scones

The theme this week for the carnival of recipes is Roadtrip! Food for your journey, or food that can be made and eaten outdoors. It’s the big runup to Independence Day, and people need to know what to eat on the road, or at their picnics and B-B-Q's

Whenever Mr.C and I have to leave the Island on an early ferry we always take along a thermos of coffee and scones to eat while waiting to get on the ferry or on the trip to the other side.
The scones are good split open and used as open sandwiches with more slices of ham and tomato or whatever else takes your fancy. I like mine with cream cheese and tomato.















2 cups of flour
2 tsps. Baking powder
¼ tsp. Salt
2 tbsp. cold butter
½ cup chopped ham
½ cup grated cheese of your choice
1 cup milk

Mix flour, baking powder,and salt, in a bowl.

Using pastry blender or knives, chop in butter until butter is about pea size.

Stir in ham and grated cheese.

Pour in cup of milk and quickly mix to form a ball.

I turn the dough out onto floured parchment paper, makes for easy cleanup.

Shape the dough into a circle, flour your hands to prevent the dough sticking.

Cut into wedges and place on a cookie sheet, or use a heavy pan like mine.


Sprinkle more cheese on top if you wish.

Bake about 15-20 minutes at 400F

Women vs Men

WOMAN'S PERFECT BREAKFAST

She's sitting at the table with her gourmet coffee.
Her son is on the cover of the Wheaties box.
Her daughter is on the cover of Business Week.
Her boyfriend is on the cover of Playgirl.
And her husband is on the back of the milk carton.

WOMEN'S REVENGE

"Cash, check or charge?" I asked, after folding items the woman wished to purchase.
As she fumbled for her wallet, I noticed a remote control for a television set in her purse.
"So, do you always carry your TV remote?" I asked.
"No," she replied, " but my husband refused to come shopping with me, and I figured this was the most evil thing I could do to him legally."


UNDERSTANDING WOMEN

(A MAN'S PERSPECTIVE)
I know I'm not going to understand women.
I'll never understand how you can take boiling hot wax, pour it onto your upper thigh, rip the hair out by the root, and STILL be afraid of a spider.


MARRIAGE SEMINAR

While attending a Marriage Seminar dealing with communication,
Tom and his wife Grace listened to the instructor, "It is essential that husbands and wives know each other's likes and dislikes."
He addressed the man, "Can you name your wife's favorite flower?"
Tom leaned over, touched his wife's arm gently and whispered, "It's Pillsbury, isn't it?


CIGARETTES AND TAMPONS

A man walks into a pharmacy and wanders up and down the aisles.
The sales girl notices him and asks him if she can help him.
He answers that he is looking for a box of tampons for his wife.
She directs him down the correct aisle.
A few minutes later, he deposits a huge bag of cotton balls and a ball of string on the counter.
She says, confused, "Sir, I thought you were looking for some tampons for your wife?
He answers, " You see, it's like this, yesterday, I sent my wife to the store to get me a carton of cigarettes, and she came back with a tin of tobacco and some rolling papers; cause it's sooooooooooo much cheaper.
So, I figure if I have to roll my own .......... so does she.
(I figure this guy is the one on the milk carton! )


WIFE VS. HUSBAND

A couple drove down a country road for several miles, not saying a word.
An earlier discussion had led to an argument and neither of them wanted to concede their position.
As they passed a barnyard of mules, goats, and pigs, the husband asked sarcastically, "Relatives of yours?"
"Yep," the wife replied, "in-laws."


W O R D S

A husband read an article to his wife about how many words women use a day...30,000 to a man's 15,000.
The wife replied, "The reason has to be because we have to repeat everything to men...
The husband then turned to his wife and asked, "What?"


CREATION

A man said to his wife one day, "I don't know how you can be so stupid and so beautiful all at the same time.
"The wife responded, "Allow me to explain. God made me beautiful so you would be attracted to me; God made me stupid so I would be attracted to you!


WHO DOES WHAT

A man and his wife were having an argument about who should brew the coffee each morning.
The wife said, "You should do it, because you get up first, and then we don't have to wait as long to get our coffee."
The husband said, "You are in charge of cooking around here and you should do it, because that is your job, and I can just wait for my coffee."
Wife replies, "No, you should do it, and besides, it is in the Bible that the man should do the coffee."
Husband replies, "I can't believe that, show me."
So she fetched the Bible, and opened the New Testament and showed him at the top of several pages, that it indeed says..........
"HEBREWS"


The Silent Treatment

A man and his wife were having some problems at home and were giving each other the silent treatment. Suddenly, the man realized that the next day, he would need his wife to wake him at 5:00 AM for an early morning business flight. Not wanting to be the first to break the silence (and LOSE), he wrote on a piece of paper, "Please wake me at 5:00 AM." He left it where he knew she would find it.
The next morning, the man woke up, only to discover it was 9:00 AM and he had missed his flight. Furious, he was about to go and see why his wife hadn't wakened him, when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed. The paper said, "It is 5:00 AM. Wake up."
Men are not equipped for these kinds of contests.


God may have created man before woman, but there is always a rough draft before the masterpiece.

Yep, Life is Good

Yesterday was one of those days where I really did not have anything to say, I was also feeling tired and could not get my thoughts in order.

This morning, as I usually do on a beautiful calm sunny morning, cup of coffee and camera in hand, I headed outdoors to see what I could find in the early quiet hours of the morning. There is something magical about an early, dew covered still morning.

The critters are going about their business before being disturbed by us humans, the bees are busy collecting pollen, flys are basking on the sun warmed concrete of the front steps, a momma robin has a beak full of worms to feed her chicks, a pair of swallows nesting up in our carport, are looking down on me, from the power line, with nervous twitters hoping I am not going any closer to their nest, and a tiny gold colored bunny sitting up on his hind legs, ears twitching, is watching my every move.

As I gazed upon the beauty of the flowers, the sparkle of dew on a spider's web caught my eye, looking as though it had just been created using the finest silver and dripping with diamonds.

The garden is an artist's palette of every color you can imaine, even the dead brown of the geraniums I wintered over in the basement, which obviously are not going to grow. Note to self, SELF, do not bother with storing geraniums in the basement, buy new ones every season.

The sun was now well and truly above the horizon and my coffee cup was empty, back inside for a refill and to check my emails.
Our cat Rocket, never goes outdoors. He thinks he is pretty tough but the coyotes are meaner and tougher and consider cat a delicacy.

Sitting on the counter beside the coffee pot, are three jars of picked onions I finished processing last night. Many, many, years ago I used to have jars of onions ready for snacks at parties or to enjoy with a beer on a hot summers night, or as I enjoy them, sliced thinly and placed on a sandwich. You probably need to have a little British blood in your veins to appreciate pickled onions.

Mr. C came into the kitchen as I was peeling the onions ready to brine them overnight, he could not get out of the kitchen fast enough. His comment, * I don't know how you can do that, my eyes and nose are burning!*

*Ya gotta be tough! says I.*

Haka in Aotearoa/New Zealand

Dance or haka in Aotearoa/New Zealand is a cornerstone of Maori culture and increasingly national New Zealand identity. Haka literally translates as "fiery breath" and a fierce attitude accompanies the performance of traditional haka. Maori culture is deeply rooted in a tribal system in which the protection of land and other resources is paramount.

Historically, groups were on constant alert for potential invaders. The elaborate protocol system that marks the encounter between tribes, between tangata whenua, or people of the land and manuhiri or visitors, illustrates the importance of maintaining correct relations in a situation of potential threat. This approach also characterized relations between Maori and pakeha or Europeans who migrated to the islands in the early 19th century.

In pre-European time the haka was performed as part of the formal process when two parties came together. Even when the purpose of the meeting was peaceful, people had to remain on guard in case of an unexpected attack.

The hands, feet, legs, body, voice, tongue and eyes all combine to play their part in conveying the fullness of the words in the accompanying chant. The strong movements, facial contortions and the glaring pukana eyes of a performer served to distract or intimidate an audience and especially a potential enemy. The use of the tongue for intimidation and distraction is restricted to men and in the past women mainly utilized hand gestures and the pukana to support a group of male warriors in their performance.

Today there is no tribal warfare but national performance competitions and festivals allow groups to reenact historical relationships.




The most famous modern use is its regular performance by New Zealand's national rugby team, the All Blacks, who perform a haka before international matches not only as a reflection of the importance of the game that is about to be played but also to motivate themselves and their supporters to greater efforts.

To see a video clip of the haka go HERE Click on Maori, under *teaching resourses* then click on haka. I like to watch the clip in Maori as it gives you a greater feel for the dance.

Carnival of the Recipes

Carnival of the Recipes #96 is now available for your viewing pleasure:
It's a special Father's Day Edition full of recipes to make for Dear Old Dad. Thanks to World Famous Recipes for doing all the work this week. So go on over and take a look.

The Dam

This is actually a true story and the account of the investigation makes it even better...


This is an actual letter sent to a man named Ryan DeVries by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Quality, State of Pennsylvania. This guy's response is hilarious, but read the State's letter before you get to the response letter.


SUBJECT: DEQ File No.97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20; Lycoming County

Dear Mr. DeVries:

It has come to the attention of the Department of Environmental Quality that there has been recent unauthorized activity on the above referenced parcel of property. You have been certified as the legal landowne and/or contractor who did the following unauthorized activity:

Construction and maintenance of two wood debris dams across the outlet stream of Spring Pond.
A permit must be issued prior to the start of this type of activity.

A review of the Department's files shows that no permits have been issued. Therefore, the Department has determined that this activity is in violation of Part 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, Act 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.30101 to 324.30113 of the Pennsylvania Compiled Laws, annotated.

The Department has been informed that one or both of the dams partially failed during a recent rain event, causing debris and flooding at downstream locations. We find that dams of this nature are inherently hazardous and cannot be permitted. The Department therefore orders you to cease and desist all activities at this location, and to restore the stream to a free-flow
condition by removing all wood and brush forming the dams from the stream channel. All restoration work shall be completed no later than January 31, 2006.

Please notify this office when the restoration has been completed so that a follow-up site inspection may be scheduled by our staff.

Failure to comply with this request or any further unauthorized activity on the site may result in this case being referred for elevated enforcement action..

We anticipate and would appreciate your full cooperation in this matter.
Please feel free to contact me at this office if you have any questions.

Sincerely,
David L. Price
District Representative and Water Management Division.


Here is the actual response sent back by Mr. DeVries:

Re: DEQ File No. 97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20; Lycoming County

Dear Mr. Price,

Your certified letter dated 12/17/02 has been handed to me to respond to.
I am the legal landowner but not the Contractor at 2088 Dagget Lane Trout Run, Pennsylvania.

A couple of beavers are in the (State unauthorized) process of constructing and maintaining two wood "debris" dams across the outlet stream of my Spring Pond. While I did not pay for, authorize, nor supervise their dam project,
I think they would be highly offended that you call their skillful use of natures building materials "debris." I would like to challenge your department to attempt to emulate their dam project any time and/or any place you choose.
I believe I can safely state there is no way you could ever match their dam skills, their dam resourcefulness, their dam ingenuity, their dam persistence, their dam determination and/or their dam work ethic.

As to your request, I do not think the beavers are aware that they must first fill out a dam permit prior to the start of this type of dam activity.

My first dam question to you is:
(1) Are you trying to discriminate against my Spring Pond Beavers, or
(2) do you require all beavers throughout this State to conform to said dam request?

If you are not discriminating against these particular beavers, through the Freedom of Information Act, I request completed copies of all those other applicable beaver dam permits that have been issued. Perhaps we will see if there really is a dam violation of Part 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, Act 451 of the
Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.30101 to 324.30113 of the Pennsylvania Compiled Laws, annotated.

I have several concerns. My first concern is, aren't the beavers entitled to legal representation? The Spring Pond Beavers are financially destitute and are unable to pay for said representation -- so the State will have to provide them with a dam lawyer.
The Department's dam concern that either one or both of the dams failed during a recent rain event, causing flooding, is proof that this is a natural occurrence, which the Department is required to protect. In other words, we should leave the Spring Pond Beavers alone rather than harassing them and calling their dam names.

If you want the stream "restored" to a dam free-flow condition please contact the beavers -- but if you are going to arrest them, they obviously did not pay any attention to your dam letter, they being unable to read English.

In my humble opinion, the Spring Pond Beavers have a right to buildtheir unauthorized dams as long as the sky is blue, the grass is green and water flows downstream. They have more dam rights than I do to live and enjoy Spring Pond. If the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection lives up to its name, it should protect the natural resources (Beavers) and the environment (Beavers' Dams).

So, as far as the beavers and I are concerned, this dam case can be referred for more elevated enforcement action right now. Why wait until 1/31/2006? The Spring Pond Beavers may be under the dam ice then and there will be no way for you or your dam staff to contact/harass them then.

In conclusion, I would like to bring to your attention to a real environmental quality, health, problem in the area. It is the bears! Bears are actually defecating in our woods. I definitely believe you should be persecuting the defecating bears and leave the beavers alone.

If you are going to investigate the beaver dam, watch your step! The bears are not careful where they dump!

Being unable to comply with your dam request, and being unable to contact you on your dam answering machine, I am sending this response to your dam office.


THANK YOU.
RYAN DEVRIES & THE DAM BEAVERS

Fascination and Work

Since I was a child, I have always found plant and animal life so fascinating. When I stayed over at my Grandmother's house, I would spend hours outside exploring her huge yard studying the plants, fungus, lichens, and bugs. I still wander around looking for interesting shapes and textures, only now I have a camera to record my finds.

This mushroom picture taken thursday morning

By saturday morning it was breaking down ready to return to the earth it sprouted from. I hope it released spores here so I can get to see more mushrooms in the future.

Before

Until recently I had never seen just how much pollen came from pine cones. I happened to be sitting just to one side of the tree and there was a gentle breeze blowing. As I looked up at the tree, the breeze lifted a huge cloud of pollen from the cones spreading it far and wide. No wonder people have trouble with their allergies.

Now

Mature cone

After

Now I get to rake up all the cones blown from the tree in the windstorm yesterday.

Me And My Family

Neither of us slept very well last night, and Rocket seems to always know when we are having difficulty sleeping as he jumps up on the bed and purrrrrs until we nod off. We listened to his purrrrrrring several time during the night.

This morning Rocket jumped up on the bed once again, stomped across Mr.C's middle and put his nose almost on mine and looked into my face. You see, I was past my usual rising time and he came to check on me, and probably muttering under his breath * you are way late in getting out of bed, it is past my early petting time*

Thanks kitty, you take very good care of your family.

Blackberry Snack Cake

I was craving something made with berries and found some frozen blackberries in the freezer, left over from last summer.
To save a little on the cholesterol, I used margarine instead of butter and 2% evaporated milk.
The icecream also was a lower fat version.

INGREDIENTS:

* 4 tablespoons butter
* 3/4 cup flour
* 3/4 cup granulated sugar
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* dash salt
* 1/2 cup evaporated milk
* 2 cups fresh blackberries
* 2 tablespoons brown sugar

PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 325°. Melt butter in an 8-inch square baking dish in the preheated oven. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and milk in a small bowl and beat until smooth. Pour batter over the melted butter, top with the blackberries, then sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the fruit.

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until browned.

We like to eat our cake warm from the oven with a large scoop of iceceam

Quick, take a Look Before it Changes

Keewee's Corner is second in the Google listing.

Click on picture for larger view.

Our Bunny Friend

A couple of years ago we had three or four halfway tame bunnies who would eat out of our hands, and a few others who would come quite close, especially when we threw them plums.

This bunny we call "Blonde Bunny" is the only one left from last year, who will eat out of our hands.

*Yuk! I don't like spinach*

Blonde Bunny took one bite and went back under the car to wait for me to find something more to his/her liking.

*Now that is more like it! Do you have any more lettuce? *

Grouchy? Nahh, Just keep Smiling.

It is a dull overcast day, and here I thought a little gardening therapy would be just the ticket.
Danged if I am going to garden in the drizzle, getting wet is best done in warm water like a good hot shower or bubble bath.

You really can't stay in a grouchy mood for long when there are all those great blogs out there to keep you amused. I found this link to a bunch of funny commercials over at She Who Must Be Obeyed, and, yes, shamelessly stole, errr, borrowed the link.

If you are in need of a chuckle today go check out:

*Welcome to The Out There world.* A place that is Unlike any Other

No kiddin' the commercials from Tractor Supply Company are a Hoot!

One more thing, you can click on the items in the landscape for some more entertainment, so get over there and check it out.

Sunset over Whidbey

Last night all the windows and doors of our home were open to the silence, warmth and fragrance of the evening. As I sat there listening to the bird's chorus long into the dusk, I was feeling blessed to have experienced this magical time. City life is not for me.

Carnival of the Recipes #95--Generic Version

Riannan over at In The Headlights is hosting this weeks carnival.

Go on over and look at all the delicious recipes, there are pictures too.

You will find everything from breakfast to snacks.

Banks Lake Trip- Part 2

Coming down from the summit (5,733ft) of the North Cascades. The scenery, when you could see it through the rain and low clouds is spectacular, to say the least.

The scenery is vastly different here near Coulee city than up in the Cascades. We are in sagebrush desert country now with a few deep ravines, and in between the Cascades and the sagebrush you drive through acres of winter wheat.

Still driving to Coulee Playland Resort in Electric City, but at least we now see Bank's Lake.

Still not there yet, but Steamboat Rock is not too far from our destination.

Grand Coulee Dam, that means just a few more miles to go. Thank goodness we are nearly there as it has been a six and a half hour drive.

The landscape around the lake is varied. There are sheer rock faces, rocky outcrops with vegetation growing in the crevices, trees I do not know the name of, probably some kind of willow, crowding the banks and the usual cat tails and water plants.

This cut, is named 'lover's lane' it is one of the old roadbeds.

Mr.C with a nice sized bass. The first one he caught right after we arrived at the campground and went out fishing, was 16" long. Of course, yours truly in her haste to get out in the boat, forgot her camera, but we did have a ruler, so that is how I know for sure the size of the bass.

'Sour puss' ( did not get my smile on in time) holding eight nice yellow perch we caught just before leaving for home. We enjoyed them for dinner tonight.

Pot luck time. John is eagerly waiting for the next batch of perch Elaine is cooking.

If there is one thing the Fishin' Club members know how to do beside fishing, it is getting together for a great potluck.We have some fantastic cooks in this group.

Mr.C has more pictures and more information on our trip HERE

Our Bank's Lake Trip

Time is running out for me this morning, I have to leave for work in about 10 minutes. Here is a taste of some of the conditions we drove through before arriving at out destination
We had to travel across the North Cascades on our way to Bank's Lake. There is still snow on the pass and we were drenched in rain sometimes with hail.
Tune in later on this evening for more pictures.

Keewee's Cookies

If the Cookie monster lives at your house, then this is the recipe for you. It makes many cookies. The picture shows about a third of the quantity.

Keewee’s Cookies

Beat for 10 minutes:
1 lb. Butter
1 ½ cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar

Add 3 eggs, and 2 tsp. Vanilla, beat another 3 minutes

Stir in
2 ½ cups flour
1 ½ tsp. Salt
1 ½ tsp. soda
2 cups quick cook oatmeal
2 cups coconut and as many chocolate chips as you like.

Bake about 8-10 minutes at 350F

Rocket's favorite toy.

I dare you to try and take my piece of wire!

Yahoo! We get To Go Play!

Today I will be busy loading our RV, or as Mr.C calls it, our luxurious land yatch, (yeah Right!) ready to leave tomorrow sometime, for our three day camping/fishing/potluck weekend with the Fishin' Club

This trip to Coulee Playland at Bank's Lake, is eagerly looked forward to every year, by the club members.

Some of us do a lot of fishing, some sit around and relax, sleep in the sun or visit with their friends, then on saturday afternoon we all get together for a pot luck feast.

I must get moving and start getting things ready. Hmmmm! I need to pack-- bottle of wine, books, fishin' gear, food, bottle of wine, clothing, sunscreen, bottle of wine, potluck goodies, bottle of wine, You get the idea. Oh! and for you safety minded folks, we DO NOT drink wine out in the boat, that is for evening *relaxin' time and the potluck* And we wear life jackets.
My camera is already packed so I will take plenty of pictures to share when we get back.