It's A Blue Monday

But definitely not in the traditional sense. The sky was an intense blue this morning, as was the lake. And many other things were blue, too.
The one inch of rain that fell between Friday and Saturday was a big boost for all of the flowers and plants out there. Over time, it should help the lake a bit, though as a friend put it: We could use two or three more of those. Still, we're happy with any little bit that comes down.

As I went about my chores today, toting the camera, Greg asked what I was doing. When I explained the blue pictures, he asked for the camera, and contributed the next two. Collaboration at its finest!


Despite the clouds, it was a good weekend. Fishermen and women reported some results in both the walleye and the trout category. Seems the trout are deep, but with the right line, lures and location, success can be found. Paul has been giving it a go the last few days, but so far hasn't found that correct combo. But he said that he is enjoying it.

One more blue thing made it onto the scene. Yesterday morning I baked blueberry scones in the bread oven, again using residual heat from Saturday night. They were mighty tasty, and disappeared after church in a jiffy. That reminds me: We are once again hosting an 11:30 service of the Life in Christ Lutheran church, each Sunday through Labor Day. We love to have guests join us, as we gather outdoors for worship.

The birds continue to chirp merrily, but the hummingbird feeder has been quiet. They must be busy nesting, and wouldn't that be a marvelous thing to see. In this season of babies, we've seen little grouse, toddler squirrels, and a baby bunny. I haven't seen any moose calves, or fawns yet, but will keep an eye out for them.

The only thing that was a sad blue for today was that Blogger was down for a while this morning. My apologies for a delayed posting, but as they say, it was due to technical difficulties. If that was the only bad thing, though, I'd say we're doing pretty well here! Hoping that you are, too.

Sunday Photo: Laundry Day

At a resort, laundry is usually all about sheets and towels. But sometimes it's good to have a change of pace.

There's a Bear in My Oven

Last Sunday, I used the bread oven as a slow-cooker. We made pizza on Saturday night, and when we had finished, I shut the door on the oven to preserve the heat that was still in the bricks. Since adding a layer of insulation last fall, we had heard what a great method it is for long, slow cooking the next day. Sure enough, the opening temp the next morning was 350 degrees--perfect.

I browned up the roast, then set it into a foil-lined roasting pan. Next, I cooked up some barbecue sauce, a recipe that we have been enjoying for years. It is from The Great American Beer Cookbook by Candy Schermerhorn. Key ingredients include plums, tomato sauce, herbs and spices, and of course, beer. I used a bottle of Summit Extra Pale Ale. After pouring the sauce on the roast, I wrapped it well in the foil, and set it in the oven.

Four hours later, I figured it needed to be checked. Armed with my meat thermometer, I opened the door. The interior temperature of the oven was about 275 degrees. The meat tested out at 170, and it was tender and moist. We took it out of the oven, and let it set for a bit. Next I pulled it off of the bones, but really, it fell right off. We ate it for dinner with rosemary roasted potatoes, which also were done in the bread oven. Believe me, it was a feast.

So now we know a little more about our oven, and it is my intention to continue to slow-cook in it the day after our pizza gathering. We would like to invite our guests and neighbors to bring their own food over to try in this setting also. Just give me a call or leave me a comment if you are interested in trying this out some week. On a hot day, it will be a nice way to roast up a meal without firing up the oven in the kitchen. Gotta love that.

Storytelling

In the days that followed my butchering experience, I told the story to a number of people. Family, friends, folks who stopped in to the store...no one was spared the details. Since it was such a new experience for me, I just wanted to share it. Seeing the reactions of my listeners was a delight. For the most part, the women were, I would say, impressed. If that type of thing didn't bother them, they were even enthusiastic about it. The men, on the other hand...well, I don't even know a phrase for being Really Impressed.

One friend stopped in by chance the day after. I was busy trying to set up fencing for the chickens that I had recently acquired. When he heard I had birds, he said he couldn't wait to go home and tell his wife. I asked if he wanted to see them. We got to the henhouse, and when I opened the door, he saw the bear head on the floor. He asked where it had come from, and I told him that I had butchered it yesterday. (I had temporarily stowed it in the bottom of the coop, so that I could prepare a wire cage and put it deep into the backwoods.) I told him about my experience, and he said he really couldn't wait to go home now to tell his wife. "Wait til I tell her! Greg's got quite a woman there! Wait til I tell her!" I just laughed to myself. Wasn't I doing what every person does? You do what you have to do.

Other fellows who stopped in to browse heard my story. They, too, were duly impressed by it. I didn't think it was that big of a deal, but evidently it was. In the end, it even got me an invitation to elk hunting camp in Montana, with friends, later in the fall. My one concern now, though, is that if we get a call on another rogue bear, Greg will turn to me and say, "Why don't you take care of it?" Sometimes there's danger in knowing too much.

Now I have a nice, clean, white bear skull to hang somewhere. I also have the claws, and someday hope to do some beading with them. We have some roasts in the freezer. And I'm hoping that this year's crop of bears are out there having a good life, finding berries, plants and anything else that makes them full and happy.