We do live in the mountains!!!!!

You just get used to your surroundings.  Complacent?  Lackadaisical?  Maybe.  It still surprises me to have people talk about a mountain lion down the road from us, attacking and killing someone's prized sheep.  Or someone's puppy being picked up and taken off all from a mountain lion or a bob cat.

Well ,last week they caught the mountain lion and had pictures of him in the newspaper.  Saddened my heart that they put it down.  We do live in the mountains!!  I told my dad about the mountain lions being in the area and he just looked at me and said "I wouldn't live there, they can attack you and you not even know it". (I thought to myself, I think I would know it when it is attacking me.) Well that was unsettling, so for the next couple of days I was actually nervous about leaving my house even to go to the garage.

But I figured (self-justification) that if a mountain lion would attack me, he would have to be pretty desperate and be half crazy and surely we don't have crazy mountain lions here, so I am safe!

But this year, I have to tell you, I have seen A LOT of coyotes, I am averaging two to three a day.  I try to keep my camera on the table by the window so when they come up my hill, I can catch them.  I know they are stalking my chickens...so every day I am double checking and triple checking my coop.

Andy is working on a house a couple of doors down yesterday and calls me and says "There is a coyote coming down the road and he is BIG!"  I grabbed my camera and waited, NOTHING!! That is ok, I have plenty of coyote pictures to last me and you a while

These were taken yesterday after he (she)  leisurely went past the chicken coop for the second time, I wonder how many times he came by that I didn't see?

I think she is a girl, what should I name her?

Oops!  This is the one in November, however, belief it or not, it did snow yesterday, and it's May!  But as soon as it hit the ground it was gone, but what a beautiful picture huh?

She was moving at a really good clip.

Goin right past my neighbors, move on coyote!

Now just have to be careful with the rattlesnakes, after all we do live in the mountains!

Construction-It Never Ends!

Guess what I got for Mother's Day?

I hope everyone's Mother's Day was special.  Mine was Great!  I had the nicest Mother's Day because of ONE particular item that was on our to do list.

We are big on construction.  We are ALWAYS working on something.  That keeps us going.  Weather warming up and knowing that the front will be our focus this summer, we have been wanting to restain our deck.  Now it looks like it would be a easy thing to do, right?  WRONG....

This is how the story goes.

We put a beautiful redwood deck in two years ago, it is over 1,000 square feet, which is huge!!!  Love it!  Well the deck needed to be stained soon after installing it, easy enough right?  WRONG!!!!  Ok play by play of what we did. 

Staining, step 1

When you go to stain a deck, remember these important  details.....
Take the stain with a sponge on a handle and dip it VERY carefully in the stain and start at the beginning of the wood, continuing all the way to the end.  Then go to the boards next to it (we can do two at a time) and continue all the way down again.  Now this sounds elementary, however, what we did was stain areas at a time which meant that when we were ready to do the second segment we overlapped the stain which looked awful!!!! 

And let me tell you nothing works unless you sand it all the way down, because if you just try to sand it where it is overlapped, it will look awful!  Also, don't try to power wash it, especially on the narrow setting, I have found that the wood splinters!!!!  I also thought it would be cute if I decided to write my name in with the power washer, Andy didn't think that was too funny.  I did until I had to take a sander and try to sand my name out of the deck, crap!

So, we decided last year just to let nature takes it course and naturally bleach out the color and it did.  So now this past weekend we tackled it.

Cleaning step 2

Andy asked me to take the pressure washer, this time with a different nossel and wash the deck, he said it would take a few hours, NAW!!!  I had that thing washed in 15 minutes.  Andy walked up to me and asked "How far have you gotten?"  I told him I was done!  He just looked at me, I hate that look!!

He further instructed me that EACH board had to be pressure washed to take off the stain and get to the bare wood.  WHAT?  That will take HOURS!!!!  So he took over the pressure washer and six and a half hours he had it done!  Boy, was he sore!!!

Mother's Day we brushed and brushed the deck off and put on the new stain, I say we but we all know it was Andy.  Four hours later he had the front finished.  Now I am not mentioning that we had winds come up to about 30 miles per hour and ugly storm clouds with the wind chill about 35 degrees!!!! 

But it got finished and all I can say is:


IT IS BEAUTIFUL!!!!!

I took pictures of it so you can see the difference between the two.

Tomorrow we tackle or should I say he tackles the side deck!  I am very happy with the color I picked out too, it will blend really well with the dirt.

The nice thing about this is  that now we have corrected the problem and know how to stain a deck the correct way, next year we will only have to power wash it like I did and not for six and a half hours!

See the difference between the two?

Looks like two different pieces of wood!  Incredible difference!

This is the one that was powered washed and just treated the railing can't wait to get the pictures of it tomorrow!!!

You would think that the way the sunlight is hitting this it is an illusion, but it isn't.  that is the WAY difference in wood. WOW!!!!

More pictures of the transformation to come....

Autism Day- April 24th. Day of Tears of Joy and of Thankfulness at Double Six Ranch

I have been putting pictures together of the Autism Day held at the Double 6 Ranch in Apple Valley.  My last post had the fundraiser with pictures of the events that took place.

I didn't know what to expect, except for what we witnessed on the day of the ride, which was an incredible experience.

I was not able to get there as early as I wanted, I was thinking 8am, however, my body told me different.  We were able to get there around lunch time with camera in hand and anticipation.

The group took the kids out to the arena and let them play with the cows.  There was one boy I couldn't resist to take pictures of.  He was determined to get a hold of this cow and show it who's boss:

See how he is making his plan, go from behind......

Naw, let him see you come right up to him...

Grab him by the tail....let him know who is taking control......

Now you take him for a walk, or he takes you for a walk....

Hold on.....

Uh oh the cow is walking a little faster......

Awwe!  And the cow keeps walking!  But you know what makes this little guy a real cowboy?

He gets right back up and does it again!  Little man, you are why I LOVE Cowboys! 

After this, I walked over to the round pin to watch what was going over there.  There was this other young gentleman was had never seen a horse before.  For this special occasion they were going to bring in Goliath!  GOLIATH!!!!!! What in the world!  I am looking around and when I wasn't looking they brought the beast in!

I whip my head around to see this monster and this is what I saw:

Are you ready?

I laughed and laughed!!!

Many of the children that attend this day have never touched a horse before.  With the kindness of the Double 6 Ranch and working with these children they overcome so many obstacles.  

This young man arrived with his family and he was in the arena with a few cowboys.  Ty brought in the Goliath the mini, asked him if he would like to touch the horse, No. Asked if he would like to walk the horse, No.  Then Ty asked if he would like to walk with Ty and the horse.  The young man did walk beside him and around the arena he went.  Then the young man's hand stretched out and he petted the horse.  Everyone that was watching held their breath.  They walked a little further and the young man touch the mane. The walk continued and then the young man reached for the halter and pushed Ty's hand away, he wanted to walk the horse by himself!  I was in tears at this time, in fact, so was everyone else.  The gift that this little mini gave to this young man was something you can't buy!

Now, at the end of the walking, the young man looked at Ty and asked if he could bring it home!  He even asked his mom!

I could write story after story about the day and all the miracles that I witnessed, so instead of writing them all out, I would love for you to share it first hand on the last Saturday of the month.  Their barn doors open to all!

As I have said before, I am excited about being a part of this great program and can't wait until next time!


Make sure you put on your calendar to join us for the fundraiser on the 15th!

In my Backyard...Double 6 Ranch - Apple Valley

I was on Craigslist the other day, just looking, one of my favorite sites is the farm and garden section.  Maybe a few more chickens, maybe a horse or two, maybe, who knows...that is the fun of it, just looking.

I found this:  

The Double 6 Ranch invites you to:

Autism Awareness Day & Rides

Saturday, April 17th

Sign In & Registration at 10am
4 hour Scenic, Guided, Horseback Ride starts at 12:00pm
Dinner served at 5:00pm

 Relax by the Bonfire 'till the cows come home!

$40.00 pre-sale / $50.00 at the door: to bring your horse and including dinner. 

Horse Rentals available for $65.00 and include your horse and dinner.

Want to attend, but don't want to bring your horse or do not have a horse?
Ranch Passes are $25.00 and

include admission into the ranch and dinner.

I read it and then I read it again.  A WHOLE day for $65.00!  Serious?  So, I emailed them and inquired about the price and it is exactly what is reads.  Their website is Double6Ranch.   Check this website out it is really neat.

I went ahead and paid for it and marked my calendar boy were we excited!

All I can say before I write this experience, now, afterward's, is that it was one of the most memorable and pleasurable events I have done in years.  This group is truly some of the nicest, accommodating, and very giving, They were wonderful!

We arrived there around 9AM, greeted by Emma, who introduced us to Ty who owns the Ranch.

They showed us which horse we would be riding for the day, clarifying the skill of riding, which made me feel really comfortable.  I am always VERY leery or you could even say scared of getting on a horse that I have never been on, especially since the accident a had 10 years ago, BAD!! (The horse RAN me into a tree and kept running, 4 broken ribs, concussion and the worst bruising I have ever seen).

They gave Andy Poco who as they say an incredible Gymkhana horse, which was right up his alley!

They gave me Cash, who by the way he was 16 hands!!! Got on him with a help of a chair and he was the best behaved horse!  (More on that, in a minute).  Now don't laugh at my helmet, I had no idea that it was crooked and it takes a very secure women to wear this:

  
Once everyone was saddled up and ready, which were 17 riders, we took off.  The desert was the prettiest I have EVER seen, boy did I get my fill on desert bloom.  WOW!!!!

Cash decided that he needed to be very cautious with me and took his time in walking, to the point that the guide (who was an absolute sweetheart) and I had our own group,  There was no way that horse was going to scare me and he was the perfect gentleman.  I did the 4 hour tour, worried that when I finally got off his back and I wouldn't be able to walk, at first yes, but it did get easier.

Back at the Ranch, we were waited on continuously everyone making sure we were comfortable.  The dinner was catered by Overton Meat Company, which was WOW, good food, good fellowship, who could ask for more.  By that time, everyone were like old friends.

After dinner, we went over to the corral and played with the steers, I was a dynamo!!!!  I roped one that couldn't be roped by ANYONE (actually, nobody tried, except Bill).  I was so proud of myself!  The bull was in love with me, and wouldn't leave my side, so much for being the great roper!

The bull was in love with me, and wouldn't leave my side, so much for being the great roper!

I nicknamed him Norman and wanted to take him home!  AWE!

It looks like a lot of fun, doesn't it?  Hey, do you see the llama in the background, is that llama for roping or riding?  I want to try, BOTH!!!!


When all was done it was time to have the bon fire!  They brought out marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers!  Cool!

Fire going, sitting around in the desert evening, wow it was soo nice!  After being there all day (almost 12 hours) we said our good nights with the promises of seeing everyone the next week.

What is this ALL about?  Double 6 Ranch explains it the best: 

We believe that horses have great therapeutic value for those afflicted with special needs, and have witnessed "first words" at our program because of our horses. There is nothing more gratifying than that!

Here at the Double 6 Ranch we are proud to host a day for children with autism and/or special needs on the LAST Saturday of every month.

This is a time when special needs children, adults and their families,

have the opportunity to ride horses, learn how to rope, participate in arts and crafts, enjoy the petting zoo and just spend a day at the ranch.

Our program is offered as a free service to our community to promote and bring awareness to autism and other debilitating diseases. 

 I was VERY proud to be a part of the fundraiser and am excited about being a part of this great cause, so I will be there this Saturday to help and to be there to see the magic that is going to happen. 

Can't wait to have more pictures and stories to tell, would love to see you there!

Construction done on the fireplace!

I wrote a couple of weeks ago about all the construction being done in our living room.  Well it is finally completed! 

This was THE best investment we have made in a while.  The average temperature is 70 degrees, we haven't had that warm since the summer!

Shown below is the finished project... Yeah me!

In my Backyard....Who says the desert can't be beautiful!

Today we went down the backside of the mountain and I have been waiting for the spring wildflowers to bloom well they have!  Unfortunately, I had both my cameras in my camera bag and only had my cell phone.

The first one is after a quick but powerful storm came in overnight:

This one I had Andy pull over, wow!

As I said in the post title ,who ever said the desert isn't beautiful!

Ok instead of posting I have been fighting!

Just a quick note: I haven't posted in a while due to the fact that I am fighting to get my pictures back on my blog. For the past almost 6 months the pictures are GONE!!!!

So my friends, bear with me, because I have been spending HOURS on this!

In my backyard….Original Del Taco

We go to Vegas A lot!  I do have to say that after all these years that drive still intrigues me.  There are secret places that people do not even exist…Are you kidding me??????  you are probably saying right now.  No, I am serious!  Take this for instance; did you know that the FIRST Del Taco was in Yermo?  Yermo,?????where in the world is that????


Yermo is located on Interstate 15, 17 miles from Barstow and is where the California agriculture inspection station for traffic heading south on Interstate 15.  Very close to the U.S. Army base at Ft. Irwin.
This is where a secret comes in….when you drive home from Vegas you will ALWAYS hit traffic around the inspection road, take Harvard Road exit turn left and then right at the stop sign and travel along the feeder road parallel to the freeway.  It will save you a lot of time and a whole lot of aggravation. When you are traveling, take a look  on the right hand side, you will see the Burger Den which was where the original Del Taco was.
The road goes all the way to Calico Road where the old mining town is now called Calico Ghost Town.  There you will find a couple of gas stations (by the way, they are the cheapest, that is where we stop and get gas) and a Jack in the Box, where we normally stop and get a quick bite to eat, too! Then proceed to the 15 and head on out! 
We try to help out little towns that try to keep their head above the water or rather their nose. 
History lesson: 

“When Interstate 15 freeway opened in 1968, the town of Yermo was immediately bypassed by traffic traveling to and from Las Vegas, Nv. As a result, 90 percent of the local business's were unable to succeed and closed. During it's heyday, Yermo had 27 gas stations with mechanics on duty, 7 bars, 2 grocery stores, a hardware store, a pizza shop, 4 real estate offices, 3 motels, a thrift store, several restaurants, roadside camping sites and 2 parks.^[ In 2009, Yermo played host to 1 grocery/general store, 1 bar, 1 thrift store and 1 park in town and 3 restaurants, 4 gas stations, 1 motel 3 miles south of town. The fast-food restaurant Del Taco was founded in Yermo in 1964 and the original structure remains active as a local fast food restaurant, The Burger Den.”

It really hurts my heart to see this town sleepy.  But great things did come out of here and we are so happy to see this landmark.  Who knew! 

Cabbage with Leeks

I looked at my calendar and saw that St. Patrick's Day was on the 17th, which is tomorrow! You ask, do I celebrate St. Patty's Day?  Only when it comes to food. Give me any holiday and I will think of a meal to go with it, Halloween ='s chili, Easter ='s Ham, Cinco de Mayo='s Tacos, My Birthday ='s crab, 4th of July ='s ribs, see it's that easy!

So, on the 17th when everyone is eating Corned Beef, I do as well, (my findings will be on another post) what do you serve with it? Cabbage of course, but how blah!!!!!!
I found the most incredible recipe from a cookbook my sister sent to me years ago. Actually, of all the hundred's of cookbooks I own, this is one of my favorite's. It is called the Greenbrier Cookbook from the Greenbrier Hotel in West Virginia. I love cookbooks that have history, stories, pictures and of course, great recipes! I made this not knowing the incredible flavor it would have and the requests I have for the recipes is soooo much I have them on note cards to give to my guests when they ask (which is every time).

Simple but elegant: Here is my gift to you for St. Patrick's Day:

Savoy Cabbage and Leeks in Cream
(Don't worry I don't know what Savoy cabbage is either, I just used regular cabbage, just as good)

1 medium head Savoy Cabbage (1 1/2 pounds), cored, and tough outer leaves discarded
1 1/2 Ounces Bacon (about 3 strips) cut into 1/2" strips
5 Medium Leeks (2 pounds) white part only, split and cut into 1/2" slices
3/4 cup Chicken Broth, preferably homemade
3/4 cup of heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Few drops of lemon juice

Separate the cabbage leaves. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and blanch the leaves by boiling them for about 2 minutes. Drain, then refresh under cold running water and pat dry with paper towel. Stack several leaves together and roll them up like a cigar and slice crosswise into 1/4" strips.

In a large saucepan, cook the bacon strips over medium heat until the fat is rendered and the bacon is almost crispy, 3-4 minutes. Drain off most of the fat leaving 2 tablespoons. Add the sliced leeks to the bacon and saute over medium high heat, stirring until slightly softened, about 3 minutes.

Add the cabbage and saute for another minute, stirring to combine the ingredients. Add the stock, season with salt and pepper, cover and simmer, stirring frequently, until the leeks and cabbage are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove the lid, add the cream and simmer uncovered another 10-15 minutes to reduce the cream until slightly thickened. (The mixture should be very creamy, but not runny). Add a few drops of lemon juice, taste, and correct seasoning.

Serve hot.

Now, in regards to the leeks, it took me until this recipe before I tackled these unknown things. What are they? Huge onions, well in a form, yes. So, I took these aliens home, cut them like they said and thought, "wait a minute, I remember something about sand and dirt being in them from the Food Channel". Good thing I remembered that, so I soaked them and boy the dirt and sand that came off of them!!! Please do this because your side dish is not to have crunchies in them! Make sure you swish them when they are soaking and rinse thoroughly!

Let me know your thoughts on the recipe once you make it, I promise this will be a favorite of yours and it makes you look really good!