This intense heat wave has enabled us to cook outside and test out the Traeger more than we thought we would. We have had two successes so far. Mike did ribs a few days ago that were just mouthwatering. They cooked for hours and literally fell off the bone. Rhea and I then did chicken breasts that were really really good. We loved the outside but would do smaller breasts next time. Loving the cooker and loving the experiences. Stay tuned for the next experience. . .
The bike or the beast is home. Its first viewing came a few days ago as Lane drove up to Trapper Creek to meet Mike so he could ride it back here. It is a beast. I sat on it today for the first time with the kick stand still intact as I don’t even know that I have the strength to hold it. Do big BMW motorcycles have kickstands?? There are so many gadgets etc that I just don’t even want to know what they all do. All I needed was me with a picture and I’m done. Mike can have all the glory he needs with his bike. I’m just fine to ride my “peanut.”
I’m not really sure how I feel about this one but Rhea loves orange. I think that means the following: her wedding will have orange in it, undoubtedly her home will have some orange decor, she may want me to wear some sort of orange at her wedding but I’m not, would she ever go as far as wearing orange nail polish – hope not, but looking at her face deeply intrigued when seeing an orange Kitchenaid is a frightening realization that I’m just doomed with her color choice.
Mike came home from Fairbanks and I said “you know, it would be so cool to have a Traeger and cook all sorts of things outside” so before we knew it we were at Allen and Peterson buying the Ironwood 885. We are in the figuring out stage, getting the app, buying an assortment of pellets, putting it together, ordering some accessories, hooking it up to WiFi and checking out our first trial cooking run which will be tomorrow. Ribs!!!
The thought came while hanging with friends and talking about our favorites. I love a good hot dog I announced to everyone – one that has mustard and onions. Then while making my way through the craziness of the day I was hungry for lunch and that internal image just pushed me to the A&W drive through. There I saw a sign posted about no large vehicles, trailers etc are to go through the drive through and I vividly remember the day a big camper or motorhome got stuck there. For hours they worked on getting it out. A lesson learned and probably no fond memories of A&W for them like I had today.
I have noticed that there is quite an art to knowing all the wildflowers in Alaska. I’m the type that looks at my “growing things” and questions whether to pull or not to pull. We visited a very nice lady today and I noticed this beautiful stretch of purple flowers along the side of her driveway. I took a picture and sent it to my friend Donna Victors asking her what they were. This was her reply: “Centaurea Montana L.A. perennial cornflower.”
I did a thing. My thing was much to Mike’s dislike but I did it anyway. Our table and chairs are very old and they needed a facelift and I needed something new. So . . . I bought a smaller sprayer than our big paint sprayer and headed outside with all six chairs to do my thing. For those that know me well know that I chose “Restful White” as my paint color choice and I am so very pleased with my “thing.” Next the table legs get painted white and the top gets restrained.
Since Kelcy is on pregnancy bedrest and the days get long lying in a chair I had an epiphany this morning that she should use Mike’s recliner. Mike didn’t mind since he is in Fairbanks and could use a new chair anyway so Bret, David and Lane hauled it next door. His chair has puffy armrests which make it nice for her to roll onto her side for a while. I ‘called’ it when I said that there would be popcorn remains that would fall out of the chair. There was, and a small popcorn trail across the deck as well. Unavoidable popcorn leftovers.
So it is time to set the record straight. Yes, I posted a picture of me standing holding a water ski. No, I didn’t water ski however I can water ski but only with two skis and it has been quite a few years since I have. Yes, I would have water skied but there were too many other hip girls that stole the show so I backed off to avoid old lady embarrassment. Yes, my kids started to make comments about my recreational feats and the comments from there escalated. My friend Ruth took it a step further and posted a picture of someone waterskiing and then she took it another step further and why it is me waterskiing?!!! Look at my form – wow!!
It was a day that I just wanted to stay up and work as late as I could. It wasn’t that I wanted to but because I had so much daylight I felt like I should. I love looking at my watch at ten at night and being startled that it was that late. I’m thinking it is about seven or eight. Oh I could use days like these more often. I love the sun, the light, the full days and 19.21 of daylight. Let’s not talk about December 21st. just yet.
Tara Truly 