Scrub a dub dub

I really wanted to ride. But this time of year? When it's 80 degrees? Time for baths! This could be the last bath day this year.

24 September
These things can go either way. Turns out today L was quite agreeable. Sometimes she can be a real stinker!

I like the Cowboy Magic stuff. Mostly because it rinses out so thoroughly in cold water. I use the rosewater formula with L.

Squeaky clean!
I love a clean horse. Of course she won't stay that way for long.

Not dogs

These are not dogs.

I love that guy's back yard.
These. Are Hounds.

Hounds
And these are not horses.

Not Horses
Those. Are Ponies. Polo ponies!

Polo in the Country
Sunday was Polo in the Country hosted by the Norfolk Hunt Club.

18 September 2011
It was a most beautiful day and we all had a great time. It's the event of the season and, as usual, the hunt club did a really fine job hosting the event.

I just love polo ponies.  They really do love the game and they know their stuff..

Happy pony

Close to the action

Really close to the action
Tailgating a polo match puts you really close to the action. You have to have your wits about you and pay attention!

Tailgating

Master of the hunt
Half time included a demonstration of the hounds. Everyone *loved* the hounds. And I have to admit I just love hearing them bay in the distance.

We all had a grand time and we're looking forward to next year. Maybe we'll compete in the tailgate contest!

Spring 2011

My picture of Spring 2011.

Sunday 15 May 2011
The 15th of May was a cool, damp, rainy day. Sunday. Sometimes I run on Sundays. I didn't ride - I went for a run that Sunday afternoon. I passed this car parked under a flowering tree. I have no idea what kind of tree. Maybe a crab apple or a cherry tree. But this was the day this tree had dropped most of its flowers and the car had been parked there under that tree long enough to be covered with the dropped petals. I liked it. I decided if it was still there when I was done with my run I'd go back and get my camera.

As it turns out, for me, that's the picture that says "Spring" to me.

This merits an honorable mention however.

My pond, Sunday 8 May 2011, 10:12 am
This is *clearly* Spring. This picture almost makes me smell Spring.

And here, This is just a pallet by the door. It's the newness of the leaves that makes me think Spring.

Pallet. 21 May 2011

Week in review

I take the week off over the 3 day weekends during the summer. Usually I have stellar vacations.

It was off to a promising start!

Ride now?
The weekend was very nice and I caught a couple of lazy rides. A little too lazy. So on Monday we stepped it up.

I like to go English when it's hot out. I don't know that it makes much difference really but I feel better about the lighter load. My stock saddle weighs a ton!

Sweat!
We really did some serious work. We do that every once in a long while.

Tuesday it rained so I went off on a Big Mac Road Trip.

I *love* Big Macs!
And then...it rained. And rained. And rained. Freezing cold too. Did I mention the rain? It poured buckets! Well at least I had electricity.

Look at the pollen! In September?!
I've never seen pollen in the river this time of year. This is a common sight in May but not in September.

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Seasonal Ingredients

The Farmer's Market is *the* place for seasonal ingredients and of course I love seasonal ingredients.

Franklin MA, 9 September 2011
I think ratatouille is to Summer what beef stew is to Winter. And this is my favorite ratatouille recipe!

Ratatouille on the stove
Made with field fresh produce this is just Summer on a plate. No that's not summer squash. It's one of those golden zucchinis. I like ratatouille as a main dish with some chianti or better yet, anything at all from the Languedoc region. I had this a few weeks ago with a Minervois and it was sensational.

And I made a discovery!

SoCo Creamery vanilla
These people here at SoCo Creamery make the most awesome ice cream I swear.

Every year

Come Labor Day I wonder where the summer went. I mean really. It seems Memorial Day was a few days ago! Oh of course I know summer isn't over just yet but unofficially Summer is over. Even though it's not quite Fall yet.

At least this lifted my spirits...

6 September 2011
Of course I love apples. These look like Macoun. AKA Best. Apple. Ever. But I'm not sure.

And these I think are either Fuji or Gala.

Apples!
I was really surprised how far along all these apples were.

Actually I do like this time of year. The days are mostly pleasant. The nights are cold. We can stop and enjoy tree ripened peaches and soon it will be comfort food season.

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I like this picture. Of course one can enjoy this dish anytime but this picture says Summer to me. That's a huge platter I usually reserve for pot luck parties.

Yes yes I know. It needs bread.
I had my heart set on mussels and I must have stopped at 3 different supermarkets to find mussels. I don't know for sure what makes "Napolitana" or "Neapolitan style" but there's *always* tomatoes and garlic in there. And often enough celery and onions. Neapolitan style is a peasant style. No wonder I like Neapolitan style dishes.

Fried

Speaking of tomatoes. Lots of tomatoes. I decided to see what this fried green tomato business is all about. I never had fried green tomatoes!

I tried a couple of recipes. A couple with egg wash and breading. One with some corn meal. I wasn't impressed. I had a heck of a time with the breading slipping off.

Then I found a recipe I thought I might like. It called for letting the tomatoes sit in some salt and sugar for 30 minutes or so. I used a green heirloom tomato and honey.

Sitting in salt and honey
I dried them and I dredged them in flour seasoned with cayenne pepper. I let them sit a while. Maybe 5 minutes. Then I fried them until they were golden brown.

Actually...very good
These were good. Not amazing but I'll have them again.

Culinary adventures

It's been a good year for tomatoes. I love tomatoes and I have more tomatoes than I know what to do with. I have baskets full of tomatoes decorating the house.

It was a year or so ago when an acquaintance of mine had so many peppers he was sick of peppers and said help yourself. I came home with a paper shopping bag full of peppers. What to do with all those peppers! I roasted a bunch of them. Green ones, purple ones, red ones, yellow ones.

I had *never* had roasted peppers before. I've seen them in jars and was never moved to try them. It struck me like a jar of pimentos. Hard to believe I'd never had roasted peppers.

I coated maybe a dozen of them with olive oil and put them in a 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes. In 10 minutes I couldn't believe how wonderful they smelled.

I don't think I've gone a week without roasting peppers since. I love roasted peppers.

And I love roasted tomatoes just as much!

After 2 hours in a 350 degree oven

Have this with antipasto. Eat it with a fork. Pinch a little bit of grated cheese on it. Or some goat cheese. I'll freeze some too.

I fix roasted vegetables often.

Of course the point is - try new things!

Storm report

It was a little breezy and wet.

28 August 2011 9:10 am
I lost power around 9:30.

It really was raining like a .. um, well..it was raining buckets.

Pouring rain
Some trees and wires were down. Thankfully there wasn't much traffic...

Branches and clutter

Big old trees came down here and there
Some small trees came down around the barn. Kind of funny. There'd be a gust of wind and a loud crack and all the horses would pop over their doors all bug eyed. One really needed their wits about them picking stalls!

Small trees downAnd this used to be a corn field.

Total loss I think
Still no power at dinner time. Good thing I love Chef Boyardee. I didn't have the good sense to have a book handy. I saw the damaged lines down the street and it looked to me like about 30 minutes work to restore power. I figured the power would be back on any minute. After all. They said they were ready for this. (They = the combined electric utility companies)

So I passed the time for what I thought would be a short while...

That short time became longer.

So I hit the National Geographics. I have every National Geographic back to March 1960 and when I'm *really* bored they provide hours and hours of amusement.

I mean look!

Here, thanks to Bell Telephone, back in 1962 The cook has everything she needs.

And, after dinner, in 1961, while the cook did the dishes, the man of the house could Tune out trouble with a Zenith TV! Anybody remember Red Skelton?

And look carefully at that advertisement and note the Space Command remote control. That was the very first remote control - it was mechanical. It used ultra sound. In 1961 I think that was a second generation improved model.

And this was air travel back in the day? Really?

Gregory Peck?!
I was lucky. Very lucky. I got power back at 1:30 Monday morning. I threw out some crab and some goat cheese. I'm told getting into some bad shellfish is one of life's worst experiences so I didn't feel it was worth it. The goat cheese might have been on its way south before the power went out.

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Rant alert!

I am appalled. Positively appalled. With the electric utilities here. This wasn't a bad storm and they were "prepared". I have nothing to complain about. I went for 16 hours without power. There are many people around here went 4 and 5 days without power and some people still don't have power.

It was not a bad storm. It was a passing tropical storm almost 90 miles inland, 60 miles from here. It got breezy for a few hours. It rained like crazy. Our electric utility companies reassured the public they were ready. And what I find appalling is the fact that after the storm, while some trees were down and some lines were down, and roads were closed, the utility company crews were nowhere to be seen.

We have old trees and all of our services are strung along telephone poles. The wind blows and wires come down. I can't emphasize it enough: all week long I've seen two utility trucks. In storms past I've seen those crews out in convoys and I've seen them work like pit crews to restore service and they're to be commended for that.

But regarding tropical storm Irene (60 miles away) they should be ashamed.

And we should all be concerned about what will happen when we have a real storm come through.