Sunday, June 30, 2013

Kitten Fishin'

Two Christmases ago my Mister got a fly rod and we've been itching to use it.  Or learn to use it, as it were.   Last summer flew by, and the fall and spring came and went; it's finally time again.  Idaho is prime trout fishing territory--80% of the trout consumed in the United States is produced in Idaho.  How do you like that?  I learned that on Good Eats about two weeks after we moved here.  We have got to get on the river!  Anyway, the weather finally warmed up, then there was a load of overtime at work, then a stellar vacation back to Charleston, and we found ourselves with a weekend at home.  Yesterday morning, after sleeping in till 9:00 (what?!) and playing with kitties in our newly fenced-in backyard, we went to the library for fly fishing how-to and to the fly shop for fishing line.  When we got home Rob got to work on spooling the reel, but not before untangling the line from the package it came it.  I should mention here that Blackbeard, one of our silly cats, is obsessed with string.  Once when he was exploring the garage (it's our outdoor cat compromise)  he came back in the house with a bungee cord and it's been one of his favorites since.  He's insane for shoelaces, and once nearly destroyed the laces on a pair of rental cross country ski boots.  And he drags them all into his food bowl every day, a strange habit that I don't understand, but I love.  But I digress...  So Blackbeard was chasing the sting all over the place, as it was stretched from the den and across the hallway, back and forth, as Rob was trying to spool it and unknot it, etc., etc.  Too cute.  
Finally it all got sorted out and reeled up, then we went out back ("Now that we have a fence I'm going to practice casting so nobody can see me," he says) and tried to cast.  Here is what ensued.  

helium balloon?  flying a kite?
nope, fishing for kittens.
You need to zoom in.  Do you see his mouth?!  And those talons?!  My favorite part is his shadow, tail straight out.  It's too much!  

Hopefully we'll get a big old cutthroat or steelhead on the end of it, but for now this is fun.  

Tight lines,

KT

Friday, June 14, 2013

It's Plantin' Time!

Good Friday morning!  It's a bit chilly here, and so windy, so I'm inside writing this instead of outside visiting my garden.  Oh well--I need the time inside I think.  I've nearly abandoned the inside of the house over the last couple days.  If I can get the kitchen cleaned and the bed made, we're golden.  

Anyway, we learned the hard way last year that April is too early to plant.  *gasp*  That was so foreign to me--I'd been eating fresh garden tomatoes by then for years!  About two weeks too late someone told us, "Yep, Memorial Day or when the snow melts on Taylor Mountain, whichever happens last."  What?!  For the record all the snow finally disappeared from said mountain in June.  We hiked & camped in the snow over Memorial Day Weekend, an absolute first for me.  So weird! 


With that knowledge this year we waited, and I am glad.  We did put the veggies in at the beginning of May or so, but made sure we bought frost-hardy, Idaho-friendly plants.  School ended the Friday after Memorial Day, so you know what I spent Monday & Tuesday doing!  I raided the local nursery and got busy in the backyard.  


Dahlias are one of my favorite flowers, and I'm glad these are coming up so well.  My zinnias--an absolute favorite--are trying, but I think something's eating them.  I'm working on those guys.  In the meantime, here's my first bloom from the dahlias.  They're so sunny and nice, and I enjoy seeing what color they'll turn out to be.  I've got a red one working on opening, and it will be fun to see what other colors we'll get.  Last year we planted a dinner plate dahlia--those were awesome!   

In other corners of the flowerbed and patio pots, I'm happy to report we're getting our first peony.  I planted a bulb last year and got the plant but no flowers, and this year it came back with one bud (yay for successful perennials!).  That bud is finally starting to open, and I hope it finishes by Tuesday.  That was one of our wedding flowers (that's why I bought it to begin with), and Tuesday is our second anniversary.  How cool would it be to get a bouquet flower on the day we celebrate our wedding?!


Well, that's it from here for now.  Have a perfect Friday, and I hope the weather wherever you are is good, safe, and makes you happy. 


With dirty fingernails,

kt


Thursday, June 6, 2013

Summer!

ahhhh, those warm days.  perfect days, like today.  love 'em.  got to wear a skirt, with flip flops, and opened the sunroof!  woot--i cannot get enough.  I went to Mass, chatted with the gals at school for a bit, went to Pilates, and ran some errands.  There is nothing like doing things that have needed to get done, and all in the same morning.  So nice!  Library books are returned, birthday cards and potting soil have been purchased, oil is changed, and I got to try on fun dresses.  All to a fabulous soundtrack courtesy of the Pat McGee station on Pandora.  

afterwards, I hung out with a gal from work, visiting and chatting student-free while we packed up her classroom (we're getting our rooms painted over the summer).  then we met her daughter & husband for a pint at Idaho Brewing Company before walking over to the art museum to begin the Thursday artwalk.  

it was a fun, productive, and relaxing day.  i had to write it down.  thanks for reading.  

to many more,
kt