and i, i took the path bears traveled by...

hello!  hope everyone's had a fun few weeks.  we've been some hiking fools these last two weekends, and it has been super exciting.  what a beautiful place this Wild West is!  who knew?  yes, i'd always imagined the beauty of The West, but i've always been quite smitten with the ocean.  the Rockies and the Tetons and the rest of the gang are closing in fast on my old friend, the Atlantic.  while that beautiful, peaceful, curling and tumbling ocean will always be a favorite, it has a new roommate in the top slot.  i mean, this is hard to beat.  

two weekends ago we hiked Table Mountain, which put us up at 11,000 feet, and a mile away from Grand Teton.  I've been on the other side of this picture, and seen it up close, but always by car, or a short walk from a parking lot.  This was way different, and I'm so grateful to have been part of such adventure.  We hiked one of two routes to this point--"the steep one"--and it was challenging.  the aspen groves and wildflower meadows are such a great distraction!  the other route is called Huckleberry Canyon and i vote we go that way next time (i'm hoping there actually are huckleberries there).  the steep routes are always worse coming back down.  my knees and ankles protest vehemently!  

anyway, we're hiking up 

and up 

and up, 

a total of about three miles with an altitude gain of just over 3,000 feet, and we come to this:

i know that big old Grand is right over there.  so we make our way  s l o w l y  towards the "table" of Table Mountain (see?) and we're almost there.  once you get to the last part, all you can see is the wall in front of your face.  

you are al. most. there. 

then you take that last step up and -BAM- you see this!

STUNNING, no?!

i will never get tired of looking at this.  want to know something cool?  i can see that tall one--Grand Teton--from my neighborhood.  one state over.  120 miles away.  yes.  i love it here.  

but that was so last week.  THIS week we hiked a very long, very exhausting (okay, i was exhausted before i started) but beautiful trail towards Moose Lake along Moose Creek with a stop for lunch at Moose Falls.  

yes, we saw a moose.    

see her?

 she saw us, too, and i was kind of scared, but all is well (i wish moose were as friendly and goofy as they looked.  they're so not).  

there were some cool sights and a 

gorgeous view of the waterfall. 

i mean, we're standing on the edge 

of the canyon, in front of the falls, 

and it's just amazing.  

we had lunch here, at the 6.1 mile mark, then decided to go on further to Moose Lake.  about a mile later we all ultimately decided to turn around (thank you!), but not before we saw what i've been waiting and waiting to see.  

we're going along the trail, all eight of us, and i see meadow to the right, meeting up with a few bushes and the tree line, and green grass and rocks stretching to the left and beyond, up a hillside.  i'm in the back, where i usually am on the trail, and we see the other six of our group stop ahead.  what do they see?  why are they stopped?  they turn and look at us, pointing to the right.  they whisper something.  "WHAT?" i whisper back.  duh.  whispering on the trail.  this can only mean...

...yep, it is.  my first on-the-trail out-of-the-car BEAR.  eeeeeeeee!!!!!

we watched it for a bit, then realized how small it was and got a little nervous about a momma being around, so we headed on for a little while. 

we finally turned around when i announced my exhaustion and apprehension about going along to the end.  you know that voice that just says you need to rethink things?  the one that tells you, out of nowhere, what to do (or not do)?  yeah, always listen to it.  when we got in the car at the end and drove away, we looked back on black skies and a rainy haze.  the thunder started about a 1/2 mile from the end of the trail.  i am so glad we turned back when we did.  around the same time the thunder started, though, so did the wild raspberry bushes.  i got one ripe one and a huckleberry.  between that and the bear sighting, my day was perfect.  

this place is so full of beautiful scenery and amazing things to do, i am always looking forward to the next adventure.  two of my good friends are coming to visit next week and we're off to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.  we're camping in Yellowstone.  wish us luck!  

till next time.  

happy trails,

kt

Busy Afternoons

look at these!  i got a text yesterday morning from my friend Christina (remember Christina with the peach trees?) asking if i wanted to come over and pick raspberries later in the afternoon.  are you kidding?  YES!  see, raspberries are one of those foods i'd consider a weakness.  i must have them.  and they're worse than potato chips--i am not eating just one.  put them with some chocolate concoction and i'm done.  frozen with tequila and lime juice?  um, yes please.  plain and simple, off the bush in the backyard?  that works just as well.  so i went and i got a quart.  that was all i had time for.  i had to be off to make an early dinner so we could meet some friends downtown later.  i would have stayed for hours.  i would've scored some rhubarb, too, but i forgot about it and forgot to take it home.  i was so excited about my berries i got a little tunnel visioned...  oops.  i'm perusing Pinterest for some recipes; in the meantime they are freezing in their single layer on a wax-papered cookie sheet (will Pinterest never stop providing me with terrific hints and ideas?).  what shall i make?  freezer jam?  sorbet?  this summery cocktail?  hmmm.  i'll let you know what happens.  i've been invited back for when the rest are ready to be picked.  i cannot wait!


then this afternoon, i got some stuff done!  i'm feeling very motivated lately--it's so exciting.  my house is clean, things are getting sewn, the grass is mowed, garden weeded, laundry done AND put away, and i made my nephew his birthday present.  oh, and i went and picked up three old windows i found on craigslist for $5 each.  woot!  

i made little D this super cute thing i saw on Pinterest (it never ends!).  it's a Super Hero Fort Kit and it is too fun.  it originally came from meg + andy and i knew instantly i had to make it for him.  this blog has loads of cool things and i appreciate the idea for this kit.  i sewed a D on the front, and am calling it an Instant Fort, but the super hero idea is so cute.  his brother is the one into super heroes, so i thought i'd make it something else for him.  i also added a Where's Waldo book (he's not a reader just yet), some gummy bears and chocolate milk straws.  you've gotta have something to do in the fort!  it turned out okay.  i like her bag and sewing skills better, but it's not bad for my first one.  i need to figure out the drawstring concept.  the inside is what counts, right?  it was fun to make, and i hope fun to get.  maybe he'll let me play in it when i see him next.  

i'm pretty happy about getting two (late) birthday presents done in the same week.  uh, not to mention two blog posts in a row.  wowzuh.  hopefully i can keep up this momentum.  

holding down the fort,

kt

              

it's not too late (is it?)...

good morning.  so seven months have passed since my last post.  HUGE surprise.  lots and lots of activity, exploring, and travel have happened.  i feel like g&m is always in the back of my head, no matter what we're up to, so i haven't entirely neglected my duties.  okay, i have.    those pictures i take "so i can put 'em on the blog" still haven't made it here, and i haven't posted a single word.  but here i am, and i've got loads to chat about.  


i did organize my kitchen and i am proud of that.  after pictures?  none.  mostly i'm afraid if i put after pictures, i'll never keep up my newly organized kitchen space.  well, it was new in january, when i posted about it.  and y'all can forget about the hall closet.   it's finally warm and if i don't have to open it for a scarf or a coat, i ain't opening it.  let's worry about that in the fall, shall we?  i only open it to get out the vacuum, and as long as that fits in there, i'm satisfied.  


in the meantime, there's been two batches of homebrew, a handmade apron,  guinness cake, a garden, travel back to the east coast, a rain-and-snow-filled hike & camping trip, a rafting trip down the Salmon River, a visit to Yellowstone & the Tetons, so much beautiful Idaho scenery, and a ridiculously full "Things to Do" board on pinterest (so many, many ideas!).  i will get on top of all that soon, but i must show you what i did on monday.  


i found an adorable skirt on made, and HAD to try it.  it looked easy enough, and i need easy to get started.  if you haven't noticed by now, i find it extremely hard to start anything.  if i don't start it, i can't fail it.  i have got to end this thought process.  anyway, the little skirts she made are super cute, so i gave it a whirl.  i made three.  woo hooooo!  

my first one!
 i started it sunday, and after completely finishing it,
 i realized i stacked it inside out...
fixed it in the morning, and was motivated to keep on sewing! 

the second skirt--double stitching on the hem!

i'm so proud of this stiching!
bias tape is not my friend, but i won this battle!

they're bouncy and cute, and i hope they fit my little niece.  i can't wait to send them to her.   


till next time,
kt

i resolve to...

hello hello, and happy 2012!  all the best to you; may your year be fruitful, fun, and healthy.  


i was just trying to come up with a better post title, and started thinking about the word "resolve."  i'm taking it apart and making it work for me.  this year i will again try to solve my problems.  shall i call them shortcomings?  issues?  things i wish i did better?  the prefix re- means again.  solve again.  tell me you've never made the same resolution two years in a row.  


every year i say i'm going to run more, organize better and sort out my world, be on time (HA!), and get myself together.  i'll be less scared of myself, i'll practice what i preach, finish what i started.  i'll do more.  this year i added Blog More.  i'll put that under finish what i started, but call it continue what i started.  


in 2012 i'm also going to make my YMCA membership worth it, get out of the house sooner, and finish the "organizing" i started in my new house.  today it starts with the kitchen and the hall closets.  there, now it's in stone.  i said it so i have to do it.  i'm going to try to post before and after pictures.  okay, that's in stone to.  i will post before & afters.  with my new camera my Mr. bought me for Christmas.  sweet!


hopefully my trying the same solutions again this year will be successful.  here's to resolutions!


cheers,
kt

success!

so, it did snow.  and snow and snow.  however, at the same time the wind would blow and blow and blow.  it didn't add up to much, but all the road signs were unreadable thanks to horizontal snow.  they say we're in for it this weekend, though, so we'll see how it goes.  it is COLD anyway, but somehow that doesn't seem so bad when it's actually supposed to be cold.  30 in Charleston was plain misery, but here it's just cold.  it's not so terrible when it makes sense...  i think i'm saying things out loud that i will wish i hadn't in about a month or two.  woops!


the cold has persuaded me to get down to business and utilize my new sewing machine.  my sweet husband got me one for my birthday!  i've sewed two pillows, but the one i did this afternoon has a pattern and turned out well (if i may say so).  when i'm completely done with the first--it needs a particular embellishment that i'm pretty excited about--i'll share that as well.  it occurred to me once i was done that i should've been scared of a pattern; it's good that i wasn't.  i'm famous for not doing things because i'm too afraid to start them.  i've finally realized started to believe that the worst thing that could happen is i start over or redo it.  the best that could happen is that it's a success.  there's no in between, so i need to DO more often.  someone remind me of that every so often, please?  thanks.  it even has a zipper--woot!

the front--it reminds me of my favorite zinnias

the back

i found this fabric at wal*mart, of all places.  nothing there has ever really caught my eye and made me so happy, so i was pretty stoked when i saw it.  i've been looking for a particular color scheme, but no specific pattern that i could put my finger on, so when i saw it as i was walking by and got that "oooooooh--look!" feeling, i knew i had to go for it.  it will be fabulous in our den, with its pattern that matches just enough.  i'm pretty pleased with it.  on to more!  

Let It Snow!

i think we're about to get our first "big" snow.  well, our first forecasted snow.  it snowed here on october 5th, and was all gone by that saturday, the 7th.  it had rained most of that week, and we were supposed to get a cold, rainy few more days, but there was no talk of snow at all.  i'd finally broken down and turned on the heat that morning when it was 63 degrees in the house.  then i looked out the window and couldn't believe what i saw.  it was coming down.  we got a few inches as part of a freak pre-season West Coast snow--Mammoth, California, got dumped on, and many other northern California towns were trying to figure out what in the world had just happened.  it was strange putting out Halloween decorations with the snow falling outside...  I was drinking hot chocolate from a witch mug.  weird.


people here keep saying the snow will come the beginning of November; that seems to be true.  there's an alert ticking across the bottom of the Weather Channel screen, and the radio mentions that there will be a big change in our day.  it's changing all right.  


this morning i was out and about at just before nine, and it was chilly--about 30--but was getting warmer by the time i'd finished my third errand.  the sky was blue, without a single cloud.  it was so clear, i could see the Grand Teton peak from our neighborhood.  it's usually pretty clear here, but every so often it's clear enough out there that she's standing out.  for a little perspective, Grand Teton is about 120 miles away.  beautiful sky!  anyway, as the day goes on a few clouds have rolled in, stretched across like torn cotton.  still blue, but getting cloudier.  i couldn't see the peak, or any of the range, by about noon.  


fast forward to 5:00...  my internet went on the fritz for a little while this afternoon; i'm just getting it back.  since around 3:00 we've gone completely gray, no blue and the wind has been picking up progressively since around one.  crazy.  it was 54 degrees at 3:00. it's 46  now.  i'm ready!  well, not really.  i have bread and milk and toilet paper.  is that ready?  


here's what scares me a bit about the impending Idaho Winter.  i looked out the front window and saw my neighbor putting up Christmas lights.  this is what went through my head:  what?!  it is november fourth, why is he putting up Chr--oooooooh.  because if we don't do it now we won't be able to.  uh oh.  my hunch is that he won't turn them on till it's time, but they are up because the snow starts tomorrow and doesn't melt before Christmas.  crap.  no, not ready.    i'm pretty sure hoping he's only getting really prepared, but that definitely struck fear in my heart.  maybe we won't get too much--there are differing forecasts--but i'd like to see some this weekend.  i'll let you know what happens. 


where's my hot chocolate,
kt


UPDATE:  it's snowing!!!  58 minutes since i finished this post!!!  

millions of peaches...

*um, an update of sorts.  this post is from THREE YEARS AGO!  i always wonder what happened to it when i'm hunting that recipe.  i just saw it with the word "draft" next to it in my blogger app.  hmmm...  so weird.  anyway, enjoy!*

...peaches for free.  anyone remember that song?  loved that band and have some fun memories of riding around in my best friend's Cutlass, listening to Presidents of the United States of America on a tape player.  

so, fast forward to these days, and i'm reminded of that song when my new friend Christina (also just moved here from Charleston, but i only met her once there--our husbands worked together and both transferred out here this summer) invited me over to help rescue what seemed like millions of peaches from a branch that had fallen from the peach tree in her new backyard.  i'm excited to have her here and really enjoy her company so i was thrilled to head over and visit.  when she opened the door to let me in, she began singing that song.  *grin*  we're going to get along really well.  


i left with a plastic grocery bag bulging with peaches and headed straight to my kitchen.  i had a pie in mind!  i found a ridiculously easy pie crust recipe a couple of months ago and had tried it once with success.  hand picked peaches and scratch-made pie crust?  yes please!  so i blanched, peeled, sliced and baked and ended up with this yumminess.  just in time for my first in-law visit, by the way.  good times!

the crust is so easy!  y'all, you mix it in the pie dish and bake it right away.  there is no chilling, no butter, no waiting.  i love a great, time-cosuming crust, but this one is great when you get a sudden craving and NEED a pie TONIGHT for dessert (or with lunch?)!  you can use olive oil and a little less salt/more sugar for a savory-ish crust, or leave it as is if you'd like.  i've also linked to the recipe above so you can  see recommendations and suggestions.  enjoy!

i found a recipe online for a rhubarb pie a few summers ago, and have NO idea where i found it, but i scribbled it down on a post-it and have used it every time i want a pie.  i usually use peaches & blackberries instead of rhubarb (i can never find it!) and keep the rest of the ingredients the same. i think it works out well.  

the easiest pie crust in the world

here they are if you'd like to try:

the crust:

1 1/2 C all purpose flour

2 T sugar

1 tsp salt

1/2 C vegetable oil

2 T milk

mix all in a pie dish, then pat and poke across the bottom

and up the sides of the dish.  bake at 400 for 15 minutes.

peach filling

the filling:

4 C rhubard (or other fruit--

i've used peach/blackberry mix 

and just peaches before)

1 1/3 C honey

7 T flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp butter

mix the first four ingredients in a bowl, 

then pour into prepared crust.  

bake at 450 for 10 minutes, 

then put the butter on top and 

continue baking at 350 for 50 minutes.  

backyard peaches + scratch crust = fabulousness

and there you have it!  my first dessert for my in-laws.  they said they liked it!  *wink*