My first Deer

This last weekend Nathan and I headed up to the family cabin hoping that I could fill my buck deer tag.   We headed up on Thursday afternoon and because it was so late we just drove around looking for deer from the road and stopped to take some fun pictures in the canyon that we love.

 

The next day, Friday, we headed out early in the morning with Nathan's dad David and brother Brian.  We drove the Jeep up a neighboring canyon and continued our search.  By mid-morning we had spotted three good sized bucks and tried to sneak-up on them through the snow, but they ended up spooking over the ridge before we could get up to them.  
For the rest of the day we sat in different locations scoping the hillsides looking for more bucks. 
Eventually sunset started setting in and it got cold so we started heading back down the canyon to the main road.  
Along the way three doe's ran across the road in front of us and we stopped to watch them.  When we looked back from where the doe's came from there were two small bucks following them.  That's when we got excited.  Nathan handed me the 30 30 rifle and I jumped out of the Jeep.  During that time the bucks had come down the one hillside, across the road and back up the other side.  I pulled the gun up to my shoulder, sighted in on the second buck and fired.  The boys said it was a  great shot and we watched as the buck tumbled down the mountain side to the bottom of the ravine by the roadway.
Because it was so cold and was going to get dark soon Nathan and David took care of the buck and we than we headed back to the warmth of the cabin. 
Here are some pictures of me with my buck the next day.  He was originally a 3-point buck but in the tumble down the hillside we managed to brake several of the tips off his antlers so he only looks like a two point in the pictures. 

 

I had a great time and I cant wait to do it again next year.  And a big thanks to my guides Nathan and David.

Happy Halloween!!!

My favorite time of the Year

Why is it you ask that THIS is my favorite time of the year?  It has nothing to do with the date, or that Halloween is tomorrow or with all the other holidays fast approaching.  It has more do with the feeling in the air.  And most importantly in the fact that I feel like making my homemade caramel popcorn. 
Every year around this time I feel a certain drive to make my creamy caramel popcorn.  I usually end up making a couple of different batches between Halloween and Christmas every year.  Not exactly for the holidays but more because they give me an excuse to pull out the air popper and get to work.
The tradition, as with the best traditions in life started when I was a young child.  I have many memories of sitting in the kitchen, all of us sitting around the popcorn popper sorting through the popped and unpopped kernels.  

Four bowls of fresh popped popcorn

Two batches of caramel

Bring it to a boil and than add the sweet and condensed milk

Fresh caramel

Pour over the popcorn

And stir in completely

 

I am glad that I can carry on the tradition and continue to share this amazing popcorn with those around me. 

Happy Tuesday!!

Cooking

Today while I was at Walmart I saw a sign that reads:

 

I was almost tempted to buy the sign and hang it above my oven.  I unlike my sister and my wonderful husband do not find much joy in cooking.  I do try occasionally to work on this problem and to turn my weakness into hopefully someday a strength.  Over the years I have found a few things that I am able to cook/bake/prepare without too many problems.

Those items would include but are not limited to:

• Chicken crescent bundles
• Crock-pot roast
• Homemade from scratch Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo 
• Chicken Stir-fry

And just this week I have added two new dishes to this list:

• Baked Eyeballs Casserole
• Au Gratin Potato's

Nathan informed me that my eyeball casserole is good enough that I should make it the next time my family braves the hour long drive up to visit us for dinner. 
Tonight's experiment of homemade Au Gratin potato's is currently in the oven as I type this and I hope that it turns out at least edible.  Wish us luck tonight as we try it!

Happy Tuesday!!!

This is Halloween!

I am so excited for Halloween.  It has always been my favorite holiday of the year.  I think a lot of the reason for these feelings are because of my Mother.  She has always made Halloween so much fun growing up.  Her home is filled with decorations for the entire month.  Since moving out and living on my own for the last several years I have slowly began building my own supply of fun things to decorate my own home.  Slowly one piece at a time over the years I will eventually also be able to fill my home with the same holiday spirit my Mother does in her home.  
Here are some of my favorite things I have collected thus far...

Meet Iggy. 

I found him while I was attending school in Price. 

 

This wood block sign was given to me by my Mother-in-law last year.

 

And this years addition are bats that I cut out from old X-rays.

I hung several from the lights above our stairway.

And the rest are hung in our front window. 

They are much easier to see when it is dark outside.

 

 

I would love to hear from my readers.  If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions about my blog or about Nathan and I please feel free to leave them here.  Thank you for reading.

 

Happy Thursday!!!

 

Puppy's New Bed

For a few months now Nathan and I have been noticing the increasingly poor state of our dog Jasper's pet bed.  We have watched and watched for sales but new beds are expensive.  I was finally able to find a steal of a deal through Groupon.  And boy is it a good bed.  For only $15 we received an Animal Planet Large Sherpa Memory-Foam Dog Bed that retails for $49.  Plus it came with free shipping! 
Here are some before and after pictures for you to see what exactly I mean.

Before, with his lumpy little bed.

 

After, with his large orthopedic memory foam bed.

 

 

Jasper is a happy puppy.  He didn't get up and shift around in his bed at all last night.  Also I think its so funny to see how little his new bed makes him look.  Just by looking at it you wouldn't think he was a 70lbs dog.  He is spoiled.  And we love him.

 

Happy Friday, again !!!

 

My New Hobby

Two weeks ago I began the adventure of developing a new hobby.  Something fun and exciting, full of suspense and mystery that also brings with it a membership in a elite world wide club.   Any guesses as to what this new hobby of mine is?   If you guess racecar driving, photography, or pogo stick jumping I am sorry to say but you are wrong. 
My new found use of my time the is very enjoyable hobby of knitting!   That is right lady's and gentlemen, I am now a knitter, a weaver of yarn, and soon to be (with much hard work and patience) a maker of knitted stuff. 
Since February my friend Sharon and I have talked about her teaching me how to knit while she was away from work for a few months recovering from surgery.  And even though I would go and visit with her once a week or so during that time; we spent those hours talking and telling stories.  I enjoyed all those visits very much.  Now as those spring and summer months have passed and Sharon has returned to work fully healed we finally made it a point to start lessons.
As I said two weeks ago I had my first lesson.  I met Sharon a her home one night after work.  During that first lesson she taught me how to do both knit and purl stitch as well as how to cast-on a project and how to bind it off when it is finished.  She says that I am a very quick learner, but I give all the credit for how fast I picked it all up on the wonderful patient teacher that she is. 

Many of the supplies Sharon has given me to use and try.

 

Small practice pieces.  Just mastering different stitches.

 

The start of my first official project.  I am making myself a scarf with

alternating white and red stripes.

A close up of the pattern for the scarf.

 

 

I  am very much enjoying this new hobby I am learning and I look forward to expanding my knowledge and skill with Sharons help as the years go by.  

 

 

Happy Friday!!!