Monday Miscellany

Pigs fly o'er the Lupine Patch

Odd Man Out

Even Steven

Buds of a feather stick together

Red-headed friends

Evening radiance

Scratchin' buddies

A busy weekend has flown by, and there's more busyness to come.  Welcome to Summer North Idaho, when days are filled to the brim.

Yesterday I gave myself a "no schedule" day, which was nice.  I love life when it simply unfolds, and the unfolding process turned out fun.

Usual watering

A little weeding.

Hauling some old sections of fence on the tractor loader to hiding place behind the big shed.  

Knock down a lone fence post on the way back.  Haul it off to the hiding place.  Fill in the hole.

Brush and remove Kea's back full of tags.  

Take a few pictures.  

Lament at the wussy lupine color show this year.  It looked like it was going to be spectacular, but the blossoms are skinny and not as plentiful as past years.

Pay bills.  This month and next---OUCH.  My first Social Security check doesn't come until the end of July, but PERSI is cutting back on what they give me the first of July.  

This is property tax month.  Need I say more.  

Plus, it's time to renew my passport.  Ten years ago it cost $85.  This year:  $140.  I've also encouraged Bill to apply for his first-ever passport, and he has.  We should both have our packets sent in this week, and maybe later in the summer we can go to Canada. 

With all the outpour of funds, I'm glad the lettuce and chard and onions and radishes are coming on.  We'll be eating a lot of salad.

And, speaking of eating, we felt like foodies last night after our nice drive up Grouse Creek where Bill was scouting out some "fall-downs" for wood cutting. 

We watched that Anthony Bourdain who goes to all those exotic countries and eats all that food. Exotic, to say the least.  Somehow the sight of a head of any kind of critter, baked, broiled or barbecued my desire to eat on. 

While watching Anthony look for the perfect white chocolate beans, we enjoyed a quickly prepared menu of salmon, bratwurst, pork loin steak, potato salad dressed up with the first garden radishes and some more fresh asparagus.

Once more, I must say that baking asparagus in the oven, smothered in oil, butter and seasoned with salt, pepper, a little garlic and topped with parmesan is the best.  The browned asparagus tips are almost like that perfect chocolate for my palate.  Love the stuff, and, sadly, we're down to four spears from this year's crop.

After dinner and time spent outside, we watched dessert on the American bake-off.  

Oh, the pies, especially that mile-high apple and the one with chocolate and bacon.  I was glad that I wasn't eating any dessert of my own cuz the caloric intake of just plain looking at that TV stuff was probably off the charts.

Just talking about food makes me fat, so I'll shut up and wish everyone a happy Monday.