Happy Mother's Day weekend 2020

Mother's Day weekend this year was filled with excitement! Here are the highlights...

On Thursday night, Rose lost another tooth! She loved that it was her 8th tooth and she had just turned 8 a couple weeks ago.

Saturday morning I caught an incredibly beautiful sunrise off our deck!

After enjoying the sunrise, I baked a Dutch Baby for breakfast, one of my favorite treats. 

Mike had some errands he had to run in Helena, so Rose and I got to spend the morning together. She is the the undefeated Candyland champ. 

After dinner we got to do our "family walk" down to the garden. I love our tradition of a postprandial stroll each night in May-September.

This particular photo (below) was from a few days prior (5/4), but it shows that our two outdoor cats, Bart (on the right) and Stalker (on the left) usually follow us on our walks on our property. Bart moved here to MT with us in 2017, and Stalker was originally a "garden cat" (like a barn cat, but for our gardens). But last year he and Bart ran into each other and totally bonded. We were glad these two boys had each other and seemed to really enjoy each others company. 

But recently Stalker has been acting weird. Just not himself. He mostly stopped going on walks with us, would meow for lots of attention, and seemed to spend more time just laying in the quonset (where he and Bart have their cozy, insulated house). 

Then, SURPRISE, on Saturday night we found out that Stalker isn't a boy!

Do you see that tiny little kitten?! Stalker is a MOM!

I've had such a mix of emotions over this: shame at being an irresponsible owner who did not neuter her pet and thus contributed to animal overpopulation, embarrassment that I was unable to tell a girl cat from a boy cat (LOL), and a little bit of excitement that we could watch this little kitten grow up.

Rose, meanwhile, is THRILLED. This girl loves cats so much, and she is absolutely in 7th heaven right now. Now she has decided that she may want to be a feline veterinarian (instead of a history teacher or a scientist), and she has been doing tons of research on how to help Stalker take care of her kit. I love seeing her excitement!

Sunday morning we did take a short family hike, per our Mother's Day tradition. 

The rest of Sunday was a blissful day of relaxation for me - I took a bath, read a book, and had a delicious dinner. And, of course, checked on Stalker about 20 more times.

Monday morning it was back to work, after one more quick check on Stalker. 

Lo and behold, there are now TWO kits!!!

Stalker seems to be doing a great job as a new mom, and Bart is usually sleeping with them to keep them all warm. 

Rose has named the kittens Ivy and Jay, after her two favorite characters from the Warriors books that she and Mike have been reading. She and I would both hang out with the "Quonset clan" all day if we could, but Mike sends me to work and her to EFC each day so the cats can have rest and privacy. :)  

I'm starting to feel more excitement than shame about having unplanned kittens. I think this is part of the transition from MN to MT for me. In the past, I was a city girl who followed all the rules for responsible pet ownership. But now I'm a bit of a rural girl who is adjusting to new rules for working farm animals. So as I continue to make this mental shift, I'm choosing to focus on my happiness when I see Rose falling in love and possibly planning her future career as a result. I'm sure there will be plenty more photos yet to come as these kittens grow up!!

52 hike challenge #20

I have a mother's day tradition of going for a hike and having a turkey sandwich. We missed this last year because I bought my new (used) Forester that weekend, so I was eager to get back to the tradition this year! 

I didn't want to go far because of the coronavirus, so we just went to a VERY small state park a few miles away from us. There's a formal trail for about .5 miles, but it ends when the incline gets steep. We've done that first section a handful of times, but yesterday we decided to see where the little unofficial trail leads. After huffing and puffing up the hill/mountain, we were rewarded with some beautiful views of the Missouri River and the Big Belt mountains!

I may not have gotten my turkey sandwich yesterday, but I did enjoy my time with my family!

Happy Mother's Day, everyone!

52 hike challenge 2020
1. 1/1/20 - 2 mi - out and back
2. 1/5/20 - 4.25 mi - neighborhood loop
3. 1/11/20 - 2 mi - out and back
4. 1/19/20 - 4.25 mi - neighborhood loop
5. 1/26/20 - 4.25 mi - neighborhood loop
6. 2/1/20 - 4.25 mi neighborhood loop
7. 2/2/20 - 2 mi - out and back
8. 2/9/20 - 2 mi? - sledding, and to/from the neighbors
9. 2/15/20 - 4.25 mi neighborhood loop
10. 2/22/20 - 1 mi? -  Lincoln Sculpture in the Wild
(there were at least a few more in here that I, alas, forgot to record)
11. 4/5/20 - 2 mi? - up to the highest peak in our neighborhood
12.  4/10/20 - 2 mi? - down a new drainage next door and back around by the gardens
13. 4/12/20 - 2.5 mi - out and back 

14. 4/18/20 - 1 mi? - down an old creek bed and back up
15. 4/22/20 - 1 mi? - down to the parking lot to pick up my car
16. 4/26/20 - 2 mi? - over to "Pride rock" 

17. 5/1/20 - 2 mi? - over to "Pride rock"

18. 5/2/20 - 4.25 mi - neighborhood loop

19. 5/3/20 - 1.5 mi - to the neighbors' horse pen and back

20. 5/10/20 - 2 mi? - Tower Rock State Park

52 hike challenge #19

Yesterday when Rose and I went on our hike, we saw our neighbor's horses and she really wanted to give them a treat. We only had some crumbs of chips left, so we agreed to come.back the next day.  After clearing it with the owner, she and I headed over with same apples in tow this afternoon. 

Unfortunately the horses were hiding once we got there, but it was still a nice walk.

In related news, we learned after dinner that our chickens love apples!!

Finally, in unrelated news, we got a new (used) stove today!!! So far it's been amazing.  It has a simmer burner and a power burner, and it's actually insulated so you don't burn your hand if you touch the exterior while the oven is on!! It's amazing.

 Back to work tomorrow...

52 hike challenge 2020
1. 1/1/20 - 2 mi - out and back
2. 1/5/20 - 4.25 mi - neighborhood loop
3. 1/11/20 - 2 mi - out and back
4. 1/19/20 - 4.25 mi - neighborhood loop
5. 1/26/20 - 4.25 mi - neighborhood loop
6. 2/1/20 - 4.25 mi neighborhood loop
7. 2/2/20 - 2 mi - out and back
8. 2/9/20 - 2 mi? - sledding, and to/from the neighbors
9. 2/15/20 - 4.25 mi neighborhood loop
10. 2/22/20 - 1 mi? -  Lincoln Sculpture in the Wild
(there were at least a few more in here that I, alas, forgot to record)
11. 4/5/20 - 2 mi? - up to the highest peak in our neighborhood
12.  4/10/20 - 2 mi? - down a new drainage next door and back around by the gardens
13. 4/12/20 - 2.5 mi - out and back 

14. 4/18/20 - 1 mi? - down an old creek bed and back up
15. 4/22/20 - 1 mi? - down to the parking lot to pick up my car
16. 4/26/20 - 2 mi? - over to "Pride rock" 

17. 5/1/20 - 2 mi? - over to "Pride rock"

18. 5/2/20 - 4.25 mi - neighborhood loop

19. 5/3/20 - 1.5 mi - to the neighbors' horse pen and back

52 hike challenge #17 and #18

We finally have spring here! It's been so amazing. 

Friday afternoon I was able to leave just a smidge early, so we went on a "family adventure" to see "Pride Rock" together. Bart (the cat) and Doug (the dog) also came with us. Stalker (the other outdoor cat) stayed home for some reason. 

Then today Rose joined me for my "neighborhood loop." I had guessed it was somewhere between 4 and 4.5 miles (with some big elevation changes!), and today I discovered that my phone has a built-in fitbit and it's actually 4.25 miles. So, pretty good guess, I thought!

Hope you're all getting some beautiful weather too, and that you're able to enjoy it!

52 hike challenge 2020
1. 1/1/20 - 2 mi - out and back
2. 1/5/20 - 4.25 mi - neighborhood loop
3. 1/11/20 - 2 mi - out and back
4. 1/19/20 - 4.25 mi - neighborhood loop
5. 1/26/20 - 4.25 mi - neighborhood loop
6. 2/1/20 - 4.25 mi neighborhood loop
7. 2/2/20 - 2 mi - out and back
8. 2/9/20 - 2 mi? - sledding, and to/from the neighbors
9. 2/15/20 - 4.25 mi neighborhood loop
10. 2/22/20 - 1 mi? -  Lincoln Sculpture in the Wild
(there were at least a few more in here that I, alas, forgot to record)
11. 4/5/20 - 2 mi? - up to the highest peak in our neighborhood
12.  4/10/20 - 2 mi? - down a new drainage next door and back around by the gardens
13. 4/12/20 - 2.5 mi - out and back 

14. 4/18/20 - 1 mi? - down an old creek bed and back up
15. 4/22/20 - 1 mi? - down to the parking lot to pick up my car
16. 4/26/20 - 2 mi? - over to "Pride rock" 

17. 5/1/20 - 2 mi? - over to "Pride rock"

18. 5/2/20 - 4.25 mi - neighborhood loop

52 hike challenge #15 and #16

#15 -  On Rose's birthday we went for a walk in our neighborhood - basically straight down a mountain to the parking lot where I usually switch vehicles. We walked down, then picked up my car and drove it up to the house. I love when the snow is gone and the mud has mostly dried and I don't have to switch vehicles for the summer! It was a fun adventure - especially with the added excitement of Bart (the cat) following us the entire way and needing to ride back up in the car!

Then we had a wonderful birthday cake after our hike, decorated by the birthday girl herself :)

#16 - Today Rose and I went for an "adventure" in our neighborhood - basically walking over to the airbnb, down a hill, up a hill to "pride rock," then along the ridge to see the river from a new angle. It was a lovely day, albeit a bit windy, for an outdoor adventure.

the airbnb

Mid-hike "picnic"

Bart followed us again this time too!



52 hike challenge 2020
1. 1/1/20 - 2 mi - out and back
2. 1/5/20 - 4.5 mi - neighborhood loop
3. 1/11/20 - 2 mi - out and back
4. 1/19/20 - 4.5 mi - neighborhood loop
5. 1/26/20 - 4.5 mi - neighborhood loop
6. 2/1/20 - 4.5 mi neighborhood loop
7. 2/2/20 - 2 mi - out and back
8. 2/9/20 - 2 mi? - sledding, and to/from the neighbors
9. 2/15/20 - 4.5 mi neighborhood loop
10. 2/22/20 - 1 mi? -  Lincoln Sculpture in the Wild
(there were at least a few more in here that I, alas, forgot to record)
11. 4/5/20 - 2 mi? - up to the highest peak in our neighborhood
12.  4/10/20 - 2 mi? - down a new drainage next door and back around by the gardens
13. 4/12/20 - 2.5 mi - out and back 

14. 4/18/20 - 1 mi? - down an old creek bed and back up
15. 4/22/20 - 1 mi? - down to the parking lot to pick up my car
16. 4/26/20 - 2 mi? - over to "Pride rock" 

Peanut Better Blossoms (TYSC #23)

Peanut Better Blossoms
#23 of the Treat Yo' Self Challenge
Winter Holidays chapter

There's pretty much nothing better in the world (to me) than the combo of chocolate and peanut butter. So it's a bit of a surprise that I've never enjoyed "peanut butter blossoms," that traditional Christmas-season cookie that has the Hershey's kiss stuck on top. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that the cookie part never tastes like peanut butter and Hershey's tastes like oily plastic. Thus I didn't have high hopes for this one, but I've been pleasantly surprised by this author so I thought I'd give it a shot.

They're a bit more labor-intensive than a typical drop cookie (or even refrigerator cookie)...

...but the fact that I took a selfie while eating my second one should be a good sign of the success of this recipe!!!

Verdict:  YUM! No wonder they are called peanut BETTER blossoms, because they truly are a million times better than the ones with the kisses on top. They weren't really THAT much work, so I will definitely keep these in my rotation. YUM!!!

Ozark Skillet Cake (TYSC #22)

Ozark Skillet Cake
#22 of the Treat Yo' Self Challenge
counter cakes chapter

This recipe looked good from the ingredient list, but I was confused why a bunch of bundt pans were pictured next to it. I mean, I love a good bundt cake and all, but this one gets cooked in a cast iron skillet - huh?  So I took a risk and made this one, even without knowing what the finished product was supposed to look like.

For some reason I imagined it more like a pannekoeken, even though in retrospect it didn't have nearly enough eggs to make something with that consistency.

It really was more like a shallow cake, but a bit caramelized since it was baked in the cast iron skillet. Huh.

Verdict:  This tasted fine. It was a little too autumn-ish for the beautiful spring day I baked it on, but it was good. Although I don't think I would even bake it again on a fall day unless I can modify it to make it more like a pannekoeken....Hmmm, maybe that will be my next challenge to myself... :)