hikes (#28-32), (socially distanced) visitors, and other random updates

Somehow I haven't posted any updates in nearly a month, so here's a quick run-down from the past several weeks...

1. Doug somehow got a really bad wound on his leg/groin - we're thinking it might have been a puncture wound and scrapes from a thistle?? - so he was unfortunately subjected to the Cone of Shame until he healed. He was SO not a fan. :(

2. I finally got around to painting our hideous stairs! I'm just not a fan of browns and yellows for decor, so I was really happy with how the grey turned out here. 

3. Hike #28 was me (and Doug) around the long neighborhood loop on 7/12. It was a great walk, but I was slipping and sliding like crazy. I finally decided that I HAD to bite the bullet and buy some new hiking boots. 

4. Yes, I think I wore through the tread pretty well. The saleslady said I definitely got my money's worth out of my old ones!

5. Rose and I have started "swimming lessons" as part of EFC! Actually, she doesn't want "lessons" so much as she just wants an excuse to go splash around in the creek more often. As you can see, it's really not that deep, but she sure does enjoy it! And because it's fairly shallow, I feel comfortable reading while she's "swimming" (which I definitely don't do when she's near deeper water), so it's a WIN-WIN!

6. Mike and Rose are working on adding a second story to the treehouse! (Yes, it will have doors and railings soon!) 

7. We finally got rid of our ancient Ikea chairs and bought grown-up chairs! (Currently $225 for 2 of them at Target, but I found them on clearance for $96 for 4 of them. Yay!) They are so pretty and solid and comfortable! I finally feel like a grown-up ;)

8. Mike has been busy chopping wood to prepare for the winter. His job is the chopping and then Rose and I are supposed to do the stacking in the woodshed. Both jobs are painfully hot in this 90+-degree weather so, while he continues to chop, I'm letting my job pile up until it gets cooler. Blech.

9. We ate rattlesnake for dinner one night!!! I still can't believe we did that. I can't say I enjoyed it, but I enjoy telling people that I did it. 

10.  Hike #29 was a socially distanced one with me, Rose, my college friend Anna, and her husband and daughter (who is 11 months older than Rose)! Such a treat to see them!! (Also, my new hiking shoes worked beautifully.)

11. After finishing our hike, we came back home for separate lunches, then did some socially distanced "swimming" at the creek. The girls had a blast while we adults relaxed. 

12. Hike #30 was the neighborhood loop again the next day, but this time just me and Anna. We tried to take a socially distanced photo of the two of us, but ended up just laughing at my weird shadow in the picture.

13. Hike #31 - That afternoon we also stopped at the nearest state park to do a quick hike. We could only do about a mile or so because we all only had flipflops on, but it was still nice to get out and for them to see where the plains of Montana start. (Thankfully we did not encounter any rattlesnakes on this hike!)

14. Hike #32 - the next day we took a quick trek up to "Pride Rock" to test Jesse's fancy drone for some family photos! I'm eager to see what pictures look like in the end. 

see the drone lifting off?

15. That afternoon we tried to rent kayaks but couldn't find a place, so we instead went swimming at Holter Lake. It was a great depth for the girls (waist-deep for them) but a little less fulfilling for us adults to swim. Luckily it was nice to sit in the shade and relax. 

16. While we've been preparing our meals separately, we have had a few "picnics" on their deck. The sunsets have been gorgeous, and we love the excellent company!

Happy July, 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

21. 5/16/20 - 3 mi - Mount Helena (prairie trail up, powerline trail down)

22. 5/30/20 -  1 mi? - down an old creek bed and back up

23. 6/7/20 - 2 mi - out and back

24. 6/13/20 - 2 mi - out and back

25. 6/14/20 - 2 mi - out and back 

26. 6/28/20 - 2 mi - out and back

27. 7/4/20 - 1 mi? - down an old creek bed and back up

28. 7/12/20 - 4.5 mi neighborhood loop

29. 7/25/20 - 4.5 mi neighborhood loop

30. 7/26/20 - 4.5 mi neighborhood loop

31. 7/26/20 - 1 mi? - Tower Rock State Park

32. 7/27/20 - 1 mi - over to "Pride rock"

No-Churn Heavenly Hash Ice Cream (TYSC #25)

No-Churn Heavenly Hash Ice Cream

Treat Yo' Self Challenge #25

Summer Sweets chapter

Have you ever heard of Heavenly Hash ice cream? I think this is another example of the Chicago-centric nature of this cookbook. In my mind, chocolate ice cream with marshmallows, almonds, and chocolate chunks is only ever called Rocky Road ice cream. I don't know what this "heavenly hash" business is all about!

But the most interesting part of this recipe, other than the weird name, is the no-churn aspect. Instead of warming some cream and sugar (and maybe some egg yolks), then churning it in an ice cream maker, this recipe called for whipping heavy cream until firm peaks formed, folding in some sweetened condensed milk and add-ins, then freezing in a bread pan. Interesting!

Verdict: Well, if you like whipped cream, then this is a nice treat. I'm actually not a huge fan of whipped cream (ever since a friend and I split a tub of Cool Whip in about 7th grade), but Rose gave it two thumbs up!

TYSC Recap:

25. No-churn Heavenly Hash Ice Cream

24. Layered Rhubarb Cobbler Pie

23. Peanut Better Blossoms *

22. Ozark Skillet Cake

21. Chocolate Revel Bars

20. Five Spice Sweet Rolls **

19. Mrs Braun's Oatmeal Cookies

18. Montana Runza

17. Iced Citrus Bundt Cake

16. Chocolate Chip Chip Shortbread

15. Chocolate Chip Marble Bundt Cake *

14. Garlicky, butter-swirled pull-apart rolls

13. English muffin bread **

12. Next Level Rice Krispie Treats

11. Bluebarb Lime Crumble **

10. Banana Bread

9. Buckeye Bars *

8. Monster Cookies

7. Scone-top Blueberry Muffins

6. Cherry Shortcake Squares **

5. Donut Loaf

4. Coffee-caramel Monkey Bread **

3. Scotcharoos *

2. Swedish Flop *

1. Potica

* indicates my favorites 

** indicates favorites I've made at least twice already

52 hike challenge #27

I neglected to take any photos during our hike down the creek bed and back up, so here is a picture of cute yawning kitten instead. Rose, Grammy and I had a nice hike though!

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

21. 5/16/20 - 3 mi - Mount Helena (prairie trail up, powerline trail down)

22. 5/30/20 -  1 mi? - down an old creek bed and back up

23. 6/7/20 - 2 mi - out and back

24. 6/13/20 - 2 mi - out and back

25. 6/14/20 - 2 mi - out and back 

26. 6/28/20 - 2 mi - out and back

27. 7/4/20 - 1 mi? - down an old creek bed and back up

52 hike challenge #26 (and household updates)

Quick weekend update!

We spent lots of time with the kits, who are now nearly as big as their mom:

I also FINALLY organized the under stairs storage that Mike built for me many, many moons ago:

Wine, beer, white claw, and ginger beer :)

Mike and I also re-installed the solar panels next door, now that the pole is secured in the new concrete we poured:

It looks crooked, but it is 100% upright from every angle!

All of our exterior doors have silver knobs, but for some reason the interior knobs are all gold. Blech. So I bought a can of spray paint and attempted to update/upgrade them on the cheap:

So much better!!!

Rose and I went on a hike together before the rain started. Just my little out and back.

Even Bart came with us!

But the MOST exciting part of the whole weekend was that we installed my new loft doors!!!!! It was incredibly hard work and I think Mike was ready to throw them out the greenhouse window at a few points, but they are incredibly beautiful and I absolutely adore them!!!

I will post more updates on they are painted, and the drywall is up, and the bookshelves are in... But for now I am just so appreciative of Mike's hard work (and my parents' generosity) because I am loving the direction my loft is headed!!

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

21. 5/16/20 - 3 mi - Mount Helena (prairie trail up, powerline trail down)

22. 5/30/20 -  1 mi? - down an old creek bed and back up

23. 6/7/20 - 2 mi - out and back

24. 6/13/20 - 2 mi - out and back

25. 6/14/20 - 2 mi - out and back 

26. 6/28/20 - 2 mi - out and back

Father's Day weekend

I asked Mike multiple times what he wanted to do for Father's Day weekend, and multiple times he said "stay home and get some work done." So stay home and get some work done is exactly what we did!

Saturday I spray painted the bathroom curtain rod so it would match the newly spray painted light fixture (which is still off center and still drives me crazy). 

We also spent some time helping Scuffles the hamster acclimate to his new home!

Finally, I revived my old sourdough starter (it had been sitting in the fridge, unfed, for WAY too long) so I could do some baking on Sunday.

Sunday morning I woke bright and early to get my baking done so I could then help Mike with his major project of the day...

The airbnb's solar panel for the well had blown over in a recent storm, so we needed to pour some more concrete. Since we had just poured concrete for our new solar post last weekend, we were hopeful that the two of us could tackle the project ourselves.

You certainly couldn't ask for a more scenic setting to work in!

After discovering the FALSE ADVERTISING, we quickly fell into a groove where Mike lifted the bags and poured them in the mixer, I ran the hose, then he wheelbarrowed the wet concrete 100 steps away (yes, I counted) and I helped smooth it into the hole.

NOT actually "easy to handle" IMHO

We were supervised throughout by Bart. 

We repeated the process about 12 times until we ran out of concrete. Good thing the hole was basically filled by the end!

After the work was all done, Rose came bounding out of her bedroom (where she had been playing legos) in order to decorate the new concrete.

Our lovely artist in residence!

After resting for a bit, the afternoon project was to inspect our hives. It had seemed like 2 of the 3 had made it through the winter, but it had been about 3-4 weeks since we had seen any bee activity whatsoever. So we suited up (just in case) and inspected. Sadly the bees had all died (we have no idea why) so we're going to do lots of reading for the next ~8 months and then regroup next spring :(

There were PILES of dead bees at the bottom,

but at least the honeycomb still looked good

(to my inexpert eyes). 

It was around dinnertime that we realized we hadn't seen the kits ALL DAY. Mike and Rose kept talking about all the different predators that probably ate them, and I just lost it. Too much death in one day!!!!! I didn't realize how strongly attached I had become to little Ivy and Jay.

After crying for about 2 hours straight (and totally ruining Mike's Father's Day dinner in the process, I'm sure), I was trying to read in bed and then I heard Mike yell "they're back!!!!"

We have no idea where they were, but they seem safe and sound.

What an emotional rollercoaster!

Today (Monday) I've been home on PTO. Originally we were supposed to have guests this weekend, but they had to cancel their trip because of the coronavirus. So I kept the day off anyway, just to get a little extra relaxing in. Little did I know that Mike wanted help working on his irrigation line to the gardens! This morning we dug a trench to run the fancy hose under the road.

closely supervised by Doug

Mike did all the really hard labor with the pickax, then I cleaned out the rubble with my little mini pickax.

 

Uffdah that was hard work! Hopefully it works and it makes it easier for him to water the gardens every day.

Happy Father's Day weekend, everyone!!

exterior home project ideas

I love summertime when I get all sorts of ideas for projects at home, and I also generally have the energy to work on them! I decided my next project is going to be be improving the exterior. It took me a long time to figure out why the windows look so small on our house, because inside they seem like a "normal" size. Then finally I realized it's because they have absolutely no trim whatsoever!! Which is especially funny because the inside of our house has trim decorating trim decorating trim, so it's hilarious to me that the previous owners/builders didn't do ANY trim outside. 

Anyhoo, here are the current exterior photos:

South (left) and East (right) sides

West (left) and South (right) sides

North side

North (left) and East (right) sides

So, a few thoughts off the top of my head:

1. I never in a hundred years would have chosen green for the steel roof, but since the roof is great and we're not planning to replace it, I'm deciding to just embrace it. Green will thus remain our exterior accent color.

2.  For some reason the previous owners bought green windows for the main (second) floor, but white windows for the "basement." We also aren't planning to replace the windows, so I'm thinking we'll add exterior trim to the second floor (and maybe the loft?) but not to the basement. More on this trim idea in a bit...

3. We're eventually going to replace the green deck (there are so many structural problems to it), at which point we'll replace it with a nice "natural" wood deck, like we have at the rental. This won't happen for several years, but it's on the docket eventually.

4. If I wouldn't have chosen a green roof in a hundred years, I wouldn't have chosen an ugly brown paint in at least a millennium. Once we eventually need to repaint (hopefully not for awhile, but it's good to have a plan ready), we'll finally have a nice clean-looking white house to go with that green roof. (examples here) 

5. As you can see, there's no shade on the South side of the house. In the summer, the sun just beats down and cooks our house, even with solar curtains inside. When we redid the greenhouse and extended it several feet it actually helped a fair amount, because you can see in photos 1 and 2 that it lends a small amount of shade to the south-eastern window in the afternoon. That made me think that awnings might be a good idea, but I had only ever seen cloth awnings and those would NEVER stand up  in the winds we get up here. But then I saw an idea on pinterest for DIY steel awnings and my mind start whirling...

6. The doors are such a stark white! The trim around them obviously needs to be green as well, and then we need to choose an accent color for the doors themselves. Green roof + green windows + white house + natural wood deck = I'm thinking maybe a bright sunny yellow for the doors?? (like this) Or maybe even a dark navy? The good part about painting doors is that it's relatively easy to redo if I don't like it, so I'm not intimidated by this step at all. 

7. When we redo the deck, we also need to rethink the stairs to the door. Right now it's a little unclear where to enter our house. We actually use the back door (on the South side, "basement" level, under the greenhouse - see photo 1 above) the most, and the side door (on the East side, main/second level) only when we're going out to the deck. This is mainly because our coat hooks and shoe shelves are all right inside that basement door. But the problem is that when people drive up our front (crappy) driveway, they can only see that second-level door because the main door is actually hidden behind the quonset. And if people come up the back driveway (see picture #4), it looks like the pantry door is the main door but there's no way to get up to the deck there. So clearly we need a way to signal which is the MAIN door, which will involve reconfiguring the deck stairs, and possibly building a bigger portico and/or changing the landscaping a bit. So the deck and the entry ways will probably be the last exterior improvement in this whole process. 

Okay, so with all those thoughts swirling around in my head, I think a good place to start is to add some trim - definitely to the South and East sides to start - and them to add some awnings. (I am very welcome to feedback at this stage! Please let me know if you have any better ideas!)  I actually got up on a ladder to measure those main floor windows on the South and East today, and they are all 35.5x35.5. Next up is to buy some 1x4s and some fresh green paint so I can do something like this:

And when that's done, then I need some 2x4s (along with the leftover metal sheeting that Mike used to make the chicken coop) to make some awnings likes this:

I don't know for sure that my skills are up to it, but I can measure, paint, use a screwgun, and operate a chop saw, so I'm hoping this works!

Please share your feedback and ideas with me, and I'll share the finished product whenever it's done :)