I'm A Very Lucky Gal

 Temperatures are on their way up in California.  105 is predicted for this weekend, so every morning I open the back door and turn on the fan.  It brings in that nice cool outside air like a champ.  Unfortunately, it also brings in the lovely smells of the surrounding farmland.  

Dairy cow manure I can deal with .. if you lived on a ranch, it was just an every day thing.  Garlic from the local processing plant is my favorite.  Chicken manure that goes in the orchards ... my oh my ... nothing smells that bad ANYWHERE!!  And of course there are the remnants of skunks.  They don't just smell when they spray, they smell ALL the time!!  It makes for a lovely potpourri in the living room.  That matters not however, since I'm a lucky girl to be able to afford to live in a nice warm house.

I'm also lucky to have this guy keeping me company every day, even if he is sometimes a pain in the patootie.  He's my best buddy, although he does make it a little difficult to sew binding on. 

I threw on another rack of ribs and had the slightest twinge of "I really should vacuum the house".  Thankfully, it passed quickly and I went on to paying bills and sewing.  I'm beginning to wonder if I will EVER finish that quilt.  SO MUCH SEWING!!

I think I've finally got the ribs down.  Smear with mustard, sprinkle on Pig Powder and stick them in the fridge overnight uncovered.  That Pig Powder is some amazing stuff ... better than any rub I've ever tried.  I'll admit it's pricey, but you don't have to use all that much and the taste is worth it.  Smoke for two hours at 225, then wrap in foil and back in the smoker for one hour they go.  Ding ... now is the time to sauce them, then back in for one more hour ... although this time I took them out early since this rack was a little thinner.  Heaven, I tell you ... they taste like heaven!!!

I spent the rest of the day cleaning up my show saddle.  Isn't she a beauty?  I used to do leather tooling, making belts, purses, all kinds of stuff.  It takes an entire day just to do one belt.

THIS hand work is amazing.  Also made by Ron Butler.  I cannot find one single mistake or imperfection on this entire saddle.  Yes I paid a fortune for it way back when, but it was worth every penny.  It's time to oil her up to make sure this saddle lasts another 40 years.  I'm extremely lucky to have this baby!!

So with nothing exciting going on at the moment, I'll tell you another lucky story.  I suppose you only figure this stuff out when you are looking back.  As I have mentioned before, I worked in Yosemite National Park when I was 18 years old.  

Computers back then were 1's and 0's punched into cards which were then read on card reading machines that would print out in words, what was punched.  I programmed card readers and did lots of "punching".  I made a whole $1.89 an hour, 59 cents of which went to pay for the room I lived in.  In order to afford gas, I took a second job at the pack station and a third job at the Ice Rink.

You meet a lot of weird people in National Park settings.  Of course not knowing better, I trusted everyone.  With the exception of the Rangers, most everyone was hiding from something.  Mostly the Rangers since smoking weed was rampant.  Lucky for me, it made me sick just to smell it.  I knew where all the parties were down by the river (which still happens to this day) but Miss Goodie Two Shoes stayed away.  

Instead, I hung around the restaurant and gift shop where I met this really nice guy.  Good looking, fun to talk to ... a real sweetheart.  He invited me to dinner one night at the Lodge.  We talked for awhile, but it seemed he was a little vague.  It was a fabulous meal until the bill came and he stated had no money.  I ended up putting it on my Mom's credit card ... a whopping $50 !!  As we walked out, he happened to mention he was on parole.  Really?  What for, I asked.  Stupid Nancy.

"Oh I accidentally killed a guy a few years ago.  Yeah, I stabbed him and he died.  Just got out of prison last month and my buddy said I could get a job here.  They'll hire anyone".

Okay ... just who I wanted to date ... a murderer!!  I had an immediate panic attack!!

Oh wait ... you know what?  I didn't leave a tip at the table for the waitress.  I'll catch up with you later.  I ran inside the front door and right out the back door.  Thankfully I never saw him again.  Yup I think I'm a very lucky gal.  No telling where that would have ended up.   

It wasn't the last close call I had ... there were several STUPID things I did over the years.  Maybe I'll tell those later.  

So now it's on to BINGO TIME!!