MULES AND BREAD

 LIZARD COUNTER:  19

Thank you Mother Nature!!  It's a beautiful 62 degrees this morning.  Perfect for leaving the back door wide open and the return air fan on to bring in all that coolness!  They predicted rain, but it didn't happen.  Instead it was overcast and gloomy all day long.  I LOVED IT!

I really did try to find the full moon, but it was not to be on this day.  This is the August Sturgeon moon, for the fish the Indians caught in the Great Lakes.  It's also known as the blueberry moon.  It's not quite blue here, but this is a great shot taken by one of the guys in my explorer group.  

It's interesting the people you meet.  Another explorer went to the very old graveyard of my grandfather.  He went at night and talked about how scary it was ... ghosts making noises ... talking.  I laughed at his words and replied that was probably my grandfather.  He apologized profusely saying he did not mean any disrespect.  None taken!!  We have become Facebook friends ever since.  This image was taken by another  Mojave desert explorer.

Though this moon had an eclipse, it was not visible here.  This is my version this morning.  

Completely off the topic, this is the MULE.  I have not researched the entire story, but this guy walks all across the U.S. with his mules (I think there used to be 3 of them), thus the name 3 MULES.  He goes through cities, along freeways, through towns getting stopped by the police right and left.  It can be quite the traffic hazard.  Finding ways to cross rivers is also a problem.

He came up from L.A. and through the valley in the last two weeks when the temps were sky high.   Sometimes they walk 10 miles in a day, sometimes 17-20.  I think people donate money to pay for his expenses, though they spend most of their time grazing.  Does he carry water?  I have no idea.  I feel rather sorry for the mules, but to each his own I guess.  The last time I saw him he was headed North of Sacramento.  And yes, he's been writing a blog since 2013 I think.  You can read about him at 3mules.com.  I think he can be quite cantankerous.  

I was late getting started on this day.  I had absolutely nothing to do ... well I did, I just procrastinated a lot.  I picked up the book Patsy is reading and spent an hour trying to figure out my new iPad.  I finally got it and was glued to the screen reading!!

By the time I remembered I was going to make more sourdough bread, it was rather late.  I have been watching the Sourdoughhoe online ... yes you read that right.  I guess I'm going to have to pay the piper to get her recipes.  

This one came from a fancy book of sourdough ... and I've found the dough is hard to work with.  Oh it tastes great when done, but it looks terrible in the meantime.  I stretched and folded, stretched and folded while trying to get the dried onions mixed in.  That was a suggestion from someone at the lodge.  They said it's AMAZING.  I guess we will find out.

This recipe requires you start at 6:00 in the morning, with the last work being done at around 6:00 at night.  I was over two hours late.  In fact, I fudged on a couple of timelines just to get it done by 9:30 pm.  It's resting right now.

Soon bored because of all the REST THE DOUGH times, I finished this quilt.  I discovered too late that white borders do not work so well.  It made the star look great, but the borders are blah.  

Same here.  I took a picture and printed it out to hang on the wall so I don't do this again.  I cut the backing for both and now only have ONE left to stitch up.  All four will go to the quilters.

Night comes fast when you are preoccupied all day with folding and slapping bread.  This is just so much harder than the Sourdoughhoe makes it look.  The sun went down before I knew it.  

Here I was at 9:00 at night, trying to SHAPE it up (much more difficult than it sounds) while she just uses a scraper and swirls it around.  I turned it upside down and plunked it in the basket.  It is now living in the fridge for 13 hours before baking can begin.  I think I need a new recipe.  This one by the way is from a French cookbook ... traditional they say.  

And so I will be ready to bake the bread in that cast iron pot at around 10:00 this morning.  Wish me luck!!

This is Cooper's signature stance.  He was always standing with one foot up in the air anytime he was looking for snacks. I mean really, how could you deny this sweet face.