Resting Up For BINGO!!

I took the entire day off yesterday.  Sort of.  A good portion of the morning was spent replacing drip lines in the yard, both front and back to the occasional boom of fireworks and the boom boom of a boom box down the street.  I can't complain since everyone STILL had their American flags flying high!!

So we are back to Alaska this morning, heading out of Skagway and on to Valdez.  To be honest, I would have stayed in Skagway the entire two months.  What a beautiful place.

I missed a couple of cool pictures from Dyea, just over the hill from Skagway proper.  Remnants of the town pictured below still exist amid the trees that have grown up in it's place.  Can you just imagine the mud?  At least someone built a hotel for the upper echelon folks.  

Not a big town by any means, but completely packed with people and supplies heading for Gold in the Yukon.  It began in 1896 with over 100,000 people heading over the hill to get rich.  By 1899 it was a bust as gold was discovered in Nome, which caused a rush to the new location.

THAT gold rush lasted a little longer, from 1899 to about 1909.  Today Dyea looks like this, a park perfect for an afternoon picnic.  Be sure and bring your mosquito spray.

Sadly, our diversion in Skagway was over as we headed back up the hill and over the mountain.  I never got tired of looking at the mountains.  

If you go this way, be sure to stop in Whitehorse at the Klondike Rib and Salmon.  Even if you don't like fish, be sure and order the halibut and chips.  No it's not cheap.  Nothing is in Alaska, but that didn't keep us from indulging!!  

Another great place to stop and visit is the Klondike paddlewheel.  Once you hiked up and over that infamous ice stairway into the clouds, you could hop on this baby for the trip up the river to your fortune in gold.  You can tour the entire inside of the boat and see where the rich had breakfast and dinner, as well as where the crew slept next to the hot boilers.

They were heading up the Yukon River along with hundreds of other boats ... almost on anything that would float.  

When they arrived at this extremely narrow channel, the water became like a garden hose.  With no way to provide power to get up the river, horses were used to carry supplies and boats along the wooden rails, as well as actually pull the boats through this channel.

It's amazing to see the distances they crossed.  I'm pretty sure the only ones that got rich were the guys selling supplies and pulling boats.

Isn't she a beauty?

Here's your view as a passenger from the top deck.  I rather imagine they hoped the Captain and crew knew exactly where to go in the channel.

Along the way you will find the Yukon Transportation Museum.  You might not think this would be a great place to stop, but the artifacts inside are amazing.  It's a must see.

Now THIS is what I was waiting for.  I think we only saw three moose the entire trip.  This guy was browsing the bottom of the pond for goodies.  The water also keeps the mosquitos off their legs.  

I don't remember the name of this RV park.  All I can say is DO NOT stay here.  We saw all the spaces ... gosh, lots of room!  Let's stay here!!  See that tiny little white ramp to the right of my rig?  That's a 9' wide rickety bridge we crossed with our 8' wide rigs.  SCARY!!  

With so many bugs and mosquitos, we immediately grabbed our buckets and washed off ten pounds worth.  In no time some guy came running down screaming at Dan NOT to wash anything with their water.  I mean really, he came unglued.  Okay then .........

But the MAIN reason not to stay here is the location next to the swamp where billions of mosquitos live.  I finally sprayed the edges of my door and the screen itself to keep them out.  The good thing is they are so huge, they fly very slow and so are easily whacked!!!

The lesson ... never stay in an RV park where no one ELSE is staying.

Sadly, I don't remember where we had this humongous burger.  Dan and I had dueling burgers at almost every stop.  He won every time.  

Luckily, we had very little rain our entire trip.  Here we are heading up and over the mountains to our next stop, Valdez.

I got a little worried when I saw exactly where we were going.   This is a very high, steep Valdez Mountain pass where you drive right by a glacier on the way.  

The blue ice is a dead giveaway, and although this is a telephoto picture, you can actually walk right up to the edge on the trail.  

That's as far as we're going today.  I'm trying to get the fence guy to finish up.  Yup it's been three months and my back fence is STILL not complete.  It needs the railing on the top.  

In the meantime, this little dinosaur of a guy scared me to death last night.  He's been living in the bushes in the back yard.  I caught him once or twice on the sidewalk.  THIS time as I went around the corner, I surprised HIM, until he ran right over my foot making me dance like a little girl.   Nothing like having a lizard run across your foot!!

And of course it's BINGO night, so I'm in the gearing up process.  I'm pretty sure the players will be a little more bold tonight since they are back in their routine.  

Everything You Wanted To Know About TNT

Back in the days of the dinosaurs on the ranch, we didn't have TNT.  We DID have dynamite however, that was used to dispose of large animals that died when we were up in the mountains.  I've no idea why they thought blowing them up was a good thing, but blow them up we did.  Maybe it spread the smell out over a larger area.  Well of course it did, but I'm not sure how that helped.

As a kid, we didn't have the money for fireworks, and once you heard the blast of dynamite, you didn't WANT to hear any more bangs.  We did have sparklers a couple of times, which always resulted in someone getting burned ... of course that was me.

Anyway, out of the blue, I was introduced to TNT yesterday.  When you do a lot of volunteering for the Elks, you tend to not answer your phone, especially on holidays.  I was pretty bored ... and completely forgot my cardinal rule.  

It seems the Elks Fireworks Booth needed help.  This was my first ever foray into TNT.  You've seen them everywhere for the last 30 days.  Fireworks booths set up all over town.  

It's pretty good fund raising fun when it's not 100 degrees and sweltering.  When it's not busy, two people work inside and three watchers watch.  For what, I've no idea ... we just sat there and watched and welcomed everyone in with a Happy Fourth.  Notice the buy one get one free?  Two ... there were only TWO items of that nature.  Sparklers and something called Purple Rain.

I quickly became familiar with the names ... 49'er, Family Pak, Good and Evil, Delirium.  Not so easy was figuring out the credit card machine.  After a couple of what-the-heck-do-I-do-now moments, I finally got the hang of it.  

The best part was watching the kids faces when they came up.  So here's how this works.  There were about ten booths in our small town, all of which are charity fundraisers.  No commercial sales allowed.  The other good thing is that everyone is charged the same price and every charity sells their fireworks for the same price.  

Of course it's all made in China, which is rather frustrating, but oh well.  They were nice enough to send out a pre-notice that not much product had been made and shipped this last year, making prices sky high.  It didn't seem to matter to most folk.  Prices for the packs ran $50-90.00.

The largest package of Fourth of July screaming noisy fun actually cost a whopping $799.00.  I kid you not, they gave us four of these huge boxes and we sold every single one.

I have to admit, I'm a sucker for little kids.  Two families came up looking for something, but it was all too expensive except for the sparklers, which are nothing like the old days ... not even a little bit.  You got six little packs (no idea how many sparklers) for $15.  

They were pretty surprised when I threw in a $59 family pak (which I paid for later).  The little girl had a big smile on her face and wanted her picture taken with me.  The thing is, she will probably remember this 4th of July for a long time.  I told her to do something nice for someone else when she could.

You just meet the nicest people.  The next time it was a gentleman and his young son who just moved here from Joshua Tree for his new job.  Let me just say I did NOT give them the delirium ... at a cost of $65.00!!!!  No matter, we sold out of these too.

The really cool part was the new Elks Manager of the booth had never seen that before ... and soon, he followed suit.  I just love it when that happens!!  

In case you were wondering, THIS is what they want you to think their fireworks looks like.

In reality, this is more like it, but great fun for the kids, nonetheless.

After learning everything fireworks with big bangs and piccolo Petes, I finally left the sauna pit after six hours.  I'm happy to say we sold out almost everything.  Lucky for me, most of what we sold was NOT fired off in my back yard like usual.  Oh there were quite a few bangs around the neighborhood (like 85 per minute (yes I counted), but nothing like last year.  

I did love seeing almost everyone with a truck sporting an American Flag and surprisingly, about half the folks were dressed up in red white and blue.  It was a GOOD DAY!!

 

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!

 Well we made it!!  A year of semi-independence, to finally be free of all encumbrances mask wise. Oh there's still a sign here and there, but absolutely no one is reading them.  This Fourth is just a reminder that we really are a FREE INDEPENDENT country and we hope to keep it that way.

Although the average age of those who signed the Declaration of Independence was 44, more than a dozen of them were 35 and younger.  Many thanks to the younger generation on that one!!   I received this image from a friend's wife who was born in England.  We laughed!!

This is what my house sounded like last night.  I admit, many of today's younger generation can't read a calendar, which is why they celebrated last night, helped along by the 24 kegs of beer.  It's not just my neighborhood, but half the county!!

It's not all bad however.  Just think, last July I was celebrating THESE guys running amok in my back yard.  Today I'm proud to say I haven't smelled not one stinky creature from the patio.

The bad news is I've become a hermit.  All this lockdown stuff has snuffed out my creativity when it comes to adventures.  I sat on the couch the entire day wondering where I could go and came up with nothing.  To be honest, I didn't even want to go get dog food for Cooper.  It's really not a good thing to be alone for so long a period of time.

I finally whipped up a red potato salad for dinner to go with those luscious ribs I smoked a month ago.

Somehow those ribs, while residing peacefully in my freezer, turned into smoked chicken.  What a letdown THAT was!!  So I'm celebrating with chicken and potato salad.  Oh, and a little of Miss Dots pound cake and sliced strawberries ... hold the whipped cream.  That in itself is a miracle, but only because I didn't have any cream!

At this point, I'm thinking I should resurrect and hone my rock painting skills!!  Yes???  I'm laughing because I can't tell you how many weird looks I've gotten for THAT hobby!!

And so I bid you HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!  Let's make sure we keep it that way!!  And lets all pray the Northern border opens up like the Southern border so our Canadian friends can make it to the desert this winter.  

Maybe I'll even go buy a firecracker or two, you know, just to add to tonights melee!!

Bingo Story of The Day

Walking the dog.  Anyone remember that yo-yo trick?  What?  You never tried to smack yourself in the head with a chunk of wood on a too long thin breakable string?  There never was much entertainment on the ranch, so we had to make our own.  One yo-yo between two kids always led to arguments, which is why I seemed to get whacked more than anyone else.  

THIS walking the dog is a lot more fun.  We go out every morning now so Cooper can smell the roses, or maybe it's where the skunks have trod.  Yes, those black and white harbingers of stinkyness have been spotted in the neighborhood AGAIN.  So far they haven't waddled my direction.

I spent a couple of early hours going through my fabric stash when it was cool.  I've already got three bags full heading to Yuma this winter.  I also boxed up everything I'm going to take to Arizona.  

That initiated a trip to the lone fabric shop up North where I found the exact backing I needed for the blue and white quilt.  What should I find but an entire room of quilting machines.  Further investigation ensued.  Come to find out they do quilting at a much lower cost than Arizona, as in $175 versus $250.  I'll take that any day!!  Woohoo!!

When I got back, I remembered the light didn't work in the garage door opener.  I put on my electrician hat and grabbed a screwdriver.  Sure enough, the lightbulb was toast.  I replaced it and shut the cover, completely forgetting to test it out.  Maybe I'll remember to do that today.

In the meantime, I forgot to tell you my Bingo story of the day.  As you can imagine, it's been hot.  There's nothing like being a little overweight, or maybe a lot overweight and waiting outside in the heat for the doors to open.  People sweat ... a LOT.  You've probably been there, as have I.

Bingo players don't want to be tethered to a purse.  They've got enough to carry with all their talisman good luck charms and 29 dobbers of every color under the sun.  Throw in a sack of snacks and their hands are full.

So where do you think they carry their $200 cash for the night?  In their underwear of course.  Think about it ... hot and sweaty, dirty money.  As you can imagine, I'm not too hot on the idea of handling that stinky hundred dollar bill.

The lady came up in a wheelchair ... we counted her cards and I gave her the total.  She reached in her very copious bra and grabbed a bill, holding it out to me.  NOOOOOOO, I'm sorry ladies, but we CANNOT accept BRA MONEY.  It's just not sanitary and I'm not inclined to take your soggy wet Benjamin Franklin.  

I said it LOUD so everyone would hear.  They looked shocked!!  The Castle Lawyer agreed.  In the end, I said okay THIS time because it actually was dry, but NO MORE FOLKS.  We are NOT accepting money from your underwear!!!  I washed my hands three times shortly after.  

That however, was not as bad as the lady who couldn't catch her breath and was breathing so hard 24" from our faces that it felt like a fan.  Note to self .... sit further back from the table.

Cooper spent the end of the day catching up on his sleep.  I always seem to take up WAY too much room.  I'm at the farthest end of the couch and those little feet still kick like crazy because he needs MORE space.

Surprise ... about 4:00 my neighbor sent a text asking if I liked strawberries.  Of course!!  She sent these over via her son.  What a sweet neighbor I have!  And believe me, they are DELICIOUS!!  How apropos .... Fourth of July strawberries.  I ate half the plate in one sitting!!

Amazingly it was a quiet night ... a big surprise since fireworks have become so popular as a 2 am distraction from drinking all that beer.  I'm determined to get out of the house today for a drive.  That trip to the grocery store for potato salad fixings just didn't cut it.  

Thank You Miss Dot

It's almost time for the blasting to begin.  In spite of it being illegal to shoot off fireworks in our County, especially due to the fires that are about to rage everywhere, people in the surrounding five miles will set off one of the biggest shows in the State.  They have been practicing every night for the last month.

Personally, I don't understand why they would spend that kind of money to blow things up, but then again, I'm conservative ... okay, CHEAP!  Truly, you can sit in my driveway and see bigger fireworks shows than they have at the fairgrounds just twenty miles away.

I would rather celebrate with FOOD!!  Something with lots of sugar!!  Lucky for me, it's even cheaper than fireworks!!

It is funny to note where I get recipes from sometimes.  Thanks to the internet, you can pick up some really great ones, and of course ones that stink like a skunk.  This time I had the TV on a house remodel channel to gather ideas for making my home decorating more upscale rather than late 1960 hoarder.

They found a recipe note in a cabinet they were tearing out in an old house down south.  It's amazing that they actually read it .... Miss Dots Cake.  Just a note, not the actual recipe.  So they traced down the prior owner and discovered she had passed away and that her best friend was Miss Dot.

Upon further investigation, they discovered Miss Dot would make the most fabulous pound cakes for people who moved to her town.  So of course they went and FOUND Miss Dot to ask her for the recipe and to make a cake for the newest owner of the house.

That's an intriguing story ... and an even MORE intriguing recipe since everyone raved about her cakes.  I got on-line and began my own search for the ingredients.  Lo and behold .... I FOUND IT!!

A true old southern favorite.  I was a little shocked by the 3 cups of sugar, but that was right up MY alley.  I had just purchased a dozen eggs, so I didn't blink an eye at the SIX required for the recipe, along with a pound of cream cheese.  I figured this would not be just any lightweight cake.

I really needed an old fashioned bundt cake pan, but could only find the fancy dancy one.  I didn't have much hope the cake would come out with that many holes to get stuck in.  

This was the thickest batter I've ever seen.  It was hard to even get it off the spoon and into the pan.  Here's something I've never heard of before.  You put it in a COLD oven.  Yessirree, while making the cake for the show, Miss Dot specifically stated you put the cake in before you turn the oven on.  Weird, right?

And SO ... 90 minutes later .... yes, that's 1-1/2 hours later, you have POUND CAKE.  Don't make the mistake I did of baking it in your small Breville oven.  The top started to get overdone, so I moved it to my BIG oven.  Unfortunately, I forgot to set the timer.  BIG MISTAKE!!

After testing it six times, not being the least bit sure if it was done or not, I took it out to cool.  Surprisingly it popped right out of the pan like a jack-in-the-box.  I could hardly contain myself.

At long last it had cooled enough to cut a slice.  I took that first bite and OH MY OH MY!!  That's the best pound cake I've ever eaten.  SO much better than Sara Lee!!  Thank you Miss Dot!!!!!

I must say it would have been so much better floating in strawberries and syrup.  On the other hand, a little ice cream went a long way.  It was the most dense cake I've ever had in my life.  That thing weighed almost as much as Cooper.

Not wanting to eat it all at once, I put half in the freezer.  That night I had it for dinner.  Nothing else, just cake.  It's so dense that one small piece fills you up to the brim.  Even better if warmed in the microwave.

So thank you Miss Dot for your now famous recipe.  If I'm ever at an RV rally and require cake for 40 people, I'll make it again.

Now lets see ..... what's for breakfast????  Oh look ..... CAKE!!!

He's BAAAACK!!

 It took a few days.  I think it must be bad enough to take your children in for dental surgery of some kind, but at least they can talk to you, even if it is with a mouthful of cotton.  These fur kids ..... you have to be a mind reader.

Poor Cooper wasn't in very good shape.  He wandered around like he knew he lived here, but couldn't figure out just which way to go to get to the kitchen.  Luckily he slept pretty good the first night, but ate nothing.  No surprise there.

Next day he figured out where the snacks were and sat barking for one, but apparently nothing smelled good.  I began to worry when I noticed his eyes were not fully open.  That's weird!

By noon he remembered this little antic.   Go hide.  I kid you not .... he hides in this hallway until I realize I haven't seen him in awhile and go looking.  Maybe he's hungry ... my little brain was racing.  I tried three different cans of dogs food, home cooked chicken, home cooked beef and hard boiled eggs, at which his nose went up in the air and he looked away.  Okay then.

Finally, in desperation since he hadn't eaten in over 34 hours, I scrambled an egg.  That usually gets him.  He ate half and went to hide in the OTHER hallway.  Come on kid .... you're killing me!!

This was Bingo night and I had to leave him alone for seven hours.  Maybe a walk outside.  It was pretty hot ... we got all the way to the end of the driveway before he plopped his butt down and gave me THAT look.  I'm done Mom ... carry me!!!  Which of course I did, like any good puppy Mom.

He was pretty happy to see me when I got home from Bingo and he appeared to be a little better.  A second good night's sleep and maybe he'll be recovered.  

Yesterday morning he sat in the living room and barked.  Just like a "pointer", he will freeze and point to the ball if it's where he can't reach.  It's always there, even if you can't see it.  He's got a nose like a drug dog and he's NEVER wrong!!  Back on the floor I go in the downward dog position until I finally spot the ball.  He grabbed it with relish!!  YAY!!!

I was really happy to see him doing his normal morning ritual.  He sets the ball down, grabs a mouthful of blanket and covers it up.  Then the digging begins as he tries to find it again, only to repeat the performance ... time after time.  He's weird, I tell you!!

He's BAAAAACK!!  My little kid is a happy camper again, eyes wide open and doing his best say-cheese impression.  He even ate, but of course I had to cook up some special hamburger and rice, dotted with bits of beggin strips.  That's the equivalent of ice cream!!

So today I'll have him help me figure out why my garage door opener light isn't working.  That's a first since those things have always lasted forever.  

Then it's time to start making up all my lists so I get everything packed.  It's almost time for that epic trip through the desert heat.  I expect I may be driving night and day just to stay inside the air conditioned truck. 

Oh ... and don't worry ... there is ONE MORE BINGO NIGHT before I go!!!