Monday, July 23, 2007

Cookin’ Part II

Towards Saturday evening while everyone else was sitting in the shade sipping cocktails, wine coolers and possibly a beer or two, I was minding the fire under my Dutch oven. I had put together a Campfire potato dish that called for layers of potato slices, chopped onion, green & red pepper, roasted garlic (which I roasted over the fire) and a pint of turkey stock, topped with cheeses. While that was cooking, I fired up Kelli’s grill and grilled the steaks. Kelli contributed a pan of fresh veggies which we roasted on one corner of the grill while the steaks cooked. Everyone loved the potatoes. They all think it was recipe, but just between you and me: it was the potatoes. I picked them up at a fruit/veggie stand north of Fremont and they are absolutely the nicest, freshest, best potatoes I’ve seen in a long time: thin skins, perfect white flesh. Just what “new potatoes” are supposed to look like. Exactly the kind I can’t grow.

Conversation – translated “tall tales” - about life with horses filled the rest of the evening until it got dark. I retired to the cot in the back of my pickup and everyone else slept in the main tent on Army style cots. I exiled myself because I snore like Toro; waking myself up now & then wondering who in the heck is mowing a lawn at this hour of the night? I slept pretty well until about 2:30 AM and then came wide awake, for no particular reason, so I spent the next couple of hours staring at the miraculously starlit sky and listening to my favorite Country station playing softly. And of course, Bubba, in his corral right next to my pickup crunching his hay and occasionally clearing his nose with a “Pshbpshbpshb.” Insomnia out in a camp is a lot more interesting than insomnia in the house.

When the sun came up, I rolled out and started the coffee and biscuits & gravy. Since we were in range, I made some of the cowgirls listen to my radio Ministry when it came on at 8:00.

After breakfast, we saddled up and took a six mile trail ride around the neighborhood. The sun was high and hot by midmorning, but ever willing to do my part to slow down global warming, I soaked up as much of the heat as I could on my bare neck & arms and will probably be peeling like a snake by the end of the week. Fortunately, I had plenty of water with me, even though I forgot the sunscreen.

When we got back to Kelli’s, all that was left to do was clean up, load up and head out. A very nice weekend!

A few pictures will be posted as they come available - remember, I still use film and have to rely on the developer!

So here’s a couple questions for your comment: what did you do with this fine weekend?
What do you do when you have insomnia?

9 comments:

Myrnagj said...

Sounds like a great weekend.

What did I do this weekend? I went to a photo class. I finally saw Sicko. Scaryo.
I went to a Mac class. I'm trying to get as much as I can out of my computer and camera. And not to have to spend so much time fiddling around with dials, clicks, buttons and searching for files I know I have on the darned thing somewhere. In the evening I danced.

Have you checked my blog on the myrnagj website?
That was last weekend.

cdroses said...

Thankfully I don't suffer from insomnia very often. Learned a yoga-ish relaxation position. Lie flat on your back, on arm over or on your head and one hand on your stomach. If that doesn't do the trick...out comes the MP3 player!

Last weekend, was somewhat quiet. We went to the Harry Potter 7 release party at Barnes and Noble. No, didn't buy the book (maybe when it comes out in paperback). They had a bunch of contests and games, which the girls participated in. I just strolled around and enjoyed the sights...fun to watch all of the costumes.

Mary Connealy said...

I drove my mom down to see my niece, Elisa, home from the Army. She's my brother Don's oldest. She's on her way to desert training in Death Valley. Then, on course for Iraq in November or December.
Then I came home with Harry Potter tucked under my arm and read until YIKES don't tell...maybe 5 a.m.
finished it.
Not telling nobody nuthin.
Then I went to sleep until oh, ten-ish, staggered around while th erest of the family went to the river boating, then fell asleep all afternoon.
The Lost Weekend

Iris Frey Doolittle said...

When I have insomnia (which happens a lot when I don't drink my soymilk or eat my soy nuts), I end up on the couch reading (Stephen King rules!) or seeing who is out and about through my living room window (very few at 3 am). You know, Jell-o, we are becoming "mature" women!

LaDawn said...

Oh, this just sounds like the most dreamy of weekends! My mouth was watering when I read about the potatoes!

I don't have insomnia specifically. I just don't need as much sleep as other people. I read. I can't imagine being awake without a book. or I call my sister. With the difference in time zones if I'm awake at 3 am, this is the perfect time to speak to her without the children milling about!

Janell said...

Myrna; Your Yosemite adventrue sounds like fun, even tho there weren't any kids your own age to play with. :) . I didn't see anyplace on the website blog to leave a comment. Are you abandoning mgjcalifornia?

Cindy; Jack bought Emily Book 7 for her birthday and then drove her into Omaha to pick it up. They didn't go to the midnight release party, tho.

Mary; I didn't know you were a Potterfan. I think Emily may have beaten you to the finish. She read it in under a day. Keep us posted on Elisa. What is her Military Occupation?

IRIS! Welcome! I'm so glad you found us! Stephen King is one of my faves, too. Yes, I'm "mature." I worked very hard for every one of my grey hairs and I plan on keeping them!
I hope you drop by often. Do you have a blog?

LDCP: Reading is definitely #1 on my list when I'm home. I have to choose my stories carefully, tho - sometimes I get too caught up in it and don't bother trying to get back to sleep.

Myrnagj said...

No, I'm not abandoning the other blog.
I can't find out where the comments go either. I checked allow comments. I'll let you know when I figure it out. I like it because adding photos is so easy from my computer.

Mary Connealy said...

Elisa is a medic in the Army. Is that what you mean by Military Occupation?
I'm not exactly a potter fan. I read them all and I read them right away, but I don't read them over and over the way TRUE Potter heads do.
Wendy is probably the winner. She bought the book at midnight when it released. She was with a friend and they drove home FAST to start reading. She said her friend almost ejected her from the car so SHE could get home and read.
Then Wendy read all night.
She lives with Josie and Josie found her asleep on the living room couch in the morning with the book open on her lap.
Josie woke her up and said, "Go to Bed."
Wendy woke up, then picked up the book and started reading again. She was done mid-morning Saturday.
And SHE'S not one to reread them either, so even SHE doesn't count as a true fanatic...although the all night reading jag may come close to counting.

Sue said...

The weekend? see The Back Nine.
For insomnia, I get up and read something boring.
Sue