Tag: Welcome To The Zoo

The K List

   Pickles wrapped in bacon – Yuck, right?  Nooooo.. it’s the bomb!!… Seriously, try it.  All you have to do is grab a jar of your favorite dill pickle – either the little whole ones or the long slices… and wrap them in bacon – maple bacon especially! … bake them in a  425 oven in baking dish of your choice until bacon is done – about 20 minutes or so.. ovens vary. oooh man, are they good.  Make a dip of your choice to dunk them in, even better. 
 Little Sally is part of the family now, all the dogs get along, although there are the occasional sibling jealousies.  And K’s new pup, Rex is just a love bug – already adored by us all.  For a brief little while I said to myself several times a day….. What.. Did you DO!?…. but I’m over it.  I just love her, and so does the husband (BIG bonus right there).   I think I can say for certain though, not doing a puppy again. Adult dog adoptions only from here on out. 
 We’re having dinner tonight at my daughter’s condo…
we’ll get to play with this adorable scruff too. 
In between farm and work related chores and errands, we’ve been scooting
down to the shore for dinner and a swim…
I have a little plaque down there on the wall that reads..
The Ocean Fixes Everything 
I do believe it’s true. 

 Isn’t this a cool idea?… bird bath – glass top, sand and shells – BOOM
Awesome seaside table for porch/ patio/sunroom..

  I just finished a great read – well written, fascinating true story.  I highly recommend it for all my book loving friends –  Thanks, Hilary.. for the recommendation.   I’m looking for the next great read – what’s on your nightstand? 

Another installment of the K List

  .. .meaning this that, and the other too. 
   Little Miss Olivia Penny Sally Maddie Scout is doing just fine.  Even though I had her name tag engraved OLIVIA… I’m not feeling it.   I  also gave her too much credit for being potty trained so soon in life- silly me.  Now that she’s comfortable here… yeah.   So.. the REAL potty training is in full force.  The great news is she sleeps through the night without having to go out – and without messing in her crate.  Bonus!   I do believe in crate training, it’s not cruel, it’s not dangerous, and it’s not to be abused or it can be all of the above.  I only use the crate for over night and when I have to get busy somewhere else and need her to be safe and not in a potty zone. For the most part she has the run of the house with the other dogs. 
   
The dogs are getting use to her – here they are under my desk in the little bed a bought for her because she likes to hang out there when I’m working… they kicked her out and took over, but at least their butts are allowed to touch.  Progress! 

   I saw something beautiful on pinterest or facebook… a sea glass artist who makes beautiful creations from sea glass, shells, sand and windows.   Mine is much more simple but I love it regardless.   I bought an old window at a junk shop for $5, took some of my  shell and sea glass collection and scored a big vase full from a friend,  and in two hours time put this together and will hang it in my dining room window as soon as the husband has time to help. It’s heavy and I don’t want to risk not securing it well enough.  Better to be able to blame him if it falls (kidding!!  but not really!!).  This is a super inexpensive craft you can do – cost me $16. total – and what a gorgeous accent to anyone’s home.  
      As I’ve said before, I’ve been trying not to delve into the political state of things lately, but some things can’t be ignored.  I have a good friend who is a decent man, an intelligent man… who loves all things Tr*mp.  How those two realities co-exist is beyond my comprehension.   He believes all negative news is fake news and repeatedly tries to defend him no matter what the obvious offense.  It astounds me, how anyone can love him.  LOVE him, not just tolerate him because -agenda-.   He thinks the government deserves what they’re getting from Tr*mp and to be honest?  The government and the media had lessons to learn.  They’re learning alright.  But to who’s expense.  Ours, in my opinion.  This is the leader of the free world, supposedly.  This isn’t just a lesson.   My friend has said over and over again there are absolutely no truths to any of the inklings that the Tr*mp team and Russ*a had any collusion whatsoever regarding our election.   While this will not get him arrested… it is the tip of the iceberg.  It is.. truth.  Is it illegal?   I guess not.  But the son of the President was willing to work with the Russ*ans, felt comfortable doing so… do undermine our election.  That’s enough sleeze for me.  If you’re a Tr*mp supporter and you’re reading this.. you would be SCREAMING if it were Chelsea Cl*nton.    First… lets stop all the hypocrisy.  
     One thing I’m pretty confident is the truth….  Tr*mp is a master manipulator.  He knew how to play what would be his base by using the distrust and fedup attitude of many towards our government.  The downside to that is, he got in and I don’t think he every really believed he would.  His own good friend, Howard St(rn said he had hoped his friend wouldn’t win the election because he didn’t think he really wanted the job.  He was too thin skinned for what would come with it, he would miss is old life, his mental health would be in serious jeopardy.  NO  KIDDING. 
 45 himself said he misses his old life.   So.. what are we getting?  A bitter, self-absorbed bully narcissist who’s missing his old life and saying FU to whatever and whomever isn’t riding along on his magic carpet with high praise for his majesty.    The POTUS works for us, we don’t work for him. He’s forgetting that very important aspect.  If he were a corporate exec, he’d be fired by now with all that hideous twittering and false facts.  
   We the People deserve so much more.  The world stage demands so much more.  What damage will be done…   and oh how I hope I’m wrong about all of it. 

The Family that Hays Together.. Stays Together

   Sunday here on the farm was Hay Day.  Those two little words invoke pure happiness (oooh, the sweet aroma of fresh cut hay, and  hooray for a full loft of hay for the horses!)…. and it also invokes heavy sighs and eye rolls (allergies, a lot of heavy lifting and tossing and sweat.)  
    This year, our kids’ significant others joined in and I gotta say, both have proven once and for all they are in-law material. Kidding!.. but really not! 
    Decent feed hay around these parts now costs $10 per bale- and those aren’t the big bales.  By making our own hay, we have saved about $4000 to feed our horses this year – well worth the sweat equity and seed cost last year. 

  Have I told you lately how much I love my kiddos?    And while we aren’t a full working farm in the way many of our ancestors may have been- more of a farmette  compared to the previous occupants of this land, despite the work it takes to keep the place up and bring in the few crops we manage – it’s a good life, a reaffirming life.  I appreciate every single day we get to do this.  
Meanwhile.. back at the house – little Sally  AKA  Scout, Maddie, Olivia, Penny…. is doing just fine.  The other three dogs are accepting her slowly and she is just a love bug.   Now, if we could only decide on a name that suits her….. 
 

She’s here! And what a gem!

  
      We’ve had a busy 4th of July weekend here – all good!  Little Sally arrived via transport from Georgia on Saturday in New Haven – at a rest stop along the city’s shore containing about 275 thousand food trucks with half the population of the city in attendance – with 25 parking spots.  I’m kidding, but not really.    
   Our new little girl was exhausted, and so very happy to get out of transport and into someone’s lap.  I will say the transport used was wonderful – they really give a damn about the dogs and treat them very well while in the very stressful environment they are in. My son came with me to pick up, and a shout out to him for being very kind despite his mother’s embarrassing tears of happiness. 
 These are the girls of Grateful Doggies Freedom Transport.  They bring shelter dogs from up and down the East Coast to their forever homes.   They left Georgia on Friday morning – driving through the night, picking up pups along the way, delivering them  to their adopters at various stops along their route.. it’s exhausting work and they do it anyway.  Amazing folks.

 Right after this picture was taken she peed about 2 gallons directly on that shirt.  She had been holding it in for a loooong time, apparently.    Did I mention  how much I love my son?  
 Sally (although we’re still not set on the name) is doing very well, we adore her already. She’s super friendly, smart as a whip, loves dogs and people. 
Frasier and Bailey have made it clear she’s not allowed on the bed.
They aren’t either… clearly. 
I need this shirt…. 

 We spent the 4th at the cottage –  Stella has proven to be a great family gathering place, it’s a beautiful thing, just what I hoped for…   

      That’s my dad in the photo below – M picked him up at the nursing home and we had a nice visit.  There are times when we feel  not-so-great about him living in a “home”, but  at the end of the day, it is without a doubt the right place for him to be.  At the time of his last heart attack, he wasn’t taking care of himself, hadn’t cooked for himself in years, hadn’t cleaned his little house in years, wasn’t doing his laundry, wasn’t taking his meds properly, and his driving was unsafe.   We had been maintaining his property for him for years, trying to give him as much independent living time as possible.   If you read here often, you know our relationship is a tough one.  Living here with us is just not an option – he’s lucky we do what we do.  But.. I admire this in him – he has made a decent life for himself at the home, and that’s where I feel good about the decision to place him there.   First of all, it’s a good one – clean, updated, friendly knowledgeable staff and lots of activities for those who are still fairly active.  He has made friends and has a social circle. He is now the president of the residents association, and joins in the activities.   All is well that ends well.

 And because I gotta be me… how about that Christie fella closing down NJ beaches on the weekend of the biggest beach holiday of the year, beaches that hard working tax payers of the state pay for,  only to open one up JUST FOR HIS FAMILY for the 4th weekend.  His answer to questions by reporters as to how he could do that was basically this… “I’m the governor, I can do that. If you want to become governor you can do it too!”    Wow dude.. talk about saying FU to your people.   I’m pretty sure he doesn’t plan to run for anything ever again.  
  If a picture says a thousand words….   
  
   Till soon, friends – thanks for stopping by. 

Where do we draw the line?

   Every time I think — well, this can’t possibly go on, surely someone of authority will stand up and put an end to this nonsense. …every time….. nothing.   I keep calling my mother, who is very politically savvy, has been around a while and been involved in politics for many years on local levels.   I say… have enough wheels fallen off that bus yet??…   and the response is a much more patient one than my own… these things take time, Karen.  
    Well, hell… how much “time” do we all need to believe what 45 is telling us every.single.day… that he is unhinged, that he is vindictive,  that he lies, he tweets inappropriate, obnoxious absolute crap that is an embarrassment to our country, that he’s destroying the integrity of the office he holds, that he has the tolerance, patience, and virtues of a flea… and you know,  that comparison is not even fair to fleas.   Their infestation and leaching off other creatures is for survival means only.  They don’t know any better. 
   What an absolute a$$.   What bothers me more, is witnessing fellow Americans cheering his hideous behavior on.  This isn’t just about policy, folks.  I am not a republican hater, I am not a far lefter, I’m not a “Snowflake” crying because my party lost.  I don’t have a party.  WE ALL LOST when this idiot came to dismantle the integrity of our country.  He’s not making America great again, he’s dismantling it with his total disrespect.  And make no mistake, that was his goal.  That was Bann*n’s goal.. and we’re letting them get away with it.  How very, very tragic. It’s horrifying to watch if you’re a person who actually gives a shit about decency.  That word in particular.  
This latest twitter sh*tstorm with the Morning Joe show and Mika B…. I will say I think the media has taken far too much power, slanting the news toward their own leanings for a long time – that’s wrong.  I think making fun of the President’s hand size is childish.  They aren’t the leader of the free world, though.  The POTUS… should have the wherewithall to refrain from such vile responses… the world is watching. He works for We the People, not the other way around.  We deserve better… we deserve a responsible adult to respresent us, not a whining narcissistic bully. 
WTF.  W…. T…..F. 
    I adopted another dog in part, I think,  because I am desperate to see more of and be part of and encourage the GOOD in people.  This weekend I will support a rescue down in Georgia by adopting one of her charges and make a monetary donation to her rescue to help with expenses.   This woman goes without nice things so she can pull yet another of the 1000’s of homeless dogs/puppies that are throw aways.   I will meet two ladies at a commuter lot in New Haven after they have driven over 30 hours with about 30 dogs who have found a new life is waiting for them up North.  If you’re not familiar with the I-95 corridor running north to south and vice versa – it’s a jungle.  And it’s the fourth of July weekend – God Bless Them.   
   I’ll keep you posted on -Sally’s- arrival.  Not sure we’ll keep her name yet.. have to meet the little girl to know if it suits her.  She doesn’t know it as her name yet, so we’re good there.   This picture was sent to me just now by her rescue… she’s on her way to transport pick up.   I’m in love already.   See you soon, Sally girl.

   I’ll  be bold here and ask one thing of you….  No matter what your political affiliation, please above all else, stand up for  and demand truth, integrity, decency.. from our leaders.  Please don’t condone childish juvenile bully behavior.  Our children are watching, the world is watching….. the integrity of our future depends on it. 

    Be well, friends, and have a safe holiday weekend. 
   

Beautiful Creatures

  Well.. I have some fun news to share.  But first, hop on the gator and let’s take a ride around the North 40 so I can show you some stuff. 

     This box turtle lives in the woods behind one of our fields… Turtles are a sign, you know.  Good vs. Evil.  Turtles represent the good.  So when you see one of these babies walking across the road, do you dare stop?  I do.   I’m careful, of course, not to get run over, but I do stop and move them along into the woods out of harms way. 

 In the next field over we’ve got an oddity.  Last week we began haying fields, but the rain came and that had to stop.  Haying is a long process and a very tedious one. Certain things have to happen in order for the hay to cut well and be DRY so that it doesn’t mold up – rendered unfeedable.   A farmer must have at least three dry days in a row and preferably more to cut the hay, fluff it up (there’s a better word for it but I’ll be darned, I don’t know it)  then baled and put in a dry barn for storage.   So last week — beginning the cutting… a turkey nest was discovered, with momma sitting on about 8 eggs.  Unfortunately the fellow who cuts our fields almost ran right over it before he saw it – so most of the hay around and over it is gone.  Momma was still sitting on the eggs, brave soul.  So.. we  (meaning me and the husband,  the old softee) took old hay bales and built a wall of sorts around her, that she could come and go from.  Now, we’ve got plenty of coyotes and fox and hawks that are her natural enemies.. I don’t know if this will do. But, it’s better than what she was left with, bless her heart.  So far, so good. 
Can you see her tucked in there?…. 
    

 Now let’s head over to the other field, where the edges are lined with pines.  We sprayed them recently due to all the gypsy moth caterpillars (SO GROSS – they’re EVERYWHERE)… and were checking to see if they were dead.  The caterpillars – not the trees.  Well I saw a old nest in one of those trees, and I figured it had been dowsed with chemical and wanted to pull it out of the tree before a bird used it again.  I mean it really did look old. Damn it.   It was in fact, in use.  
 The baby looked quite healthy and was virgoursly asking for food.  I hadn’t touched it and the nest was still solidly constructed – so I tucked it back in the branches where it had been, and mom returned  immediately.  *sigh.   Live and learn. 
So.. the fun news!! The REALLY BIG NEWS!!    Because I have access to lots of dog rescue pages on Facebook, I see a heck of a lot of posts.  Every now and then a certain dog catches my eye, whether it’s at one of the adoption events or online.  Many times I thought I found  the one, but the husband wasn’t on board and without his blessing I’m not poking that bear, you know what I mean?   For some reason, this time, he said OK.  No big argument, no big discussions… it was just OK.    Ok then!  
Sometimes really big news comes in really little packages, like this little girl here.  She was pulled from a very overcrowded shelter in Georgia along with her mother.  They had been dumped by someone unceremoniously.   If you don’t live down south, you may not be familiar with the fact that there are SO many strays, so many homeless pets, so many Kill shelters as a result.  1000’s die regularly.  Thousands.   Spay and neuter is not a popular thing down south either, something about the manly mentality – not wanting to cut off their nuts. Pardon the crude but true statement.   
So, they call her Sally.  I don’t know if we will, when we actually meet her we’ll know.   She arrives Saturday afternoon via transport after a long ride down the 95 corridor.  She is approximately 4 months old and 5 pounds.  Very friendly, a low rider.  Probably a doxie mixed with -sumthin. 

I wasn’t really looking for a fourth dog. My three get along just fine.  Frasier for sure will be jealous… but he’ll get over it and I will pay extra attention to him to help ease him through the new baby sister thing.    Sometimes, you just go with the flow. Sometimes something just calls to you and you reach out, knowing  It’s all good. 

Hooray for the Underdog – welcome little Sally. 

It’s a Nest Fest * Lavender Honey Cheesecake

    Let’s talk about all those nests I’m finding everywhere.  So many this year, it’s almost bizarre.  What was it about this winter and spring that has every thing proliferating?… including… TICKS.    No exaggeration, as soon as one of my dogs, in particular, Frasier, step  outside they’ve got a tick or two attached to them. And that’s WITH the all natural, non-toxic – basically non-existent tick repellent application.   Bleh. 
Back to those nests – Here are just a few… 
These chickadee babies live in the outhouse birdhouse in the backyard cherry tree right next to the patio.  It’s a small, baby tree, high traffic area …but nevertheless, she persisted. 
      The eggs below  belong to a purple finch – this nest is on the front porch next to my office door. Notice one egg is different than the others.  That’s a cowbird egg.  I just learned that cowbirds, probably due to their -follow the herd- instincts,  lay eggs in other birds nests and then leave them there for the original maker of the nest to raise.   The problem with that is… cowbird babies grow at a faster rate than other smaller birds, which is the kind of nest cowbirds seek out to deposit their eggs – probably for that reason. Survival instincts!… But…  what happens is the cowbird chick  is more demanding of the parent birds and the original eggs/ babies are usually deprived of nourishment and many die.    
     Well the whole idea was cute until I read that part.   I don’t like it at all, but what’s a person to do.  Some say chuck that bad egg out… others say let nature take it’s course.  The law says it’s illegal. (ok then)    I can tell you this…it’s not gonna sit well with me if I am staring at four baby birds starving to death with one big fat baby sitting on top of them taking all the food.  Did I mention they’re right outside my door?  The door I sit next to.. the one I look out over as I work?  The nest is right there.   
    Meanwhile, down by the sea, we have a Carolina Wren nesting on Stella’s Porch …  as far as I can tell, just Carolina Wren eggs in that one. 
   

      Another Spring thing I discovered on Pinterest and shall make perhaps over the weekend… A recipe for a Lavender Honey Cheesecake, doesn’t that sound delicious?   I need to find some culinary lavender, so far, none sold around these parts.   Regarding Pinterest, great resource for all kinds of inspirational things – awesome reference, but what a time suck, hence I limit my visits there to about once a week. 
So, that recipe…  Source is Taste of Home

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons dried lavender flowers, divided
  • 1/4 cup boiling water
  • 1-1/2 cups crushed shortbread cookies (about 21 cookies)
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
  • 3/4 cup honey
  • 1-1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
  • Lavender sugar and fresh mint leaves, optional

Directions

  • 1. In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons lavender and water. Cover and steep for 15 minutes. Strain water, discarding lavender. Set aside.
  • 2. Crush remaining lavender flowers. In a small bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, butter and crushed lavender. Press onto the bottom of a greased 9-in. springform pan. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  • 3. For filling, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and honey until smooth. Gradually beat in lavender water. In another bowl, beat cream until stiff peaks form. Fold into filling. Spoon over crust.
  • 4. Refrigerate overnight. Run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; remove sides of pan. Sprinkle with lavender sugar and mint leaves if desired. Yield: 16 servings.

Editor’s Note: Look for dried lavender flowers in spice shops. If using lavender from the garden, make sure it hasn’t been treated with chemicals.

  Another recipe, a little more technical, can be found HERE – not sure which will taste better. This one takes a little more effort.  
 Till soon, Friends – 

Till the Cows Come Home…

  We’ve been back and forth to Stella many times this week – things are really shaping up down by the water.  I should be just about done with the furniture placement and decor by Friday and will give you a tour then.  Today we will go buy a  used vacuum cleaner at the Oreck dealer because currently, her floors are covered in grit. 
    Last weekend we met with one of the owners of the entire seaside community where Stella sits and he gave us a tour of his cattle farm.   His family has farmed this property since the 1600’s if you can believe it – amazing story.  The fact that it is all on the water (300 plus acres) is even more amazing.  People like my family are truly blessed to have a little spot to call our own on their property- the fact that through the generations they have decided to preserve the farm as much as possible instead of cashing in on the huge property value is a miracle in itself. 
   So – I am a bit of hypocrite when it comes to my love of animals.  While I am horrified at the practice of slaughtering them,  I am not a vegan.  Honestly I don’t feel great if I try to eat NO MEAT –  and I have tried.  I do believe in and try to practice buying meats from sources that hopefully raise their meat birds and cattle and pigs humanely.    This farm is one of those….. 
   As we drove around the fields on the farmers gator, what I noticed  first is that the cows love this man.  They don’t fear him, they know he is kind to them and he is their source of  food.  He emits a certain call and they come running – 
  In the photo below, you can see their proximity to the cove…  Stella is just around the bend. 
 These cows are born here, and are raised in a beautiful, clean, healthy environment with shelter if they chose it.. for two years.  I have mixed feelings about all that… looking into their soft warm friendly eyes, I hate the fact that they will be in a freezer by the time they turn three.  They couldn’t ask for a better way of life for those two-three years, though.  I wish this were true for all “food” animals but sadly, it’s not. 
 Here’s a picture of the same cows in summer pasture… 
 It’s a beautiful thing. 
 Meanwhile.. back at the ranch here….   I’ve been begging the Mr. to let me adopt two “veal calfs” for years now.  Those poor babies are taken from their mother at a day old, never to know life as a cow – they are slaughtered immediately for their tender flesh.  UGH.  I don’t eat veal, I do draw the line at supporting that practice.   Two of my friends have gone to the local auction house and adopted two calfs that were slated for slaughter… 
Meet Stanley Livingston…
 He has no idea how lucky he is… 
And so far… the Mr.  is not moooooooooooved by my begging. 
*sigh.   Nevertheless….. 

Blizzard Stella and other Random Ramblings

I woke up early this morning, grabbed a cup’a coffee and headed out into the Tundra-that-was-not, Blizzard Stella as they are calling it ( Same name I gave our cottage – how funny is that!)  to feed the horses, rabbits and chickens.  T’is true the predicted winter blizzard has just begun, and maybe I’m pushing it a little, but I don’t see this as becoming a major storm.  Already the snow fall prediction has dropped.  Just hoping the wind doesn’t pick up dramatically. 
 The horses are in for the day with clean bedding, hay and water and their breakfast grain. 
Same goes for the chickens out in the coop – and the chicks on my porch are waiting for their morning treat of  hardboiled egg mashed for their convenience.  No, this is not cannibalism. Egg Yolk is the nourishment a chick feeds from while developing in the eggshell. 
Notice the new feathers, which have sprouted practically overnight – 
 Saw this kitchen on FB – love everything about it. 
 I’m not going to spoil my day by bringing up the Orange Scream and those who continue to lie and twist and contort facts versus fiction. No… instead I will share with you a delicious lemon loaf recipe I made the other day. Apparently Starbucks has an enviable Lemon Loaf recipe.  I don’t go there because I’m probably one of the few on the planet who doesn’t like Starbucks coffee – too bitter.. or something.   Anyway…this recipe is delicious if you love lemon – give it a try! 
Better Than Starbucks Lemon Loaf

Print
If you like Starbucks Lemon Loaf, then you’ll love this moist, delicious Lemon cake! This easy to make recipe is loaded with delicious lemon flavor, and topped with an amazing lemon frosting.
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Serves: 10
Ingredients
  • 1½ c. flour
  • 1 (3.4 oz.) package, instant Lemon pudding mix
  • ½ tsp. baking powder
  • ½ tsp. baking soda
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 c. sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. butter, softened
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 tsp. lemon extract
  • ⅓ c. fresh lemon juice
  • ½ c. oil
  • ¾ c. plain Greek yogurt
  • zest of one lemon
  • Frosting:
  • 3 Tbsp. Butter, soft but not melted
  • 1½ c. powdered sugar
  • 3 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • 1 tsp. lemon extract
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 5 x 9″ loaf pan with a piece of waxed paper. (With a pencil, trace the bottom of the pan on a piece of waxed paper and cut out with scissors.) Spray the pan, and waxed paper with non-stick baking spray. Set aside.
  2. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, pudding mix, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With a stand or hand mixer, combine the eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, lemon extract, lemon juice, oil and yogurt. Mix until evenly combined. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the lemon zest, and mix until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 55 minutes, or until center is fully set, and a toothpick inserted comes out crumb free.
  3. After baking, let cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the pan, invert and remove from the pan, removing the waxed paper from the bottom. Cool completely on a cooling rack.
  4. For the frosting: Combine the butter, lemon juice and lemon extract with hand or stand mixer. Gradually add the powdered sugar, and beat until smooth and creamy. Evenly spread the frosting over the top of the loaf. Refrigerate to let frosting set completely before slicing. Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container.

Bare wood and the Egg Plant

   Stella’s floors are sanded and awaiting a final coat of stain/satin finish – and then… and THEN!  when the water is turned back on in April on the island (not really an island as it’s attached by land but it’s called that for some reason) … I get to furnish with all those finds I’ve been sharing with you here and decorate!  I’m also looking forward to working out in the little garden areas surrounding the cottage. 
      After all that joyous springlike weather, today we’ve got snow, with really cold temps on the horizon and more snow, up to a foot in the coming week.  Bleh. The dogs and I mope around the house on days like this –  I’ll be on the computer most of the day working on two editing projects for our town.

  The horses are reblanketed, K and I brought more hay down from the back barn before the snow.

 The chickens who live out in the coop have their heat lamp on once again.  As for the littles, they’re doing well – all have survived the first week of chickdom and that’s a good thing. 

 Speaking of the outdoor chicken coop… for the past few days the guys have been renovating it to accommodate the new girls once they’re old enough to join the others.  I call this the Egg Plant.  The sign I made for it originally rotted with rain, I’ll have to make new one. 
Pepper, Ethel, Rose, Ruby and Star, among others,  stood around my feet when I first let them out into the newly wired section clucking away, saying.. OMGsomethingNEWwhatisTHISawesomenessBUTisitSafewheresthetreats,Cheeriosmaybe? 
I’m pretty sure by the cluster of clucks.