You can fool the fans - but not the players.... John Cage

New Year's Eve

Happy New Year tomorrow! We are planning nothing big to bring in 2009 - a dinner date and we'll probably be home by 9 pm. Perfect. Yesterday I went cross-country skiing with a friend and it was a gorgeous, sunny day that was perhaps a bit too warm for December. Hopefully that isn't a sign of weather to come; just a brief break in the storms.

I don't think I skied at all last year and yesterday I was reminded of how much I love to cross-country ski. It is so rhythmic and such a great workout. Just another reason not to work as much - so I can get out to ski more often!

Happy New Year to all three of my blog readers! I hope 2009 is filled with adventure and joyful moments and that the economy takes a turn for the better. And lots more... maybe I'll be brave and post some new year resolutions over the next few days. Then again, maybe not.

A post-Christmas snowshoe

We got away from the chores and outside yesterday - the sun was out and it was a beautiful, calm day. We decided to stay close and just go up out of Big Pine; there was a meadow I'd wanted to explore on horseback but the gate has always been locked with by DWP. I'd noticed an open people gate so that's where we went.

 

 

Crossed the creek and stopped to admire the interesting ice formations.

Once we climbed a little rise the meadow opened up in front of us.

We followed a road part way around the perimeter, then the fence line back. We were hoping to find the remains of Norman Clyde's homestead.

 

 

We didn't find anything that looked like it had once been a home, but we did find this cool old loading chute and corral.

 

 

A lot of wild roses around and in the meadow - the rose hips no doubt providing nutritious food for many birds and mammals - in fact we saw some rose-hip-filled-scat but we couldn't identify what kind of animal left it. We're not scatacologists!

 

Afterwards, we enjoyed a beer and a PB&J sandwich back at the car, then stopped to admire these adorable inhabitants:

 

Isn't she beautiful? One of quite a few cow-calf pairs up lounging next to the fence.

 

I tried and I tried to get a good photo of this little guy but I don't think his mom liked it much.

 

She gave us quite the stare.

 

And this little guy wanted to come home with us.

breakin' ice

It was a busy morning at the saddle club - most of the members out in force to work on the ditch that provides the horses with water. Almost all the water in the Eastern Sierra is controlled by LADWP and lately the flow has not been enough to keep the ditch from freezing solid. We get there to feed on these cold mornings and the horses have nothing but ice and mud.

You see this - the poor horses pawing at the frozen ground where last night they found water.

It has been a daily ritual, this chipping of ice and raking it away from the ditch so that when the water finally comes down the hill we don't get big ice dams that back up and flood the corrals. This morning we turned our horses out with the Moore's horses and gave them water in buckets inside the arena.

We're lucky that we have the dry standpipes that allow us to have water even though it is so cold.

After they've drank their fill then it is playtime in the sun.

And Smokin' got to be with Rhea for awhile.

Isn't she the cutest thing?

And then the water came down and they all went back to their corrals to snooze the afternoon away.

Mission accomplished for another day.

another cold morning

Have a good day!

Brrrrr....

It did not get above 30 degrees today even though the sun was out. And a cold north wind blew making it even chillier. I joined a work party at the saddle club this morning to break ice in the stream so the horses would have water and I had on the following:
patagonia windzone tights
mtn hardware fleece hoody
thick wool socks
insulated carhart bib overalls
fleece-lined carhart vest
neck gaiter
patagonia insulated storm jacket
insulated leather gloves
sorels
I was warm, but I was about as flexible as clothespin doll.

Got home around 1 pm and haven't been able to get warm so I have a fire going and am eyeing that hot tub.

Some progress being made on "our lady of the inner cowgirl".
She's gone from this:

to this:

She's missing her lamp base, which disappeared suspiciously during the move.

But she has gained a couple of four-legged friends and a couple of sisters:

Works in progress. I'm waiting for inspiration to strike regarding the next step.

Merry Christmas!

When I woke up this morning (sigh, alone) this is what I saw out the kitchen window.

PERFECT! How perfect is that? Big, white, fluffy flakes of snow falling. The world so quiet and peaceful.

It was just what I would have wanted for Christmas morning. I went from window to window taking it all in.

I spent a good portion of the morning on the phone in my flannel jammies - watching the snow, talking to family and to J- who was still up the hill plowing snow. Will he ever get back down here? We don't even know if he'll make it home tonight. But I think it has stopped snowing so there's hope.

Among other things I did today I planted more bulbs to force. Unfortunately, I failed to do my homework early cause I should have planted the muscari weeks if not months ago - they have to chill for 15 weeks. Yes, 15 weeks.

That means I'll be seeing these flowers sometime in April! But I had a few paperwhites left and I potted those up - they take no chilling.

And I potted up hyacinths some time ago - they are chillin' under the stairs.

And I repotted all of my amaryllis hoping they will bloom again. They are in the garage window where it is cool but they get some light.

I love winter flowers. Maybe next year we WON'T be moving in October and I can actually plan ahead.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Christmas Eve

I love snow but snow is forcing me to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas morning alone (well, I have the dog and the cat and the horses just down the road) so to occupy my time I decided to bake. Actually we planned this some time ago but it was supposed to be the both of us... and, oh well. Things happen. Like storms in the Sierra.

I started this project yesterday and I am grateful for several things. First, that I have a tendency to collect things that might prove to be useful (this time these LARGE bowls were very useful) and second, that we have a garage and that the garage is perfect for keeping things just above freezing.

I mixed up a double batch of cinnamon roll dough (many, many thanks to Ree, of Confessions of a Pioneer Woman) and put it in the big fridge (the garage) to slowly rise overnight. I've been hanging on to these enormous enameled bowls and they were perfect for the job.

Next, I removed everything from one the counter tops so that I could really spread out. I realized while I was doing this that I miss the stainless steel surface of a commercial kitchen. One day....
Each big batch rolled out to two of these rectangles of dough, which I generously dowsed with melted butter, then sugar and cinnamon.

Once rolled and sliced, they were placed in various spots to rise. Seeing this photo I realize I need a new teapot!

I LOVED pulling them out of the oven and smelling all that baked goodness. And don't worry, I managed to bake off and consume some of the end pieces (I'm alone, after all and have to fill that void somehow).

Then, the frosting. Also Ree's recipe (now mine forever.... I've co-opted this recipe for Christmases to come... Ree lives in Oklahoma and I doubt she'll make it to Bishop to wrestle it out of me) and made with sugar, butter, coffee and maple flavoring. It's GOOD!

Then I wrapped them in red and clear cellophane and tied a little gold ribbon on them... Martha would be proud!

J and I were both planning on delivering but I went out and delivered  to our neighbors and then drove down to Big Pine to deliver there... if he makes it home tomorrow we will do the Bishop deliveries together. And they'll be a day late. But they'll still be good. Thank you Pioneer Woman!

the "GROG"

One of the neatest features of our new abode is the guest quarters - which my parents named the "GROG" (stands for Guest Room Over the Garage) and indeed does exist over the garage. It is a great arrangement; giving guests a little privacy and the ability to come and go as they please. We see it as a win-win guest arrangement.

Here is the view from the patio looking towards the GROG.

Here are the stairs leading up to the GROG.

This is the door and the steep roof of the garage.

This is the bed... we want to improve this arrangement, obviously. Right now two garden stools are standing in for bedside tables and the bed is an inflatable sitting on top of a mattress. It works, and is fairly comfortable... but we want the best for our guests so we plan great things for this area... stay tuned!

Here's the compact bathroom - it has a full shower and its own hot water heater! The woman who lived here did all this painting of African animals - so our "theme" for the GROG is pre-determined... but we can go with it.

Hopefully the lion doesn't keep one awake at night.

Or the zebra.

You can always walk outside and see the Whites and the Inyos....

So come visit!

Rhea at one and a half

Rhea is growing up... she's getting big fast. She's still an affectionate baby but no longer a little thing... and she's getting a mind of her own. I'm thinking we are going to separate Smokin' and Rhea for awhile - mostly because Smokin' is such a possessive jerk. Having her around has really put him in a bad mood. He pins his ears and puts his rear to us when we pet her. And I've had enough of that.

Isn't she a babe? Right now she is fuzzy and cute as heck. And so curious and inquisitive about everything. She's right there at the gate as soon as I drive in and she follows us around as we clean the corral.

Here's Smokin' looking sour. He just emits "grumpy". Comparing him to her - well, lets just say that Smokin' is not going to win any beauty contests. But he is a fine horse and despite his grumpy moods he is a horse you can trust to be sensible and steady under saddle. I think he's actually a good role model for Rhea cause not too much rattles him. Except that blinking solar-powered lighted Christmas tree someone put up outside their corral. When we walk by that he gets real nervous. Even though he has seen it oh... maybe 10 times now? When you are a horse - every day is a new day.

Rhea is a horse that inspires me to paint. Her lines, her color, her smell - she is just a fine sensory experience. She loves to be scratched and will stand for long periods of time, lower lip hanging and eyes half-closed enjoying having her back, her belly, her neck scratched.

She was trying to figure out just what the heck was going on with the horse in the next corral when I took this. The mare next door was lying in the sun and when Rhea saw her she bolted away, then came back with this WTF look.

Then she thought she just might like to eat the camera.

learning to solder

Last summer I bought a kit to learn to solder and I've just finished my 2nd batch of pendants - which turned out much improved over the first batch.

I just made three different designs and these are smaller than the first ones I made - I like them much better. I think I like the little skinny ones and the inchies the best.

I still need to buy a smaller tip for my Weller - I'm trying to maneuver with this 3/8" tip... kind of a challenge for a newbie.

These are double-sided and I think I need to work a little on the text size. But they are coming along.

I hope I can sell some of these once I get the technique down a little finer. Tell me what you think.