Idaho Chicken Ranch: August 2010

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Best Ant Picture EVER.

We spied these deer from our camp. OK, we heard them from our camp...splashing around in the water! They were apparently bedded-down behind our camp. And came and went from there all weekend!

I'm really loving the big zoom on my new camera. This one is called, "Bumble on Ice Chest." He's so furry!

Is this not the best ant picture ever? OK, I'm not sure how many ant pictures you have collected, but this one has to be in the top. I'm pretty sure he's smiling at me!! Click to check out his grin!

This is the seam on the leg of my Levi's. I think the amount of detail in the pic is amazing.

This fellow's for you, sister!! Isn't he interesting!?! He was actually shot on the railing at home. I expect him to don a top hat, and cane and start singing to me. I promise not to put him down your shirt, sister. >:)

Heads...and Tails...

While catch-and-release trout fishing is more PC, and my husband does that most of the time, we wanted ourselves some Idaho trouts! So we brought them home for a fish feast! Trouts top and bottom, whitefish in the middle.

Heads. The whitefish has a weird tiny little suckery mouth. They have a bad rep because they eat trout eggs.

Tails. So sparkly, really. Who can look at this and not think of Daryl Hannah.

Prepping the feast. Local trouts, tatoes, and wine, followed by local huckleberries. Mmm.

Even though we have the GIANT, takes two-hands-to-lift-it cast iron pan (another 10-year-old wedding gift...from Mom! Best part: It came pre-seasoned! whoo-whoo!!) we un-headed them so they would fit in the pan. Plus, no one likes eyes on their plate. Thanks for dinner, my husband!

Camping with Wiener Dogs

Camping with Wiener Dogs. A terrible band name, but a great title for a novel, eh? New family tradition! On the way to camping we stop at Subway and throw two foot-long samiches in the cooler. A foot-long for my husband, a 6-inch for me, and G gets to split the other 6-incher for dinner and then for breakfast the next day. She's 16! Let her have a samich for heaven's sake! No pickles, please.

Washed down with a little river water! She's wearing her Snuggie because the bugs were something fierce and I didn't want to spray DEET directly on her, given her kind's bathing habits. So I sprayed the Snuggie.

All the fashionable wiener dogs are going with one-shouldered frocks this award season.

The next morning she was wearing her winter fleece and wrapped in a blanket when she tried to get out of the lawn chair. And fell face first in the dirt by the fire. Poor dirty wiener dog.

I don't know why she pretends to rest, she spends the whole time on point, looking for her boy to return. Is that him?

What about that...? Was that him???

I'm sure this is him returning to camp...sure of it...

Capturing the Mighty Whitefish

The fisherman had a good day, and also secured a mountain whitefish, more native to some Idaho rivers than rainbows are!

Fishlips. This fellow is considered a "lower" fish, and certainly was nowhere near as delicate a treat, but he was plenty tasty, and very interesting looking to boot.

I want a dress that looks like his scales.

Cleanin' the fish in the river...

Miss G could not stand being left on the shore, and just wanted to help with the fish cleanin!! Sorry Toot... No thumbs.

Capturing the Mighty Trout

So off to hunt the mighty trouts. Thankfully, we are not lacking for equipment. Miss G is sure this means she's going to be left behind... Or worse! Left with the Girl!! :O

I love this flip-down feature on my husband's vest. It makes me feel like the flies are jewelry. I want to put my earrings in it.

Fly fishing....

Quickly yields the first trout! Hooray!!

Toot and I walked down to the bridge to spy the fisherman. She was not pleased about this distance betwixt them!!

And then, more QMT. :)

How to Celebrate Free Time? Camping and Fishing!

So first weekend back, we decided to head to the Upper South Fork for some re-lax-a-tion and some fishin' and shootin'. Pix, that is.

It occurred to me that we got this little stove that I love so much so much so much with wedding gift cards...that makes it dang near 10 years old. Probably time to replace...but I love it so!

What have I told you kids about the Starbucks dimebags? Never, not once. Luckily I had a few left from back when I was in grad school. ;)

Ah, Campfire QMT... Among the most peaceful of QMTs. With a devoted wiener dog standing guard to protect your peace.

Proof I was actually there. :)

Then, after coffee and QMT, surveying the day's fishing possibilities!

Farewell, Eugene!

And the gifts kept coming! Myriad gifts, including three lovely necklaces. Do these people know me or what? A spectacular custom-designed necklace [and matching earrings!] from Mom and Dad!

This sweet piece from sister!

And this smart piece from Aisha and Jason, which will be perfect for our New Orleans trip! ;)

So we sat down for a family photo and then packed it in and headed for our respective homes! Big thanks, family, for the support along the way, the celebration, the gifts, and a fun weekend! xxx

The drive home was gorgeous. If you have the opportunity to do Boise to Bend, definitely go through John Day, not Burns. Far more spectacular scenery. Au revoir, Eugene! Au revoir, higher education!

Graduation: Backyard Pizza Party!

How to celebrate graduation? Track Town pizza party, of course! And if you'll notice the scribbling on the box, the house I rented was on Manzanita Street! Hee hee!

My new science T-shirt. I'm historically an arts person, not a sciences person, so it made me laugh.

We had some Eugene guests for the event, including a long-time family friend with whom Carolyn went to grad school!

Sister and her book of toasts from 1909 or 1914... I noticed after looking at the pix, it's called "Everybody Up." I think we should institute a new plan that whenever sister reads a toast from it, as indicated, everyone should stand. ;)

Then later, more guests who graciously made the trip to Eugene! Thanks guys!

Then, late in the evening, a few of us got all old-school Eugene and headed down to the Vet's club. BUT, there was also a wedding and a class reunion onsite, so that was some good ol' fun right there!