Looks like winter is back for a visit for a few days, wouldn't be so bad except for the wind. Sun is shining brightly! So time for a pot of corn chowder. This is an Asian corn chowder with coconut cream and curry and homemade wontons. Recipe calls for lobster wontons, but being a veggie I chose to do vegetables and herbs. Warm and satisfying and makes quite a few meals! While the chowder simmers, I am in my potting shed setting up the trays for seeds with their lights and heat mats. Going to get lettuce and tomatoes started so they will be ready soon as spring officially arrives!
Had a spring-like week, lots of things blooming which was good since I unexpectedly had to take on two dogs for a rescue that had been left in a hotel room in Florida and ended up at the shelter. I was outside a lot with Mario & Luigi, the names their adopters gave them because they are an Italian Family. Their names at the shelter were Teddy & Scruffy. The honeysuckle was in bloom, bees were busy. I was working on the front yard next to the blooming Scotch Broom. Cleaned out the beds along that fence and did a lot of raking while the two little guys played. Mario the chow was only 25 lbs. and Luigi 18, but he was severely underweight. We all thought the shelter made a mistake aging him at three years old. If it looks like a puppy, is the size of a puppy, barks like a puppy, it must be a puppy! Bob and I were in love! We never had a chow that was so little. Problem was, he was bonded to Luigi, a terrier, a very sweet, but needy and annoying breed. Neither were house trained, so I was cleaning up as if they were puppies. Otherwise, they were a fun pair, but I was ready to send them to their new home after a week. Luigi just loves people. Sweetest chow ever. One day a pair of pocket chows is a must! Lifting senior chows that weigh 65 to 98 pounds is a thing of the past! Had to take them to my vet to get a health certificate to travel and cross state lines. Sure enough, my vet affirmed that Mario is 2 to 3 years old. I couldn't believe it. He did gain 1 1/2 lbs. while at my house, I fed them well, raw goat's milk and homemade wet food. Luigi gained 2 lbs. On our way to Charlotte to get them on transport. Both were great in the car. Bob was choking it back having to put him on transport. Thirty six dogs on their way to a new life! At the other end of transport, 22 hours later, they are in New Hampshire with their new mom Jenn who has been keeping me updated on how they're doing. They were thinking of renaming Luigi to Houdini. He got out of his crate and counter surfed and ate a whole bag of treats. I'm sure he didn't share with Mario! LUIGI!!!
Birthday started off great with coffee at our local coffee shop courtesy of my brother! Great gifts! Candles, fancy hand lotion, hiking socks and Bob finds great bear T-shirts working in Asheville. A big surprise was a moose charcoal that I really liked that I saw months ago in a shop, it was still there! Now I have to find a place to hang it. The plan was to hike the Exclamation Trail, but the days before the cold front came in and I thought it might not happen, but by my birthday it was 60 degrees, sunny, and clear enough to be able to get the 75 mile views promised on the trail! The higher we got, the more ice on the rock cliffs. Made it to Devil's Head
Then this!!! I couldn't believe we got this far and they blocked the trail!! I was bummed. All that, and now a long hike down with no views. Fake crying. Down we go. Bob wearing one of his xmas gifts. So now we have to try again, once my calves can handle it. Three hours down on rocks really took a toll on my hiking shows and my legs. I had a good soak, a glass of wine and all in all it was a great birthday. And now the SS checks can start coming in along with my county checks, so I'm not complaining about being 65! New Year's Day we started the morning with coffee and the Mummer's Parade. It was a warm day, perfect to work on the veg garden and get it prepared for spring. It was so warm the lizards came out of hiding. Last year daisies had taken over my veg bed, so I have now transplanted them to the front of the bed so I can get back to planting herbs and vegetables. Tomorrow should be the same where I can finish up, rain is coming which will be perfect for the transplants. Time to order seeds!!
Christmas Eve morning every window in the house looked like this. Fourteen degrees outside, only 43 inside!! We refused to turn on the propane backup, the dogs like it cold like this anyway, and that's all that matters! lol We put on a fire, and it has been going non-stop Christmas Eve through Christmas. Should be in the 40s tomorrow and hopefully by my birthday it will be in the high 50s for my birthday hike. This year's Christmas Eve cocktail was a "French Martini" but in our lovely bear pilsners, not a martini glass. Chambord, Vodka and pineapple juice. It was delightful with a great meal Bob brought from Asheville. Spent the night watching Kevin Costner's 150 anniversary of Yellowstone, all four episodes. Warm, cozy, and enjoyable. It was a very nice Christmas Eve! Now all we can talk about is a trip to Yellowstone.
Another cedar from the pasture. Needed more cool white lights not realizing that the white could be turned to blue and back and forth with twinkle lights. So started the moody blue theme. The cool white. The first of the packages to be placed under the tree, it's now full. Wrappings in a wood bark theme, love this bag with the geese, not your typical Christmas wrappings. Sans lights. The glow at night. Feather balls Laser cut wood ornaments. Glitter balls. A gift bag I really liked for my friends Rich & Pat in Nashville. Afghans for Dawn & Nancy, the girls at our local post office who have become friends. Two pretty white afghans sent to Denise in Memphis and Deb in PA, friends in rescue. Family got food gifts from Harry & David and Wolfermans. Baked my chocolate rolls today for Bob's boss and for us on Christmas Eve. All done, time to relax except for making food and drinks for Christmas Eve and Christmas. Going to be pretty darn cold!
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