Bizi Farm . . .A Fall Tradition

Each year we go to BiZi farm for some fun fall farm fun.  Last year I got some great pictures in the fog, but we nearly froze.  This year the weather was fabulous and the girls has a great time.

The rule is, the kids have to carry their own pumpkins out--no parent help.  So Hannah was determined to get the biggest pumpkin she could find.  She may not have thought through the hill she had to climb, then the walk from the wagon to the wash basin. . .and then the walk to the car. 

But she managed!  That is one thing about Hannah--Never tell her she can't do something!  And now I am going to be lazy and put it all in a slide show for your viewing pleasure. . .

My Response . . .By Drive By Photo

Today while I was speaking to my sister, Liz,  she asked, "Do you even get fall color there (in Washington)?"

I assured her we have a lot more than pine trees.  Then on the way to take my daughter to school I whipped out my camera and did a little drive by photography.

Most of these pictures were taken from the window of my car.  I did get lucky enough to get stuck behind a bus for a while so some of the pictures are pretty good. . .a few are not great, but the color had to be shown.  There are a few at the end from around my house.  Enjoy. . .

A Little Escape. . .

. . .Intentional and otherwise.

Over the weekend our family took a little trip to Seattle.  We enjoyed the scenic fall foliage to and from and filled our short trip with fun and adventure.  Then when we got back my internet decided I needed a longer vacation--or maybe it needed vacation.  Either way, we are both back and ready to report.

Pop Quiz:

Of the following activities, which did the girls enjoy the most?

1.) Family togetherness

2.) Wearing fancy hotel bathrobes while lying in a cozy king bed playing DS and watching Wall-E

3.) The lovely view from our suite

4.) Breakfast at the Sister's Cafe off Pike Street

5.) Eating fancy desserts picnic style on our hotel room floor

6.) Pike's Market: the flowers, the fish and the pig

7.) Family Day at the Museum--making buttons and seeing funky statues

8.) The colorful scenery

9.) Eating Clam Chowder at Ivar's on Pier 54

10.) Feeding the seagulls all their french fries

And the answer is. . . .

#10--Feeding the Seagulls!!

Followed closely by the brass pig.

(And Signe puts a vote in for looking at the buildings outside our hotel window--and a reminder of how much she HATED the throwing fish market--especially when the butcher pulled the string that made the monk fish jump up off the ice while she was within three feet of said fish.  She clearly did not see the humor.)

If I were voting, I would have said the scenery, the breakfast, and watching amazement and joy on Signe's face as the seagulls swooped in and took the fry out of her hand. . .priceless.

One of These Things is Not Like the Others. . .

Writers' Workshop Wednesday with Kat:

Option of Choice:  #1-- Complete the sentence: "I would walk a mile for_____", then continue to write about it.

Have you ever been to Dillon Montana?  I haven’t.  But I have to say I would walk a mile to have been there this morning.  But to fully appreciate the reason why let me give you a little background.

For those of you who don’t know my husband, or the story of how we met, let me give the brief version.  I grew up on a farm with five brothers, two sisters, a field of cows, various stray cats and dogs and the odd chicken or two.  But I had big plans to be a city girl, or at least classy and refined (Mom, if you are reading this, you can stop laughing now).  Which is probably what drew me to Rob when I met him in college.  He was as close to a refined city boy as they came from around those parts.  

He grew up in a subdivision, was very logical and science oriented, wore khakis and blue shirts, and he drove a brand-new-no-food-allowed Honda accord--at age 23.  He was (and always has been) clean shaven (in part because he couldn’t grow a beard to save his life), his sport of choice was tennis, he could really make a saxophone wail, and he used big words like spurious and altruistic.  

I was intrigued.  I flirted.  I chatted.  I dithered after school to bump into him.  I finally broke down and informed him he should ask me out.

He did.

I must have come off more refined and classy than I thought, because when Rob came by to pick me up at my parent’s house. . .let’s just say he thought he had gotten the address wrong.  

The driveway was filled with large jacked up trucks and lots of dogs and several men -- mostly my brothers--holding guns and milling around.  I believe they were going hunting or coming back from hunting, or some such thing.  And of course it was a farm with barns and cats and all.  Did you ever see the movie Fools Rush In where Matthew Perry’s character goes hunting with Selma Hayek’s character’s brothers?  Yeah, It was kind of like that.

He drove by. . .twice.

Luckily he got up the nerve to stop and the date went wonderfully.  My mom was ready to marry me off immediately--though I am not sure if it was because she loved Rob so much or because she had six more of us to marry off at that point.

So, back to Dillon Montana, population 3500.  Picture my husband in his rented Volvo, dressed in khakis and a sports coat, listening to Dav Koz on the car stereo, pulling into a McDonald's in Dillon Montana.  His small car squeezed between two large jacked up trucks--in fact, the only non-truck in the lot.

He strolls inside to get a coke and conversation stops dead.  All eyes turn on him.  It is about here that he looks around and notices the large, burly, facial hair sporting, country bred patrons--not all of the male variety.  It was rather like sprouting a second head, the attention his clean cut, Penny Loafer wearing, vanilla appearance got him. 

As he was recounting all this to me over his Blackberry on his way out of Dillon, I wished I could have seen it with my own eyes.  But since I would have to walk a far sight more than a mile to have been there--725 miles actually--I will have to settle for the image in my head.  It’s probably better than reality anyway.

Pumpkins, Pumpkins & More Pumpkins. . .

Having praised my apples, I can't forget the pumpkins this time of year.  They too have been cropping up all over our house. . . some very edible.

  

Our first attempt at growing pumpkins resulted in two very different sized orange pumpkins and one not so orange pumpkin.  The plants (two of them) took up half my garden and did not deliver like we had hoped.  But the girls were thrilled and plunked them down on our front step, green one and all (not pictured, obviously--and not due to any pumpkin discrimination, I just took this picture before they put it out there).

The other day Signe and I were feeling festive so we made paper pumpkins to hang in our front windows. . . or rather I made paper pumpkins while she made a lovely orange crown. (Which I intended to post a picture of, but I forgot and my lovely new mac won't let me picture hop within the posting window--at least I can't figure out how.  So just imagine a lovely orange paper crown covered in paper cut out "jewels" pasted all over it, above Sig's cherubic face.) 

Then I got inspired by Emily and decided to bake pumpkin bread, with oh so delicious results. And since it was so good I'll share the recipe with you.  If you were my neighbor I would have brought you one like this. . .

But for those less fortunate, here is what you need to make them for yourselves:

Pumpkin Bread:

2 1/2 cups of flour

2 tsp. soda

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp allspice

1 large can pumpkin (29 oz)

3 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 cup of butter

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl minus the sugar.  In a mixer blend pumpkin, sugar, eggs and butter.  Let it whip a good minute before adding the dry ingredients.  Blend all ingredients well.  Then either fill three loaf tins, or fill four small loaf tins and a muffin tin. I sprinkled raw sugar on mine for added fun. Bake at 350 for 50 -60 minutes, until golden brown and done in the middle. Take the muffin tin out after 30 - 35 minutes.

The result is lovely and spicy and slightly spongy . . .sort of like my waistline from all this autumn cooking I have been doing.  But I think it's worth it! 

It's an Apple Thing. . .

There have been apples showing up around my house of late.  And I don't mean of the edible variety. . .

Last year the girls were gifted iPod shuffles from their grandma.  Rob also purchased an iPod.  I tried to convince Rob we should go big and buy a iMac, or even a Mac Pro, two years ago to no avail.  Hannah tried to convince Rob she needed a MacBook. . .and an iPhone. . .again, to no avail.  

So I let Vista do the talking. . .and voila!  The apples are starting to show up around my house again. . .just in time for fall.

Hannah wants in on the action. . .

She converted her DS to a MacDS. . .

And her points (earned for good behavior and chores--cashed into money or spent on various toys and wishes) have turned into Mac Points.  She only has 900 points to go until she can purchase her very own MacBook.  We shall see if she has that kind of restraint. What can I say, the girl is a lot like someone I know. . .hmmm. Can you guess who?

Oh, did I tell you how much I LOVE my apples?  

White Mountain. . .

You might recall a little post I wrote about my love of all things white. Today I got to reap the rewards (Or punishments) of this love.




Do you think it is normal to do 2-3 white batches of laundry on Monday. . .and then 3 more on Friday? I do!


And while I tackled my White Mountain, Signe conquered another mountain. . .




But apparently I like my lovely pile of whiteness because I went out and bought more pristine white bath towels. They were on sale. And hey, no sorting!



How did you spend your Friday?