A Beautiful Day On The River

Today the weather was nearly perfect.  It was sunny, in the low 70's and very low humidity.  I had a haircut this morning and when I arrived back home, my husband Mike had the canoe ready to go.  I had wanted to go for a canoe ride ever since Sarah and the kids took the canoe out a couple weeks ago.   http://cabincountess.blogspot.com/2013/08/our-traditional-august-outing.html

They paddled, but we did not. We took an old peoples trip on the river.  This is what Mike did.  He bought a canoe mount and installed it on the canoe, then he mounted a small trolling motor and connected it to a battery and off we went.  No paddling necessary.

When we first took off I didn't think the motor was working.  It was going so slow and with no noise, but it was working, so I sat back and enjoyed the view.  All I needed was a parasol. If we were young and had a lot of energy, we could have paddled faster.  We were heading into the current so that slowed us down a bit.  In fact, the first part of the trip took 65 minutes and the trip back with the current only took 35 minutes.

I wanted so badly to get some photos of an eagle.  The kids had seen one close up.  I saw him too, but he saw us before we saw him and he quickly flew right in front of us before I could get a picture.  Take my word for it, he was gigantic.  I saw this board the other day comparing the wingspan size of different birds.

As we floated along, I did see some fun things.

A water snake

I saw this ahead.  It looked like bubbles in the water

It was hundreds of bugs hovering above the water.

I saw this little tiny cabin

The marks on the trees mark how high the water was this spring.

This is a Kingfisher.  I didn't see the bird behind her until I looked at the photo.  It looks like a Cedar Waxwing.

This old bridge was a Swing Bridge

This bridge was an operating swing bridge.  The Fox River used to be a waterway for big boats which delivered goods to towns along the river.  I looked up the definition of a swing bridge. 

This is what I found:  

A swing bridge is a movable bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring.

The stone structure that the bridge pivots on.

You can see the wheels, gears and the supporting ring.

At this point we turned around and went back.  As I mentioned, the trip back went much faster because we were travelling with the current.  As we approached the boat landing, I saw the cross marking the point Father Marquette met with the Indians. It looked very different from the water. http://cabincountess.blogspot.com/2013/05/legend-of-cross.html 

Legend of the Cross

 It was a nice day, and I finally got my canoe ride.  

Kitchen Floor Pickles

While looking for another old recipe, I came upon this old one for pickles.  I remember when I saw this recipe for the first time.  It was in the early 1980's, and it was in one of those little magazines called Home Cooking. 

I used to have a subscription to Workbasket magazine also.  In fact, my husband made the tangy meatloaf recipe from an old 1979 edition just yesterday.  They both were small sized magazines that I looked forward to getting in the mail.  Times have changed in so many ways, but I won't go into that now.

When I originally saw the recipe, I gave it to my parents.  They made them that first year and again every year for several years.  I forgot about them until recently.   When I asked my dad, he remembered them also.  I would have made them this year, but now it's too late.  I think the small to medium sized cucumbers are all done for this summer.  I will definitely try next summer.  The funny part is that I had three glass gallon jars for sale at our garage sale because I had no use for them.  Fortunately only two sold so I have one left to make the pickles in next year.

Kitchen Floor Pickles

In a Gallon glass jar, pack washed cucumbers very tightly.

Then combine:

2 Tablespoons Alum
2 Tablespoons salt
1 Cup mixed Pickling Spices (3 oz. size)
4 Cups Vinegar

Stir together until well mixed but do not heat.  Pour over cucumbers and finish filling the jar with water and cover.

Let stand for 30 days.  Shake them often, preferably every day.
They are called Kitchen Floor Pickles because the recipe says to roll the jar across the floor everyday.

After 30 days, wash the cucumbers and the jar thoroughly.  Cut into spears or any shape you like.
My parents cut them into chunks.
Put them back into the clean jar, add 4 cups of sugar and shake until the sugar turns to juice.

Store it in the refrigerator.  They are a sweet and crisp pickle.

There Are Always Dirty Dishes

I was going to write a poem about my next blog subject.  It started out like this...

I think that I shall never see, a shiny sink for all to see. 
A sink that looks at me all day and gleams and shines, for this I pray. 
Alas it only is a dream, because every day I want to scream......

I could go on and on about my least favorite household chore which is washing dirty dishes.   I love a clean kitchen but by the time I get it cleaned up, it's time for another meal or snack.  I can't remember the last time I had every single dish clean.  Just when everything is cleaned up, a cup or glass or plate appears in the sink.  We have a dishwasher too.  It doesn't help because it is either full of clean dishes or there isn't room for one more thing.  I hand wash the pots and pans and plastic anyway, so that ends up in the drying rack.

I would rather vacuum the White House than do dishes.  I don't mind laundry either.  I have posted many laundry helpful hints, but I have never seen help for a sink full of dirty dishes.  Sometimes a little elf comes while I am sleeping, but he must have other jobs because he isn't that dependable.

When I was young, I had to do dishes.  I hated it then.  My mother thought if I did enough of them, I would learn to wash dishes and enjoy it.  WRONG!

So this blog tonight will be short.  Guess what, I have to go clean the kitchen again.  Today we made vegetable soup, meatloaf, cooked a pound of bacon and made cookies.  It's only an hour until bedtime snack, so I better get moving.   Or we could quit eating.  That would solve the problem.

If only it would stay this way.

This is the new kitchen after the remodel, and it hasn't looked like this since.

Welcome to September

I can't believe it's September 1st.  Happy birthday to my brother in law Lee.  He is a very interesting person who taught at the University of Florida for many years but is also a clown.  No, I'm serious, he is a real clown named Juggles.  He is even in the clown Hall of Fame and in retirement makes clown props for clowns all over the world.  Of course, he juggles.

Happy Birthday Lee

I actually love September.  August is always so busy.   The weather becomes quite pleasant and the trees begin to turn color.   I'm not a fan of hot weather.  I don't like bitter cold, but I do well with temperatures in the 60's.   In August everyone is trying to pack all their activities into one month.  Last weekend was one of those weekends. 

On Saturday the 24th of August we had our 45th wedding anniversary.  That didn't interfere with anything though because we ate left overs and stayed home.  I know, we are so romantic.

Then Sunday the 25th of August was our grandson's birthday.  He was twelve and will start seventh grade on Tuesday. We actually celebrated his birthday the week before when we took the boys to lunch and the comic book store.

http://cabincountess.blogspot.com/2013/08/where-has-summer-gone.html






Also on Sunday the 25th our granddaughter got confirmed.  She worked very hard to get through the program and it was a great celebration.  She will also start seventh grade on Tuesday. 

This very special cross was made out of nails and welded together.  It was amazing to see.

The cake was made by one of my daughters friends.

Saving Grace Salvage Co.

 A week or two ago, I was asked by a friend to be on the look out for a shabby chic birdcage stand.  She had seen a picture in a magazine with a clever use for such a thing.  I knew there was one in downtown Princeton, but they rent out for weddings and it wasn't for sale. 

So this morning we headed out through all the Princeton Flea Market traffic to Berlin Wisconsin.  Princeton's flea market was especially busy today and that was wonderful to see. http://cabincountess.blogspot.com/2013/04/wisconsins-largest-outdoor-flea-market.html

Berlin has it own treasure.  It is called Saving Grace Salvage Co.  If you want something or need something to complete a project, it is probably there.  It is loaded with a large variety of items.  You will find things you didn't even realize you wanted.  The saying that comes to mind is One Person's Trash is another Person's Treasure.

The ivy covered building used to be an old mill.  Now it is filled with three stories of stuff.  For those familiar with Berlin Wisconsin, it is near the Fox River on Ceresco Street.  It is about two blocks South of the main street.

As you enter the building, it is hard to know which way to go first.   If you go up the steps, you will find a large room full of sewing items and textiles, old printer blocks, pieces of woodwork and even a little crib from back in the day when we didn't worry about safety regulations.  To tell you the truth, I can't remember where everything is but you can be assured that you won't be able to see even a portion of what is there on your first trip.

The main floor has two sections.  The main portion is set up in interesting sections with similar items.  There is a kitchen area, a vintage clothing section, an office area and many more.  The shopkeepers of Saving Grace are very talented in showcasing their items.  As I was looking around I noticed someone was purchasing pieces of colored glass.  I asked him if he worked in stained glass and he said yes he did.  He said that he also repairs broken stained glass windows.  Where else could he find the kind of glass he needs?

Vintage clothing

A white section, maybe called Shabby Chic

A bookcase with old books.

Old maps

In the basement there are old doors, bed parts and windows.  I think the other levels also have these items.  All kinds of building materials are down there.  I'm sure I didn't see even a fraction of it.  There was an old flour bin or something that I didn't recognize but someone will love it.

Outside there are even more goodies.  Someone made a barbed wire tree.

Barbed wire tree

This is the top of an old windmill.

These next items were my favorite.  An old wicker chair planted full of hens and chicks and other plants.  This past spring we threw an old broken wicker settee out to the trash.  Who knew?

Old trike, laundry tubs and notice a wheel planted with more hens and chicks.

I don't own this shop or have any monetary interest in it, I just liked it.  Saving Grace Salvage Company is only open from May until October.  It is only open from 10-4 on Friday and Saturday.  So if you want to take a nice weekend trip to the Princeton/Berlin area, there is a lot to see.  Princeton Wisconsin has at least seven antique stores and the flea market, and then less than twenty miles away in Berlin, Wisconsin you can visit at their new location.

www.facebook.com/pages/Berlin-WI/Saving-Grace-Salvage-Company/394401399166

Simple Remedy for Static Cling

This is going to be a quick little post.  A couple days ago I was watching The Chew on television or on TV as my grandson says.  I asked him to get me something over by the television, and he told me they didn't have a television.  I pointed to it and said "what is that?".  He said it was a TV not a television.  OK, I guess they don't say television anymore.  Sorry, I got side tracked.

So as I was watching The Chew on ABC,  Clinton Kelly had a segment on laundry tips.  He showed how to fold a fitted sheet.  He showed how to hang a sweater on a hanger without getting bunny ears on the shoulders.  He also said that you should turn your clothes inside out, add salt to keep dark colors from fading and vinegar as a fabric softener.  All these things I had heard before and details can probably be seen on their website, but the thing that caught my attention was a trick to eliminate static cling in the dryer.

Surprise, it is aluminum foil rolled into a ball.  You can use it over and over again.  He said you can put aluminum foil into a 500 degree oven so it is perfectly safe in a clothes dryer.  I tried it and I had no static cling at all.  I admit it is a very hot and humid day so the static cling would not be the same as in the dead of winter, but it worked.  I will continue using it and I will report if it continues to work or if the weather outside determines if it works.  It would be nice to know if anyone tries it. 

All Amish Products Are Not Created Equal

In several posts, I have mentioned that we live in Amish country.  There are several Amish families who live nearby, especially in the communities of Markesan, Kingston and Dalton, Wisconsin.

They have greenhouses.  http://cabincountess.blogspot.com/2013/05/amish-greenhouses.html 

They have bakeries, general stores and cabinet making shops.  There is also a Cheese Factory which has pretty good cheese at very reasonable prices.  It's called the Salemville Cheesehouse, and whenever we have visited the store, there are people there from all over the state and probably beyond. 
 

  
Very often we will see Amish men repairing roofs or building sheds.  They are very hard workers.  They get a ride to and from the job site because they aren't allowed to drive motored vehicles.   Sunday is their day of rest.  None of the businesses are open, and they all gather for church.

 

 

People travel from far and wide for all the Amish products, so naturally when we saw Amish watermelon and Amish corn at the grocery store, we stopped to look.   Then we noticed that the seedless watermelon was $1.99 and the Amish seeded watermelon was $3.99.  We bought the seedless.  We looked at the corn.  It was 6 for $1.50 which is about the going rate.  Tonight I cooked it as I always do, in the microwave.  I really like it in the microwave because it is mostly steamed and not boiled.  Well, it was terrible.  I cooked it again for a while, and it was still tough.  The moral to this story is that just because it says Amish doesn't make it good.  I think it was field corn or old corn, and next time we will be more careful.

Note:  I just went into the kitchen.  There in the compost jar were two totally eaten cobs of corn.  I guess some people in my family have more refined taste buds than others, or HE was very very hungry.

Quiet Days of Late Summer 2013

It's still pretty quiet around here.  There is still not very much to blog about.  We need rain so bad again.  In the past two days we have had six heavy thunderstorms pass just to the north of us.  The plants and flowers are dying off.  We have very little grass.  Most of it never came back after last years drought.  I see a lot of farmers are putting in irrigation systems.  I think it is controversial because a lot of irrigation lowers the water table, but I guess I don't blame the people whose livelihood depends on getting their crops to market.

As I was sitting today watching TV, I recorded these videos from my phone.

Our Traditional August Outing

Late in August, just before school starts, my daughter comes over to our house to go canoeing with her kids.  It's tradition.  We get the canoe out and connect the trailer to the car or truck.  This year we took the car.  We found life jackets for everyone.  We have to get new ones before next year.  The boys are growing so much, they will need an adult size before too long.  Princeton has a boat launch in a city park less than a mile from our house.  When we drove into the park, there was a couple fishing nearby.  They had just caught a walleye.  That surprised me.  I thought all anyone caught in the Fox River were Catfish.

They unloaded the canoe and put it into the water.  Notice I said "they" because it's kind of heavy so I took pictures instead.  No one noticed that I didn't help.

Poor Sam was stuck with the orange floatation device because we didn't have a vest to fit him and Jack was poured into his little vest.  The boys have had swimming lessons and are pretty comfortable in the water, but by the looks of that water, I wouldn't want to fall in it or eat the walleye I saw that couple catch.

They are off.  Sam in front, Jack on the floor, Sarah and Mike.

After they left, I drove the car with the empty trailer to the next boat launch down the road.  After I got there, I just sat by myself and relaxed.  It was so beautiful and peaceful.   I took pictures of the minnows swimming near the shore.  I took pictures of the foliage and some frogs.

If you look carefully, there are little minnows swimming around.

Wild grapes and green acorns in the Oak tree.  I could see the green casings on the ground.  Something, probably squirrels, are eating them before they are ripe.

Then there are lots and lots of frogs jumping all around.  These frogs blend in with the grass and can't be seen until they jump.






Pretty soon I could hear voices.  I could hear them a long time before I could see them.  They were chattering about what they were seeing.  I couldn't hear what they were saying, but I could hear the excitement in their voices.

 

Taking a little break before the final push.  Can you see Jack peeking around Sam?

 

 Sam finally spotted me, he was afraid they paddled past the landing point. 

The little trip is over.  Time to pack up the canoe and head home.  The boys couldn't wait to tell me about the Bald Eagle they saw.  It was sitting on a branch a short distance from them.  Then when it took off it was huge.  Jack said it's wing span was wider than Papa is tall.  Mike and I are going to make the trip again soon.  I hope I can get some photos of that eagle.  I was so jealous.

Fun Times and More Good Memories