For some reason they think I need a bath. It’s not like I don’t get plenty of baths on my own, I go in the frog pond quite a bit and I run through the creek. But for some reason they want to give me a bath with that funny smelling soap.

 

I put up with it and humor them, it makes them happy and gives them something to do. Plus they got that tick I’d been meaning to tell them about. It actually went more like “Oh my gaawd! Is that a tick?!” I got excited and tried to jump up and look but just got told “No, no, don’t shake.” I didn’t mean to shake, it was just my tail that got going.

 

Then they put me right in that red tote! I thought I wouldn’t like it, but on a day like today it felt pretty good.

 

I still wanted to get out and have a luxurious shake.

 

I was really thinking about it.

 

I gave a quick Dick Cheney smile. 

 

Oh yes! Fetch, I’ve gotten better at that, I bring the ball back 99% of the time now and people want to play with me more. It’s great!

 

But sometimes when I try to get fancy

 

I miss the ball and have to turn around real quick. I like how the dust stirs up and sticks to my damp coat.

 

I was tempted to stop right there and roll around in that dust

 

But I like catching that tennis ball in the air and I really like those random biscuits 

 

that come from that jar.

 

I really don’t have favorites, well I do I like the yellow ones and I like the orange ones and the green one and the red ones.  I was so excited I think I swallowed the first few without chewing at all.

 

Even though I might not have wanted a bath I feel great now.

 

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This flag is as much fun to make as it is to eat!


The Strawberries from T&J Farms were amazing!  


If you live where the pick your own places are still in season, go pick fresh! But if not the grocery store berries will do. I had to use grocery store blueberries because they aren't in season yet here. I got very lucky, the blueberries were really good.


For the crust, bottom cookie mix flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter  cut into small pieces into the flour mixture cut in with a pastry cutter until butter pieces are the size of small peas. Add vanilla, then ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, gather together with a spatula. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to roll, about 1 hour.
On a lightly floured surface roll dough into 8x11-inch rectangle. Transfer to cookie sheet. Press one index finger against outside edge; with index finger and thumb of other hand, push dough around fingertip toward center to form a flute. Repeat around edge to make a decorative border. Refrigerate or freeze, on cookie sheet, about 10 minutes to firm dough slightly.Preheat oven to 375 degree F.
Bake dough 20 to 25 minutes or until golden. Cool crust completely on cookie sheet on wire rack, about 20 minutes.


When crust is cool, in medium bowl, mix cream cheese, sour cream, and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar until blended.


Spread cream cheese mixture on crust.


Arrange blueberries and sliced strawberries,


in stars and stripes in cream cheese mixture.


serve immediately or make ahead and refrigerate.

Strawberry blueberry flag Tart
adapted from Good Housekeeping’s Strawberry cream cheese tart recipe
Ingredients
The crust

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cups sugar
• 10 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into pieces
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons ice water

combine flour, salt, and 1/3 cup sugar. Add butter and cut into flour mixture until butter pieces are the size of small peas. Add vanilla, then ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, gather together with a spatula. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to roll, about 1 hour.
On  floured surface roll dough into 8x11-inch rectangle. Transfer to cookie sheet. Press one index finger against outside edge; with index finger and thumb of other hand, push dough around fingertip toward center to form a flute. Repeat around edge to make a decorative border. Refrigerate or freeze, on cookie sheet, about 10 minutes to firm dough slightly.Preheat oven to 375 degree F.
Bake dough 20 to 25 minutes or until golden. Cool crust completely on cookie sheet on wire rack, about 20 minutes.
The cream cheese topping

• 3 tablespoon(s) confectioners’ sugar,
• 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup blueberries
• 1 1/2 pounds strawberries, each berry cut lengthwise in half

When crust is cool, in medium bowl,  mix cream cheese, sour cream, and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar until blended. Spread cream cheese mixture on crust. Arrange blueberries and sliced strawberries, in stars and stripes in cream cheese mixture.

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I still have blackberries coming out my ears so it’s only right to put some in a smoothie.

 

In a flat bottomed bowl place washed and dried blackberries. But it wouldn’t matter if they were wet either, you’ll be adding water to the smoothie so wet berries won’t hurt anything.

 

Mash the berries with a potato masher.

 

To remove the seeds pour into a strainer over another bowl and let it start dripping through 

 

while you squeeze the lime.

 

In the blender add avocado and fruit juice concentrate. I know it only looks like I put 1/4 avocado in but I did put the whole half in I just wasn’t able to take any pictures once my hands got covered in blackberry slime.

 

After trying the spatula I found using my hands made the blackberry juice go through the strainer more quickly

 

Add water and ice and then if you find some left over maple whipped cream in the fridge throw that in too it’ll be good. Blend it all up.

 

My grandparent’s vintage 1983 Vitamix is still going strong. The handle on the spigot broke off some years ago and then the gasket on the top dried up. I have improvised with a home made washable cloth gasket that works pretty well in most situations.

If I ever see a Vitamix at a thrift store I will definitely get it.  The motor is indestructible.

 

Serve immediately. and made more if that’s not enough.

 

Blackberry Lime Smoothie

ingredients

• 1/2 avocado
• juice of one lime
• 1/2 can apple and pear fruit juice concentrate
• 1 cup  blackberry juice mashed and strained
• 2-3 tablespoons left over maple whipped cream
• 1 cup water
• 1-2 cups ice cubes

Place all ingredients but  half the water and half the ice in blender and blend 30 seconds then add remaining water and ice and blend until ice cubes are nearly gone.

Serve immediately.

 

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Every morning I hear the wah wah waah of the loggers and then after a while I hear the log truck shifting through the gears as he climbs the hill with his load of logs.

Every morning I say I have got to go down there to see what they’re doing, it sounds like so much fun.  I’ve been saying that for close to two months now. 

  I have a few other things on the to-do list but never mind about laundry and bathroom cleaning, that will always be there these guys will one day soon be helping someone else manage their timber and if I don’t go now I may be left wondering what might’ve been.

 

I had to get a look at this log loader, de-limber, cutter all in one thing. I don’t know what it’s properly called. I’m sorry, I do not know forestry equipment terminology so anyone who does please correct me! 

 

He uses that grapple thing like an extension of his hand.

 

Just grabs a few trees, like a handful

 

 

and stuff them in and out of the de-limber. It has rolly things with teeth that take the branches right off.

 

See how sharp, sharp as in nice and clean  they look now?

 

To chop the tops he sets them on the de-limber thing to the exact length. Watch those arm things

 

they clamp down to hold the trees for cutting off the tops.

 

A closer look, on the right is the chainsaw like saw blade just waiting to be told to cut.

 

Then sawdust flies everywhere and he cuts the tops off.  All in a mater of minutes.

 

Then up the hill comes the skidder carrying more logs.

 

He circles by at just the right angle 

 

to drop off the logs into the pile.

 

He circles around, he’s not done up here yet

 

he has to clean up the chopped tops.

 

He carries them off to where ever the tops go.

 

At this point the truck is loaded and ready to go.

 

I talked to the log loader operator for a minute, he said Grampa used to drive the truck and dad used to load the logs.

Now he loads the logs and Dad drives the truck. 

 

I really enjoy meeting people like that.

I love seeing families having fun working together.

I’m glad I didn’t do those dishes!

 

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