Had an interesting time storm watching on Saturday, Feb. 9th. We knew that the weather was going to change radically so made a Jamestown trip to Sam's Club and Home Depot. Heading back on I-86, you could see the clouds on the leading edge of the front coming at us. We had expected to see the temperature start dropping but strangely enough, it didn't. The clouds looked like the animated sand storm in the movie "The Mummy". They formed a roiling line across the horizon with misty gray haze in front, pushing our way. Arrived home safely and decided to drop off some venison and paperwork down at Ed Mulkearn's. There had been some small sprinkling of rain on our drive home, sporadic and light, then a little hail while we were in the house. By the time we reached Ed's back drive, the rain was really coming down. In the time it took to hustle to the back door, deliver the goods, and return to the car, it had turned to true snow showers. As we headed home on Sunnyside, the temperature dropped 6 degrees in less than one mile of driving. You could barely see across the lake. It was a very good lesson in just how caprecious Mother Nature can be. Around here, forewarned is forearmed (and safe).
That Sunday, my nephew arrived on his way from Arkansas to New Jersey. Having been a helicopter pilot in Iraq and now flying helicopters out to the oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, he knows a thing or two about weather. He came through the front door saying that our snow storms were the equivalent of the sands storms in Iraq. Dangerous and difficult to maneuver through. Fortunately, we were able to hunker down and ride out the cold weather and icy conditions safely at home.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Turkeys And Eagles - Truly American Birds
Had a banner day seeing both birds. We headed south on Rt 426 towards camp and when we crossed over French Creek (in the town of French Creek), there was a Bald Eagle. It was sitting in a tree on the right side of the road. With Findley Lake frozen over this past week, I had guessed that the resident bald eagle was hunting along the unfrozen creek. Let's hope there is more than one in our area. They are so exciting to see.
Got to camp, checked the propane supply, and saw about 20 Wild Turkeys walking up hill and along the ridge behind camp. Even heard them talking. This was at about 2pm. We tried to use a turkey call but I suspect we are inept with it.
On the drive back home, saw a huge flock of about 30, on one of the farms that we pass on Rt. 27 outside of Garland PA. The cows looked so cute there, hanging over the fence pensively eyeballing the turkeys. They probably break up the monotony of a day at pasture.
It's always exciting to see wild turkeys and the bald eagle was a real treat today!
Got to camp, checked the propane supply, and saw about 20 Wild Turkeys walking up hill and along the ridge behind camp. Even heard them talking. This was at about 2pm. We tried to use a turkey call but I suspect we are inept with it.
On the drive back home, saw a huge flock of about 30, on one of the farms that we pass on Rt. 27 outside of Garland PA. The cows looked so cute there, hanging over the fence pensively eyeballing the turkeys. They probably break up the monotony of a day at pasture.
It's always exciting to see wild turkeys and the bald eagle was a real treat today!
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Bitter Cold Means Time for Furnace Work
I really don't know why it is, but with 12 months in the year, we always have furnace work done when there is snow on the ground. Today will see the start of an experiment. We are adding 8 feet of convector in the family room to try and get some more heat there. It's a miserable day outside for humans or animals. The wind is suppose to be gusting between 25 - 35mph and the temperature is a balmy 19 degrees. With the thermostat set at 70 degrees, the family room is only able to reach 67 degrees. I'm running the pellet stove while the work progresses since they will have to shut down the furnace, cut into the line and install the new convector. It's already brought the temperature up to a reasonable 72 degrees.
Stopped at Sander's Market in North East this morning. It is the former Jubilee Market. They make very good donuts at VERY wallet-friendly prices. With a quick flick of the wrist, an apple fritter and an old fashioned plain fry cake were headed to doom and destruction in Findley Lake. So much enjoyment for about $1 total.
Anyone who hasn't tried Sander's homemade sausages is missing a treat. I think they are the best store bought sausages you can buy locally and, when on sale at $1.99/pound, some of the cheapest. I don't think you can go wrong with any of them.
Here's a nice Venison recipe that I made up several years ago.
SPICY VENISON SAUSAGE PATTIES
1# ground venison
1# Sander's Jalapeno sausage
Squeeze Jalapeno sausage out of casing into large bowl. Add ground venison and mix thoroughly together. Form patties and fry in pan. Freeze unused cooked patties.
These can be used for supper or breakfast.
Stopped at Sander's Market in North East this morning. It is the former Jubilee Market. They make very good donuts at VERY wallet-friendly prices. With a quick flick of the wrist, an apple fritter and an old fashioned plain fry cake were headed to doom and destruction in Findley Lake. So much enjoyment for about $1 total.
Anyone who hasn't tried Sander's homemade sausages is missing a treat. I think they are the best store bought sausages you can buy locally and, when on sale at $1.99/pound, some of the cheapest. I don't think you can go wrong with any of them.
Here's a nice Venison recipe that I made up several years ago.
SPICY VENISON SAUSAGE PATTIES
1# ground venison
1# Sander's Jalapeno sausage
Squeeze Jalapeno sausage out of casing into large bowl. Add ground venison and mix thoroughly together. Form patties and fry in pan. Freeze unused cooked patties.
These can be used for supper or breakfast.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Some Questions Answered This Week
Referring back to some previous posts:
The pink house on Shadyside is being sided in a weathered slate vinyl siding. It looks great ! Trim is white. The garage door is still pink but it's interesting this way. Love the siding color and I find it so attractive that I may use it on our hunting camp.
Private skating rink on Shadyside is officially known as the "Woodland Shores" skating rink. For a great article about two Olympic skaters bringing world-class skating to Findley Lake, check out http://www.findleylakeinfo.org under the news button. Read the "Tapestry" cover to cover (both sides) on the internet there and keep up with local news.
Regarding our Findley Lake resident Bald Eagles, Dick Miga would like to receive written observations of your sightings. Please send the date and location to Dick Miga, 38 Elm St., Fredonia, NY 14063. I expect he would like to hear anecdotal information as to whether the lake is frozen over, adult or juvenile (judged by head and tail coloration), etc would probably be welcomed also.
So far, this winter has been relatively easy to take. Much of the snow has melted off and even now, the temperature is above freezing. We keep having big booms as the ice falls off our upper roof onto the lower one, then slides down it with a rumble before falling off. I almost hesitate to put the dog out tonight. Would hate to have him crushed by an errant roof-burg.
It's a shame that grass showing in Cleveland and Erie cuts down on the skiers at Peek 'n Peak. Some of the best skiing is when the temperatures are mild. Come on skiers, take advantage of the easy drive and come skiing in Findley Lake.
The pink house on Shadyside is being sided in a weathered slate vinyl siding. It looks great ! Trim is white. The garage door is still pink but it's interesting this way. Love the siding color and I find it so attractive that I may use it on our hunting camp.
Private skating rink on Shadyside is officially known as the "Woodland Shores" skating rink. For a great article about two Olympic skaters bringing world-class skating to Findley Lake, check out http://www.findleylakeinfo.org under the news button. Read the "Tapestry" cover to cover (both sides) on the internet there and keep up with local news.
Regarding our Findley Lake resident Bald Eagles, Dick Miga would like to receive written observations of your sightings. Please send the date and location to Dick Miga, 38 Elm St., Fredonia, NY 14063. I expect he would like to hear anecdotal information as to whether the lake is frozen over, adult or juvenile (judged by head and tail coloration), etc would probably be welcomed also.
So far, this winter has been relatively easy to take. Much of the snow has melted off and even now, the temperature is above freezing. We keep having big booms as the ice falls off our upper roof onto the lower one, then slides down it with a rumble before falling off. I almost hesitate to put the dog out tonight. Would hate to have him crushed by an errant roof-burg.
It's a shame that grass showing in Cleveland and Erie cuts down on the skiers at Peek 'n Peak. Some of the best skiing is when the temperatures are mild. Come on skiers, take advantage of the easy drive and come skiing in Findley Lake.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Bitter Cold and My Cold
Temperatures last night ran between +5 to +9 degrees. Glad I wasn't out in it. Found the fuzzy icicles and the rose tinted sky quite appealing when I put the dog out this morning. Check out the photos.
Fighting a cold for a week has been an up and down affair. Yesterday's lunch was a tried and true cold buster. Easy to make and surprisingly good. Think I'll go and make another batch today.
Medicinal Chicken Broth
14 oz can chicken broth (Swanson or College Inn are best)
1 tsp. chopped garlic
1 TBSP Asian fish sauce (start with 1 tsp if you aren't used to it)
1/4 tsp. ground ginger or 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
sprinkle of red pepper
1 TBSP lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh or frozen chives or leeks
Optional - spaghetti noodles broken into 1 inch pieces.
Usually I double this so there is enough for two of us. Heat the broth, garlic, fish sauce, ginger, red pepper, lemon juice, and chives in a sauce pan until it boils. At this point, the broth is ready to serve. If adding the noodles, turn to simmer and add noodles. Simmer until noodles are tender, then serve.
I found that this soup is not only good for congestion, it also settles the stomach. The trick is to serve it in very small portions (a Chinese tea cup does nicely). Served hot in a small cup, it can be spooned or sipped slowly. After 20 minutes, serve another small cup. For congestion, serve in a normal soup bowl but provide plenty of tissues as it really helps clear the head and chest.
The recipe was adapted from a Thai or Vietnamese soup recipe that was printed in Sunset Magazine many years ago. The list of ingredients included lemongrass (not a staple in my house), and several other items not readily at hand. I paired it down to the basic flavors and congestion fighters, then found that it also worked with stomach upsets.
Fighting a cold for a week has been an up and down affair. Yesterday's lunch was a tried and true cold buster. Easy to make and surprisingly good. Think I'll go and make another batch today.
Medicinal Chicken Broth
14 oz can chicken broth (Swanson or College Inn are best)
1 tsp. chopped garlic
1 TBSP Asian fish sauce (start with 1 tsp if you aren't used to it)
1/4 tsp. ground ginger or 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
sprinkle of red pepper
1 TBSP lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh or frozen chives or leeks
Optional - spaghetti noodles broken into 1 inch pieces.
Usually I double this so there is enough for two of us. Heat the broth, garlic, fish sauce, ginger, red pepper, lemon juice, and chives in a sauce pan until it boils. At this point, the broth is ready to serve. If adding the noodles, turn to simmer and add noodles. Simmer until noodles are tender, then serve.
I found that this soup is not only good for congestion, it also settles the stomach. The trick is to serve it in very small portions (a Chinese tea cup does nicely). Served hot in a small cup, it can be spooned or sipped slowly. After 20 minutes, serve another small cup. For congestion, serve in a normal soup bowl but provide plenty of tissues as it really helps clear the head and chest.
The recipe was adapted from a Thai or Vietnamese soup recipe that was printed in Sunset Magazine many years ago. The list of ingredients included lemongrass (not a staple in my house), and several other items not readily at hand. I paired it down to the basic flavors and congestion fighters, then found that it also worked with stomach upsets.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Bitter Cold Day
For those ex-pats who miss Findley Lake, today it's 11 degrees, blowing wind (15-25mph forecasted), and over 15 inches accumulated over the last two days. My husband plowed our parking area yesterday and is headed out to plow again today. Even when the snow isn't falling fast, the wind is blowing it off of the fields across the street and into our yard.
Check out the new photo, taken today, at the south end of the lake. It was 6 degrees there when the photo was snapped. Weather not fit for man or beast.
As usual, had a congenial breakfast at the Blue Heron Inn. Wide ranging discussions with other diners covered Sicilian Meat Balls with mint in them, the state of the economy, Raynaud's Disease, farm animals including a seven year old pig (pet), three kittens, fallow deer, and a dog named Shep.
For the first time this winter, we have run the pellet stove all night. No point in paying for natural gas when we've already paid for bags of pellets. I must say that it is a pleasure to be warm in our family room while the wind blows and the temperature drops to 10 degrees outside.
Check out the new photo, taken today, at the south end of the lake. It was 6 degrees there when the photo was snapped. Weather not fit for man or beast.
As usual, had a congenial breakfast at the Blue Heron Inn. Wide ranging discussions with other diners covered Sicilian Meat Balls with mint in them, the state of the economy, Raynaud's Disease, farm animals including a seven year old pig (pet), three kittens, fallow deer, and a dog named Shep.
For the first time this winter, we have run the pellet stove all night. No point in paying for natural gas when we've already paid for bags of pellets. I must say that it is a pleasure to be warm in our family room while the wind blows and the temperature drops to 10 degrees outside.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Jamestown Post-Journal Bloopers #1
The Post-Journal has a long history of headline misspellings that have kept us in hysterics or despair for years. Probably the best example would be a headline that convulsed us while out at breakfast over a year ago. In reporting that the Feds had located and filled in a tunnel under the Canadian border, the headline read "Feds Sh_t Down Tunnel". That's the cleaned up version. Have to admit we got a lot of laughs showing that around the restaurant. I even wrote the P-J an e-mail, which was never answered, giving examples of the problems and suggesting that they hire a retired English teacher to vet the headlines.
The latest entries into the Post-Journal headline wall of shame are:
Thursday, 1/10/08 "Clinton, Obama Dig In, Richardson Drops Out of GOP Race"
I could have sworn that Richardson was a Democrat.
Friday 1/11/08 "Distaster Planning Key For The Future"
Since the article was about government disaster preparation, I guess that there is no job for a chief distaster planner. However, as is often the case with these bloopers, no one can argue that the initial responses by local, state, and federal governments did leave a certain distaste in one's mouth, and a wish that things had moved faster and more effectively towards assisting those left stranded and homeless.
The latest entries into the Post-Journal headline wall of shame are:
Thursday, 1/10/08 "Clinton, Obama Dig In, Richardson Drops Out of GOP Race"
I could have sworn that Richardson was a Democrat.
Friday 1/11/08 "Distaster Planning Key For The Future"
Since the article was about government disaster preparation, I guess that there is no job for a chief distaster planner. However, as is often the case with these bloopers, no one can argue that the initial responses by local, state, and federal governments did leave a certain distaste in one's mouth, and a wish that things had moved faster and more effectively towards assisting those left stranded and homeless.
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