Tell Me a Story - December 2014

Baking Fails and Successes

 

I haven't seriously picked up my camera in two months due to family illness and an emergency trip, company for two weeks and then I ended up getting sick as well.  By Christmas Eve, I hadn't done any baking either so I decided to make one batch of my yearly peanut brittle and one batch of spritz cookies.

 

I got my microwave cookbook out and propped it open.  This book came with the HUGE sharp microwave I got when my son was a little baby.....33 years ago.  I've made peanut brittle with the recipe out of it every Christmas since 1981.

 

I then assembled my ingredients and measured carefully.

 

 



I mixed the peanuts into the sugar and Karo Syrup.  I then proceeded to cook it in the microwave.

 

 

After adding the butter, baking soda and vanilla and stirred, the concoction looked very strange to me.  It was too light and it didn't foam up like it should have.

 

 

I poured it into the pan thinking, "Why is this so thin?".

 

I finally looked back at the recipe and I added 1 1/2 cups of Karo Syrup, instead of the 1/2 cup the recipe called for.  OOPS!  I had peanut syrup instead of brittle.

 

I made more peanut brittle the next day, and as usual it turned our perfect! I failed to get a photo however!

 

On to my next baking adventure!

 

I decided to make spritz cookie press cookies.  I love these cookies and make them every Christmas!  I once again gathered my recipe and ingredients.

 

 

 

Unbaked versions!

 

 

At least my cookies turned out good!

 

 

Most definitely not my best photography, but I wanted to participate in the blog this month.  Between illness, company, more illness and rain rain rain, this was all I could muster for the month!  I promise next month will be better!

 

Please complete the circle and visit my fellow blogger @

 

Renee Eaton / Everyday Beautiful Photography

 

Tell Me a Story November 2013 - Silver Falls State Park

Tell Me a Story November 2014

Silver Falls State Park

 

When my brother and sister in law said they had a job for the winter near us camp hosting at a campground, we were ecstatic!  My brother is 8 years older than I am and left home when I was pretty young.  Unfortunately, over the past 22 years I've seen him only a handful of times.  What an opportunity to get reconnect with both my brother and sister in law.  They have Friday and Saturday off, so we've been spending most of those times with them.  The weather one particular Friday and Saturday was suppose to be spectacular.  We decided to go to Silver State Park and spend the night in one of the cabins.  Silver Falls State Park is located about a 3 1/2 hour drive from us near Salem, Oregon.  Here are the websites to the state park and also where we stayed within the park.  We stayed in one of the cabins that has 8 rooms, a central "living" area and 2 public restrooms with showers.  We went on a 7 mile loop hike to see all the waterfalls.  Weather was gorgeous.  I can't remember the names of the waterfalls. I really need to take notes (and bring my tripod) when I'm taking photos.  So I will share with you our journey without naming waterfalls.

 

Silver Falls State Park

 

Silver Falls Lodge

 

 This was the outside of our "cabin"

 

 Central "living" area of the cabin we stayed in.  We were so thankful for the woodstove.  It was COLD!

 

 The leaves were amazing and huge.  Below are a few leave photos that interested me as well.

 

 Single leaf on a fence.

 

 I held up a big leaf maple leaf.

 

My brother, Bill and his lovely wife, Laura.  Laura HATES to have her photo taken so we thought this was pretty funny!

 

 She relented and let me take her photo!

 

 Behind one of the falls, with the sun shining in the trees thru the water. 

 

 Another shot of behind one of the falls.

 

 You can see the trail behind this waterfall.

 

 The fog was gorgeous in the early morning. I tried to capture the rays from the sunrise to the left.

 

 Another view from a different angle.

 

Another view of the fall where the trail goes behind it.

 

 A different fall along our hike.  You can walk behind this one too.

 

Behind the above waterfall.

 

 This is a panoramic of 3 different shots.  There is a very small waterfall above this one.

 

Another fall on our hike.

 

 There were lots of mushrooms along the trail.  Not sure what kind they are.

 

 My brother up ahead.

 

 I thought this was an interesting downed tree.  Reminds me of an alligator eye!

 

 Hey!  Wait for ME!  I usually lollygag behind since I'm taking photos.

 

 My husband looking at something.  I think it was the trail map.

 

 Another neat looking mushroom.

 

So cliché, but it caught my eye when I looked up at the end of the trail and on our way to the car.

 

We went home exhausted but happy that we went.  When the sun shines, one tends to get out and go go go when one lives in Oregon!

 

 

Think of your life as a waterfall; it may come crashing down at some point, it may have it's ups and downs, but in the end, it will continue to flow. ~Unknown

 

 

 

Don't forget to check out my fellow blogger:

Melinda Sauvageau / Orange Moon Photography

http://orangemoonphotography.com/2014/11/30/halloween-tell-story-fargo-moorhead-family-storytelling-photographer-melinda-sauvageau/
 

 

Tell Me a Story - October 2014 - A Walk Through My Neighborhood and Beyond

 

It's suppose to start raining tomorrow, and it's suppose to rain a lot.  Before the rainy season starts, I thought I'd take you on my walking journey.  Now we live out in the country and on dirt roads.  Nothing too exciting, but there are a few things I'd like to share with you all.

 

This was my path today.  3.24 Miles.  I usually walk this much faster, but I was taking my time, taking photos and pretty much lollygagging around.  Too bad not all the streets are named on my map.

 

I started off at my house of course.  What a beautiful day it was.  I knew that soon it would start raining and rain for days at a time so I knew I had better take advantage of such nice weather!

 

 Some sort of berries that come out in the fall. I wouldn't eat them though!

 

 Road signs.  We had to fight the county to get these signs put up. Our roads up here aren't county maintained.  They are sometimes a mess, but due to a few dedicated volunteers, we try to make it work!

 

 A sign of Fall!  Wooly Bear Caterpillars.  They are EVERYWHERE and I had to watch my step.  A lot of them are squished by cars.  These use to be a predictor to how harsh or mild winter would be by the amount of black these had in them!

 

 Another sure sign of Fall.  Pumpkins!

 

 This is an old barn of some sort out behind some houses.

 

 I love Cat Tails! Wish I had gotten closer to them.  There was a steep embankment with barbed wire on the fence.

 

 Another Wooly Bear Caterpillar.  He was waving his head around as if trying to tell me something!

 

 Some sort of dried thistle!

 

I hate political signs and advertising.  In my opinion, it's trashy looking!

 

 Moooooooooooooo!

 

 I love this old mailbox on my trail.  It just adds a little character to my walk.

 

 Leaves are turning!

 

 House for Sale!  Their are a lot of houses for sale in and around Coos Bay.  The economy here isn't the best.

 

 Another sign of fall is all the apples laying on the roadside.  I wish I had the guts to go pick them before they fell off the trees.  Seems like such a waste to me!

 

 There are a lot of old tractors along my walk.  I love them!

 

 This old dog usually never barks but his 3 companions sure do!  Today he barked at me and I was quite surprised.  Maybe he was telling me to look at his Halloween decorations?

 

 Lots of horses here as well.  I called and whistled for him to come see me.

 

 And he did!

 

 Sweetpea flowers are holding on to their claim of summer!

 

 Another hanger on to summer.

 

 I scared the Blue Heron away. He's very shy.  Not a great photo but these birds amaze me with their wing span.  He was hanging out with a Great White Egret as well but I would be embarrassed to post him here.  I really need a long lens for these birds!

 

 There are also cormorants in the slough along my walk on Red Dike Road.  I love how they sit there and spread their wings like it's a hot day and they need some air under themselves!

 

I usually walk up this road, Ashley St. on my way home because it breaks up the huge hill from Red Dike Road up to the house.  The road to my house is on the left.

 

 We go blackberry picking in August beyond this gate.  The road is being overtaken by the blackberry bushes.  No trespassing?  Oh well!

 

 These big leaf maples are on our property.  They are humongous and beautiful!

 

This is pretty much the end of my walk.  The house is to the right, up the hill a ways.  This is where our leach field is and our little dog Maddie is buried.

 

 

 

Me thinks that the moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow.   ~Henry David Thoreau



Don't forget to check out my fellow blogger 
Mindy Sauvageau, Fargo
http://orangemoonphotography.com/2014/10/31/fargo-everyday-storytelling-tell-story-october-2014