7/19/2015

It’s been a fun weekend. I met Raven at the coffee shop then off to the farmers market. Wax beans, cucumbers for pickles, a tomato and corn for dinner. Safeway for sour cream and butter.

A stop at Salvation Army where I found some fire bricks for a friend to make a Cobb oven. Raven found a nice big pillow for the vardo rug.

Back home and hungry, Raven cooked up some rice while I steamed the beans and fried a rock fish fillet. Simple and very tasty.

Last weekend in Arcata I picked up a mobile cart wheelchair, more like a little gulf cart, electric for Raven’s Mom.

An exchange for helping friends move but they were throwing it away. Friend Michael had a newer battery from the hospital as he’s a med tech. We opened up the battery compartments, one was corroded so I replaced that one. I inflated the flat front tire, holding air. We swapped the seat with the better upholstery, attached the basket and adjusted the height. Plug in the charger and wait as Raven worked on the vardo outside rug and I jacked up the driver side wheel to level it. This evening mutual friend Hyla and friends are coming to visit, we want it cozy by the garden. (note the new big brown pillow)

I worked on stringing the little ukulele, sweet little instrument but I couldn’t find the bass string, substituted an old harp string for now.

I went back to the Lark cart and hooked up the batteries, it turned on the light when I threw the switch, promising, climbed on and drove it a few feet, whoo-hoo, it works! I plugged it back in to charge more.

I prepared the grill for a BBQ this evening, marinated chicken and chopped potatoes, Raven soaked the corn and chopped zucchini. I took the cart for a short spin around the truck, it’s working great! We’ll need more charcoal, up to the corner market, as I returned Raven is cruising up the street with her hand in the air, wow, what a fun machine! We’ll need to replace the other old battery, maybe a new front wheel or not if it holds air long. It breaks down into pieces, chassis, batteries, seat and front steering, so it will fit in a car trunk.

The gang was really late so we cooked and ate dinner, when they arrived from wine tasting they were famished with plenty to eat. A bottle of really fine wine was opened and enjoyed by all. Rides on the cart in order, it conked on the field rough terrain, turned out the battery clip came loose, good to go again. We had a great time, crescent moon and Venus set before we could get the shot. The gang headed up the hill to Middletown, Raven in the vardo and me in mine.

7/19/2015

We got up late, Raven made Turkish coffee with cardamom in the vardo served with orange I peeled and a scone Raven shared, lovely. I checked on the garden as she cooked, the mung beans are ready, with long black pods and the garlic is seeded, to be picked, already dropping little tiny cloves to grow over the winter into one clove in the spring, then a full head the following year. They are all planted in little cups to keep the gophers away, they love garlic and onions, safe in cups but a smaller harvest. Actually excellent as I have saved the crop that my father grew ten years passed now, with several choice heads for next year.

Raven said the mung beans are special medicine in India for longevity or something. To me it was a fun experiment to grow them from Gary’s old bag of sprout seeds. The gophers left them alone but something is eating the leaves. The beans made it, spiraling open to pop, with more on the vine. The garlic cloves from the heads will make a new head next year, these are mostly four clove heads. I will plant the best heads, about 30 cloves. The smaller ones will be food, and a whole bunch of two year seed cloves in the cup to be planted and shared to keep the strain alive.

Raven headed up the hill to join the gang (with seed cloves). I finished the garlic harvest, placing them out to dry. I think the garlic scapes may be good for a small basket to soak. And some lavender works too, though I don’t know if I’ll get to it.

I cooked up a batch of dill pickles with the cukes from the farmers market plus two small cukes Raven gave me. Six pints of garlic dill, no more dill so two cup jars of tarragon thyme pickles. Eight jars cooked down as time tight as I can but still safe at ten minutes to keep them crunchy. All chip cut, plenty of vinegar (50:50) and salt will cure them right as per Joy of Cooking. I threw in a grape leaf for tannin and Aunt Mary’s touch of alum for crunch.

I have all these potatoes from last night. Potato salad is due, boil eggs, Mayo plus TJ’s Wasabi mayo, green onions, celery, capers for Dad, some sour cream, a dash of my curry powder, excellent. Lunch plus two bins for work.

Next up got confusing. A chicken soup, some fish dip for work, and perhaps a broccoli cheese soup. Off to Safeway for more chicken thighs, green onions. Boiled, skinned, boned, chopped saving the broth, strain off the fat for the cat. Michael gave me a huge bag of garden bounty, chard, carrots, spinach, green beans and basil. With onion and garlic chopped, boil cheese tortellini to done set aside. This will be a fabulous soup, 5 bowls chilled ready to freeze. I got the fish dip made using a cod fillet, some smoke liquid, mayo, wasabi mayo for kick, green onion, celery, sour cream, lemon zest and juice. The recipe called for “Old Bay” seasoning, I looked it up and made a rendition of several spices ground down in the mortice and pestle. It’s good.

That’s enough, the broccoli will have to wait. Laundry done and prepare for next week’s adventure to Michigan. Another gate to be built for Sam in 4 days fast. That will be another challenge I hope to document here.

July 4th 2015

Happy Fourth of July! A very productive day. I met Raven as usual at Starbucks for coffee. Off to the farmers market for more pickles, beets and onions for Raven, tomato for lunch. Into my truck with a gander at Raven’s Mom’s car borrowed for now, a red Toyota Corolla, nice car. To town, Walmart for the deep cycle battery for Raven’s half birthday and Harbor Freight for a solar cell to charge it. I have a spare wall charger to keep it topped, tested it works. I’ll need to figure out the set up and switches under the sink, mind I’d prefer to have the actual battery in the passenger side cabinet for weight balance. We’ll need to build or buy a battery box, to do.

With a short stop at Safeway for supply’s and the car, home and hungry, we fried up hamburgers. Sliced tomato, a ripe avocado, beet greens, fresh SW rolls, special sauce and dill pickles. Served in the room with a view.

Here’s the view of my back yard. The Russian River is just past those trees behind the grape vines. Basket supplies back there, willow shoots, difficult but true wicker, and newly tried yesterday (Holiday off work), California wild blackberry brambles. These things are a challenge to harvest with gloves and a cheap towel to strip them of small thorns. But once harvested while sitting in the sandy shade these work well. A same diameter very long stranded fiber, slightly brittle but very pliable enough for a fine simple basket. A little bit of tooth left from the thorns, “Feels like pretzels” says Raven.

The peaches are on, Raven picked a bunch to freeze. After lunch I pulled out the grey water tanks to seal them better, later. I reconnected the straps for transport. We hooked up the vardo to my truck, back and filling until it dropped onto the ball hitch clean. I skipped the chain as we’re only going hundreds of feet at most. I drove it out slow and wide, clearing the far fence and into the field not stopping. I pulled in behind the garden and stopped. Raven thought it would be better closer into the trees. I can drive under the trees and clear the other side, pulled it in until I was in the branches but good. We lowered the jack sharing the work, got it up above the hitch and fairly level front to back. The driver side is a bit low, but in place. I drive under the tree and out, closing the door as I clear the branches, around and park in the now empty driveway. We pull out the boat awning that’s been stashed for years at the front of my trailer, brush it off and hose it down. It’s hot, the water feels good. Raven decides a simple tarp is enough for now, the blue one fits perfect. I dig around and find a couple cleats and screws to fit them, the right size drill bit and screw driver bit. We string the long electric cord through my bedroom window out to the vardo, it reaches. A short ladder and we’re on. The screw driver is misplaced, found near the trash can work surface floor. The cleats up, I get some choice short ropes attached to the long corners of the tarp, a perfect fit. For the long far end I go with the cheap yellow spool rope. One end to a branch of the tree, the other to the new tree by the garden in deep and solid. This is good, a fine awning.

The view from the back is cool too.

I like this view through the trees.

We are in a comfortable place. Close enough to the house for electric and water, but cushioned by the trees, shade the hot half of the day and an awning for an outside space, add a rug, table and chairs, perfect. With the garden right out front. I fixed the sprinkler too, the controller screen was clogged and the battery low, only a partial water supply was killing the front garden, happy now.

We moved the boat awning back next to the trailer for future considerations for now. Raven is on her way home with peaches to freeze in her new borrowed car, thanks Mom. I chopped cucumbers, green and red peppers and sweet onions, salted for another batch of bread and butter pickles tomorrow.  I expect the fire works will start soon in the distant towns nearby. Happy Fourth of July!