Angie's Clouds

The sky gave us something beautiful after attending the funeral of Todd's cousin Angie on Saturday.  Todd calls this picture "Angie's Clouds"  

The undulating waves of clouds were something one doesn't t see every day.   We followed them all the way  home from Portage.  

Rest in peace sweet Angela.

Maybe this will change your mind about bats

Living along a marsh since 2001, I've come to appreciate the beauty and amazing nature of bats.  But that wasn't always the case....

When we first moved in - we didn't realize that the house came with bats.  The first spring was quite a surprise, when the bats came "home" for the summer to give birth to the next generation.  And they were everywhere.  Under our decks, in the doorways, in the basement, under woodpiles.  OMG - I was scared sh*tless - because they were everywhere.  And I was sure they were rabies carriers to the first degree.  I wanted them gone. Here's a post I wrote a few years ago about the Bat Education of Rylee.

Over time, I've learned to appreciate our differences and give them the sanctuary they need.  Maybe someday I can even learn to get along with humans of certain political persuasions.  Check out this heart-sweet video of a baby fruit bat being nursed back to health after being abandoned.

Packers win and Venison

Wow...don't get me wrong, I love my state teams, but I don't get that fanatic. Until the nail biter of tonight's game of the Packers and Giants.  Holy Duck Feathers.  That was a close one. Yay Pack.

The only way to celebrate that Wisconsin win was with friends and venison from this year's hunt in Marathon County.  Served with Potatoes Au Gratin, grilled green beans and an very nice Clos Du Val Cabernet.  Because the Packers are what? 12 and 0 - I threw in some homemade banana cream pie.  

Life is good. 

Make lemonade.....

Remember back in 2009, when we lost the beautiful 40 year old Locust from a nasty lightning strike?  Well, we cut the tree down ourselves later that fall and stacked it next to our house to let it age for a year.

That bonus pile of wood inspired us to retrofit our drafty fireplace with a wood-burning insert the next year.  Since we had all this free wood now, might as well burn it.  The wood burning stove was one of the best investments we've made with the house.   What a difference it has made on our heating bills.

The beautiful Locust kept us nice and toasty warm last winter and provided us with beautiful fires.  The last two logs of the tree we decided to do something different.....

If all goes well, we'll have lots of cute little coasters to give to friends at Christmas.  They are drying on the rack as I write....

So when life gives you lemons.......

Into the Heart...

The stately German Shepherd- ...Protective, bold and smart, he looked into my eyes......And stole my heart.

Courageous and endearing, a stand out of  his  breed, so proud and yet so loving, a steadfast friend indeed.

Caring disposition, Faithful to the core.  

If you have a Shepherd’s love, you can never want for more.

Thanks - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Everything-German-Shepherd/142045142499674

My boy, Teiko.  I feel sad that I can't give you more of me.   

The life of Raine

Raine is now in her second year of culinary studies at Madison College.  Along with going to school full time she is a line cook at Madison's venerable Tornado Steak House where she works full time as well.  

Looks like the photos were taken on Fish Filet 101 day as the first photo shows Raine  rolling a piece of fish skin.  In the above photo I can't tell if the fish had been filleted or not.   

When you ask Raine "What's up?" Her response is always the same, "School. Work. Sleep. Friends"  I don't get to see her much.  So I really appreciate the photos taken by her friend Katrina  who captures some amazing details in the day of this chef in training.

In Anthony Bourdain's book "Kitchen Confidential" he talks about his beaten, battered and scarred hands  from a life spent in a kitchen.  Looks like Raine is working her way there pretty quickly.  Food prep and cooking is not for the faint of heart.  Making a dinner for 10 people at home will not cause scars like this but cooking for 150 night after night, sure will.  

I am in awe of this driven and talented young woman. 

Dog puzzles, who knew?

Spent Saturday afternoon at Bad Dog Frida, a great local store for people who love their pets!.  They gave German Shepherd Rescue an afternoon of free publicity and a place to bring our foster dogs to meet new families.

Of course, to support such a great local store, I bought/found a new toy for Teiko.  It's a puzzle from a Swedish company - just like the dang educational toys and wooden puzzles I'd buy for the girls many moons ago.

Basically, you hide treats inside the dowels, slide them down the row and the dog has to figure out how to move the dowel to release the treat.

Teiko gets so excited when I bring the puzzle out.  He knows and smells the good and smelly treats.  He can move the dowels with his teeth and feet.  Sometimes he releases the treats but doesn't eat them because he's more interested in the next dowel.  Give him just a couple of more times.  I can see a more complicated puzzle coming in his Xmas stocking......

In the meantime, putting a puzzle on the floor with your dog and interacting with him, really reinforces how smart dogs can be and how much more we can do with our dogs.

Beautiful songs

Started following a thread from Facebook and decided these are my favorite songs today. Have a listen....

Because of You....written by Arthur Hammerstein.  Why haven't I really heard K.D. Lang sing before?  What a beautiful voice and especially with Tony Bennett.


What a wonderful life....written by Bob Thiele and George Weiss.


I fall to pieces...written by Hank Cochran

Post 400 and the last rose of summer

Holy cow, I've been doing this little blog since May 2007 and this is my 400th post.  I started blogging to simply write about things that amused, amazed and sometimes even frustrated me.   When I look back over the years, I find it's a rich reference of my life's plotting.  I refer to often for the first garden blooms and the last, how Beatons is progressing and how the girls have grown.

A nice history source, perhaps for some future geneaologist (once I export the files and put on a server in my datacenter.....for posterity)

Anyway....began cleaning the garden beds last weekend and put the roses to bed for the winter.  This beauty was one of two roses still in full bloom. And the smell is just divine.  The cranberry glass vase was my great great grandmother's (Nanny).

Venison Chops

Dinner last night was one of my favorites.  Venison Chops served with a wine reduction sauce.  This Sauk County venison was hunted by my Dad last year and given to me for Christmas.  Great gift!

We marinated the chops in rosemary, garlic and ginger and pan sear medium rare.  The mashed red potatoes stand nicely to the rich sauce.  The garden is still producing very tender Swiss Chard.  I'm hoping it will keep growing until Thanksgiving.