A week in the country.

One thing about this time of year, it's warm enough in the morning to sit on the front porch and watch the sunrise. 

Everything is beginning to spring to life. 

We had a productive week. 

We freeze dried five pounds of cream cheese, and freeze dried peaches, and pears.

I made sourdough biscuits, and then put my starter back in the fridge to be neglected for another week, or so.

It's been fun to have new recipes to try out. 

 I have a sourdough banana bread recipe to try this week. 

I bought a 40 pound box of bananas, a while ago, and froze some to use in banana bread and muffins, and smoothies, and then I freeze dried the rest. 

The box cost me five dollars, and I knew I couldn't go wrong for that price!

Freeze dried bananas are so yummy!

Shopping bags full of MaryJane's Farm magazines.

One of my friends has been saving these magazines for years and gave them to me this past week. 
I'm going to read through them, save what I want to and then I'll take them back to her. She's over the Senior Citizen's yard sale and she'll put the magazines in the yard sale.

Fish Fillet station
This is the filleting station that the DNR set up, after gathering the fish from the nets.
At Piute State Park, the DNR checks the health of the reservoir by placing nets in the water, then seeing what type of fish survived winter and determining what type of fish to plant in the lake for summer time. 
All of the fish netted where donated and that way there wasn't any waste.
The water is used for farming, and in fact the water in our subdivision is all from Piute.
Our subdivision was farm land, and the water rights are preserved now that this land has been developed into a neighborhood.

Attitude of Gratitude:
Our Grands and DIL made it back from Brazil this week; our son is overjoyed to have them home again! The Grands called us to tell us that they missed us and they love us.
Our DIL's grandma is doing ok, and her health for now is stable.

Feeling accomplished with all of the freeze drying that we got done this week.

Grateful for sunny days that allow me to work in the yard. It's been far too nice to be in the house.
 
Grateful that me sweet husband has giant trout to smoke this week... should be delish! 

Things to smile about ....

Colors of Spring

New adventures this spring: sourdough.

Our daughter in law recently gave me a sourdough starter; of course I happily accepted her gift. 
In years past, I did all the Amish starter and sourdough starter things. 

I have changed the way that I do sourdough this time around.

I do not babysit it. 

 I neglect it in the refrigerator for days at a time.

I feed it periodically and use the 'discard for things like chocolate chip cookies, or blueberry pancakes, and even 'Everything but the bagel seaoning' crackers. 

Then, about once a week, I feed the poor neglected thing, and make bread.

Chocolate chip cookies... made with 'discard'

Sourdough Boule

Double chocolate sourdough 

April Fool's day storm... we ended up with an inch or so.

In a tall tree, vultures spread their wings to dry and warm themselves.

Sun setting over the mountains.

On our way home from our five hour shift at the temple, the sun was beginning to set and it was such a beautiful and peaceful sight. 

💗

Attitude of Gratitude:

~ Thankful for the morning sun. 

I've always been 'solar powered'!

~Warm bread coming out of the oven.

~A birthday celebratory luncheon for my husband with our family and our new Grandson.

 

Woven days....

Manti Temple

We're working as Coordinatiors in the temple again, and it keeps up busy and blessed. 

We are trying to work on more of our family history, and do ordinances for our ancestors. We are nearing the 2000 persons mark for our personal family names that we've done in the past 12 months.

(This is an older picture of our son and his wife)

On that note... our youngest and his wife have added to our family.

We have another Grand! 

His name is Charlie, and he's now 6 months old, and perfect, of course :)

Tucker and Timber

The pups have grown up. We take them on daily walks up the mountain trail, or near the creek trail. 

Otter Creek Resevoir

More camping trips are in our future, to one of our favorite places.

I've been freeze drying a ton of stuff; things to take with us camping.

 This week, I freeze dried cream cheese. 

Clear Creek Canyon.
Going on a ride through the canyon is a frequent event.
We like to stop and view the many petroglyphs and pictographs along the way.

It is amazing how quickly time passes... 

I've especially noticed that time flies as I'm getting older.

I hope to blog more and have a small record of everyday life .

Attitude of Gratitude:

Daffodils blossoming, working in the yard, day trips.