HOME ON THE RANGE....

Are you ready for this?  Today I was contacted by a friend who sent me this photograph.  It's me driving her father's boat (with a 10 hp Mercury motor) pulling her on water skiis.  Having grown up on Chautauqua Lake, I spent the majority of my time (during summers) in a boat or slalom skiing.  I'm not sure how old I was here....maybe 13 or so.  My parents had a fishing camp with 9 cabins and we rented out Lyman fishing boats.  I learned how to drive all kinds of boats and did some pretty crazy things skiing...like making pyramids or skiing before summer by starting from the dock and landing at the dock (when the water was freezing).  It was a "Huckelberry Finn" childhood...not fancy (my brother and I picked and sold worms!!!) but it was very special.
....the warm front has arrived.  How sweet it is, to go out the door and not feel frozen.

We hit 50 degrees today, but in the afternoon some pretty strong winds arrived.  After chores I had to get the house in order for a pot luck lunch for about 25...The Black North Riders.  A couple of years ago I joined a riding club so I would get out there and do more.  It has existed for many years and the members are low key.  Starting in March, for sure by April, a ride is planned once a month in one of the area parks.  They last for 2-4 hours and end with a picnic.  I have gone to a few, but can't seem to find the time to squeeze in all of them.  Except for me, the rest are Western Riders....I hang in there with my Dressage Saddle.  Their horses are bomb proof as they have a gazillion miles on them riding all over the place.  Berlin (my horse) on the other hand, has gone on local trail rides, but not with 20 or 30 horses.  The first time we went out, she did not want to go over a wooden bridge and half-passed right off it into a ditch!  What an impression we made.
Before I started making my dish, I ran across the street to buy some fresh eggs.
My neighbor has had chickens for several months now...they are free range and have a good life.

I am so anti factory farming...industrial agriculture sure doesn't have much compassion for animals....don't get me started on that subject.
Today I am making BBQ'd Green Beans (for an army).  I started by cutting up a pound of bacon, and sauteed it in a very large pan.

When it started to brown, I added three chopped onions.  The kitchen smelled GREAT.
I drained 6 cans of green beans and two cans of yellow waxed beans.
When the onions were translucent, I added ketchup and brown sugar...let it thicken, and threw in the beans.

After I mixed them into the sauce I transferred them to a crockpot.  Normally I would bake them in the oven (covered), for 35-40 minutes at 350.  Give it a try.
The group was supposed to arrive at 1pm, but they started getting here early... while I was still in the shower.  Fortunately, Gary covered for me for a few minutes.  After an absolute blowout feast (we could have fed twice as many people), we had a meeting to plan the calendar for the coming season.
This club has had a cap of 80 members, but I have not seen more than 20 something participants on the rides.  It's really fun to ride along the canal.
When I went on my first ride, one of the men I rode next to was 82!  It would really be something to think that I could be riding at that age.

After they left there was so much food left, we invited some friends over and played the board game Sequence...yes, the one we play with our grandchildren.  Now, at 11:21, I am going to find some music for this post and see if there is a good movie on so I can hit the couch.  Good Night John Boy.