Yard Sales...50º

We awoke to warmer temperatures this morning and our valley filled with smoke...The Cache Creek Fire is now at 40+ thousand acres and only 10% contained...Rusty reads from Inciweb, the latest news we can get..."A fire line, using caterpillars is being built out Cemetery Ridge east of Buckhorn Lookout"...All of this country is familiar to me as we have gone there each fall for several years now getting our winters firewood...On our way to get wood we always stop at Buckhorn Lookout and take in the breath taking view of the Imnaha River Canyon...John lamented last night that the winter horse pastures in Jim Creek have already been burned over...As with every "natural disasters" there are pluses and minus', having a fire here in the county with an incident base and heli base brings dollars into the community...Many people scramble to get a piece of the action and a share of the dollars being spent...Burnt over forest or range is not a pretty sight but fire can also brings a plus side to the land as it clears and eventually renews this land with new growth.

Buckhorn View

Yesterday Pat and I took in most of the yard sales featured in the local paper, first in Joseph then Alder Slope, back to Joseph and out to upper Prairie Creek...She and I both found a few treasures, but mostly it was time to reconnect and visit as she has been busy with company and I with pickling...I always try to take new and different roads as Pat is still getting acquainted with our County.

Back home around noon I caught up on email and games thinking I had lots of time before Rusty and John get back from their 3 day trip into the wilderness where they have worked on trails and packed out a Sierra Club work party after a volunteer stint...The phone call comes about 2pm, then I shift into high gear, enlist Herb to help and we slice and dice our way to stir fry for dinner...Also I've been looking at recipes for "Dolmas", (stuffed grape leaves) and have all the ingredients on hand...I didn't use the traditional lamb filling but came up with a combination of recipes and what I had on hand... Cooked rice, canned beef, onion, garlic, grated green olives and blue cheese...I blanched the grape leaves, simmered the rice, beef, onion, garlic, olives and added the blue cheese at the last minute before I took a small portion in my hand and shaped it like a short cigar...Placed this on the grape leaf and rolled and tucked it together...Stacked each of these into a frying pan, added beef broth, olive oil and lemon juice, covered the pan and left them to simmer for nearly an hour...Rusty, John and Herb devoured them and wanted more, sorry guys there was only a dozen...Rusty decided to stay in Joseph one more day so "WE" can make another batch.

This morning is flying by, Herb is doing laundry and waiting for me to finish because he needs a haircut...Breakfast has to be fixed, think of something for dinner, cucumbers need to be picked and made into pickles...OH MY...Hugs to All....OWAV:)

PS....Chatted with Bob while she was talking to Ci on the cell...Cienna is having a great time at her first water polo tourney  in Redmond Oregon...Gone from home for 3 days with fellow team members and coaches, with moms and dads driving cars...Our little girl is sprouting wings or do I mean fins?