Adventures in Rafting

We spent Labor Day weekend rafting and camping on the Lower Salmon river. It was our best trip yet with plenty of good water and weather.

Some of the highlights were having great family and friends with us, camping under the stars, (intentional) rapid swimming, rock jumping, fun camp spots, great food, perfect weather and lots and lots of swimming.

It is one of those trips where you don't want it to end as soon as it does. 

Thanks everyone for a great trip!

Maren in the drivers seat

Campground on the Snake River

Bruce cleaning up at camp.

We had the perfect rapid for swimming at our first night's camp.  Almost everyone jumped in from the oldest (Grandma) to the youngest (Neil). Hannah and Paige did a great job.   Jake and Megan were the biggest fishes and really had fun.

Paige and Hannah loved rock jumping into the Snake River on our third night.

Bruce & family, Kelli & Brandon rowing the spicy tuna.

Keith, Jenny, Drew, Neil & Grandma on the river.  We never did come up with a name as good as spicy tuna for our boat or Keith's boat.  We were referred too as the refugee boat at times because of the number of people.  But Paige insists that that name is not good enough for our boat so we will continue to search for the perfect name. 

Grandma's, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and good friends.  Priceless!

Aren't they cute?  It doesn't look like Neil is quite ready for bed, does it?

Cousin Natalie was a favorite addition to the trip this year.

Next year Izzy will be old enough to go with us and we can have a complete family picture.

Dirty Jobs

Have you every seen Dirty Jobs on the Discovery Channel?

After the latest project on the farm, Kirk officially qualifies for a spot on the show.  The episode would show him scraping cat poo off the tack room ceiling in the barn.  A pile a few feet high and more than a few feet wide. 

The worst part?  It smelled like CAT POO!

Lots and lots of cat poo!

The Cob

Thanks to Whitby farms (Kim for thinking of me and Kennidi and Braden for the transportation and delivery), I spent this morning filling my freezer with sweet corn.  Hannah, Grandma and Izzy helped shuck the corn.  Then I blanched it and Rosemary helped me cut the corn off the cob. 

Here's a tip... place the cob upright on the center post of a bunt or angel food cake pan.  Then cut the corn off, letting it fall into the pan.  It makes things (somewhat) easier and less messy.

 Then I used my Grandma Vivian's recipe:

8 c. cut corn

1 cube butter

1 1/2 t. salt

2 T. sugar

1/2 c. water

Boil 5 minutes.  Cool and freeze in Ziploc bags.

** I modified the recipe by reducing the butter to 1/4 cup.  One cube sounded delicious, but my waistline just wouldn't appreciate it!

** I also modified the recipe by blanching my corn before mixing it with the butter, salt, sugar.  But my brother Bret said it is easier to cut the corn off before it's blanched.  I don't have enough corn experience to know.  Anyone have a preference?

So, thanks to the Whitby's, my freezer is now filled with 18 quart bags of delicious sweet corn.  I can't wait to heat them up for dinner this winter.  

And, of course, there were plenty of dishes to be done.  Unfortunately, my dishwasher is currently making ugly sounds, so I was forced to wash everything by hand. 

Newest Family Member

When we knew Sophie wasn't going to be with us much longer, we took a trip to the animal shelter to find her replacement.  After an afternoon playing with all of the kittens, the girls voted and we came home with Sweet Pea. 

She is sweet, and seems about the size of a pea compared to our older cats.

Sophie somehow knew she was being replaced and instantly disliked sweet pea.

Max is slowly warming up to her.

The girls love her.  She gets lots of holding, playing, behind-the-ear scratching, and loving. 

She is becoming part of our family (whether Max likes it or not). 

Raspberry Season

It is raspberry season and we are loving it.  In addition to the small patch we have at home, there is a large patch of raspberries at our property.  We have been busy trying to keep up with all of the ripe fruit.  I have already filled the freezer with jam, we have eaten two raspberry pies,

we eat raspberries by the handfull, throw them on cereal, oatmeal and waffles.  But the raspberries are still coming, so I am trying to figure out what to do with them next...

Perhaps raspberry sorbet,

or raspberry sauce over panna cotta,

or maybe raspberry pancakes.

Do you have a favorite raspberry recipe you can share?

Grouse Creek Waterslides

Saturday we discovered that the falls on Grouse Creek (where we have hiked numerous times in other seasons) become a perfect water slide when the weather is warm and the water is low.  It comes complete with deep pools, high cliffs and natural rock slides.  Keith & Jenny - guess where we are taking you next time you visit?  You will love it... we did!

Did You Hear?

USA Today, Rand McNally name Sandpoint most beautiful small town in America.

But of course, we already knew that.