Cast Iron Cooking

We are beginning to see glimpses of Spring around Coyote Ridge these days. The days are getting longer by just over three minutes a day and the cold does not have the dead of Winter bite to it.

These hints of good weather have me thinking about getting outdoors more and discovering new areas with our camper.

We recently purchased some new cooking equipment to take with us on our adventures. It seems that the larger the RV, the more stuff we think we need.

Anyway, we have been reading up on cast iron cooking and thought back to Grandma's cooking and how good it was. Chances are very good that yours used cast iron as mine did.

Here are a few pictures of the stuff we purchased to do some of that fine old fashioned cooking.

It all started with this......


Those that know me realize that I can't stop with one item. I tend to obsess and of course start accessorizing...



Next on the purchase parade will be a special coal table for a surface area to work the cast iron magic....


I have a new feature on the blog. If any topic sparks an interest in you, just type some key words into the search box to the right and you will be directed to sponsors who may be able to help you. They sure help me, as I make a few cents when someone visits their site.

One of these days we will break in the old iron and I will relay along to you our results.

Until then, make sure you tune in real often for another edition of "Now What Are They Doing?"

New Flooring

We have picked out our new flooring for the living room project. In keeping with the rustic theme of Coyote Ridge, we decided on a plank hickory floor.



It will probably be another two weeks before they install the flooring. That will be one of the last steps before we start moving stuff back in.

Tune in again soon for another edition of "Now What Are They Doing?"

Look At That Blue View

Bruce and Mike were back today working on the project. They did more mudding and installed the metal corner pieces on where else...the corners of the new sheetrock.

Below are a couple of shots showing where the door was and where the new window will be installed.



In the corner, slate tile will be put down on the floor and stone walls where the gas fireplace will be. You can see the cement board mounted on the walls where the rock will go.


It has been a long week in some ways and in other ways I can't believe it is Friday already.
It has been really busy at work and promises to stay that way for a while. Busy is good, just as long as there is some control to the extent of busy.

The weather was fantastic this morning. I was able to install a new GPS tracking device on one of our emergency response vehicles at work. There has been so much snow and cold that I just wanted to wait for nicer weather so I could enjoy the project.

The tracking device works well. After activating it, the location came right up via satellite and pinpointed exactly where the vehicle was. Of course I already knew the location since I just did the install. The nice feature about the tracking device is that when the vehicles are out you always know where they are. Now with Google Maps you can really see the area with a bird's eye view.

Tune in again soon for another edition of "Now What Are They Doing?"

Let There be Light....Almost

As I wrote earlier, we are having the "door to no where" removed and a window installed in it's place.
Our contractor Bruce, is shown below filling in the hole where the door and sidelight once were installed.



I ordered the glass for the hole, 4'x5' and it will be ready to be picked up in about one week.

Meanwhile.....Mike is busy taping the sheetrock.


Once the taping is done, it looks like priming, painting,tile, stones for fireplace, wood floor and trim.

Stay tuned my friends for another exciting episode of "Now What Are They Doing?"

Something Other Than Construction News

I received some real cute emails today and wanted to pass them along to you.

Some of them are funny (at least I think so)...and one of them is actually something that could save you some money and frustration.

You be the judge which is which.

In honor of the mother of the octuplets, Denny's is offering
a new breakfast meal: the Octo-slam, you get fourteen
eggs, no sausage, and the guy next to you has to pay the bill.

Subject: For the old fogies.



Some of the artists of the 60's are revising their hits with new lyrics to accommodate aging baby boomers.

They include:

Bobby Darin ---
Splish, Splash, I Was Havin' a Flash.

Herman's Hermits ---
Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Walker.

Ringo Starr ---
I Get By With a Little Help From Depends.

The Bee Gees -- -
How Can You Mend a Broken Hip.

Roberta Flack---
The First Time Ever I Forgot Your Face.

Johnny Nash ---
I Can't See Clearly Now.

Paul Simon---
Fifty Ways to Lose Your Liver.

The Commodores ---
Once, Twice, Three Times to the Bathroom.

Marvin Gaye ---
Heard It Through the Grape Nuts.

Procol Harem---
A Whiter Shade of Hair.

Leo Sayer ---
You Make Me Feel Like Napping.

The Temptations ---
Papa's Got a Kidney Stone.

Abba---
Denture Queen.

Tony Orlando ---
Knock 3 Times On The Ceiling If You Hear Me Fall.

Helen Reddy ---
I Am Woman, Hear Me Snore.

Leslie Gore---
It's My Procedure, and I'll Cry if I want To.

And Last but NOT least...
Willie Nelson ---
On the Commode Again



CRIME PREVENTION INFORMATION



How to Lock Your Car and Why
I locked my car --- as I walked away I heard my car door unlock I went back and locked my car again three times. I looked around and there were two guys sitting in a car in the fire lane next to the store. When I looked straight at them they did not unlock my car again.
How to lock your car safely -
While traveling, my son stopped at a roadside park. He came out to his car less than 4-5 minutes later and found someone had gotten into his car, and stolen his cell phone, laptop computer, GPS navigator briefcase.....you name it....
He called the police and since there were no signs of his car being broken into - the police told him that there is a device that robbers are using now to clone your security code when you lock your doors on your car using your key-chain locking device..

They sit a distance away and watch for their next victim. They know you are going inside of the store, restaurant, or bathroom and have a few minutes to steal and run. The police officer said to manually lock your car door-by hitting the l ock button inside the car, that way if there is someone siting in a parking lot watching for their next victim it will not be you.
When you hit the lock button on your car upon exiting...it does not send the security code, but if you walk away and use the door lock on your key chain - it sends the code through the airwaves where it can be stolen. Something totally new to us...and real.
Be aware of this and please pass this note on...look how many times we all lock our doors with our remote...just to be sure we remembered to lock them....and bingo someone has our code...and whatever was in the car...can be stolen.
Snopes Approved.Please share with everyone you know... Good information!!!


There you have it....Tune in again real soon for another riveting edition of "Now What Are They Doing?"

Mud-Tape and Planning

Bruce and Mike were busy today mudding and taping the Sheetrock. It is obvious by their work so far that they have done this a time or two.
We spent some time with them today picking out the wall finishes as well as molding and trim types as well as a few modifications we are making while the rooms are torn apart.
One modification is the removal of the door in the living room that led to the outside. If someone stepped outside, they had better be prepared for a four foot drop to the ground.
At one time the original owners must have planned for a deck on that side. We already have about 700 square feet of deck space and don't plan on adding any more.
That door and sidelight will be replaced with a window that will be four feet wide and five feet tall. It will tie in with a bank of Windows that reach 20 feet to the peak on that side of the house.

Sue is feeling much better now and plans on returning to work Wednesday. She looks real good and is ready to venture out again.

That is about all that is new and exciting, for this moment anyway. Non-the-less, I do invite you to stop back real soon and catch the latest episode of "Now What Are They Doing?"

The Rockers Have Left The Building

The sheet rock fellows made short order of their task. They worked their magic on the two rooms today and were out of here by 4:30.
If you still see some insulation in the pictures below, that is because the walls behind the fireplace will be stone after the guys put up the cement board.







Looks like Bruce and Mike get to mix it up with mud and tape starting Tuesday.

I must say that if everyone can keep up the pace, we should have this project complete by the end of the month.

Tune in again real soon for yet another edition of "Now What Are They Doing?"