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Schweitzer Mountain – Sandpoint, Idaho
2019 – HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! 2018 went out with a bang (and a bump, and a faceplant) on the ski slopes of Schweitzer Mountain in Sandpoint, Idaho! Learning to ski happens to be #2 on my Bucket List. After a day of “skiing”, it is still #2 on my Bucket List. I have not been on skis since I was a Freshman in high school – and even then, I spent more time laying in the snow than I did upright on skis. Yesterday was a vivid reminder of my one time on skis in high school. Obviously, the ability to ski does not just happen with age. It was…
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Merry Christmas 2018!
‘Twas the night before Christmas And all through the house, Not a creature was stirring, Not even… A Scout Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas this year!!!
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The Christmas (Cookie) That Almost Wasn’t – Making Christmas Macarons
The days leading up to Christmas are the best! I have always loved how festive it feels – and smells! One of my favorite times to be in the kitchen and baking, is at Christmas. In addition to the list of cookies I would normally bake, I would always try to pick out a new cookie, or two, to add in to my holiday baking collection. These cookies, when completed, would then be wrapped in a really festive way, complete with ribbons, bows and ornaments. They are then hand delivered, or mailed, to family and friends. It is always such a good feeling to be able to do something you…
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Owl Be Darned!
Found this little guy in Nevada! He is a Burrowing Owl, and is about the size of my hand! A little Burrowing Owl trivia: As adults, they have a body length that only ranges between 8.5 inches to 11 inches. They have a wingspan of 20-24 inches. They only weigh between 6 and 8 ounces. They live approximately 9 years. They can be found at elevations ranging from 200 feet below sea level, to 9000 feet above sea level. They nest in burrows made by other animals, such as gophers. Their primary diet consists of beetles and grasshoppers, but, they will eat reptiles, birds and bats. Pretty amazing, given…
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A Quick Trip To SLO And The Pacific Coast Highway – San Luis Obispo, California
Let me just start by saying, this is NOT pronounced San Loo-ee. If you pronounce it San Loo-ee, you WILL be corrected – by EVERYONE, even people who do not live there! 🙂 FYI, just say “SLO”. Now that the pronunciation is out of the way, let me also say, I am so behind on my blogging! I am going to catch up! Between traveling to spots where the internet connection pretty much does not exist, and then prepping for Thanksgiving, and then eating Thanksgiving (Tryptophan 🙂 ), and now with the start of everything Christmas, I am falling behind. I did not even get a picture of Scout with…
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SLO Joe
When out scout n about in San Louis Obispo – known as SLO to the locals, what better place to stop for coffee than Scout Coffee 🙂
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A Perfect Stay In Monterey – Monterey, California
“…There between the hills and sea, I looked down and saw a Monterey morning, sprinkled upon the surface of the earth like dim fireflies in a shifting fog.” View From The Hill – A poem About John Steinbeck’s Monterey, California I have always said that if I ever went to California, there was really only one place I would want to see – Monterey. I guess I first heard about Monterey when I was a teenager growing up on the east coast. I had a reading assignment in my ninth grade English class to read John Steinbeck’s Of Mice And Men. We were assigned a certain amount of chapters each day…
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Uncork And Unwine At Hall Winery In Napa Valley, California
This has been a busy week! With, unfortunately, a LOT of hit or miss wifi and internet! You know the saying – “when life gives you lemons…” in this case, it would have been grapes – so we decided to start the week off with a visit to a winery and do a little wine tasting! Both of these were a first for me, and Napa just happened to be the perfect place – since Italy wasn’t available ? My grandfather is from Italy, and, even though I have never been there myself, I feel like I come by my love for wine, naturally. I am not a wine expert…
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A Taste Of Fall At Boa Vista Orchards In Apple Hill, Placer County, CA
Looking back, I have many fond memories of my childhood. It seems like it snowed every Christmas, and school was closed a lot due to snow days. Spring brought flowers and the start of garden season – not to mention Easter candy and my birthday, which was a really big deal to me back then 🙂 From there, it was long, lazy summer days spent at the lake or the shore, with cousins or friends. Summers seemed longer back then, probably because we squeezed every moment we could into being outside – usually long past when the street lights came on. You knew summer was coming to an end though, when…
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Pumpkin Roll With Cream Cheese Filling
With this past Saturday being the first day of Fall, it was time to break out the pumpkin and make something really delicious! If it wasn’t for the fact that it is still hitting temps of 90 degrees here during the day, I would have also broke out the sweaters, boots, scarves and everything else that makes the transition from the warm days of Summer to the chilly afternoons of Fall, a little easier. If my seasons could consist of only Summer and Fall, I would be happy! I love Summer for its long, hot and sunny days. I love Fall for all of its color, the crisp air, the boots…