When I trudged down to the back 40 with the dogs for their morning pee at 5:15 a.m., I really thought I was still dreaming ... there was actually white stuff falling from the sky that sure looked a LOT like snow to my dazed and semi-conscious eyes. Upon standing outside in my nightie and slippers gazing dumbfounded at the sky, the very wet snow on my face and the very real chill in my bones made me finally believe I was awake. Yes! Snow!!
Being an old Yankee girl, I have an inordinate fondness for snow. I can't ever seem to get enough of it, still having Currier and Ives fantasies of lovely snow draped on the trees and eaves. Of course, the passage of years has made me forget the less savory aspects of snow like pouring hot water into car door locks, digging myself and/or my car out, frozen ears, and a perpetually sore ass all winter from repeated hard landings. Be that as it may, I still love snow.
Astoria Photografpix
Astoria, snow, snowing in Astoria, Astoria winter
Monday, November 27, 2006
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Turkey Wrestling in Astoria
Happy Turkey Day to one and all!
I don't know what I was thinking, buying a 21 lb. turkey for the two of us, but I suspect it was a Yankee thing. Got the bird for $5, and the price and "the deal" got the better of my common sense.
As I was hefting the critter into the ever-handy brown-in bag this morning, I couldn't help but think of Thanksgivings past - of all of the women in the family struggling and fighting with slippery and recalcitrant birds, embalming them in tin foil tents, nursing them through the night with bastings ... all to be ravaged in one sitting by the herd of Visigoths who passed themselves off as relatives.
Steaming platters heaped with decadent goodies were placed on the table, along with (gasp!) home-made gravy, which usually required the culinary efforts of four women and several drinks to be stirred to smooth perfection. And turnips. Yes, turnips. Yankees love turnips, and it's probably because of all the butter and sherry they're dosed with to make them yummy. And parsnips (same treatment as the turnips). God forbid if anyone forgot to make the creamed onions, there would be hell to pay. And, of course, pumpkin and mince meat (never did figure out what they put in those things) pies with ice cream.
The feast would be followed by the obilgatory football games on TV played at ear-splitting decibel levels that were only out-done by the sonic snores of all the menfolk, comatose in their chairs in front of the screen. When they would awaken, whatever was left of the bird would be stripped to the bones as though flesh-eating beetles had discovered the carcass, not leaving enough to make even a weak broth of soup.
They're all gone, and so are the big decadent dinners I still dream about. Kind of makes me feel guilty when I think that with these wonderful cooking bags I can throw the turkey in the bag, throw the whole mess into the oven, and take a nap. No more turnips or parsnips or creamed onions, as no one will eat them but me, and I won't make them for just one person.
Ah well, so much for childhood reminiscences of turkeys past. The present turkey, having been wrestled into submission and baked, is nestling in its fridge-bed as visions of tettrazinis dance through my head.
Astoria Photografpix
Astoria, Astoria Thanksgiving,Thanksgiving, turkey, cook turkey
I don't know what I was thinking, buying a 21 lb. turkey for the two of us, but I suspect it was a Yankee thing. Got the bird for $5, and the price and "the deal" got the better of my common sense.
As I was hefting the critter into the ever-handy brown-in bag this morning, I couldn't help but think of Thanksgivings past - of all of the women in the family struggling and fighting with slippery and recalcitrant birds, embalming them in tin foil tents, nursing them through the night with bastings ... all to be ravaged in one sitting by the herd of Visigoths who passed themselves off as relatives.
Steaming platters heaped with decadent goodies were placed on the table, along with (gasp!) home-made gravy, which usually required the culinary efforts of four women and several drinks to be stirred to smooth perfection. And turnips. Yes, turnips. Yankees love turnips, and it's probably because of all the butter and sherry they're dosed with to make them yummy. And parsnips (same treatment as the turnips). God forbid if anyone forgot to make the creamed onions, there would be hell to pay. And, of course, pumpkin and mince meat (never did figure out what they put in those things) pies with ice cream.
The feast would be followed by the obilgatory football games on TV played at ear-splitting decibel levels that were only out-done by the sonic snores of all the menfolk, comatose in their chairs in front of the screen. When they would awaken, whatever was left of the bird would be stripped to the bones as though flesh-eating beetles had discovered the carcass, not leaving enough to make even a weak broth of soup.
They're all gone, and so are the big decadent dinners I still dream about. Kind of makes me feel guilty when I think that with these wonderful cooking bags I can throw the turkey in the bag, throw the whole mess into the oven, and take a nap. No more turnips or parsnips or creamed onions, as no one will eat them but me, and I won't make them for just one person.
Ah well, so much for childhood reminiscences of turkeys past. The present turkey, having been wrestled into submission and baked, is nestling in its fridge-bed as visions of tettrazinis dance through my head.
Astoria Photografpix
Astoria, Astoria Thanksgiving,Thanksgiving, turkey, cook turkey
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Voting and Flooding in Astoria
The Astoria elections are over, and I can breathe a sigh of relief. The mayor, Willis Van Dusen, is still mayor, despite the efforts of do-gooders with sour grapes on their breath. He's the best salesman for the city of Astoria to come along in a few generations, and it's right and fitting that he just keep right on doing his magic thing. Congrats, Mayor!
The other issue that sent me over the edge was the college bond - a misguided effort to trick the unwitting and gull the public into relocating the local Clatsop Community College to a bog in a slide zone (aka the local high school football field). The reason? Perhaps to free up the current location, an immensely choice and valuable chunk of land up on the hill overlooking the river, for a land grab and sale to the highest bidder? Condos, anyone? I think NOT.
Of course, that wasn't the reason stated, which was some insipid blather about moving the college closer to (failing) businesses, such as the silly overpriced Aquatics Center, to boost local business. Fortunately, the voters of Clatsop County are not stupid, as was supposed by the promoters of this probably underhanded plan, and the college bond was resoundingly voted down two to one. Hooray for Clatsop County voters!
Now perhaps the college board will actually be forced to sit down on their cosseted tuffets and come up with a SENSIBLE plan to renovate and repair the existing campus, instead of being allowed to indulge in expensive fantasies involving swampland in a flood zone.
Speaking of flood zones, the start of rainy season was heralded with a monsoon of epic proportions. Fortunately, there was very little effect on Astoria, but the neighboring towns like Seaside got nailed. Tillamook tried to pull a "Malibu" and chunks of it jumped into the ocean like lemmings, leaving waterfront land-owners suddenly minus a yard and teetering on the edge of a cliff. It's hard to be sympathetic with them, though. After all, it's not news that the oceans reclaim land on a regular basis, and by putting a house in a spot like that, it's like thumbing your nose at Mother Nature. You know, like that old Toyota ad, "You asked for it. You got it."
Now that rainy season is under way, it's time to batten down the hatches and settle in for a nice winter snooze. Which sounds pretty damn good right about now while the rain is typing on the window and the wind is whipping around the corner. Nightey night.
Astoria Photografpix
Astoria, Astoria mayor, Willis Van Dusen, Clatsop Community College, northwest flooding, flooding, Tillamook
The other issue that sent me over the edge was the college bond - a misguided effort to trick the unwitting and gull the public into relocating the local Clatsop Community College to a bog in a slide zone (aka the local high school football field). The reason? Perhaps to free up the current location, an immensely choice and valuable chunk of land up on the hill overlooking the river, for a land grab and sale to the highest bidder? Condos, anyone? I think NOT.
Of course, that wasn't the reason stated, which was some insipid blather about moving the college closer to (failing) businesses, such as the silly overpriced Aquatics Center, to boost local business. Fortunately, the voters of Clatsop County are not stupid, as was supposed by the promoters of this probably underhanded plan, and the college bond was resoundingly voted down two to one. Hooray for Clatsop County voters!
Now perhaps the college board will actually be forced to sit down on their cosseted tuffets and come up with a SENSIBLE plan to renovate and repair the existing campus, instead of being allowed to indulge in expensive fantasies involving swampland in a flood zone.
Speaking of flood zones, the start of rainy season was heralded with a monsoon of epic proportions. Fortunately, there was very little effect on Astoria, but the neighboring towns like Seaside got nailed. Tillamook tried to pull a "Malibu" and chunks of it jumped into the ocean like lemmings, leaving waterfront land-owners suddenly minus a yard and teetering on the edge of a cliff. It's hard to be sympathetic with them, though. After all, it's not news that the oceans reclaim land on a regular basis, and by putting a house in a spot like that, it's like thumbing your nose at Mother Nature. You know, like that old Toyota ad, "You asked for it. You got it."
Now that rainy season is under way, it's time to batten down the hatches and settle in for a nice winter snooze. Which sounds pretty damn good right about now while the rain is typing on the window and the wind is whipping around the corner. Nightey night.
Astoria Photografpix
Astoria, Astoria mayor, Willis Van Dusen, Clatsop Community College, northwest flooding, flooding, Tillamook
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
