Summer Brunch...Our July Escape...Fair Food...and Cats!

 

Happiness is a hot cup of tea and one perfect raspberry iced doughnut from that family bakery in Kentucky!

Seriously...these may be the best raspberry pastries, I have ever tasted.

Insanely busy week.

In recovery mode, myself.

John, like the Energizer Bunny, still going...with a visit from Melissa & Eric and the grands...and great-grands.

 

 

Dinner...Opening Day at The State Fair...The Casino...The Children's Museum...yeah, I'm exhausted just hearing about it.

Started the week with Don and our Summer Brunch...catching up on our lives...politics and the hearings...his adventure in The Galapagos and my virtual adventures in China...he brought me back a chunk of lava from the islands...I turned him on to Gingxai-Red a health drink I discovered from the Province. Fixed Fettuccine and Asparagus with Alfredo and Parmesan...and enjoyed watching the hummers plunder my pink petunias.

On Wednesday, John and I got ready for Our July Escape to Terre Haute! 

We had cause for celebration, too.

His results from the comparison CT Scan showed the mass in his lung as stable with no appreciable growth...at nearly 2 months out.

Ergo...not small cell.

Such good news.

Breathing again...he has his biopsy scheduled on the 5th.

Sofi was thrilled to have both of us together for a while...and he brought her favorite treats which she will ask for vocally...lol!!

Had an amazing suite and dined...well...entirely too much...John brought the scent du jour: Cinnamon...and I provided cinnamon rolls with icing..planning a fall trek through Val Demmings when the leaves change...and maybe back into Marshall and Bridgeport's Covered Bridge Festival. It was wonderful just to have a couple of days Our Time.

Yesterday, he left for The Fair with a send off of

"Eat something on a stick for me."

So the smart-ass sent this back mid-day

...see what I put up with...

And Kansas was playing The Indiana State Fair last night.

Yes...Dust in the Wind..Kansas.

Reminds me of the time I was in Oklahoma, and at the Choctaw Reservation Casino they were showcasing Air Supply...which had been MIA for years and years by then.

Finishing up leftover everything today...and will be making fair food tomorrow with Italian Sausage and Peppers, Roasted Corn on the Cob, Deep Fried Mushrooms and an Elephant Ear.

...gotta have a plan...

And the cats

 The Charlie-Cat making himself at home.

Sofi...who is loving some outdoor time.

Tina's Highway-Cat who no longer fits in the box.

...I sooooooooooooooooooooo understand...

And Gadget...saying it is time for bed, Dad!

Found this...and after all the latest Covid and Monkeypox news...maybe we ALL need one.

Back to my Cinderella-Saturday, here...and soon to plant my dwarf sunflower seeds so they will be bloomed by Fall!

Have a wonderful Weekend. 

Love,

Carla

Virtual China: Inner Mongolia- Genghis Khan

 

His given name was unassuming, and roughly translated to blacksmith.

His warriors would give him the name, that we all know, of Genghis Khan.

It means Universal Ruler. 

The Great Khan was not born into richness or power.

His father was assassinated early in his life by the family he was to marry into...for all practical purposes he and his mother and 4 siblings lived a hard-scrabble life afterward...never having enough of anything, including food.

He would be later entrapped and enslaved for several years.

This trial-by-fire would shape his life forever.

When he managed to escape enslavement he raised himself a small army...went back to destroy those who had enslaved him...as well as the family who poisoned his father.

He and his generals would continue in this manner until his death August 25,  1227.

He was known as one of the greatest conquerors in the world...and had over 500 concubines and wives.

The blood of Genghis Khan still appears in individuals today!

 Although there are many rumors and stories...his cause of death and burial place remains a mystery.

He asked that his grave be unmarked...and that he be returned to Mongolia.

It is told that is funeral party killed all who crossed their path while taking him to bury.

He would always be the first great khan of The Mongol Empire.

 

Next we will check out Ninxia Province...

 

 

The Last of The Heat...Tidying the Borders...The Hearings...Monkeypox and More

 

W.H.O has just proclaimed Monkeypox a Global Emergency...more about that in a while...

...just shaking my head...

The big news here is that the heatwave is going to be over here...starting Monday.

Oh yes...there will be rain...but that is okay.

Enough of these 90-100 degree days.

Venture out mid-day earlier in the week, and by the time I got home was seriously showing signs of heat exhaustion.

Did manage to get outside in the much cooler morning temps and get the patio and borders weeded/ dead-headed/ tidied.

Also chopped the mulberry which has planted itself in the midst of one of my Bayberry bushes. It has been an ongoing battle with this damned thing. Cut one leader off and three others sprout in a week. Already too deeply rooted (or entwined) to just yank out.

The hummingbirds have been having a small party amidst the pink petunias.

And I've already got seeds coming for my dwarf sunflowers in Fall.

Already planning the Fall Decor...lol

...hopeless...

Watched the 8th, January 6th Hearing, with John on Thursday night..with snacks...and glad to see that they are primarily keeping  the focus on Trump...as well as many of the witnesses being Republicans.

I think this is important.

We need to cut off the head (Trump)

and it is instantly recognizable when someone complains that 

"...this is just a democrat witch-hunt..."

That they have no idea, and have not watched a single hearing.

They are resuming the hearings after the August Break in September.

I was also able to watch in real time as Bannon got his comeuppance.

It went a lot like this:

Aide: You have a subpoena from the 6th Committee, Sir.

SB: Screw them...not showing up.

Aide: Now you are cited for Contempt of Court, Sir.

SB: OMG...I'll go medieval on their asses.

Narrator: He, did not...in fact...go medieval on anyone's ass...and the jury took less than 2 1/2 hours (and that included an hour long lunch break) to deliver a Guilty Verdict on 2 counts...

His sentencing is October 21st.

Each count is mandatory jail time (30 days to 1 year per count)

and up to 100,000 dollars fine per count.

Or he could have just shown up...right???

Covid is making a resurgence worldwide...with Ba 5 being the latest and greatest variant. With 11 mutations on the protein spike it is finding its way around vaccinations and antibodies. If you are fully vaxxed it will present mildly.

If you are not...you may die.

More than 2.5 years into this plague...now it is more of an intelligence test.

And I understand the burn-out.

Really...I do.

Recently we have dealt with all the Covids...anthrax...brain-eating amoeba...freaking POLIO for god's sake...and now

Monkeypox.

Now 16,000 cases in 74 different countries.

Nearly 3,000 here in the USA.

Of course...here in The States we are still

"...oh that doesn't affect ME...that is only a gay disease...affects people of color...only affects men...is an STD..."

Wow.

Are you people in for a surprise.

Because, you see, anyone can contract Monkeypox.

It is transmissible from skin to skin contact...but also from linens, clothing, surfaces (fomites) and this virus doesn't care about your sexual orientation, your color or age.

But just keep telling yourselves those lies.

By the time this is over

"We shall know them by their pockmarks."

...sigh...

Back to Cinderella'ing here...

Have a Wonderful Weekend.

Love,

Carla 

 

Virtual China: Inner Mongolian Cuisine- Mongolian Beef and Broccoli

 

Sliced Beef...stir-fried in a sauce of soy, ginger, a touch of Sichaun pepper, ginger, garlic, and oyster sauce.

Steamed Jasmine rice and broccoli.

It smelled delicious...was easy to prepare...looked appealing.

Well, as they say, looks can be deceiving.

Personally, I blame the oyster sauce.

In my life I have put maybe 5 things in my mouth which have truly been gag-nasty.

This dish is one of them.

...and I have had Mongolian Beef dishes out in Chinese-American restaurants...and enjoyed them...

The reason I blame the oyster sauce is because of Nuc Mam in Vietnamese cooking.

Which is also gag-nasty.

Nuc Mam is fish sauce, and it is in everything.

This was so bad even the cat said

 

"OH...HELL,NO!!!"

 

So...threw the rest of it out...also the oyster sauce (...which I won't be putting in anything else...)

 

No wonder Genghis Khan was always in a mood. 

 

 

Yeah...

Lesson Learned.

 

Coffee & Bears...Garden and Charlie-Cat

 I've taken to having coffee and chat with the folks at Katmai Brooks Falls (live cam and chat) every morning. Often, in the evening, I'll pop back in to finish the day.

Bear People, I've found, are sometimes eccentric- but basically good (and interesting) people.

This month is the salmon run at Brooks Falls. Katmai has 4 bear cams and an underwater salmon cam live to capture the action.

It is fascinating.

Many on the chat have been gathering here for years. They can identify most of the bears on-screen.

Lucky for me...the gulls are ALL called Alice.

...a nearby flat rock where they like to collect is known as Alice's Restaurant...lol...

The first bear I was able to identify after 2 weeks was

#480 Otis

The oldest currently known at the Falls...thought to be somewhere between 25-30 years old. He is recognizable by his grizzled coloring, easy going demeanor, floppy right ear, and Zen fishing technique...he is the King of Patience.

Younger bears get excited and splash around a lot.

Not Otis.

And his reward is almost always coming up with a salmon.

...they say sometimes he catches and eats 20+ in a day...

After nearly 2 weeks I can identify 856 (the dominant male...ears pinned back like an angry chihuahua)...747 (who is about as huge as the plane)... Chunk (big and scarred heavily)...Divot (who has a scar all the way around his neck as the result of a snare in his youth)...Holly and Jolly (very light colored females)...#903 Gully (who got his name because he sometimes eats sea gulls) and Grazer and the Grazerettes (her cubs) who is fast to temper and has been "Verbed" as in

"...did you see what happened to Chunk this morning...Yeah, he got Grazered."

Grazer doing what she does best.

...she is the lighter bear...the two in the right are her cubs...

Before hibernation they have The Fat Bear Contest...some of these get up to 1400 pounds!!!!

...makes me feel positively svelte...

Conditions have been ideal for my outside flowers and plants. Rain...then warm and sunshine.

 

 

I have learned to make a wonderful tea from the leaves, and how to prepare the shoots to incorporate into some of my Chinese recipes.

Also my neighbor's cat (Charlie) has decided to drift over almost daily and curl up for a while on my compost box.

He and Sofi chat through the glass or screen...and he likes to supervise while I'm out playing in the plants...then he heads home to eat.

A garden isn't a garden without a cat!

So, Diane is out of the hospital now.

Frankie is home.

Loretta is doing well in PT, bought one of those cube dorm refrigerators for her room, and is loving it.

Charlcie has moved in with Sue and she and The Usual Suspects (Jan, John and Kathy) are already planning their first Euchre Party.

John goes Monday for the comparison CT Scan...and we will know more what we are dealing with by Friday, I think.  We also have our July Adventure planned and reservations made.

Don and I have our Summer Brunch soon.

July is always busy!

Today is Saturday...and a Cinderella Day for me...laundry...dishes...gardening...and a good nap, of course.

 

Have a great Weekend!

Love,

Carla

 

 

 

Otis in his office.
 

Virtual China: The Gobi Desert

 Unlike the Mojave Desert of the Western United States, where midsummer temps can reach 130+, the Gobi is known as a cold desert. Temperature here rarely surpass 90 degrees. The night and winter are a completely different story and drop well below zero. There is both frost and snow here along with the bitter cold. In the winter it can reach -40 degrees. Brrrrrr...

The Gobi is 1000 miles long by 500 miles wide and spans across both China and Mongolia.

There is a vast array of wildlife here...which we will get to in a while.

The desert is composed not only of the golden sand dunes...but also  flat scrub areas, grasslands.. the occasional oasis, and hard-packed yellow clay.

It is surrounded by mountains.

 

The area is a fossil treasure...and the first dinosaur eggs were found here.

 

Through desertification...China is losing over 1,300 miles each year. The Chinese have started a tree planting project along the Southern edge they have come to call The Great Green Wall to hopefully slow the erosion. This project is expanded until at least 2050.

 Similar projects have sprung up through many countries, now.

Tour through the Gobi

https://youtu.be/FaUgL2HrFlY

From the Air

https://youtu.be/ErZoyfrEuBk

And such a wide diversity of wildlife calls this inhospitable place home.

Wild Bactrian
Camels

Snow Leopards

Fennec Foxes

...aren't these the cutest things you have ever seen???

Przewalski's Horses

 Wild Asses

Gobi Bears

Musk Oxen

Ibex

and this little guy...

The Jerboa.

Just look at those ears!!!

"The better to hear you with, my dear."

The best way to see everything...is on the back of a camel...of course.

And there are many treks available.

Gobi Desert Camel Trek

https://youtu.be/gqHHepngVG4

I hope you've enjoyed today's virtual adventure.

Next time we will try Inner Mongolian Cuisine!

 You have to love that night sky.