The Harvest

Our neighbor's bins - ready to be picked up for the packing house. As we walked by, the driver came along. He was so pleasant - should have asked to take his picture. Told us they work 7 days per week til harvest is over.
Plums, pears and peaches - all have to be processed.
We live in a rural area - houses on our side of the street and orchard
runs along the other side.

We Give Thanks - - -

Our motto over the years has always been, "The more, the merrier." We love having house guests and folks over to visit and eat.

So, imagine our delight to hear Dan and Neil are coming for Thanksgiving. Wayne is really pleased.

Ok, taking reservations - one room spoken for, 2 to go. We promise too much food, too many laughs and yams (!). The dining room table seats 8 easily and 10 in a pinch - plus we have other tables.

Have to go now and plan my meals for the big event. Anyone have a special recipe to share? I copied Nancy's apple pie for one of my desserts.

From my blogging friend - - -

From my Friend:
Ok, I've got to be clear that (1) I'm a Canuck so can't vote for either and (2) usually, maybe never, post anything political but this license plate made me smile.

Now, would someone please send me a pic from the Obama side just to prove that I play no favorites:) 9:16pm had to grab one from my blogger friend.

I'm really looking forward to the next weeks as I follow the US pre-election "stuff" - our politicians are at it, also, but so boring in comparison.

Warning: I have not tried this but my friend sent it to me tonight, uh, maybe I should be worried!

DANGEROUS CHOCOLATE CAKE-IN-A-MUG

1 coffee mug
4 Tbsp. flour (plain, not self-rising)
4 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. cocoa
1 egg
3 Tbsp. milk
3 Tbsp. oil

Small splash of vanilla
3 Tbsp. chocolate chips, optional

Add dry ingredients to mug, mix well with a fork. Add egg, mix thoroughly. Pour in milk and oil and vanilla, mix well. Add chips, if using. Put mug in microwave, and cook for three minutes on 1000 watts. Cake will rise over top of mug--do not be alarmed! Allow to cool a little; tip onto a plate if desired. Eat!
(This can serve two if you want to feel slightly more virtuous.)

***And WHY is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world? Because now we are all only five minutes away from chocolate cake any time of the day or night!!!***

We Honor Them Today - - -

Y'all come visit Canada now, OK?

VICTORIA, British Columbia — Salmon fishermen are no longer throwing fish guts on shore for black bears around Port Renfrew, British Columbia after one climbed onto a dock, jumped into a man’s boat and mauled him.

“All the bears in Port Renfrew are pretty docile,” said Fire Chief Dan Tennant. “They’re more afraid of people than people are of them and normally turn and high-tail it when they see people."

He said he first thought the bear attack call received by his department and an ambulance crew was a “miscommunication.”

“But sure enough when we got on scene there was a man who had some deep lacerations on his right shoulder and scratches all over his body,” said Tennant.

The man was conscious and in shock, but that his wounds did not appear to be life threatening, he said.

Authorities said the man, 52, was a resident of Saltspring Island and was airlifted by helicopter to a hospital in Victoria, about 70 kilometres east of the community.

Gordon climbed onto a dock before jumping into the man’s boat and mauling him.

Witnesses told him it was difficult to get the bear off the victim.

”Individuals that came to the aid of the victim used a combination of (fishing) gaffs, knives and a hammer to remove or pull the bear off the victim,” he said.

The man’s friends managed to kill the bear, said Tennant.

The area is popular with recreational fishermen seeking salmon, halibut and groundfish and there are a “couple of hundred” boats tied up at the marina at any given time.

Tennant said it was not a large bear, but the incident was extremely unusual.“Never, ever have I heard of anything like that here, and I doubt I ever will again,” he said.

He said there have been large numbers of black bear and deer in the area this summer, but there have been no incidents/People have been throwing fish remains on to the shore for years, and that has to stop, he said.

I'll Be Brief

So, I'm not very computer literate - our older son is a computer whiz and always tells me, "Mom, don't worry about clicking on things and checking them out, you won't wreck anything."

Oh, my dear man, I can wreck anything with the touch of my hand - even looking at it.

The other night I was bored with my desk top so clicked on something - don't remember what - voila, a new folder (?) - something called "new briefcase". Looks nice and I like the color but have to figure out what it does or what it's for - - -

Yes, he got his computer smarts from his Dad, not his Mom.

(Computer son gave me a cool laptop case from a now defunct IT company. I may just get a rusty old tin,computer case from defunct company and sit on the sidewalk downtown - heard you can do well begging in the business section:)

Oh, don't get your shirt in a knot - I'm just kidding (that I'm kidding).