SImone Smorgasbord

Just before Labor Day, we went camping at Paradise Campground, just down the McKenzie River from where we were married a short 8 years ago.

We got a campsite that had this view:



Pretty nice, eh? Check out the other photos from the trip here.

This one was kind of odd, a cross between Dopey and Blair Witch:



After camping we went to the beach. It rained, it poured, we stayed warm and dry with a big fire every day. It was great. Simone took a few good pictures:


Simone cuddling with the stuffed monkey.


Simone sprinting.


Simone's doll is holding a coin


Simone and Mary

Oh, and what did I learn today? Simone knows "left" and "right"! I was all excited to teach her, but she passed the test with flying colors - even figuring out the right answer to, "which side of mine are you on?"

Ever wonder which colors Simone likes to use for coloring? Here they are, lined up by usage. Apparently green and white are not so much fun...



And a bonus Hazel note: did you know she likes going down slides? Check it out:


Hazel in motion.

Vodka Vodka Vodka

I'm not a huge van of vodka, mainly because I think there's no real reason to drink alcohol unless you can taste it. And, the better the vodka, the less flavor it has (vodka being just water and ethanol).

But, because of that, it works really well as an ingredient in flavored alcohols (like kahlua, or nocino). And this is the weekend of flavored vodkas. I have a bottle of vodka and vanilla beans to make some vanilla extract. I've got a bunch of cherry pits that I crushed that are infusing a vodka with an intense almond flavor.

And, lastly, I took 8 jalapenos, chopped them up and soaked in vodka to make a green pepper vodka. Why? Well, on memorial day I was treated to a wonderful drink that was just like a mojito, except it used jalapeno vodka in place of rum. And, I must say, it is an awesome drink.

That's what I'm drinking right now:

• 1 oz fresh lime
• 1 oz simple syrup
• 1 oz jalapeno vodka
• 2 oz club soda

cheers!

Tasty Dinner

A quick note to remind myself of a very tasty dinner.

• grilled salmon, marinated in soy, garlic, lemon and lime zest
• coconut basmati rice
• chinese fried green beans

I also tried grilling some cantaloupe, but that wasn't worth repeating.

R.I.P. Agnes

We came home from vacation to find Agnes pretty lethargic - hiding under the coop. At night I went out to shut the girls in their coop, where I found Agnes out from under the coop, but just laying there. Mary and I brought her inside to get a better look at her, and she passed away...

to the chicken coop in the sky.