~ Back to Grillin Again... ~

~ My BLOG Page ~ Number Twenty-Seven ~
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~ A Second Page for May ~ Click Here for Previous Page
~ To My Parkville Home Page ~


~ Monday ~ May 31, 2010 ~
~ Memorial Day! ~

~ Grillin Steak ~ Whatever That is! ~


~ The Famous Kansas City Steak ~
Well, Kansas City was famous for the Strip steak... (The Kansas City Steak)
And then New York had to copy it and call it the New York Strip... But it originated in Kansas City

Well, Chefraw was talking about grillin up some ribeyes yesterday morning in Kitchen Chat
So I thought I would take a look at what the Chopper had...
Not that I don't have a freezer stuffed already with smoked and grilled stuff...
I can't remember when I bought steak last... I think it was a T-Bone but when?

So looking over the steak choices I see why I usually skip right on by this section
Hamburger and pork shoulder and chicken fit my budget better
But I saw Kansas City Strip on sale so I opted for a couple nice looking ones
One rinsed and wrapped for the freezer for later and the other marinating for grilling

And a beautiful day for grilling and sipping wine on the veranda
After my 2 p.m. cocktail I constructed a salad of tomato, lettuce, green pepper and a touch of sweet Vidalia onion
And topped with ranch dressing
Then an appetizer of an ear of sweet corn with butter and some white radishes

Then about 4 p.m. fired up the oven for a nice big russet baked potato
That takes an hour so out to start the charcoal about a half hour later
Then the steak on the grill and with a glass of vino tinto, sat out and enjoyed the weather
And the wafting aroma of grilled steak


Then back in to assemble the feast and now I know why people buy steak
That one was just GREAT! And I have more left for a re-run...

~ HOW SWEET IT IS! ~
~ Now My Flag is Out for ~ Memorial Day! ~


~ Saturday~ May 29, 2010 ~
~ And a Robin in My Pear Tree ~

~ And Her New Hatchlings ~


~ Three Litttle Robins in There ~
The picture up in the corner was taken December 28, 2009... a rare winter visitor...
The birds eat the tiny pears on the tree in winter
I don't know if this one was just resting or came for dinner

Anyway, earlier I noticed straw and twigs in one of my pots under the tree
I looked up to see a shaggy nest and a bird flew out and up from there
Just a week or so I thought I saw some tiny heads in there, yep, baby robins

So I tried to get a photo, no go using auto fccus as it focused on the leaves and not the birdies
So I dragged the big tripod out there and used 'live mode' to manually focus and got this pic
But the angle needed is very unhandy to catch a good shot...
Will try later on a cloudy day to make the manual focusing easier with no glare from the sun

And I missed a good pic the last time I tried... momma robin brought a worm for dinner
More later if I do get a good shot...
~ Hey! Put Your Flag Out on Monday ~ Memorial Day ~


~ Friday ~ May 28, 2010 ~
~ Grillin and Chillin Thursday! ~

~ Grillin Brats and Chicken ~ Chillin with Bourbon Street Sundae Ice Cream ~


~ Everything Here on Sale Today at Price Chopper ~
Too much going on yesterday... Didn't want to add this to my regular BLOG
As I wanted others to see the new Sanctuary Group Page
So this was an extra page for that day... Added to my BLOG page today...

Beautiful day for Grillin or Smokin but Brats and Chicken Leg quarters on sale today
And brats go better on the grill and chicken is OK grilled too so today I am grillin

Johnsonville Brats 20 oz for $2.98, Chicken quarters for 79 Cents a pound, Lay's Potato Chips $1.78
Sweet Corn 18 cents an ear, Belfonte Premium Ice Cream usually $4.29 on sale for $2.25
And a lot more in the Store I had to pass up... Freezer is stuffed now

I Love My Price Chopper

~ A Photo of this Stuff on the Grill Now! ~



Trimmed and rinsed the chicken.. Rinsed the brats... Dried nicely and dusted with BBQ rub
Started the Charcoal fire, mixed a manhattan. the chicken and brats on the grill
Then sit out in this gorgeous weather to watch the process and be bathed in the arona

~ How Sweet it Is!



~ Cucumbers May 10th ~ Cucumbers May 27th

Another look at the cucumbers... What a few days of sun and warm temps will do
We had too much rain and cool and they were looking kinda sad a week or so ago
But just a couple days of sun and they were ready to take off
Looks like that tall one might have to be tied up in a short while
Meanwhile Onward and Upward!
~ Hey! Put Your Flag Out on Monday ~ Memorial Day ~


~ Thursday ~ May 27, 2010 ~
~ A New Facebook Sanctuary Group ~
~ Parkville Nature Sanctuary ~

~ Cody Croan ~
Cody Croan, an eager new volunteer from Park University, created this Group
and informed the Sanctuary Director at the last Committee meeting
Next morning I joined the group, later saw two of my chat friends had joined
Tom Brock in Germany and Bruce Elliot in Australia

So then I invited more chat friends and now we have
Sue Bolin in Denver, Donna Hastings in Oklahoma, Diane Holmes in New Zealand and Ronald Smith in Illinois
So now anyone else interested can join our new Sanctuary Group
~ Good start Cody, now all we have to do is get the Director on Board ~


~ Wednesday ~ May 26, 2010 ~
~ May Committee Meeting ~
~ Parkville Nature Sanctuary ~



~ Committee Meeting in the Sanctuary ~
Something different for the Monthly Sanctuary Committee meeting...
Held on a nice Tuesday evening at the Girl Scout Cabin pavilion inside the Samctuary
A first since I have been associated with the group... A nice idea except for the 1/2 mile walk to the cabin

I headed over about 6:45... Just a mile or so from my place
Pat Harris and Erwin Carney were in the parking lot... Erwin need a ride up hill
Pat asked if I wanted to ride... I said I would walk

I set off uphill and almost got to the cabin before Pat's truck caught up...
Seemed they moved the Cabin... Farther to walk this time? Sure felt like it
And most everyone was already there when I showed up
Director Bob Fluchel, Asst. Director Lewis Jonas, Don and Dianne Kixmiller,
Bruce Duffin, then Pat Harris and Erwin Carney, and I arrived

The meeting started with chat, then Cody Croan showed up with a page he printed from Facebook
He had created a Facebook Group for the Sanctuary and was explaining it to the Director
Bob asked me if I was familiar with that... I told him yes, I put my BLOG link on there
And this morning I joined the Sanctuary Group and will put this BLOG there for today
But just as one Sanctuary page instead of all the previous chit chat I have

So the meeting progressed, the subject the upcoming Day Camp in June
Much planning needed for that, A rather involved event over two weeks and two sessions

Then the business session ended and Erwin then described plans for his electrical system
to be used for lighting and sound at the annual Ghost Story Night
A vote was taken to buy an electricl connection that Erwin needed...

Then the evening concluded with roasting marshmallos over the fire
and making smores with Graham crackers and chocolate... I was presented with a sample by the Director
Then the long walk down the hill and off to home... A pleasant evening...
~ Next Meeting Will Again be in the Sanctuary ~


~ Tuesday ~ May 25, 2010 ~
~ Garden Disaster 2008 ~
~ What Broke Off my Pepper? ~

~ Pepper Broken Off Completely ~ Then All the Leaves Fell Off ~
Enough of the water disaster... That's all finished now... A peek back at a garden disaster a couple years back
Someone made a comment about plants recovering when they really want to
Well this little jalapeno plant wanted to it looks like
Went out one morning to see it broken off, don't know how
Had no idea it would grow... but I stuck the bare stem back in the pot


~ First Sign of Re-growth ~ And With a Crop of Jalapenos ~
Then all the leaves fell off, but I kept watering it and VOILA!
One day a little leaf appeared at a fork and later it fully recovered
And produced an ample harvest of jalapenos
~ Now Let's go Out and Check the New Crops ~


~ Monday ~ May 24, 2010 ~
~ Making More Storage Space ~
~ This place is Just a Bit Too Small ~

~ Office Closet Before ~ Office Closet After ~
Well, some time ago I needed more shelves in the pantry so I headed up to Lowes and bought some
Installed them above the washer and dryer and they were soon full up
And the shelves in the bedroom closet were full up too

And with two beds in the bedroom there wasn't room for my chest of drawers
So it ended up in the closet in the Office room and the shelf above was soon full

Now that I decided to dismantle the second bed I found it would fit in the Office closet
If I took down the shelf in there... But where to put that stuff?


~ Pantry Shelves Before ~ Pantry Shelves After ~
Well, put it in the pantry but where?
There were three shelves there already at one end
And I had wanted to put more there for some time, what better time than now?
So as I said, Boss Bob offered some material he had in his workshop

So I stopped in at the Office remind him.. Yeah, He had forgotten, wrote it on his pad
Said they would be down later to cut them, off to the Chopper for a couple loser scratches
Back home to get bored, took a couple twenties from my stash and headed to the Casino...
No go, played out my money in about a half hour... Back home to see my shelves on the porch

A few minor sizing operations... Shelves are installed and loaded... Looks nice
Now sipping a well deserved manhattan and thinking of what's for dinner...
~ All Missions Accomplished... It's a Go Houston! ~


~ Sunday ~ May 23, 2010 ~
~ Bedroom Back in Shape ~ Maybe Better ~
~ And More Room Too ~
~ Carpet Clean and Dry ~ Lookin Pretty Good ~
Well a busy busy week... I had stuff from the bedroom stashed in every room but the bathroom
Now it is all back in place... The extra twin bed stored in the office closet
I used it very few times in the last 10 years, might as well put it away
I have the supports for the new shelves in the pantry... Ready for the shelves when Boss Bob cuts them

But actually I have most everything stored back in other places... But I can use more storage

So this morning I headed up to the Chopper for a Bingo and Crossword... Won a $10 Crossword and a $6 Bingo
Then... As that light colored carpet scuffs easy... and makes it look dirty when it isn't
I headed up to Wal-Mart to see what I could find... Hah! Nice looking area rug for cheap
And the color almost matches the bed spread and colors up the room too

Now, time to take a break, set out a grilled chicken leg quarter to thaw
Have that with some mashed potatoes and maybe some sweet corn or green beans with ham
Yeah.. Now I have that good kind of tired.. time to kick back and enjoy the rest of the day
~ And... They Continued Living Happily Ever After ~


~ Saturday ~ May 22, 2010 ~
~ A Garden Catch-Up ~
~ And a New Plant ~
~ New Dill Plant ~ A Look at the Cukes ~
Now what is that? Is that a weed? Well they call it 'dill weed'... And it looks like a weed...
Well I planted it so it isn't a weed... But I hope it grows like a weed

So... First to the Price Chopper for Vermouth... Paper towels... and a gallon of milk
And a Bingo and Crossword... Hah, dinky $3 win on the Bingo

Then move some more stuff out of the closet and move the spring and mattress in
Now we're getting somewhere... Headed out the door and here comes Boss Bob
Heading for the Casino he says? I wish... I says... Then told him I was working on some shelves
He said don't buy any.. We have stuff in the work room... Take a look
So we looked, yeah just what I need and painted already, just have to saw to length
He says we can do that Monday... I have the shelf brackets in place already
Will just need to cut to length and set them in place... and load them up

Next, I was headed to Larry's Nursery... Wanted some dill and rhubarb...
Out of rhubard corms but I bought a healthy looking dill plant
Then next door to the Riverside RED-X to cash in my Bingo for another and another Crossword
Back to the Ranch to work two scratch duds and plant the dill and get a couple pics
Looks like the Cucumbers are recovering but we need less rain and more sun



~ Then... to the Price Chopper for some Beans ~

> Now them there is some SPICY BBQ Beans... I start with canned baked beans.. the BIG can... Bush's or Best Choice...
Then chop up a lotta sweet onion, a couple jalapenos, clove of garlic, dice up sone smoked pork, maybe a rib if I have it
This time I had a couple slices of pastrami too, so I diced and added that with the pork
Simmer a bit and toss in several tablespoons of BBQ sauce... I used the home made I have
Then I usually add some oregano, basil and cumin... But my BBQ sauce was so spicy I didn't need it
It has all those ingredients and more... Anyway they are spicy... and good!

But... Chicken, sweet corn and mashed taters for dinner...
~ And... They Lived Happily Ever After ~


~ Friday ~ May 21, 2010 ~
~ More Memories... Memories... Days of Long Ago ~
~ And an Old Picture I was Looking For ~
> ~ Wondered What Happened to this Photo ~
Another busy day but not much to write home about... Cleaning out the closet so I can store the extra mattress...
And finding an item or two to toss... or to put back in use... Like this photo
I wanted this photo earlier for something and couldn't find it anywhere
But there it was on the shelf in the closet... Need to add it to my Van Club web page

In about 1976 The Oly Beer distributor for Northwest Missouri was a sponsor of our Van Club
When we had any Van Event of most any sort, Party or Parade or whatever I would drop by to see Delbert
Tell him what was going on and he would give us several cases of Olympia Beer to take along
And We would give his Company a mention in our Newsletter

So I needed a trailer to haul stuff to our Truck Ins and Other Events and
I constructed this trailer and with Club Member help glued a few hundred Oly cans to the sides
I forget the total now but that was a LOT of empty beer cans

And all the beer needed for the cans was donated by the Olympia Beer distributor
And the wheels and tires for the trailer by BF Goodrich Tadlock Tire Company

Too bad this pic isn't in color, it was quite a colorful sight in a Parade or at a Truck In

So what else... More stuff out of the closet and a start on adding shelves for it in the pantry
Wouldn't you know.. You can buy shelves cut at 36 inches... But for that space I need 37 1/2 inches
Oh well, I can saw the one in the closet to that length when I get the urge...
And that will make another blog when completed...
~ Now... On to Today ~


~ Thursday ~ May 20, 2010 ~
~ Memories... Memories... Days of Long Ago ~
~ And an Old Collection ~
> ~ Back in My U.S. Air Force Days ~ I Did Get Around ~
Was cleaning out a closet to store a mattress and spring... Make more room in the bedroom
Finding old stuff to toss... and maybe some to save... What good are these?
I started this collection at Scott AFB in Belleville Illinois.. near St. Louis... in 1951
I believe there are more bars per capita there than anywhere I have been
And I tried to hit every one ... Several Breweries there also at that time

So, I started collecting a book of matches at every bar I could...
The rules were... Full book of matches with the name of the bar or restaurant
And I had to have one drink of some kind there There are 105 drinks shown here

And I continued that collection at Luke AFB, Arizona and Randolph AFB, Texas
Places in Illinois ~ Belleville, Hillsboro, Shiloh, Edwardsville, Taylor Springs, Scott AFB
Arizona ~ Phoenix, Glendale, Scottsdale, Avondale
Texas ~ San Antonio, Lake McQueeny, Del Rio, Shertz, Austin, Randolph AFB
Missouri ~ St Louis, Kansas City, Boonville, Lake Ozark, Osceola, Raytown
And One... In Mission, Kansas
And after discharge in 1954 ~ I lost interest and stopped collecting...

So, yesterday I put most of the furniture back... Adding a chest of drawers to the bedroom
I had that stored in the closet where I will store the extra mattress and spring
And now have to add a couple shelves to the pantry for other stuff I had in the closet
~ But... Something to Do for a Couple Days ~


~ Wednesday ~ May 19, 2010 ~
~ Less Mess Now ~ Put The Furniture Back ~
~ And Picked Some Oregano ~
~ Oregano Dried ~ Oregano Dried and Crumbled ~
Busy Busy Day! And some frustrations... Overnight I saw a flash and heard a loud bang...
Got up to check and the lights were out... Now What?
Well it had to be that bedroom outlet or I wouldn't have seen that flash
So I got my flashlight and took the cover off the receptacle... Didn't see any flash point
So I just pulled it out so no wires could touch, Set the breaker and back to bed
Next day the Maintenance Man put in a new receptacle.. that fixed

Next? Well I turned on the kitchen TV... No TV...
When the power goes off... The receiver does a reset when it comes back on
The other two receivers reset, this one did not... So I tried the manual reset.. no go
Then I tried what they call the disaster reset.. Still no go... Now what?

Called AT&T, on the phone forever, in the kitchen on the phone trying what they told me
Nothing worked, they said they would send a technician.. In the morning
BUT.. later... I unplugged everything, plugged it back in, did the manual reset and VOILA!
Called in this morning to cancel the service call

What else... Everything dryng out all day and I started putting things back later...
And picked the largest oregano branch, dried that in the oven, crumbled and stored in the jar
Then some nice beef stew, Italian crusty bread and off to a better night...
~ Now... Put the Rest of the Furniture Back and What Else for Today? ~


~ Tuesday ~ May 18, 2010 ~
~ What a Mess This Is! ~
~ Where Did All This Stuff Come From? ~
~ Bed Room ~ Kitchen ~
~ Office Room ~ Living Room ~
And I just got this far on my BLOG and he's all done and it looks GOOD now!
Carpet Man is packed up and gone and Boss Bob said he would bring some fans to speed drying
I got all the bedroom stuff... except the dresser... moved to the Kitchen and Office
And cleared the living room so he could hit the traffic area there


~ Big Vacuum in the Truck ~ Into the Bed Room ~
~ Spraying Emulsifier to Prevent Mold ~ Finishng up the Living Room ~
Boss Bob just brought a big fan to help dry the bedroom carpet, I have the ceiling fan going in there
and the A/C fan going without the A/C on...
Bob said he would bring another fan after lunch for the living room

And now I'm going to trade a winner $6 scratch for a couple more.. probably duds...
~ Now... What Else for Today? ~


~ Monday ~ May 17, 2010 ~
~ Some Munchies for Jake ~
~ Well, This is All I Could Come Up With Yesterday ~
~ Super Sweet Corn ~ Grilled Chicken Leg ~
NO SIGI... It isn't burnt... just a nice grilling... The sugar in the dry rub tends to darken some

So, Jake, in Newfoundland doesn't care for my Tech Talk and Tech Toy pics...
Well, I didn't cook up anything special for Sunday... Thawed a chicken leg and simmered an ear of corn
But an ample repast with sone cheesy Cauliflower and Potato Salad...

And a long, not special, Sunday... A few non-productive scratch-off lotto tickets
Then a trip to the Casino I could have done without... Got a few more scratches and won $8

Back to the Ranch to move some things around... Rug Shampoo man might come today

And that was about it except for a rather plain but pretty good dinner...
~ And that was It... For Sunday ~


~ Sunday ~ May 16, 2010 ~
~ Testing the New Tech Toy ~
~ I Think it's O.K. ~
~ With the Built in Flash ~ With the External Flash ~
Well, not much going on Saturday after all the carpet action on Friday... More of that Monday or Tuesday
They laid down new pad, trimmed and stretched the carpet Friday, Next the shampoo and all done

So, I tested the new flash out as soon as I got it... What do you think? The same scene at 10 feet or so
Looks like you get more coverage with the external... So I will use that when there is any distance involved
Maybe a good test at the next outdoor evening Sanctuary Meeting... No lights in the picnic shelter
And the light will be waning about meeting time

And just a couple trips to the Price Chopper on Saturday and one to Gomer's for wine
And BJ dropped by to pay me back the latest emergency gas loan...
Plus an extra Twenty for printing Graduating announcements for his son

Then just whup up a luscious beef stew with a hunk of Italian bread... Oh Yeah!
~ And that was It... For Saturday ~


~ Saturday ~ May 15, 2010 ~
~ Another New Tech Toy ~
~ Did I really Need this? ~
~ Built in Flash ~ External Flash ~
Well, maybe... The light from a flash falls off with distance...
And in some cases a bit more flash for some photos is better...
The next Sanctuary meeting is going to be held at the old Girl Scout Cabin ~ Now a Picnic Shelter
It starts at 7 p.m. and will be dark early... And no electricity there... so...
If I go, and take a couple photos... Extra flash will help... I'm thinking

So... I tried it out... Two shots of the same scene from about 10 feet... The one with the external flash at that distance was obviously much better
So I am satisfied with the worth of that purchase...

~ A Look at the Better Boys Tomatoes ~
A look at the Better Boys tomatoes around in the side bed... Doing nicely but leaning away from the trellis
So the first tie-up to get them going in the right direction...
Now all we need are some warmer days and some more sun... And a lot less rain



~ The Pineapple Top is in the Pot ~
Then I took some soil from the tomato bed and filled a spare pot... Lots of extra soil in the bed
Then I planted the pineapple top which was sitting in a bowl with water in the bottom
Later I stopped by the Price Chopper for some milk and I bought another one
And 10 cents less at $1.89... Now... Should I plant another pineapple top?
~ So... What's for Saturday? ~


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