Nostalgia

I've probably mentioned how much I love fall. And while it's not officially fall yet - there are days where you can almost feel it coming. With it comes all the things I love about it: the changing colors, cool, crisp mornings, rainy afternoons or evenings, and pumpkin flavored delicasies begin to show up again. (I have my priorities you know)

One of the things I've always liked about this time of year was that when I was younger, my grandma Jessie would dry apples and peaches. Especially the apples. Every year when August turned into September, Grandma and my aunt would set up their food dehydrator in a little shed next to a garage across from her house. She once told me it was futile to dry anything if I was visiting since the trays would always come out empty as far back as I could reach. Nevertheless, I always got a couple of bags of apples, and usually one of peaches, for my birthday. These days, it doesn't ever matter how long she's been gone, September rolls around and I'm remembering Grandma's dried fruit.

I have Grandma's dehydrator now, so it was fortuitous that this year I heard an add on the radio that a local greenhouse was taking orders to bring in apples and Colorado peaches. I ordered a case of each, then spent last weekend peeling, slicing, and drying peaches and apples.

Grandma Jessie would be proud.

Wild Wild West

A while back Nick and I took a little mini-vacation to Rapid City and the Black Hills. We decided to try a new hotel/lodge that was built in Custer State Park. Before we left I told a friend of mine that it was the kind of place where we were liable to find a buffalo looking in the window.

As it turns out, I didn't know how true of a statement that actually was.

And we got to our room, I found myself in the closest proximity to a buffalo I think I'd ever been.

Disclaimer:

Do Not try this without a window and at least half a wall between yourself and the buffalo