Car Trip

Someone once lived here just north of the small community of Deaver Wyoming. The car and small house have aged to nearly the same color, and the fence has given way to dozens of harsh winters. We have passed this many times on our way to Billings but I only recently noticed it. Saturday on our way home we had time to take pictures.

We also had time to stop at the Quick Stop in Rockvale for a chocolate huckleberry shake. Another old rusty car sits there, but it is a metal sculpture.

Friends, Family and elk

The Rocky Mountain Round-up is in August every year and Sweet Adelines from all over region 8 gather at Estes Park Colorado. This year's featured speaker was Lori Lyford. She presented great lessons on breathing and vocal production.

Seven of us attended from Yellowstone Harmony. We stay in World Mark condos next to the river. We had elk in our backyard morning and evening.

The highlight of the weekend for me was Saturday dinner when Blake and Kim, Adam, Griffin, and Cody and Tina joined us.

The Cherry Project

A family from Powell has a cherry orchard in Montana near the Flathead lake. Every year they send a trailer load of cherries to Powell. They arrive in Powell the day after they were picked; fresh, plump, and juicy. This year I ordered two 30 pound boxes.

I set up a work area in the laundry room. The fruit went from the counter to the sink, through the pitter and on to drying trays.

The cherry stoner, was borrowed from a neighbor. It is sweet. Without a doubt, the best I have ever used. Clean cherries go in the hopper, one rolls into a depression. With a push of the plunger, a cutter goes through the cherry pushing the pit into the box. when the plunger resets, the cherry is brought up and knocked off the cutter and drops into a waiting container. I want one of these!! I was able to do a 30lb. box in about an hour. That is all that will fit in the dehydrator. The pitter went home and the second box had to be pitted with a small metal pitter I have had for a long time. That device forces the pit out the other side of the cherry. It squirts juice everywhere and stains your hands deep purple. It also takes several hours that I spread the job over about 3 days.

The dehydrator runs for a couple days and the result is dried cherries, or chaisens. We ended up with a full gallon bag. we probably ate and shared 5 to 7 pounds of the fresh cherries while we were processing them.

And Then There Were Two