spryng | Saturday, October 21, 2013 DITL (Reply)

I tried to sleep in. I really did. But it's just not happening

Shower time or, hello short hair!

Kona is very helpful.

That's better.

It's that time of year - time for happy lights!

Coffee it up.

Hunt down the gf oreo recipe for later today, so I know what I still need to get while we're out.

Kona visits. Or rather, yowls plaintively for attention.

Make breakfast with our very own eggs. They're still a bit tinier than the store bought ones - the white eggs in the back - but they're catching up.

Breakfast! Omelet + apple sauce + cinnamon + walnuts.

Wake up Lady by dropping a cat on her. Cat proceeds to suckle.

Groggy Lady is groggy.

Pack up the water because today!! we are going on a hike!!

Make list and cross things off list.

Put on the seasonally appropriate BPAL scent.

Get ready.

In the car (finally!) and time check!

Sun has only just risen when we get there. Perfect timing.

I love these mountains. So. Much.

Aaand up we go.

Aaand up further. We've been wanting to do this trail for the last month, but it's in a National Park so the last two weeks it was closed. Now that it's finally open, though, we had to jump right on it.

It follows all the way along this ridge.

I find a rock and stand on it.

Looking back the way we came towards the end of the trail. Just gorgeous.

And heading back down again.

There's still water in the canyon! There are even some fish in some of these ponds. I always wonder how they survive the fall and winter dry seasons.

One of the lovely eucalyptus, only starting to go yellow.

We even get to meet a roadrunner.

Then we're back!

Only four hours...

We stop by chickens on the way home to deliver an unripe watermelon from our garden.

And pick up eggs. Good job, chickens!

Lady cleans out the coop. They've suddenly decided to start roosting in the other corner at night, so it's a tad bit more difficult to clean.

I grab a photo of the hen with one of the largest combs. We think she was our first layer.

Home again (look at that sneaky time check!) and I make a grocery list.

Cats try to convince us to stay.

It doesn't work.

We arrive home with our bounty.

We both internet a bit while enjoying some food.

Then it's nap time.

After nap time, laundry time!

Water my new rosemary. It appears to be establishing itself well.

Play with cats.

And then we head out again. Omg.

To fancy-pants outdoor mall, where we use up a giftcard. Partially.

Then home and it's cooking time! Yay onions?!

Lady makes us burgers and onions for dinner while I work on chili.

Then I turn my focus on those gf oreos mentioned so much earlier.

And Lady takes over with the chili.

Cookies are done! It's okay that they look weird - I'm going to crush them up to make an oreo crust later anyway.

Make the peanut butter filling to go with that crust. Whipped cream + cream cheese + powdered sugar + peanut butter = love.

Except the cookies have to cool, so you don't get to see the gorgeous peanut butter pie that results from all this hard effort. Instead, have a glass of magnesium.