Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Tree lined fields. . .













A quick one to meet today's tree requirement.

Great Memorial Weekend

As is usually the case, we had a very busy weekend.
Friday night we had wife's family over and the three women
made some beautiful pies. . . .















They turned out wonderful. . . .




Sat. was yard work.

Sunday started out with a special visitor at church.
Tino Wallenda of the famous Wallenda family of high wire performers


He was a very good speaker. . .

We followed church with what we call one of our 'Expeditions',
usually something to do with nature and the out-of-doors.
Today we went to Indian Camp park.
Played in the water, and on the playground.
Climbed the observation tower. . . (now known
as 'Rapunzel's tower')
Had a picnic and played.

In the evening we joined the otherside of the family for another
wonderful feast and daughter got to drive her first sports car. . .


(This is the first time I have loaded a video, I hope it works.)

And here she is waiting for Triple A and a tow truck. . .

Monday, daughter and I picked up Grandma and visited Grandpa and
placed some flowers to celebrate his time in service. . .


Daughter got to see two swans up close.  .
We ended up the evening with friends and family
in our pool.
I think we did the weekend proud.


Friday, May 27, 2011

Tan Hill Inn

I love this watercolor of Tan Hill Inn, Englands Highest Pub. .
Paintings like these make me more determined to learn watercolor.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Farm lane with trees.

Had a nice drive in the country today and it
got me to do a QS. First some pictures from the drive.

First one has an old log building in the back ground.



This one I had done a QS of once before, but not with it's partner.



QS of a rural farm lane and trees.




Monday, May 23, 2011

Big bugs and Black Douglas

Was forced to go out to the cabin Sunday (ya, right!).
Got a lot done.
While doing some kayak cover-up (nothing illegal) I came across
this beauty either shedding a layer or devouring a brother. . . .














Now I rank spiders right up there with snakes, and that would be; I understand our
need for them, but would not be upset if I never had to deal with them.
I did move him along with out hurting him, but hope he finds a new home.
Oh, yea, if you borrow a kayak from me, check for spiders. . . .

After covering up the boats, I was able to get some mowing done.
The $10.00 mower, once again after about 8 years of use, started up the first time.
Can't beat that.

And like I usually do out at the cabin, when work is done I award myself with
a nice beer.

Well, if you remember my post from Jan 9th of this year, you will remember Old Jock.
Well, today I invited his brother Black Douglas out with me and he carried on family tradition well.
Much darker than Old Jock it calls itself a dark ruby ale with a soft full crystal malt flavor.
And it is suppose to be named after a good friend of Robert the Bruce.
Well I hope Robert kept his friends close, like you will want to do with this beer.
It had a good dark coffee color and was very smooth.
Again, one I will look for once more and would not mind if my local carried it.
It was a perfect beer for a day that started out hot but by beer time had turned nice and 'Highland' with
rain and hail.
I was glad of his company sitting out the hail storm.

Read a little more about Black Douglas. clic on his name.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Old Leg Over

Ok, I want the job of naming craft beers. Wouldn’t that be the perfect job?

Trying different beers and picking a good name to go with its ‘personality’.

And it seems the smaller the brewery, the better some of the names.

The big American breweries, like AB, for the most part have really bad names for their beers. Think about it. One of the biggest selling beers in the world is called Bud Lite. Wow! Is that ever catchy?

Or how about Busch? I don’t know. That name is almost becoming analogous for bad behavior.

Maybe when you sell so much, name doesn’t matter.

Think about it, the big names in beer titles in this country are; Bud, Bud Lite, Coors, Busch, Corona. Even the largest American owned, Sam Adams, breweries names are pretty boring, (I do however like SA’s beers, but am not a fan of AB), Winter Lager, Boston Lager, Summer Ale.

Even when AB makes better ale (so I have heard, I have yet to try one), they give it a boring name, ‘American Ale’. What’s with that? When AB did actually use some great names for craft beers, they usually only marketed them in tiny areas, for a short time. Remember Faust? I didn’t think so. (I believe they did keep ‘Bare Knuckle Stout’, is that correct Mike?).

I wonder if it is the same in the UK?

But as we go down the ladder of breweries the names start becoming more creative. Probably to get our attention, but I believe also to reflect the personality of the brewer.

Here are just a few; Unibroue La Fin Du Monde, Harveistoun Old Engine Oil, Sweetwater Happy Ending Imperial Stout, Ridgeway Santa's Butt, Buffalo Bill's Alimony Ale, McQuire's I'll Have What The Gentleman On The Floor Is Having Barley Wine, Wasatch Polygamy Porter (with the catch phrase, ‘Why have just one?)

What beer lover would not want to try most of these?

I also have a theory about the men (and women) who drink the Bud Lites of this world.

Ready ladies?

Now the men who drink the Bud Lites probably have more money, or not, are probably better looking, or not and probably have better jobs, or not, than the men drinking the Craft Beers.

But I would almost bet that the men drinking the craft beers probably have more personality, and are more interesting than the Bud Lite drinkers.

Now where is this going you ask?
As my one or two loyal followers know, I have been trying to keep a life list of some of the craft beers I have been trying lately and posting comments on those beers here.

If I were a Bud Lite drinker I would call it a bucket list, because on most Friday’s you can get a bucket of long necks real cheap at most bars.

But since I am not I am going to stick with ‘life list’ till I come up with a better name.

This past weekend after doing yard work and pool work I opened up a brew from the home country called ‘Old Leg Over’ from the craft brewer 'Daleside' in Harrogate Yorkshire.


It was fairly mild ale, with a good tea color to it. Not bitter at all, and it did not seem to have much carbonation to it, which I really liked. It was the closest I have had to some of my home brews (which may or may not be a good thing).

I definitely wanted another, which I did not have and I would be very glad if my local would carry it, which they don’t.
It is one I will try again, and I must say I was a little surprised at how well I enjoyed it.

Monday, May 16, 2011

QS for today. Rural farm road on a cloudy day, England

Rainy weekend

 Rainy weekend, but
we got out to the cabin
anyway.
Blue wildflowers
were the best ones this
weekend.












We had the maid hold the umbrella while daughter picked flowers.

 .


















The maid took a break.

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Monday, May 9, 2011

Planes and kayaks.

First is a picture from our clinic weekend by Johnnie "Bling'
of me kayaking.















He took some wonderful pictures on our England trip last year, when
John and his wife joined us for the canal boat portion of our trip, along
with Barbara.

The next is a poster of the planes that took part in the royal wedding
fly-over.
John and I both love planes, him the newer ones and me the older ones
that dad worked on.
This poster represents both.

Ya just have to love the greens this time of year.

 We have been trying to get daughter outside a lot this spring and

turn her into a little explorer, so we go on our little adventures
                                                       
No, in the above photo she is not ringing the neck of a young rabbit. It is a toy rabbit she is suppose to
bring home and tell a story about, so we took it on our hike.



Above is her find for the day.


Mom and daughter also worked on the garden this weekend.















The colors are so rich this time of year. They have not been beaten down
by summer heat yet and are full of spring rain.