"Today is a Good Day to Drive!" .....Van-Go

July 20, 2009 We said goodbye to John and the animals: Goldie, Silky and Gonzo, and Calico. Then we headed west across the Rocky Mountains going back through Rocky Mountain National Park. Grand Lake was a great spot to stop for a late breakfast at the little park on the lake. Then we continued our drive and ran into a bit of rain before we arrived at Songbird Ranch. Fish was so excited to see us. We threw the ball about a hundred times for him and gave him a big drink from the hose. Will was practicing his guitar picking and kept hearing this tap-tap-tap. He finally stopped playing and listened. It was a bird tapping on the window of the little cabin; he was stuck inside. Will opened the door and out flew the frustrated Flicker. He landed on a telephone pole to get his barrings before flying off. Forrest arrived home first; Crystal has a long drive from Eagle and gets home about 6:30pm. We had a wonderful visit laughing and talking and laughing and sharing stories and adventures and l...

Check older posts; put up a few today

Go for a drive Pick up the mail Take out the garbage Watch the horses Water the gardens Use the dried flowers from Songbird Ranch

Click on older posts as we put up several today.... Another great recipe from Woman's Day magazine; April 2009 issue: mexican lasagna 2 tsp olive oil 1 1/2 cups chopped onion 1 small zucchini diced (about 3 cups) 2 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1 can 14oz died tomatoes 1 small can green chiles 1 can 15 oz black beans drained 1 can 1 oz corn niblets, drained 1/2 cup chpped cilantro 4 whole wheat flour totillas (thanks Jill) 1 1/4 cup shredded cheddar Garnish: sour cream Heat oven to 400. Coat 3 qt round baking dish with nonstick spray Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and saute 5 minutes. Add zucchini and cumin, and saute 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, beans, corn and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and add cilantro. Put 1 tortilla in baking dish. Top with 1 cup of mixture; sprinkle with 1/4 of cheese. Repeat for 4 layers Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve with sour cream or salsa YUmmmy Here is our ham and sweet potato dinner...

Kathy was reading the July issue of Woman's Day she pickedup from the postoffice book and magazine exchange and found a recipe she adapted. Italian Orzo and beef stuffed peppers Woman’s Day July 2009 Made at Songbird Ranch 6-26-09 4 large bell peppers, halved lengthwise through stem and seeded (We used one big yellow pepper) Nonstick spray (Kathy used olive oil) ½ c orzo pasta (We had some left over rice) 8 oz lean ground beef ( The left over ham worked well) 1 c chopped onion 2 tsp fennel seeds (Didn't have any so added some Fiber One cereal) and oregano 1 can diced tomatoes (We cut up a large tomato) 1 clove garlic ½ c mozzarella (There was some Monterey Jack in the fridge) garnish chopped basil (We added some basil to the mix and garnished with fresh parsley) Heat broiler; line a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick foil; put peppers cut side down in the pan; coat with nonstick spray Broil 12 minutes, turning once until lightly charred and tender; reduce oven tem to 400 degr...

First you get the owners to go away for a couple of weeks...like, on a honeymoon, or something like that. Then take a dollar bill and fold it up into this tiny rectangle with the edges all tucked in and hidden, like a Chinese puzzle. Do this a hundred times, and attach each one to a little silver bell. Then hide all but one of them all over the ranch, in unusual places or in places they would never look, unless, say they cleaned or something like that. Put the one saved bell out in a highhly visable spot with a note announcing the start of the treasure hunt and wait.... yep, we have a picture of where each is hidden away.

You can't see the bride yet!