Sibling Road Trip Part 3: The Last Leg of the Day

The last leg of our sibling road trip yesterday started at Murray, Idaho. This is a historic mining town where gold was discovered in 1882. The Spragpole Inn and Museum is a "must visit" place in the Inland Empire. Known for great hamburgers, we made a good decision to stop there for lunch and a rest after our hikes.To end the day my sister wanted to travel the road Noah Kellogg took when he left Murray and headed to Kellogg (via Osburn) where he found an outcropping of galena at Milo Creek. We had a map and thought we knew which road to take, but were unable to locate the right turn that day. Instead we ended up traveling from Murray to Wallace over Dobson Pass. We will try to locate Noah Kellogg's route another day. Wallace, deemed the " The Center of the Universe" by the mining association, is the county seat of Shoshone County. The Silver Valley and my hometown of Kellogg were at the heart of early mining in northern Idaho. When I revisit the history of this area I always learn new information. It was a good decision to pick this spot in the Inland Empire for our road trip. As I said in my last post, we ended the day with great food at Wah Hing's Chinese restaurant in Kellogg. You can see posts by my siblings here and here.

This completes my three posts of the sibling road trip. They are also my Sunday Scribblings for the word decision this week. You can enjoy other Sunday Scribblings here.

Sibling Road Trip Part 2: Settler's Grove of Ancient Cedars

On the second leg of our road trip we left the main river and went to a favorite site. This Settler's Grove of Ancient Cedars is located close to Murray, Idaho and is an incredible place of serenity, beauty, and peace. We guessed some of these trees have been here a thousand years. The paths along this botanical area are lined with creeks, moss, cool green foliage, and fallen trees. This was a perfect location to get a reprieve from the hot weather. When you step into the grove the temperature drops and you can imagine how the area looked when the first inhabitants traveled through on foot. It is also an ideal location for trying new photo imaging, studying different plant and wildflower species, and just being still and giving thanks for our earth.

After a rest we loaded up for the third leg of our road trip. I will share that on a post tomorrow. The three posts are my Sunday Scribblings post for the week. You can find other Sunday Scribblings here.

Sibling Road Trip Part 1: Fern and Shadow Falls

Fern Falls on Yellow Dog Creek, north fork of the Coeur d' Alene River in northern Idaho.

My siblings and I had a tough decision to make this week. Which part of the beautiful Inland Empire should we explore on a road trip? A few days ago the decision was made to drive up the north fork of the Coeur d'Alene River to visit a new site, return to a favorite site, and finish with a historical site. It was a coincidence that the topic for Sunday Scribblings this week is decision. Read the next three posts about our decision for the day.
The new site was a trail that led to Fern and Shadow Falls. The falls were surrounded by huge rocks, dark green foliage and towering trees creating a perfect setting. You can walk behind Fern Falls and since my sister is more sure-footed than me she hiked down and enjoyed the cool mist behind the falls.

Next we hiked up to Shadow Falls. These falls were up the mountain and behind the others on the creek. They are named perfectly as the shadows create a contrast of light and dark. Then we came out of the shadows into the brilliant sunshine to continue on the next leg of our road trip.

It is time for dinner out with Mom. I will return to share the rest of our road trip later. You can link to other posts about decisions at Sunday Scribblings here.

I Love Zucchini! And A Keeper From the Recipe Box

I love zucchini! I look forward to zucchini harvest and can't wait to bake it, sauté it, freeze it, grate it, put it into baked goods, and fry it. This summer squash, with it’s mild taste, is low in calories and contains useful amounts of folate, potassium, and Vitamin A.

So why do gardeners spent so much energy figuring out creative ways to get rid of their bumper crops of zucchini? One reason is because know matter how many times you recheck the vegetable bed a zucchini often lurks under a leaf or behind the fence. Then one may be so big it is hard to slice it and sauté it. Another reason is because you seem to have one or ten that mature at the same time. No in between. My Uncle Harry’s favorite joke is, “ Don’t drive by my house with your windows open in August. You’ll end up with zucchini in your lap. Ha ha ha.!” That is when I grate and freeze it.
I remember the year JEJ didn’t think the first zucchini plants were going to make it so it planted a few more. They all made it! That was when I learned lots of creative ways to prepare zucchini. I will share some of my favorite recipes during the harvest season. The recipe below is the one I made last week when we had one of those “ ten zucchini” days.
Also, remember many food banks take fresh produce. Before you hook up a slingshot to send zucchini over to your neighbor's yard, call the food bank.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake
½ cup butter at room temperature
½ cup vegetable oil
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
½ cup buttermilk
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
2 ½ cups flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup chopped walnuts
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat over 350. Cream together the butter, oil, and sugars. Beat in the eggs, vanilla and buttermilk until smooth. Sift together dry ingredients; mix into creamed mixture a little at a time. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Grease and flour a large bundt pan and pour in batter. Bake an hour and fifteen minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. (I usually check it after an hour)
Let cake cool in pan five minutes, then put on rack to cool. Serves12.

taken from Pacific Northwest: The Beautiful Cookbook

Images of Apricots

A friend and fellow teacher that lives down the road called and said she had all the apricots we could pick. We grabbed boxes, bags, sunscreen, and hats and headed to her house this morning. We picked for ourselves and family members. I think the images can tell the story.

Smells of Summer That Take Me Back

The other day while preparing to face the hot sun I covered myself with sunscreen. I had a generic brand, but just that smell of the lotion took me back to childhood and summer. I remembered Coppertone in the signature brown bottle. That day as I was working in the garden I made a mental list of other smells that did the same. Of course, you were either a Coppertone girl, a Sea and Ski girl, or you bravely put iodine in baby oil and slathered your body with that. Forget covering up, skin cancer, or sunburns. It was all just part of the summer ritual. (It was much later that the unforgettable smell of coconut and Hawaiian Tropic came on the scene.)

When I get anywhere near a pool I am back at the Kellogg public pool. The distinct chlorine smell reminds me of green mesh bags, suits that never quite lost that smell, hours of hanging out, pruny hands from staying in the water so long, and a beach towel soaked in chlorine that lingered while riding home on your bike.

I return to my Grandma Woolum's yard when I smell dill. Whether it was when I ran my hands over the maturing dill growing in the garden, or going to her cellar where it was drying it is a smell that is reminiscent of fresh cucumbers, Mason jars, and making dill pickles in August.

The pungent smell of campfire smoke reminds me singing songs around the campfire at Camp Neewahlu, roasting marshmallows with friends at Rose Lake, and gatherings up the river when we were old enough to drive and stay out later. Days later I could pick up a jacket or a shirt and the campfire scent would still be there.

When we had hot spells while growing up all I wanted to do is sit in the basement or go swimming. Then the skies clouded up and a summer rainstorm moved in. Summer rain smell is so distinct it is almost hard to put into words. You just know that smell. It is a mixture of wet pine needles, dampened dust, or rain dripping on maple leaves. Where I live now clouds gather above the lake and the air carries that smell of thunder and heat mixed with lilies and phlox. It is the smell of reprieve and a gentle reminder that autumn is just around the corner.

What smells take you back to childhood summers?