Fall Frenzy

 Fall is definitely here! The days have been nice and warm around 65 degrees all week, but the nights have gotten as low as 25. The extremeness of the weather is actually very refreshing if you are prepared for it, and I think the wild animals around here would agree. In the mornings, after it has rained (which isn't very often) our ranch becomes a feeding frenzy for all the local birds. I didn't know worm catching orgies would be taking place in my very own back yard! It makes me think about my garden next year and...well, best not to think about that just now...

 And on the hot days, you can find these little buggers hiding underneath the porch or a potted plant. Matt saved this ones life.

 And as I took this photo, the little frog looked up at me, and said, "You should bake some squash." and I said "What little frog? I've never baked squash before..." and he replied "If you bake it, it will get eaten happily." Upon hearing this foreshadowing statement, I decided that that was a fantastic idea! Little did I know how much fun it would be (did I mention delicious?).

 I looked in my book:  Encyclopedia of Country Living and decided to buy a Butternut Squash, since its only me and Matt, I really don't need a whole lot, so I just bought one which ended up being plenty. Heres how I did it:

• Cut the squash in half, lengthwise
• Scoop out all the guts and seeds with a spoon
• Preheat oven to 375 and bake on cookie sheet for 1 hour
• After its cooled, peel off the skin and mash the rest in a bowl

 

You can also cook the seeds for a few minutes once the squash is done,  I sprinkled on a little salt and nutmeg before I put them in the oven. It doesn't make for very much but its a nice little snack. I ended up yielding a lot more than I thought I was going to when it came to the puree, and the taste was amazing...I can see why its commonly used as baby food. It tastes like it has nutmeg and vanilla already flavored in, but its just plain squash. With the little jar on the right I made Butternut Squash Muffins last night and they turned out fantastic. I recommend them if you want a nice fall dessert, definitely a recipe that will go in the 'recipe drawer' (I need to get myself one of these!).

 

 I also got a paper bag full of delicious apples from a friend of ours, so I made an awesome gravy to go over pork chops, using sauteed onions and apple slices. I served it with corn and garlic cheddar drop biscuits.

 Tonight I'm going to bake the rest of the apples whole (can you tell I'm really enjoying this?) I am sure I will let you know how they turned out. A lot more has happened around here besides my amazing cooking, Matt cut down one of the many Juniper trees on our property because it was blocking our amazing view. After talking to a few locals, I found out that many juniper trees are over a 1,000 years old, this one was not, so down it went. 

 Dio, during the bird feeding frenzies I described, caught a Robin in mid air. He didn't kill it, but I think he broke its wing. This was an amazing feat simply because Dio has the worst eye-mouth coordination I have ever seen in a dog. Though there was no reward for such behavior (we can't let him kill birds if we don't want him to kill chickens, right?), and I am starting to think he hasn't learned much over the last few weeks. 

Sigh, perhaps he just can't help it and we will just have to make sure he is always restrained. It's that crazy blue eye I tell you. Heres some recent photos:

 

Dead Chickens and Sunsets...Oh my

  Matt and I have almost reached two weeks living at the Ranch, and its finally starting to feel like home. Yes, there still are a few more boxes left to be unpacked, as well as a large stockpile of empty boxes on the back porch waiting to be burned (October 15th is the day), I was rearranging the boxes the other day and three green hand-sized frogs jumped out and under the porch. I knew that a wide array of  animals lived on the High Desert, but I guess I underestimated the abundance of all the animals! There are groups of Quail that roam the property, and sometimes our yard when we aren't home. They communicate with each other with this annoying high pitched call (sounds kind of like a little kid screaming), and run around like they are high on methamphetamine. Though, I notice they quiet down when I let Bonsai outside. There are also lots of different birds, deer, rabbits, mice, hawks and I heard coyotes the other night as I was going to sleep. What a change from the city.
 The view from our house is another change I just can't get over, its a different sunset every day! See for yourself.

 We were really unsure about what kind of Internet we could get out here, but we found a local, reasonably  priced broadband company owned by the community, and our neighbor has a dish on the top of his barn so our connection is a lot faster then we predicted it would be. The only negative thing that has happened so far on the farm is when we were talking with the Cable Installation guy, Dio somehow snuck out without anyone seeing him. A half hour later, Matt asks "Where's Dio?", then the panic ensued. We found him moments later, getting screamed at by our new neighbor (yes, the one with the dish) who was wielding a dead black chicken in his hand. Talk about breaking the ice.
 Dio thought it would be a great idea to kill their yard chicken, and apparently the other one is currently MIA. Matt and I offered to make the situation right again, but he insisted that wasn't necessary. Apparently he didn't like the chicken very much.
 As someone who plans on getting chickens very soon, and having plenty of neighbors that have their own as well, Matt and I took this very seriously. He could very well be mistaken for a coyote, or kill the chicken of someone who doesn't care if he's a dog or a coyote  and get shot. Happens all the time.
 Matt and I read that the old fashioned method of dealing with chicken-killing dogs is to tie the dead chicken around their neck and leave them in a kennel for a few days. We thought a few days a little long, so we did it over night.
 Wow, I bet PETA would be for shamed at this kind of behavior. At this point we feel that if it takes drastic measures to ensure the safety and life of our dog, so be it. As to whether it has worked, we will just have to wait and see. We also will need to be extra careful on making sure he doesn't escape. His new kennel is indestructible, which is a plus.

On another note, I am already beginning the planning stage for our front yard garden, and painting some of the rooms in our home. All those details will be for another post, another day, but until then here are some photos of our place. I keep looking at it like a blank canvas.

Movin' To The Country

 Welcome to Rolling Sage Ranch! This is the first post on the new blog and let me tell you...I haven't spoken the words HTML since 2005, so this took me a while. To learn more about the purpose of this site please visit the About section.

 In five days Matt and I are moving into our new home! I am very excited to get started on making it comfortable for the both of us, but in the meantime the stress is building, and I could really use a massage! The pets have begun to notice the increasing amount of boxes stockpiled in our living room and I think their own stress has brought them closer together.

 

 10 months ago, it would have been surprising to see them in the same room, let alone sharing the same sleeping bag. It really does take time to build trusting relationships, as Dio and Bonsai have proven.
  There is still much to do in our old, city house as we prepare for the trip south, and despite that the pipes wont last another winter and we don't have a dishwasher (there's one in the new place!) I am sure going to miss our shanty little Portland home. I just pray all the family members have an easy transition onto the Ranch. Moving is one thing, but relocating is a whole new cup of tea. Until I can post photos of our new home, here are some recent snap shots: