Bake Day

Every now and then we get motivated enough to bake things in the outdoor brick oven. The Outdoor Oven Project, as it came to be known as, was something that we undertook in 2002 after reading about one that had been built in a nearby village. With nothing more than the basic instructions and drawings included in the book "The Bread Builders" and help from an on-line group of similar minded people, I decided that having an outdoor oven to our cottage at Lac La Nonne was exactly what the place needed. 

"The Bread Builders" book by Alan Scott and Dan Wing includes detailed plans for constructing an outdoor Pizza/Bread Oven

After a 3-4 hour burn the coals are scooped out with a long handled dustpan and oven cavity cleaned of any ash residue. At this point the oven is around 800 degF and perfect for cooking pizza or thin flat bread. Later in the day as the temperature drops to 600 degF bread can be baked. After that, as the temperature continues to fall, anything that can be cooked in a conventional oven can be cooked in this oven. We've cooked pizza, roasts, chickens, whole salmon, baked beans, ribs, muffins, crackers and even a whole turkey. If the oven door is kept closed, to retain the heat between loadings, cooking can take place over the next three days without re-firing. The hardest part is preparing everything to be cooked in this three to four day period.
Today we kept the list short. Four loaves of sourdough bread, followed by pork back ribs in a cast iron pot and lastly, a lemon cake.

600 degrees and 35 minutes later we have sour dough bread. 

A stack of back ribs, BBQ sauce, onions and one can of beer. Enough for six.

Yvonne's glazed lemon cake with real Az lemons

Ice Out, Dock In

With the help of a little wind, the ice seemed to be drifting away and over a couple hours it was gone. 

With bits of ice still floating around me I managed to get the dock into the water before my legs went numb.

Duck House

Every year Goldeneyes use this over-sized birdhouse in our front yard as a communal egg drop-off station. We've seen up to six birds on or in the birdhouse at the same time. A couple years ago we witnessed a dozen freshly hatched Goldeneye chicks drop to the ground and scramble for the water.

Good to see my newly renovated dock is being used.

Great Northern Loon

This curious fellow kept getting closer and closer while I was repairing my dock today.

Spring has sprung at Lac La Nonne

Everywhere you look you see birds and animals taking advantage of the warmer weather and melting ice on the lake. Only a couple feet of open water along the shoreline but there's plenty going on.

Sparring like this is common among Goldeneye males. Sometimes one will come up from underwater to attack another male.

Male Goldeneye after chasing off a rival.

Female Goldeneye wondering what all the fuss is about.

Muskrat 

Red Polls pigging out on sunflower seeds in the feeder. The males have the colourful breasts.

Canada Goose

Winlaw, B.C.

This year, our return trip to Canada took us to Winlaw BC where we stopped to visit with Joel and Erin and the Grandkids. They'd recently sold their 30 acre farmstead and picked up a smaller property in Slocan City where they are now busy clearing trees, bringing in utilities and fine tuning the plans for the new house.

 The 100 year old house they occupied for four years was becoming too small for the three boys.

 I will miss the old river-front property with endless views and extreme quietness.

 They were babysitting a couple goats for a neighbor when we stopped in.

 Seve is the "King of the Castle" at the new building site.

Atti and Milton will no longer have to share a bedroom.

It's not as easy as it looks Grandpa, say's Milton

Adios Amigos

The day we all dreaded. Leaving Arizona Day.

Rob, Julie, Yvonne and the good Rob