Birthday Interruptus

Hal and I were planning on going to the White Pine National golf course bar and grill for dinner yesterday but he woke up with a sore throat and a head cold. Instead I ended up over at a friend's house while Hal napped. I didn't have Luna and Ziggy with me because it was hot and humid and I was going to the store to pick up chips and come right back, plus I had texted and called him and gotten no answer so assumed he was out. But just outside the store I got a text saying he was indeed home so I wandered over for a visit with him and his 2 dogs.

It was a lot quieter without Ziggy begging for treats and attention, sorry to say, Ziggy, but you can be such a whiner! We told stories, had a few beers and had a great time. There was much laughter. Then I went home, cooked the bacon and cheese brats, had the chips with French onion dip, orange sherbet for Hal, butter pecan ice cream for me and watched the movie I rented, Her. It was an okay movie, thought I would like it more but it was a little slow.

Still turned out to be a better birthday than I expected. Dinner out should be some time next week.

Smokin'!

Had built me a meat smoker a couple weeks ago out of an old 24" Kenmore smoker he got from a brother. He cut a whole in the bottom for a burner from another stove and wired it to the back panel. He drilled a hole in the side to stick a temperature probe through. It's been tricky to keep the temps in the right range, there seems to be at least a 20 degree swing no matter how we set the burner and oven element, but we've made some pretty tasty things so far using chicken parts and store bought brats. Here is a photo of our first brats from Johnsonville and apple wood chips put in a tinfoil covered pan set on the burner.

 Since then Hal has connected another old oven to this one with a vent pipe for a try at cold smoking fish in the future. This little oven just gets too hot to smoke fish.

Daffodils

They started blooming about 3 days ago, A sure sign of spring, though the temps hitting 78 today for a few minutes is a sure sign of summer. I wonder if it will be a warmer one this year?