Another learning curve day

Yesterday was the day to learn about the new washer/dryer, and today it was time to learn about the convection oven.  I’m happy to report that today went better than yesterday.  :)

I appreciate all the comments and suggestions you all wrote.  The machine is vented outside.  I think I’d like to take stuff out when it is just damp, but I’m not sure how to do that just yet.  That door always seems to be locked when the machine is running.  I’ve always been a person who does the laundry once a week, but I guess I can adjust to running a load every other evening or so.  With only one of me in the rig, I have plenty of storage, so I think I’ll give it a try for a year or so, and then see. 

After giving the rig a good inside cleaning this afternoon, I tackled the instruction book for the convection oven.  With it in hand, I roasted two chicken thighs, and I must say I was pleased with the outcome.  Then I baked four Tollhouse chocolate chip cookies (all in the spirit of testing the oven:)).  They turned out just the way I like them.  You can’t beat a warm Tollhouse cookie in my opinion.  I think tomorrow I’ll try a garlic cheese flatbread.  It sure is a lot easier to use than crawling on the floor to light the pilot for my old tiny gas oven!  It was also a breeze to clean up.  So far, I give it two thumbs up.  :)
These are a few of the pesky brown-headed cowbirds that I’m plagued with at my feeders.  This evening I counted 90 of the buggers on and under the two feeders.  Ugh!  The other birds don’t have a chance.
 


























This male white-crowned sparrow has a territory right across the fence in the sage brush covered meadow.
This dark-eyed junco snuck in for a seed or two while the cowbirds took a break.

Of course it isn’t necessary for me to have bird feeders up, it’s purely for my enjoyment.  The birds do just fine with the natural food.  This pine siskin is probably gleaning an insect from between the pine needles. (I’m really not sure if this is a pine or a spruce)
Two siskins dueling over a branch.  It’s about the only time you get to see the yellow in their tails and wings.

I’m going to take a break from learning new things tomorrow, and head off to Bozeman, Montana.  Bozeman is a pretty good sized town, and the drive there is supposed to be very scenic.  I’d like to order some wine along with doing general grocery shopping. 

Thanks for stopping by….talk to you later,  Judy