An abrupt change

Thanksgiving Day dawned hot and muggy, and the mosquitoes were out in full force.  For the first time in refuge history, one of the volunteers had to work in the VIS (visitor’s center) on a National Holiday.  So, that meant we would all wait to have our dinner until Colin returned from his tour of duty.  :)  Colin is a resident of England that has flown here each fall for the last eight years to volunteer on the refuge.  He took the VIS duty yesterday so the rest of us could get the dinner prepared.  Turns out he had never heard of the sweet potato dish topped with marshmallows, but loved the traditional green bean casserole that I prepared.  Neither of these dishes are normally served in England.  As usual, there was more food available than could be consumed, but it was an enjoyable and tasty repast.
                                    Tonight’s photos are some from my recent cruise.

One of the things I really look forward to at a Thanksgiving Feast is savoring the taste of a large piece of crisp, brown turkey breast skin with a dash of salt sprinkled on it.  I know it’s not good for you to eat, but once a year I indulge and my mouth was watering at the thought of this culinary delight for me.  Boy, was I disappointed!  I don’t know what the carver of the turkey did with the skin, but none was to be found.  :(  I’m thinking I just may have to go buy one of those turkey breasts with the skin on so I can roast it and have my yearly treat.  (a whole turkey is just too big for me alone)

The wait staff put on quite a show the last night of the cruise as we dined.

After the feasting, I came back to the rig and the air conditioner was still running pretty steadily.  Then about 9:00, the wind shifted, the rain began, and the temp dropped about 30 degrees in 30 minutes!  I was suddenly getting goose bumps, and even had to turn the heat on.  What an abrupt change of weather as the cold front from the north moved through.  It didn’t drop low enough to wipe out our massive supply of mosquitoes, but today’s northerly high winds did keep them at bay. 

It rained most of this morning, and I just hunkered down inside and played on the computer.  I did a little work in the afternoon taking inventory for the VIS, but all in all it was a relaxing day spent inside with the furnace on.  Each time I took Emma out, she was invigorated by the cooler temperatures and ran circles around me at the end of her 18’ lead.  She likes the colder temps more than I do.  :)

If the sun shines tomorrow, perhaps we’ll take a drive.  Maybe I’ll make a trip to the Bolivar Peninsula.  I think I’ll pack a lunch tonight just in case…
                                        Sunrise entering the port of Nassau, Bahamas.

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

The challenge of the relish tray

Tomorrow, many of the folks camped at the LoW-Hi RV Ranch will be participating in a potluck Thanksgiving dinner. Everyone will bring something to the table, which is reminiscent of the first Thanksgiving dinner. How apropos is that? I don't think there will be any venison (thank goodness) though.

I signed up to bring a relish tray since there will be plenty of savory and sweet items brought be others. To me, a relish tray should include the following: green and black olives, pickles (Claussen's of course), scallions, celery strips, marinated mushrooms, and cinnamon apple slices. So, today, I headed for the Peppers grocery store to purchase the ingredients. Here's where the challenge part comes in. Apparently, no one eats marinated mushrooms or spicy cinnamon apple slices in Deming, New Mexico. I checked both Peppers and Walmart with no success. I decided to substitute pickled beets for the apples (same color), but that left the shrooms. What's a girl to do?

About five years ago, my friend, Susan, from Minnesota, gave me a recipe for marinated mushrooms. Of course, I didn't have the recipe with me, but at least I bought some fresh mushrooms. When I got back to the rig, I dug out the recipe, and started preparations. They are now marinating in the frig, and boy do they smell good! If they turn out as I hope, I'll surely be making them regularly as I do love marinated mushrooms and the recipe is quite easy.

I want to thank one of my readers for leaving a comment on yesterday's post about where to stop for the night as I head into Texas. I have stopped at the park in Van Horn in the past, but have never stayed in Fort Stockton. Looks like I'll try to make it to Ft. Stockton if the winds behave themselves. :)

Enjoy your turkey tomorrow!!!

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

A Turkey for your day

Well, my plans were to upload an excellent picture of a turkey that I found at the Texas State Parks site and am presently using for a seasonal twist to the background of my laptop. But you know that Robert Burns saying: the best laid plans of mice and men.....

So, instead, I'll just provide you with the website where you can see three excellent turkey pictures. You can use them as a computer background, but apparently you can't send them to anyone.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/exptexas/turkey/backgrounds.phtml

I can't say that I did anything very productive today. The wind finally died down some, the sun was shining, and the temps made it into the upper sixties. I think I'll go visit the City of Rocks State Park tomorrow. It's too easy to get into a rut of doing nothing. ;)

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