Galwith750acres's Weblog

Crispy Bacon & Chocolate. Um, say no more. I recently had a hinkering for the most perfect mix of sweet & salty, so I finally tried the ultimate duo, bacon + chocolate. And at this point, all I can say is, Move over peanut butter, becuase bacon is moving in!

This blog is absolutely amazing: The Bacon Show, 1 bacon recipe per day, every day, forever: http://baconshow.blogspot.com/

I suggest checking out their mighty fine selection of bacon & chocolate recipes. I first made the Dark Chocolate and Bacon Cupcakes: http://baconshow.blogspot.com/2008/08/1182-dark-chocolate-and-bacon-cupcake.html Below you will find a photo of Lucky oogling over a plate of these yummy treats. Too bad dogs+chocolate=Not Good.

I couldn’t stop there. So I went on to replicate some bacon caramel chocolates I had once had made by a fancy chocolatier. I googled up a homemade caramel recipe. http://oldrecipebook.com/caramels.shtml

 Fried up some more bacon, crumbled it up into little pieces, then dipped bitsize caramel pieces topped with bacon into melted chocolate. Yum.

 I plan to keep experimenting, and I will publish the perfect bacon/caramel/chocolate recipe once I find it. I will say, I am totally on the right track, and just in time for Valentine’s Day!

WANTED FOR: Peeing on Older Ladies, Killing a Goat, Frightening Chickens, Destroying a Kitchen, and Digging Tunnels Under the House.

Lucky now resides in the Hound Dog Jailhouse during the days when I am at work. After the goat killing, he has become quite the escape artist, so with the help of a great handy man, a secure lockdown dog run was built.

This new & improved Doggy Pound is fully enclosed. We used the stock panels that were used as fence around the previous dog run, and wired them together. Even the floor on this sucker is hard wired panels, no way to dig out of this place! We also secured down metal roofing. Add one dog house with bed, and you have Lucky’s new daytime play area.

It’s the afternoons though, that he loves the best. When I get home from work, and we get to follow deer trails around the property. Just me and my creature of a dog. Lucky runs along the banks of the creek, seeking out scents, while I discover private little swimming holes to return to this summer. For as much trouble as he gets me into, he’s still my dog, and I really do consider him a dear good friend.

If you are thinking of going on a NE Oregon Hot Springs Tour this winter, please stop. You will be hard pressed to find a nice hot pool of water you can actually get at this time. But I will still highlight all of the hot springs you may be able to visit at some time in the future.

Hot Lake Springs near La Grande, Oregon is currently going under a huge remodel, and is scheduled to re-open March of 2010. We weren’t able to take a tour as we had hoped, but you might have better luck. From the sounds of it, they will soon have the soaking tubs open, a working bronze foundry, a hotel, restaurant, and spa. It’s also known as one of America’s most haunted places. The Old Hotel used to be Sanitarium. Below is a photo of me practicall getting blown away in the strong fierce winds infront of the hotel.  http://www.hotlakesprings.com/

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Cove Warm Springs Pool. This place is really cute, quaint, and would be an excellent pool to relax and soak in, in the summer. The water comes bubbling out of the earth, and keeps the pool heated to a nice 86*F, not quite hot enough to temp on out of their winter jacket and boots that are keeping them warm in the cool winter air. We got a chance to talk with the owner, a very nice gentlenman, who the place and lives next door. A soak will cost you a few dollars, and would provide quite the nice summer evening activity. Located in the town of Cove, Oregon, 17 miles from La Grande, off I-84.  http://www.covepool.com/

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Lehman Hot Springs would be a natural choice to stop and soak in on our way back home through the Blue Mountains. In the winter months, you would normally find a steaming hot oasis surrounded by snowcovered pines, but unfortuantely, Lehamn is temporarily closed at the moment. They are in a bit of hot water with the DEQ, and it looks like they have a battle on their hands, to read more check out their website (which is also were I found this great photo): http://www.lehmanhotsprings.com/

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Well, 3 down, 1 to go, or so we thought. I had heard good things about a hidden away hot springs near Lehman & the town of Ukiah, but when we stopped briefly to inquire on this icy January evening, we were told Hid-a-way Hot Springs was snowed in at the moment.

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Oh, and a NE Hot Spring Tour wouldn’t be complete without mentioning my favorite one of all (which is closed in the winters, but lovely in the summers) Ritter Hot Springs.  http://www.ritterhotsprings.com/ 

past blog article I wrote all about ritter: http://galwith750acres.wordpress.com/2009/07/31/getting-away-from-everything-at-ritter-hot-springs/

I so totally wanted to be the “Elk Expert” on this little expedition. I even wore this great vintage Camo Elk Hat. I dreamed of being the know it all on the back of the cart, shouting out elk facts that seemed too odd to be believable. But unfortunately, I didn’t know a whole lot about elk before taking this little horse drawn elk tour, so I had to sit there and be quiet and talk it all in.

Located about 1/2 drive from La Grande, Oregon, and down a little icey road, you will find the parking lot for T&T Wildlife Tours. For $7 you can hop on a horse drawn cart and get pulled within feet of a giant elk herd chowing down on grass.  This herd of Rocky Mountain Elk ranges from 100 to 250 elk, and they are fed here in the winter to prevent them from over grazing on neighboring farms.

It’s a really great little trip to take if you are in the area. Hop off interstate I-84 at North Powder and follow the signs for 8 miles. It’s on the way to Anthony Lakes Ski Area.

The tours run every half hour from 10:30 to 2:00 on Weekends December through February.  T & T Wildlife Tours at (541) 856-3356; http://www.tnthorsemanship.com/tours.htm

A truly lovely white [icy frosty freezing fog] Christmas! I am convinced I live in the most gorgeous place on earth. I certainly couldn’t imagine myself living anywhere else. And I couldn’t ask to be surrounded by better people. A huge thank you to one of my most favorite familys who had me over to enjoy Christmas Dinner with them today!

Here I sit atop a rocky cliff, looking down at my lil’ ol rental house tucked away in the Rim Rock, sitting pretty under Starvation Ridge. A handsome friend and I hiked up to look down this past weekend. This is what we saw:

From where up here on a Rim Rock Mountain Top, you can’t see the big ol’ sea of firewood that needs stacking in my front yard (thank you handsome friend for later stacking), nor can you see the little whole under my chicken coop that some critter has been digging, nope, you can’t even see a kitchen that might need cleaning, or a floor that might need a little mopping. Um, is it possible to tow my little trailer up here, so I can stay a lil’ bit longer….

It was the night before Christmas Eve, and she finally settled down, all her Christmas Packages were rushed, the last card was sent, the animals all fed, and finally, there was hardly a sound.

Next year, I might just quit Christmas. I have been threatening to at least. I usually adore the holiday, as it brightens up an otherwise cold and dark time, but this year the damn holiday bit me like a snake might try.

I can now attest that it is possible to try and overdue Christmas. I highly recommend that you do not attempt to trump me on this. It’s just not worth it! You might end up fighting your way through stores that are already sold out of every nit picking candy making supply, driving hellbent through the snow on yer way home, and crashing & burning after crafting into the wee hours of the night.

STOP. Put down that spatula, and leave that gluestick alone. Don’t do it. You really don’t have to.

NO, But I HAVE to get these CARDS MADE, these barrettes must go out, the GIFTS must be WRAPPED, and the BAKED GOODIES DELIVERED.

SERIOUSLY STOP. (kinda wish I would have listened, but if you know me, of course I didn’t)

Well, with less than 48 hours til Christmas, I can finally feel the holiday cheer sinking in. Its filling in the gaps left by the frantic overdoer in me.

Next year, though, I am seriously thinking of buying a ticket to Thailand and sending everyone postcards & trinkets, and if they don’t reach all those beloved mailboxes in the states by the 24th of December, well, then at least you will know I am having one helluva time over there in Thailand!

It’s one thing to get a Holiday Card from a Friend, but it’s a whole other thing to get a box with 100’s of Vintage Holiday, Cards from a Friend!!! I have been haning up the cute 60’s Christmas Cards all over the house, stringing them along ribbon for a decorative garland. Thank you Heather!