Christmas and Happ'nins

Christmas is here, once again! Love it! The holidays seem to be arriving and going at record breaking speed. Nevertheless, we'll enjoy them while we have them! We made a new recipe for Christmas cookies this year! Really yummy!


On December 1st, a 70-year member of our local fire company passed away. The funeral procession was amazing. He had quite a sending off. Stretched into the sky over the street, hanging from a ladder truck Monday morning, was an enormous flag. The photo doesn't do justice to it's size.

This flag was MUCH larger than it looks.

A couple of posts ago, I posted a recipe for sandwich bread. It worked well, but not for sandwiches. Dad used to work in a bakery, so he knew what to expect of a sandwich loaf. And that was not it. So I kept on looking and looking and looking. Finally I found the recipe we have been looking for for years. It is PERFECT for sandwiches! I have also used the recipe to make sandwich rolls, hamburger buns, and just this morning, cinnamon rolls! If you want the recipe for the bread, please write back in response to my blog notification email, or contact my mom on her Facebook, page!

The birds continue to look with favor upon my feeders!!! The following friends have come to eat... Downy woodpeckers, White breasted nuthatches, Black Capped Chickadees, American Goldfinches, House finches, Purple finches, Hairy Woodpeckers, Blue jays, Carolina Wrens, Dark eyed Juncos, Tufted Titmice and a Chipping sparrow. The only birds I couldn't take pictures of are, Hairy woodpecker, Carolina wren, Chipping sparrow, House and Purple finches.

White Breasted Nuthatch



Tufted Titmouse



Female, American Goldfinch




Black Capped Chickadee



Blue Jay




A little too big?




Dark eyed Junco




Carolina Wren




Downy woodpecker (Female)




Downy woodpecker (Male)

That's all for now!

Until next time...

"A good conscience is a continual Christmas. " ~Ben Franklin

So long everyone!

Merry Christmas!

Train watching

Greetings Friends!

We went train watching again a three weeks ago. We saw 7 trains! We hope to go again sometime soon! We had great fun! We saw a Burlington Northern and Santa Fe, (BNSF) mixed freight. Video below! We've never seen one before, so it was a rare treat.

Part 1







We've made some sandwich bread and froze it for future use. Here are some pics.

I make bigger loaves than the recipe says so here is my finished product.































Finished product!


Here is the link to the bread recipe.


Here is the printable version.

Until next time dear friends, Goodbye!

And remember: A great empire, like a great cake, is most easily diminished at the edges.

~Benjamin Franklin

video

My cousins Leighanna and Rebecca came over today and we all made a movie together.

Hope you all enjoy!

Nathan

Birds

Hi all!

I have recently taken up the hobby of bird watching and feeding! It's going great! I've gone through several feeder designs, and the other day I found a design that works PERFECTLY!!! I've seen a variety of birds. Pictures below. The only pictures I didn't take were the Blue Jay and the Male and Female Goldfinches.

The Black Capped Chickadee





Blue Jay




The white Breasted Nuthatch



The American Goldfinch (Female)


The Tufted Titmouse


The American goldfinch (Male)

The only bird that has not come to the feeder yet, is the Blue Jay. Surprising huh? The white breasted nuthatch is quite a bully at the feeder. He chases away the chickadees and the titmice and scatters seed all over just for the fun of it. BIG problem! Got to figure out a way to contain the falling seed. It's a little harder than it sounds. Anyway, the titmice travel in families of 4 to 6. Yesterday the titmice had had enough of the nuthatch and a family of 4 ran him off the feeder! Kind of funny to see. The chickadees are in a world of their own. No matter how many times the nuthatch chases them, they always come right back. It's funny. Who knew so much entertainment could come from watching God's "Funny fur-balls" eat. Are we that funny?

Until next time...

Nathan.

Train Video (REALLY COOL!)

Just a fun Train video I thought you folks would like to see!

Train watching in Guilderland!

Dad's Back!!!

As many of you already know, my dad was in the hospital over the beginning of the week and is now safely home! He had originally passed out on Sunday evening, and we later found out that it was due to loss of blood, caused by a bleeding ulcer! The doctor was so kind as to show us, in color, a clear picture of Dad's intestines! Fun, fun, fun! I realized while watching those pics that my dad is handsome both inside and out! Only he's not slimy and pink on the outside! He is going to work tomorrow morning, and he has a full 3 loads! The docs want Dad back for some follow-up tests in about 8 weeks. All is well! More to come soon!

Until next time,

Nathan

Recipe!


Mac 'n' cheese

1 lb. dry elbow macaroni
2lb block extra sharp cheddar cheese
Salt
Pepper
Butter (Cold butter and soft butter)
Milk

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Cook the macaroni until just under done. Strain and rinse. While the macaroni cooks, shred up the cheddar cheese.

3. After macaroni is strained, butter the inside of a casserole dish, thoroughly.

4.Put down a very thin layer of macaroni on the bottom. (just enough so you can't see the bottom of the dish) Sprinkle cheese on top of macaroni layer. Cut thin slices of cold butter and lay on top of the cheese. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top of butter and cheese.

5. Repeat step 3 until the dish is full to the brim! (Or you run out of ingredients!) On the top layer sprinkle a thin film of paprika!

6. Bake for 30 minutes, covered with foil. After the first half hour uncover the dish and bake for another 30 minutes.

7. Serve warm and enjoy!

I'm back! (AGAIN)

Hi all!

Not quite sure why but the garden didn't work out like we had hoped. We lost at least sixteen tomato plants due to blossom end rot. The plants grew great, but the "fruit" had the rot. My mom read that it's caused by inconsistent watering. We only got a handful of good ones. I grew two corn plants (expecting 6 or 7 ears) I only got ONE EAR!! I learned my lesson for next year. We had a pumpkin growing, but something killed the plant and the pumpkin stopped growing at 3 inches wide and about 4 inches tall. It's turning orange. The only ones that did good were the green beans, (my favorite!) and the peppers. (The peppers are still flowering and it's 5 days until October. Most of the peppers are about the size of a dime!) My cantaloupe is about as big as a baseball. Disappointing, but at least we know to be more careful next year!

We started school last week, the day after Owen's birthday party. The party was fun, here are some pictures!

Owen's Monkey cake.

Owen and Meema



Owen hugging Peepa after receiving a present. (I can't remember what it was)




Aunt Donna and Peepa, freezing their tails off!





Owen opening a card.



Owen opening a new set of lego's



Meema getting her's!



Owen!

We recently went up north to visit my Grandmother in Plattsburgh! We had a great time while there, and I officially learned to swim at my Uncle's pool! That was the first day. The second day Mom went to Walmart to get some window fans to use up there. while she was gone, my Uncle Jerry brought my two cousins (Teddy and Chloe) down to Nana's house and he took me with him to school. The school was closed, we just went there because he is a teacher and he needed me to draw a floor plan of the room, and help him straighten up the room for when school started. After that he and I went back to Nana's. He picked up the kids brought them home. We followed him to his house and then went swimming! After we went swimming asked me to mow the lawn! (big thrill!) With his rider mower, I cut the grass and then took a dip in the pool again! We went back to Nana's and then left again to go to "The Hungry Bear" I had fried clams, mashed potatoes and a biscuit. It was goooooooooooood!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pictures from the trip:

Scenery along the way











High Peaks North rest stop, a traditional stopping place.




The weather vane on top of the rest stop



When I see that sign, I suddenly can't sit still anymore!




The famous "Water Tower"!



The "Little While Pond!"



The "Little While Pond!"





Becca, this ones for you! (Tim Hawkins)




















Teddy.



Chloe.








PAFB (Plattsburgh Air Force Base)




Geese at the "Duck pond."

That's all for now friends! You will find new posts more frequently, as I will become more diligent in updating my blog!

Remember...

A countryman between two lawyers is like a fish between two cats.

~Benjamin Franklin

Nathan DeFayette