Living in the stix

The Urban dictionary defines "living in the sticks" as:

Folks who live in the sticks are often refferred to as:hicks or country blumpkins or rednecks or hillbilly or farmer or ruralite
Language- English, interspersed with poor grammar and lots of double negatives.

We live in the sticks. Although our forests are Pinyon and Juniper, so it doesn't look like a forest. Just a bunch of bushes. So what's it like living in the middle of nowhere? 

Smell: skunk, cows, grass, hay, but mostly fresh air, Lydia's apple cider vinegar (quite the panacea we are learning)  

Hear: coyotes, crickets, birds, the power plant down the hill (when it shuts down it gives off a terribly loud roar)

Taste: wild mint (spicy), lots of mexican inspired dishes (mucho green chiles - we're technically in the Southwest), Lydia's grass-fed beef, Lydia's honey tea, 

Feel/Touch: seemingly zero humidity (I love not sweating as much), dry skin that bleeds (I don't love), wasp stings (Shawn's been stung twice since we've been here!), thin atmosphere (we're at 5787 feet)

See: some of the world's most beautiful mountains (in two directions), red rocked canyons, green fields, blue sky, more stars than I remember, happy pastured cows, goats, and one pig, one lonely old horse that probably needs a new home

Someday I will post pictures. Right now I'm still trying to figure out how to take decent pictures on another camera I'm borrowing. 

One more thing. Google "Mt Sneffels." This weekend I am hiking my first Colorado Fourteener for my birthday. 

To the Sale Barn

Today, Shawn, Si and I went over a mesa to Delta. It was an unpaved 50-60 miles so it took us about one hour and forty-five minutes. Early this morning we (Shawn's parents and us) finally got the old bull Fred in the trailer (yesterday we tried and completely failed) and took him to the Sale Barn. Shawn was still in his ranch clothes and borrowed boots. When the lady was talking with Shawn and filling out paperwork for the bull, she asked, "Can I have a name?" I knew what she was asking but I yelled from the backseat, "Fred." Shawn repeated what I said before realizing she was asking for an owner's name. It was awesome. It's normal to name your cattle, right? *wink*

Another great thing happened yesterday. Si called me "Mama." Both Shawn and I have been "Baba" for some time. She is better at calling Shawn, "Abba," too.

Beef Zucchini Bake

I don't usually share recipes on here, but this one was good. Its main ingredients are two things we have a lot of here on the Goodwin Ranch (where we'll be staying for a couple of months): Beef and Zucchini.

1 lb. ground beef, lean
1 T. oil (I skipped the oil)
3 med. zucchini, thinly sliced
1/4 c. green onions, sliced with tops
2 t. salt
1/4 t. garlic powder (I used a bit more)
2 t. chili powder
1 can (7 oz) green chilies, chopped (Shawn's favorite)
3 c. cooked rice (brown is best)
1 c. sour cream
2 c. monterey jack cheese, grated (we used cheddar this time)
1 large fresh tomato, sliced (I used two)
salt and pepper to taste (we didn't need any extra)

Saute beef, zucchini and onions in lightly oiled skillet (a large one) until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender-crisp, stirring frequently. Add salt, garlic, chili powder, green chilies, rice, sour cream and 1 cup of cheese. Stir well. Turn into a buttered (olive oil is ok too) shallow 2 qt. casserole. Arrange tomato slices on top. Season with salt and pepper. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes. Makes 6-8 servings.

Recipe courtesy of Lydia and Paula

Carry on

If I ever fly again, I'm buying new, rolling, carry on luggage.