Road Trip

Last Friday I rode with the pipeliner to check out the

next project on his work schedule.

The ride was 4 1/2 hours south, 

actually another state away.

The drive down was so pretty with all of the fall colors!

We spent a little bit of time checking out the town closest to

where the pipeliner and his crew will be staying.

You know its important to know where all the good places to eat are!

Then we met with the gas inspector at the proposed job site.

He had a buddy with him.

This little guy was a rescue dog.

You would be surprised how many guys on the pipeline

travel with a fur companion.

The area around us was pretty rural.

They are widening the highway nearby so gas lines have to be moved.

This house is in the way, which means the gas company bought it and it will be torn down.

The lady has until November 1st to vacate.

The pipeliner has always hated this part of his job!

But this lady had a very tragic accident happen here a few years ago. 

I prayed this move could be a blessing for her and a new start.

A little farther down the road close to the right away was a 

very, very old cemetery.

Most headstones dated back to the late 1800's!

Of course this sacred ground will go untouched!

The guys discussed a few more job related issues,

then we were on the road back home.

That was a heck off a long road trip for sure!

Sadly I wont get to accompany the pipeliner on this job.

The campgrounds nearby are closed for the season.

It would just be to hard to handle the grandson plus 2 dogs in a hotel room for a couple of months!

The camper made it home last week after the last job wrapped up.

Now comes the fun task of cleaning it out.

Then back into the shed it will go for the winter.

Who knows what kind of adventure it might go to next spring.

There is always another road trip to find out!

Liz

The Season has Ended

Friday night our growing season came to an end.

We received our first frost and freeze all on the same night!

Zapped it all!

Not that the garden did well to begin with.

I did get one more bouquet picked before the end.

Today I emptied and pulled the remaining flower beds.

A wheel barrel full ready for the compost pile.

I can't say I am sad for the season to be over.

This summer was a LONG one!

Spending time between the camper and home was getting hard.

I  tried to make a trip to see the pipeliner at least a couple of days a week.

Somebody had to do his laundry!

The grandson loved to tag along to see his grandpa.

The beach was the highlight of each trip.

And there is always ice pops in grandmas camper freezer.

Of course there were things to take care of back at home.

I am lucky to have a neighbor lady down the road who took care of my chickens.

Her pay was in eggs!

I had to take care of all the yard work with the hubby gone most of the time.

Well I did have some help!

We watched the new pup Red, go from this little guy

(second day we had him, first trip to the camper!)

to this big bump!

He really adapted to camper life pretty easy.

We still haven't got the camper moved home and cleaned out yet.

Hopefully next weekend!

But I am done with camper season,

ready to settle at home for awhile.

The only reminder of summer is baseball

and the Cubs!

That part of summer I am still holding on to!

Go Cubbies!

Apple Pie with Oat Crust

I am sure many of you have noticed the over abundance of apples this season.

It is like Mother Nature is making up for last years lack of fruit do to the bitter cold previous winter.

We have two little apple trees the owners before us planted.

They both were loaded to the point where I was ready to prop up the branches.

These boxes are just from one tree!

I canned 10 or so jars of Candy Apple Jelly.

A batch of apple butter and a  tried a new recipe for

Caramel Apple Butter.

Love apple butter stirred into my morning oatmeal!

I froze about 10 pints of  apple pie filling for a winter treat.

And of course quite a few pints of apple sauce for the grandson!

Yesterday I noticed a few apple stragglers still hanging around on the counter.

(My son had some huge Granny Smiths on his tree too!)

I might as well put them to some good use.

I remembered a recipe that was printed in the September/October issue of my Grit magazine.

It kind of sounded like a cross between an apple crisp and a apple pie.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Crust:

1 1/4 cups flour

3/4 cup uncooked oats, quick or old fashioned

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 tablespoon water

1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine flour, oats, brown sugar, and salt. Add butter, water and vanilla and mix well.

Press mixture firmly onto bottom and up sides of 9 inch glass pie plate, forming 1/4 inch rim around edge.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until light golden brown, cool.

Filling

1 carton (8 ounces) sour cream

2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup flour

4 egg whites, slightly beaten

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 ground nutmeg

4 cups peeled, thinly sliced apples

Combine sour cream, brown sugar, flour, egg whites, cinnamon, and nutmeg. 

Add apples toss to coat.

Arrange over cooled crust.

Topping

1/4 cup uncooked oats, quick or old fashioned

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup butter

Combine oats, brown sugar, and flour; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Sprinkle over filling.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until knife inserted in center

comes out clean.

I really like the oatmeal cookie tasting crust!

Even better with a scoop of ice cream on top!

Here is the whole recipe from the Grit magazine!

Apple Pie with Oat Crust

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