Duck Hunting, Bagel Making and More

 I am celebrating an anniversary this week. Actually it was yesterday, and while I had high hopes of getting a post written, it did not happen for a few reasons, all of them good. Yup, yesterday marked 15 years of blogging. Crazy right? Here's a look back at my very first post, written with absolutely no expectations that it would ever be read, let alone that I would still be at it 15 years later. Make of it what you will.

What do you want to read about first, ducks or bagels? Can't choose between such exciting subjects? I will do it for you. 

So here's what happened...

I'm pretty sure I'd mentioned that our beloved "thrones" had gotten dirty after 10 years of constant use. Not horrible mind you, but enough that I'd decided to have them re-done. And that's where it got tricky. As with most things during this blasted pandemic, you don't just decide to do something and make it happen right away. I'd been looking for fabric, both at the few stores that still sell it around town, and online, something that brings me no pleasure. Scrolling through page after page is not my idea of fun. The back burner is where that idea was placed for some months until last month when I began my search again. More page after page of what I deemed ugly fabric; or just dull for my taste. Then in the oddest stroke of good luck, during another trip to Joanne's, I found just what I was looking for except they only had half of what I needed. That said, there were 7 more yards to be found at their Winter Garden store, so if you can believe it, I drove out there to buy said fabric. And it was on my way there, driving from one end of town to another on Hwy. 50, that I spotted what I thought were Ring Necked Ducks in the small lake in front of what used to be the Arena. On that day I did not have the time to stop, but over the next few days it nagged at me, forcing me to head over there to see what I could see. The male, above, is a fine looking duck, don't you think? They will be leaving for the North soon so you get them while you can!

Same duck in the female variety. Such a wonder to me that more often than not, it is the males that are the showiest. On that same day I popped over to nearby Lake Adair to check for ducks and what did I find? Ducks.

And while they look very similar, these are Lesser Scaups. As to the coloring the same holds true for this type, flashy males and somewhat dull females. For most of my life I knew almost nothing about birds, but I think as you age, it is good to find new interests and learn what you can. My bird IQ is minimal yet better than it was a few years ago.

Last week the Hooded Mergansers returned, or as some birders call them, Hoodies. 

What can I say, I'm wild for good looking ducks. 

As to that fabric, I called Dave, the upholstery guy we've used multiple times and once I had it in my possession he sent Nelda to pick them up last Thursday afternoon. Parting was such sweet sorrow when Nelda loaded the chairs into the truck because I am still wild about that fabric. :(

She was a fascinating woman that's for sure. Chatty too. Having used Dave many times before, I knew he was super fast, however, this time he outdid himself and sent her back with them this afternoon!! Yup, count them, about four days! Unreal!

If I could have found it in orange it might match better ,but what the heck, I've got plenty of gold in the house, so why not? They were sorely missed during their remodel making us very happy indeed to have them back. For what it cost we could have purchased new chairs, maybe for less, however, nothing makes me happier than furniture built in the 50's! Maybe because I was built in the 50's? 

Finally, after not being in a salon since the day before I broke my wrist for the second time, I had my own remodeling.  Color and a cut with layers which generally I hate, but we shall see what I think this time around.

For the first time in my life I went to a barber shop, a new Floyds on Crystal Lake, about a block from my childhood home. Recommended by our friend Irene, the stylist, Carla, was a sweet girl to spend four hours with!

Today was a busy day around the Peck household. Aside from the chair delivery, the plumbers came again and it seems as if this time they found something that is now resolved.

In a stroke of luck, Herbert was able to pop over later and get the repair started by mixing concrete,

followed by filling in the hole. 

While I watched him manipulating the wet mix, I told him about how it reminded me of kneading dough. 

Perhaps it is because I'd done so last week when I made bagels for the first time in my life? What inspired that baking idea? On the King Arthur website, they had a post about how they were not too hard to make so I figured, since it was something brand new to me (see above), that I would give it a go. Then I saw that Irene had made some and she steered me to a recipe on the Sally's Baking Addiction blog. Because I love anything to do with bread, let's do it!

There's a fancy name for it that I cannot recall, but the dough was super thick and I was advised not to knead with the mixer but to do so by hand. Okay, I can do something with this shaggy mess.

That I did not take into consideration my inability to really bend my left wrist was a bit of a mistake, however, I did what I could and it went into the bowl for rising looking like this.

For someone who takes a lot of pictures, another mistake was not taking one to judge when the dough had risen two fold. A part of me thinks I let it rise for too long. Anyway, once risen I was to cut it into eight pieces without worrying too much about how equal they were. Not very equal is how things turned out.

Here's where my inexperience really showed....

I was meant to make balls, then punch two fingers through for the hole and stretch. Sounds far easier than it was. Nonetheless, I soldiered on and made not eight, but nine.

They look pretty pathetic don't they? Next step was boiling them. The recipe called for putting honey in the water, but because that is not an ingredient I ever have in the house, I used molasses instead. Not much.

Reading the reviews before I began, a few people posted that their bagels did not float so I was delighted when mine did. Let's just say that the toppings made them look some better.

What matters most is that they actually tasted quite good when toasted. Since I made them, I've investigated shaping techniques that I hope to use next time. Or maybe I will wait until Matt and Tom come because Matt is a first-rate bread baker and I can watch him? Plus my wrist won't hurt! Sounds like a win/win.

Lastly, and this is very exciting, Bruce washed the windows and screens today!

Oh my goodness, I can see clearly now!! When I mentioned I was going to call someone to do it, he insisted and who am I to argue with a willing man? 

Finally, today I picked up my wedding ring after a month at the jewelers. Unfortunately, although it is super shiny again, I'm afraid he put it together wrong. Because we no longer have a Cartier store here, I couldn't go look for myself. I know it sounds crazy, but it is three intertwined rings and apparently, even though I told him it was a Trinity ring, he did no research. Don't get me wrong, it is wearable, but just not the same. More collateral damage from my breaks. Sigh.....

We are counting the days, not to mention cleaning the house for the upcoming visit, now only two weeks away!! Woo hoo!

your friend,

Gail