Thursday, May 29, 2008








































Last Post Before This Weekend's Gathering

I’ve said this before but it bears repeating: there are four seasons in the Colestin, Mud, Dust, Mud and Snow. We were well into dust season until it rained like a heifer pissing on a flat rock. Consequently, we have regressed back into mud season.

Here’s what I know: a) it ain’t raining now; b) the weather guesser is still calling for partly cloudy skies and temps in the mid-70s; c) I can’t control the weather. As an unrepentant control junkie I’m loath to accept C, but whaddaya gonna do? At least we can have BIG fires.

Bring your rain gear and shoes that can get muddy. If worse comes to worse, we can repair to my house and sleep on the floor!

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

news from the cosmos

Sequoia flushed out a little bobcat in the meadow early this morning. Jake gave chase, but at his age it was a token gesture.

It's raining again today, but the weather guy is still calling for partly cloudy skies and temps in the mid 70s this weekend. The Colestin will be green and lush and beautiful for a change!

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Weather Report

The weather was wet but warm in the Colestin last weekend. This coming weekend the weatherman is calling for partly cloudy skies and temps in the mid-seventies. There's a 20% chance of showers. Maybe this weather will bring on the mushrooms! The ground may still be a bit damp, so a ground cloth under the tent is a good idea. Bring warm clothes for the night!

The creek is HIGH, dangerously high, and cold as a witch's tit in a brass bra.

Message from the Swildo

Steph:

Thanks for setting up the Colestine Blog - another free and open venue to share ideas, observations, and the occasional blinding flash of the obvious.......

Ah, the alure of the Colestine beckons over cyberspace! I am very excited about next weekend. DogHead and I are in full gear planning some type of culinary tsunami for Saturday night. Looking a lot like Navajo tacos with mariated pulled pork from the "dueling Webers", southwest style beans and perhaps a Santre Fe coleslaw, followed by copious amounts of dutch oven dessert. Don't post any specifics, we're still noodling on the menu, but what ever we decide on, no one will go hungry......let me know if there is anything else I can bring/do to assist with the festivities!

I know that the weather will be unpredictable, but I wanted to check on the condition of the creek - high? fast? cold? Is there a beach area, or was it blown out? Curious minds want to know where they will be soaking their bombed out brain buckets in the morning......

I'll be heading up Thursday after work, and should blow into Lowell's place around 11:00. We'll probably hit the store early Friday, and then head over to invade your domecile and shatter your pristine solitude. Are youse guys gonna be around?


Love you both, and see you soon ;-}

--
Matt

Food Crimes from Dog Boy

The work party approaches. My buddy Matt (aka the Swildo, short for Swildebeast) is coming up for that weekend and we plan to commit some food crimes. Matt is bringing up his Weber so we'll have two. I plan to have one going for meat and one for roots, vegetables and other foods not to touch animal fats. Here's what we have goin' on.

Friday Night:

The Swildo and I are doin' Chicken and Links. At this point, we are not planning for a big crowd. I'll have some tater salad. Don't know the vegetable. If you show up there will be plenty of grill space available. Bring something to BBQ and whatever your heart desires.

Saturday Night:

For the work party the Swido and I are doin' Navajo Tacos ( fry bread), a pot of beans and a Southwestern Cole Slaw. As protein for the tacos the Swildo and I will do some pulled pork. For Sequoia I think I'll try pulling some soybeans too. Matthew is bringing up his big Dutch oven so there will be dessert. Just what particular flavor the dessert ends up being is up in the air at the moment. All I know it that there will be a lot of it as the Swildo's Dutch Oven holds 14 quarts. If you want to bring something, taco trimmings are good: Salsa, cheese, whatever. If you are gonna work, I got dinner.

Just talked to Steph and Sequoia. They have no idea how many folks will show up so the Swildo and I will plan for twenty. That means if forty show up, ain't no one goin' hungry.

More later once I've had a chance to play with the new oven. Sequoia has been working hard on it already. I think it will work out good.

Peace,

Lowell

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Life Along Cottonwood

Greetings Campers,
If you want to join this discussion but don’t want to open a Google account, send your comments and questions to me at stephanysp@gmail.com and I’ll post them to the blog.

Still struggling with the digital camera, which appears to have given up the ghost. I’ll have to confine myself to a written report. Progress continues in the meadow; the foundation for the oven is setting up nicely. I should clarify that that we won’t be able to fire the oven during the May 30-June 1 weekend; it will need to cure for at least a week before being fired. But, the campfire will be operational and we’ll have our crappy coleman stove in the kitchen. I’m pretty sure we won’t starve…

Uncle Dogboy is coming up with some menu suggestions that I’ll post here soon. He said something about Navajo tacos and roast yams. He roasted some yams up at Hyatt Lake last weekend and they were delicious.

The weather continues schizophrenic. Last weekend, temperatures in the valley topped 100 degrees. Today, the weather guesser is calling for snow flurries in the mountains. It has been a wacky weather year, friends. My best advice is to be prepared for extremes.

Kat’s question led me to think about what the word COMMUNITY means to me. We are a group of people who come together to share food, fun, music. The connection feels like community to me, but I’ve begun to question what I mean by that word. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Monday, May 19, 2008


We are so
proud of Arly!
Just got her graduation announcement/invite. We send her all of our love and have every confidence in her future amazing successes.
Our little Chihuahua, Gidget, is so plump with her pregnancy she is waddling like a four legged duck! She can hardly get up the little doggie stairs we have for them to get into bed!! Ted, our Yorkie, is ever the proud and loving papa, but still bites Gidget's neck or leg when we pet her, as he’s fiercely jealous of our attention (he gets plenty of cuddles, too!).
Pardon my seemingly off-track rambling--more to the point:
We probably won't make it up for the 5/31 shindig. With Gidget about to pop out her pups that next week, we can't really travel with her or leave her with others or, heaven forefend, in a kennel.We'll shoot for the bash at the end of July.
Love to you all from Debbie and Greg (too much with the color?)!