So after watching my second NetFlix movie of the week, I logged on to check my mail, and I discovered an amusing Web-based show thanks to one of my emails. It's called "The Guild", and it's a short Web-based live action story written by gamers, for gamers. Each episode so far has been less than 10 minutes long (maybe even less than 5 in some cases), but it's quirky humor that's write up my alley (since I myself am a gamer.)
Anyway, if you'd like to check it out, you can visit their Web site.
That's all for now. I'm off to watch the rest of the episodes. Take care, and have a great week! :)
December 8, 2008
December 6, 2008
It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
Monica went back to Woodstock this morning, but not before she had the chance to spruce the house up a bit with some Christmas decorations. We have our tree up (fake unfortunately, but much easier to deal with, and we don't have to buy a new tree each year), and Monica decorated some of the various mantels we have throughout the house, and cut out snowflakes to adorn some of the windows and mirrors. Here are a few pictures from last night.
December 3, 2008
A Milky Cup Of Tea
Okay, after my last post, I thought I'd reign things back in a bit, and pause for a moment to reflect on life.
As I sit here at my computer, sipping from a rapidly cooling cup of milky hot tea (made from tea bags straight from M&S), I can't help but think about Mum, Grandma & Grandad, Dave Sharpe, and all of the other wonderful Brits that we've lost over the years. Grandad and I always used to enjoy a nice hot cup of milky tea and a few biscuits, and I vividly remember those times when we would sit in front of the teli in those big green chairs, drinking our tea and eating our biscuits, as we watched some show or other on one of the 4 TV channels they had available (they didn't have SKY TV (satellite) or anything like that, so there was BBC1, BBC2, ITV, and Central (I believe those are the 4 standard channels, but please correct me if I'm wrong.)) Anyway, those moments were always special because they were a time to just sit back, relax, and unwind from the activities of the day. They were a time to chat with one another, and share in each other's lives. I really miss those days, and all of those loved ones I used to spend time with, and although I will never be able to get them back, or return to those halcyon days of innocence, I still appreciate the simple joy of sitting down with a hot cup of tea. As we Brits are wont to say, "A hot cup of tea is just the thing!"
Flash forward. Our new life in the country. The simple things. Spending quality time with family.
In addition to those mentioned above, I really wish Monica's mom Kim was still around to see our new place, and to spend time with the family hanging out at our "big house in the country." She would have loved this place, especially since it has a lot of things in common with the sprawling farmhouse she spent so many years living in with John. Kim was no stranger to country life, spending years helping run the chicken farm; having cows (and occasionally horses) roaming around in the back fields; listening to the coyotes at night, and wondering if the chickens were safe. She was much more attuned to country life than I am currently, but I'm slowly getting back to the type of person I was when I was growing up. Sure, I still love (and need) my technology, but more than that I have enjoyed just spending time out in the woods, walking trails, breathing in the country air, and just experiencing all the wonderful things that nature has to offer. As Clare mentioned recently in her blog, there is definitely something primal about harvesting an animal (although I didn't kill this one), cleaning and skinning it, and cutting the meat up so that it can be eaten. You can't get more in touch with nature than that. The experience of taking a life (but not needlessly) to sustain life; using the bounty that God has provided us with, and reveling in the simple joys of being part of the cycle of life.
Aside from DVDs, I haven't watched TV in over a month (only partly because we haven't got Dish Network installed yet), and I haven't missed it. I've loved going on walks in the woods with Clare and the kids; driving around and exploring this new area we live in; heading out with my camera to take pictures; and gradually getting back to the outdoors where I spent the vast majority of my childhood. We were brought up with a love for the outdoors, and a respect for all that is has to offer, and although I have no kids of my own, I have enjoyed sharing that love and respect with my family and anyone who cares to step into the woods with me. It's like a homecoming, a rebirth, a return to what I was, and a glimpse of what I will become. I feel the Earth deep inside me, calling to me, beckoning me back into it's welcoming arms, and I intend to embrace it with all the passion that I have to offer. To once again live the good life and enjoy everything that the natural world has to offer...
As I sit here at my computer, sipping from a rapidly cooling cup of milky hot tea (made from tea bags straight from M&S), I can't help but think about Mum, Grandma & Grandad, Dave Sharpe, and all of the other wonderful Brits that we've lost over the years. Grandad and I always used to enjoy a nice hot cup of milky tea and a few biscuits, and I vividly remember those times when we would sit in front of the teli in those big green chairs, drinking our tea and eating our biscuits, as we watched some show or other on one of the 4 TV channels they had available (they didn't have SKY TV (satellite) or anything like that, so there was BBC1, BBC2, ITV, and Central (I believe those are the 4 standard channels, but please correct me if I'm wrong.)) Anyway, those moments were always special because they were a time to just sit back, relax, and unwind from the activities of the day. They were a time to chat with one another, and share in each other's lives. I really miss those days, and all of those loved ones I used to spend time with, and although I will never be able to get them back, or return to those halcyon days of innocence, I still appreciate the simple joy of sitting down with a hot cup of tea. As we Brits are wont to say, "A hot cup of tea is just the thing!"
-------------------------------------------------------
Flash forward. Our new life in the country. The simple things. Spending quality time with family.
In addition to those mentioned above, I really wish Monica's mom Kim was still around to see our new place, and to spend time with the family hanging out at our "big house in the country." She would have loved this place, especially since it has a lot of things in common with the sprawling farmhouse she spent so many years living in with John. Kim was no stranger to country life, spending years helping run the chicken farm; having cows (and occasionally horses) roaming around in the back fields; listening to the coyotes at night, and wondering if the chickens were safe. She was much more attuned to country life than I am currently, but I'm slowly getting back to the type of person I was when I was growing up. Sure, I still love (and need) my technology, but more than that I have enjoyed just spending time out in the woods, walking trails, breathing in the country air, and just experiencing all the wonderful things that nature has to offer. As Clare mentioned recently in her blog, there is definitely something primal about harvesting an animal (although I didn't kill this one), cleaning and skinning it, and cutting the meat up so that it can be eaten. You can't get more in touch with nature than that. The experience of taking a life (but not needlessly) to sustain life; using the bounty that God has provided us with, and reveling in the simple joys of being part of the cycle of life.
Aside from DVDs, I haven't watched TV in over a month (only partly because we haven't got Dish Network installed yet), and I haven't missed it. I've loved going on walks in the woods with Clare and the kids; driving around and exploring this new area we live in; heading out with my camera to take pictures; and gradually getting back to the outdoors where I spent the vast majority of my childhood. We were brought up with a love for the outdoors, and a respect for all that is has to offer, and although I have no kids of my own, I have enjoyed sharing that love and respect with my family and anyone who cares to step into the woods with me. It's like a homecoming, a rebirth, a return to what I was, and a glimpse of what I will become. I feel the Earth deep inside me, calling to me, beckoning me back into it's welcoming arms, and I intend to embrace it with all the passion that I have to offer. To once again live the good life and enjoy everything that the natural world has to offer...
My First Kill
**Warning** - Some of the pictures presented below are of a graphic nature! Young children and people with sensitive stomachs should leave the room now. You have been warned!
Okay, so I didn't really kill anything myself...yet. *g*
If you've read Clare's blog already, you've no doubt heard about this and seen some of the pictures. My pictures are a little more gruesome than hers though, because I took some pictures AFTER I'd finished skinning the deer (and before we cut it up), and then some pictures of the resulting venison we obtained.
As you can tell from the one picture, one of the deer's back legs what shattered by the impact and subsequent running over by the truck that hit her. Numerous leg bones were literally shattered and had to be picked out of the meet from time to time. Now, I've never been hunting before, being strictly a fisherman, but I bought my first hunting license the other day, and I plan to stroll the woods of Clare and Josh's property, looking for something to stock our deep freezer with. But today's experience was a first for me.
Now most of us have seen the unfortunate deer on the side of the road, that's been hit by a car, but it's another thing entirely to see one actually GET HIT by a car (or a truck in this case.) I saw the doe run out into the road, and had time to say "Look out! Deer!" before the truck smacked into her hind quarters and sent her under his tire, then sliding across the road 10 feet or so and into a ditch. The man pulled over, about 20 feet up the road, and as we drove past slowly (making sure he was alright), he was getting out of his truck and shaking his head. Obviously he wanted to see what kind of damage had been done to his vehicle. Clare and I wondered if he would put the deer in his truck and take it home, or just leave it on the side of the road. Fortunately for us he chose the latter.
So we opted not to go to Wal-Mart (much to Jack's dismay), and drove back to where the deer was laying in the ditch. Other than a leg that was bent at completely the wrong angle, there wasn't much visible damage. Fortunately the deer WAS dead already, so we didn't have to find some way to put it out of its misery. We just had to figure out how to get it into the back of Clare's SUV. Grabbing a pair of legs each, Clare and I managed to haul the poor thing out of the ditch, and lift it up into the back of the car (she was pretty heavy for her size!) Then Clare dropped me off at my house to change and get a knife, and she headed home.
After quickly changing into something I didn't mind getting dirty, I drove over to Clare's and we proceeded to hang the deer up by its legs like we'd seen illustrated in a book. Then came the fun part. Clare has SORT of field dressed a deer before, when she was spending some time on some land in Pennsylvania with her Siberian Husky, Lucy. Lucy brought back a small deer that some hunters had killed in the woods, and Clare skinned it and attempted to brain tan the hide. This was more experience than I'd had! Now I know the general concept and procedure for field dressing a deer, but I'd never actually tried to do it. It was quite the experience, let me tell you! I kept saying that I'd make a better furrier than a butcher, because I was able to get most of the hide off easily in one piece, but I had little to no idea where I needed to cut to remove the internal organs, and just what body parts I COULDN'T cut, if I didn't want to ruin the meat.
So Clare and I started cutting into the doe, but Esme was not happy with the weather outside, so Clare took her back inside, attempting to get her to lay down for a nap, and I was left more or less to myself to try and figure out how to dress the deer. Apparently I didn't do TOO badly, and we were able to get a fair amount of meat off the doe. Right now it's soaking in a new plastic trashcan out in the yard, that's full of water and 32 lbs of ice at the moment. Kelly and Adam (who was the one who cut most of the actual meat off) told me that the longer I soaked it in ice water, the more blood would be pulled out of the meat, and the less "gamey" it would taste. I just hope the meat is okay, and that nothing gets into it. Now Monica and I just have a LOT of venison to trim up and prepare for the freezer...back strap tenderloin, shoulder roasts, meat for stew and grinding...if all goes well we should have lots of delicious meat to put in the deep freezer and eat on for months to come! The next one I'm going to kill on my own though, and without the use of a car. ;)
So anyway, here are a few gruesome pictures of the afternoon's festivities.
Okay, so I didn't really kill anything myself...yet. *g*
If you've read Clare's blog already, you've no doubt heard about this and seen some of the pictures. My pictures are a little more gruesome than hers though, because I took some pictures AFTER I'd finished skinning the deer (and before we cut it up), and then some pictures of the resulting venison we obtained.
As you can tell from the one picture, one of the deer's back legs what shattered by the impact and subsequent running over by the truck that hit her. Numerous leg bones were literally shattered and had to be picked out of the meet from time to time. Now, I've never been hunting before, being strictly a fisherman, but I bought my first hunting license the other day, and I plan to stroll the woods of Clare and Josh's property, looking for something to stock our deep freezer with. But today's experience was a first for me.
Now most of us have seen the unfortunate deer on the side of the road, that's been hit by a car, but it's another thing entirely to see one actually GET HIT by a car (or a truck in this case.) I saw the doe run out into the road, and had time to say "Look out! Deer!" before the truck smacked into her hind quarters and sent her under his tire, then sliding across the road 10 feet or so and into a ditch. The man pulled over, about 20 feet up the road, and as we drove past slowly (making sure he was alright), he was getting out of his truck and shaking his head. Obviously he wanted to see what kind of damage had been done to his vehicle. Clare and I wondered if he would put the deer in his truck and take it home, or just leave it on the side of the road. Fortunately for us he chose the latter.
So we opted not to go to Wal-Mart (much to Jack's dismay), and drove back to where the deer was laying in the ditch. Other than a leg that was bent at completely the wrong angle, there wasn't much visible damage. Fortunately the deer WAS dead already, so we didn't have to find some way to put it out of its misery. We just had to figure out how to get it into the back of Clare's SUV. Grabbing a pair of legs each, Clare and I managed to haul the poor thing out of the ditch, and lift it up into the back of the car (she was pretty heavy for her size!) Then Clare dropped me off at my house to change and get a knife, and she headed home.
After quickly changing into something I didn't mind getting dirty, I drove over to Clare's and we proceeded to hang the deer up by its legs like we'd seen illustrated in a book. Then came the fun part. Clare has SORT of field dressed a deer before, when she was spending some time on some land in Pennsylvania with her Siberian Husky, Lucy. Lucy brought back a small deer that some hunters had killed in the woods, and Clare skinned it and attempted to brain tan the hide. This was more experience than I'd had! Now I know the general concept and procedure for field dressing a deer, but I'd never actually tried to do it. It was quite the experience, let me tell you! I kept saying that I'd make a better furrier than a butcher, because I was able to get most of the hide off easily in one piece, but I had little to no idea where I needed to cut to remove the internal organs, and just what body parts I COULDN'T cut, if I didn't want to ruin the meat.
So Clare and I started cutting into the doe, but Esme was not happy with the weather outside, so Clare took her back inside, attempting to get her to lay down for a nap, and I was left more or less to myself to try and figure out how to dress the deer. Apparently I didn't do TOO badly, and we were able to get a fair amount of meat off the doe. Right now it's soaking in a new plastic trashcan out in the yard, that's full of water and 32 lbs of ice at the moment. Kelly and Adam (who was the one who cut most of the actual meat off) told me that the longer I soaked it in ice water, the more blood would be pulled out of the meat, and the less "gamey" it would taste. I just hope the meat is okay, and that nothing gets into it. Now Monica and I just have a LOT of venison to trim up and prepare for the freezer...back strap tenderloin, shoulder roasts, meat for stew and grinding...if all goes well we should have lots of delicious meat to put in the deep freezer and eat on for months to come! The next one I'm going to kill on my own though, and without the use of a car. ;)
So anyway, here are a few gruesome pictures of the afternoon's festivities.
Before
After
I know that one bit of meat kind of looks like a fish, but it's not. It's one of the backstrap tenderloins, the best cut of meat.
November 30, 2008
A Few More Thanksgiving Weekend Pictures
Well, everyone has gone home now, leaving me on my own again (until Monica comes back up Wednesday night anyway.) So I thought I'd take a moment to post a few more pictures that were taken today. Hope you enjoy.
November 29, 2008
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