NEW BOSCH DISHWASHER

Auto Wash

You might think that a new dishwasher isn’t deserving of one post, let alone two. It’s just that for me, it's been a long journey to an adequate dishwasher.

I was lazy yesterday and didn’t take pictures of the new unit. And I wasn’t sure photos would be of general interest, but Chris requested one, so I took some today.  I suppose most every post is better with illustrations. (I just hope Blogger will cooperate.)

Ready to wash

The dealer had two Bosch units in the showroom. At $500, the one we chose, the SHEM3A/52N, was the smaller of the two and $300 less. The salesman said it would be quiet but not as quiet as its big sister, and it has fewer control options. Hmmmm. What to do? I think I would have liked the bigger tank, but I didn’t need the bells and whistles. If only one could experiment a bit before buying. When I said that I just wanted it to clean the dishes, the salesman looked at me as if to say, “Don’t they all?” No, I happen to know that they don’t, and I’m not the only one saying it.

Casserole and hot chocolate residue

The dealer said that they could no longer install dishwashers because Washington law stipulates that the installer must be a licensed electrician. They would give us the name of someone, or we could use our own installer. Mike said he would install it himself.

Casserole needs scrubbing; residue gone

When the unit was delivered, Mike decided to install a receptacle so that we could just plug it in. Luckily, he said, he is both an electrician and a plumber. As First Assistant, I served as flashlight holder and finder of lost screws. Installing ourselves saved money but took our time, and I guess we have the time if it saves money.

Mike observed that this unit is a better fit than the Kenmore. It’s also sturdier and has cut-to-fit insulation. The insulation on the Kenmore was just a strip of batting-like material.

Previously, a repairman advised me not to use soap pods. The salesman assured me the pods are safe. The manual says to use pods or powdered detergent. Judging from my experience, I suppose the gel leaves a residue, but I have some to use up. 

According to the manual, scraping food from the dishes is all that's necessary. "Do not rinse," it says. But I found it left baked-on food. (To be fair, Bess didn't get it off either.)

A delicate cycle for the holiday dishes

The salesman also advised me to use those cycles that dry the dishes. For years, I have not used the heated dry, and after running this unit the first time, I was amazed that the dishes were so hot! However, the manual says this is normal and advises allowing the dishes to cool before removing.

It is a joy – a joy, I say – to remove clean dishes from the dishwasher, even if scouring a little baked on goo is necessary.  KW

THE NEW IMPROVED DISHWASHER

If you’ve been reading here for a few years, you’ve undoubtedly seen at least one of my rants about my useless Kenmore dishwasher. The subject got old and I quit whining, but the problem continued.

We bought the dishwasher from Sears in 2015 along with other major appliances. It was a lemon from the beginning, but we were already battling Sears over the useless refrigerator. They treated us abominably, and I couldn't bring myself to say, "Oh, by the way, the dishwasher doesn't work either." We refused to buy their expensive extended warranties, so when at less than two years the dishwasher’s pump went out, we paid $260 to have it fixed, but it still didn’t clean the dishes.

Mike and I aren’t people who easily cut our losses and start over – well, Mike isn’t anyway – so we put up with this sorry dishwasher until finally I was hand-washing the dishes before I loaded them so that I didn’t have to hand-wash them when I took them out. Over the last several weeks, I began to make presentations from the kitchen counter to illustrate the dishwasher’s failures – milky-looking glasses, dried on cereal, crumbs on dessert plates. “It’s disgusting, and it’s useless to run this dishwasher,” I proclaimed.

Discussion ensued, and yesterday (Monday, Oct. 26), we shopped a local appliance store (Largent’s) and bought a Bosch. For just the two of us living in a small modular home, we chose a smaller model. All I really care is that it cleans the dishes.

Once we made our selection, Mike said he would install it, so, that became the day’s project. The dealer delivered it mid-afternoon, and Mike set to work. Everything we did made the kitchen messier, but by the time supper was over, Mike had the dishwasher installed and we were running our first load.

This unit has a smaller tub than some, but it fits better in the allotted space. Mike noted that it's sturdier than the Kenmore. It runs quietly but we hear water sounds, and I find that reassuring. Best of all, the dishes come out clean and sparkling. That really is the most important thing. KW

HALLIE'S GREAT FRENCH MACARON EXPERIMENT

"Can we make macaroons at the farm?” messaged Hallie.

“Hmmm,” I said to myself because I didn’t think she liked coconut. But to her, I said, “Sure.” So, we made plans. She began to list the ingredients we would need. I would have plenty of eggs, fine sugar, powdered sugar, and vanilla. She would bring the almond flour and the piping bags and tips. I began to be confused – and she made no mention of coconut.

“What kind of coconut do you want me to get?” I messaged back.

“Coconut? Do macaroons have coconut? I don’t like coconut.” That’s when I realized we weren’t talking about macaroons, at least not the macaroons I know about.

I assured her that macaroons most certainly have coconut, and that’s when she revealed that she was talking about French Macarons, which some people pronounce like “macaroons.” It’s a small meringue-like cookie, about the size of a 50-cent piece (if you remember what those looked like), two of which are held together with a filling. Recipes and tutorials abound on the internet, but you can read an overview of this ancient confection here.

First batch -- not quite right but tasty anyway

So – it was Hallie’s project, and I tried to help when she had questions. She made her first tray on Friday (Oct. 16) and was disappointed that the little cookies didn’t turn out as she had hoped. To her they were a flop. She lamented, and like any mother, I felt bad for her. She didn’t bother to fill them, but they were still good, and we ate them up.

Success! Perfect little macarons

Saturday, Hallie tried again, this time making a half batch of chocolate macarons. They were just right, and she was so pleased! She made a little buttercream filling and pasted two together. She noted that they wouldn’t keep and shared them generously.  

Happy Hallie

Hallie told me that she knows of a little shop in Seattle that sells only French macarons. Price: $2.00 ea. No wonder she wanted to learn to make her own! KW

BRACING FOR A COLD SPELL

Firewood – check

Windows securely closed – check

Doghouse door installed – check

Space heaters in place – check

Furnace filter replaced – check

Electric blanket on bed (and operational) – check

Farmhouse plumbing winterized – check

Etc.

We live with our weather apps these days. The weatherman is sticking to his story. We might see record-breaking lows through Monday. It will rain with snow likely in the upper country.

All things considered we drove back to the farm yesterday. It’s always a lovely trip along the Clearwater and up the mountain, but it’s especially lovely in autumn with the deciduous reds and yellows nestled among the pines and firs. We were there before 9:30. I don’t think the temp was ever above 35, and it seemed to get colder in the afternoon.

Mike’s goal was to finish installing two lighting units in his shed. Honestly, I would have put it off until spring, but he was anxious to see them work, and they did. Success! The lights operate off a 12-volt battery, and he says he can use old motorcycle batteries because it doesn’t take much juice to run the lights.

While Mike was busy in his shed, I turned on the oven and baked banana bread, a lovely way to put some heat in the house. I gathered up a few projects to take back to town and filled the laundry basket with sheets and towels. I think outdoor line-drying is over for the season.

At my request, Nick and Hallie brought a large storage bin of Christmas lights down from the attic. Many are left over from another era, so I went through them and boxed up many strings for donation. I also found some newer ones – I wondered what happened to those – and I’ll use them on the tree this year. Mike questioned getting rid of those lights, but we haven’t used them in years, and realistically speaking, we aren’t going to. Why keep them? The same goes for my Christmas ornaments, but I AM nostalgic about those.

Speaking of lights, I keep a string of seasonal lights on a timer in the kitchen window. The current set was jack-o-lanterns. I plugged them in and discovered they had burned out. Again, it was an old string left over from a previous life, so I removed the plastic pumpkin heads and tossed the string. I replaced with the chili peppers, not quite ready to hang my holiday string.

After lunch, Mike commenced to drain the pipes, and while that was going on, we went down the lane to pick apples from the “Winterstein” tree, carrying a box and our picker pole. We picked 8 or 10 apples, but they were sparse, high in the tree, and mostly overripe. So now we know – best to pick early in October, I think.

We didn’t see gopher activity for several months, but they’re at it again, undoubtedly reconstructing their tunnels. I got out my spoon handle and my applicator and set to work. I find the spoon handle works best for locating holes and tunnels, but once I find a good deep hole, the applicator is helpful.

Arriving back in town mid-afternoon, it was significantly warmer than it had been at the farm – 53 degrees. KW

 

ELDERBERRY FEST 2020

A flock of wild turkeys crossed the front yard

Elderberry Fest 2020 has drawn to a close, but the evidence lingers on. Hallie and Nick arrived late Wednesday night (Oct. 14), and as instructed, Mike and I didn’t wait up. We were all up bright and early on Thursday morning. Mike made waffles and I fried bacon.

Looking at the forecast, we decided we should pick elderberries Thursday afternoon, just to be sure to avoid the rain. Mike opted for a bike ride instead, but Hallie, Nick, and I headed to the bushes behind the house. They didn’t look so good, but Hallie and Nick picked anyway, and we got plenty of berries. I had seen a better bush in the north field, so we went to it, but what a difference a week made! The berries were nearly gone.

Lovely elderberries -- last week

Then I decided to show them – I just wanted to show them – this line of bushes leading from the field into the draw. I really thought they were inaccessible, but while my back was turned, Hallie went over the bank and was picking those very nice berries. Not to be outdone, Nick went over, too. (Gramma Kathy is cautious about steep hillsides these days.)

We had oodles of berries! We stemmed and processed about seven quarts of elderberry juice. I’ve never known how much water I should add to the berries, but after discussion with Nick and Hallie, I used just ½ cup per 4-6 cups of berries and it worked well. (This is not a precise science.) We had too many berries to let them drip overnight as our grandmothers surely would have done.

Hallie, Mike, & Nick picking Winterstein apples

We didn’t have time to make jelly, and that’s a story for another post. But after Nick and Hallie left Sunday morning, I got busy and made two batches – 11 jelly jars. I’m not sure the first batch gelled, but you know, with 3 ½ quarts of juice still in the freezer, who cares? I’m not going lose sleep over it.

This morning Mike and I packed up and returned to town. He rode his Yamaha XT-250 back to the Valley while Bess and I traveled behind in the Jeep.

It’s a beautiful day in the valley – 70 and breezy, but mackerel! – have you seen the weather forecast?!!! We’re heading for a cold snap by week’s end. KW

A MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR NELLIE

Mike

At the time that old dog Nellie left us (March 2019), her ashes were delivered in a little wooden box with a slide out bottom. I set it on the hutch and there it stayed for a year and a half, but as we planned for Elderberry Fest at the farm with Nick and Hallie, I decided we should take the opportunity to find a spot to serve as Nellie’s grave. 

So, on Day 1, Mike dug a small hole under the pines on the south bank of the pond. It seemed a fitting location because Nellie loved the pond and would play there for hours, but it’s hard to dig in that clay. We decided it wasn’t necessary to go deep. 

On the afternoon of Day 2, we carried the box of ashes and several candles to the gravesite. Hallie lit the candles. Mike gave a nice eulogy, mentioning what a hardworking hunter Nellie had been, including her unique ability to retrieve two birds at one time, if necessary. She also had a sweet temperament and was a good pet. 

Hallie and Mike

I spoke about her willingness to be my dog, too. She was an intuitive, personable dog. Hallie quietly shed a few tears, remarking that Nellie was just the dog she needed at the time she came to us. Even though Hallie was leaving the nest to find her own world just as Nellie joined us, Nellie and Hallie were always best buddies. 

 I just didn’t know, all these months later, that it would still be so hard to say goodbye. 

Next step: Find a nice marker. KW

SAME PLACE -- NEW CROP

This weekend was our "Elderberry Fest." It was fun that the farmer came in to plant.

The southern edge

Crawling up the hill

Fertilizing?

They even work into the dark hours.

Just beyond the front yard.

AUTUMN WEATHER ARRIVES

Solar Halloween lights

If we had any question that autumn is upon us, it’s settled now. More seasonable temperatures arrived over the weekend. The chill in our bedroom Saturday afternoon convinced me it was time to put the electric blanket back on the bed. And now today (Tuesday, Oct. 13), it’s raining in earnest. We can use the moisture. The vegetation looks stressed.

 

We went back to town Friday afternoon. Mike had a meeting with banquet Saturday, but due to the pandemic, he opted not to attend the banquet.  

 

Sunday, the hunters went hunting, and Bess for one is enthusiastically loving the cooler weather. Mike reports she worked hard, and she was still tired on Monday, content to curl up on her pillow and sleep.

 

While the hunters hunted, I shopped for groceries. This time I bought a lot since Hallie and Nick will be with us this week. I miss those little inexpensive seasonal touches, such as Halloween napkins, paper towels, spiced creamer, and holiday soaps. At least we have Halloween candy, and I’ve heard that nationwide it’s flying off the shelves. Well, Albertsons still has plenty. They were out of canned pumpkin, though.

 

Yesterday (Monday) was a beautiful day, and during lunch, Mike suggested we return to the farm instead of putting it off. “If we don’t want to pack and unpack in the rain, we should go today,” he said. I had not expected this development, but I said I could be ready in an hour or so.

So, here we are back at the farmhouse. We arrived about 3:30 Monday. It was 58 degrees and sunny. The farmhouse was a bit chilly, but we waited until today to start a fire. As soon as we had unpacked, Mike and Bess went hunting. The elusive covey of Huns (that’s Hungarian Partridges, not Attila’s group) surprised them, and they didn’t bring any back. Mike said it was Bess’ fault for not detecting their presence.

Elderberries

 

Meanwhile I walked down the lane and checked the apple trees. I had hoped to pick apples from the "Winterstein" tree at the bottom of the road, but the showing is poor this year. The deer bed down under the fruit trees and eat off the lower branches as well as the ones that fall. Even so, the few I see on the trees don’t look all that good. KW

DUST AND FLIES

 

Smoke to the south

We’re here at the farmhouse for a brief stay. We found no mice in traps but plenty of dust, dead flies, and wasps. Disgusting! And in town, the blue aphids (October bugs) are multiplying rapidly. There’s something to be said for a warm autumn, but a hard freeze would do much to solve my bug woes. We anticipate a change in the weather by Saturday. I’m ready.

The day started out hazy, and a friend in town said it was hazy there, too. But this afternoon I’d have to say it’s downright smoky. I hear there’s a fire in the Riggins area. I just don’t know where it comes from, but we have plenty of it.

We got here at 5:30 yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon, and Mike got his work done while I fixed supper. Then he couldn’t sleep, so in the middle of the night he went to his shed to work on a bicycle. He has no electricity there, though, so I don’t know exactly how he managed.

Mike and I watched a bunny in the yard near the barn this morning. Mike got the binoculars for a better look, and then I spotted something large moving in the grass. Turned out to be the male, and he was big! We figured those two were the pair. Mike saw a little one in the barn yesterday, he said, so I guess you know those rabbits are raising a family there – and raising a family, and raising a family . . .

"I think we should go back."

Now that harvest is over, we can walk across the fields again. Chuck wondered why the canola field looked so dark in the last set of farm pictures, so today I went out to investigate. Basically, it’s stubble now, and a lot of ground shows through. In sunlight, it appears tawny, but as shadows and darkness fall, it looks dark, as you can see in the photos.

"I'll just wait here for you -- maybe."

 

So, I took the camera and went for a walk this afternoon. Bess and Mike hunted for two hours this morning, and I knew she was tired, but she said she’d love to walk around the pond. So, around the pond we went. And then I said I wanted to go out across the south field. “Okay,” she said tentatively, but when we got so far from the house, she said she didn’t really want to go farther. I walked on to get a picture of the smoke-filled canyon before rejoining Bess and returning to the house. KW