My Idaho Skin

It's thickening. Slowly but surely.

Last night I walked (no), skipped (no), ran to the outhouse all by myself! (and I ran back too). In all fairness, AJ asked the outhouse guy (the fellow who is my secret hero for coming to pump and clean the potty every week. Ron is his name) to move it closer to the house.
I give credit where credit is due, and I just LOVE my husband for being such a great guy! (Thanks great guy O' mine!!!) Anyway. The outhouse is a bit closer now so if I can get over the yipping and howling wolves we've been hearing the last few evenings...

In the department of living without electricity and water in the house, that great guy for-mentioned volunteered to take on washing the dinner dishes every night. I can't say what a relief that is! It's just so nice not to have to anticipate that chore. I keep him company of course and even help rinse, but oh to not have the responsibility any longer!!

Cooking? It's been dandy using my triple burner gas stove. It sits a little tall on my already tall log counter tops, so stirring a tall pot of soup can be challenging, but get this gals... my great guy just bought us a commercial range complete with duel ovens, six burners, and a griddle!!!
It's not here or installed yet but I have high hopes of it being so within the month. Those of you with growing families can be extremely jealous now - it makes up for the lack of indoor loo;-P

(This picture gives you an idea of it - ours is a used one of course - I can't wait!)

Because I don't have an oven at present, some of you know that last Summer I experimented with the art of baking in a barbecue. I wondered if I would find my touch again without a lot of trial and error, but beating the odds, I successfully made a delicioso pan of brownies without under cooking the middle, or burning the bottom. I am so proud of that accomplishment!
Tonight I made a pan of scalloped potatoes in my BBQ "oven" which also turned out perfectly cooked through without being crunchy raw, or burned black.
I'm coming into my mountain womanly-ness. I tells ya!

The no light thing is alright so far. I find we get up a lot earlier and get our business done before dark when we go to bed. I bet that's how most of the world operates and it really makes sense when you think about it. We use oil lamps; and we get a lot of mileage from our head lamp type flash lights to see our way out to the potty and around the house for chores in the dark.
We have the luxury of generators when we really care, and one of these days we'll have some solar power to be a little more conventional as well.

For now, I really like the peace and quiet of no humming and whirring gadgets. And NOT having those said gadgets makes me REALLy reallyREALLY when I get them:-)