Wine and water inventory

6 Charles Shaw chardonnay
1 Charles Shaw Merlot
2 Edna Valley chardonnay
1 Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc
1 German Spatlase (sweet)
1 split Clairborne & Churchill port
1 cambria Pinot Noir
1 Pinot Grigio
1 Curvee Cabernet
1 Manzanita Creek Chardonnay
1 Elixir Cellars Cabernet
1 Husch Gewurtztraminer
1 Berringer Cellars White Zin
1 Castoro Cellers Cabernet

2 gallons tap water
4 gallons unopened bottled water
1 case small bottles of water

So I hope I can get through the winter without having to lug in wine. Altho I may be desperate before I drink the vintage white zin.

Semi-winterized

The log cabin is now drained with antifreeze in the sink and toilet. The outside hose is drained and under the porch. And the cabin heater is turned on low. Since it is a warm, sunny day, I don't expect it to come on very soon. I also put the fire grate over by the rock and covered the woodpile. But if the log cabin gets cleaned out and there is any spare tarp, it could use more of a cover.

Yet to be done before winter:
- Change the filter in the pumphouse. There is a new one under the stairs.
- Plug in the heater and heat tape in the pumphouse.
- Take the screens off the sliding doors.

And look around and see if there is anything else outside to go inside. I left some chairs on the porch for Jennifer and Ron's visit.

If anyone is here and reconnects the outside hose, please be sure to disconnect it. That is a special, expensive faucet that drains itself but can freeze if a hose is connected.

When I leave I will open the 2 drains in the bedroom closet and leave the faucets open. So don't panic if you walk in and the water is off.

Log cabin visitor(s)

I will spare you the photo, but there has been more than mice in the log cabin. I found a chipmunk who had drowned in the toilet when I went in to drain it. Fortunately, it hadn't been there too long so it wasn't gross, and I got it out easily.

Gooseberries!!

First we drove into the woods and cut branches from the gooseberry bushes and took them to the cabin.

Then we stripped the berries from the branches.

After a careful rinsing, the berries were cooked down to a very soft pulp. And mashed a bit to get the juice out.


This is the pulp to be taken home to be squeezed through a cloth and made into syrup or jelly. Gooseberry jam with all the stickers is not particularly desirable.

The pulp ready to be squeezed in a good, handy dishtowel.

And now the juice is in the refrigerator waiting to be boiled down to jelly or syrup (with lots of sugar added -- a cup to a cup in fact).

Happy Birthday

Happy 98 to Mother and still looking good. We were a couple of days early, but still a good celebration.

A visitor. Sleeping on Lou's pillow, no less