Susie Homemaker

The kiddo came home from a hike with a hat-full of chokecherries and I was hit with a nostalgic homemaking wave.

I always thought they were named chokecherries because if you ate one, you'd choke. But, bears love them. Why should the bears have all the fun?

I decided to make syrup.

I ended up with four cups of juice and as many recipes.

I didn't know magenta appeared in nature.

And now I have chokecherry syrup. Three jars fresh - into the refrigerator. Four jars canned.

It tastes like black cherry with a slight tart finish. Very nice.

I'm also making an alcohol beverage I'm calling HOOCH because it sounds more native and less yuppified than fruit-infused liquor.

Two jars processing in the back of the fridge.

We'll have to check back in six months to see how that project turns out.

Touristas

 

We have out-of-town company so we took in one of the tourist sites -- what we call the Montana Boat Ride.

A tourist from Alabama struck up a conversation after eavesdropping on us telling our company about the houses across the river (American Bar) the forest fire remains (Meriwether.)

Alabama asked us did we live around here?

Yes. Across the way, down a long road.

Alabama sidled up to Dearest and said, "Do you folks have electricity at your house?"

Yep.

By a power line that comes to the house?

Yes.   No, by magic -- was what I thought but didn't say.

Alabama wanted to know because his cell phone didn't work here.

Then Mrs. Alabama made her husband return to his seat and "stop bothering those folks."

Since Dearest and I hold the world record for the most frequently lost, bumfuzzled and pathetic tourists in multiple countries, we are always kind to tourists visiting our area.

No matter how tempting the comic possibilities.

Return With Me Now

A few years ago, I produced a grant-funded photography exhibition called After the Burn: The Meriwether Fire. Available here as a slide show. The Devil's Backyard.

This weekend we had occasion to revisit part of the route I took when I was making the photographs.

Here's the area seven years after the fire.

 

Still looks more like a parking lot than a healthy forest.

You Might Be In Montana ...

... if the victims of a drive-by shooting, shoot back.

Elderly husband and wife victims of drive-by shooting.

Victims in the Drummond drive-by shooting fired back.

Scene of the Crime

We went back to the one of the sights of the arson from earlier this fire season.

Standing in the burn, looking at the surrounding wooded mountains brought it home how much was at risk that day.

One nice thing we saw, that first line we put in, held.