tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19568211313706111672024-03-17T22:03:12.129-05:00Scoakat's Blog'Scoakat' rhymes with 'Snow Hat'! - - Just my thoughts on music, humor, our life in Madison and anything else I feel like.Scoakathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03161467660782815686noreply@blogger.comBlogger1375125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1956821131370611167.post-43480219362508702612024-03-10T17:24:00.001-05:002024-03-10T17:24:22.325-05:00All That, And Cheese Pennies<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeAvWAgiJrxe5LldDZiraDP_5s-ZatWK4UEX7Tw3lw8j4CeAGo6mXUTx0O0U4FYuXN7p4z019IdxCzWWucwDYT_OPvSG1Qr6fv9MhrE5SRd3au36mEPusfQC_D7HgCaoXwd1PJvm2kgnJ0k8I6oEyrJob8DwC2MvQ4Mj-xhVhrTjAlsuaCtQq2PAKsgis/s4624/PXL_20240310_174847188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeAvWAgiJrxe5LldDZiraDP_5s-ZatWK4UEX7Tw3lw8j4CeAGo6mXUTx0O0U4FYuXN7p4z019IdxCzWWucwDYT_OPvSG1Qr6fv9MhrE5SRd3au36mEPusfQC_D7HgCaoXwd1PJvm2kgnJ0k8I6oEyrJob8DwC2MvQ4Mj-xhVhrTjAlsuaCtQq2PAKsgis/w200-h150/PXL_20240310_174847188.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>As the days grow longer and the temperatures are warmer I'm reminded of how I haven't really walked the neighborhood since starting my new job. Winter temperatures and very active work days seemingly justified the break, but my wife has suggested we start walking again when it gets a bit warmer and I think we should, too. We can enjoy watching the neighborhood wake up from winter and grow into summer, until it's too hot to walk outside, maybe.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvImg-Z6UhA_f94iLsAD_pq-qeyUMKpYn5PLfrMaRhZMmf070bAHkNB5HxK0kEt4OqOxlQIE1Vk1I6MXi-8n_J5s6__5weZbIJFKvh_SxCVVH1lk9M-MrkU4LjR44Ru_wWBarwPH6OAIypXN6i7KZpxUfASwMoMNu5CbX4R0HOaNfkyLhwM4ly1ZGIMOI/s4624/PXL_20240310_181907576.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvImg-Z6UhA_f94iLsAD_pq-qeyUMKpYn5PLfrMaRhZMmf070bAHkNB5HxK0kEt4OqOxlQIE1Vk1I6MXi-8n_J5s6__5weZbIJFKvh_SxCVVH1lk9M-MrkU4LjR44Ru_wWBarwPH6OAIypXN6i7KZpxUfASwMoMNu5CbX4R0HOaNfkyLhwM4ly1ZGIMOI/w200-h150/PXL_20240310_181907576.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>I'm not sure if I mentioned this yet, but since commuting every day I'd been saving dashcam videos of egregious traffic violations/stupidity/arrogance. I soon stopped bothering as it's become so common in these times that I see at least one and often several egregious things every day. Running red lights, not stopping at stop signs, cutting people off in traffic with not even a blinker, stupid speeds, tailgating, or you name it. This just seems to be the new normal. Look both ways, folks.<p></p><p>I've not yet had a fire this spring, but I'm sure it will happen in the next few weeks. There have been crocus coming up in the lawn for at least a week now. (I always want to type 'krokus' because of the band!) The new neighbors really opened up the other side of their back yard for access to trim the black walnut trees, which look real good now. It's been 3.5 years since we had the back fence replaced and we've considered putting a matching fence on that side ever since, and now's the time. There will be much more on that coming soon.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn8_UmRxvCyS2S2U3-xihJeur0UYW-1OTV1ApklmDItN7li6sPqU6wN8xcSSht-MqzoFr9r0PnweGQbvDV1n4BsdK-3iGNCfB4XgnlbJ70vzoZ42ehm3xrg6ApJMH3ei96oRadBncCUlPGDRNPFV_YY3irWcM0Wbp9eE_2hVAg1sILs0b4GCjSXuhFO6E/s4624/PXL_20240310_202713910.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn8_UmRxvCyS2S2U3-xihJeur0UYW-1OTV1ApklmDItN7li6sPqU6wN8xcSSht-MqzoFr9r0PnweGQbvDV1n4BsdK-3iGNCfB4XgnlbJ70vzoZ42ehm3xrg6ApJMH3ei96oRadBncCUlPGDRNPFV_YY3irWcM0Wbp9eE_2hVAg1sILs0b4GCjSXuhFO6E/w400-h300/PXL_20240310_202713910.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Yesterday I perused King Arthur's website for a quick and easy recipe for something I could make with what was in the house and I came across this recipe for <a href="https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/cheese-pennies-recipe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cheese Pennies</a>. Today, I decided to make them as a distraction from the Badger game, which they were not favored and did lose. It was interesting getting the dough to come together, but with a bit of water it got there. Everything was pretty easy and was done in a short amount of time. They taste like one of the name brand cheesy cracker snacks but have a home made texture. I got 69 crackers and the recipe says about 80, so I may have sliced some a bit thick. Overall, a fun experiment and a tasty, cheesy snack. Good to try but not sure if I'll ever make it again.<p></p><p>And finally, before I forget to post these, I came across a recent PBS video of a show about Madison. I found it interesting and noticed they did one about Dodgeville last year. They're almost a half hour long, so only for the interested. Links to the <a href="https://pbswisconsin.org/watch/john-mcgiverns-main-streets/madison-wisconsin-i910ij/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Madison</a> and <a href="https://pbswisconsin.org/watch/john-mcgiverns-main-streets/dodgeville-wisconsin-bwu0cu/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dodgeville</a> PBS videos are under those words.</p><p>I'm looking forward to spring, a big fence project, and more backyard privacy. Among other things, of course.</p>Scoakathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03161467660782815686noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1956821131370611167.post-36732891874420638532024-02-29T14:26:00.000-06:002024-02-29T14:26:10.385-06:00Leap Day & Mom<p>Happy Leap Day, everyone. Not really a holiday, just novel in that it only comes about every 4 years, usually. (Century years must be divisible by 400 to have this extra day.)</p><p>Today would have been a normal workday for me but I took it off as my Mom returned from Alabama yesterday afternoon. After work I gathered my stuff, plus some snacks since she had no food in the house after being gone a couple months, and headed to the airport to pick her up. Everything went smooth and quick and soon we were on our way to Dodgeville. We got dinner and stayed up to watch ToYoube videos and talk. The next morning I did a couple small things that needed to be done, but everything was pretty much in order since she hadn't been around. She ordered groceries for delivery and we had a lazy morning before I left mid-day after they had been delivered.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqSQqO0Dvu34FtVEzqTsiawvmf0CVUHtnsUhyphenhyphenPmmKTGGYI75b8iwUBKUF15ZxGyqwEty1hIgO_fpLY-qmjxqMcnQdz4wfaxisa9DJG___2bhSV8-l0snB9T0eaPeP7WTgqVral4nvDJmKLx83lGGOWPzThfb3TZ7NJBh_RyTuJ-fuHpVn8FZMvT-71ftA/s4624/PXL_20240229_201242338.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqSQqO0Dvu34FtVEzqTsiawvmf0CVUHtnsUhyphenhyphenPmmKTGGYI75b8iwUBKUF15ZxGyqwEty1hIgO_fpLY-qmjxqMcnQdz4wfaxisa9DJG___2bhSV8-l0snB9T0eaPeP7WTgqVral4nvDJmKLx83lGGOWPzThfb3TZ7NJBh_RyTuJ-fuHpVn8FZMvT-71ftA/w400-h300/PXL_20240229_201242338.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>It's been 10 years since my wife and I <a href="https://scoakatsblog.blogspot.com/search/label/2014%20Alabama" target="_blank">visited her down there</a>. She shares the rental with a sister now and many other family and friends have done the same visit. And going back to the same place every year she's made friends with other snowbirds from various other places. All in all, she enjoys her time down there and I'm glad she gets to do it.<p></p><p>Every time I go down to Dodgeville for a night I seem to forget one thing, this time it was the two baguettes I was going to take to her. Bugger. For some reason I still don't have bread flour again yet but I will soon so hopefully I'll have even better ones for her next time.</p><p>And, of course, the cats didn't seem to miss me one bit.</p>Scoakathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03161467660782815686noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1956821131370611167.post-66541287764353708882024-02-19T17:49:00.005-06:002024-02-19T20:17:05.236-06:00February T-A-T Follow-Ups<p>It appears our new neighbors moved in late last week, ready or not. There's still workers over there every day and as I write now, but not yesterday so I'm thinking they just wanted one quiet day to settle in a bit - but who knows? I reckon that's about 6 grand off their total bill for the renovation, but I won't ask them details (though I'm curious!).</p><p>My wife fell ill on Sunday and still doesn't feel good today. I hope she feels better a lot quicker than it took for me. And even my two weeks followed by lingering sniffles seems to pale to what they have across the pond - Get well soon BW, Delcatto and Sue!</p><p>Weather has been colder, at and below freezing, but we saw the forecast and now it will become warmer again, and very much like spring again. But there's still time for winter to return.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4aOLpA7noJwEGMQwchL5-2m_IWRGg-ng4LOLNcFuWBUy5US86WjEbSjwprQ1plUvp89uOnAjv_xmz_9udaS5jKd-bVRtIv-ostNO1T2U9eThJ-5DJGk0n7fSobd8Cb9SLC4wTlRB1__-Zghn3BEce7SHdjcowi8uEm0QYG6iqRBInGWmNw_TYS5-EIMM/s4624/PXL_20240218_231508931.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4aOLpA7noJwEGMQwchL5-2m_IWRGg-ng4LOLNcFuWBUy5US86WjEbSjwprQ1plUvp89uOnAjv_xmz_9udaS5jKd-bVRtIv-ostNO1T2U9eThJ-5DJGk0n7fSobd8Cb9SLC4wTlRB1__-Zghn3BEce7SHdjcowi8uEm0QYG6iqRBInGWmNw_TYS5-EIMM/w400-h300/PXL_20240218_231508931.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I made crostini last night from one of the baguettes I made two weeks ago, pictured in the last post. Those were made from bread flour, and I finally saw the bigger bubbles in the crumb that I've been lacking with this recipe. I might try an all-purpose/bread flour 50/50 split next time and see if I get close to this. Baking baguette has become an ever-evolving experiment for me by now, and very enjoyable. <p></p><p>I baked both the new and old baguette recipes again on Friday night and Saturday morning, respectively. I forgot the diastatic malt powder when I made the new recipe and while still good bread you do notice what that DMP does for the taste and crustiness. No issues with major splitting this time, though a little deflation in the transfer process. I'm warming to the couche but ordered a new one as the light cloth towel I'm using now still sticks a bit after proofing no matter how much I've tried to embed the flour. Also a transfer peel since I don't have a good equivalent, so that's two more new baking related gadgets for me coming soon.</p><p>And I won absolutely nothing on the Super Bowl this year. Easy come, easy go.</p><p>Above is last week's baguette, and I'll put the new and old after the break in that order.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDmw63Z5jvPXy7VwQWjOA-2-52e80A0F-_X7uHMgPSVun7kjlAKh8CwHWTuGtYlBPDv0y51_TE5CQvc-fgO4OP7xSv4xEp2t2ybg4C_RGqnwqjelMzc_VpaLSWNTq5rRlRoYGMmRo8bfryO9ELKYqF8_hU9dkhCOtv0e5VNrL_xihqYIz4MGUUSZiTdN0/s4624/PXL_20240217_023617966.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDmw63Z5jvPXy7VwQWjOA-2-52e80A0F-_X7uHMgPSVun7kjlAKh8CwHWTuGtYlBPDv0y51_TE5CQvc-fgO4OP7xSv4xEp2t2ybg4C_RGqnwqjelMzc_VpaLSWNTq5rRlRoYGMmRo8bfryO9ELKYqF8_hU9dkhCOtv0e5VNrL_xihqYIz4MGUUSZiTdN0/w640-h480/PXL_20240217_023617966.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpf6D7aXqRNpD2gupuiGjbmqsDXDP-Y5EaeBT6lwdtCtU4ZR1aRKFYDageZw6HwEcYeMHn6y3PeopA2Ikho9BaJt7z4p-4o80sGNalgiOlFfFidGOwl5dUXG79skuGifaV5TBSJMng3RJG9TWMjYZZ1hQ0gP2gdW_ZDObFil3igyj3QBZo1pp2pUwnpbs/s4624/PXL_20240217_023650824.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpf6D7aXqRNpD2gupuiGjbmqsDXDP-Y5EaeBT6lwdtCtU4ZR1aRKFYDageZw6HwEcYeMHn6y3PeopA2Ikho9BaJt7z4p-4o80sGNalgiOlFfFidGOwl5dUXG79skuGifaV5TBSJMng3RJG9TWMjYZZ1hQ0gP2gdW_ZDObFil3igyj3QBZo1pp2pUwnpbs/w640-h480/PXL_20240217_023650824.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8jhGxYwN1fl-loAPRz2NjkM9dpBrlb6y9o95qbTEAbb9Rw7x0FTuQLmdhvUHOKLsCrnaXTW6uJwobPwyJm6-Yv6UqMpx9zmt66ktSaPiAoJBfdkWZL0KRvr5nKcIDjcrYw-x1GGDGTfwPpt6kgpcOzlOyCE1bD_6OQxe1-enud2YRlXvXKYZ8j5KDr8/s4624/PXL_20240217_170119583.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8jhGxYwN1fl-loAPRz2NjkM9dpBrlb6y9o95qbTEAbb9Rw7x0FTuQLmdhvUHOKLsCrnaXTW6uJwobPwyJm6-Yv6UqMpx9zmt66ktSaPiAoJBfdkWZL0KRvr5nKcIDjcrYw-x1GGDGTfwPpt6kgpcOzlOyCE1bD_6OQxe1-enud2YRlXvXKYZ8j5KDr8/w640-h480/PXL_20240217_170119583.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMyFB1W7S0w7m8ZkqllGvHSG1rfw3QCw33avogtB6aiF_1ISYXSMdmaCECMecBgk9l71xcD8DjgnLafOD0Q7yyAE0AAg4snl75L7bDpmkTjKH2Ynhx5I-a_9nMuQbiWjVjzB-z2HXcwKMlB_RCrrci2xEajLC2qGM5p72G3jib2XrM5_P1uT2GAXNb1FQ/s4624/PXL_20240217_170136270.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMyFB1W7S0w7m8ZkqllGvHSG1rfw3QCw33avogtB6aiF_1ISYXSMdmaCECMecBgk9l71xcD8DjgnLafOD0Q7yyAE0AAg4snl75L7bDpmkTjKH2Ynhx5I-a_9nMuQbiWjVjzB-z2HXcwKMlB_RCrrci2xEajLC2qGM5p72G3jib2XrM5_P1uT2GAXNb1FQ/w640-h480/PXL_20240217_170136270.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Scoakathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03161467660782815686noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1956821131370611167.post-4352692813916448282024-02-10T14:53:00.002-06:002024-02-19T17:49:53.040-06:00February This-And-Thats<p>I've been feeling much better this week but for continuing sniffles, since being sick the prior two weeks. It's just been going around as I've heard of several others being sick. It's no fun, especially since I was barely sick for several years due to changes that came with the pandemic, like masks and working from home. I'm around so much more people now than I have been in a long time.</p><p>New neighbors, late neighbor Dave's daughter and son-in-law, are still not moved in. The house was supposed to be done December 15, they told me, and they had to be out of where they lived January 31, so not sure where they're living now. At least they are getting $100 off the bill for every day past December 15, but I'm sure they'd rather it just get finished. In the early days late in summer and fall there was work being done maybe one day a week. Now, for the last several weeks there's work being done weekdays, weekends, holidays, and sometimes late into the night. Further exterior work will have to wait, they said, whether for weather or financial reasons I'm not sure. We've been thinking of putting a fence on that side like our back fence, and they may want to remove theirs before then if they want the metal posts covered with wood on their side of it, like the fence in the back. We'll talk to them again sometime after they finally move in, I'm sure.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifZ4_JtWywOdS08i7a7ZIJYumfQ47vHHTITV7tlcpLuel7hiGYj5RkucbP9vrJkZBkoby_YQn26tp7GOLjBIN5qbdQId_mouFDetVkozXwEIa9WkEIFRRUUzaTQvpucB9cD05bWnXRnye5OTausock77_dEmLDf0RawcXViHoetCy7rzx1f9zqOIRYblE/s4624/PXL_20240203_175535849.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifZ4_JtWywOdS08i7a7ZIJYumfQ47vHHTITV7tlcpLuel7hiGYj5RkucbP9vrJkZBkoby_YQn26tp7GOLjBIN5qbdQId_mouFDetVkozXwEIa9WkEIFRRUUzaTQvpucB9cD05bWnXRnye5OTausock77_dEmLDf0RawcXViHoetCy7rzx1f9zqOIRYblE/s320/PXL_20240203_175535849.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The weather has been mild, kind of like March at the end of January/beginning of February and continuing. Early last week we again had morning fog on several days, including freezing fog in areas. Was like nothing I'd ever seen. Driving through one of the little squalls is a almost a whiteout of tiny snowflakes, with everything getting frosted in white with them. Otherwise, the snow has been melting so just a small mound here and there where it was deepest. And we had thunderstorms the other night, including a few tornadoes just south of here - the first February tornadoes in Wisconsin in recorded history. It feels like spring though the calendar says otherwise. I guess we'll find out if February will start acting like winter again or not. And anything could always happen in March.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZdpJ0_8ayfvYEd7GMJs4p_nQ-V68Q_HcHSept2dM0OgLNAAzu1XUs44KsVmyhjaNuCRI2MrpaBFv7K-H87DerWSdKBZrvwKng0Z3dweY7VYTimoK7KclJ9YDSqAzzUpc7UeJ5AkL8eoRlp-qigKPGZeEQsuTQowPfICs7zr21VyZnIhuKzMMZfr_MkJ8/s4624/PXL_20240203_175804915.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZdpJ0_8ayfvYEd7GMJs4p_nQ-V68Q_HcHSept2dM0OgLNAAzu1XUs44KsVmyhjaNuCRI2MrpaBFv7K-H87DerWSdKBZrvwKng0Z3dweY7VYTimoK7KclJ9YDSqAzzUpc7UeJ5AkL8eoRlp-qigKPGZeEQsuTQowPfICs7zr21VyZnIhuKzMMZfr_MkJ8/s320/PXL_20240203_175804915.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I came across a website that provides (for free) background noises, and you can customize and combine to make one to your liking. <a href="https://noises.online/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Noises Online</a> is under those blue words, if interested.<p></p><p>The last time I made baguette I used bread flour instead of AP and proofed them in the couche. I seemed to get bigger bubbles in the crumb but proofing them in a floured cloth makes the skin less flexible to expand when baking, thus they tend to split on me, so far. But I like mixing it up and trying new techniques. In fact, I'm even starting to reconsider getting a sourdough culture that I'll have to feed and keep alive in the fridge. Ugh! Anyway, they always are good bread no matter and I look forward to my next stab at it, probably next weekend.</p><p>Tomorrow is Super Bowl Sunday. I do plan on watching the game, but only to try and catch a glimpse of Taylor Swift! Just kidding. I don't really care who wins, but I do like to see Patrick Mahomes whine so I may root for the 49ers. Mostly, I just hope it's a good game - and that my number$ hit!</p>Scoakathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03161467660782815686noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1956821131370611167.post-15981894187657843332024-01-28T11:40:00.002-06:002024-01-28T15:32:22.682-06:00Weather, Sickness and Livestreams<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia_ZH-9az7PFJ3tGjLb6UMTPYJfyvUTYKtlTy6OnViJ6ut4Dnzl5-YJJKlJVWBtZTkKae9p-l9jw65GcJyiOd1qH2cmrlbsEuOuM30wWLBMNi3A_rUaRO92aquyszgkkn6qcU18tiGUbpwNz8IXerltwx4fKSLZDf4FsaVA_CrC25TzE5SzJzKaibTifo/s4624/PXL_20240128_163826484.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4624" data-original-width="3472" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia_ZH-9az7PFJ3tGjLb6UMTPYJfyvUTYKtlTy6OnViJ6ut4Dnzl5-YJJKlJVWBtZTkKae9p-l9jw65GcJyiOd1qH2cmrlbsEuOuM30wWLBMNi3A_rUaRO92aquyszgkkn6qcU18tiGUbpwNz8IXerltwx4fKSLZDf4FsaVA_CrC25TzE5SzJzKaibTifo/w300-h400/PXL_20240128_163826484.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>Since the foot of snow we had earlier this month we spent the following week in a deep freeze. Temperatures at and below 0ºF after all that snow and with little or no sun contributed to snow-packed to ice roadways and dangerous conditions all-around. That was followed by significantly warmer temperatures that hovered at or above the freezing mark, day and night, for another week, which has allowed salt to work and aid in making the roadways better, finally. Last Tuesday we had all 4 types of precipitation in one day; rain, freezing rain, sleet and snow. Along with those temperatures we had many days of dense fog and rain on a few days which has helped melt a lot of snow, yet there is still plenty of it everywhere you look. This next week looks to be more familiar with daytime highs above freezing and the lows below, and no real chance of snow.<p></p><p>That's enough of a weather report, I think. Wisconsin can have more extremes in weather than many other areas, many times seemingly without rhyme or reason, so can be interesting to note.</p><p>Also, last Sunday I started to feel like I was fighting a cold so I stayed in, started taking my supplements and just relaxed. Didn't matter one bit. Monday and Tuesday I felt like I was hit by a truck with head and body aches and lethargy, staying home from work and sleeping a whole lot. (I tested for Covid and it was negative.) While I got a little more energy back on Tuesday it was only temporary as the virus had settled deeply into my sinuses where it still resides now. And no matter what cold medicine I've tried it barely helps, but that always seems to be the case for me. I want to say I feel slightly better today, but really this whole week has been just absolutely miserable for me. Today will be more of the same - rest and relaxation and hoping this virus clears soon.</p><p>At least today I will have some entertainment. At the end of November I signed up for a yearly pass on Veeps, a popular livestreaming site. I paid $60 (a half-price Black Friday deal), which is about what I spent on livestreams on that site last year but now I'll have access to all of their shows so will be more likely to watch shows that I was hesitant to spend money on before. </p><p>At almost 2 this afternoon on Veeps is Bad Omens with opening act Poppy, airing live from Germany (7 hours ahead of us) on their current European tour. I'm a big Poppy fan and while I don't know much about Bad Omens I do like the song they did together, V.A.N., released just a couple days ago. Interestingly, it was written entirely by the singer of Bad Omens but it is not a duet with Poppy handling all of the vocals. A good song and fits right in with Poppy's catalog, though. I'm sure they'll share the stage at some point to perform the song together.</p><p><a href="https://youtu.be/ev_vPbqUlZs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bad Omens & Poppy - V.A.N.</a></p><p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ev_vPbqUlZs" title="BAD OMENS x POPPY - V.A.N (Official Music Video)" width="640"></iframe>
</p><p>Later today there is still playoff football on TV so that will be the rest of my day, then back to work tomorrow - hopefully feeling much better.</p>Scoakathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03161467660782815686noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1956821131370611167.post-77692180060842836382024-01-14T14:21:00.002-06:002024-01-16T17:08:34.421-06:00New Baguette<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibdb2pYrHoO2QEvFnxAeNcL22Dp1rIrRVgYNE33d70hV2JIf4MCUnjDqF8X2ibCZk4Jr9hk638dp25Qn0Bkh0qTpIlAJGqZhIFQ-hAPHbxvMX_t-MU6o28D5x3TNm-n2zNw690xsVGq_caSUoJqbZO2mpF8_Wf115O67_NOdvllfEt0_LQLTQP1oOLFdw/s4624/PXL_20240113_191047949.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibdb2pYrHoO2QEvFnxAeNcL22Dp1rIrRVgYNE33d70hV2JIf4MCUnjDqF8X2ibCZk4Jr9hk638dp25Qn0Bkh0qTpIlAJGqZhIFQ-hAPHbxvMX_t-MU6o28D5x3TNm-n2zNw690xsVGq_caSUoJqbZO2mpF8_Wf115O67_NOdvllfEt0_LQLTQP1oOLFdw/w200-h150/PXL_20240113_191047949.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>For over a year now I've mostly made the classic baguette recipe from King Arthur Baking Company. Every now and again I tried a different baguette recipe, but some were better than others and I always went back to the original. Over time, I refined that recipe and my technique to make pretty good baguettes every time. Still, there were some characteristics I just couldn't seem to get, like bigger bubbles in the crumb and a nice ear on the cuts.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmI6P9jJkHFfnx7wVXKeggW1op12ji1e_oNRwlWouRsXjkwgsxiUWjQkvKEcFsLas__SIxTRhCSDLieTWaf5xgIz7DNYTKp9xYNhyIwFxCXa9wVp69LDccCkBZGrAo7YewCZC043vqrsMZIAa-0yWqfNwnt0SPU7NHg-sV21BB0shPfUuvuKjlJ19ZPXE/s4624/PXL_20240113_202727771.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmI6P9jJkHFfnx7wVXKeggW1op12ji1e_oNRwlWouRsXjkwgsxiUWjQkvKEcFsLas__SIxTRhCSDLieTWaf5xgIz7DNYTKp9xYNhyIwFxCXa9wVp69LDccCkBZGrAo7YewCZC043vqrsMZIAa-0yWqfNwnt0SPU7NHg-sV21BB0shPfUuvuKjlJ19ZPXE/s320/PXL_20240113_202727771.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I tried a new baguette recipe yesterday and I was encouraged enough that I made it again this morning. At first, I wasn't too impressed as I was making it and I was very unsure how they would turn out, but the oven rise and ears of the cuts were impressive and the crust was even better in today's batch since I added 1/2 Tbsp of the diastatic malt powder, which helps the taste of the bread, too. I also used a homemade couche for the first time to proof them. The classic recipe is a wet proof although I have tried dry proofing enough to know the cuts are easier that way though the oven rise was otherwise restricted. The first batch of this new recipe yesterday had the bread exploding out of it's skin, to my surprise and delight.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_WmPXzJZ8WfbRg7N17luq-nb-2eNNFwCLZ__rKHXfFSQYuYZq2baiiADrTj1BUFifeY26lgtmf4JDeDc-Yyr8gzBlUSehOczsOiN0XnSJ2Ig-gTNyYmvRO8nfgy7JpxZTVVoAOPMRRGhtFFB1ZLX2M7gNXLc4l_jOZVgqYpNfwHuccZcYPx7QG2z_8Js/s4624/PXL_20240114_013401555.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_WmPXzJZ8WfbRg7N17luq-nb-2eNNFwCLZ__rKHXfFSQYuYZq2baiiADrTj1BUFifeY26lgtmf4JDeDc-Yyr8gzBlUSehOczsOiN0XnSJ2Ig-gTNyYmvRO8nfgy7JpxZTVVoAOPMRRGhtFFB1ZLX2M7gNXLc4l_jOZVgqYpNfwHuccZcYPx7QG2z_8Js/w200-h150/PXL_20240114_013401555.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Yesterday afternoon I also tried an interesting Peanut Butter Bread recipe from the great depression. No butter, <strike>milk</strike> (sry!) or eggs, just peanut butter as the fat and lots of baking powder for the rise. A pretty easy recipe I came across on the internet and while it's actually pretty good I'm not sure I'll have a need to make it again.<p></p><p>Back to baguette: I also like the amount of dough this new recipe makes. The classic recipe would yield 3 baguettes close to 300 grams so I had to make an effort to keep them short enough for the baking tray, while this new recipe is closer to 230 grams each so I can shape them as I want and still have the traditional pointy ends while easily fitting them on the 15 inch tray.</p><p></p><p>In some ways, the first batch is more what I'm looking for and the second I may have just thought about it too much though they still turned out very good. I think this recipe is a keeper and I look forward to making it the best I can, as I did with the classic recipe.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjxE6jyXSfKVCyXiD_u2IYqfJuGZ_MQbx5u9m9rTlTdUF8ez1SRcGqhg-L61WAVMpEgMDI4aMcjuCTurpiUmiGve4XpMxpxsiyfQFP-3DaD3sg-Q0PDs6UgnF-uNHKhtGs_XRdDaDpSwADh2OLd6528uWgm-NqUBAazGfkwpGN9O6X87Aa7375pcYePCA/s4624/PXL_20240114_180606708.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjxE6jyXSfKVCyXiD_u2IYqfJuGZ_MQbx5u9m9rTlTdUF8ez1SRcGqhg-L61WAVMpEgMDI4aMcjuCTurpiUmiGve4XpMxpxsiyfQFP-3DaD3sg-Q0PDs6UgnF-uNHKhtGs_XRdDaDpSwADh2OLd6528uWgm-NqUBAazGfkwpGN9O6X87Aa7375pcYePCA/w640-h480/PXL_20240114_180606708.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>Scoakathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03161467660782815686noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1956821131370611167.post-20481482791318786542024-01-13T15:01:00.002-06:002024-01-13T15:03:57.914-06:00WFW Part 4 - Final<p>I woke up at 3 a.m. this morning so looked out and saw it snowing, though less accumulation than before. The snow petered out by 9 this morning, so about 9:30 we went out to clean it up again. This time was 2-3 inches, depending where you looked, so I'm going to say we got a generous 12 inches from this storm. I'll have to try and catch the news to hear the official amount since I still haven't found a good source on the internet. Our official amount is taken at the airport, about a mile north of here, but we had high winds also so there was some blowing and drifting, so results may vary.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjBG5PCSxfyk5krS0bwDuuge4AHGheX7prvudj1TjSXxe7yV3Vypsuu7Rh9CxNThIAnyAsuVeABKYVmhkhXxWVBFuiVlCcPF9PZ_l_XRsn015OOVEpWqEqyzB0hhD1MmjH02fhTsqUg3GUVRc2qAYoN__GDhbXTZ4ODkhOutULGHMs62_b3KmK1D_BJSE/s4624/PXL_20240113_152845476.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjBG5PCSxfyk5krS0bwDuuge4AHGheX7prvudj1TjSXxe7yV3Vypsuu7Rh9CxNThIAnyAsuVeABKYVmhkhXxWVBFuiVlCcPF9PZ_l_XRsn015OOVEpWqEqyzB0hhD1MmjH02fhTsqUg3GUVRc2qAYoN__GDhbXTZ4ODkhOutULGHMs62_b3KmK1D_BJSE/w640-h480/PXL_20240113_152845476.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>It cleaned up well enough again, I'll put more pics after the break. The solar lights are still poking up but there is the gnome on the stump, now just a slight bulge in the snow.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBeO7jBCNdRcF7WP5SsKcH6gkr6Pb7AaUnHPzzliIcYadvEC9wLanVhtT8dOdDiEig5JmPPJliQnavGtSvPvxHZpezrXU5hq19PC5o6AAQ8BCcPS8KAbzhKrM43MyNMH2FdNeaFB8bkuHf49oQeOuQOLGQA51nxFfGtbXsGACdc-rwLSP-su1HRM0Nc_I/s4624/PXL_20240113_160134302.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBeO7jBCNdRcF7WP5SsKcH6gkr6Pb7AaUnHPzzliIcYadvEC9wLanVhtT8dOdDiEig5JmPPJliQnavGtSvPvxHZpezrXU5hq19PC5o6AAQ8BCcPS8KAbzhKrM43MyNMH2FdNeaFB8bkuHf49oQeOuQOLGQA51nxFfGtbXsGACdc-rwLSP-su1HRM0Nc_I/w640-h480/PXL_20240113_160134302.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6IasBaZPlQAZUrP25gGgvPA5cDxQ86leECLAJzSxRtPMOVm4180RTTJmBiEq05rGWK0zaFadvWtI4KIEzmXKlG0FL6qozQm6GfaQQR08QcSMmfCRKgFHaLT3AO1YD7SLoIbipFoLxj3b5PXQO8sZphLNNK52EqLMeYOJV16uEQ-iAs6yHnJtXvy8O150/s4624/PXL_20240113_160125286.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6IasBaZPlQAZUrP25gGgvPA5cDxQ86leECLAJzSxRtPMOVm4180RTTJmBiEq05rGWK0zaFadvWtI4KIEzmXKlG0FL6qozQm6GfaQQR08QcSMmfCRKgFHaLT3AO1YD7SLoIbipFoLxj3b5PXQO8sZphLNNK52EqLMeYOJV16uEQ-iAs6yHnJtXvy8O150/w640-h480/PXL_20240113_160125286.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijj_JHSloAwHG3S6khCvMD_Hlhe9NqBiM3KZfRYkZ0lyxbRAN_tRTSDBBfj0rDhhYa0rG1r6MzSaAUzRfK1afKf_Rcnu80KJol4Ba-Bf-DNGEwayCgy_2rmnHmK2wirUCZLtY2VOBh8sTwumLv3zP2CF6vY5oFeSClqmeEn9mfLtbIzxp4_SmzHvpV8F4/s4624/PXL_20240113_160200918.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijj_JHSloAwHG3S6khCvMD_Hlhe9NqBiM3KZfRYkZ0lyxbRAN_tRTSDBBfj0rDhhYa0rG1r6MzSaAUzRfK1afKf_Rcnu80KJol4Ba-Bf-DNGEwayCgy_2rmnHmK2wirUCZLtY2VOBh8sTwumLv3zP2CF6vY5oFeSClqmeEn9mfLtbIzxp4_SmzHvpV8F4/w640-h480/PXL_20240113_160200918.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Not sure what you'll be able to make out in this white on white picture out front, but the plow has been down the other side of the street once only. Tonight the parking side shifts to the other side so the plow should clear the street in front of us tonight, then we'll have to clear all the snow it pushes into our driveway. And there is a whole lot in front of our driveway right now.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXXCW1NZCc02jRtRtCOLSty9RiEALKaA8BNp8oXnINw6v6_ihe_b6ka_qhi9u-mAtmTruJ7DFjI41PFJmxzWOL5rDvFwmaCDLAc1eF1gPyocHPkWG7cSIK94-r-QOGYiuf38bVbn8dtSHzvrtTTnwrAzHVUBJSdvoAyzw9Kbf0t-u21zq1yLVCB257cg/s4624/PXL_20240113_193141784.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXXCW1NZCc02jRtRtCOLSty9RiEALKaA8BNp8oXnINw6v6_ihe_b6ka_qhi9u-mAtmTruJ7DFjI41PFJmxzWOL5rDvFwmaCDLAc1eF1gPyocHPkWG7cSIK94-r-QOGYiuf38bVbn8dtSHzvrtTTnwrAzHVUBJSdvoAyzw9Kbf0t-u21zq1yLVCB257cg/w640-h480/PXL_20240113_193141784.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>After clearing snow I started on a new baguette recipe. I had low expectations during the process, but now I'm very excited about it. More soon!</p>Scoakathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03161467660782815686noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1956821131370611167.post-6355241594138137922024-01-12T19:46:00.001-06:002024-01-12T19:46:27.069-06:00WFW Part 3I went out again about 7:00 and cleared around another 4 inches, making my guesstimate be 9 inches so far. Keep in mind we had some inches on the ground before this started. The tracks you see here are from taking compost to the bin, which was frozen shut so it got dumped behind it along the fence. It has fallen slower than it did this morning, but we still have a ways to go. I'm going to put it out of my head for the rest of the night and we'll see what we have when I get up in the morning.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij0up9jB-6TDRvpd6OMca6PnlOSHiskN1thqlR7DDKfdQdESoZQa_T9hJiqV_K9m4TLhD0zGr4a71K41wjdssL3i_eKiCfvwK0Vkogc_y3W6nhEvZE2qFo8cTFJmLNokd62xUy4g720D1nL58-8D9_5OZGZ79LkvhiSbVV9VsKEpmrR_IowSijoDlfsuI/s4624/PXL_20240113_005745574.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij0up9jB-6TDRvpd6OMca6PnlOSHiskN1thqlR7DDKfdQdESoZQa_T9hJiqV_K9m4TLhD0zGr4a71K41wjdssL3i_eKiCfvwK0Vkogc_y3W6nhEvZE2qFo8cTFJmLNokd62xUy4g720D1nL58-8D9_5OZGZ79LkvhiSbVV9VsKEpmrR_IowSijoDlfsuI/w640-h480/PXL_20240113_005745574.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>I'll put some pics for more context after the break.</div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhywMiMJHsZFtNn1er9LqBg0FsnwKYlmflpKl4SdX1NssH2UqFDZOHOdqcJy01SGJmkb9hmCAYzT6-NrvuMrfKPulZtKBk1lO1cLG3V99QqgP7Ia9c4Ojg4HE9OI6rD4biR2dMLMKjmX2X303UKELivOCo8xUXelL5acU0Mhtl3x1ThjPLrR_et-A9Y7do/s4624/PXL_20240113_005404661.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhywMiMJHsZFtNn1er9LqBg0FsnwKYlmflpKl4SdX1NssH2UqFDZOHOdqcJy01SGJmkb9hmCAYzT6-NrvuMrfKPulZtKBk1lO1cLG3V99QqgP7Ia9c4Ojg4HE9OI6rD4biR2dMLMKjmX2X303UKELivOCo8xUXelL5acU0Mhtl3x1ThjPLrR_et-A9Y7do/w640-h480/PXL_20240113_005404661.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-CaX7OG2LwvJBMSHQ577mArjhB8_ylqQ7SghS0Zr-I-xyzXPoAJTaB3o9Vx4r9nPEowraHh926bWmDC8GUyj2T1apMPPTBLU-l5YICaVbgOCnJaGb4ZE24KTdrOqu5mKakQEVHHgdj5SbIArRQaZgW_vJfxldtK7wdL6XbXU37Xy62zVuB3rDfr3wSo/s4624/PXL_20240113_012341717.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-CaX7OG2LwvJBMSHQ577mArjhB8_ylqQ7SghS0Zr-I-xyzXPoAJTaB3o9Vx4r9nPEowraHh926bWmDC8GUyj2T1apMPPTBLU-l5YICaVbgOCnJaGb4ZE24KTdrOqu5mKakQEVHHgdj5SbIArRQaZgW_vJfxldtK7wdL6XbXU37Xy62zVuB3rDfr3wSo/w640-h480/PXL_20240113_012341717.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Pdtcimy6kSgkPt2Xv8ZkF1U-aGVYBLAivtkDIDziE17iy7beligwrFRIwJXdvF-uCf9Y8VnODf-EuX11dXUj4RZOExdou5S4DnyiNrheL5M_12iDi1FGvX7-gPylvFci8wsOY9AJHrPp9Ctm20TPhccpurA2mqIK6_s0J43v1Bwm_3dS6wIreM7q4As/s4624/PXL_20240113_012322453.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Pdtcimy6kSgkPt2Xv8ZkF1U-aGVYBLAivtkDIDziE17iy7beligwrFRIwJXdvF-uCf9Y8VnODf-EuX11dXUj4RZOExdou5S4DnyiNrheL5M_12iDi1FGvX7-gPylvFci8wsOY9AJHrPp9Ctm20TPhccpurA2mqIK6_s0J43v1Bwm_3dS6wIreM7q4As/w640-h480/PXL_20240113_012322453.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Scoakathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03161467660782815686noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1956821131370611167.post-8763080953305287132024-01-12T11:52:00.001-06:002024-01-12T12:04:57.038-06:00WFW Part 2<p>About a half an hour ago, just before I cleared snow for the first time. There was about 5 inches so far, about 7 hours in and over 12 hours to go yet. I'll have to clear at least once more today, maybe twice, then again in the morning. But we'll see.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO7KswF8fZoYOcTF0ViOZi_K9rhwHulbjxABF9AF8aMYLtZ3mH16NWvdxbbs-Nj3z7GNa2NvaJ0QxwH4slTFdZnASFtjsg7E9KJ9cK-dd69UpiYjZwMHfGbSos9C6ffzz0CGO1GNYF3yEhwtrpLYF7oeACRpysuWh_JkgviixkZkaO-AOC-_3SjgibB9U/s4624/PXL_20240112_171453340.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO7KswF8fZoYOcTF0ViOZi_K9rhwHulbjxABF9AF8aMYLtZ3mH16NWvdxbbs-Nj3z7GNa2NvaJ0QxwH4slTFdZnASFtjsg7E9KJ9cK-dd69UpiYjZwMHfGbSos9C6ffzz0CGO1GNYF3yEhwtrpLYF7oeACRpysuWh_JkgviixkZkaO-AOC-_3SjgibB9U/w640-h480/PXL_20240112_171453340.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Scoakathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03161467660782815686noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1956821131370611167.post-7193409368448474462024-01-11T17:03:00.001-06:002024-01-11T17:04:10.523-06:00Winter Freakin' Wonderland<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuVfCqzCQ5qFyxWzzjPy4tqANg5aZ1JPuWZj1Z0d__-60bQkCYuiIDaVLPo-No01GDES0KVw81f-bU5K-V2KD3PqO2BxWCrQiDA2FS8w1VMTo0YcRPf3UWBzJDzwyYfAkZzz6NYj6OVQD_kB9Gd0Y4_i95-N0oIb9ejzuOgGhtG6vizVzfeM0LC-SE82I/s4624/PXL_20240111_215047527.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4624" data-original-width="3472" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuVfCqzCQ5qFyxWzzjPy4tqANg5aZ1JPuWZj1Z0d__-60bQkCYuiIDaVLPo-No01GDES0KVw81f-bU5K-V2KD3PqO2BxWCrQiDA2FS8w1VMTo0YcRPf3UWBzJDzwyYfAkZzz6NYj6OVQD_kB9Gd0Y4_i95-N0oIb9ejzuOgGhtG6vizVzfeM0LC-SE82I/w300-h400/PXL_20240111_215047527.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>Well, winter finally caught up to us. We got about 8 inches of snow on Tuesday and about 2-3 inches overnight last night. There has been a white blanket on everything - and every branch of every tree and bush. To many, it looks pretty as a postcard no matter where you look. But enough is enough.<p></p><p>Tomorrow is due to snow all day long for a total of 8-13 more inches. Local school districts already announced closures or virtual-only classes, just like they did on Monday afternoon. My work goes by the Madison school district, so we will have our second snow day this week tomorrow. It's nice to at least have the time off to deal with all that snow and not worry about driving anywhere (even the state police are saying to stay off the roads tomorrow), but we either have to use a vacation day or take it unpaid. As I'm starting over in a new job I don't have much vacation time so I'm taking these days unpaid.</p><p>Then, to top it all off, on Sunday we begin a stretch of very cold temperatures with highs Sunday and Monday right around 0ºF (about -18ºC) and staying in the single digits for at least a week. </p><p>Sure, we've seen these kinds of snows and temperatures before, but that doesn't make it any easier. I'll try to post another pic on Saturday. My guess is the fire pit and outlines of anything else in the back yard will be pretty much totally obscured. I should have brought in the gnome and solar lights last weekend. Oh well...</p><p>For Tuesday's snow day I made homemade cinnamon rolls.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>Not sure yet if I'll bake anything tomorrow or this weekend.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLH-ll4Djj3hSr94c2GKiJBQ7ezBL0m1J2laCgHfghnVBjtUpQR-mxt2FVg7gGjbxZ8u8lYidL0dC-T-SSq-T7_lQOJaXinreMnfp9nBLiozAQbCwYFw2nuU5Vfc85JxMJiumvlAF_038sWxG95lKm2bmuDpxYwI5BoA3MOx_YSh9xOKqo212v2VoCFik/s4624/PXL_20240109_192917457.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLH-ll4Djj3hSr94c2GKiJBQ7ezBL0m1J2laCgHfghnVBjtUpQR-mxt2FVg7gGjbxZ8u8lYidL0dC-T-SSq-T7_lQOJaXinreMnfp9nBLiozAQbCwYFw2nuU5Vfc85JxMJiumvlAF_038sWxG95lKm2bmuDpxYwI5BoA3MOx_YSh9xOKqo212v2VoCFik/w640-h480/PXL_20240109_192917457.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbRGkmLGSA__glJtKk-zYtoEz-C3xiTGUuzu5nvPWeRd-nLFRAw8hopq04OytYgu2kip8UeboehYsFK5WgfKF9Wf3awf1yTIXmkzrbBpdkm1GQBEEt7XG2VLZitUxVNkq0SzcJvO_jCWpujgwZFJ5M7_O0CTe_KYDR7gYqDUqPDjYPObsGIH_4qNXtyJM/s4624/PXL_20240109_191916924.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbRGkmLGSA__glJtKk-zYtoEz-C3xiTGUuzu5nvPWeRd-nLFRAw8hopq04OytYgu2kip8UeboehYsFK5WgfKF9Wf3awf1yTIXmkzrbBpdkm1GQBEEt7XG2VLZitUxVNkq0SzcJvO_jCWpujgwZFJ5M7_O0CTe_KYDR7gYqDUqPDjYPObsGIH_4qNXtyJM/w640-h480/PXL_20240109_191916924.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Scoakathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03161467660782815686noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1956821131370611167.post-45271733395407844792024-01-01T00:01:00.070-06:002024-01-01T00:01:00.134-06:00Happy New Year 2024<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT1eOiD_vBvoC0QLAdTEEkNScjBv3bTijiviNT8db-IrKDw0ji8m4-66Bfp9zWJzjmgiGY&usqp=CAU" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="213" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT1eOiD_vBvoC0QLAdTEEkNScjBv3bTijiviNT8db-IrKDw0ji8m4-66Bfp9zWJzjmgiGY&usqp=CAU" width="320" /></a></div>Happy New Year! I don't know if I'll be up for it so I'm writing this from the past and scheduling this for just after midnight. By the way, Sunday's date was 123123, but mostly only in this country and not the rest of the world - 311223.<div><br /></div><div>Last night my wife went out to a fancy dinner with her friend Terry and sister Becky. I stayed in so I could catch the Packers/Vikings game. Then later this new year's morning the Badgers play their bowl game against LSU. I got my current list of chores done the last few days so aside from the game today it looks like it will be a good day of rest (with a little experimental making of pizza crust dough with 00 pizza flour) before returning to work tomorrow.</div><div><p></p><p>However you chose to ring in 2024, I hope you enjoy the holiday today and all my best wishes for a wonderful new year.</p></div>Scoakathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03161467660782815686noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1956821131370611167.post-50852802966703973232023-12-29T10:58:00.000-06:002023-12-29T10:58:13.617-06:00New Job<p>If you know me then you'll know I've not been happy with my job in a pretty long time. New management came in after the beginning of the pandemic and there were many changes, not all for the better but square pegs were pounded into round holes anyway. It wasn't the best employer to begin with (rated low on all job sites I've seen), and I had a hard time playing along with the new, ruthless management style. I wasn't the only one; I watched as others in our department retired, found new jobs, got fired, or just rolled over and fumed in silence.</p><p>I got myself in trouble standing up to management in late 2022, which basically put me back on probation for a year. I looked for another job on and off, but was unwilling to give up the benefits I earned over several years to start all over somewhere else. But on October 16 that decision was made for me. Rather than allow me to come off that probation, I was fired. It was my own fault for staying too long when I could not get along with the management.</p><p>My health insurance would run through the end of that month, then my wife and I would be without (she is considered part time as she works less than 40 hours to allow her days to take care of her dad, so is not offered health insurance). Since health insurance is very important in this country and is tied to employment, I needed a job ASAP. I knew some people who needed help where they worked, so the day after I got fired I went there to apply and wound up getting the job. I started work on November 1, but it would be at least a month until my new insurance started so I got an expensive policy through the government's marketplace (Obamacare). Thankfully I was eligible for my new insurance to start on December 1 so only had to pay for one month of that expensive policy. And while there were several issues with the new insurance they all got straightened out as of yesterday, so that is finally settled.</p><p>Meanwhile, I was working a new job unlike anything I had ever done before. I'm not going to say where it is, I'll just say it is basically a daycare for adults with developmental disabilities. I spend a lot of time playing as you would with kids, and also taking some to their jobs and coaching them throughout the week. Overall, it's pretty easy and I'm growing to like it more and more, but it doesn't pay the best. Still, I'm so much happier not working where I was, so it has advantages and disadvantages.</p><p>And nothing says I have to keep this job forever, but for now I will continue and see where this path leads me in the new year.</p>Scoakathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03161467660782815686noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1956821131370611167.post-40739027477194204882023-12-25T06:00:00.001-06:002023-12-25T06:00:00.128-06:00Merry Christmas 2023<p>Merry Christmas, everyone. I hope you had a great weekend and are having a good day today doing what you wish with those you want to be with. Or anything close to that is still pretty dang good.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86vBr-DjEhLY3ryEiEhi1-JvP7sDR1HKgAPMglT2bGKRi5eEbKya8MQpHw8TK3YmCXvN81C2Nru0u-wMGm1Ovb6al5lEvD3GL2Jvp5qY4Q2xHbtX1vb_XpbT_tumzfTGEYOxGYstHAsNHsOUrbn7gF2JOIXToUCOIzBZsnhIfYSk3f2AY6YcL6Ddm3wk/s2500/heavymetalchristmas.jpeg" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1156" data-original-width="2500" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86vBr-DjEhLY3ryEiEhi1-JvP7sDR1HKgAPMglT2bGKRi5eEbKya8MQpHw8TK3YmCXvN81C2Nru0u-wMGm1Ovb6al5lEvD3GL2Jvp5qY4Q2xHbtX1vb_XpbT_tumzfTGEYOxGYstHAsNHsOUrbn7gF2JOIXToUCOIzBZsnhIfYSk3f2AY6YcL6Ddm3wk/w666-h199/heavymetalchristmas.jpeg" width="666" /></a></p><p></p><p>We spent some time on Saturday with my wife's family and some time yesterday with mine. Gifts were exchanged and holiday greetings and catching up were shared. It's so much less about the giving and getting stuff than it is about the time spent, or should be. It was nice to see everyone, including the nieces and nephews that we don't get to see too often. And a shame we couldn't see the others, which seems to happen too often.</p><p>It's certainly not a white Christmas here this year with temperatures yesterday and today in the 50's with 100% humidity. Outside has been overcast and very foggy for a few days now, but that's still lots better than if it was snow and frost. We've had less than two inches of snow here this month when 12 inches is normal for December, and will get no more though we return to highs around the freezing mark over the next week. But January is next, and January is, well, January. Until it becomes February, normally another very cold and snowy month.</p><p>Warm bread helps.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><br /></p><p>Saturday morning I made two batches of baguettes, the first of which was getting eaten before the second came out of the oven. Here, that second batch on the left just came out and the baguette pizza was just about to follow it into the oven for lunch.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWB0nvkvPNCxItggj4Vx9Pp763CoqmcR82V-jpbYy2XOGvvcyoFq1GOMRUkozsYgu5ZoArKT-SltsZXNq4r3PvDx0CnRxBUpF-jVZ9su2XmWGJwPaTj5xZxgE9KESht0Z_rsARkzn3R4W3GdQA1rJLaOhwM1Z9w1wsnpdCPiVoyYhv2YltUDDA58JyVoM/s4624/PXL_20231223_173355681.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWB0nvkvPNCxItggj4Vx9Pp763CoqmcR82V-jpbYy2XOGvvcyoFq1GOMRUkozsYgu5ZoArKT-SltsZXNq4r3PvDx0CnRxBUpF-jVZ9su2XmWGJwPaTj5xZxgE9KESht0Z_rsARkzn3R4W3GdQA1rJLaOhwM1Z9w1wsnpdCPiVoyYhv2YltUDDA58JyVoM/w640-h480/PXL_20231223_173355681.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Scoakathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03161467660782815686noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1956821131370611167.post-87408749263538204872023-12-21T18:48:00.000-06:002023-12-21T18:48:56.941-06:00Solstice Firepit<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqYdeWx7iHrf7-0BfqnamI2D6WK8sP9GbK-MNCcXMIDjQCYJ1ZTE0aMUka3mPCi5-G6ttXTrB8fWaennUDJDo-0IzGyEWxxZ8CJt6sJO82-rOZXxvy3FRqhcLJSxjbRLtoc2btjjVp8ONpk3gmlhA_072Iia_XavDW1l9M5CDrz_Uco_V9ZLcXNwgkVv0/s4624/PXL_20231221_220320743.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4624" data-original-width="3472" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqYdeWx7iHrf7-0BfqnamI2D6WK8sP9GbK-MNCcXMIDjQCYJ1ZTE0aMUka3mPCi5-G6ttXTrB8fWaennUDJDo-0IzGyEWxxZ8CJt6sJO82-rOZXxvy3FRqhcLJSxjbRLtoc2btjjVp8ONpk3gmlhA_072Iia_XavDW1l9M5CDrz_Uco_V9ZLcXNwgkVv0/w300-h400/PXL_20231221_220320743.jpg" width="300" /></a></div> Happy Winter Solstice, 2023. Finally the days will begin to get longer, though winter has barely begun for us. We've had a taste of snow and really cold, but mostly have been a bit warmer than normal (above freezing) and that is expected through the holidays. There is plenty of rain in the forecast that would otherwise be snow, too.<p></p><p>I've not had that many fires this year, but I do like to have a fire on the winter solstice when I can. This year, today was fully cloudy and damp but a few degrees above freezing so I made myself get out there for likely the last time until Spring. We're in for a mild winter, they say, but we'll see.</p><p>Happy Solstice, everyone.</p>Scoakathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03161467660782815686noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1956821131370611167.post-68624628877063063342023-12-19T18:31:00.000-06:002023-12-19T18:31:15.782-06:00Concert Checklist Trend<p>Apparently, this checklist has been trending on social media of some sort, I read about it on a website. Similar to the '50 Bands I've Seen Live' trend <a href="https://scoakatsblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/50-bands-ive-seen-live.html" target="_blank">that I posted</a> back in the first year of this blog, I felt the urge to give my two cents on this one.</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>First concert: Dio (w/ Dokken)</li><li>Last concert: ZZ Top</li><li>Worst concert: Tesla</li><li>Loudest concert: Ace Frehley</li><li>Best concert: Pink Floyd</li><li>Seen the most: Kiss</li><li>Most surprising: Beck</li><li>Next concert: ??</li><li>Wish I could've seen: The original Kiss in the seventies</li></ol><div>Those are my answers. It's hard to recollect them all, and now I've seen so many online it's hard to separate them from in-person sometimes. At my age and after the pandemic now, I expect most of my live concerts to be online. I'm not saying I won't go out to a show, just that it's going to take a lot to get me to do it. Livestreams are easier, cheaper, more options and just more comfortable.</div><div><br /></div><div>Care to share your list?</div><p></p>Scoakathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03161467660782815686noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1956821131370611167.post-89453014666382783322023-11-23T15:22:00.001-06:002023-11-23T15:23:56.232-06:00Happy Thanksgiving 2023<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://classroomclipart.com/image/static7/preview2/cute-cartoon-style-turkey-with-big-eyes-60600.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="584" height="200" src="https://classroomclipart.com/image/static7/preview2/cute-cartoon-style-turkey-with-big-eyes-60600.jpg" width="156" /></a></div>A welcome 4 day weekend and a happy Thanksgiving, everyone. A quiet weekend around here, just rest and some chores. The Packers were on early so sorry to get this posted a little later, but at least the Packers won.<p></p><p>There have been changes around here and I'm still not too sure exactly how I feel about it so I'm going to continue taking a break from blogging through the end of the year, I think. Nothing for anyone to worry about, though. I'll write more in due time.</p><p>Thank you.</p>Scoakathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03161467660782815686noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1956821131370611167.post-55592175031950050252023-11-06T18:08:00.002-06:002023-11-06T18:09:02.104-06:00Saturday Night Fire<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpjZ8hDe3ne5oZVnbrLPjDo4EU5dfhPAIudx2Kkm-NSsQz-oPikefmUdPRU9Yj8qLYMXPPdwuDrT7AM4Z_3v_af2WTSVQOauylgi4ZcKZYLrothfy_hYrQv0KoSCvol-YWOZcQh6mKN6y2WEIDlbCZSg-u73SAsUtOBiLpwg_6QDXz0ceNltj3Z5C0yb4/s4624/PXL_20231104_224929514.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpjZ8hDe3ne5oZVnbrLPjDo4EU5dfhPAIudx2Kkm-NSsQz-oPikefmUdPRU9Yj8qLYMXPPdwuDrT7AM4Z_3v_af2WTSVQOauylgi4ZcKZYLrothfy_hYrQv0KoSCvol-YWOZcQh6mKN6y2WEIDlbCZSg-u73SAsUtOBiLpwg_6QDXz0ceNltj3Z5C0yb4/w640-h480/PXL_20231104_224929514.jpg" width="640" /></a> Was a good night for it, but got colder soon after dark. Here you can also see some of the work on neighbor Dave's house, where the inside is gutted and now a new re-pitched roof. Lots of happenings around here, not sure how much I want to talk about it yet, though. Real life needs doing, not writing.</p>Scoakathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03161467660782815686noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1956821131370611167.post-70705560089220427532023-11-01T17:13:00.001-05:002023-11-01T17:13:16.491-05:00Halloween 2023 and First Snow<p>Happy post-Halloween, everyone. It was mostly a quiet night around here, so thankfully I got only about a <a href="https://scoakatsblog.blogspot.com/2022/11/happy-halloween-2022-and-wood.html" target="_blank">third of the candy</a> we had last year. We got just 9 trick-or-treaters this year, but were only one of 3 houses on the block that I noticed had their lights on. The last two kids were growing mustaches and it was pretty cold so I shut it down about 7:00. It barely got above freezing yesterday with occasional light snow flurries off and on all day for our first snow of the year, though it didn't stick. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmB2DK9MJH68HSADJCFxdYvuKdOzlFkewQs3FQCvi3PeVTgjabay-ViTq19_c1uR0tyTVbMVO6hVe6ptGvt4iI7SPNvybI52boRRBjUhjZY3iJ1JpO8s8iczSB41rVFvTZJoy94ZHo6n9wPvf92gYEDc-sL6IHWMpYPMc8l7EVZ34tZ_yE_nWxTPgXAYY/s4624/PXL_20231101_000140595b.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmB2DK9MJH68HSADJCFxdYvuKdOzlFkewQs3FQCvi3PeVTgjabay-ViTq19_c1uR0tyTVbMVO6hVe6ptGvt4iI7SPNvybI52boRRBjUhjZY3iJ1JpO8s8iczSB41rVFvTZJoy94ZHo6n9wPvf92gYEDc-sL6IHWMpYPMc8l7EVZ34tZ_yE_nWxTPgXAYY/w640-h480/PXL_20231101_000140595b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>I carved a pumpkin again to display on the front steps last night, and today it is on the stump in back waiting to be ravaged by the squirrels and rabbits. I have the trail camera aimed in that direction but I got a pretty good <a href="https://scoakatsblog.blogspot.com/2022/11/the-demise-of-jack-o-lantern.html" target="_blank">video of it getting eaten</a> bit by bit last year. The mummy in the windows was showing wear on the fold seams, and I was getting tired of it so this was the last year for that. I also pulled out the <a href="https://scoakatsblog.blogspot.com/2021/11/happy-halloween-2021.html" target="_blank">mask with the moving mouth LED</a> lights to wear again but that wasn't working right so is also in the trash now.</p><p>We had a good run, but I'm not sure I'll do so much next year. It doesn't seem worth it for just a handful of kids so maybe just candy next year, and maybe the flickering flame light bulb again, too, since I have it just for this holiday. Hope you had fun if you chose to celebrate.</p>Scoakathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03161467660782815686noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1956821131370611167.post-61752126666502367532023-10-25T15:47:00.003-05:002023-10-25T15:47:42.671-05:00More Sidewalk Wisdom<p> From today's walk, same place as last post. It rained hard early today so this must be new.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXmg52cuueHDdkOtBkh6WjjMGZfl4mnP_6LIQS8_C2tuPcmAfqtQ-seUHN3c_tRWtgYpSczi6nBA3pA70Ldjm1NaAe3GokaPwe2gASGIvC_nr9UZRkxwH1y3Q0HutjusoI0HMnSObTA-aYAScjktakWF1sAR6l21TpncJQALzXIgYAnSEbjX0r07mrK9U/s4624/PXL_20231025_195151639.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXmg52cuueHDdkOtBkh6WjjMGZfl4mnP_6LIQS8_C2tuPcmAfqtQ-seUHN3c_tRWtgYpSczi6nBA3pA70Ldjm1NaAe3GokaPwe2gASGIvC_nr9UZRkxwH1y3Q0HutjusoI0HMnSObTA-aYAScjktakWF1sAR6l21TpncJQALzXIgYAnSEbjX0r07mrK9U/w640-h480/PXL_20231025_195151639.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>And an interesting epitaph for this poor bloke, from a few blocks away. Halloween's a-coming!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCezpraADoeYs8CAYDs2o7_OeJUnLfMgzFsXEJDufC_yRDpR8EzmO0SYuUETf5T1o-_5hBKMDmOcomY_P4SNhsvcE14wL2d7Y1BOHMtCHuIKf9WMgB_5XIViGE0Z8ArR5FjCyKl2m8oAhyFz86bfBYO2I_Elqo3jlQc4tzAi1zKnOD0TwFgW6neBbawi0/s4624/PXL_20231025_195516174.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCezpraADoeYs8CAYDs2o7_OeJUnLfMgzFsXEJDufC_yRDpR8EzmO0SYuUETf5T1o-_5hBKMDmOcomY_P4SNhsvcE14wL2d7Y1BOHMtCHuIKf9WMgB_5XIViGE0Z8ArR5FjCyKl2m8oAhyFz86bfBYO2I_Elqo3jlQc4tzAi1zKnOD0TwFgW6neBbawi0/w640-h480/PXL_20231025_195516174.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Scoakathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03161467660782815686noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1956821131370611167.post-9860350727079280502023-10-20T15:20:00.002-05:002023-10-20T15:20:00.146-05:00Good TimingSaw this written on the sidewalk during a walk yesterday. I needed the smile.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigy4fVFxY073pdfnKD7rt7OLY0nISRKeyz1lonPeYG4CihoUEYy_9QYy3sXFAh_R1-d3b6J2XsVuS8Xn8riWAZy7nXj-NdpZWaHAvmsjRr-ji-UNlX0ZLm-Wye8xmmDCVsP_JqIbvtq30uUQq8loWAiZhloDiov864s0MQOgOm9K75XvaAU_q4TPSLsfU/s4624/PXL_20231019_195451443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigy4fVFxY073pdfnKD7rt7OLY0nISRKeyz1lonPeYG4CihoUEYy_9QYy3sXFAh_R1-d3b6J2XsVuS8Xn8riWAZy7nXj-NdpZWaHAvmsjRr-ji-UNlX0ZLm-Wye8xmmDCVsP_JqIbvtq30uUQq8loWAiZhloDiov864s0MQOgOm9K75XvaAU_q4TPSLsfU/w640-h480/PXL_20231019_195451443.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Scoakathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03161467660782815686noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1956821131370611167.post-70859756937808274882023-10-10T17:19:00.002-05:002023-10-10T17:22:09.233-05:00Cuts Like A...<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1nAso-iJ_HjcUL8ofu-zadVE4xVxe2Whh_4NrbrhosvNTt4c1SsLyafV14vk8Z7K0S2p5AZ1e_4rki52cvhe5bZWFxsnxUxQwYr8TZNZgB2NTB_1KogDJC3dNe13m_34Dg0NzSV06e1qWfm4gxhw3PBEmOyrrMht7p0_PU3TU9levTQI5YmfL31KKWy8/s4624/PXL_20231008_163303743.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1nAso-iJ_HjcUL8ofu-zadVE4xVxe2Whh_4NrbrhosvNTt4c1SsLyafV14vk8Z7K0S2p5AZ1e_4rki52cvhe5bZWFxsnxUxQwYr8TZNZgB2NTB_1KogDJC3dNe13m_34Dg0NzSV06e1qWfm4gxhw3PBEmOyrrMht7p0_PU3TU9levTQI5YmfL31KKWy8/w320-h240/PXL_20231008_163303743.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I managed to bake two types of bread on Sunday morning, classic baguettes (left) and simple French bread (right). Thankfully I was able to keep everything straight as, of course, the timing of the steps for each are different. I think both turned out well but for the French bread getting maybe a bit overdone. And while the demi baguette size is handy it is more of a pain to make. I've tried making them from smaller cuts of dough and regular size cut in half, as here. I think I may just stick to making the full size 15-inch baguettes going forward.<p></p><p>The last thing I really need to figure out is the cuts.</p><p>I started with various sharp knives that we have, settling on the <b>serrated bread knife</b>. It does give some good cuts most of the time, though I don't really get an 'ear' on the cuts during baking. It's also a pretty big knife for a small job and I wanted something better.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoDCBImEi-Q0-RWuhUaiL5CAoBq-WvK9Yj-bgStDS5Vh_be_C6vLJP9dAThsIIjDLJGdGTLgue_BXCIoRUlHD484nX0gIOTDEUZSIvTbMbQHxaFGRYKQr-GW7eBy30zyba0a7afkt2sYQ0froM1uIoRsyOkgXvJCM7ExvIgltbweBmuGOEyVCkazSbjGA/s4624/PXL_20231010_213543468.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4624" data-original-width="3472" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoDCBImEi-Q0-RWuhUaiL5CAoBq-WvK9Yj-bgStDS5Vh_be_C6vLJP9dAThsIIjDLJGdGTLgue_BXCIoRUlHD484nX0gIOTDEUZSIvTbMbQHxaFGRYKQr-GW7eBy30zyba0a7afkt2sYQ0froM1uIoRsyOkgXvJCM7ExvIgltbweBmuGOEyVCkazSbjGA/w300-h400/PXL_20231010_213543468.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>Eventually I bought a <b>UFO lame</b> - which is one of the most dangerous things I think I've ever had in my kitchen. Two round pieces of wood that screw together with a razor blade between them. One slip when tightening and your finger would go right into the blade, or if a corner of the blade is left peeking out, or if it loosens and the blade moves outside the wood - all of these can spell bloody disaster. I tried it anyway but it seemed to grab the dough much more than the knife, resulting in ugly and ineffective cuts.<p></p><p>Recently I picked up a <b>baker's lame</b>, which has a curved razor blade that is supposed to help in creating that 'ear' on the cuts, those raised ridges on either side. Similar to the UFO lame, I found it grabbed the dough more than the serrated knife and also resulted in ugly, ineffective cuts.</p><p>My wife says I'm too hard on myself, the cuts don't affect how the bread tastes, after all. But I know it can be done so I will keep trying. I do know that it should be sharp, quick cuts, so maybe I hesitate because I'm expecting it to grab. I think next time when it's still early in the process I will practice my slices on raw dough.</p><div><br /></div>In other news, we went from high temperatures in the 80's to highs in the 50's within a week, with a frost warning last night and tonight. Autumn is definitely upon us. Yard work beckons but this weekend will be cold and wet, and there still should be plenty of time yet. I did mow again today, so now I think I've mowed the whole yard 5 times and only the back yard twice this year. I'm losing track, not that it matters. I just find it notable for how few times it's had to be done this year.<div><br /></div><div>I'm planning on going down to my Mom's on Saturday in time for the Badger game that afternoon, then coming back Sunday to relax and fix the refrigerator. I'll talk more about the refrigerator later as I'm planning on posting about it.<div><br /></div><div>My work situation has not improved, but I just deleted the rant I wrote to spare you. Suffice it to say I am not a happy camper, but you knew that. So on that note, I guess that's enough writing for now. I hope everyone is doing well!</div></div>Scoakathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03161467660782815686noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1956821131370611167.post-21943452887676431742023-09-30T16:12:00.000-05:002023-09-30T16:12:26.717-05:00Sunflower Seeds And #1 Neighborly<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcfLJD_22sYjmJYwFCj0LATP8HV_IKl0_xXn-fww6Am0gNnPaSDCj8t4L2Gjd0UPqnkJw4lghTsk7V71f2ceNQhCZvdvp8n7xARw3-WB50jQuFcGGvBS2LSaCfFwPMMyB6UrUGMLNEomF4C1Aar9-JR6D3LwY4IZwLBjpJoj2sRpB1B1gcb7b5Jvqypt0/s4624/PXL_20230930_133548744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4624" data-original-width="3472" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcfLJD_22sYjmJYwFCj0LATP8HV_IKl0_xXn-fww6Am0gNnPaSDCj8t4L2Gjd0UPqnkJw4lghTsk7V71f2ceNQhCZvdvp8n7xARw3-WB50jQuFcGGvBS2LSaCfFwPMMyB6UrUGMLNEomF4C1Aar9-JR6D3LwY4IZwLBjpJoj2sRpB1B1gcb7b5Jvqypt0/w300-h400/PXL_20230930_133548744.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>It was apparent by the mess outside the back door this morning that the sunflower had indeed gone to seed and those seeds had been discovered. Squirrels had been getting at it this morning, while the cats watched diligently and silently from inside the porch and bedroom window, just feet away. If I was going to harvest any seeds to plant next year the time seemed to be now.<p></p><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_oLsFJ7PJ0PpVsOl0nLzg01DD3md-aduyBb70szcCFE9cYQ_hdZ4HBD04CjksvP_oItxnQSGyHiWGtebM1fMb93mQLCi3Ffl2M2kLuOiIMfsAvEiaOezVypXzykw69TipfnDuxybLvapjoQTi0Z7V9dNanpe-1I5RYG3cYj4iyya0JRB3TAKjYV5nQrM/s4624/PXL_20230930_161523825.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_oLsFJ7PJ0PpVsOl0nLzg01DD3md-aduyBb70szcCFE9cYQ_hdZ4HBD04CjksvP_oItxnQSGyHiWGtebM1fMb93mQLCi3Ffl2M2kLuOiIMfsAvEiaOezVypXzykw69TipfnDuxybLvapjoQTi0Z7V9dNanpe-1I5RYG3cYj4iyya0JRB3TAKjYV5nQrM/w200-h150/PXL_20230930_161523825.jpg" width="200" /></a></p>Thankfully only a small part of the seeds had been pilfered so far, so I was able to get a good amount rubbed off into a small box. They do seem a bit moist yet so I'll have to let them dry out before storing them until spring. My mind starts to wander thinking about different places to plant them in spring, but no sense thinking about that as it is still about 7 months away yet before they'll be planted.<p></p><p>And while I'm thinking of it, I mowed the whole lawn today. Only notable for the few times I've had to mow this year. I believe it's only been: May, once; June, 1/2; July, 0; August, 1 1/2; September, once - today. So I've mowed the whole lawn only 4 times and the back yard an additional 2 times through September this year. Incredible, really, just absolutely incredible.</p><p style="text-align: center;">* * *</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://image.cnbcfm.com/api/v1/image/107308513-1695923783782-gettyimages-1362089094-dji_0884hdrpanoedit_1640962814.jpeg?v=1696025744&w=740&h=416&ffmt=webp&vtcrop=y" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="740" height="416" src="https://image.cnbcfm.com/api/v1/image/107308513-1695923783782-gettyimages-1362089094-dji_0884hdrpanoedit_1640962814.jpeg?v=1696025744&w=740&h=416&ffmt=webp&vtcrop=y" width="740" /></a></div><p>In other news, Madison was fashionably ranked number one on yet another list. This time it is for the <a href="https://www.neighbor.com/storage-blog/2023s-most-neighborly-cities-in-america/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Most Neighborly City in the US, 2023</a>, after being ranked second last year by neighbor dot com. Madison has consistently made these kind of lists and has often topped these kinds of lists in the last several years. No matter where you live it's easy to take what is local for granted, but there are actually a lot of good things about this area. I often seem to find more and more to take for granted around here. More lately, I've been trying to make an effort to take more advantage of many local amenities, but there's always more that get missed. We have a really good zoo in town that I haven't been to in years, and I feel bad about it every time I think of it, for example.</p><p style="text-align: center;">* * *</p><p>Finally, it's the new fiscal year this weekend. Normally not very notable but we're headed for another government shutdown at midnight due to the intellectual toddlers in Washington, and for the second straight year I have to work on a weekend. Tomorrow afternoon I have to sign on for a few hours to get some end-of-fiscal-year work done and do some testing due to system updates for the fiscal year changeover, and I'm really not happy about it. And since I work on government contracts but for a private company we will have business as usual if the government shuts down, but without funding it will be hectic catching up on payments once the in-fighting in the Senate and House gets resolved.</p><p>We all have to work together if we are to survive. The way things are going now, we're doomed.</p><p></p>Scoakathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03161467660782815686noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1956821131370611167.post-32662942723233010002023-09-27T18:56:00.001-05:002023-09-30T16:21:54.211-05:00Gameday Baking<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRfe3qFTrBbh5FscVtzXOBMCtm9zYAEHptWGgyUedxWl_MYWlwOArS83RYM28VZxEA07m4KbJrU29RiZQdag2e5aeSUqKGkwQdbN30xl2J4uZkk1erXoKbefjnx4TwFRy0C8QK0GsVjdywu5wjjrWpalepAoFGuTKjPrdbMNYiAvlye7mBMe87k-4UwCo/s4624/PXL_20230924_151101813.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRfe3qFTrBbh5FscVtzXOBMCtm9zYAEHptWGgyUedxWl_MYWlwOArS83RYM28VZxEA07m4KbJrU29RiZQdag2e5aeSUqKGkwQdbN30xl2J4uZkk1erXoKbefjnx4TwFRy0C8QK0GsVjdywu5wjjrWpalepAoFGuTKjPrdbMNYiAvlye7mBMe87k-4UwCo/w400-h300/PXL_20230924_151101813.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Kate made olive parmesan bread on Sunday morning. It was a first try making it and it turned out very good. She thawed the frozen white bread dough in the fridge overnight, then let it rise a bit more before cutting it into pieces, then mixing it with various sliced olives, shredded parmesan cheese and olive oil. I suggested the square baking dish but next time I think she'll try it on a tray with parchment paper.<p></p><p>When I told my Mom some time ago that we were getting these loaves of frozen bread dough she reminded me of when I was young she'd make cinnamon rolls out of it. I'm sure they were yummy so we may try that in the future.</p><p>Once Kate was done in the kitchen I began making baguette. It was a couple hours before the Packer game at noon so I knew it would overlap but I can still hear the television from the kitchen. And I often text with my Mom during the games so I texted her pics and kept her up with the process. So, since I already have the pictures, I'll put that baguette process after the break with some narrative on the changes I made to my technique. </p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>So far I had normally been following the <a href="https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/classic-baguettes-recipe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">King Arthur Classic Baguette recipe</a> pretty closely. But toward the end of that page they have a link to a video, also from <a href="https://youtu.be/ba2DHI299PU" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">King Arthur - video here</a>. The recipe calls for oil when rising initially so I had continued that on the work surface instead of flour until the shaping stage, and I now use flour instead starting at the point of dividing the dough after the initial rises. I do have to remember to spray the film before covering to let them rest, however.</p><p>The recipe calls to divide the dough and form into balls before letting them rest but I started following the video and forming them into a pre-shape. Here, thinking ahead, I divided it into 2 pre-shapes of 300 grams and one of 350 grams, on the left. The two smaller ones will be made into 4 demi baguettes. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6gaD8x3lcO4Nb7MQrFGXM9LuahjMdskMpmWflwQ0kQgpo-nbbv3FNI2_tZEnwY_44cOSH5kZj4r8Larig2YWcwaDAopeIyYtTUX9q12JZn3vuQtuLzKyF5hVgV2lmjRwWnxLRIHTcaxor5BM58B13-4rqgZe9kZnppHznwmvcHlDyOTUoS3qrywGHuX8/s4624/PXL_20230924_172048199.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6gaD8x3lcO4Nb7MQrFGXM9LuahjMdskMpmWflwQ0kQgpo-nbbv3FNI2_tZEnwY_44cOSH5kZj4r8Larig2YWcwaDAopeIyYtTUX9q12JZn3vuQtuLzKyF5hVgV2lmjRwWnxLRIHTcaxor5BM58B13-4rqgZe9kZnppHznwmvcHlDyOTUoS3qrywGHuX8/w640-h480/PXL_20230924_172048199.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>From here, I folded, formed and sealed them as normal. Forming the baguette naturally elongates the dough so very little rolling is needed to get them to size. The two smaller pre-shapes got formed and rolled then cut in half as making them smaller on their own is difficult.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJnQuAkT3BhYSk87EPi8zeq8BgP0vaL2YSaVYxDuOeQIuc3PlwsLmgztx1gklfS3Nhdj1-75qBvVyt-hQK_FQ98UmYKgLhC9TTIXLDOgKxZLV5H75CiXVGwcPcomGTD0MnWTiVLopCGCgq4cGC_AIhr9Pt9xbU1kN4XlAUGAvGcDDdEt0T1yiWhTyQTOM/s4624/PXL_20230924_173337823.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJnQuAkT3BhYSk87EPi8zeq8BgP0vaL2YSaVYxDuOeQIuc3PlwsLmgztx1gklfS3Nhdj1-75qBvVyt-hQK_FQ98UmYKgLhC9TTIXLDOgKxZLV5H75CiXVGwcPcomGTD0MnWTiVLopCGCgq4cGC_AIhr9Pt9xbU1kN4XlAUGAvGcDDdEt0T1yiWhTyQTOM/w640-h480/PXL_20230924_173337823.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Eventually I preheated the oven to 475ºF and had a cup of boiling water ready for the pan in the bottom of the oven. I'm still using a serrated bread knife to make the cuts (but I may get a baker's lame soon) and I've stopped misting the loaves with a spray bottle of water, trusting the steam from the water pan to work its magic.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjrVNfb0Rz2Iced30exc1t1OuxYaL0Ux-Yw2uYejmemtwy_O2_OsdjjdNLZIsJo-tzd-bmlej_SmmUYPeTlDUGQLEIvQWGnuJFs2UpQRx0ZYNbjh7J7qGzq7yY0Rq5oLqqsuck9Ja7GpUZACirnAMP6L3Regc04qQBbQptr7q75tgKMwLsXRx8M4Dxa-o/s4624/PXL_20230924_182110097.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjrVNfb0Rz2Iced30exc1t1OuxYaL0Ux-Yw2uYejmemtwy_O2_OsdjjdNLZIsJo-tzd-bmlej_SmmUYPeTlDUGQLEIvQWGnuJFs2UpQRx0ZYNbjh7J7qGzq7yY0Rq5oLqqsuck9Ja7GpUZACirnAMP6L3Regc04qQBbQptr7q75tgKMwLsXRx8M4Dxa-o/w640-h480/PXL_20230924_182110097.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>I've also been playing with the oven temperature, lowering it a bit after putting them in and extending the baking time a few minutes. So far it seems to be working well, and I ended up with some pretty good-looking baguettes.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xjcVyy_kpt_bl2uK04jAH3LVFtdU661Yj0AGl70RZFXQEyZuagc4ns0-egomFXgSnj0SEQqpnkN1BA6SdlOodTPDvFN6NaNDdQXaz4RAV5cVHUodz2zjHiRpwtEQQwoQ5vWrDw4Wa-Bf6_NyuKzoi_yYcjJjMO2-qqMA5uBMTc6X6ujipFMDVzZB82k/s4624/PXL_20230924_184358179.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xjcVyy_kpt_bl2uK04jAH3LVFtdU661Yj0AGl70RZFXQEyZuagc4ns0-egomFXgSnj0SEQqpnkN1BA6SdlOodTPDvFN6NaNDdQXaz4RAV5cVHUodz2zjHiRpwtEQQwoQ5vWrDw4Wa-Bf6_NyuKzoi_yYcjJjMO2-qqMA5uBMTc6X6ujipFMDVzZB82k/w640-h480/PXL_20230924_184358179.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>We really enjoy the this bread and I like trying to make it better each time, so I just haven't branched out to other recipes in some time now. I am anxious to make that <a href="https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/unkneaded-six-fold-french-bread-recipe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">French bread recipe</a> again, but there's only two of us so there just hasn't been a need yet. That's okay, quality over quantity is a good thing here..</p>Scoakathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03161467660782815686noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1956821131370611167.post-12626673983341626232023-09-24T16:08:00.001-05:002023-09-24T16:11:58.489-05:00It's Been Awhile...<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr3PNRj58jV-Jij8r-QoUKU23FIeHD8blqzISclnysTk90C9ahI9aDH43tWny11564ZW6mcMftiTDYbgar8ZaJi-we_qEF4p_pGiFpQ9qGao_5gFGo7Glbcs5EB6t2jZblmFb3wDIKyof1AMyNnRWxisW54P2Bq-a0lYgTtyXZ-y-y5ALNv7yWCSD2XCs/s4032/PXL_20230924_200238671.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr3PNRj58jV-Jij8r-QoUKU23FIeHD8blqzISclnysTk90C9ahI9aDH43tWny11564ZW6mcMftiTDYbgar8ZaJi-we_qEF4p_pGiFpQ9qGao_5gFGo7Glbcs5EB6t2jZblmFb3wDIKyof1AMyNnRWxisW54P2Bq-a0lYgTtyXZ-y-y5ALNv7yWCSD2XCs/s320/PXL_20230924_200238671.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>It's been awhile since I've written much of anything online since I last posted here. It was nothing I planned but just turned into a bit of a break, anyway. Since then, I've had a vacation and a birthday, and, well, life just continues to happen whether we write about it or not. Nothing bad, mind you, but I did want to break the seal and catch up with writing this weekend. But now the weekend is almost over and truthfully I don't feel like much like writing much at the moment.<p></p><p>The Packers just won with a fourth quarter comeback, and you can probably tell from the picture that I was much more attentive to the game than Hamish.</p><p>My wife and I both did some baking today, and often my Mom and I text during the games so I was sending her pictures as I made baguettes. They turned out pretty good though I've been experimenting with my technique, so I may share that here soon. Otherwise, back to the grind in the morning and fiscal year is just a week away so the headaches are coming. </p><p>We did go out for a fancy dinner with friends Terry and Becky last night. The parking lot was between the restaurant and the lake, so we parked right up to the lake and I got pictures of when we arrived and when we left that we found interesting, if not quite level. I'll put those after the break. Cheers, everyone.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is looking across Lake Monona, the smaller of the two big Madison lakes. For a recent reference, San Damiano would be across the lake to the left, possibly out of the picture. It was windy and the lake was choppy, but the moonlight reflection was still beautiful.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYDCmdSOOo_jSz0wgScKmbxr-b5azTuYh-xEk9dT18XCw8G_DkkA2Lu8fO7M2GZB6ZmVGkoJdUhqriZ1nvx_Arvdauq7LYjpCzORSsdPKsHagb4glAiMOyVhbjzCPv0JXzdoV62wIEYJv0nJGpd75JJFVz4VJdZnndoiYOiYDGZ4cTgPeN-KNQnqTlEOU/s4624/PXL_20230923_231727906.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYDCmdSOOo_jSz0wgScKmbxr-b5azTuYh-xEk9dT18XCw8G_DkkA2Lu8fO7M2GZB6ZmVGkoJdUhqriZ1nvx_Arvdauq7LYjpCzORSsdPKsHagb4glAiMOyVhbjzCPv0JXzdoV62wIEYJv0nJGpd75JJFVz4VJdZnndoiYOiYDGZ4cTgPeN-KNQnqTlEOU/w640-h480/PXL_20230923_231727906.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCYDzbX1BaSC-nlwZlno-v9ghLHkL1umCwEzBT-iw5mpmkyv5765ki6J0Ay0Gpogl3veSNEaxQVwB8yZJn0P7o-1MdmWl1Sc_-w1g11ugDa3vfQAVSBt1t4OAkqz2T4y9gkgN24VMJYwBOe31HdlS5zkBti9i6-g41dmMJvItK6ATk0wS6d1vvVPKcHRM/s4624/PXL_20230924_003947731.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCYDzbX1BaSC-nlwZlno-v9ghLHkL1umCwEzBT-iw5mpmkyv5765ki6J0Ay0Gpogl3veSNEaxQVwB8yZJn0P7o-1MdmWl1Sc_-w1g11ugDa3vfQAVSBt1t4OAkqz2T4y9gkgN24VMJYwBOe31HdlS5zkBti9i6-g41dmMJvItK6ATk0wS6d1vvVPKcHRM/w640-h480/PXL_20230924_003947731.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Scoakathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03161467660782815686noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1956821131370611167.post-78840616456898790832023-09-03T14:57:00.007-05:002023-09-04T12:15:24.570-05:00Exhausted Sunflower*<p>The sunflower looks exhausted. This holiday weekend is the second heatwave since it was at peak bloom, <a href="https://scoakatsblog.blogspot.com/2023/08/full-bloom.html" target="_blank">here</a>, and still not much for rain chances in the extended forecast.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK5ZgBjMCabeB1Lf0yjdPTNeNkwUA0BIpgx8Bd4N6Cg41QZLar5u_HpzewSNZuP2PWUFm08i2b0w6JhqCbKgSaOyGcEABLVBWoAaVqk4pkLEH8XsT0Sbwzk-qx9azv2WahNkwImFpkSnBFieMsztxZYH8pNVp-eO0XUTXYYdWNW6sUqeFpbeeCnT7aWs8/s4624/PXL_20230903_184748684.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4624" data-original-width="3472" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK5ZgBjMCabeB1Lf0yjdPTNeNkwUA0BIpgx8Bd4N6Cg41QZLar5u_HpzewSNZuP2PWUFm08i2b0w6JhqCbKgSaOyGcEABLVBWoAaVqk4pkLEH8XsT0Sbwzk-qx9azv2WahNkwImFpkSnBFieMsztxZYH8pNVp-eO0XUTXYYdWNW6sUqeFpbeeCnT7aWs8/w300-h400/PXL_20230903_184748684.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>I haven't mowed the front in a month, since August 4, but I have mowed the back since then, on the 17th. There is still green in the lawn, though starting to tend brown in areas.<p></p><p>Otherwise, I worked a 12 hour day on Thursday to get some mandated overtime hours in so I didn't have to work on Saturday, only to have overtime canceled on Friday. I still hate my job - my employer, to be accurate. But, it is what it is for now.</p><p>I made baguette yesterday but inadvertently preheated the wrong oven, top instead of bottom, so it didn't turn out quite the same due to the missing steam. Instead of 3 baguettes I made 6 demi baguettes to give some away, but we'll keep these. They're still real good and I'll give it another go tomorrow morning. It's hard to keep them short, and short enough for two per row on the tray, so the practice will be good for me.</p><p>Happy Labor Day weekend, everyone.</p><span><a name='more'></a><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGOXQXZHPq5p2q6wPg4x36-2a2tFtLCIkydriiXWcL5xhy0o-MpkU92wosgjNrUWMFvtMomcZwlzxxhjsLFH2t0wOSTQGYsFALf9cTFJWRTsZkQrgnfqMuT4HCqbYByuXjDKhvwYzgissCEzKO5l-oiID8MTZM5Z2x69MQNjpdryt9Oq34YnE0V3NuqMU/s4624/PXL_20230902_155641975.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGOXQXZHPq5p2q6wPg4x36-2a2tFtLCIkydriiXWcL5xhy0o-MpkU92wosgjNrUWMFvtMomcZwlzxxhjsLFH2t0wOSTQGYsFALf9cTFJWRTsZkQrgnfqMuT4HCqbYByuXjDKhvwYzgissCEzKO5l-oiID8MTZM5Z2x69MQNjpdryt9Oq34YnE0V3NuqMU/w640-h480/PXL_20230902_155641975.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">*Update, Monday. I made the same recipe but in the correct oven this time. The only difference was the steam and that I made them in two separate batches so they wouldn't meet in the middle like above.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6gNvJ_9wYz3kdfA1bGiXY5ozXuZIL1Lre3YqMAuAuJEuWN1WP-YpUjZLVmsfcoN-gBcfYTFyKN4YYWqtNNaa6niTXxFbNHc_h3ufFULah1i0AljZG2MQTqqXMn5eaq2AFOv5vKD0Je3D-PeEyil-1qNoUz8XsZV_bJttEZr8QgrJ1csFD3e_n59FeLAA/s4624/PXL_20230904_170838870.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6gNvJ_9wYz3kdfA1bGiXY5ozXuZIL1Lre3YqMAuAuJEuWN1WP-YpUjZLVmsfcoN-gBcfYTFyKN4YYWqtNNaa6niTXxFbNHc_h3ufFULah1i0AljZG2MQTqqXMn5eaq2AFOv5vKD0Je3D-PeEyil-1qNoUz8XsZV_bJttEZr8QgrJ1csFD3e_n59FeLAA/w640-h480/PXL_20230904_170838870.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Scoakathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03161467660782815686noreply@blogger.com7