The Poudre

Last weekend we woke up on Saturday and decided we should go camping.  I packed, Dave figured out where to go, and we were on our way.  We headed up to Fort Collins and then went west into the mountains, trying to camp on Red Feather Lakes.  Nothing open.  We went to the Poudre River, Kelly Flats campground and found the last spot.  It was a good one, just above the Poudre River.  We fished, we grilled food, we read (currently reading Game of Thrones), we slept, and we returned the next day in time to clean up and get ready for the first week of school.

Red Feather Lakes, where we spent all of 15 minutes.

Dave getting our poles ready.  Dave ended up catching rainbow trout!  Very cool.  I caught nothing.

Our campsite on the Poudre.

We got this stove for $4 at the recycler and it worked on the first try.  They sell for $60 at REI.  Making potatoes to go with the burgers cooking on the campfire.

Fun with photography.  Loving our new half-dome tent.  There's a door on both sides!

Bacon and egg sandwiches for breakfast with Chai tea.  River in the background.

We went to Culver's in Fort Collins.  This was Dave's first Culver's experience.  He had a butter burger and said, "I mean, it's a step up from McD's."  He also had some custard and agreed it was good.  Culver's originated in WI and there's three of them in my home town, one of which I worked at in high school and college.

This pictures is sideways, but I just don't care right now.  This is a Kelloggs Breakfast tomato.  I combined two of these, about six San Marzanos, two Jet Stars all from my garden plus two mystery tomatoes from my CSA, oregano and basil from my front porch, and made THE MOST AMAZING pizza sauce and then pizza that I have ever eaten. 

These are my super-productive basil bushes.  If I stick around this weekend, I will likely harvest and make my third huge batch of yummy pesto.  That's flowered mint in the background. 

This one massive tomatillo plant helped me make a quart of green chili salsa, which I served over pressure-cooked pulled pork from a 8lb pork shoulder/butt.  We have extra salsa, so I might have to make some soup.  The tomatillo plant is still making more, so round two might happen in September, however, it has been very hot this week.  We set 2 temperature records and tied 1.  We're about 10 degrees warmer than we should be and my plants are taking a beating. 

I go outside last night around 9 to water plants and am totally weirded out by the look of this guy.  I go back in and proclaim that someone or something assaulted one of my small tomato bushes.  I grabbed the headlamp and found...

Tomato Hornworms.  These guys are freakin HUGE!  At first glance it looked like a snake. 

Much larger than my pointer finger.  I violently killed both of them out of fear that they would take over the other 15 plants in my yard and somehow get to the garden.  Take that, nature!  That makes flea beetles, aphids, and horn worms in my organic garden this year.

Harvesting is continuous around here.  Tomatoes for every meal, basil as well.  I'm also going to have to do something with these cucumbers ASAP. 

First week of class went well, except, as usual, I'm totally wiped.  I hope your August is finishing off well!