Shortfall: Part 2

Snowshoeing on the second day of the October snowstorm. This time, we started off at the new Flatirons Vista trailhead.

 

From the get-go, Ellie followed in my snowshoe tracks.

Notice the gate in the background. Ellie didn't make it more than 5 minutes before turning back and looking at me as if to say "Well, are you following me or what?".

Byrdie and I forged ahead. Can you tell she's a hunting breed?

Sometimes all she could do was swim through the snow!

A gentle snowfall.

 

 

 

In the background, the foothills emerging from the storm.

Shortfall

Shortfall: A failure to attain a specified amount or level; a shortage.

Short Fall.

With a massive snowstorm falling upon Colorado this week - the third snowfall of the season, by the way - some feel as though this year's autumn hasn't measured up to it's predecessors. Those typical Colorado Indian summer days; the ones that give you the false hope that your sun kissed skin will not, in fact, need to be cloaked in layer upon layer for seemingly endless months. Those fall days that give you just a taste of bitter cold before turning on end and warming you to the core once more, reminding you - as if you needed reminding - of why you live in this place. It's of those days that some believe we have been deprived this year.  Fortunately for me, there were two trips this season. Two, to take in everything that I love about Fall! And so, I've had my fill of autumn with it's mosaic of crimson reds, yellows, purples and burnt oranges. The type of beauty you are only privileged to see once a year, maybe, if you live in the right place, and at the right time, and if Mother Nature so allows.

Some photos courtesy of Meagan's camera while I was in Wisconsin:

Apple picking in Dad's yard!

Grapevines in the yard!

 

Driving from Green Bay to Minneapolis

 

 

Apple picking with Dad!

And, here are some photos of day 1 of the snowstorm:

 

If anything, I love this snow for these dogs.

 

 

Snowshoeing on the Mesa trail near the house with Kristen.

I do not feel like I've been deprived of my favorite season. Anyway, I'm still holding out hope that this... er, 2 feet?... of snow will melt away and I'll have my 60 degree sunshine again soon.

The Pie.

Fall is, hands down, my favorite time of year. There is nothing about this season that I can't appreciate: wondrous colors, chilly temperatures,  harvest time for gardeners, and for me, preparing some of my favorite foods - like pumpkin pie! Today I tried my hand at baking a pie from scratch. Okay, so technically I didn't make the crust, but when you find a really tasty (not to mention organic!) crust, why bother with the extra work? This fall day didn't make it particularly difficult to stay hunkered down in the oven-warmed kitchen.

(I managed to sneak in a few shots when we had a break in the snow showers)

My pie story begins in September. :) One of my favorite Saturday morning activities is going to the Boulder Farmers' Market to support local farmers. Honestly, my love for the Market is mostly selfish. Whether or not I buy fresh produce/cheese/meat/bread/etc. I leave with a feeling of fulfillment.  In early September, the farmers bring out the big guns - every vegetable you can imagine, including pumpkins. Ready to delve into the fall festivities, I bought a perfect little sugar pumpkin to take home and call my own... pie.

I found a great recipe to follow for my first homemade pumpkin pie.

Of course, there's plenty of time to make seasoned pumpkin seeds while waiting for the pumpkin to soften!

I tried to stick to organic ingredients, when possible, and ground my own cardamom, cloves, ginger and Celtic sea salt. In my opinion, this enhanced the flavor of the pie.

Here's the end product. The pie looks great! I had some left over pie filling so I added some flour and just a bit of baking soda to the mix and made some cupcakes.

The true test! With homemade pie, we couldn't settle for anything less than homemade whipped cream!

And some of us enjoy a little pie with our whipped cream.

The recipe (and my recipe-following skills) passed the test! The pie was delicious and totally worth the extra effort of preparing a pumpkin. This specific recipe called for a couple ingredients you won't find in the canned pumpkin pie mix and they really brought out great flavors in the pie. From now on, I think I'll stick to sugar pumpkins for my pie. I would suggest this recipe to anyone - amateur pie maker, or not - it's very easy to follow.

Well, for now, I bid you adieu so that I can cozy up in front of the warm stove. Good night!

The Pumpkin.

October Trip to Moab

In early October, Ben and I drove to Moab, Utah to spend the weekend with a few close friends. This trip is one that Ben makes annually, if not more often. I first joined him in 2007, during the first month we were dating, and fell in love with the beauty of the desert. So vast and unforgiving, but breathtakingly beautiful. This year, the weekend was gorgeous with nearly perfect weather (all but the wind storm on Sunday, which managed to pick up two of the group's tents and leave them in ruins).  Ben ended up staying the entire week for a solo mountain biking trip - and oh, did I envy him.

We took one group ride at Gemini Bridges, had a couple of great bonfires, took a discovery drive through the La Sal mountain range, and overall just enjoyed the company of each other. I didn't take many photos, but here are a few that I captured to highlight the trip:

This is in the parking lot of Gemini Bridges. We just so happened to drive in when a train was passing over the bike trail.

Here we are at the base of the Gemini Bridges trail.

Here is my Jeep (for those who haven't seen it yet) and some Aspens on our drive through the La Sal's.

Again, on our drive. We stopped at a lake and I let the dogs stretch their legs a bit (we had a few flurries at elevation!).

A breathtaking view of Moab.

And at the end of the trip, Byrdie and Ellie were all worn out, and what better place to sleep than next to one another in Ellie's cozy crate?

Ben and I truly love Moab. We have been here three times in the last two years, including Thanksgiving last year. We spent a cold, rainy four days together mostly in the comfort of the tent, car or cozy coffee shop and bookstore we found downtown. We had our own Thanksgiving dinner of homemade chicken soup (with stuffing thrown in there!), rolls and pumpkin pie! Despite the weather, we remember the trip fondly and we plan to spend Thanksgiving in Moab again this year.

Our quick trip with friends did not disappoint. I'm looking forward to next month and exploring a bit more of Moab.