In last Sunday’s post I briefly mentioned the rain we had. Well, my goodness, did we ever get rain Sunday night and Monday. By the time the rain stopped falling we had 6.5 inches in our rain gauge!!! Highly unusual for Montana but so welcome!
With all that rain falling walks were short and lots of mud was tracked into the basement which is unfinished–thus that’s where we remove muddy boots and rain gear. Emmi was in and out of the laundry room sink getting her paws washed. Much to her dismay a bath and haircut followed. I had to threaten Emmi several times with a trip to the groomer if she didn’t stop wiggling!
The Cowboy has been hard at work on his flatbed and various other things such as changing the oil in one or the other of our vehicles/equipment/lawnmowers.
Wednesday we took a drive to town–I wanted flowers this year and friends Kelli and Bonnie own a greenhouse. Our deck is in the sun for most of the day so whatever I plant must be sun tolerant. Some years I branch out and try different plants–always without much success. This year I decided to stick to the old tried and true–petunias–they love my deck and always do well. So, petunias it is in a red/white/blue color scheme. We did purchase a couple perennials for the back yard flower bed.
We keep having very cool nights so our leaves aren’t fully developed but our summer time jungle is forming. The birds are eating us out of house and home–lazuli buntings, rosy red finches, western tanagers, a black headed grosbeak pair, yellow warblers, woodpeckers and chickadees visit the feeders. And we have a host of hummingbirds.
Saturday we traveled to Livingston to watch the grands play T-ball. Want to smile and laugh–go watch a group of 4 to 7 year old children play ball. We had the best time–they are so cute! Brooks can really whack that ball! Those two ladies/coaches were awesome with the kiddos and had to be exhausted by the end of the “game.” Saturday afternoon we had some wicked lightening and a bit more rain.
On Facebook recently I noticed a post by our friend Pam–a slice of delicious appearing strawberry/rhubarb pie and Pam was kind enough to provide this link to the pie. We have tons of rhubarb this time of year and a shortage of ways to use it that don’t require buckets of sugar–oh well–rhubarb pie it is. And my goodness is that pie ever delicious!!
As you all have read, Louanne is our pie baker extraordinaire and has tried to teach me to make crusts. While in AZ we had a refresher conversation and by george I think I can make a pie crust! One thing I had forgotten was the little cheesecloth sleeve that goes over the rolling pin to keep the dough from sticking to the rolling pin. That little problem was always one of my BIG problems no matter what rolling pin I used. Well, in Montana I don’t have a cheesecloth sleeve. Nursing resourcefulness to the rescue.
While searching for cheesecloth in the basement pantry and not finding any I stumbled across this package of Kling–a stretchy bandage wrap. Worked like a charm–no issues rolling out the pie crust!
Emmi and I went for an afternoon stroll about 2:30 Sunday afternoon and it turned into a race to the house before we were drenched! I could see the storm coming and told Emmi to pick up the pace–we reached the house just as the first drops started falling.
Restoration Cowboy Style 
Glad you got all your rain! And the pie looks amazing!
LikeLike
Yummy looking pie AND the rain. Send some down to the Central Coast. we are so dry our area looks like a lunar landscape
LikeLike
I wish we could share some of this rain!
LikeLike
The pie was amazing Geri!
LikeLike
Ha! Now I know what to do to keep dough from sticking to a rolling pin! Your abundance of birds sounds delightful. I had no idea that you have so many feathered friends visiting!
LikeLike
And I forgot the gold finches–they really do eat us out of house and home in the summer. I’m filling one large and two smaller feeders every day. When the hot temps arrive the birds seem to go somewhere else. 😦
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love you list of feathered visitors…lots of color in that group. So happy you are getting the much needed rain…6.5 inches sounds wonderful. I love petunias, but never had the perfect place to plant them for success. Your pie looks yummy…we have never eaten rhubarb. And a pie crust is way beyond my skill level! Gay
LikeLike
And I forgot to add the gold finches to that list so we really do have lots of color in our bird population! Pie crusts were beyond my skill level too until I met Louanne! Lard and Crisco–that’s the secret, roll it out on canvas coated in a liberal dusting of flour rubbed in–and use that cover on the rolling pin. When it’s the size you want, roll the crust back onto the rolling pin and roll in off the pin onto the pie plate. It really is that simple.
LikeLike
Rhubarb pie is Dave’s birthday cake every year. Our son requests strawberry/rhubarb pie for his july birthday cake. We used to have a prolific patch at the farm so I developed or found a number of good recipes using it. Rhubarb/strawberry or rhubarb/rasberry pie, Rhubarb streusel muffins, rhubarb custard pie (only one crust!) rhubarb compote for roast pork, roasted rhubarb (think sweet) to put over vanilla ice cream, rhubarb crisp (no crust at all!). etc.
I love the thought of all those colorful birds visiting regularly, even though they do eat a lot!
LikeLike
Oh, and I forgot my personal favorite – rhubarb upside down cake (with a chewy oatmeal cake)!
LikeLike
I have a ton of rhubarb recipes saved but unless we are having company I hate to bake any of it because we eat it all!! But I just may have to get over that–rhubarb only comes around in the summer! I do freeze some and enjoy a rhubarb crisp in the winter.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree watching the littles play sports is so much fun!! Their faces – from bored to super excited to frustrated – priceless. Yummy looking pie, haven’t had rhubarb in years. So glad Montana got some good rain, wish it would move south to AZ soon!
LikeLike
Millie really isn’t into playing ball so her expression is bored most of the time. 🙂 I too wish we could send some of our rain to Arizona!
LikeLike
That photo on the bench with the T-ballers is so darn cute. John said it looks like a Norman Rockwell. What a fun time! Mud…not something I’m familiar with. Share a photo of your new porch flowers, please. So glad the pie turned out for you. Your crust looks perfect. Clever rolling pin cover!
LikeLike
My porch flowers are beautiful–I will take a photo for the next post. And I’m even growing cilantro in a pot–it’s thriving! I’m so excited about finally learning to make a decent, good pie crust!
LikeLike