Joan's Marinated Cucumbers
I must be sick.....I'm sitting down to blog for the second time in one day! I have had difficulty blogging twice per month and now look at me go! :) I'm going to hold off on publishing this until tomorrow (Monday) so I don't overdo it today. Ha!
I'm listening to my son and his cousins arguing and playing....playing and arguing. Perhaps it's the same thing?! :) At any rate, it's nice having them here. We don't get to see them as often as we would like to. My brother took time to help me with Doc this morning. As most of you know, Doc is THE horse in my life who changed everything. I love him more than any other horse we own....he is my baby. Last weekend at the Cowgirl Swank Classic I wasn't happy with our performance (meaning me and my horse). It seemed like Doc was out in left field....and I was there right with him. Roping is mostly on me (the misses and the catches), but even that seemed off. When I first bought Doc his previous owners were using a hackamore on him. Nothing against hackamores, but I feel like I don't have much side pull in one of those so we've tried several different bits on him. A person needs side pull when you are learning to sort cows. The one he likes the best is the one made by Keith Welling from Crawford, NE. It has a broken mouth piece with a little lifesaver in it. It also swivels on the sides so it gives me some side pull without being all sidepull and no whoa. Anyway, Wyatt looked at several bits I have and decided that is the one I should use on him. I didn't want to go back to using a snaffle so I was happy with his decision.
We spent over an hour at the arena. He talked to me a lot about the concept in working cows and how to achieve the job. Mind you, this is working cows in the arena....not on on the range. There is a difference. The concept is the same, but the handle is a lot different in certain ways. The end result is that you want to get ahead of the critter and turn it back. This is best done when your horse responds to you, slows up, and turns efficiently (a horse who watches a cow is also beneficial). Doc was not turning efficiently last weekend. His nose was up in the air.....I was double-reining him.....we both looked like it was our first rodeo. So.......I asked for help......and I got it. At the end of our training session I left the arena with a deeper understanding of what I'm trying to do with my horse. Doc left with a wet saddle blanket and the thought that he was surely close to death. I smile when I say that....Doc is a little melodramatic and I baby him....what should I expect? The truth is.....he did what I asked of him.....he did what Wyatt asked of him when he crawled on him. Doc is a tad on the lazy side, but I would rather have that than a horse who is jittered up and not trustworthy. I love my horse.....so in my opinion, he is perfect for me. We have work to do....both of us. I'm not above asking for help either.....I know I don't know everything and that I can learn from those around me who know more. I'm really glad Wyatt took time to help me today! Here are a few pics of Wyatt showing Doc how to get the job done:
Wheat harvest is finishing up today at our place. We are so glad to have it done and fortunate to not have had any hail. Wheat prices are down, but it's all good. Here is a picture I captured of the two combines cutting one of our last fields yesterday. It's amazing how these big machines gobble up all that wheat!
Here is what the Slim Buttes looked like today after all the wheat was harvested:
I truly feel fortunate to live in such a beautiful place (despite it's shortcomings in the good road/good water department)! It's been a really good year so far.....we are truly blessed. :)
It's been pretty hot and dry for the last week or so. Perfect cucumber weather if you ask me! That brings me to a recipe that Mom and I got from our neighbor, Joan Bolln. I've named it Joan's Marinated Cucumbers. I don't think it had an official name......so I gave it one. We've been making a variation of this recipe for years. I think Joan captured the perfect amount of each ingredient to make it taste the best. Give it a try and see what you think!
Joan’s Marinated Cucumbers
3 Cucumbers, sliced
½ an onion, diced
1 c. Miracle Whip
½ c. Sugar
Vinegar to taste
Salt & Pepper to taste
Combine the last four ingredients making sure to taste it. If more of one or two ingredients are needed, add them.
I prefer my cucumbers to be a bit tangy so I use a tad more vinegar, but the end result is totally up to you. Add in the cucumbers and the onions. Mix it up really well.
You can eat these right away or refrigerate for a day. I think letting them sit for a day in the fridge makes them better, but that’s just my opinion. I love this side dish.....oh who am I kidding.....I take the top off and eat them right out of the dish.....most any time of the day! :) Enjoy! ~Cheyenne