Royal Monarach Airbnb

If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies.

- Author Unknown

That's quite a reminder for this change-challenged person. Butterflies are the ultimate symbol of transformation. As George Carlin once quipped, "The caterpillar does all the work but the butterfly gets all the publicity."

I'm not sure that's true of monarch butterflies. It sounds like a lot of work to me to travel for two months, across thousands of miles, bucking wind and rain and predators. And it's all to get to a destination they've never visited before.

The Monarch butterflies begin the journey in their summer home in Canada and the northern regions of the U.S. They are headed for a mountain range 70 miles west of Mexico City in central Mexico, where they find the perfect habitat to survive November through March in the Oyamel forests. As many as 300 million spend the winter there. Wouldn't that be a sight to see?

It's not like the whooping cranes which migrate year after year. The butterflies will only make this journey one time. So how do they know where to go? It is just another miracle of God's creation. Researchers say that it appears to be a combination of directional aids such as the magnetic pull of the earth, the position of the sun and the availability of milkweed, where the butterflies lay their eggs.

Photo by Tami Brensing, Stafford, KS

They are a beautiful signal of fall. On Saturday night, my friend, Tami Brensing, posted this photo on Facebook as Monarchs bedded down for the night in the trees at their house.

So Randy and I wandered in our yard. We had some flitting from treetop to treetop, but our overnight accommodations must not have been right. Maybe we didn't get a good Airbnb review or something.We should definitely work on that!

 

I did manage to focus in on one butterfly, spreading its wings in the setting sun Saturday evening.

Then, another friend - Millie Dearden from Scott City - posted photos of all the butterflies in her farm yard, too.

Photo by Millie Dearden, Scott City

OK. We were officially jealous. We would love to hang out the welcome mat around here, too.

 

On Monday, we weren't booking our entire rural butterfly hostel like my friends, but we did have a few visit in one of our shelterbelts. 

Migrating butterflies are not the easiest creatures to photograph.

While they were visible to Randy and me as we walked yesterday morning, they were too far away for wonderful photos with my little camera, even using the zoom.

A little editing on the computer brought them in a little closer.
Take our word for it: The butterflies were "dancing" in the canopy of trees that line our road, so we walked with our heads to the sky and watched them flutter among the treetops.

(Not the best photo, but maybe you can get the idea.)

I finally decided I wasn't going to raise my heart rate by standing in the middle of the road looking up. The air show may not produce cardiovascular results, but is sure can lift the spirits.

However, for butterfly photography, the Kansas State Fair's Butterfly Experience was the easier option.

 

We got done cutting corn yesterday afternoon, and I had to deliver the guys to a field to pick up more equipment. (More on corn harvest later.) When I got back home, I walked in a tree line to the east of our house. It was worth the stroll.

Sometimes, the to-do list can wait.

I won't give up on capturing these allusive creatures in the wild! They are certainly persistent in their journey to their nesting grounds. But I have a stubborn streak, too. Just ask my family. On second thought ... don't.

Farmers Market Pasta: A Recipe

I am ready for fall. After our day-time temperatures again soared into the 90s this week, I'm ready for sweatshirt and soup weather. Anybody else with me?

Even though I won't miss the sweltering temperatures, the humidity or the gargantuan mosquitoes as we transition to fall, I will miss the plethora of fresh vegetables. Living where we do, I don't get the opportunity to frequent farmers markets as often as I'd like. But if I happen to go to Hutchinson on a Wednesday or Saturday during the summer, a stop at the Reno County Farmers Market is a must.

And, here in the U.S., we are fortunate to have fresh fruits and vegetables available to us at the grocery store year-round.

The stereotypical farm wife is queen of her garden. Sadly, I am not. That's probably not a surprise to anyone who reads this little spot of the internet with any regularity. But I am always thankful to my friends and family who share. And I certainly don't mind supporting the hard-working folks who bring their produce to farmers markets or the farmers who make it possible for me to choose beautiful fruits and vegetables in my grocery store's produce section.

During the summer, there's a long-running joke that you need to keep your car locked so productive gardeners don't load it with excess zucchini or squash. This Farmers Market Pasta includes those veggies, along with broccoli, a bell pepper and tomatoes. The delicious combination of pesto, balsamic vinegar and spices will have you searching out your gardening friends who are still reaping the bounty of their hard work.

Or pick up the ingredients the next time you're at the grocery store. We highly recommend this tasty dish! I served it with grilled steak, but it would be delicious with other proteins as well. Enjoy!

Farmers Market Pasta

Adapted from Skinny Taste blog

For vegetables:
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp. dried Italian herbs
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cups broccoli florets
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch thick rounds (halve or quarter, if the zucchini is large)
1 medium yellow squash, cut into 1/4-inch thick rounds (halve or quarter, if the squash is large)
1 dry pint cherry tomatoes, halves
1 red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces

For pasta:
1/3 cup basil pesto
1/2 pound fusilli pasta (you can use another shape, like rotini)
1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Additional balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray 2 sheet pans with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard, garlic, Italian herbs and salt. Add 2 tablespoons of oil and whisk until emulsified.

In a large bowl, combine vegetables. Stir in contents of small bowl and toss to evenly coat. Spread vegetables out in an even layer onto prepared sheet pans. Roast for 30 minutes, tossing halfway through.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook according to the package directions or until al dente. Before draining pasta, reserve a small amount of pasta water.

To assemble: Combine drained, cooked pasta, pesto and beans, adding 2 tablespoons of reserved pasta water as needed. Toss with roasted veggies and top with Parmesan cheese.  Toss well to coat.

To serve, drizzle with a little more balsamic vinegar and additional Parmesan, as desired.

We had leftovers. I added a little additional pasta water before putting it in the fridge, since pasta leftovers notoriously absorb liquid. 

Makes 6, 1 1/2 cup-servings.

NOTE:  The original recipe called for 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms. Feel free to add those, if desired.

A Pickin' and A Grinnin'?

We were back to "pickin' " yesterday, but there wasn't much "grinnin' " going on. Corn Harvest 2018 started way back on August 31. We got one landlord's corn harvest completed that day.

And then it rained ... and rained ... and rained.

Not that we're complaining. Really. After a winter with no moisture of any kind -- neither rain nor snow nor sleet -- we aren't turning down moisture.

Randy tried to resume corn harvest after a 2-week hiatus on Monday. The corn is dry. The ground is not. He did get more harvested yesterday, but it also involved being pulled out of the muck several times with a 4-wheel drive tractor.

About the same time as he got stuck the first time, we had a breakdown with the disc. I was already going to Hutchinson to pick up my state fair photos. But, of course, the dealership in Hutchinson didn't have the needed parts.

So I had a lovely detour to Kingman on the way home. It could have been worse. The parts could have been out-of-state and we would be waiting on UPS to get it fixed. And it really was a nice day for a drive.

After filling the truck and combine, Randy switched jobs and baled sudan. The same deluge also soaked our sudan hay. Randy had abandoned one field of swathed sudan because it rotted after getting soaked repeatedly. He plans to let that field of sudan re-grow, and he'll turn cattle out on it this fall.

But he is trying to salvage some of the sudan. It looked like he was baling up the sun last night.

From stuck combine to sunset beauty, it's all part of life on The County Line.

"Livestock" Exhibits ... So To Speak

The "livestock" exhibits were my favorites at the Kansas State Fair.

OK, they were "live." But these creatures don't exactly fit in the traditional definition of "livestock."

live·stock

ˈlīvˌstäk      noun: livestock

1. farm animals regarded as an asset.

   
   

   "markets for the trading of livestock"

Well, maybe butterflies could be considered an asset on the farm. They are certainly a treasure to the senses, especially a beautiful Monarch, which ended up looking like stained glass as it spread its wings in the sunlight.

For the record, Randy did go to the livestock barns while I was in a Kansas Master Farm Homemaker Guild executive meeting. It was a "changing of the guard" day in the beef pavilion that day. One breed had been judged, and others were likely on their way to the Hutchinson fairgrounds. But there wasn't a lot of action in the traditional livestock barns on Tuesday.

But Randy liked this "livestock," too. He was much more successful in attracting butterflies to his sugar-soaked "feeder." Before entering the Butterfly Experience tent, each visitor is given a paint sponge dipped in diluted Gatorade. Holding the sponge in front of a butterfly allows it to step on and taste the juice with their feet. OK, truth be told, I was probably too busy clicking away with the camera to give the feeding thing much of a shot.

This pretty pink plant seemed as popular to butterflies as the fair's Pronto Pup stand to a team of hungry football players.

The Butterfly Experience is new to the Kansas State Fair. It's an inflatable tent, which promoters say has three different kinds of butterflies. Randy and I only saw Monarchs. But we weren't complaining.

(If you're going to the fair, the Butterfly Experience is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. It's near Lake Talbott, south of the 4-H Building. The exhibit is free, but donations are accepted to purchase milkweeds that assist in the Monarch’s migration.)

Butterflies weren't the only things flying at the fair that day. American flags were flying since it was Patriot's Day - the 17th anniversary of 9-11. It was also Kansas Master Farmer - Master Farm Homemaker Day at the Kansas State Fair.

During our noon meeting, three of our Kansas Master Farmers were honored by the Quilts of Valor program, whose mission is to cover service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing quilts.

Robert Edwards, Olsburg, served in the U.S. Army from 1953-55 during the Korean Conflict. His quilt was made by Master Homemaker Barbara Rezac.

Henry Ericson, Fort Scott, gave his service to the U.S. Army from 1953-55, also during the Korean Conflict. His quilt was made by his wife, Doris.

Richard Reinhardt, Erie, was an instructor pilot, training other pilots who also served the U.S. Armed Forces. His quilt was made by Master Homemaker Jeri Albright. He's pictured here with his wife, Linda, and family members.

Paula Blasi, Bob Edwards, Barbara Rezac, Anita Davis

Master Farm Homemaker, Anita Davis (far right), has made sure Master Farmer veterans have been recognized for their military service by awarding handmade Quilts of Valor. These were the latest three to be honored in this way.  (Several other Master Farmer families contributed funds for making the quilts.)

Our group was treated to the grandstand show, Roots and Boots, featuring Sammy Kershaw, Collin Raye and Aaron Tippin.  Tippin broke out his red, white and blue guitar for his hit, "Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly." It earned him a Patriot's Day standing ovation.

Even though we didn't ride any rides, I couldn't resist taking a photo from the grandstand before we left after the concert.

One other highlight of the day was seeing the 2nd place ribbon on one of my photo entries in the Kansas Wheat contest.  None of my other photos placed in the regular divisions, but I was thrilled to be a ribbon winner!

All in all, a great day at the Kansas State Fair, even if my feet were tired. Back when I was a reporter at The Hutchinson News, I'd spend all day, every day of the 10-day run at the fairgrounds. I was obviously much younger then!

Roadside Gold

Sunshine was MIA last week in Kansas. But Kansas sunflowers did their best to make up for the absence of Old Sol. Abundant rains in August and September have boosted our roadside "gold" quotient. There's no doubt that Kansas is the Sunflower State during these waning days of summer.

September 7, 2018

Even on an overcast day, the yellow brightened the way to the Rattlesnake Creek pasture last Friday.

September 10, 2018

Who needs a "red carpet" when you can have a yellow one? Some of the common yellow sunflowers are a little past their prime. But the Maximilian varieties are at their peak.

Sunflowers aren't the only living things that have loved the unseasonable rains. Farmers in our part of the state are celebrating that we are no longer in the colored section of the Kansas drought monitor. (I know our neighbors to the east still are, and we can definitely commiserate.)

Read more here: https://www.kansas.com/news/business/agriculture/article1095837.html#storylink=cpy

Let's face it: Rain in August in Kansas is as unusual as a school of fish in the Sahara. The last time I published a drought monitor map here on the blog, we were straddling the moderate to severe drought line.

This was the drought monitor the last week of July.

After 5.3 inches of rain here on the County Line last week, we have left our drought designation behind ... at least, for the time being. I tried to figure out when that last happened, but Google let me down. But, believe me: It's been awhile.

Rattlesnake Creek, Stafford County, September 10, 2018, looking to the east

We thought the Rattlesnake Creek might have more water after our rains. But we are thankful for what it does provide for our cattle who are still at their summer pasture getaway there. The guys will work on repairing fence at the Ninnescah Pasture later this week after the water goes down a little more. (Pratt County to our south is still cleaning up from flood waters from the Ninnescah.)

Rattlesnake Creek, looking to the northwest

For much of the summer, Peace Creek has been dry as we've traveled over the Zenith Road bridge. But, on Monday, there was water flowing (below).

Peace Creek, September 10, 2018

We cut one field of dryland corn August 31, but we haven't been able to be in the field since then. We didn't even need to feel guilty about going to the K-State game on Saturday.

We even had to break out the rain gear at the game for just a little bit. We didn't like the outcome of the game, but we all enjoyed the cooler temperatures.

And we love our Wildcats, no matter what.

And we've loved the rain, even though it ruined all the sudan hay we had down.You take the good with the bad. And being out of the drought category definitely qualifies as good!

Zesty Ranch Beef Stroganoff

I admit it: I get in recipe ruts from time to time. I have go-to recipes that don't require a lot of thought. The ingredients are always available in my well-stocked fridge and pantry. So I go with the path of least resistance when it's 11 AM and I think, "What am I going to serve at noon?"

Tell me I'm not alone!

But that rut can also lead to "same old, same old" meals. It's not as if I don't have plenty of recipes to draw from. I have more cookbooks than anyone needs. And my pile of "to try" recipes from blogs, Facebook and other sources threatens to avalanche off my kitchen counter.

Again, please tell me I'm not alone!

So, recently, I dug into that "to try" pile and made Zesty Ranch Beef Stroganoff. I almost always have hamburger ready to brown, since that's the most abundant meat source in my freezer. The other ingredients were all on hand, too. (True confessions: The original recipe called for fresh mushrooms. While there are not many foods I dislike, mushrooms happen to make that list. So I skipped the mushrooms. Feel free to add them if you are a fan. Randy likes mushrooms, but around here, it's the cook's prerogative.)

Since it made a large casserole, I baked half and put half in a disposable foil pan for another day. That's always handy for busy days or if I'm going to be gone at noon. Instant meal for Randy!

Some fresh sliced tomatoes and Colorado sweet corn from Smith's Market in Hutchinson made for a complete summertime meal. Enjoy!

Zesty Ranch Beef Stroganoff

Adapted from The Kitchen Is My Playground blog

10 oz. wide egg noodles
1 1/2 pounds hamburger
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 can (14.5 oz.) chicken broth
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 packet ranch dressing mix (dry)
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Topping
2 tbsp. butter, melted
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley (or 1 1/2 tsp. dried)
Pinch of salt and pepper

Cook noodles in salted water until done. Drain and set aside.

In a large saucepan, brown hamburger with garlic and onion. Cook until hamburger is browned. Drain fat.

Return to heat. Add flour and stir well. Stir in chicken broth, buttermilk and dry ranch seasoning. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Stir in sour cream, mozzarella cheese, salt and pepper. Toss hamburger mixture with cooked noodles.

Spoon into a greased 2-quart casserole or 9 X 13-inch baking pan.

For topping, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and toss together with fork. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the noodle mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes until heated through and bubbly and topping is lightly browned.

The original recipe called for 8 ounces of fresh mushrooms. Since I don't like mushrooms, the cook's prerogative is to leave them out - whether Randy likes them or not.

Golden Birthday Girl

This girl celebrates her golden birthday today: She is 4 on the 4th!

We celebrated with a unicorn party on Saturday.

I think her Mommy could add "cake decorator" to her list of careers, but she already has plenty of jobs, so we'll just call it a labor of love for a special 4 year old! It was so cute and just as tasty. Brooke requested a white cake with strawberries in the middle. (Jill was thinking a funfetti cake would go perfectly with the theme, but that was the birthday girl's request. I guess that's what Mommy gets for watching baking shows on TV with the girls ... a more exotic flavor choice)!

I was amused by the attempt to get all seven cousins in a photo to commemorate the occasion. This is about as good as it got!

I remember last year when the birthday girl didn't want to pose for photos at all. She's done some growing up this past year.

The rest of us did our best to smile on cue.

Grandpa, Brooke and Grandma

Jill and Brooke

Here she is opening one of her gifts from us. I like making books telling of the girls' adventures with Grandma and Grandpa. I always say they won't be getting a quilt from me, but, hopefully, the photo books will remind them of our fun together. And, it's also a fitting gift since reading together is one of our favorite activities to do.

 I used the photos and rhymes from the blog post I wrote after her July visit.

We are blessed to have these little people (and a bunch of big people from both sides of the family) in our lives! There were parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, all there to celebrate a special day. Here's to an amazing year, journeying toward Year 5!

Happy Golden Birthday to a very special girl!