June 6, 2003

June 1 was the first day of Hurricane Season, and it seems to have brought some relief.  The moisture being drawn in from the Gulf is actually turning into rain down in our neck of the woods, and we got one inch yesterday!  It's too late to help the milo crop, but the cotton should be happy!  What great timing, as JW fertilized our horse pasture the day before.  The Bermuda grass should be coming in thick now!  Everybody keeps saying that this part of the coast is overdue for a big hurricane, so we'll see how my first season down here goes.  If it looks like something is coming this way, Lee Edward has promised a big party at the Blessing Hotel.

Molly Moo & Itsy Bitsy Betsy

We have made another addition to the livestock, and have quite the barnyard now.  Lee Edward had a dogie calf that he had bottle fed for two months, and JW agreed to take her as partial payment on some fence work that he had done.  So, I am the proud owner of an Angus crossbred heifer.  Her name is Molly Moo, but she usually just goes by Molly.  Her baby coat is red, and she will shed out to be a black cow.  Her first few days were spent in the barn, and she was delighted when we let her out into the pasture.  She had never had so much space before, and ran around in big circles bucking.  

Henry and Addy went out to Virginia for a week to see their son's aircraft carrier come in from the Mediterranean.  He was out to sea for 8 months, and they were proud to go and be part of the cheering crowd.  While they were away, we babysat their bottle-calf, Betsy.  She and Molly became fast friends and spend their days grazing and practicing to be big cows.  Mascot is enamored with them both, and is very excited when Betsy comes to greet her through the fence.  The chickens think that the calves are pretty neat too, and spend all day around their feet, cleaning up behind them.

Dillon

Well, I have finally found a horse.  (Insert Trumpet Fanfare)  The grey gelding that I had my eye on this winter, Who's Ya, was sold to somebody else a couple of months ago.  I guess Henry didn't realize that I was serious!  He did find another horse for me to try out, and then sold him too the very next week!  JW told Henry to call those folks and buy him back.  So, after a bit of confusion, I have a little Quarter Horse gelding named Dillon.  He is four years old, about 14.2 hands high, and is a red dun.  He's quite the fashion plate and has tiger stripes on his legs and blond streaks in his mane and tail.  He is very mellow, and will do pretty much anything you ask him to do.  I can even reach up and scratch around his ears while I'm on him.  He's never had any special training, and certainly has never been anybody's "pet."  He responds beautifully when I ride him, and showed improvement in his head and neck carriage in less than a week!  He backs up straight and even has smooth-as-silk lead changes at the canter.  Having grown up with mares, he has always been the low man on the totem pole and has some scars here and there.  Since he looks very much like a cavalry pony, we're going to make up some tall romantic stories about getting the scars from "his days in the Indian Wars."  I'm very excited, and look forward to spoiling him rotten with attention.

I tried my hand at a new recipe for Memorial Day weekend, and it turned out beautifully.  Give it a go!

Key Lime Pie

	1 Graham Cracker Crust
	1 cup & 6 tbsp sugar
	1 1/4 cups water
	2 tbsp butter
	1/4 cup cornstarch
	3 tbsp lime zest
	1/2 cup lime juice
	3 eggs separated
	2 tbsp milk

Combine sugar, 1 cup water, and butter over medium heat until steaming, but not quite boiling.  In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and remaining water into a paste, add the paste to the sugar mixture.  Add the lime zest and juice to the sugar mixture and cook until thick and bubbling.  Combine the egg yolks and milk in a separate bowl and then add a couple spoonfuls of the hot sugar mixture.  Add this to the saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, for about 5-10 minutes.  Remove from heat, cool slightly, and pour into the crust.  Prepare a meringue with the egg whites and remaining sugar and spread evenly over the pie, sealing all of the edges.  Bake for 12-15 minutes at 425 until the meringue is golden.  Enjoy with a cool Margarita!