KO and the Turk: 2014

Friday, December 26, 2014

Holidays Means Family and Food

Thanksgiving starts with the proper attitude, and turkey cooking choices. We ended up with 3 types of turkey for 8 people that included roasted, smoked and fried. The Turk was trying the fry for the first time.

All-important prep work

Seasoning everywhere


The DUNK and FRY technique

There was much advice, much drinking, and much snacking required to get the turkey to the fry stage.


Awaiting the carving


Dinner is served! This is not the meat table, nor the desert table!

Then it was Christmas. Participates jumped to 18 with 5 dogs as most of the siblings made it (not the California family), Marco and Katrinka brought Marco's Ukranian cousin who was visiting the US for work, Tulin was in from Montana, Tim's kids were visiting.

Mom and Katrinka laughing

Cait and Tulin listening

Micki explaining

Katrinka and mom chatting

Sean and Georgie standing

Tim and Kevin drinking

Patrick and Scott thinking

Tulin chats up some of the pups


Marco, Kevin, Marco cousin drinking

Dessert!!

Now that dinners done, let the present opening begin!


Daughters-in-law with their cards

Turk gets chocolate with booze

And, back home again - with new dinosaur.

Saturday, December 13, 2014

CHICKENS!

Our goal - EGGS

Yes, we have ventured into the world of laying hens, co-parenting with our friends Susan and Jay. Since they have a large lot, the hen home (rest of the world would call this a coop) is at their property.
Mark was the main construction guy and he bravely built the home to the joint specs of everyone. Somehow a nice coop came out of that process.

Starting with a piece of wood

Turk built the frame alone - a bit of balancing required

on-site construction continues

A small NYC apartment?

Jay helps with window and walls

Raise the roof

Susan supervises


The turk got himself into this!

Now that we had a chicken home, we needed chickens! The Chicken Lady lives in Largo on a farm that is now surrounded by subdivisions. It is interesting to imagine how this area looked not long ago - rural with barns and animals.

The Chicken Lady was patient as we pointed to each young chicken that we wanted her to catch. Our criteria in picking the hens? They had to look nice and not be mean-acting.

We want THAT one please.

Chicken Lady catches it for us

We have chickens! They are growing daily and acting more and more like hens. We lost one from being pecked on by the others. At that point we created a pen for them to get out and stretch their legs, and get their favorite dust baths. They love pecking for bugs.

Christmas lights, double paned window -but no paint

Pretty chickens

Pecking at the kale

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

NYC for Christmastime

Rockefeller Center

I hadn't been in NYC for the holidays in many years - so this was the year to make it happen. I grabbed the Turk, reserved our apartment in Chinatown, and headed to the city. We were greeted with marches protesting the police killing of an unarmed black man - making the news a lot lately, Prince William and Kate who paid a visit while we were there, and a nor-easter that hit just as we were leaving. So it was a typical visit to NYC.
The list of things to do included: Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, 911 Museum, Metropolitan Museum, chocolate, lots of eating. We even worked out in the Chinatown YMCA.

Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. I didnt realize that Ellis Island was flooded in hurricane Sandy which required the park to remove the artifacts until the systems were repaired that would monitor air temperature and humidity. So we saw the island and its buildings, but very few artifacts.

One of the newer bolts supporting the Statue of Liberty

Her mask

the original torch, replaced in 1986

Sculpture from World Trade Towers - at Battery Park

Ms Liberty to my right

911 Museum was memorable as I reflected on working in Tower 2 for two years. Mundane items took on significant meaning. The personal memorials were very impactful.