Back Porch View

I just wanted to share the view tonight from my parent's back porch in Dalhart, Texas.

The Legendary Joel Chisum

I had a rare opportunity to visit my oldest brother and his family (most of them) in Colorado last week. You met his oldest daughter, Katy, in my previous post. He has two others that are just as beautiful and talented and amazing. But this post isn't about them, it's about him. My oldest brother, Joel.

People have told him his entire life that he was just a younger version of our dad,

but I've always seen my mom in him, too. He has her blue eyes, for sure. Really fantastic.

Well, legend has it that Joel and I got off to a rough start. He was 13 when I was born and really wanted/needed a new saddle that summer. Instead, he got a baby sister. We've come a long way since then. Here we are at our Grandmother's 90th birthday last year (before I cut my hair off.)As is tradition when I visit Joel's house, we did chores. He must have been tired, because this was the easiest chore we've tackled in a while. Last time we (along with our brother, Jeff aka Skip) loaded many bales of hay into his truck. The time before that, we tried out his new chainsaw on Thanksgiving Day and cut firewood for a few hours. This time, we all loaded up in his non-Toyota SUV and checked the water levels in the ponds. My job was to take pictures of cattle.

Not really, but I did it any way.

After that exhausting task, Joel cooked dinner. We picked anaheim peppers, squash and green tomotoes from the garden (one of the few things I miss about living in the country).

May I introduce you to Joel Chisum's Famous Beef Stirfry:

Where's the beef, you ask? (Sorry, couldn't resist.) It's getting all tender and yummy on the bottom in a sweet balsamic vinegar marinade. The man's got real talent.

This random photo is brought to you by Fiesta Dinnerware (because I LOVE my sister-in-law's dish collection.)

The next day I joined Joel at work. We drove around in his non-Toyota SUV listening to Celtic music (because his current obsession in Tim O'Brien's bouzouki) and 'looking for fat cows.' Other guys got around the old-fashioned way. Too bad for this cowboy because he didn't get to listen to bouzouki music.

It was lunchtime for these guys. They are from Mexico. They have cool hides.Joel calls this bunch The Golden Girls. Hee hee. They are from Canada, though, not Florida.

We named this guy Buddah.

And, one of my favorite shots of the day:

Thanks for a great 24 hours, Chisum-style. I'll never forget it.

Fried Pies

I would like to introduce you to the fried deliciousness that gave my favorite cherry long johns a serious run for their money.

On a drive from Dallas to Oklahoma City, I passed several billboards advertising "The Original Fried Pie." Some of you know that my rule on the road is: If you see more than 3 billboards for the same place, it's worth a stop. Well, I missed the exit, so I made sure I didn't miss it the next day, on the way back to Dallas.

It is everything you hope a stop on a roadtrip will be: yummy. Oh, and clean restrooms.

It was obviously a tough decision when it came to selecting a filling, but I chose coconut (oh my mercy) and apricot (terrific). They also fill their 'pies' with breakfast items, pizza fillings, spinach and cheese, etc. You can read more about them at http://www.denosfriedpies.com/dinnerpies.html

I read a quote from Reba (the country singer/actress) recently. She said a friend once told her, "No food tastes as good as thin feels."

I bet that friend hasn't had one of these fried pies.

Amazing Memorial

I was recently in Oklahoma City doing some training for Toyota and I stopped by to see the memorial from the bombing that occurred in 1995.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but it is beautiful.

Stunning.

Heart-breaking and peaceful.

A storm was blowing in, and the clouds were so majestic.

In my opinion, it is a must-see location in our country.

An Old Bicycle, Vinyl Seats and Good Pie

I photographed this old bicycle outside a pie shop in Fredericksburg, Texas. I love everything about it: the crooked basket wired on the back, the busted lights, the old metal parts...


...and the cracked, torn vinyl seat. It reminds me of the seats in my first car--my grandmother's 1976 bright blue Monte Carlo with white vinyl seats. By the time I was given the car to drive, those seats were cracked pretty good. When I looked at this bicycle seat, I could still feel the pinch those white vinyl seats would give my legs in the summertime.

I know you are wondering if I took a picture of the pie.

How could I not take a picture of the best-tasting pie I've ever, EVER had? The crust was as close to my grandmother's as I've found. (Same grandmother that passed down the Monte Carlo, by the way.) This chocolate cream pie made me moan with every bite. So much so, that I'm pretty sure I made my fellow travelers a teeny bit uncomfortable. I didn't even care. That pie was amazing.

Here are a few of my favorite shots from the weekend:

And, if I ever open any kind of shoppe, I want this sign hanging in it:

So, take a road trip to Fredericksburg and have some pie. You'll be glad you did.

A Stop in Philadelphia

After teaching a class outside Philly, mom and I made our way down to The Reading Terminal Market. It was everything I had hoped for: great food, great food, and great food. Oh, and some stuff to photograph (of course).
Here are a few of the highlights.








This burger was so yummy: bacon and the best blue cheese I've had in a while.
We didn't try these but I had to have a picture: chocolate dipped chocolate chip cookies.
There was a wonderful flower stand.
I wanted to take home every single jar of this honey. MMMM.

We also made a stop at the Liberty Bell and walked around that area. So much history.

Fall Color

Here are a few of my favorite shots of fall from the trip to the Northeast with my mom.

They were all taken in Pennsylvania.

So intense and beautiful for those of us that don't get much of a change in foliage.

Julie and Nancy's Great Northeast Fall/Autumn Adventure

Here is the first installment of the Great Adventure. Enjoy. Please leave comments and check back often.

Make a Smilebox photobook

A St. Louis Surprise

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Countdown to Deliciousness

Two very exciting things are going to happen next week: I will get to visit a great diner in Kansas City and I will get to have my favorite cherry donuts in Amarillo. Lets talk about the diner first. It's 39th Street Mama's and I saw it featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (on Food Network, Mondays at 9pm Central) with host Guy Fieri. Love that show---it's perfect for me, because I travel for my job so much and I LOVE DINERS! I'll be in Kansas City next week to teach some classes...I can't believe my luck, really. I'll have to go to the diner for dinner to eat breakfast, but I can handle it. For sure. I'll take pictures and report back.
My next exciting event will take place in Amarillo, Texas at The Donut Stop. There is a link to their website under my "For Travelers" section where you can watch a video the owners of this fine establishment of tastiness have put together. They have 7 locations in a town of 200,000 people, so you know they are killer donuts. My top pick is the bright red cherry long john. If you can catch them when they come right out of the fryer...mmm...even better. You barely have to chew. They are so yummy. If you are ever in Amarillo, visit the location right off of I-40 and Bell. You'll be glad you did. I'll take some pictures of this place, too. Don't be surprised if you find yourself booking a flight...

The Commissary

I'd like to introduce you to the third best barbeque place in the country. For those of you that are curious, my dad's bbq is number one (homeade coca-cola sauce with his brisket), Rudy's bbq in Texas is number two...and much to my surprise, a little place called The Commissary in Memphis, Tennessee made it into my top three.
It's in old town Memphis and was actually the town general store (commissary) starting in the 1920's. A guy came along in the 80's and wanted to turn it into a bbq joint...he liked the name, so he kept it.
You know it's going to be a great meal when the waitress starts by saying, "Do you know what you want, sweetheart, or would you like some help?" I asked for help, to which she responded, "Well then, honey...you gots to have th' ribs. With slaw and then banana puddin." So, that's what I had of course...and I would recommend them all...highly. Fantastic. And the sauce...it gives my dad's a run for it's money.
In fact, I've got to go....I need to order some more of The Commissary's sauce...I'm almost out. I wonder if they ship?

The Way to San Jose

Some people think that having a job that requires travel is somehow glamorous. At times I suppose it is, but there is a lot of junk you deal with, too. Lines and crowds of sunshiny happy people in the airports, smelly rental cars, dirty hotel rooms, eating too many sandwiches because that is all the woman in charge of catering likes to take the time to order...
On the other hand, there are some fantastic places you get to see. One of them for me was on the drive from San Jose to Fresno. I didn't have very high expectations, because every time I mentioned to someone in the office where I was training next, they would reply, "Have you ever been to Fresno?" It was the look on their faces that disturbed me...the "I just smelled something bad" look that always accompanied that question. Anyway, I get into my rental car at the San Jose airport and start my trek to Fresno. Now, something that I have learned on the road is that 9 times out of 10, the places that advertise on billboards---especially every 5 miles or so---are usually worth checking out. So, when I kept seeing signs for Casa de Fruta, I thought maybe I should stop. Well on the way, I passed by a flower farm. Is that the right term---flower farm? I have no idea...but it was stunning. Rows and rows of bright yellow marigolds backed by rows of hot pink somethings. I had to take a picture and it was right about that time that I started wishing someone was with me on this road trip. Not long after, I found the amazing fruit stand and REALLY wished someone was with me. It was a road warrior's dream, I'm telling you. Rows and rows of fresh fruit, flavored nuts, sliced cheeses...and for someone that lives in Houston, the 72 degree weather in July was fantastic. Almost unbelievable. The peaches were the best, though. Juice dripping down your chin the moment you sink your teeth in. July in Northern California is peach season and I'm not sure it gets any better. I hope I get to go back next year...It will be their 100 year anniversary...keep your fingers crossed.