An Old Favorite

Banks Lake rolled out to the west as we sat on the top of Steamboat Rock this morning.  We have hiked and climbed this butte many times so today’s goal was to climb to the southwest section of the basalt butte.  600 acres of sagebrush, rock and grass sits 800 feet above the blue waters of Banks Lake.  Linda and I have walked around the entire northeast section of the top, but we had never ventured over to the southwest faces.

 

Dog kisses!

From the top.

The sun was out and the sky was as blue as you can get. We hiked up the entrance trail on the west side and then climbed the area we wanted to visit after we reached the first draw. Kobi lead most of the way and both Linda and I took our time on the hike.  Linda didn’t want to get any blisters from her boots and I was in the same boat due to my wearing a pair of boots that I had only worn once before.  The new boots needed breaking in so this was their first trail.

Back at our camper we could look up and see exactly where we took pictures from.  We took our chairs out and sat in the sun enjoying the warmth of the rest of the afternoon.

Something itches!

This short trip came about because we hadn’t been in our camper for about four weeks and we were missing our little home.  We chose Steamboat Rock State Park because Linda looked at the weather and noted that this area might get into the 80’s this week.  We are still getting used to the cooler weather so higher temperatures sounded real good.

Once our hike was over we settled down to get some rays. Linda got her beach towel out and I immediately fell asleep in the lounge chair. After about an hour I got up and started fixing dinner.  We had Dutch oven pizza and a special dessert of bing cherries and bananas in a bred crust shell.  Both items turned out exceptionally good. I will probably make both items again. With a few refinements I might even serve them to some of our guests.

Smashing dough

We lounged around and played cribbage for a bit.  Linda beat me once again, as the sun set; we turned in, both of us agreeing that today was a great day!

In the morning Linda went for her walk with Kobi as I drank my coffee and got my body working.  Breakfast for the Bennett’s is usually cereal and fruit, but today I wanted to make pancakes.  The pancake mix was one that we picked up in Mexico.  I thought I would be able to read the package and that it would require mixing agua, water, with the flour and that would do it. Noooooo… It called for leche, huevo, mantequilla and harina.  I had to run outside and ask Linda what that meant.  As you might have guessed it called for the flour, harina, to be mixed with milk, leche, and eggs, huevo, and then some butter, mantequilla.  Easy peasy.  I tossed it all together as I heated up the pancake pan. 

Pizza left, cherry banana pie right.

The first cake is always the tester.  You either burn it or you pull it off too early.  This one was a bit early but it had great design and good texture.  Linda looked at it and said, “I see Guadalupe in the shape and lines!  We need to sell it on EBay! We will be rich!” I cooked the rest of the cakes and asked her if she still wanted to post the sacred cake to EBay?  It looked more like a pancake then the Virgin Mary, so I slathered it in butter and poured some collectors special edition Daytona 500 Mrs. Butterworth Original syrup on them and devoured them.

The day was beautiful, we were full of cakes, and it was time to ride! We grabbed the 84’s off the front of the truck.  I have decided to call our two Mt. Bikes the 84’s because that is the year in which they were made. They both are Shoguns, both are Prairie Breakers, one is a Pro and the other is a 2 (as in II); but most importantly they were both built in 1984!

Off we rode on the 84’s, no destination in mind, just the urge to ride the scrub lands at the foot of Steamboat Rock. We followed a couple dirt tracks that led us out by the shore of Banks Lake.  We saw tons of deer and coyote tracks in the mud and dirt beneath our tires.  Soaring above us were hawks, but neither Linda nor I could tell what species.  We rode a total of seven miles out and back to our camp sight, the last leg took us right by the lake’s shoreline. A huge bass broke the surface and crashed into the water.  It surprised us the first time, but the second jump showed clearly how big it was and that it truly was a bass.  I was so excited that I almost road off the pavement down the bank. That would not have been healthy. 

We spent the rest of the day lazing in the sun.  Linda finished a book and started a new on, I fell asleep in the chair again.  

"Why does the Woolybugger cross the road? To become a butterfly!" - Linda Bennett