Sunday: Before the Rain

   Mom worked outside, while I worked inside (cleaning out & rearranging closets, and making a heaping donation pile). Then I ran to Home Depot for a bunch of odd and ends, including a new hose for the deck reel, and a load of mulch to help Mom finish the job. When all was said and done, she did a really amazing job, and I'm so thankful to have yard work crossed off my list!

Taylor, as always, enjoyed the extra company

   Mary Jane stopped by for a while with her new Shiba puppy, Kit. He and Aki and Taylor romped around the yard together—as if they were all goofy puppies.

   We worked up quite an appetite! Fortunately, Mom had brought a list of restaurants from one of her favorite shows, "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" by Guy Fieri on the Food Network. We went to Swagger for dinner. It is a hole-in-the-wall bar on Wornall in Kansas City, MO. (And never mind that a person was stabbed just a block from there, two days later.) The ambiance was about what you'd expect for a little bar in KCMO, but the food was fantastic!

A little bit of Maine and Alaska, right here in KC!

Mom had a pulled pork sandwich and a Boulevard wheat:

   I tried the Suribachi burger and a Crispin cider. (Suribachi is a tempura-battered hamburger with pepper jack cheese and Sriarcha sauce—I had them hold the mustard and creamy wasabi coleslaw. It was AWESOME!). But then, what part of "Japanesey deep-fried hamburger" DOESN'T sound good?!

   We were in a food coma by the time we arrived at home (but fortunately THIS didn't happen!), and the dogs never fail to join in for a lazy evening of TV watching (Mad Men seasons 1 & 2!) on the couch:

Hiking at Clinton Lake in Lawrence

   Today Charley and I had planned to head out to Lawrence early, get in a good hike around Clinton Lake and enjoy the 60+ degree temperatures and sunny skies, and then grab a bite and a pint at Free State. (It had been WAY too long since I'd been out to Free State!)

   Many of the colorful leaves had fallen and turned to brown, but there was still plenty of color to see and appreciate...

   Brains! Or hedge apples, as it were. These things were EVERYWHERE! And huge! And apparently they're fruit! After years of pondering, I finally looked them up.

 Aki sails right through the teepee (or should I say "tree-pee"):

 Charley was a bit tall for it. I think Taylor dragged him through.

 The lake:

 A break:

A lil' mistake:

    I let Aki take an off-trail excursion, which led to her being being peppered with burrs. But the dogs seem to think that the number of burrs in your fur is directly proportional to the amount of fun you had on the hike! (Guess which doggies are getting a bath tonight?)

    As we walked around Lake Henry, our turn-back point, we spotted a small, gracefully thin snake who was sunning itself on the path. It took off swiftly and silently toward the bank, through the rocks and into the leaf litter, and despite my best attempt, I was unable to chase it down and catch it before it disappeared. I was disappointed. I wasn't 100% sure what it was, but I guessed a ribbon snake (lucky guess!), which was right on: a Western ribbon snake, to be exact! If memory serves, this was the first snake I've seen in the wild since I moved to KC... 14.5 years ago!
   We sat at a picnic table for a few minutes, enjoyed the view and some apples, then headed back. Suddenly, Aki hopped into the grass excitedly, then froze. "What's she after?" I asked. Then we saw it: a much larger red-sided garter snake!

   It's a darn good thing it is harmless; I was excited and all too willing to get a closer look. After Aki scared it, the snake took off down the bank to hide and embedded itself in a thick clump of grasses. Fortunately, the tip of its tail was visible, so I nabbed it, then lifted the grass firmly, and voila: a snake! 

   The snake was a little agitated about being held—mostly because it thought it was in danger, I'm sure. It lashed out at the camera repeatedly, but fortunately calmed down after a while. (But not before releasing its gross, musky warning signal all over my hands... ick. I smelled like a big smelly snake for the rest of the hike. Rinsing my hands in lake water hardly helped at all.)

    The dogs were SUPER curious and all too ready to lunge at the creature. Even Charley had a tough time restraining them. "Small but mighty" runs in the family!
   (I love this photo because it looks so much like the Taylor vs. Baby Possum photo from earlier this year!)

    I finally quit harassing the poor snake and let it get away, but not before I got a few more nice photos of it. Snakes have a bad rap, but they're fascinating creatures. Their scales on their belly are sleek and smooth, and their coloration and pattern are remarkable. They have a very intense look on their faces... maybe that's what scares people. Most are harmless to people, and they control pests like mice, rats, frogs and insects. What's not to like?*

* Unless you're my mom. I think I ruined any chance of her ever liking snakes.

    We finished the hike and returned to the car to head to a late lunch. Taylor looked very happy:

 Aki looked a lil' sleepy:

 Okay, maybe a LOT sleepy! Zzzzzzzz

  "Dog is my copilot." Or backseat driver, as it were. Taylor says, "Drive towards those trees; I think I smell squirrels!" (This was shortly before he returned to the back seat and crashed next to Aki.)

   And finally, Free State Brewing Company! A Cyclist (wheat beer + lemonade) and a burger never tasted so good.

This puts my pumpkin carving prowess to shame! Nice buffalo!

   Here are a few pics from my last Clinton Lake hike... more recent than I had remembered, on a similarly perfect November afternoon!

Happy Birthday, Dear Aki

    My little Aki is 4 years old today. We didn't do much to celebrate yet, as I had an event with the AMA at the Roasterie after work. They told us all about the partnerships between several Kansas City businesses and let us sample some of their food: Roasterie coffee and coffee ice cream, Oklahoma Joe's BBQ pork, sausage, and Cowtown BBQ sauce; Original Juan's chips, salsas and BBQ sauces, Andre's caramel-espresso chocolates and 75th Street Brewery beer. (Blanc Burger was there too, but inexplicably had nothing to sample—boo!) Danielle went with me, and we saw Jerrod there, and had a fun time snacking and listening to reps of each business talk about their process and their products. They really are innovative, and KC is a hidden gem in the culinary world as far as I'm concerned. We have some incredible restaurants here that rival anything I've had on my U.S. travels (OK, except for Nobu).

   So, I'll make it up to Aki by taking her to the dog park this weekend, after I've sent little Koko off to his new home (hopefully!) She deserves a party after being an awesome puppy raiser this week!

44,000 calorie day

   As if an incredible & ginormous 4-course lunch wasn't enough, tonight I had a ticket to a 4-course dinner! (Yeah, I skipped breakfast today in case you were wondering.) It was the Team Lucy Beer Dinner & SIlent Auction, an event to help raise money for Lucy Weber's medical expenses. Lucy is a 1 year old who was diagnosed with a brain tumor. I don't know the family personally, but Lucy attends the same daycare as my friend/coworker Lexie's daughter. The cause was so compelling, as was the menu and the company (Lexie & Ryan, Olivia & David), that I couldn't resist. 

   This photo gives a good hint as to the event's location.

The beer was flowing all night long, and we had some neat views of the facilities, too:

   Chef Michael Smith (of the self-titled restaurant as well as Extra Virgin, a Mediterranean tapas delight, and one of my personal favorites!) prepared a 3 course dinner paired with fine Boulevard beers. Beer isn't generally my drink of choice, but it's amazing how good it tasted with the pairings. Mmm... heirloom tomato salad with basil, sprouts, watermelon & cantaloupe:

(Not pictured: wild mushroom risotto with Maryland blue crab)

Roasted pork loin with summer ratatouille & homemade hash browns:

   ...Followed by the 4th course: dessert by Christopher Elbow. Salted pretzel flavored Glace ice cream + beer float paired with Elbow chocolates.

   By the end of the evening, the dinner & silent auction had raised $25,000 for Lucy's medical care, and I was skirting the edge of a food-induced coma. What an awesome event. If you're the praying type, say a few words for little Lucy:

   Update: Unfortunately, on 11/20/10, this little lady lost her battle with cancer. Her parents' post on CaringBridge was eloquent. When it was evident that she was slipping away, they unhooked her from all the machines that had been working round the clock to keep her stable, and her Mom & Dad simply held her. No doubt the way they wanted to hold her for her whole life, but this was for the last time. It's not fair. But she inspired a lot of people and will be remembered for the sweet little girl that she no doubt was, if only she'd been given a chance.