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A Friday giveaway almost as good as trout eyeballs

2011 July 15

Happy Friday friends!

Now that you all want to come over for dinner and pluck living earwigs and aphids out of your salads, the latest certification of strangeness at our house is that odd smell coming from my knee. Why, it’s urine!

I’m experimenting with remedies for the bee sting I received a couple days ago when I was transplanting cosmos near the bee hives. Apparently I’m slightly allergic; the kids are watching my leg swell and turn fascinating colors like they’re at their first Grateful Dead show.

Fresh plantain leaf has been helpful too, also grindelia liniment, and well, my own stinking pee.

But, now for something completely different; it has been raining!

It’s all dramatic with lightning that’s like flipping on all the lights on in a dark room and then the thunder comes rocking the house. It makes me feel like I’m part of something mysterious and wild. And the plants? Oh, they are singing a cheerful tune about fertility and One Love.

*** ** *** ** *** ** ***

Look at these brook trout Dan caught in Echo creek last weekend!

Kindergarten homeschool math: if you have ten fish, how many eyeballs will you be able to eat?

Answer: depends how fast Rose snarfs them. (Today at out local food co-op, Rose saw dried barley in the bulk bins and exclaimed: look! fish eyeballs!)

Speaking of trout and eyeball-hogs, I want to share my trout story from the summer issue of Edible San Juan Mountains with you. I’d mail out a copy to all of you, but you know, the postage thing. So, leave a comment and I’ll choose five people to receive the latest issue of Edible San Juan Mountains. Bonus: Dan’s trout watercolors appear alongside my story (collector’s item!). Double bonus: I’ll also send you the spring edition with my infamous Roadkill story. (Also, Edible is a gorgeous magazine with super photography, recipes and stories). Giveaway ends next Wednesday.

Look how grumpy Rose is about posing for this picture. I interrupted her playing with her friend Kiva.

Have a lovely weekend and be careful around those honeybees!

Rachel



37 Responses leave one →
  1. July 15, 2011

    Col’s expression of deep interest makes up for Rose’s grumpiness :).

  2. July 15, 2011

    Trout eyeballs??! I think I’d rather try those on the bee sting than eat them. If I ever come over for dinner, Rose can have my portion. I’ll stick to earwigs. =>

  3. Barb permalink
    July 15, 2011

    short story = witch hazel. Long story = once got a bad wasp or bee sting just before a cross-country move (pennsylvania to indiana, i know, barely counts as cross country). The kind of move in a u-haul truck with no air conditioning. A bandana doused with witch hazel (regularly doused cause it evaporated quickly because the windows were open due to no a.c.) did the trick, it was very soothing and kept the swelling down.

  4. Barb permalink
    July 15, 2011

    the sting was above my knew. So the i kept it covered with the wet bandana while i drove. in case you couldn’t picture that part.

  5. Barb permalink
    July 15, 2011

    my knee. hrumph.

  6. July 15, 2011

    Yumminess and real-life beauty all around. Sign me up and pick me!! :)

  7. July 15, 2011

    I once had a friend suggest urine for a sore throat. Ack! We’ve found that ice on the bee sting works great. The trout eyeballs are something else. I love what kids will eat if they don’t know they’re supposed to not like it. We have a bunch of fish eyeballs in a jar, and one of our fish ate another fish’s eye, but we have not ourselves partaken of fish eyeballs. Are they good or do they just have novelty value?

    • 6512 and growing permalink
      July 16, 2011

      I won’t touch them, but they are apparently delicacies (along with the fish cheeks) in many cultures. Rose says they’re “crunchy.”

      • Emily permalink
        July 17, 2011

        I used to love them when I was a wee one too. In Japan, they salt fry fish, and those were my favorites to poke out the eye and eat. Then, recently I learned that traditionally they are reserved for the matron lady of the house. They’re supposed to keep good ol’ Grandma’s eyes sharp.

  8. July 15, 2011

    me! pick me! i love the eyeball eating- wonder what magical vitamin or mineral they are endowing your kids with. maybe col and rose will have really good underwater vision or something…

  9. July 15, 2011

    I’d love a copy! So, I also wanted to tell you that my Solomon is allergic to bee/wasp stings and there’s a homeopathic remedy that helps with the swelling. It’s pretty amazing how it works! ~K

  10. July 15, 2011

    Rachel, be aware that bee sting allergies can be cumulative. I.e. you react more each time. Which means that if you had limb swelling (rather than just local swelling) the next time it may be more systematic. It might be worth getting a prescription for an epi pen just in case. Or know someone who has one. Or hope your EMT’s are fast in Mancos. Not to alarm you, but just make sure everyone knows what the signs are (swelling of throat, face, difficulty breathing). It can come on fast. I’ve found that plain old baking soda paste works great for small stings if you can get it on ASAP. Oh, and I’ll take the trout eyeballs over eating an earwig. No way I’m eating an earwig if I can help it. Grin.

  11. July 15, 2011

    Mmm… fish eyes, and thuderstorms. And once upon a time I ate a coyote, possum, nutria stew and it wasn’t too bad. I’d love to read your roadkill tale and I’d love a copy of Edible featuring your article! I’ve recently found your site, and it has been pure joy to read your story.

  12. July 15, 2011

    Apis homeopathic works well for bee stings.. Good to have an epi pen handy, too, especially if you get stung close to your face. Just tumbled into your blog a couple of weeks ago and it’s a new favourite. Love your writing and sense of humour. Miss growing a big wild garden– I just have a few pots on my deck now and a 4′ by 7′ greenhouse space, which doesn’t quite capture my wild plant imaginings.. I’d love to read your magazine articles.

  13. Chris in MN permalink
    July 15, 2011

    After two weeks up to my eyeballs sorting through desperate and painful stories from families about the painful impacts of the government shutdown in my state (my job), I SO needed this post about trout eyeballs, Rachel, thank you – and Col and Rose and Dan, too – for sharing the varied delights of rain and fish and moodiness this week. Will head into the weekend with a smile now – as always after catching up with 6512 and Growing. Best wishes for a speedy sting recovery!

  14. July 15, 2011

    Cool giveaway. Never had trout eyeballs….

  15. July 15, 2011

    Oh I want them! Cool. Yay for you.

    And, brave Rose. I just wonder how Margot would respond to trout eyeballs. Maybe we’ll find out in August?

    Miss your comments and writing! Although I know it’s because you’re having fun. But still.

    xo

  16. July 15, 2011

    Also, Andy peed all over himself when we capsized in a pool of Portuguese Man-O-Wars in Hawaii. It worked.

  17. July 15, 2011

    Yikes–be careful around those bees…the last bee sting I got I was on an island in a pond near my friends’ camp, and it flew into the hole in my croc. I wished I could find a leach to relieve the pressure from my enormous swollen foot, but I couldn’t, so I don’t know if leaching is actually an effective bee sting remedy, but I would be willing to try it next time. Also baking soda paste (and benadryl). Your kids are going to have the best childhood stories to tell around the dorm rooms–while everyone else is recounting episodes of their favorite cartoons, yours will regal everyone with tales of fisheyes and roadkill.

  18. July 15, 2011

    Gah! I love that photo…. Col totally hamming it up while Rose is totally annoyed. Making peach salsa tomorrow (thank you so much for the recipe!)….. scored more peaches for 75 cents a pound. The peaches make the humidity and big bugs all worth while. Plus I am scoping out pear & fig trees in the neighborhood for gleaning…. how people let perfectly good fruit fall to the earth to be eaten by bugs is beyond my way of thinking. For reals. Enjoy your weekend…. fish eye balls & all :)

  19. Maribeth Harris permalink
    July 15, 2011

    I am sad I did not get to see you guys when I was in town, sounds like you had company too. Love the fish eyeball story, that Rose is something!

  20. Sylva permalink
    July 16, 2011

    Advice from a beekeeping family on the stings: 1. if you keep up with your new endeavor it is possible you will get stung enough that you could, in time, build your own immunity. (and I mean that in the most encouraging way possible!) 2. a paste made from water and baking soda. Leave on for at least 15 minutes. The sooner you get it on, the better. 3. Its never a bad idea to get an Epi-Pen if you are going to have bees. You just never know when one might come in handy, particularly if the bees will ever come in to play with your homeschool coop plans you have. Most Doctors will be glad to give you an Rx for one once they here about your bees. Happy Day to you and yours!

  21. July 16, 2011

    Man your posts always crack me up. I love how you live and write with a sense of humor. Awesome local give-away!

  22. Emily permalink
    July 17, 2011

    I once got stung by a bee in the presence of Jojo’s mom. My instinct reaction was “Ah!! someone please pee on me!” “My mom’s not that kind of person,” Jojo later scolded me. But I swear it works!!! She’s a doctor, so I thought she might be interested? Thanks for spreading the pee love!

  23. Emily permalink
    July 17, 2011

    ps, Rosie, I understand. Kiva is just way more fun than magazines!

  24. July 17, 2011

    Look at all those trout..nice. When the grandson gets back from seeing his mother this summer we will be doing plenty of fishing ourselves I’m sure.:) Your garden is looking very green and lush, and ripe tomatoes too.

  25. coleen permalink
    July 17, 2011

    Ohhhh, count me in, I would love a copy of Edible San Juan Mountains!
    I’ll my fish eye balls for Rose.

  26. July 17, 2011

    I’m too overwhelmed by my sudden lust to win the giveaway to be able to compose an articulate comment. Also, my spontaneous comment side has been numbed by humidity and beer. Though on the plus side, I found a great swimming hole right here in town. In fact, it was so good, I missed eing present for a chance to win a free draw for a kayak. Since I never win anything, it wasn’t much of a loss.
    I will, however, not go swimming so long as to miss this giveaway.
    Will you ship to Canada? Or would you rather deliver? :)

  27. Anonymous permalink
    July 18, 2011

    You do tease us private groupies out with these enticements! I’ve never tried a fish eyeball, I don’t believe, but likely did without realizing it was a treat. Mom used to make us chew up comfrey and apply as a poultice with a good amount of spit on any external ailment. Can’t remember doing it for beestings, but it might be worth a try. Loving reading you from the wilds of Jersey, where kids are usually at least 6 before hitting 2 wheels–Kara

  28. Diane permalink
    July 18, 2011

    Ohhh…. eyeballs. Not for me! But Edible San Juan? THAT would be GOOD!

  29. July 18, 2011

    I think you’ve mentioned eating fish eyeballs once and it made me fall in love with your family. This one reminds me of why I just adore you guys!

  30. July 19, 2011

    Enter! Me! Enter! Is it too late? I hope not. Or something. Also? Your kids are badasses.

  31. Melissa permalink
    July 19, 2011

    i feel like i should excuse myself because i was lucky enough to win a book awhile back, but i just had to pop in and catch up (we were in Mendocino on a mini-break) and say 1)you are so hilarious, as always, that line about col and rose watching your knee turn colors like a grateful dead show? 2)glad you are okay 3)hollyhocks! i was wondering what they were called! 4)so sweet, your piece about your dad. please don’t tell me you make your own dolmas. but if you do, very impressive. xo

    • 6512 and growing permalink
      July 20, 2011

      Melissa, I buy the dolmas, $7.99/lb. Delish. (If the kids ever leave home and go to college, I’ll tackle dolmas).

  32. July 22, 2011

    i love you guys so much! that’s all i got to say
    ;)

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