Footle and Grok

Hubby and I are planning to move to the Bozeman, Montana area this summer. We have many reasons for moving, but I want to explore a new part of the country. There are a lot of fascinating things to do in the area. Visit me, and I’ll show you around.

The first thing on my list is the Museum of the Rockies. They have dinosaurs! I shouldn’t have to say anymore, but they are connected with the Smithsonian, and many amazing temporary displays come to this small museum. They are doing a program on Vikings right now. Cool.

I just learned about this place, but I can’t wait to visit. The Montana Grizzly Encounter adopts bears bred in captivity and gives them a safe place to live out their lives. Visitors can watch these grand animals in a natural habitat and learn more about them.

One of the big reasons we are moving is to visit Yellowstone National Park often. It is only an hour and a half from Bozeman, and I can’t wait to explore all the various hiking trails. Visit me, and we’ll going camping and see Old Faithful.

There are a ton of hiking trails around Bozeman, and the area is famous for its winter sports. You can ski or snowshoe when you visit me and then return to my home for warm food and friendship. Everyone is welcome; just check to make sure we aren’t out visiting other amazing places around the Rocky Mountain region.

Happy Chocolate Ice Cream Day!

What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

Mine is chocolate, so I’m happy to celebrate this holiday. Hubby rarely sends me to the store to buy ice cream because I always buy something like Moose Tracks, even if we’re eating the ice cream on pie. I think chocolate ice cream goes with everything. 

In honor of the day, I found some fun facts about ice cream. This chilly, creamy dessert has been around so long that no one knows when it was invented or by whom. Many cultures probably invented it independently because – ice cream! Everyone loves it.

I Scream for Ice Cream Facts:

• The first known ice cream recipe was written in 1665
• Three gallons of milk becomes one gallon of ice cream
• Chocolate ice cream is the most popular ice cream in the world, closely followed by vanilla
• An average American eats 48 cups of ice cream each year
• The first U.S. ice cream parlor opened in New York City in 1776

I didn’t find a video about making chocolate ice cream, but I did find one* about making ice cream sandwiches and cones, which is just as interesting. When it comes to ice cream, I’m not picky. Oh, I’d rather not have nuts, but I’ll eat any kind of ice cream because I like ice cream. However, when I have a choice, I choose chocolate.

*f you can’t see the video, click on the post’s title and watch it on my website.

Have you ever been to Grand Teton National Park? I was last there in the 1990s, but I’m there today. Since 48,000 people visited the park in April 2021, I assume I’m not alone. 

Grand Teton is close to Yellowstone, but they are very different in both how they look and their history. Yellowstone was one of the first natural wonders we protected in America. The Grand Teton area was ranched and farmed and became a vacation spot for the wealthy, long before anyone thought of protecting it. In fact, John D. Rockefeller was one of the first people who thought the Grand Tetons and the surrounding area should be made a park. It took a lot of years and a lot of discussions. In the end, it took money to buy some of the land.

The path to creating the park as we know it today was long and involved. The park was first established in 1929 by President Coolidge. This was not a popular decision. In 1943, President Roosevelt created the Jackson Hole National Monument to protect the valley floor. Finally, President Truman and Congress (a president can create a National Monument, but only Congress can make a National Park) combined the two parks, added land donated by John D. Rockefeller, and formed the 310,000-acre park I’m visiting today.

National Parks are one of America’s best ideas, and I am glad the Grand Tetons and its surrounding valleys were protected. As some of the youngest mountains in the Rocky Mountains, it is unique among mountains. Formed by earthquakes and carved by glaciers, it has a story to tell. By adding the surrounding valley to the park, many animals and birds are protected also. Parks should protect entire ecosystems, not just the cool features found on postcards.

Since I’m moving to the Rocky Mountain area, I hope to visit the Grand Tetons often. It’s a wonderful place to explore.

My second half marathon is today outside of Grand Teton National Park. It’s the second hardest race of the three I’m doing and I’m really excited about it. Wish me luck!

Oh, I forgot to mention that I ran a 5k last evening, too. I’ll show off all my medals at the end.

We are in Wyoming and Montana for the next week or so (yes, our cats are being well cared for, thank you for asking), and everyone online keeps telling me there are lots of grizzly bears around. I really want to see a grizzly bear, not too close, but close enough. I probably won’t, so I thought I would learn some interesting facts about them instead. Grrrr!

I got these facts from the Get Bear Smart Society, which seems like a good website to know about since I’m moving to bear country. Plus, they have some bear-y good information. Check out the website for all the facts.

1. Not all grizzly bears are huge. I know this personally. While the grizzlies in the videos around Brooks Falls in Alaska are massive from all the fish they eat, the grizzlies in Denali National Park are smaller because they live on berries and small animals. 
2. The front claws on a grizzly can grow to 4-inches in length. That’s why you don’t want to get too close to these bears.
3. While there are 50,000 grizzly bears in North America, only 1,200 live in the lower 48 states. See, no worries. 

I was reading the book I go to when I want to relax, Bones, Rocks, and Stars by Chris Turney. It’s a very readable science book, and I enjoy the stories a lot, although I hadn’t picked it up for a couple of years. Anyway, I was reading before going to bed, and a small piece of paper fell out of the book.

In my handwriting, it said “chthonic” on one side and “THAN-nik adj. of or relating to the underworld: infernal” on the other.

I can’t explain how happy this made me. First of all, I had completely forgotten that I had ever seen this awesome word. Second, I had also forgotten that I tucked this paper in this book. And third, I got to re-experience learning this word.

I usually tuck pictures in books because it’s fun to stumble across random photos. But after finding this word gem, I’m going to start tucking more words in books. I might even add some to books I donate. Perhaps someone else will experience the joy that I did when that paper fell out.

I encourage you to tuck things in books: photos, hand-written notes, five-dollar bills. Just about anything can be a wonderful surprise the next time you open the book.

Here is my confession. Autumn is my favorite season. Summer is just something to get through before I can enjoy shorter days, changing leaves, pumpkins, and Halloween. To capture some of the magic of summer, I found some lovely quotes, including one by my favorite poet, William Carlos Williams. Perhaps I can enjoy sunny long days enjoying nature at its green peak.

“Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August.”

Jenny Han

“Live in the sunshine. Swim in the sea. Drink in the wild air.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

“The summer night is like a perfection of thought.”

Wallace Stevens

“One must maintain a little bit of summer, even in the middle of winter.”

Henry David Thoreau

“In summer, the song sings itself.”

William Carlos Williams

Summer is here!

Okay, it’s only June 1st, but as all the readers of Footle and Grok know, I say that summer is June, July, and August. So, summer is here, and today’s poem describes summer perfectly.

John Clare is known as the greatest English Labouring-class poet. He lived in the 19th century and wrote about nature, rural areas, and the loss of both. His poem uses all the senses to describe this lovely time of year.

June

By John Clare

‘Now summer is in flower and natures hum
Is never silent round her sultry bloom
Insects as small as dust are never done
Wi’ glittering dance and reeling in the sun
And green wood fly and blossom haunting bee
Are never weary of their melody
Round field hedge now flowers in full glory twine
Large bindweed bells wild hop and streakd woodbine
That lift athirst their slender throated flowers
Agape for dew falls and for honey showers
These round each bush in sweet disorder run
And spread their wild hues to the sultry sun.’

As we enter summer, it’s a great time to work on fun goals. Remember that we always succeed if we improve.

As part of my plan to use the food in my kitchen, I’ve been making a lot of beer bread. Why? Because we have a lot of old beer in my house. Neither Hubby nor I drink beer so it just sits on the shelf waiting for someone to visit, which doesn’t help becuase most of my friends don’t drink beer either.

The only way I know to use up beer is to make beer bread. This super simple recipe doesn’t taste anything like beer. It is just delicious. I’ve been using Pabst Blue Ribbon for a long time and am finally down to one can. I have about five other types of beer from Bud to an IPA to Guiness. I’ve been hesitant to try these beers in the recipe because I may not like the flavor. Obviously, Pabst is a low end beer and it works great. How would a more expensive beer make the bread taste?

For fun I decided to use a Corona so I can call it COVID bread. It baked wonderfully and the taste surprised me. The beer flavor (not the alcohol flavor) is mild with the Corona. It just tastes like bread, not beer bread. I like it a lot, but I think I like the Pabst better (for bread, not for drinking.)

I have about fifteen beers to use up. Next time I’ll try an IPA. It will probaby be okay. The one I am concerned about it the Guiness, but it will get it’s turn too. Now that I know other beers make good beer bread I’m ready to experiment, and reduce the amount of beer I take to Montana (hopefully that number will be zero.)

Jennifer’s Beer Bread

• 3 cups flour
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 3 tsp sugar
• 12 oz. beer

1. Preheat the over to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a bread pan.
3. Mix the dry ingredients.
4. Add the beer and mix until doughy.
5. Pour into the bread pan.
6. Bake 50 minutes to 1 hour.