Doors and My Neighbor.

When I first moved into my apartment about 9 years ago, I was given a ring filled with several keys.  One worked on my deadbolt, another worked on the front door lock but several didn't seem to work on anything.

A couple years later, a young man moved in next door.  He is quiet and nice to have as a neighbor.  shortly afterwards, he locked himself out and borrowed a butter knife from me to break into his place.

I think it was the following year, management had us turn in all our extra keys.  At this point, we discovered one of my keys worked on his door.  I am still not sure if my key worked on his and my apartment or if I had his key.  They let me keep it so whenever he locked himself out, he would come get the key from me.

It wasn't too much longer management decided they wanted all the keys except for the ones associated with the deadbolt.  So I turned it in and of course he locked himself out.  He was over for the butter knife again. 

I think this happened about 3 to 4 times a year.  Well he did it again, the other morning.  I left for work.  I walked out of my apartment, across the porch and he was standing there looking kind of unhappy.  It appears he'd locked himself out of the entry instead of his place.   The fourplex is set up so there is a door into each group of two and that is the door he locked this time.

Fortunately, he'd left his window open because he is a smoker and likes to have it open to keep the smoke from accumulating in his apartment.  I laughed when he told me what happened.  He even walked over to his window, leaned in and pointed to his keys on the table, just out of reach no matter how far he leaned in.

At this point, he decided to climb in through the window which is one of those half windows you crank open.  It was fun watching him perform these weird movements as he tried to fit himself in through the opening.

After a few minutes of struggling he eased himself into the building.  It is great he is tall and skinny build more like a green bean than a line backer because if he'd been any larger around, he would not have made it. 

You are probably wondering why he didn't just call the building super?  Well two reasons really.  the super is never awake at that hour and there is no guarantee he has an extra key.  I thanked my neighbor for making the day a beautiful laughter filled event.  He just laughed with me. 

Yes, I do expect this to happen again because it happens on a regular basis.

What Do You Know About Salt?

  What do you know about salt?  I have it in my house.  I have the regular iodized salt, pickling salt, and salt to melt the ice on the walkways.  I recently bought some of those fancy gourmet salts, the ones from around the world.

So let me share some information with you on ten types of salt you might just have around your house.

1.  Table salt which is exactly what it sounds like.  It is on that table shaker.  It is refined from mined underground salt, not sea water.  It often has additives such as iodine and anti-caking agents which do not work well in extremely humid climates such as Hawaii.  Mom always put rice grains in her salt shakers to keep the salt from caking.

2.  Kosher salt could be from either the sea or earth and is quick dissolving. It acquired its name due to its use in preparation of meet according to Jewish preparation rules but not all salt labeled as kosher is actually kosher meaning it does not meet all kosher.

3. Sel Gris meaning "Grey Salt" is prepared through the use of evaporation.  Ponds of salt water are evaporated, leaving the salt at the bottom..  This is also known as "Celtic Sea Salt".  It is good as both a cooking salt and a finishing salt.  A finishing salt is an unrefined natural salt used at the last minute to flavor the food.  you do not cook with it.

4.  Gros Gris is a salt with large crystals.  The crystals are large enough to use in a salt grinder.  It is best used to create a salt crust on meat.

5. Flake Salt - is made from boiled or evaporated brine.  The salt has fewer trace minerals but it is a great finishing salt for salads.

6. Fleur de Sel are crystals that are harvested from the top of the same evaporation ponds where Sel Cris is collected.  The delicate crystals are used for finishing.

7. Hawaiian Sea Salt may be either red or black depending on where it comes from.  The red comes from a mineral in volcanic baked clay while the black gets its color from added charcoal.  The crystals may also be fine or course but this is a great salt to add to meats.

8. Smoked Salt is slow smoked over a fire to help the crystals absorb the flavor.  It is great used with hearty meats or potatoes.

9. Flavored salt can be flavored with just about any flavoring such as truffles, lemon, herbs, etc.

10. Himalayan salt is mined from ancient sea deposits in Pakistan.  It ranges in color from white to pink to red and is often cut into slaps so as to be used like a plate.  The salt has the ability to hold heat at a certain temperature for a period of time so the slabs can be used to serve a variety of foods.

I have several of these salts in my house.  Its great to know more about them.  I hope you enjoyed learning something from them.

Climate Change.

  I just got back from attending a conference in Los Angeles.  Its gotten browner and less vibrant due to a years long drought.  I checked with the shuttle driver who told me that they are in the middle of a drought and its lasted long enough for local governments to have implemented water regulations.

I know people in New Mexico who are trying to raise gardens while living under water restrictions.  This particular drought has lasted something like 10 years.  I know there are other places undergoing the same issues.

Did you know there are fewer Joshua Trees reproducing in Joshua Tree National Forest?  According to a bite on the public radio station, the youngest Joshua trees are 30 to 40 years old. They think it might be due to climate change but climate change does not always result in a drought, it sometimes means that the window of heavy rain or snow changes.

For instance, in certain parts of Alaska, it has been noted that the heaviest part of winter is no longer in mid - January but has progressed later in the year.  I just heard from a friend that they are finally getting their monsoon rains now instead of June.  Since it is so late, it is causing problems with farming.  In addition, the soil has time to dry out much more than normal and when the rains come the run-off has increased significantly.

If you every listen to the old timers, you'll hear them talk about changes.  When I lived on Diomede, a small 2 miles square island in the Bering Sea, the elders talked about how the ice used to freeze solid enough for people to walk all the way to Wales.  Wales is a small community about 20 or 25 miles away on the main part of Alaska.

I would say they might be right because their airport as not been available as long as it used to be.  Their airport forms when the ocean water between Big and Little Diomede freezes to create a nice thick layer of ice.  Last I heard instead of having the airport for 2 or 3 months, it was down to 1 month for plane service.  For the rest of the year, everything is brought in by helicopter or if its too big, it comes in by the twice yearly barge.

Do you realize that if things continue this way, everyone may end up moving north where there is still enough water to do just about anything?

Forest.

What If ?

Ice Cream Anyone?

  I woke up this morning after dreaming of soda fountains, the 50's and Happy Days.  Remember seeing that show with Al's Diner?  I realized there are not that many places that offer the escapism to another time.

I don't know if you've ever visited Main Street at Disney land (either Florida or California).  Did you stop by the eatery on Main Street near the entrance?  It served soda's and ice cream goodies.

The Plaza Ice Cream Parlor is built to take you back to a time in the past where a boy might take his lady love to for a date.  They might share a float or an ice cream sundae.  I've eaten there before and remember pigging out on the divine creations they made.

I have wondered where the term Sundae came from.  Apparently back in 1881, a customer of an ice cream shop asked the owner to pour chocolate syrup over ice cream.  Up to this point, the chocolate syrup was only used in ice cream sodas.  It cost a nickle but was only sold on Sunday's thus its name.

There was another restaurant I visited once in a great while when growing up.  It was Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor and it was decorated to look like a place from the late 1890's. Both men and women dressed from the time period to lend authenticity to the concept.

Their desserts were spectacular and sooo rich but soooo good.  They offered other a regular menu of hamburgers and other things but ice cream was what it built its reputation on.  The store opened in 1963 and by the mid 1970's,  there were over  200 restaurants nationwide.  Unfortunately after being sold to Marriott Corporation, the economy slid downwards and the chain went out of business by 1990.  In the mid 2000's after a legal battle concerning ownership, the stores were once more opened in Southern California only.  The chain is fighting to survive in a time of fast foods.

I'm sorry about Farrell's but I'm glad there is at least one place left that provides the wistful look at the past.  On a different note, did you know cones were invented during the World's Fair of 1904?  A Syrian was making waffles next door to an ice cream booth.  When the ice cream person ran out of bowls, the Syrian rolled his waffles into a cone shape and they were filled with ice cream. 

That day the ice cream cone was born and made its impact on history.  Have a good day.

A New Life

  By now, most of you know I live rather far from what most people term civilization.  I don't mind being an hour by air from the closest hospital, nor do I mind being the same distance from a real store.

Due to only having a clinic in town manned only by health aides, women who are expecting do not remain here until they go into labor.  Most head into the closest hospital about one month before they are due.

This is because many times a lady goes into labor early as calculating the due date is at best a good guess.  I do know of one person who had a baby on the due date but generally mothers don't manage it.

Back to my story.  I ran into this lady on my way back to town.  When we chatted, I found out she was due in late September so I expected her to leave or have left last night.  As I came to work this morning, the runway lights were on and a plane was on approach.  This was just before 7:30.

Usually, a plane this early signals something serious and the person is being medivaced.  I checked with one of the other folks and she said the lady had a nice healthy boy at 3:30 this morning.  The plane was only to transport the mother and child into the hospital to check them out.

Fortunately it does not happen very often but it does.  One time, I was living on a remote island with a population of around 100 people.  One of the young ladies was expecting and had gone to the clinic for a checkup. The visiting doctor said she was fine and he left on the last plane of the season.  She had a month before she was due.

That night she went into labor and by morning had a healthy baby.  The clinic called in the helicopter to take her out.  On that island, the weekly helicopter was the normal form of transit but they had air planes for about 6 weeks in the spring when the ice was frozen solid.  Mother and baby were fine.

A few years ago, one of the ladies went into premature labor during a blizzard.  She was extremely lucky because two army nurses were in town so they could help out at the clinic.  Turns out she had several risk factors which made the birth more dangerous.  She survived and the baby was born.  As soon as the weather cleared up enough, a plane came out to get them.

Fortunately, women giving birth early does not happen that often.  In the meantime, everyone is happy for the new lives that join the world.  Thank you for letting me share this piece of joy.