Summer's only good for tomatoes and sweet corn

Greetings on the first day, in what seems like AGES, that it's been tolerable to be outside! Truly, this is the first day in weeks that we haven't used the air conditioner! In fact, I'm writing this sitting in my outdoor kitchen.

There's still a little work to do on it (primarily side walls to keep rain and snow out). I also want to make some provisions for hanging pots and utensils, as well as move the little refrigerator out here (which is currently up against the side of the house). I've decided to quit calling it a "summer kitchen," though, because when it's really hot out, there's no way in hell I'm going to stand cooking in front of a wood fire.

But last night, I cooked a feast of fried chicken and baked potatoes, with fresh tomato slices. Then this morning, I canned some salsa, and proceeded to make breakfast of bacon, eggs, and potatoes. Yum! It's supposed to be cooler all week, and Tom's sister Marcia is coming for a visit, so I'm anticipating using it more. It's really nice to be able to fry things like chicken and bacon and not worry about the splatters -- in fact, oil spatters are good for this stovetop. It also seems to be easier to regulate the oven with a wall behind it. I don't know why, but it's true.

Since my last post, I spent a fabulous two weeks at my brother's cabin in Lincoln, MT. We did a lot of work projects, but also had a lot of fun. The weather was glorious, and it was a real treat to get out of the Nebraska heat and humidity. In fact, the morning I left (at about 5:30 a.m. on July 15), it was a chilly 37 degrees! Remind me again why I live here?