neighborly cookout

I went to a cookout at the neighbors' last night. I spent some time beforehand making peppers and onions and toum to bring with me, both of which I test drove before heading over.

The toum was a hit, and the night was good overall. I got there at 6 and at 8 thought it was already 10. I ate my weight in garlic, guacamole, and ghost stories, consumed around a fire.

This morning I moved the backyard bird feeders as well as some of the patio furniture. I replaced streaming with watching their drama and wanted a better view, and now the husky mess should fall in a more preferable location. I'm thinking to order a baffle to keep the squirrels off the tallest post. I have a large feeder that I like to use, but they can knock the top off and empty it in an afternoon. I thought about trying to weight it down then figured instead of inventing, and if I have to buy something, I'd rather follow a beaten path. This gift card is becoming a gift of boundaries.

The fire last night got me thinking to buy a small heater for the patio as well. I had a large fire pit I gave to a different neighbor because the popping of the wood would scare the dogs, discouraging my use of it. I looked at pellet burning stoves, but the cheapest cost more than I was willing to spend, and the thought of more stuff was turning me off. I already have a steamer basket I'm not using, and a cast iron Dutch oven, and today found that the basket fits nearly perfectly in the oven. The top of the basket stands a little proud of the rim of the oven, but the oven lid fits on snugly over the basket, which has legs that allow airflow from all sides. I did a test run tonight and burned a scoop of pellets for a half an hour before they began smoldering. I sat the oven on its lid on a small table in front of the patio chair where I was sat. The sides of the pot had reached about 250F, and the lid below was warm in the center, but the table absorbed little of the heat, rising to 90F at its hottest. I had some billows of smoke while getting started, but once the fire was established it seemed pretty clean.

Last weekend the monstera was shooting out fresh growth, which today unfurled into a new leaf.