Willow Springs Lake—Photography Class

We're taking an intermediate photography class at Gila Community College. This class has a field trip followed by a sharing and critiquing of photos class. On our first field trip we headed to Willow Springs Lake near the top of the Rim at about 7000 ft. and 35 minutes from Payson.

Randy caught me trying to take a picture of this rather odd looking mushroom....bright orange.

There were folks fishing in boats on the lake and a kayak or two, but it was a rather uninspiring landscape.......at least from my point of view. I don't like any of my photos so I am going to have a hard time coming up with some to share in class.

September Cooking Class

September's cooking class was a yummy one! We made escarole salad with olives and garlic croutons, fresh pasta for two kinds of lasagna—butternut squash lasagna with goat cheese, sage and breadcrumbs, and short rib and dried porcini lasagna.

Short rib lasagna seemed odd to me but boy, is it delicious. The homemade noodles just melted in your mouth. They are quite a bit of work as you almost need two people—one to crank and one to hold on to the dough as it comes out of the machine. (Sorry for the bad iPhone photos.)

I am still having foot issues.....same foot, different issue. I now have a hematoma on the top of my left foot. I have no idea how it happened. I am putting moist heat and ice on it several times a day in hopes that it will dissipate. I am SO missing hiking. I haven't been on a decent hike since the middle of June. My exercise classes at the local college don't seem to be bothering my foot which is good as I need the exercise. Pilates is a killer, physioball not quite as bad and yoga is calming and restful.

Evening Under the Rim and Elk

What a view! We were enjoying a glass of wine and looking out over the Tonto National Forest.

Every year in September a family who owns a beautiful piece of property near the top of the Rim opens up their home to 70 guests for a fundraiser for the Rim Country Museum. The family supplies the food and drink and the museum benefits from the sales of the tickets. We enjoyed beef, barley salad, fruit salad, croissants, and apple pie and ice cream.

The original Zane Grey cabin used to be located on their land. The cabin burned down in the 1990 Dude Fire. A look-alike cabin was constructed at Green Valley Park right next to the Rim Country Museum. We give tours to both the museum and the cabin.

The State Historian, Marshall Trimball, attended and we enjoyed listening to his singing and storytelling. He knows so many tales about Rim Country.

Yesterday morning there were elk beside our driveway. This guy is not too worried about Cooper. And Cooper doesn't bark at them like he does with the coyotes or javelina.

Beautiful creatures that stand 6-9 ft. tall.

They move up into the hills at day break. The rut will start soon....then it's going to get noisy around here.