Last week I took a quick overnight trip to my parents' place in Northern Idaho. I wanted to see the progress on the farm house, and my mom offered to send me back with some homemade strawberry jam – their little patch produced a bumper crop this year and they have more berries than they know what to do with. I couldn't say no to that.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHiTKlPhRHDEB7ab-CfdoftcCkZh4iNCiH2xTYkdoXOh5JJV0Aawsl48HwIsqsdUnIMeheppnQVjLzMpLRvBsJTiUO4IavpgpFO6-05zc6yQvNfGK_yU7RVOHbuWiCzPzW2B-VP46EW5E/s400/ontheroad.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6PhQVinYKYBRRyeVzIup7aMWQlL5cT13URkjoqvL98y27RybjG7_M0UX8plivsos6EPEKmWbS_qh6XXPgZwwxYD4PZjdEOOU7ye1UnS2GatyR-9KqWZBrtBf0LnaYQ86OAM93qRvoBYM/s400/garden.jpg)
but it's still beautiful. The garden is coming along nicely.
It's also been a good year for asparagus; my parents have been
eating it for about two months now, much to my dad's dismay.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga1UENKmjbJs5ZbL20n7ZORiLzbylYYPOqfiR-4DkGzzUspIlU_2csHD31Ok3hq9beA9t9Ar9ZitN_7FN_zbXLfGF_sFBC5uON3l9Syhu9DcMyk3v_OEEd0vBudUQVzJwAF7Lbkvyz2fI/s400/pond.jpg)
I startled a little one when I walked up to the water's edge –
it made a beeline for the cattails at the other side
while one of its parents created an impressive distraction,
quacking and splashing around.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZtN-paWWq_bBES22afURI5x9QiixqEiL5vKsY-teyRa1FKsb0oEPTXRk132jcwq5u5uLvOiIlZMFV3bYx1hwJlmUu8UcGPXzPGewbt41YQei0I7JVEVmcBNMkmU2RK6k3jYfFeUsJkVA/s400/grasshopper.jpg)
that they're kind of cute when they're small and green.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFxwCKcAPMD4s-6UMcnjdFSzp0WqkZfLKq1s4Aq9BGGpOLqkuC_yA-a66C7orgH5nIsTwD1WpE7HVuYYaFR1NLe9FLNJRoU-OtVY7jhM7gaiJmvAjnlyIiXy4HNoA99xl9iMwEXXvJnzQ/s400/farmhouse.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYPEMxcfxrYBzzkTOs1AVtXPZXwWjUO90gOtwtGHVsjw_0_ijW1L-Pz-288fpEOrZLQ1IHQpqd4H-p9J3YNUd-nubdtUoXxCjqhDvu75sSrWYEgG-HrUW09nHiCGtkGp-K2BTpHt_-plo/s400/view.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM3DPi8ve5KpuQnk5sp8PKHspbUiKJ_XDvacbQa8cpB_x46kgI8y3TbXHOLefmzXwCfmh25IZNQnbdTrPDbNSSJFst-9WTy0YioJEkDq41vHO3pGAd1fx2Ga81ObG7ZvKZejXRuOdVqws/s400/roof.jpg)
has been lurking about.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDz8j_yTutQCboGciH6hbr89jALjIf8rv0gS-2Ccet1o9NXmYPp2rd2EPh0DbYc3jDlPe6PlyLblCfdZIC_dN5OMCqpJuKpEV5vFY6E0kwiD_-xRuctvWZBoRxBUP__-_oy946d7KI8Lc/s400/upstairs2.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimcZmgvQz1FfBfjhyphenhyphenWkMsE9loQhesJ-95SMiiY52d_Qd_sEwJSiWXGBrb1lzB98NtPFABIp4zem08V0gHIDBfUSczkiTfaTGJGPj-LR8sB3fqtoNHjKHPSP-vfPuIGdFm5maan94dYIlg/s400/upstairs1.jpg)
The builders just cut a big slice out of the second story,
and they're going to drop the trusses right in there.
I had no idea what a roof truss was before this (they look like this):
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMKhYbHhewDAbvg0zIXgupLXeuHYsSK2SEay85F9UzB37m48xzfmiBBTM8HSk74ch-DqTP8C6QUKV6TunbJ8d31SHdVZG2akpJFYUMlz094c6Vi5Dw8Fa1Jmj1scvRNTLQiH1-hzal2Cs/s400/trusses.png)
Watching this whole thing come together has been an education.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnulzmimVw1qwK_mBC0NDcno4jNlfkOgZq0d-byodQ4orHEuYXwwzp9S9IBL6V7ROfjcx0IH0461hf55Gs3E8DhrN1Zi9JSK8SmWrXLMU-KiytafrPb3HiFoW9JVau2Rvj8u7ad3qecr0/s400/jammaking.jpg)
I left for Seattle with my booty that afternoon.
Freezer jam uses fresh, rather than cooked, berries,
so the end result has much more flavor and color.
Not bad for a few hours' effort,
and I'm set for hostess gifts for the rest of the summer.
so the end result has much more flavor and color.
Not bad for a few hours' effort,
and I'm set for hostess gifts for the rest of the summer.