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An amusing story from the Fourth of July festivities. In order to feed the crowd we had at our house, Richard purchased 5 pounds of pork loin, then mixed a huge bowl of marinade and used pretty much every flat glass dish we own to marinate the pork all day. Every time I opened the refrigerator door I was greeted with the spicy smell of garlic and cayenne pepper, and the sight of shelves full of foil-wrapped dishes taking up every inch of available space.
As it came time for guests to arrive, Richard began to remove the meat from its various containers in order to prepare it for grilling. I was at the kitchen sink chopping up onions and peppers and apples for the fajita filling when I heard a splash that did not bode well. Turning I was greeted with the sight of Richard standing at the counter behind me, looking a little sheepish, and marinade all over everything. Apparently the piece of meat slipped back into the dish, creating an arc of liquid so impressive that not only did it cover over half the floor, it made it all the way to the stairs! He began swabbing up the marinade on the counters and the front of the cupboards while I hastily grabbed a towel and attacked the orange liquid that was dribbling down the walls and puddling on the stairs.
It was a pork loin belly flop of massive proportions. I’m not sure we could duplicate it again even if we tried. I am still giggling about it, even days after. It was not nearly as exciting as the great Worcestershire sauce catastrophe which took place in my kitchen after what appeared to have been a mad feline-induced romp through the cupboards several years back (and I was still finding black sticky goo in places I would not have expected it to reach, months after the incident), but I think it could surely take second place. ******** This afternoon I finally got around to taking pictures of the latest progress in the backyard. After all the fun we had lugging rocks and hauling dirt, we decided to have someone who knows what they're doing take care of the next part. The paths (filled with decomposed granite) were put in just in time for the 4th of July. In this shot you can see the arbor gate and the climbing roses. Also note the hedge bushes on either side of the gate, which have now grown tall enough that it's starting to get awkward stepping over them. In a few more years they'll actually be a real hedge. We'll be so proud.
The rest of the yard can be seen here. The corner where I am standing to take that picture will eventually be a tiny, secluded courtyard, mostly hidden by bushes and trees, with a few chairs and perhaps a little arbor, just perfect for reading. In the far side of the yard, where the path ends abruptly on the right, the yard continues on behind the kitchen and that will be a much larger courtyard area whose sole purpose will be to provide a wind break for Richard's grill.
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