Back at the Ranch

Green chili, tomatoes, and basil

We don't have a ranch!  But we refer to our acre as the "ranch." As summer days wind down, and "monsoon" hits New Mexico: we are harvesting tomatoes and green chili from the garden.  I try to balance the garden, jewelry biz, and visitors.  Some days better than others.  We had 4 friends from Milano visit last weekend.  Such fun! With the doors to the shop open, we've had butterflies, birds, and lizards visit.  The dogs next door have gone from barking crazily at me out in the garden, to digging their way out under their fence and visit.  Buddy guarding me, has not been pleased to see those hounds in "HIS" yard.

 A Thrasher baby perches on the hose line to the compressor. 

A yellow swallowtail seemed to want Bob's company!

I decided that pictures would tell it all.  The B & W photo taken with a new App from Apple called "my hipstamatic photos." It's amazing.  Different lenses can produce different effects.  The digital look of photos gone back to the past  of analog photography.

 "My Hipsatmatic App in black and white" Only small photos work well.

Monsoon season is here. This is one minute of rain on our front porch.  The ground is so hard that is does not soak in. Just runs off and down to the Rio Grande River.  Arroyos that are normally dry ditches fill in minutes. 

 A watermelon with black "sugar bites" which are a true tell that the watermelon is ripe. The sugar leaks out forming these black clumps. 

Our friends from Milano 

Serena and Libe Model my raven pendants!

Night time or "vampire gardening" as I refer to it. Tomato Alley, a spider helping with pest control and my new head lamp from True North Knives!

Pesto to go in the freezer.  My husband Bob matched up all the lids of the plastic I have

been saving all year for garden goodies. 

My pesto recipe you have been asking for:

2 cups packed basil leaves washed and dried

1/2 cup walnuts, 1/2 cup pine nuts

1 cup cold press olive oil

1 cup parmesan cheese grated

1/4 romano cheese grated

4 cloves garlic

squeeze of fresh lemon (1 teaspoon)

lots of ground black pepper

Put basil, garlic, nuts in food processor making a dry paste.  While on, drizzle olive oil into paste.  When creamy add cheeses, black pepper and a bit of lemon to keep it green.  Toss in hot linguini, or any hot pasta.  Makes about a cup...use 1/2 cup pesto to one pound of pasta.  Enjoy!

Sunset from the Ranch.

Thanks for reading!

Each day is a gift!

xo

Suz

Blade Show 2010

This little boy was a so cute!  I love it when the blade is bigger than the person!
His Dad took me to the ER. 

I am one of the few wives of knife makers who love the Blade show.  It's huge, it's crowded, and noisy.  I always go away realizing conversations were interrupted, sentences unfinished, good byes forgotten, and people I missed because they weren't at their table when I came by.  Bob doesn't have a table there any longer.  He's busy delivering special orders,  dreaming up collaborations with production knife companies, seeing prototypes, and buying supplies.  But this year I was graced with sharing a table with Allen and Valerie Elishewitz.  Allen usually sells out within the first moments of the show.  So within an hour I was placing my jewelry on their table.  I had little stock as Mother's Day had emptied me out. No complaints.

 Awesome bookmark for E&H new knives

Allen has partnered with Hogue to make some of the best factory made knives I have seen.  The price point, quality and materials are impressive.  Allen did a great job with his design, and Hogue did a fabulous job in production.  Bob praised them highly.  They have their own forum on the USN website where you can read all about them, and ask questions. (you need to sign up a user name)  Please check out Allen's website:  http://www.elishewitzknives.com/default.asp  for all his latest and greatest.  I had a ball with Val at the table.  They had bookmarks printed and cut out of the new E&H knives.  I hung mine from my chain around my neck like a neck knife!  I kept tell people they "only get a paper cut" with this knife.  :-)  Fun...very creative idea to have them die cut.  Bravo!

Elishewitz/Hogue knife: they run $180-$220

We had dinner the first night with Todd and Tanya Begg, and Neil Ostroff of True North Knives.  Todd brought some new knives to the restaurant that were pretty wild and amazing.  They are folders...but fantasy folders...which means not really pocket knives! Cool none the less. He has his own forum on USN also, as does True North Knives.

Todd Begg's newest

Bob wants to cut his meat with Todd's blade

iPhone photos don't quite do details justice

A Long time collector of Bob's from Florida brought a set of Bob's knives in a case he had made.  He had the original knife that Bob had made for the cover of Bob's book.  He added others and calls the set: "Cover Girl and Her Three Sisters."  Black Coral, Green Jade, Ivory, and Cocobolla are the 4 handles. 

Then there were knives Bob delivered. 3 fixed blades went to the "3 Tenors."  Four guys from Switzerland, and Milano came to the show.  We had met them in Milan at a dinner that Fausto set up for us.  We went to dinner with them, and as always...they are a blast.  One funnier than the next, and constantly teasing each other. We no doubt will spend time with them in Milano this November.

Badass: Fausto, Stephano, Christian
Middle photo has Bob's posse: the "3 Tenors" and Paulo!

Bob delivered a knife that had an entire handle made of superconductor.  It was very heavy, and I call knives like these "doorstops."  :-)

The superconductor knife above.
Bottom: 5" Athena for Josh Lee from Strider

Some of our New Mexico Knife Knuts were there:  Luc Burnley, Al Trujillo, Eddie Baca and Richard Rogers.  I barely had time to talk to any of them. Luc has a forum on USN: Burnley Knives.  I bought one of Luc's first fixed blades that is a small surgical style knife I use in my studio almost daily.
Time flew as usual.

Our next show will be the Gathering in Las Vegas the first weekend in September (9/3-5).  I hope to be able to fly by then.  At the moment health issues are keeping me from doing so.  But Bob will be there for sure.  Until we meet again...  XO to all the "knifies" in my life, near and far.

Thanks for reading. I'm still amazed that you do!

xo
Suz