Burbs and the Bees

Suspense

2012-02-09T13:21:00.000-08:00

Illustration Friday: Suspense

The suspense of whether or not the bees will make it through the winter is just about killing me.

I worry every year..

This year a little more so. The winter has been mild.

Warm ~ cold ~ warm ~ cold.

They get confused, think it is Spring, start to work and then freeze when it gets cold again.

I had my ear to the hives on the last warm day we had. There were a few that were silent.

I hope at least one hive makes it through. We have ordered a few new starts for spring though, just in case.

I sat outside to sketch this today. It was 37 degrees.

Sunny..

but cold.

The illustration is a little brief, but my fingers were getting numb.

Really..

I just wanted to sit with the bees..

Forward

2012-01-30T08:26:00.000-08:00

Illustration Friday: Forward

I've been looking forward to this time of year.. SEED CATALOG time.

Pages full of the promise of the golden goodness of summer.

As I was looking through the stacks of seed catalogs last night I had to laugh. My baby-sitters father used to read me the Burpee seed catalog. He would go page by page tasting each veggie ..or bug.. and make faces. We would laugh for hours. Now, when I look at the pages I'll think how good that juicy ripe tomato looks and laugh out loud as I hum at the gorgeous fruit on the page.

Forward..

I've been thinking about moving forward ..

and staying put .. right here on this blog space.

As I've been trying another space on for size and thinking about moving there I've realized -

There is no need to move to a new space. I can move forward right here.

Burbs and the Bees.

Simple fact is..

I am a bee-girl.

The tag line has changed a bit:

Doodling on the suburban homefront.

So I think I am going to just keep "doodling around" right here..

Thanks for hanging in there with me!

Prepare

2012-01-16T16:21:00.000-08:00

More about this little list over here..

Pot-o-moss

2012-01-08T05:18:00.000-08:00

More here...

Bubbles and trees

2012-01-03T06:46:00.000-08:00

These little vintage bottle brush trees were in a bottom of a discarded box at my favorite thrift shop.

I had to giggle...

~SCORE~

I love these little trees.

Like a miniature forest under glass bubbles on the kitchen window.

Wishing you a new year full of light, love, hope, health and happiness!

Everyday Life

2011-12-31T04:21:00.000-08:00

From my sister-in-law.

Drawn by my niece a few years ago.

I can't tell you how much I love this...

Blooming

2011-12-27T14:16:00.000-08:00

~Paperwhites~

Blooming in the kitchen window.

From my sketch pad..

Hoping you all had a very Merry Christmas!

Canning Moss

2011-12-10T07:23:00.001-08:00

Canning moss over here..

Truby

2011-12-06T15:19:00.000-08:00

Pop on over here..

~ Truby Run Studio ~

Paperwhite

2011-12-03T04:30:00.000-08:00

Two scents that remind me of Virginia living at Christmas time...

Paperwhites

and

Boxwood.

Paperwhite bulb on the kitchen window in yummy colored glass stones.

((Narcissus papyraceus with glass stones from Michael's Craft store)

River

2011-11-29T13:19:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving at the river.

Where the turkey defrosts on a pile of wood next to the wood stove...

.. in a cabin that Mom makes feel like home.

Next to one of my favorite creeks.

Where I run until my lungs scream for air.

Where the morning fog is thick on the banks of the river while I sip hot coffee.

Where the glow of the moss in the setting sun brings tears to my eyes.

Where I want to lay in the miniature forests that carpet the rocks.

Where I left a piece of my heart...

Time

2011-11-21T04:19:00.000-08:00

I've been getting up before the sun since the time change and loving it.

The rain is coming down on the dormer and I am thankful to have this little space. My desk has been moved back out here for the winter and it is where it belongs.

Found this little faux fern at Crate and Barrel yesterday and couldn't resist.

I've been thinking about creating a new space.. a creative space..

but I am having a hard time letting go of my time here at the "Burbs".

Maybe I can just keep on motoring here?

View of my desk wall in the dormer.

I'll be here as the sun comes up.

Wishing you a most wonderful week

and a very happy Thanksgiving.

Adventures

2011-11-14T04:10:00.000-08:00

Miniature daisies by my mother's grill.

Adirondack shelter on the Laurel Highlands hiking trail.

Bridge over Oil Creek..waaaaayyy down there.

Autumn trails make my heart sing.

Hot lunch from the day pack by the creek on an unseasonably warm November day.

Wishing we packed in the fly-rod.

I heard something on a pod-cast last week..

Adventure is what you make it.

In your backyard,

by the grill.

In the garden,

with the sun on your back.

On a familiar trail,

or a new one.

Doing something new,

or old with a new set of eyes.

We've spent the summer adventuring.

Going to keep going right into winter..

First Berry

2011-06-11T04:24:00.000-07:00

Split it four ways.

It was delicious!

June

2011-06-06T06:02:00.000-07:00

After a long soggy spring summer is finally here!

I found these cute little ceramic mushroom shopping with a dear friend. They are now living at the backdoor..

Summer breakfasts of homemade yogurt and granola with fresh straberries.

Set of bowls from Goodwill ( Dansk ).. $0.50 each!

Running out the back door in the morning to capture webs..

..and the humid air of a summer morning in the woods.

Peas!

New little lettuce transplants.

The garden has been put in.

Raspberries and grapes have been weeded and mulched.

New strawberry bed made from the pine logs we cleared to plant the orchard a few years ago.

Weeded and mulched with a few berries lurking in the sun.

Then off to the lake for a perfect summer evening paddle to relax.

Birds singing, warm sun, and water smooth as butter.

Welcome summer.

This morning..

2011-05-08T07:56:00.000-07:00

Husband calling from front porch ~

"Hey...did you put this here ???"

(knowing I am always dragging in bits of nature back to the house..)

Me: "What...??(first cup of coffee in hand) No..? Wowww...."

Found today...

on the front porch in the empty wood bin.

Happy Mother's Day!

Mayapple

2011-05-01T10:52:00.000-07:00

It has been a damp spring full of rain.

Just about e v e r y day rain.

The trees are slowly filling out and the woods are dark...

I think we had a partial day of sun last weekend and the bees were busting it.

All the rain has prompted one swarm so far..

at least one that I know of.

The girls can't get out in the rain and they get all swarmy. It happens when we have rainy springs.

Maybe that's why I like the bees so much..

All this rain is making me feel swarmy too.

The mayapples are poking through. I love it when the woods are carpeted with a sea of miniature umbrellas.

Umbrellas and rain..

Think I'll go make a cup of tea with honey..

And we danced..

2011-04-18T17:14:00.000-07:00

..to the song...

..of Spring!

Winter grass in the garden this morning as I went out to inspect the (slow but sure) progress of the peas.

Still a bit wet out there to turn the winter grass under.

Today I didn't mind as the bubbles danced on the blades...

Warm

2011-04-17T14:32:00.000-07:00

Hot air balloons lifting off in the valley at sunrise ~ via cell phone.

We snuck away for a few days last month to get warm.

Arizona warm.

We've been to Sedona a number of times, but this time we decided to hit the trails and do some hiking.

Secret Mountain Wilderness.

Yay!!

Sign reads: End of trail.

Everything seems cheerful here.

The soil is my favorite red / orange color.

The rocks are cheery.

The sky brilliant blue.

The sun warm.

Beautiful views.

I love visiting the desert.

( Saguaro! )

Maybe because it is far from the world that I know?

Or is it..?

Honey bee on moss ~ hard to see..sorry...

We did some hiking in a canyon along a dry creek bed and came across this patch of moss. There were honey bees sipping on the rocks and patches of moss.

Moss and bees in the desert?

Okay by me!

At one point as we hiked we decided to climb the rocks above the tree line to see what we could see.

We sat here..

Ate an apple..

Baked my longing-to-see-the-sun-in-a-sea-of-cloudy-winter-bones on a red rock...

Looked for geckos..

and snakes - and tarantulas

Listened to the birds...

the wind...

the silence.

Spring is upon us.

The daffodils are up and the trees are budding, but I am still waiting for that sun..

Soon.

Spring Greens

2011-03-28T06:44:00.000-07:00

The lettuce I planted in the cold frame last fall is doing well..now. This was the first winter we had the cold frame. It didn't do much over the winter, but the mache, kale, spinach and lettuce are finally ready to eat.

The Hubs snagged this beauty (Mantis Dual-Chamber compost spinner) for me off Craig's list last summer. It works like a dream! Loving the dual-chamber system that allows finishing off a batch of compost while starting another. It's been a bit of trial and error ~ including one batch of slime (too much grass not enough browns). A mixture of maple leaves, grass clippings, sawdust, chicken plops, kitchen scraps (including lots of coffee grounds, mashed egg shells, greens, banana peels, etc.) DOES make beautiful compost!!

Emptied out one barrel of the spinner and started another batch of lettuce with it in the cold frame.

The re-purposed windows for the cold frame are going to need a little bit of TLC this spring. The heat ( it hit 100 degrees in there last week when it was 16 degrees outside ) and humidity have caused the interior paint to peel off.

We've planted some lettuce, chard, spinach, and radishes under a hoop in the raised bed by the garden after adding the compost. Really want to look into producing a larger volume of greens throughout the winter. Just starting to read Eliot Coleman's winter harvest book and my wheels are spinning!

Is anyone out there having luck with cold weather crops under hoop beds?

Pimp-my-Basket: Part One

2011-03-26T07:56:00.000-07:00

Most of my knitting supplies have been picked up at thrift stores. It is a great (low cost) way to build a collection.

After about a year of picking up bits here and there..

My knitting basket is starting to look like ..ok... is an avalanche.

Last weekend I did some surfing and came across a tutorial for a Knitting Roll pattern to help contain some of my needles.

Perfect for a collection of wooden needles I've been picking up with coupons at the craft store..

Woodland fabric (~ I love mushrooms ~) for wooden needles.

: )

This great roll up took me about 2 hours to make (maybe less time for those who know how to sew..) If you would like to check it out the tutorial, pop on over to Loulabelle!

Happy Sewing!

Hanging around..

2011-03-14T13:49:00.000-07:00

We've been hanging around..

enjoying the last snows of winter (maybe).

Knitting by the fire. This is a new fave hat.. Elizabeth Zimmerman: Ganomy Hat.

Warm over the ears, but with a slight split in the back perfect for a pony tail.

Hanging out with Dad in the "sugar shack" as he boiled down some maple syrup.

The buckets just kept coming...

He rigged up his own version of a maple sugar cooker:

~One old used stainless Maytag

washing machine barrel

~One burn barrel

~Smoke stack

~Damper

~Wood

Put a wood fire in the bottom to heat the sap.. Let the steam begin!

Used the camp stove to finish it off.

We've been dreaming of seeds..

Dreaming of the muck drying out enough to actually get outside!

This guy was dreaming of lunch and was hanging around at the chicken coop today.

The ladies raised such a fuss we headed back to see what was going on and foiled his plans of attack, although... it was close. The ladies dashed under a pine and I was able to get them back in the coop as the hawk sat about 10 feet off the ground watching us!

This will be hanging around the kitchen for the next "farm fresh breakfast". The early syrup is light and sweet.

(Thanks Dad!!)

Worth hanging around for.. that's for sure !!

Ham Under Glass

2011-02-21T12:05:00.000-08:00

"So..

Did you ever...

get the feeling..

that you were...

....giggle-giggle....

being watched???

GOTTA go...!!

(Exchange between Lindy and the Chipmunk on the front porch this morning)

Solitude

2011-02-06T11:45:00.001-08:00

Without great solitude no serious work is possible.

~Pablo Picasso

Solitude.

I seem to find it in odd places.

In repetition, shape, and color.

In collections of mindless things.

In jam packed, overflowing shelves of thrift stores.

In knitting..

and knitting with sets of needles that have passed

though some strangers fingers into mine.

What did they make?

Whos lives did they touch?

In the isles of the library

and shelves of used book stores.

Where used nature guides are filled with old notes.

In cold

snow covered walks and skiing.

Looking for bits of nature to haul in the house

from under the snow.

Watching the light change.

Solitude.

Where do you find it?

Par Four

2011-01-16T16:52:00.000-08:00

This is the only time you'll find me on a golf course...

.. in the snow..

enjoying some sun.

There were lots of folks out there

cross country skiing..

..enjoying a break in the endless skies of gray.

Had a blast

making tracks with the Hubs.

Then home to a beautiful moon.

Sometimes it just feels good to get outside...

Winter.

Make the most of it, then cross your fingers for MORE SNOW!

: )

(photos via cell phone)

Color me orange..

2011-01-02T16:11:00.000-08:00

I went out to dig up some carrots to have with our dinner on New Years Day.

(They are keeping quite nicely under the maple leaves and I had to laugh..

one carrot fed us for dinner!)

That crazy carrot had me smiling as I peeled the monster because...

I just plain love the color

ORANGE.

It's really no secret...

Orange boat size of small Volkswagen strapped to small Volkswagen.

I've been having the urge to paint something orange.

A room..

Something?

It's been so dreary here...and cold.

You'll be happy to know the bathroom FEELS ten degrees warmer now!

Then I really had to laugh.

I think orange is going to my head.

My new glasses: black on the outside - orange on the inside.

New cheery fabric for panels above our bed,

with a splash of sun!

If I could find one..

... I would drive one.

Don't you just love seeing the world through orange colored glasses?

Silent Gifts

2010-12-25T08:47:00.000-08:00

On the way to church this morning

while listening to this.

How silently the wondrous gift of Christmas was given.

Wishing you all a very merry (and a white) Christmas.

For the love of moss...

2010-11-22T05:55:00.001-08:00

Down the trail

in the woods

you'll find

moss.

I ::love:: moss!

Moss with soldiers at attention.

Moss draped on logs like a lace table cloth.

Miniature mushrooms hiding in moss.

Moss rounds on moss.

Moss on moss ~ hee!

Moss reaching for the sun.

Through the secret pines..

and up the valley..

Waterfalls with moss.

So magical... I don't ever want to leave.

Ancient rock filled, moss covered valleys,

where if you glance over your shoulder,

you just might see the shadow of a dinosaur

disappearing behind one of the moss covered boulders!

Fog

2010-11-20T04:47:00.000-08:00

A beautiful fog crept into the woods last week.

I love fog.

Sending its streamers down through the trees as the sun came up.

Thick coatings of frost made even the weeds look magical.

Glazed. Like sugar.

We spun honey last weekend, but it was slooowwwww moving with the colder weather.

Going to have to move the operation in by the wood stove for the final straining.

Wishing you all a golden-sugar-glazed-see-the-world-through-foggy-glasses weekend!

Monday Smile

2010-11-08T13:56:00.000-08:00

This little guy has been smiling at me when I look out of the dining room doors. Mom parked him on the bench between our houses. She sneaks out at night to light him up, then when I walk past the door..SMILE!!

It stays lit all night, so the first thing I see in the dark when I stumble out for coffee is a smile.

Isn't it nice to start the day with a smile??

Okay..

This is making me smile too.

After reading about living fences in Mother Earth News, I've been on the HUNT for Osage Oranges. Been looking for weeks now and no luck!

Made the hubs do a u-turn yesterday so I could scramble along a curb and snag FOUR puny pieces of fruit. He was a good sport about it, as he passed up a few a couple a weeks ago and when I went back for them they were GONE..

I got home to find my mom had snagged an ENTIRE BAG on her way home...

Three cheers for JOSE GEORGE's...

That's what a friend called them by mistake.

(Click the living fence link above to read about growing an osage orange fence. The link was acting funny, so it may have cut some of it off. Found it in the latest issue of Mother Earth)

Found :: Lost

2010-11-01T04:49:00.000-07:00

I've found something over the last few weeks...

Morning.

I read something a few weeks ago and it sparked an idea.

What would happen if I got up early every day?

Not just work days.

EVERY morning.

Novel idea for someone who is not a "morning" person.

I've watched the sunrise through the woods.

Seen the sun streak through the kitchen.

Captured a pink moon before the sun gobbled it up for the day.

Leapt off the back porch into the woods breathing the crisp fall air as fast as my slippers would take me.

Wanting to get lost in the woods.

The question then is how to get lost. Never to get lost is not to live, not to know how to get lost brings you to destruction, and somewhere in the terra incognita in between lies a life of discovery.

~ Rebecca Solnit: A Field Guide to Getting Lost

If you are trying to find me..

I'll be lost in the studio today..

Watching the sun come up!

Before :: After

2010-10-31T07:07:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!!

2010-10-25T04:48:00.000-07:00

We've been spending the weekends getting ready for the colder weather.

Hauling wood, cleaning..

Finally got around to getting a dumpster delivered to clean out the garage and all the left over construction supplies that have been lingering in the back woods for years.

A dumpster..

delivered on our anniversary!

HA!

for some reason I find that insanely funny..

Re-seeded the cold frame now that the weather is cooler. It has been in the high 30's in the mornings and the temperature in the frame has been around 50 degrees ~ Anxious to see how it does when it is cold and staying cold!

Tossed in some lettuce, mache, kale, and spinach.

Wonder if I could grow some green onions in a bucket?

Staggering views of color no matter which way we turn. This time of year is like living in a kaleidoscope.

The den dormer is one of my favorite places to soak in the colors.

I want to walk right out into the leaves..

Trying to hold on to the colors as long as I can. Bits of leaves cut into squares and glued into my sketch book with watercolor gradients to capture the color before it fades.

Hoping you are all out enjoying the autumn colors as much as we are!

Perfect Ten

2010-10-11T09:18:00.000-07:00

Mother Nature scored a perfect ten yesterday on 10-10-10!

We escaped for a few hours to the lake to enjoy some warm sun..

and a fall foliage paddle!

Leaves resting so gently on the water.

It was wonderful to skim along with them to the song of the chirping chipmunks!

This is our favorite spot at the end of one of the coves. The sea weed is deep and you can see the bass swim with schools of blue gills ... if you are reeeeaaallly quiet..

Pools of paisley pollen blown into corners of the quiet coves..

No wonder I am hugging a box of kleenex!

Hope you are all out enjoying some beautiful autumn weather!

Apple Sauce

2010-10-05T17:26:00.000-07:00

I never got around to that fire yesterday.

We have this apple tree out by the garden that has been there forever.

It's never had very many apples on it, but for some reason this year..apples!

Not the best looking on the outside, but perfectly fine on the inside.

Dad grabbed a ladder last week and we set to picking.

Managed a nice kettle full of apples. Maybe it was the bees .. or my mother's pruning?

Note to self: learn to prune fruit trees.

Just throwing in some blue sky. It's been raining and cold here fore 3 days straight.

..sigh..

Cooked the apples down and grabbed the Squeeze-O!

Dump in seeds, skins, apple chunks and all ~ Crank the handle ~ and applesauce comes out!

Found this in my grandmother's basement year ago and it still works like a charm!

Not sure if those were "applesauce" kind-of-apples, but I am not going to look a gift apple in the mouth!

Tastes pretty good too!!

Autumn in the Woods

2010-10-04T06:28:00.000-07:00

It's dark and dripping today.

Autumn has come to the woods.

The underbrush and leaves are starting to turn and drift.

Drips suspended in time with bits of the gray sky trapped inside each drop.

Leaves cocked and resting before they dry and blow back into the woods.

Canoe waiting to skim along the dark waters littered with color.

Last of the garden view.

Only a few tomatoes left and the carrots that we will bury under piles of dry maple leaves so we can dig them out to enjoy over winter.

It's cold and gray today.

Perfect day to stay in and get the house in order.

Think I'll light a fire..

Happy Monday to you..

Bench Monday: Beet Edition

2010-09-20T09:12:00.000-07:00

Pulled the beets in the garden today. Let the pickling begin!!

I ::heart:: pickled beets!!

The sun is out, air cool, and the sky is bright blue.

The kettle is on the stove and the back door is wide open!

Happy Beet-Monday to you!!

Stick Fire

2010-09-19T15:52:00.000-07:00

Stick Fire:

The act of burning small splits of wood in the wood stove before heating season begins.

Autumn is officially here for us.

The evening is cool and damp. Just calling for a

"stick fire" to take the chill off..

Hubby had a tub of "sticks" split and at the ready on the front porch.

You know, just in case.

He finished the fire place surround this spring. It only took me 7 years to decide what to put on the wall behind the wood stove. He built the mantle for me from a photo. I still need to prime and paint it. So much better than the drywall backer board with the footprint on it.

There is a Georgia Jet in the oven..

Jets go great with "stick fires"!

Have a great evening!!

Those crazy jets..

2010-09-19T07:30:00.000-07:00

Autumn has come and we are finally getting around to putting the garden to bed for the winter. It makes me sad to see it go.. There are a few lingering tomatoes that we are still picking at, the beets still need canning, but Dad dug the potatoes yesterday.

All the potatoes..

Including those crazy Georgia Jet sweet potatoes.

They seem to get bigger and bigger every year! Makes me wonder what is going on under those hills of vines on hot summer nights.

Two potatoes next to size 10 (mens) boot.

One weighed 3 pounds, the other 3.5 pounds.

Dad holding a 3 pounder here..

I think we dug a larger one up last evening in the final hill. The cart was so heavy I could barely pull it to the garage. We were thinking of canning / freezing some.. due to the size.

Any suggestions??

...or you could just come for dinner..

I think one potatoe would feed a family of four??

5 Days, 5 Lakes, 1,500 Miles..

2010-09-18T05:33:00.000-07:00

Sunrise ~

Adirondack style.

Calm mist filled mornings.

Land of the canoe and kayak.

Where there is perfect stillness.

And silence.

True silence.

Water so clear you can see the bottom ~ far to the bottom.

It's like riding along in a glass bottomed boat.

Memorizing.

Balsam Firs, Beaver, Mink, Bald Eagles, and Loons along the shore line.

The call of the Loon..

Photos from:

Adirondack Park, NY

Not Yet.

2010-09-06T05:41:00.000-07:00

Autumn is in the air.

The heat coming off the water kept the inside of the boat warm as the sun went down.

Mist rising.

Fish jumping.

Geese flying South overhead.

Wanting to keep winter a bay a bit longer..

I'm not ready to come in yet.

Nope. Not yet.

~photo taken via cell phone as I was being pulled over by the Fish Police. Who knew red lights ( we were wearing red bicycle safety lights on our vests) were illegal on non-motorized boats? Just trying to not get run over by a pontoon boat in the dark. Using white lights only now.. thanks Fish Police for filling us in!!~

Would you, could you, in a boat?

2010-09-03T09:59:00.000-07:00

She who knits,

while they fish.

Got in the spirit of things by using

"large mouth bass"

colored yarn!

..would you,

could you,

on a boat?

Yes, Sam-I-am ..

I would knit them in a boat!

I would knit them here and there..

I would knit them anywhere!

Don't you just love a good portable project?

~photo via cell phone while in kayak~

Bench Monday: Black Bean Edition

2010-08-30T11:15:00.000-07:00

On a bench..

shelling black beans..

in the sun..

Bench Monday!

~for Bench Monday Flickr group~

Moonlight Paddle

2010-08-28T08:22:00.000-07:00

Sky water.

It needs no fence.

A mirror which no stone can crack,

whose quicksilver will never wear off,

whose gilding nature continually repairs,

which retains no breath that is breathed on it,

but sends its own to float as clouds high above its surface,

and be reflected in its bosom still.

~Henry David Thoreau~

Walden

Paddling under the light of the full moon.

I still can't believe it wasn't a dream.

~Night photos via cell phone~

You can never have too many..

2010-08-25T17:43:00.000-07:00

After the late blight last year and not getting a single tomato (okay ONE tiny cherry tomato), I am ever so grateful for the bounty of tomatoes this year. Actually, it's an avalanche and we are loving it! The canner is going full tilt..

..full steam ahead!

~This is playing while the canner is purring away..~

Simply Morning

2010-08-23T17:52:00.000-07:00

No matter how I try..

and wish with all my might ..

I am just not a morning person.

Thanks to our friends..

Without them, I would have missed this magnificent sunrise.

Wishing you all a most wonderful week!

~photo via cell phone~

Peachy

2010-08-09T12:18:00.000-07:00

I wait for them every year.

Peaches.

Chambersburg Peaches

Eight quarts of summer sun in the freezer to brighten those cold winter days.

Just a little shout to say THANKS to my favorite little farmers market.

Thank you for the peaches!

Simply Summer - Yak Attack

2010-08-01T18:50:00.000-07:00

One Red.

One Mango.

On the water all weekend.

Picnics.

Paddling with good friends.

Quiet coves.

Herons and Osprey.

One large fish.

If I could sleep in it,

I would.

Wren House

2010-07-28T16:49:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot of tweeting going on..

..and I am not talking about Twitter.

Meet Mrs. Wren.

She's got some little ones peeping away on the back porch.

She likes the little bird house clearance special I picked up a few years ago.

The peeping is getting louder.

I get the feeling she is wishing there was a drive-tru.

A bug fly-thu?

In and out..

All day long..

peep..peep..peep..

"You still here?" she says.

She is thinking I am worse than the cats as I peer out of the back door with my camera.

Gotta go..

Just like that.. she is off for another round. Zip.

Soon they will be gone and the back porch will be quiet for another year.

Best of luck babies...

The back door ( or should I say porch )is always open!

From the Garden

2010-07-27T17:18:00.000-07:00

Tried a few new things this year in the garden.. The Cherokee Purple Tomato (already ripped one plant out for fear of it looking the slightest bit blight-y ~ it was probably fine but after last year I am gun shy), Acorn, Butternut, and Spaghetti squashes, and these..

..Black Beans!

No expectations. We'll see what happens. So far they are really taking off and the pods are growing well. The beautiful purple flowers were a pleasant surprise! I love black beans.. with Ro-Tel (tomatoes with green chilies).. with eggs!!

Bench Monday: Stump-the-chump Edition

2010-07-26T04:45:00.000-07:00

Helen's jumping in for Bench Monday this week!

Extra points for live props.. and chickens!

Have a chickeny-good Bench Monday!

Sifting

2010-07-25T14:38:00.000-07:00

Sometimes paper takes on a life of its own.

Thought while it was pouring rain this morning, I'd sift through the five (gasp) years of clippings, cards, and bits I've collected in the bin for our memory book. One book finished and a new one to start.

Nothing fancy.

Just bits that bring a smile to my face.

Still picking...

2010-07-24T06:14:00.000-07:00

Remember this?

Blueberries-a-la-mode..

Good news.

They recovered.

I ::heart:: blueberries!

: )

Solo

2010-07-20T16:53:00.000-07:00

The one and only piece of fruit in the orchard this year.

There were TWO Bing Cherries at one point but the birds got them ~ not before I captured them on my cell phone to prove they were really there. Actually I am surprised we have an apple, considering we just put the trees in last year.

There may be only one, but this little Jonathan is the apple of my eye!

Mangle it Monday

2010-07-19T16:27:00.000-07:00

So what do you do when your neighbor calls you and asks if you want her vintage Ironrite mangle that she has down in her basement?? You grab your husband and the tractor, run to her house, heave the thing into the tractor trailer and run home... like the wind!!

This thing is a beauty!! Just what every domestic diva needs. Pillow cases flat as a pancake in 3 seconds flat! So crisp and smooth. Hotel like even. Too bad I had the heat setting on too high and scorched the cover (and one of my white pillow cases). Live and learn. Great on uniform shirts too.

Oh yea.. ignore the dry wall in the basement laundry.. it's on the list, but waaayyyy down on the things to do..

Who said ironing isn't fun??

Happy Bench Monday!!

Simply Summer

2010-07-18T07:23:00.000-07:00

Still hanging around?

Thanks..

I miss all of you and the blog too.

After reading a friend's post, I am going to turn off the comments for a while too and simply enjoy posting photos of our everyday life this summer. Thank you Bee House Hives for suggesting that is okay to just, well, be..

Please feel free to join me ~ Hope you enjoy the view!

Wishing you all a most beautiful summer

...and all the burnt marshmallows you can eat!

Summer Sewing

2010-05-24T17:17:00.001-07:00

I really can't sew.

Well, maybe I shouldn't say can't..

Let's just say "patterns" and I aren't friends.

Too much like geometry.

I got a C in geometry.

My mom gave me this book called The Perfect Handbag by Clare Young.

I'm in love.

No patterns.. just measurements.

Perfect for a fly-by-the-seat-0f- your-pants sewing kinda girl!

I made this from some recycled vintage fabric (floral) and an old table cloth (blue check).

It's my new bag for work.

She even shows you how to make these fun little tags for the side.

Okay.. I'm easy. Little things like TAGS make me happy!

Library Love

2010-05-02T08:58:00.000-07:00

If you eat,

soil is your business.

Learn what good soil

looks, feels and smells like.

Take a piece of land or a garden

that has been abused

and rebuild it.

Believe in yourself.

You are only two or three

generations removed from the land.

~ Michael Ableman~

On Good Land: The Autobiography of an Urban Farm

...for more good reads, be sure to check out

the 'Favorite Books' tab at

the top of the blog..

The Farmer and The Egg Lady

2010-04-22T17:04:00.001-07:00

They said he was in the waiting room for me.

They said he had something alive with him.

I asked if it was a chicken.

They said no.

Because he has teased me that he would bring me one.

Old farmers ~ you can never tell if they are kidding.. or not.

A darling old farmer friend sat ~ in his plaid shirt holding a small red basket~ waiting.

He said he found them in the driveway.

In an abandoned nest.

Wasn't sure what kind of eggs they were, but..

he thought of the "egg lady".

Me.

I have them in my kitchen.

Don't know what kind of bird they are from but..

they are the sweetest little eggs I'll ever have.

Hope he knows how much he just melted my heart...

Rambling

2010-04-18T10:29:00.001-07:00

I am not sure what happened to me today. Allergies finally got to me? Antihistamine induced insanity? I lost it a bit. Just a little bit.. I hope you understand my friends, but I really need to get these rambling thoughts out of my head.

It all started a week ago. There was a sign~ 16 acres with a house / barn on the border of a local park, near our suburban area. NOT that I am leaving (or thinking of leaving) my bit of suburban utopia, but I was curious.. so I called. The gentleman was nice on the phone. It was his mother's home of 98 years. He doesn't want the property subdivided. It is zoned agricultural. The price (hold on to your hat).. 1.5 million. Gasp.... Not so reasonable for a small farmer?

Then I checked out Helen and Scott Nearing's book 'The Good Life: How to Live Sanely and Simply in a Troubled World" from the library. It is a very good read. The photo above is from their garden in their first house in Vermont. I got to the principles that governed their gardening last night:

Live 12 months of the year from the garden.
Eat fresh, unprocessed food.
Eat a variety of food to furnish a well rounded diet.
Reduce canning and preserving to a minimum.

Sounds good right? We are working on it here in our garden slowly... Each year we learn and try a little more. Yes, I'd rather buy a compost spinner than an outfit from Macy's (sad but true). I love growing our food. It isn't easy. I am still learning and trying to eat local..

Then I went to the grocery store this morning. The produce section sent me over the edge.

Green Beans ~ from Guatemala

Cantaloupe ~ from Honduras

Watermelon and Mango ~ from Nicaragua

Sweet Onion, zucchini, asparagus, and cucumbers ~ from Mexico

The only cucumber I could find from the USA was plastic wrapped. I stood there waiving my cucumber and thought.. get out.. get out before they arrest you for causing a riot in produce! No one cares if the melons are from Honduras!!

I got to the checkout and the plastic wrapped cuke was still in my vegetable-less basket. I bought it and slunk to my car.

Be gentle with me.

It's Spring.

Too much reading?

I'll get myself pulled together. This week ~ going to check out an all season farmer's market. For now, I am going to pull on a coat and hat (it's sleeting) and go talk to the cold frame. Maybe if I talk nice to it the lettuce will come..

Thanks for listening..

Bee-Happy

2010-04-16T16:49:00.000-07:00

How happy was I to find this adorable creation in my e-mail box this morning??

My niece Julia made this fantastic sculpture for me.

She was inspired after reading about the arrival of the new italian ladies..

There is something in the eyes that melts my heart...

But, then again.. Julia melts mine.

Thank you Julia..xoxo

Cold Frame

2010-04-11T06:02:00.000-07:00

We finished the cold frame, filled, and planted some seeds in it last weekend. It is about 8 feet long, 28 inches deep and dug into the southern bank along the driveway. There is space at the one end that is just filled with river rock so I can harden off the plants that I started under the grow-light.

Seems to be working great so far. Everything is up... Radishes, lettuce, and spinach!

Hung a little thermometer in the box to see how the temps are... Hit 110 degrees in the sun last week. Maybe I should bake cookies in it instead of trying to grow lettuce? Just kidding..

It was chilly here a few nights ago..30 degrees or so when I got up, but the cold frame was toasty at 50 degrees.

Repotted the tomato starts this weekend. Started a few extra for friends, although I always seem to start too many. The seeds seem so innocent in the basement, this is until I try to find room for the plants in the garden later. I'll have tomatoes planted everywhere come May.

Been stashing all the used yogurt cups in the potting bench. Drilled holes in the bottoms to use as plant cups. Thanks Stonyfield Farms!! Moved a few of the extra plants out to the cold frame to see how they will do. I am afraid I am going to cook them, so I didn't want to take them all out yet.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

Happy Spring Gardening!!

Everyday Life

2010-04-09T15:14:00.000-07:00

Final carrots dug from last season. Still fresh and crisp after their long winter nap.

Soil sample report back from the local agricultural extension office after sending them ~

Soil-to-Go

New Spring boots.

In orange.. of course.

Italian Ladies from Georgia

2010-04-02T07:31:00.000-07:00

Spring has come to the woods.

Managed to get some peas planted in the garden last weekend...for the first time before MAY. Maybe we'll actually get some this year?? Planning to attack the cold frames and finish them today. We built the frame and got it filled last weekend (gravel, sand, soil), then I ran out of time. It is a block-buster weekend with a forecast full of sun! After I hit the publish button, I'll be out in the drive stripping those recycled hinges and giving the windows a coat of paint...

To Be Continued...

As for the girls.. well.. the hives didn't fair so well this winter. Despite having excellent honey stores we lost a lot of hives. Yesterday we installed two new packages of bees. Sweet Italian ladies all the way from Georgia. They faired excellent on their trip North! At least they won't be shocked by 40 degrees and rain today! Calling for sun and 80 degrees ~ just like "home"!!

We tucked everyone in last night for bed. I was so excited to see them!! There just isn't anything like the hum of the girls in the garden.

Ran out to the hives first thing this morning (in my PJ's with coffee, camera, laundry to hang, and chickens in tow..) to turn them out and welcome them! Captured the first girl leaving the hive just as her front feet lifted off.

Welcome to Pennsylvania girls!

Welcome..

It's never just "junk"...

2010-03-22T15:03:00.000-07:00

This book has my wheels spinning.

Dreaming of cold frames. Have been for a while now. Cabin fever does that you know.

Seedlings on the brain. Scheming..

Time to head to our favorite architectural salvage place in town.

You know..

Just to "look"..

and see what we can find...

Good thing I don't have a truck...yet.

For now all-I-can-pack-into-mother's-subaru will have to do..

Old windows ~ $1 a pane = $10

Brass door hinges in need of a soaking ~ $1 each = $8

1 gallon "Rockwood Shutter Green" exterior paint = $5

Patio bricks (Craigs List freebees), lumber (left overs), and excavation (borrowed tractor) = Free

Coming soon to a southern exposure near you..

Cold frames for $23!

: ))

Goodness.. I love junk!

Then again.. it's never really just junk.. right?

Thanks Construction Junction.!!

Bits

2010-03-13T04:45:00.000-08:00

March and April are probably my least favorite time of the year.

I am working on that..

The temperatures in the mid 60's and sun last week helped, but torrential rain today after the melting of 40 inches of snow has left.. well... muck. Good for mud boots - bad for getting anything done outside.

So instead of working outside, I've been re-arranging the furniture. Silly habit really. It's been an illness for years now. My poor husband (a good sport really - thanks honey for helping me flip the house - xo) runs for the basement when he sees 'the look' in my eyes set in...

In the flipping and sifting, I realized how much a love collections. Nothing in particular. Bits. Collections of collections. Miniatures. Dried things. Stuff people would wonder why on earth does she have THAT.

Like an empty candy box hiding postage from Scotland, a penguin, and a cardboard star.

... Egg carton full of white "lucky stones'.

Maybe it comes from this?...

Jem's treasure box.

The opening credits are my favorite part. I had a treasure box as a kid.

Did you?

It's not a mocking bird, but a little wren perched on my sketchbook in the shifting rubble on the second floor from last weekend. I'll be sifting through things again today and smiling... in the rain.

Love and Learn

2010-02-21T14:32:00.000-08:00

I should be reading the Farmer's Almanac and planning for Spring plantings, but...

I've found it's a little hard to dream about Spring when my mailbox looks like this:

: )

It's okay.

Really.

The glaciers in our gutters have started to let go with the temps almost getting up to 40 degrees today! Instead of the Farmer's Almanac I've been reading Elizabeth Zimmerman's: Knitter's Almanac instead.

It's my mother's fault. She got the hankering for this hat. EZ's "Ganomy" Hat. No yarn paralysis for her. Marched right in - picked the pattern and the yarn in 3 seconds flat. Hmmm... some how I missed getting that gene. The pattern may be a bit more than I can chew. Have only ripped it out FOUR times and if the decreases don't wrap it up soon, it is going to end up looking like something for The Cat in the Hat. Love and learn.. Loving the yarn and loving learning a new pattern.

Do you like my model?

Looks a bit like the Marvin the Martian from Bugs Bunny..

Remember the sock?

It's really done. Just have to figure out to how to "weave" in the toe.

Gotta love YouTube!

Snow Joy

2010-02-13T05:20:00.000-08:00

Washington, DC Snow Storm from Es Video! on Vimeo.

I found this on the Postsecret Blog this morning.

It made me smile.

For all of you who find the joy in the snow..

Chicken Luge

2010-02-09T03:39:00.000-08:00

This would be the teams accommodations. The Coop-de-Igloo. After I dug out the run, we dug out the teams shoot..

The ladies were ready.... standing at the start... teetering at the gait... pumping for momentum...

Then, they were off... down the track...

Mary Claire takes the lead...

...with the team following close behind... They seem to be missing their sled?

..OOPS...Dead end!!

...because the track digger is dead tired.

I needed to take a break..

Oh.. and to sit down and laugh my pants off.

I don't know why seeing their combs bobbing down the lanes cracked me up.

FYI

The weather forecast is calling for another 6-10 inches of snow today.

HOLY COW!

2010-02-07T10:31:00.000-08:00

The un-official total amount of snow, according to our yardstick, is 21 inches here. Dad dug out his old snowshoes so I could take them for a spin!

It's unusual for us to get this much snow at one time though. That's why I am so excited! We are still digging out. The poor tractor barely made it through, but Dad has been plowing away. This is the trail to my parent's house.

Going to be a bit before we reach the campfire. Heading out that way though here shortly to dig the chickens a path to some grass...if I can find it.

The blueberry nets however...are toast.

Then I waded out to the orchard...

Not looking so good there either. Shook the snow off everything best I could. The poor fruit trees! Dug out the bees a bit too.

My legs in the orchard. I am thinking we may have about 2 feet out here in the clearing? It's over my knees!

: )

Maybe I should have remembered to bring the snowshoes with me??

Have a great week and for those of you out there in the snow belt..

Happy Shoveling!!

I ::heart:: snow!

2010-02-06T02:46:00.000-08:00

I was so excited with the thought of a major accumulation of snow that I could hardly sleep. I slept with the exterior light on the garage on all night so I could wake up and still see it snowing. At 0530, I opened my eyes and thought...hmmm where did the bistro chair go on the back patio?

Here it is! Under a blanket of snow. Pulled on my garden boots and stepped out onto the back porch, only to have it go over my boots! YES!!! 19.5 inches on the yard stick and it's still coming down!! YES! YES! YES!

Can't wait to get out in it! Snapped this from the back door this morning with the flood lights on...

Okay.. shower.. breakfast...start the fire... grab snow pants... and GOOOOOO!!!

Thank you God for this most beautiful morning..

Paris in the Winter

2010-02-05T13:39:00.000-08:00

Dear Becky and Joe,

You'll both be happy to know ONE of our sleds survived our childhood.

Becky, this old girl is yours. Found her in the room under Mom's porch. Your name and address are still written in marker on the front of the sled.

I am sure you won't mind I took the old girl for a ride down the street this afternoon before the snow truck came. Still handles like a dream. Snow sticking to my glasses, arms waving, laughing, pure delight. I had to make a hard right into the ditch in front of Mom's as a car came up the street. It was then, as my knees hit nose down, I remembered I was 30-something and not ten years old again. Sigh..

It's snowing beautifully already and I can only hope we get the foot they are calling for.

It is a pretty safe bet that my sled is gone due to one too many hits with the pine tree. Joe's too.

What ever happened to the K-Tel skis?

Good thing I picked up a pair of snow pants at the Outlet Mall last weekend. Time to cut off the tags and break those babies in!!

Wish you were here.

Thinking of you both...

Love,

The-Girl-Next-Door

Sunday Supper Waffles

2010-01-31T08:08:00.000-08:00

Supper Waffles for Sunday Breakfast..

"Country women vote the waffles made with four eggs a top favorite."

~Farm Journal Country Cookbook

From the Farm Journal's Country Cookbook: Homemade Breads and Country Butter section. I figured you can't go wrong with fresh eggs, butter and buttermilk!

This was my grandmother's hand mixer.

I can still hear her whipping away in the kitchen with her blue mixing bowls. We use them instead of an electric hand mixer. Works like a charm!

Golden goodness.

In case you would like some for Sunday Supper.. I cut the recipe in half and it worked great!

Sunday Supper Waffles

~Farm Journal Country Cookbook

(Recipe adapted for Buttermilk Version)

2 c. sifted flour

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 c. buttermilk

4 eggs

1 c. melted butter

Start heating waffle iron.
Sift together flour, baking powder , baking soda and salt.
Beat eggs until foamy and mix with buttermilk.
Add milk-egg mixture to dry ingredients, just enough to moisten.
Stir in slightly cooled butter.
Pour batter onto iron until it spreads about 1" from edges.
Gently close lid.
Bake until steam stops or signal light shows done.
Loosen waffle lift.

Yarn Paralysis

2010-01-24T12:37:00.000-08:00

Smitten.

Smitten with socks.

Dreaming of thick, wool, multicolored, nordic patterns.

The boot worthy kind so fat you can barely get a shoe on kinda socks.

Picked up a book on sock knitting over the weekend... thanks to my mother-in-law and a 50% off coupon for JoAnn Fabrics. Packed up the basket and headed out to the campfire to start a trial run.

Yarn choice: multi-colored.. for the first pair. This is due to a new knitting condition I've developed called:

Yarn Paralysis:

When faced with numerous delicious choices of yarn, the knitter will then assume a coma like stare stare, with mouth open, unable to make a confident choice in color and gauge for about an hour. Yarn paralysis can only be broken by the ringing of a mobile phone with a spouse on the other end asking when dinner is going to be ready.

Thought I'd start with the "Woodsman" sock from Elizabeth Zimmerman's book "Knitting Around". It contained directions and abbreviations I knew or could look up. Going good so far. Stayed up waaaay too late last night to watch the heel form. I got a 'C' in geometry, so it is amazing to me to see these things take shape. Sewing patterns? That's another story...

Fresh sheets blowing on the line while the chickens get let out to roam.

Helen and Mary Claire are campaigning for argyles.

Get in line girls...

I came across this giant colander in a thrift shop. Wasn't sure what I was going to do with it, but it has come into a life of its own. Now it sits in the living room by the fire with balls of yarn waiting for a project.

Color

2010-01-17T14:03:00.000-08:00

Because I am not brave enough to share the adventures-in-cleaning-of-the-dumping-ground-spare-bedroom-closet... I'll share a few bits of color that make me smile instead...

Shadows on the art table.

Vintage fabric on the inspiration board. A few spare butterflies, marble pushpins made from vintage fabric, and of course boxwood. I LOVE boxwood plants.

Watercolor pencils in a jar on my desk. I tend to lift the color from the pencil tips with the brush, which leaves these funny shaped tips...

Stack of vintage thrift store fabric. Thinking about some new cloth grocery bags?

Orange bird on a stick. Because orange is my favorite color and that silly bird makes me smile!

Happy Sunday to you!

Sun-day

2010-01-10T11:04:00.000-08:00

The mornings have been blue as the sun comes up with the snow.

Nine inches of light, powdery, fluffy snow.

Single digits outside this morning. Yarn basket and ash bucket both full.

Kindling bucket and wood on the porch running low.

I've got some digging and hauling to do!

Time to get out and enjoy the sun.

With the lake effect clouds we haven't seen the sun for days!

Happy Sun-day to you!

Life: Unscripted

2010-01-03T12:40:00.001-08:00

At least, I think that is what they say on MTV.

Life: Unscripted.

Just us. As is..

today..

Raspberry muffins for breakfast.

Inside the woodbox... with grandpa's hand broom that my husband won't part with.

Knitting basket by the Christmas tree.

Lindy. Waiting for me to throw the ball. Again. Relentless.

Six degrees and blowing snow out the front door.

Happy Sunday to you!!

Dance with it..

2009-12-31T14:03:00.000-08:00

It's New Year's Eve. There is snow on the ground and we are all tucked in by the wood stove for the evening. I find my mind drifting... Things that need to be done.. like the laundry... Where had December gone? This month has slipped away from me. Job changes. New routines. I find myself wondering - how will I fit it all in? Then I came across this picture and I smiled. No automatic washing machines for these ladies and yet, they got it all done.

I just started reading Made from Scratch: Discovering the Pleasures of a Handmade Life (Jenna Woginrich). The book has been in "the stack" since summer and I am just starting to wade my way into the "winter reading project." Something she said stuck in my head..

"Accept where you are today, and working toward what's ahead, is the best you can do."

"Find your own happiness and dance with it"

~Jenna Woginrich~

I am thankful for all of you - my friends.

Looking forward to dancing with you in the year to come!

Happy New Year!

Posted photos from the book:

Women of the West

Luchetti & Olwell

Christmas Eve

2009-12-24T15:57:00.000-08:00

This is my grandfather Wilbert and his sister Olga in front of the Christmas tree around 1914~

My great-grandfather would pull the wooden parlor doors and decorate the tree on Christmas Eve. We have two copies of this photo, one with the candles lit on the tree and one without. The quality of this one was better.. but I love the one with the candles lit.

The note on the back of the photo says that Grandpa and Olga ate all the legs off the gingerbread men on the tree. No wonder he is smiling! If they were only still around to ask them about it...

Wishing you a Christmas full of magic, merriment, and a bit of gingerbread too!

Merry Christmas!

HoHoHo-The-Chickens-Hate-Snow

2009-12-19T17:48:00.000-08:00

We awoke to the first real snow of the season today. I was anxious to see what the ladies would think of the new ground cover...

"After you,

No darling, after you,

After you,

No after you....."

This went on for quite a while.

"Ick.

Cold.

Are you kidding?

What is this stuff?

Where not coming out in this?

What...NO BOOTS?

What are you trying to do to us?"

"You've got to be kidding me."

Needless to say, the ladies didn't come out today.

Coffee Busters

2009-12-18T12:27:00.000-08:00

We are coffee drinkers. Big coffee drinkers.

My dishcloths are a mess because of it. Sorry looking, always soaking in the laundry bucket, full of stains, bleached out patches of pathetic rags. A family friend gave my mom a couple of lovely knitted dishcloths a few months ago. I looked up a pattern on Ravelry and fell in love with this one:

Basic Corner to Corner Diagonal Dishcloth - with extra pointy corners.

Extremely easy and fast to knit. Perfect for evening knitting by the fire while watching a movie. I chose a few different colored cotton yarns in shades of BROWN to help hide the coffee stains!!

I am still trying to finish up a few Christmas gifts. Thought I'd post this as there won't be dishcloths heading out with Santa this year. Hoping to get the knitted gifts I've started done to avoid "Christmas in July"... which has been known to happen around here! One week until Christmas and I still don't have the tree up. Maybe tonight? Happy Friday to you..

Still here..

2009-12-13T16:39:00.000-08:00

It's time for a long overdue post.

I'm still here.

Hanging on by my apron straps.

It's all good.. but there are times where life takes you away. Thank you for all your kind notes and for sticking with me. This adorable apron was an early birthday gift from my mother-in-law last month. It was made by her very talented friend Betty (PS - Thanks Betty - I love it!!) Perfect for a Beegirl buzzing around the kitchen...

Wishing everyone a great week!

More soon...

I want one of these...

2009-11-19T08:07:00.000-08:00

I came across this today on YouTube as I was searching for ways to keep the chicken's water from freezing this winter.

To think I've been going out morning and evening to open/close the chicken door and I could have had an automatic door... ?

I soooo want one!

Now.. where can I find a drapery motor...

Bench Monday: Circa 1973 Edition

2009-11-16T14:10:00.000-08:00

My husband found this picture of me in his desk this morning. When he brought it in to the kitchen he said.. "Look.. You've been a fan of Bench Monday since you were a kid."

Me, on a bench, 1973.

Love the shoes.. I still remember them. Only because I stepped on a carpet tack strip without them on and those shoes hurt to high heaven to wear them after that.

I think we may just still have that bench...

Happy Bench Monday!

2009-11-15T03:28:00.000-08:00

Been working on filling the woodshed. One load at a time.

Finally got around to tossing in a bit of Chard in the cold frames. I found it at Whole Foods a few weeks ago. Couldn't resist trying it after reading about the Five Color Silverbeet in the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.

The autumn lettuce crop is doing very nicely under glass.

The ladies were a bit disappointed they couldn't have a bite... or two.

The carrots buried under the leaf stacks are doing great. I love going out to dig a fresh carrot for a snack or a salad. A bit of fresh picked lettuce for our dinner last night. So much better than the summer lettuce. Must be the cooler weather!

Sunrise

2009-11-14T05:52:00.000-08:00

I am not so much of a morning person.

But.. I'm working on it.

Today I was up before the sun.

Deep purple sky.

Sliver of moon.

Morning star.

I was glad I didn't miss it.

Fingerless.. woo-hoo!!

2009-11-12T10:39:00.001-08:00

Meet the Project of The Month -

"Throw Down The Gauntlets" fingerless gloves! Pattern by Gabi Bolland at Posh Knits. I purchased the pattern last week at my knitting class and with thanks to Linda and Carol... I am off! Above is the cuff on the second glove that I started this morning...

This would be what I call the Hula Hoop scarf. A lesson learned in how NOT to "gauge" a circular scarf pattern. Took this baby off the circular needles and I swear it could be a hula hoop cover! Gave up after about six loop around my neck.. I like the yarn (called beeswax, although I think it looks a bit more like corn-off-the-cob), so I may take it apart and start over.

TA - DA!!

One fingerless glove down and one to go! Hope to have the second one finished today. The double pointed needles weren't as bad as I thought they were going to be sooooo...

BRING ON THE SOCKS!!

I'm ready!

Lunch

2009-11-02T09:37:00.000-08:00

So I get this phone call from my mom..

"Don't let the chickens out, your father saw the hawk."

Next thing I know...

Dad is at the back door whispering.. "Come here..."

Sure enough, perched in the tree next to the garage..

Mr. Hawk - heavily eyeing up the coop for lunch-du-jour.

When he saw us watching him, looks could kill. No chicken salad for you today mister. I am leaving the ladies in! I think he is a Sharp-Shinned Hawk? He took off shortly after he learned his lunch plans were spoiled.

Hooray for Pumpkins..

2009-10-31T06:41:00.000-07:00

PS- Chickens love pumpkin goop... Just in case you were wondering... : )