In the midst of our hectic fall schedule, we decided to slow things down a bit on Sunday and take a walk in the woods behind our house. I have found that there are few things as rejuvenating as a walk in the woods. We hadn't been up the trail to the top of our property in a while, and we wanted to see if the chanterelles were up, and check on our spring and check out some work the timber company ...
Through Another Lens
Sometimes, it's refreshing to get a glimpse of our life through someone else's lens. We had some friends come down to visit from Portland last month, and they had some photographic fun with our homestead and weekend adventures. I take all of the pictures on this blog with an old Olympus digital camera from 2001, and tend to focus in close-up on aspects of our life, so seeing the sweeping "bigger ...
Little Red Rooster
There was a raucous noise out in front of the house early this morning, and when I went out to investigate, my suspicions of a young rooster in our flock were confirmed. Paul Bunyan is pushing up daisies, a new rooster is taking his place, and so the circle continues on. He's got quite a job to do filling that big old rooster's shoes, but he seems scrappy and up to the task. He reminded me of ...
Apples
“It is remarkable how closely the history of the apple tree is connected with that of man.” ~Henry David Thoreau, Wild Fruits: Thoreau's Rediscovered Last Manuscript ...
Raven Steals the Sun
As we busily prepare for winter and our first fall storm on the way, I thought about the things I look forward to about the cold, dark months of the year. Warm fires in the woodstove, drinking tea, making hearty soups, reading more books, and on special occasions, storytelling. I have always enjoyed storytelling and folklore, and my favorite tale by far is Raven Steals the Light. This is a story ...
Fall Equinox in the Garden
As the seasons turn toward fall today, I am taking a moment to appreciate all the changes happening out in the garden. While many things are dying off and withering away towards becoming organic matter, many other things are putting on their last, colorful display, and some new things are just beginning to grow. It's a real dichotomy of life and death happening on that patch of ground. As I ...
Pumpkin Harvest
As the pumpkins are ripening in my garden, I was inspired to needlefelt a new wall hanging celebrating my favorite member of the Cucurbitaceae family, and all around favorite fruit (yes, it's true, they are actually a fruit)! This farmer has worked hard tending her pumpkin patch through the growing season, and is out harvesting her favorite one by the light of the Harvest Moon. I imagine it will ...
Regarding Simple Living, Solitude, and Pumpkins
"I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than to be crowded on a velvet cushion." ~Henry David Thoreau ...
When Life Gives You Grapes, Make Your Own Raisins!
Lately, life has been giving me grapes. Although having large quantities of grapes is not an issue, figuring out what to do with them all at a very busy time of year requires some strategy. Wanting to put those grapes to good use, I decided raisins were the answer. Most of our south fence line is a trellis for grape vines, and with all the pruning and blackberry clearing we did over the ...
Yes We Can!
It's canning season. Every week, I survey my counter and all the baskets and bowls of fruit, veggies from our garden and local farms, spices, and various sizes of canning jars to preserve it all in. At times it seems daunting, but when approached with a "Yes we can" attitude, those pantry shelves fill up quickly with rows of good, wholesome food for the year ahead. Last year we had so much canned ...