Out of Touch

Well, I have been out of touch for awhile but around here spring and summer are just plain busy! Had to get the garden in, enlarge the fence around the house, try to keep up with the growing grass - well, at least try to get it cut between rain showers.

We are caught up on the rain - meaning they say we are out of the drought!! We had 8++ inches in May and so far this month we are over the 2 inch mark. This also means that we are lucky to have two days of sun in a row.

I have gone tomato wild this year. So far I have 21 including; yellow pear, Mr. Stripey (heritage), Mountain pride, Better boy, Roma, Cherokee purple (heritage), and German pink (heritage). I have about 1/2 determinate and 1/2 indeterminate. Hopefully we will have a great harvest and I can can some sauce. The sauce I canned last year tasted great and I just loved reaching into the cupboard, grabbing a jar, opening it and knowing that I did this.

While we were working on enlarging the fence (in the vain hope that Fergus, the escape artist, would say in) we found that we have some giant snails! These two seem to be racing to the top of the stump.

I won! I won!

Spring? Really? NOT!

Last weekend was absolutely gorgeous! The sun was shinning, the breeze was warm (after the gusting quit on Saturday), the clothes were slowly swaying in the sun on the line.


I took the crew out to Todd for a doggy play date. They were defiantly feeling the spring! You might think that having 9 little dogs would create all kinds of havoc but they all just get along so well. Siobhan and Smokey play zoom dogs –Fergus gets in on this sometimes if he is tired of running with Angus and Monty looking for deer. Charlie and Bear really just hang with the humans and BJ..well she was inside pouting because she had just had a bath.


I took both of these pretty flower pictures on Sunday. I love the orange daffy! I have no idea what the other little flower is but there were a ton of them growing in the woods. Can you see the leaves just starting to unfold?




And as they say ...An Appalachian spring does not really start until May…until then its all just a tease.

Today we are having snow flurries.

In like a Lion

This is the last snow we had in Feb. It was about normal for what we have been getting the last couple of years. Not much really - maybe 3 inches.

This is the snow we had by Monday morning! 12+ inches!!! Now this is what I remember from childhood!

It is beautiful! Until you have to drive in it. I will admit I stayed home for most of the day.

Here is what happens to small balck poodles in really deep snow!

It took me only 10 minutes to get the coats on them.

We stayed outside for about 30 minutes.

Taking the coats off, getting rid of all the little ice balls attached to fur and moping up the floor took 40 minutes...

Spending time with the crew in the snow...Timeless!!

In a winter wonderland

Doggies delight in a Winter Wonderland

We have had yet snow storm. This one left us with around 5 inches of fluffy white snow - and a wind chill below 0.

So of course I bundled myself and the doggies up and out we went. We went through the woods- checked on the places, I assume by the amount sniffing and peeing, that small critters live. We checked the mail. Then on down the road toward home.



Monty just tumbled Smokey and Smokey is on the rebound. Maybe I should say that Smokey is now out for revenge.




Here is a happy shot- Lacey and Fergus came running through. Then took off through the yard to check out the new house being built below us.

Monty has a mission and he has now taught Fergus and Lacey to help--- the mission is to pee on all of the construction workers car tires.

Little Bear is ready to go in.. and Charlie was already sitting on the porch by the door.

Old Man Winter has come aknocking at the door.

Local news headline "Winter weather ties record low temperature". We had our first dusting of snow yesterday, it was enough to close down school for the day but not much else. I do not mind cold weather - actually walking in a light snow is wonderful- but the winds that we have been getting are gusting up to 40 mph and are just a bit to brisk for me.

I am doing a series of photos of the back side of Grandfather Mountain - I have one from earlier fall with more color on the trees. So I decided to drive down the parkway on my way to work today and take one. I did think that there would be more snow left but..

I was not the only person who was out taking photos. There was another lady and I have to admit I had camera envy. Not that I know much about cameras but hers was bigger then mine.

Photo for friday

I took this a couple weeks ago- I call it toad home. I was playing on Picnik.com today using some of there gizmos and this is what I ended up with.

Fall Color

Each year I take a new photo of Grandfather Mountain. This year it is from the deck of a house on the other side of Foscoe. The colors were not peak yet but I do like the little bit of wispy mist.

My favorite way to view the fall colors is to stand in the middle of a forest and look up. With the sun shinning through the leaves it is like being inside a stained glass window.

Feeling like fall

I took this photo on Monday but have just had the time to look at it. I love the way the mountain seems to float in a sea of mist. This is one of the best times to get good long valley shots up here. The humidity is usually down - today excluded- and most of the hayes is gone.

Mom and I went to Grandfather Mountain a couple weeks ago to a photo seminar and I had a chance to see some of my favorite animals - Otters! I am completely envious of the sleek way they move through the water, how they seem to always be entertaining each other - and any one who happens to be watching. Even in captivity they seem ...I want to say content but I am not sure that is the it.

Summer is ending

Well, summer is slowly winding down, a feeling of fall is in the morning air and I seem to have taken a long hiatus from writing (although I have been reading others). I had family visiting, which has just been a whole lot of fun. D & M had a place up in Fleetwood Falls for 2 weeks. Lovely Sister #2 was even here for a week! Having them all so close was great. We got together for meals, both at D & M’s rental and at Shatly Springs. If you have never been to Shatly springs, in Ashe County NC, then you should really try to make it. You have two choices when you get there, order a la cart or go family style. I suggest you go family style. You get fried chicken, ham, biscuits, mashed taters, 2 gravies, stewed apples, at least 2 other veggies and if you still have room dessert. If you can manage to finish the first round they will bring a second! Then, if you can walk, you can take a stroll around the trout pond and sample the healing mineral waters. – If you go on a weekend be prepared to wait to be seated.

I have been busy both in the kitchen and garden the last couple of weeks. I canned some salsa with maters, onions and hot peppers out of my garden. It was a new recipe and I am not sure I like it. Hope it grows on me as I have around a dozen pints left.

They say you should not plant more then zucchini plants then you have people in the house. At my place we have truly had our fill of all this wonderful fresh zucchini – fried, stewed, muffins, bread, in soup… You get the idea. I think that our plants are finally reaching the end.

I don’t usually get into politics here but, well, it is that time. I won’t actually talk about the candidates – even though those who know me know I am very clear on where I stand. – I just want to bring this little song to attention, first recorded in 2006 it is still very relevant.. Don't Be Afraid of the Neo-Cons by Norman and Nancy Blake. I heard this first on WETS 89.5fm - ETSUs public radio station and liked it so much I just had to find a copy to download for myself. Ok, my folks were just a little bit on the hippy side during the 60s and I do know a good folksy/ old-time/ activist song. (No, I don’t think I am being biased, really ;-) )

Here is a link to the actual song and if you are interested in the words or want to know more about the Blake’s try this one.

Here chick,chick, chicken...

With the raising cost of food, gas, and just about everything else I am thinking of getting some chickens. I love fresh eggs and love to watch hens. I also know that they are not that cheap.

I have been doing lots of "research". I know that I am zoned rural/ agricultural and that even though I technically live in a subdivision we have no POA.

This also means that I will have to build a coop and a good run, one that will withstand both little and big dogs. Little dogs- Charlie just loves to chase birds, especially the wild turkeys so undoubtedly he will want to worry the chickens. Big dogs - neighbor below has a big lab something. I have gone to Lowe's to price what I will need, I have looked on the web and at several books to get ideas for coops and I have been talking to everyone I know who has chickens.

Ok to be honest it will be next spring before I will have everything together- ie will have enough $$ for the coop materials- but I already have just the spot picked out in the yard.

While I have been doing my "research" I have come across some really great chicken websites, and news stories. If you want some really cute chicken stories check out Farmgirl_dk.

Rain drops keep falling on my head- Please!!

Looking at Rays weather I see that we have had 2+ inches of badly needed rain this month. It kinda feels like it did when I was little- beautiful in the am and showers in the afternoon. All this rain has been great for my veggies. The maters are coming along just fine and I will have my first zucchini this weekend! I also pulled my first red onions and letting them dry some. (I have read that this is what you do) This is the first year that I have actually grown full size ones, usually I just have the little green spring onions.


I have some of the most beautiful Lemon Balm this year. I also have it coming up all over my herb garden. I made the classic mistake of letting it go to seed last year. The upside of this is that I have many, many plants to give to friends, neighbors, acquaintances...

I'm adding this picture just because I like it.

Summer Sunshine

I’m afraid that I have been unfaithful, again, in updating this blog. Last weekend I went to a wonderful get together to celebrate solstice. We cooked hamburgers (no hormone, free range), Kielbasa (nothing good for you in them) and marinated veggies on the grill. There was potato salad, 3 bean salad, all kinds of other sides, and of course beer and wine.

The setting could not have been more perfect..a quiet pond, crackling fire, tree frogs and mad deer. – A little side note- when deer are getting ready to have their babies little dogs should not chase them, they chase (and stomp) back!-- It was a perfect night, we started our fire, found more wood to burn, laughed, drank and danced naked around the flames....just seeing if your paying attention.

If you look closely at the picture of the tomato flowers you can see our first little green nubs. These are our Cherokee purples. Yummy! I know I have said it before but I love my maters! Green fried, just picked, on a sammie...

Below it is one of our almost ripe rasberries. As good as they taste, the plants are a pain in the a**. The canes are trying to take over the garden. I have pulled them out of the potatoes, the horseraddish and the onions. This fall we are going to have to do a major overhaul of this area. Anyone that wants some just let me know.

Something is fishy here

OK, so have you ever run across an online survey (or the like) that you just have to try? Then did you think that maybe is was just wrong?

I did one today (Yes, I should have been working I know) that Initially I was curious about but now know that it is just plain wrong. If it is right then I do not exist.

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 0 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

It did say that there are over 6000 people with my first name and none with my last. Hummm. Guess I should tell the family that the 1990 Census did not count us.

gotta see it to believe it!

We are finally getting some rain! yeah! I am at work and ALL of my house windows are open. not yeah. oh well.

I came across this story- Couple gets IRS check for $250,000. If they had not called the IRS how long do you think it would have taken the IRS to catch on? IRS spokesman Eric Smith said mistakes “can happen from time to time.” Bet if I sent in a check for the wrong amount they would not let me get away with saying that.

They should be able to keep some as a reward for being honest.

P.S. In the time it has taken me to write this it has stopped raining and the sun is back out.

Peas, Glorious Peas

Spring is moving toward summer. I have iris's blooming, birds singing, and peas a growing. Fresh sugar snaps are hard to beat..unless it is fresh from the garden tomatoes.

One of my favorite childhood memories is sitting on the porch steps eating fresh picked perfectly ripe tomatoes with salt. All the juices running down chins, hands and arms, making little pools between our feet. Now that was like eating a little piece of heaven.

over Memorial day weekend I had some company- Dad and M came to see Sirs "graduate" from Mary's school, and it was Zigs first birthday. Sister number #1 had his party at home in Todd. The look on his face when he saw the cake was classic. MINE! That kid loves to eat. He is getting so mobile, soon he will be running everywhere.

Dad and M cut down a tree (sister #1's OM helped) that had broken a couple of weeks ago during one of our wind storms. It is so nice to look out and see that tree gone!

I also got to go to P&M's in Todd for a cookout on Sunday. They have a pond stocked with trout. Yuuuummy! There is a fish in this picture, but it is a Bass. I also had one of the best peach daiquiris ever- I think it had something to do with the GA shine in it. Needless to say a good time was had by all!

Rain and shine

The weather has been so mixed the last couple of days. Rain, sunshine, rain, sunshine, wind. I know that my little garden is enjoying the rain and the sunshine but the wind...enough already. The wind broke 2 of my iris's the other day. I can't really complain because I just brought them in and have had a wonderful time watching them open.

I have been mulching my plants recently with some great compost from friends but I have decided that I need to put down some actual mulch. I put down a ton of pine mulch last year and have heard that you need to change each time you do this. Well, now of course I can't find where I read this to find out what I should use next. (Maybe I just had a delusional gardening moment. ) I might go with crypress, but I might be able to get some free wood chips. I'm just not sure if you should put down "green" wood chips - last thing I want is to bring in bugs. I know we have a master gardener hotline up here, as soon as I find the number I will call.

Of course, I will just have to sit back, and wait for the weather to figure out what it is doing. This is really not such a bad thing. Really.

May

"'Tis like the birthday of the world,

When earth was born in bloom;

The light is made of many dyes,

The air is all perfume: There's crimson buds, and white and blue,

The very rainbow showers Have turned to blossoms where they fell,

And sown the earth with flowers."

- Thomas Hood

On a Sunday afternoon...

This has been one of the best weekends I have had in a long time..first the Herb Fest then a beautiful Sunday. I can tell when it is really feels like spring to me...the yard art comes out. I get the gnomes and shrooms out, hang the wind chimes and geraniums, and put out my very home made bird bath. Indy and Fiona took up residence under the bird bath, just waiting. I can hear their little kitty mantra..They do not see us, be one with the bird bath, they will not see us, be one with the bird bath...

I do not put out all the gnomes that I have - my neighbors would think I might be a bit off. I save most of them for when lovely sister #2 comes to visit. It drives her nuts to see the gnomes in the yard.

I also hung my hummingbird feeder and had my first visitor within minutes! One of the pretty green ones, also had a black and white later. They are so much fun to watch. I would have had several others (or the same one several times) but I was putting poly on my new address sign on a table under the feeder. Once I quit and moved away I heard several but did not get over there fast enough to see them.

Next week I will be planting all the veggies I got in Asheville along with the seedlings I grew. Yeah!!

Asheville Herb Festival

If anyone wants to know how to make me smile just take me to a nursery and let me drool over the plants. Yesterday, I went with Moms, MS & PS to the Asheville Herb Festival. Oh.My.Gawd. I was in heaven. There were vendors from all over the state there with everything you can think of - including gensing! I took one large basket thinking that when it was full I would be done. Nope that did not happen. I filled up the basket and two bags! I came home with a couple of herbs that I have been looking for forever - wormwood and southerwood, I also have 3 kinds of basil, a really nice rosemary (in a kool biodegradable pot that is actually hard), lime thyme, and OK, so I did get some tomatoes and hot peppers for the garden and some fresh veggies for me.

As an added bonus I got to meet another Blogger - Faerie Made. Her Soaps and lotions are incredible!! If you are anywhere near Asheville you should try to stop by! The Asheville Herb Festival is May 2-4,2008

State troopers stop using their dogs.

I just found this story on the Charlotte Observer site. Patrol stops using its dogs
Official: K-9 training program to be reviewed. Reading that "troopers in the canine program said dogs have been shocked with a stun gun, kicked and suspended until they are nearly unconscious." I am appalled! These are NC State Highway Patrol. They are suppost to uphold the law. To me this is animal cruelty not the way you train an expensive dog.

Further on it says "an international consulting firm hired to conduct an in-depth review of the N.C. Highway Patrol said the agency needs to improve its management -- particularly in ethical training.." Well no shit.

I am now ashamed of my state.