A gathering at the gulch

We are going to be hosting a gathering of family at the gulch! I am so excited by the folks who are coming, and yet there is a certain sadness for those unable to be here. I shall miss them terribly.

We are fortunate enough to have five generations that will be present here. Plenty of pictures will be taken I am sure. I am so looking forward to introducing Jeff2s’ grandma to her great-great grandchildren. She has pictures of them, but this is the first time she will see them live and in person.

Needless to say I will be in 7th heaven to have most of my children and their children here! I will be able to cook to my hearts content. And be able to play with the grandsons! One turned two in January, the other turned one in May. I almost cannot contain myself in the anticipation of it all!

Jeff2s’ mother and one of his sisters and her family will also be here. I have not seen the sis’ and her children in over 10 years! I am so happy that they were able to make the trip down from Alaska to be here.

I will not be blogging for a few days, but will post a description of the gathering after the fact. Have a safe and happy 4Th.

Working Weekend

I spent the last couple of days cleaning some the wood floors. I will just have to say that if I had realised just how gross they really were I would have cleaned them before now! Funny how they just didn't seem quite as bad as they were.

After moving furniture and sweeping them very well, I started with a bucket of hot water and floor cleaner. Yes I know that you are not supposed to wet mop hard wood floors, but I am so glad that I did. The mop water was disgusting. I don't think that the floors had been cleaned in years. After mopping just one room, the water looked like a mud puddle. After the floor dried from the mopping, I moved onto a hardwood floor cleaner. That removed even more grime. Then I moved onto a re-finisher.

Those floors look and feel so much better now. They are bright and reflect light. It was a lot of work, but so well worth it. I also cleaned the wood door frames. I am absurdly pleased with the results of my weekend labors. It is so gratifing to see the all that beautiful wood gleaming!

Summer

The warm breezes are laden with exotic and erotic fragrance of honeysuckle and wild rose. It perfumes the mornings filled with bird song, the sunlit afternoons and mingles with the scent of new mown hay in the evenings.

In the heat and haze of summer afternoons, the buzz of the cicadas in the still oppressive air, are sometimes interruped by the roll of distant thunder. The air is still, leaves wilt in the afternoon heat and the birds send out only half hearted song. Crickets hide in the shade of the pumpkin leaves, creaking out their symphonies.

Suddenly everything goes quiet. No bird song, no buzzing bees or cricket song. The leaves of the trees hang motionless, as if they were not real, only painted on canvass. The air grows to a heavier, almost tactile stillness. The brilliance of the sunshine is covered by a dark blanket of cloud. A flash of lightning, a crash of thunder and a sudden gush of wind stirs the stillness of the valley. The breeze carries with it the fragrance of rain.

As the rain begins to fall you can almost hear a hushed sigh from the thirsty ground and parched leaves. The aroma of damp, hot earth fills the air as the plants drink in the cool rain.

Garden Update

Most of the garden is doing pretty well. The corn is coming along nicely. The green beans are beginning to bloom, hopefully that means I will see a decent crop. I will probably be harvesting some peas this coming week. The potatoes appear to doing well, most of the plants have blooms on them. The pumpkins are just running wild, I am glad that they have plenty of room to spread out. These are beginning to bloom as well. The head lettuce seems to be doing rather well and the sunflowers are getting huge.
I am rather dissapointed with the tomatoes, cucumbers and onions. They did not seem to do very well. However I have learned some important lessons and will be doing things a bit differently with next years garden. There is nothing like trial and error to hone those gardening skills. 

Flea Market

We went to the flea market yesterday. It was a beautiful day with lots of sunshine and a wonderful breeze. This flea market is at a drive in movie theater, that is actually still open. There are just not too many of those around anymore.

As always, there was an intresting mix of things to see. Everything from folks with fresh veggies, to antique items, new stuff, old stuff and just stuff that someone hopes to be rid of and make a litte money.

The people are friendly and usually more than willing to engage in conversation. Even though we do not go every weekend, there is one stall holder who recognizes me. It probably helps that I usually end up buying something from her. She always has intresting older kitchenalia, something I find hard to resist. Her prices are more than reasonable and most times she will knock the price down from what she marked on the item.

I was hoping to see the folks that I purchased the eggs from, but they were not there. I just may have to contact them directly. Those fresh eggs from their free range chickens are a wonderful way to start the day. 

Visiting

We went to see Jeff2s cousin and her husband yesterday. We always have such a good time visiting with them. I just wish that they lived a bit closer, so that we could see each other more often.

The other reason we went was so that Jeff2 could exercise their horse. They purchased this horse for their daughter, who is nine and just learning to ride. However, the horse turned out to be a bit more spirited than a young rider could handle, so they have him up for sale. He is a beautiful animal. We would take him if we didn't have other things that had to be dealt with first. Hopefully they will find a buyer for him soon.

Ping!

That is the wonderful sound of jars sealing. I made some cinnamon applesauce today and decided to can it. A few hours spent in the kitchen and now I have some homemade applesauce canned and ready for the pantry.

Isn't it funny how such a little sound can make you so happy? 

More and more Radishes

I have had a bumper crop of radishes! They are all big and beautiful, but what to do with so many? If I knew anybody here, I would be passing my radish bounty along.

I just hope that the rest of the garden performs as well. Especially the things that I can either can or freeze!

Radish, anyone? 

Radishes

I was out doing some weeding in the garden yesterday when I noticed how big the radsihes were getting. After pulling one and seeing that it was as big as a golfball, I went looking for more. I ended up with a dozen or so, took them into the house and gave them a wash.

So these were the first things to come from the garden! They are big, beautiful and have a wonderful flavor. If everything else turns out this well I am going to be a very happy gardner!

The Hayfield

The guy that owns the hayfield just to the south of us came and mowed it yesterday. With in about three hours after the mowing was finished, we looked out and saw a family of turkeys, two deer and numerous birds feasting in the hay field. What a wonderful view we had of the wildlife!

This morning I looked out and saw the turkeys busily picking away. Even our dogs have not distracted them very much. Fortunately the dogs have not been barking at them.

I am sure that this is not very exciting for most folks, but we have been thoroughly enjoying watching them.