Live to Garden

New Website: Farm-dreams.com

2012-01-22T21:50:00.004-05:00

I was invited to this new website called Farm Dreams a few weeks ago. It's kind of like the Facebook for homesteaders, hobby farmers, market gardeners and everyone else farming in some way. It's full of great info, interesting blogs, photographs, a bookstore and more. It has helped me refocus on farming and gave me a bit of a break from Pinterest. I needed that. I joined a dozen or so of the groups that have formed but I'm yet to really get active on there.

Today I spent the entire day looking at seed catalogs while Andrew watched football. I circled 60 varieties of tomatoes in the Seed Savers Exchange Catalog. You can use your imagination for how the rest of the catalog looks. Then I went through Johnny's, High Mowing, Bountiful Gardens, and Fungi Perfecti. I still need to go through Baker Creek. If only I could buy a farm to plant them all at. Until then, it's just farm dreams.

That Time of Year

2011-12-13T09:15:00.002-05:00

Hello Everybody! Sorry it has been a month since my last post. Time is flying and there's not much going on but here is a summary.

I have had a cold for two weeks. I feel fine but I cough all night. I have a tendancy to hang on to coughs forever so we will see how long this one sticks around. I'm officially on day eight of coughing all night.

My mom and husband, Glen, are moving to South Dakota today. I'm not happy. Very sad actually. We are on our last year here in NC and plan to move back to Michigan in late summer and they will be gone! It's most likely temporary. Glen just needed a new change of scenery (job). He hated his. Well he landed a great new job in SD and will have three day weekends to enjoy traveling with my mom. I do look forward to visiting! I've never been out there.

I spend a lot of my free time on Pinterest.com. So far the site has inspired me to actually set up my sewing room. I have been working on multiple projects lately. An apron, mittens, leg warmers, clutch, fabric flowers, yoga pants and more. Pinterest has also inspired me to get back into the gym. I joined the YMCA and have been going nearly everyday. Lots of cardio and weight training. I've decided to really tone up and get healthy so I'm doing it! Turning 30 in a few weeks may have something to do with it.

My Christmas shopping is about done. I bought a lot of stuff for Andrew this year since he usually doesn't get anything from me. I somehow always end up broke around Christmas. Not this year! We put our tree up last night but are holding off on decorations to see how the cats react to the tree itself. They seem pretty interested in it. I think they will be climbing it in no time.

My Thanksgiving dinner turned out wonderful. I must say that I really love cooking. I can't wait to get back to MI and cook for the whole family. They will never eat another greenbean casserole from a can again!

My brother Chris and his girlfriend Toni are expecting a baby this May. We are hoping for a girl but they find out soon so fingers crossed. We are all so happy to have another baby around. My mom will be coming home in April for a month to be there when the baby comes and I will be back too.

We joined a fall CSA this year and really enjoyed the produce. We were receiving carrots, broccoli, greens, sweet potatoes, potatoes, onions, garlic, mesclun mix, radishes, beets, turnips, cabbage, peppers, egg plant and more for seven weeks. I wish it would never end but it has.

Well, that about sums it up. I will start posting weekly agian if I can pull myself away from Pinterest.

Fun Website; Pinterest.com

2011-11-15T08:51:00.001-05:00

A friend recently told me about Pinterest. I am already so addicted to it. It's a giant online pin board to post your favorite things to share with others, including fashion, food, DIY, homes, places, crafts, kids, photography and tons more. I have spent countless hours pinning and liking.

The site has also rekindled my crafting. I made a cute headband yesterday. I starting sewing a new clutch and I made my first pillowcase skirt last night.

Thousands upon thousands of fun ideas await you. Go check it out!

Fall Reading

2011-11-08T08:57:00.000-05:00

I recently read 'Animal, Vegetable, Miracle' by Kingsolver, 'The Accidental Farmers' by Tim Young, 'Growing a Farmer' by Kurt Timmermeister, 'The Gift of Good Land' by Wendell Berry, 'Wisdom of the Last Farmer' by David Mas Masumoto, and 'The Contrary Farmer' by Gene Logsdon. The overwhelming theme here is agriculture and I loved them all. If I can't play in the dirt of my own farm, I may as well read about others doing it and learn a little something.

I'm still working on 'The Good Life' by the Nearings, 'The Unsettling of America' by Wendell Berry, 'Deeply Rooted' by Lisa M. Hamilton, 'The One-Straw Revolution' by Masanobu Fukuoka and 'Walden' by Thoreau. I started most of these over last spring or summer. Time to wrap them up. I have owned Walden for over a year and figured I should probably read it now since so many other books I have read quote it so frequently.

I have a very long wish list on Amazon also, so I see some new books in my near future. I need to hunt down some local bookstores to see what they have 'used'. I purchased 'Walden' for $4 at a used book store in Michigan. What a deal!

What are you reading?

Congratulations Little Brother!

2011-10-26T12:34:00.000-04:00

My youngest brother was just notified today that he was accepted into the Michigan State University School of Osteopathic Medicine for the class of 2016.

I'm so happy and proud that I can't stop crying.

Congratulations Justin!

Our Sunday Visit to Stone Mountain

2011-10-17T09:49:00.001-04:00

Andrew and I took a drive to Stone Mountain on Sunday. I wasn't to enthused because I was a bit sleepy and really intended on having a lazy Sunday. I'm glad he made me go because it was so amazingly beautiful. In about an hours time, we were standing on top of a mountain.

Andrew enjoying the view.

Imagine living there.

I'm enjoying the view too.

A historic homestead at the foot of Stone Mtn.

See the guy climbing that thing! It's hard to believe we were just standing up there.

Can you find the climber in this one?

200' waterfall.

Beautiful!

Turkey Buzzards enjoy the view too.

Cherry Orchard Vandalism

2011-10-14T21:45:00.000-04:00

Check out this news story,

428 Cherry Trees Destroyed!

This summer I found eight cherry trees chopped down in one of our growers orchards. My boss reported it to the owner and the authorities were called. I'm wondering if it's the same vandal as the orchards are fairly close.

I can't believe someone would do this. Scum.

26th Annual Sustainable Agriculture Conference

2011-09-28T18:33:00.001-04:00

I'm thinking of attending this years ag. conference which would be my first ever. Speakers include Joan Dye Gussow, Richard Wiswall, Ross Conrad, Greg Judy, Ellen Polishuk and many more.

The conference is three days of top notch seminars discussing topics including insects, bees, mushrooms, vegetables, fruits, high tunnels, food, livestock, business, energy and more.

I think it would be well worth the registration fee.

Yard Sale Goodies!

2011-09-19T12:33:00.001-04:00

I hit up quite a few yard sales this summer. Here are some of the goodies I came home with. Mostly old bottles, jars, books, baskets, dishes, etc. Not the most useful things but I like them either way and have decorating ideas for all of them when I finally have my little farm house.

I love these little cookbooks and baskets. The cookbook in front is from the 30's.

I scooped up these old jars, enamel ware and juicers for dirt cheap at an antique shop that was selling out.

My mom scored these German dishes for $20 at the same antique shop. They are worth hundreds!

I love old kitchen utensils.

The handle broke off the pitcher on the way home. Luckily it can be glued on without a problem. What a cute little enamel coffee cup and saucer.

An awesome one gallon jar.

More baskets and jars.

The jar on the left used to be a blending jar. The handle has broken off though.

Tons of old, wood picture frames. I must have 50 of them by now.

And more baskets.

I love these old canning jar lids. I must have around 100. I scored them for a total of $8. I'm told they sell for about $2 a piece. I plan to keep them though. I have Ball, Presto and a no name type.

I also bought some very old sheet music. I plan to frame them since the images are so pretty.

I inherited the yard sale bug from my grandparents. I remember going with them as a child. My grandpa would purchase anything music related or electronics. He had quite the massive collection of things. Seven Pianos, 10,000 vinyl records and 2,500 rolls of piano sheet music to name a few. It was a sight to behold.

Summer's End

2011-09-09T13:29:00.000-04:00

Labor Day was a blast as usual. The weather didn't cooperate at all, however. It was by far the coldest temps we've seen so far, this late summer, and of course, this weekend is sunny and 70's. Labor Day is when the tiny town of Brethren hosts it's annual Brethren Days festival. Mostly, it's an excuse for all of us Brethren High School Grad's to get back together and drink at the beer tent, dance and just be crazy kids again, not that we ever stopped. And so we did. We drank, we danced, we shivered, all in the spirit of friendship. I wouldn't miss Brethren Days for anything.

Earlier in the week I was a kitchen dweller. I canned a whole bushel of peaches and made several peach cobblers and few loaves of zucchini bread. It was all so delicious. I made sure to share and also passed out a dozen or so jams to everyone.

Last night I got home from work and made zucchini and banana bread and at the same time, canned peaches. I'm really turning into quite the little kitchen diva (I hate that word). And not to brag, but, I haven't had a single jar not seal so far, out of 100 plus jars. I must pat myself on the back as this is really my first season of canning ever. More than likely, beginners luck.

I've been doing lots of blog reading lately and have stumbled across some amazing gems in the farming, agriculture, sustainability, and food categories. Here are some goodies for you.
Honest Meat
heinennellie
Throwback at Trapper Creek
Walden Effect
fast grow the weeds
The Wild Homestead Blog
girl.meets.farm
A Farmer and Her [57=+] Purses
Green Mountain Girls Farm
Nature's Harmony Farm
meat
Boucher Family Farm
Farmgirl Fare
Chez Pim
Cannelle et Vanille
Orangette
Buns in My Oven

For me, summer is nearly over. I will be driving back to North Carolina on the 21st. I only work three more days as an orchard scout. This is always a sad time of year for me as I hate leaving this place and the people in it but at least I am going to another beautiful state and rejoining Andrew and our two crazy cats. I will resume sewing groups, garden tours, tea parties(not the political kind), visiting my wonderful Carolina gal's, babysitting three little rascals and longing for my family and home, Northern Michigan.

Perhaps next summer, when I return, It will be for good. We can buy that farm I've dreamed of and start living the life I've been waiting for.

Giant Blackberries, A Persistent Doe and More

2011-08-28T16:36:00.007-04:00

One of our growers not only grows beautiful cherries and strawberries but they also have these gorgeous blackberries. As you can see, they are much larger than my thumb and they're pretty tasty too. Five berries would fill my hand!

I love these leaning fence posts, no longer serving a purpose.

I see these Sandhill Cranes nearly every week in Elk Rapids. Four flew over last Wednesday doing their unusual call.

A whole lot of plums!

This doe and her two fawns pulled a fast one over on me last week. I opened the orchard fence, drove in, parked, scouted and checked traps. I got back in my car and look in my mirror only to find her sneaking in behind me. I hopped out and stopped her fawns from entering and then spent 20 minutes chasing her around. She didn't seem to mind me much. I was able to get within ten feet of her multiple times. I must say, I had a smile on my face while I chased her around on foot through the orchard.

I also canned eight pints of nectarines today. Plus, I made some nectarine dessert topping. I had it on cheesecake today, yummy!

I'm a Peach Crazed Maniac

2011-08-18T21:50:00.004-04:00

I picked a bushel or more of peaches over the last two days and now I'm at the printer waiting for my peach cobbler, crisp and pie recipes to print. It's going to be a delicious peach season.

I'm going to try Paula Dean's Peach Cobbler. Allrecipes.com's Peach Pieand Southern Peach Cobbler and .Pioneer Woman's Peach Crisp with Maple Cream Sauce.

I will let you know how they all taste, he he he.

Sunshine on a stalk

2011-08-08T19:43:00.004-04:00

It's sunflower season in Elk Rapids, MI. I see lots of people throughout the day stopping to take pictures of all these beauties. How could you resist.

It's also Oriental lily season at my house. My Casa Blanca lilies are going crazy this year! They are as tall as me and extremely fragrant. They have multiplied well since a year ago, sending up three times as many stalks. My most favorite lily for sure.

Beach Weather

2011-08-01T16:29:00.002-04:00

We've been going to Portage Point on Lake Michigan every weekend for the last month now. The water has been warming each day and is now at a perfect temperature. It's cool and refreshing but not so cold as to stop our blood flow. A visit isn't complete without taking a jump off the pier!

My brother, Justin, and I set out for a walk last week and witnessed possibly the most beautiful sunset we've ever seen. Unfortunately we didn't have the camera on us. He ran back to the house at a full sprint, grabbed the camera, and drove back over to me where I quickly snapped three shots before the battery died. By that point the sun had dropped below the tree line and was no longer sending out the fiery orange rays across the clouds. At that same moment a beautiful rainbow arched overhead and plunged into Suttons Bay. We could see rain off in the distance as well. It was spectacular!

Jammin'

2011-07-25T20:34:00.002-04:00

I made my very first batches of jam for the season. I picked about 60 quarts of strawberries at the end of the season for free! One of our growers lets me pick berries and cherries each year. Got to love that.

So far, I've made Strawberry, Strawberry Vanilla, Strawberry Rhubarb, Raspberry and Sweet cherry jam. I still have lots of sweets to pit and then tarts too. Plus I plan on picking more raspberries and blueberries. Of course, there is still peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums and apples still to come. The freezer is full of strawberries to make more jam later and for making daiquiri's, mmmmm.

Looking Up

2011-07-25T20:09:00.005-04:00

I look at the sky and horizon often. I'm compelled to take photos whenever possible.

Times Gone By

2011-07-17T10:31:00.002-04:00

Here are some views of various areas on the Leelanau Peninsula. I have admired these old buildings for years. I wonder how old they are and what the area looked like at that time.

This church sits across the street from the old buildings.

I caught this sunset on my home to moms Friday night. This photo does not do it justice.

It's Cherry Season in Northern Michigan

2011-07-17T10:29:00.002-04:00

The tart cherry harvest began a few days ago for some farms. Others are still a week or so out. Here are some beautiful Montmorency tart cherries. These aren't quite ready for harvest but it wont be much longer.

Sweet cherries of course! One of the perks of my job is getting to eat them straight off the tree. I can often be found with purple teeth and a bit of cherry juice on my shirt. Guilty!

The weather is supposed to very hot this week so we are all going to be roasting in the orhcards during harvest.

2011-07-13T10:05:00.001-04:00

2011-07-13T10:03:00.001-04:00

Plenty of cherries here.

2011-07-13T09:52:00.001-04:00

It's harvest time!

At Home, Sick

2011-06-24T13:31:00.002-04:00

I can't help but have that nagging feeling of slackerness (no, that's not a word) when I'm home sick. Like I should be at work, working. Well, I did work this week and now I'm even more sick because of it. It has rained on me everyday since Monday. It's the type of weather that will make you feel crappier when you already feel crappy.

Today, I am coughing up green and my glands are nice and swollen so as you can imagine, I feel great. I attempted to head out to work but made it as far as the local coffee shop before I called Jim and said "I don't think I can work today. I feel worse than i did Yesterday". So today, Jim is scouting all the orchards alone and he even has to fill out the forms. Poor guy. Sorry Jim.

How did I get sick, you ask? Well, last weekend was my girlfriend's bachelorette party which was in Put-In Bay, Ohio. It may have been the thousands of people sweating it up in the clubs, breathing in each others dirty lung air. Or, perhaps, it's from the really drunk guy who was attempting to pee into a water bottle on stage but missed and peed all over me. Yeah, that actually happened. Most of it was on my arms so I was able to quickly wash it off after the wave of shock, disbelief and then disgust came over me. The bouncer tossed the guy out because, well, let's face it. If you are to drunk to get it in the water bottle, you are to drunk to be in the bar.

And if that's not bad enough...

What really sucks is that my vegetable garden is still not in. I have five flats of peppers, tomatoes, greens, etc. that are waiting for me but I'm sick and it won't stop raining.

If this post sounds a bit crabby, well, it is. But I am typing it with a smile on my face at least.

My "Big Farm" Dreams

2011-06-24T12:26:00.000-04:00

At the age of five, I spent a short part of my childhood on a farm. I still remember the barn, cows, pasture and the creek that ran through the property. At that time we were just renting the place. The cows weren't ours but for me, it was all mine. We even raised a huge, pink pig for our freezer.

I have always lived rurally. Either on a small farm, deep in the woods or in a very small town. I spent most of my youth in Brethren, a town of about 1000 people located in the heart of the Manistee National Forest. We still own a small cabin on two acres just outside of town and a 115 year old house in town. There's still no traffic lights there. As for businesses, Brethren boasts several bait n' tackle shops, a pizza shop, a bar/restaurant, and a gas station.

I spent many thousands of hours playing in the woods, swimming in the lakes and rivers, and digging in the dirt while tending my garden.

Those days I wanted to be an Architect, then a Veterinarian, then some sort of nature activist. Never once did I realize that being a farmer was an option.

Since the day I discovered small farming and the CSA concept I haven't thought of much else. It has been very clear to me that that is what I want to do. After all this moving around, renting and bouncing from state to state, we will soon buy a farm and I will get started.

My eyes have settled on a 36 acre farm in Northern Lower Michigan. It's within a half hour from where I grew up. The land has a long gentle south facing slope and about 10 acres of Maples and several more of Spruce trees. The house was built in the 40's and is a bit small at 1300 sq feet but I really don't care. I can change the house. It's the land that I want more than anything else. There is a large barn, detached two car garage and another smaller garage out behind the barn. In the maples sits a small sugar shack. Andrew wants to turn it into a sauna but I think it would stay a sugar shack. We can build a sauna.

I can picture the rolling land divided into pasture by Osage orange. A small herd of goats and a few cows, horses and a mini donkey or two browsing the pastures. Chickens, ducks and turkeys enjoying open air. A pig and her piglets resting in the cool moist soil beneath the apple trees. Tidy beds of vegetables, herbs, fruits and flowers covering a few acres near the house and the small orchard just to the north.

I can imagine the extremely hard work that it will take but I will love the feeling of the accomplishment. I will love bringing people together over food. I will love raising my family there, under the sun and over the land that feeds them.

I will relish the dark winter days spent planning the coming years farming activities. Improving on the past and cataloging my mistakes, hopefully few. Hours spent crafting, mending and tending and reading the latest news in agriculture.

I have plans to install a cheese cellar near the house. Stone walls and steps lead down to the door. An earth roof will disguise it from a distance. Perhaps a slightly 'hobbit house' appearance.

The gardens around the house and buildings will be English/Country with emphasis on country. Field stones and reclaimed barn wood will be used to build all the little outbuildings that I've always dreamed of having.

Well, It has been many months since I typed the above post and since then the farm has sold, not to me unfortunately. So, I will have to find another one to start dreaming for. It's okay. I've done it a dozen times.

Tall Bearded Iris Show: Part 3

2011-06-11T09:15:00.002-04:00

Sofia

Society Page

Slovak Prince

Saturday Night Live

Pane E. Vino

One of Those Songs

Oasis Rootbeer

Moonlit Waters

Lady Friend

Jane Troutman

Tall Bearded Iris Show: Part 2

2011-06-11T09:12:00.001-04:00

Wild Wings

True Spirit

Total Chaos

Starring

Splashacata

Solar Impact

Tall Bearded Iris Show: Part 1

2011-06-11T09:03:00.004-04:00

My favorite flower, the iris, is coming into full bloom. These are some of the beauties that started last week.

I'm Reddy

English Charm

Daughter of Stars

Champagne Elegance

Azure Whir

Anything Goes

All For Love

Afternoon Delight

Acoma

The weeds are still taking over but once bloom is done, I'm declaring war.

Dwarf Iris Bloom: Part 3

2011-05-28T11:52:00.001-04:00

Smooth

Ruby Eruption

Posing

Party Animal

Overcast

Oddbod

Mikey Likes It

Marksmen

Dwarf Iris Bloom: Part 2

2011-05-28T11:51:00.001-04:00

More little beauties.

Jillaroo

Glamour Cat

Enchanted Princess

Cousin Carol

Clever Touch

Dwarf Iris Bloom

2011-05-28T11:50:00.001-04:00

These are some of the first for the spring.

Cherry Curl

Clever Touch

Cantique

Breezy Blue

Ballistic

Trillium in the Woods

2011-05-20T09:39:00.009-04:00

It's hard to beat this show of Trillium's in Northport, MI. I have never seen them so thick anywhere else. I would love to have a picnic in there and just sit and look at each and every one. Ramps are also thick in the woods this time of year. You can see there leaves poking up through the trilliums. I would love to make a Ramp pesto sometime.

This Week in the Orchards

2011-05-20T09:19:00.006-04:00

The sweet cherries are in full bloom in most of the orchards. The tarts are just getting started. Apples are showing a bit of color but it will be a few more days before they get going.

A little peek at Lake Michigan beyond the rolling hills of Leelanau's Apple Orchards.

A little bit of apple blossom pink.

A wonderful show in the sweet cherry orchards this year. We should have tons of cherries!

Nectarines are one my favorites.

Tart cherry blossoms popping like popcorn everywhere. Monday should be beautiful.

2011-05-15T12:19:00.001-04:00

Tulips from the garden.

Spring Orchard Scenes.

2011-05-15T12:01:00.005-04:00

Apricots being pruned during full bloom.

Newly trellised wine grapes.

A few handsome Tom's looking for a date in the apple orchards.

A newly planted, 60 acre, tart cherry orchard.

2011-05-15T11:37:00.001-04:00

Morel season!

Susan's Garden

2011-05-02T20:43:00.006-04:00

I know it has been forever since I posted! I'm back. I was a bit busy and had no chance to see any gardens until this past few weeks. I'm heading to MI for the summer on Wednesday so there is much more to come.

Here is Susan's beautiful garden. She lives on what is left of an old farmstead in Lewisville, NC. The house and outbuildings are over 100 years old. It's really quite beautiful. She is an amazing gardener and a lovely person.

It was over 80 degrees and very sunny the day I visited. The early spring heat gets things blooming early! Enjoy the tour.

Documentary Marathon

2011-03-13T12:24:00.001-04:00

Andrew and I just decided to get Netflix (this is not a product plug) last Saturday and it's been a documentary marathon ever since.

Among my favorites are Food Inc, Tapped, Future of Food, Dirt! The Movie, Homo Toxicus, All in This Tea, The Cove, King Corn, Freakonomics, Cracking the Maya Code, Beer Wars, Secret Yosemite, Hiroshima:BBC History of World War II, and To Market To Market To Buy a Fat Pig. Notice the overall theme.

If you haven't seen 'The Cove', it is by far the saddest movie I have ever seen. I had tears in my eyes through the majority of it. It was an extremely well done film.

The Future of Food was great because it broke down some of the science behind GMO's.

All of these film's had a lot to teach. Perhaps you will enjoy some of these as well.

Today

2011-02-25T08:53:00.002-05:00

I have the flu and it's been pouring rain for two days. On the bright side, daffodils are starting to bloom. I saw three glorious, yellow blossoms yesterday. The end is in sight! Soon I will have plenty to blog about.

I had a fever the whole day on Thursday. It broke last night. Now I'm just coughing up my lungs and, if I'm not careful, my stomach contents.

Mouse hunter is sleeping next to me right now and keeps farting. They smell terrible. Silent but deadly.

I read Goat Song and The Dirty Life last week and loved them both. If you are a homesteader, love goats, cheese making or the pastoral life, you must read Goat Song. The Dirty Life is geared towards women readers. If you love farming and an intriguing love story, read it. I read it in two days.

Observations on Kittens

2011-02-25T08:50:00.000-05:00

Since I brought the kittens home the couch has been covered in layers of blankets trying to spare it from kitten claws. Five blankets in total. One of these days we will get a nail clipper or something. Any suggestions?

Here are few observations on kittens.

A box is never just a box. Classy.

Relaxing in the recliner with Andrew is nice.

They enjoy kitten videos on youtube just as much as everyone else.

Nap time can occur at anytime. Yes, she is sleeping on my hand.

Andrew's smelly hockey bag is a perfectly acceptable place to snooze.

Reading is Good

2011-02-09T09:05:00.001-05:00

Yes, reading is good. That's why I, in the last few years, became a reader. I just ordered the following books from Amazon.

The Essential Earthman by Henry Mitchell
Green Thoughts by Eleanor Perenyi
The Gardeners Year by Karel Capek
Farmers of Forty Centuries by F. H. King
The New Farmers Market by Vance Corum
The Dirty Life: on farming, food and love by Kristin Kimball
Wisdom of the Last Farmer by David Mas Masumoto
The One Straw Revolution by Masanobu Fukuoka
Goat Song by Brad Kessler
One Mans Garden by Henry Mitchell
Deeply Rooted by Lisa M. Hamilton
From the Ground Up by Amy Stewart

These should keep me busy! The one that I am most excited about is The Dirty Life by Kristin Kimball. I just love reading about other peoples experiences in the farming and gardening life.

There should be plenty of inspiration in the pages of all these.

Spring Sowing

2011-01-25T20:36:00.000-05:00

This year, instead of my usual haul of perennials making the trip to MI with me, it will be vegetable seedlings. Why not take advantage of the greenhouse that I work at in the spring. This will be spring number three helping out there and the owner, Fred, has said that I can grow whatever I want so I might as well get the lettuce, tomatoes, herbs, brassicas, onions and flowers started.

I have a very large seed collection and it's time to get them all started. They won't last forever!

It's rainy today and will possibly become ice overnight. Oh joy.

Book Wish List for 2011

2011-01-06T10:05:00.002-05:00

Over the past few years I have become quite the reader, considering I read a book about every two years before that. Now I read a book every few weeks, give or take. Mostly gardening and farming reference, I have only read one fiction, The Secret Life of Bees. Currently I'm reading Second Nature by Michael Pollan and Bringing it to the Table by Wendell Berry. I'm loving them both.

Here is a sampling from my extensive (maxed out) Amazon list.

And I Shall Have Some Piece There by Margaret Roach
A Way to Garden by Margaret Roach
The Dirty Life by Kristin Kimball
The Complete Guide to Small Scale Farming by Melissa Nelson
Botany for Gardeners by Brian Capon
Green Thoughts: A Writer in the Garden by Eleanor Perenyi
The Garden Primer: Second Edition by Barbar Damrosch
Goat Song by Brad Kessler
Birds in Fall by Brad Kessler
Organic Manifesto by Maria Rodale
Deeply Rooted by Lisa M. Hamilton
The New Seed Starters Handbook by Nancy Bubel
The One-Straw Revolution by Masanobu Fukuoko
Farmers of Forty Centuries by F.H. King
The Hoophouse Handbook by Lynne Byzinski
The New Farmer's Market by Vance Corum
Market Farming Success by Lynne Byzinski

What books are next for you?

Christmas Kittens!

2010-12-28T11:53:00.004-05:00

Andrew and I love cats and have occasionally talked about getting one or two kittens. So I got the idea that surprising him with kittens on Christmas eve would be fun. I found some on craigslist on the 23rd and picked them up on the 24Th.

When I arrived at the place I was a bit shocked at how bad the living conditions were. The people had at least eight cats and a few dogs too. The house smelled awful and there was garbage everywhere. The cat litter boxes were overflowing so of course the cats had taken to just going where ever they wanted. I grabbed two female kittens and got outta there.

Andrew was not as excited as I had hoped. In fact, he was pretty much annoyed that I brought home kittens. We contacted AARF to find someone to adopt them but luckily, by that the night, after a few beers, he was smitten with the kittens.

We jokingly named our two little girls 'Mouse Hunter 5000' and 'Paul'. Ridiculous, I know. I hate to think that that will remain their names but at the same time it's a bit funny.

They are quite the pair. Play, sleep, eat, play is their daily routine with emphasis on playing. They enjoy string, crumpled paper, laptops, cords, chairs, books (when you're reading them), Christmas trees, ornaments, plastic bags and boxes to name a few items.

I'm thinking that we're going to enjoy having our little friends around.

Mouse Hunter 500

Paul

Backyard Birds

2010-12-16T10:01:00.002-05:00

Watching out the window this morning I saw about a dozen Robins, four Cardinals, two Blue jays, one Eastern Bluebird, and several more small brown birds in the yard at the same time. I don't even feed the birds. Imagine the activity out there if I did.

I keep telling myself that I will start feeding them but always forget. Plus, my neighbors have six roaming cats so I would hate to set up a buffet for them. The birds seem to be quite happy to forage in our yard so I shall leave'em be.

The most surprising thing for me is how often I see the Eastern Bluebirds. We have several pairs that frequent the yard. Every spring there is a bluebird/nuthatch battle for the one nest box we have. The nuthatch's always win. We should put up another box just for the Bluebirds as it would be a joy to have them stay all spring.

We have a think coating of ice on everything right now. All schools are closed today so I am staying in, wooo hooooo!

Time for Cheer

2010-12-06T09:57:00.003-05:00

We picked out a tree on Friday and had it decorated right away. Good thing it goes in the corner because the back side of it is pretty bad. You could never tell from this side. I think that's why it was only $25. Fine with me.

The Rural Hall Library held their Cookie Exchange/Ornament making party November 30. I had a great time once again. Warm spiced cider, cookies, Christmas music and wonderful people really make it feel like the holidays.

I made these two Christmas card stars. I plan to make more if I can find my old card stash. They are super easy. Make yourself a star template or find one on the web. Cut out three using old Christmas cards. Give them all a slight bend down the center from top to bottom. Glue them all together and don't forget to attach some string with glue on top. I glued glitter to all the edges too.

Isn't this little reindeer cute! He is made out of an Okra stem. I didn't make him but I'm going to try it soon. Have some Okra laying around?

Warm yourself up with a beer sampler from your local brewery. No, I didn't drink all that. Our friend Kevin did though. Maybe just have one.

200th Post!

2010-11-22T14:35:00.003-05:00

I can't believe I have stuck with blogging. I've never been able to keep a written journal for more than a few days. I have a few journals that have about 10 entries spanning over 10 years. Isn't that ridiculous.

I've been purchasing vegetables nearly every Saturday from Harmony Ridge Farms. Local, fresh and organic! I volunteered to work in their greenhouse last spring and was planning on helping with the garlic planting a few weeks ago but came down with the flu.

Veggie order from two weeks ago.

I picked this order up on Saturday. The eggs are bright orange and delicious!!! The carrots are sweet and the broccoli is tender. This is the first time I have ever had Bok Choy too. It's really tasty.

There is nothing better than truly fresh and organic produce.

Glorious Color! A Walk in the Park

2010-11-15T09:27:00.005-05:00

We have had a beautiful stretch of upper 60's and low 70's with lots of sunshine and fall color. Just when I think we aren't going to see the reds, oranges and yellows of fall, they magically appear. I spent a few hours wandering around the park taking pictures and gathering leaves. I couldn't believe how many squirrels were tromping through the leaves! There was a constant rustle on the ground and in the trees from their fall foraging.

I hope you enjoy the view!

Can you see the three squirrels on the large Oak below?

Wine and a Good Book

2010-11-03T16:30:00.002-04:00

Booger Swamp. Yes, you read that correctly. This wine is called Booger Swamp. It's a blend and quite sweet, but that's how I like my wine. I have a sweet tooth so I love Rieslings, Viogner, Gewurztraminer and sweet blends.

I just finished this book last week and loved it. I felt as though I was working along side them on the farm through the heat, humidity and the windy, freezing days. I started to get tired from the mental images. Imagining the blazing sun beating down on my back. Then I remembered that MI is not nearly as harsh a climate in the summers as where they are. Yay! So perhaps I won't sweat quite as much but I'll be working my butt off and it's all rewarding in the end.

I'm going to be a farmer but I already new that.

Stone Silo

2010-10-27T15:54:00.003-04:00

This barn is located in Northport, MI at one of the farms I scout in the summer. It's one of my favorites. The stone silo is just beautiful. I believe this barn is around 100 years old buy I can't say for sure.

Cascade Falls

2010-10-25T08:58:00.002-04:00

Andrew and I visited the Upper and Lower Cascade Falls on Sunday. I had no idea that we even lived near any waterfalls. Perfectly sunny and in the low 70's, it was an awesome day for hiking. Though, I will admit, I am extremely out of shape!

Atlantic Coast

2010-10-17T16:43:00.005-04:00

Seaweed, I guess?

This little guy hitched a ride in on our fishing line.

No luck finding whole shells. They were always chipped up a bit.

These little birds were so fun to watch running in and out with the waves.

Winning Photo

2010-10-11T12:01:00.002-04:00

I entered this photo into the www.Davesgarden.com photo contest and one 1st place in the fruit category, so exciting! I will receive a free one year subscription to the Dave's Garden website which is great since I wasn't sure if I would renew or not.

I took this photo in 09 just after I got my new cybershot. These are Balaton tart cherries in Lake Leelanau, MI.

Beautiful Pumpkins

2010-10-09T19:15:00.003-04:00

I worked a booth at the farmers market today. It was a pretty day and busy too. This pumpkin booth was just across from me so I had to take a look.

Don't you love them!

Back in NC

2010-09-27T14:47:00.003-04:00

I am back in North Carolina now. Just arrived Sunday night. The drive wasn't bad but Virginia and NC were quite rainy, yuck!

It's nice to be back again but I will miss everybody at home. I had a wonderful summer and spent lots of time with family and friends.

Andrew has tons of fun lined up for us already. We have the Seafood festival this weekend in Moorehead and then deep sea fishing in a few weeks. We are going to the movies tomorrow night.

Looking forward to lots of fun with friends in NC now. It's time for some garden tea parties!

Michelle

Tiny Turtle

2010-09-27T14:33:00.003-04:00

This tiny Snapping Turtle was on my mom's porch a few days ago. What a little cutie.

An_Apple_A_Day

2010-09-12T13:43:00.008-04:00

Gently Crashing Waves

2010-09-02T13:32:00.005-04:00

I could listen to the waves crash all night.

The shores of Lake Michigan.

Harvest for Sept. 2

2010-09-02T13:25:00.003-04:00

The slugs are getting into the tomatoes a bit more than I would like but I'm still getting lots of great fruit. I see a bit of disease on a few plants too. I don't think it's late blight but maybe. I just hope it doesn't get all of them!

We are setting up a stand to sell some of these today. My mom just got back from her Yellowstone trip so now she can tend it while I'm at work.

Harvest for August 26

2010-08-26T21:26:00.002-04:00

Probably 50 pounds! Plus peppers, lettuce, chard and basil, yummmmm!

Some of these maters are about one and half to two pounds a piece.

I better start selling some!

Harvest for the weekend of August 20 to 22

2010-08-26T21:13:00.001-04:00

Not to shabby!

Attack of the killer tomatoes!

2010-08-06T20:36:00.002-04:00

I spent several hours trying to control the chaos that I call heirloom tomatoes.

Here is my nephew Leahm standing next to them.

Lot's of good looking fruit.

This is one of the gardens just packed with weeds. Luckily they pull right out. Hopefully I can post pictures of it tomorrow looking much less weedy. Got some done tonight but not much.

Pulling Weeds

2010-08-05T21:08:00.002-04:00

Last weekend I went down to Ann Arbor, MI and spent time with friends. No gardening unfortunately. The weeds out there are about waist high! Tomorrow the pulling begins. It shouldn't take long. They come up quite easily, whew!

My tomato plants are taking over the world and the fruits are the size of a hand now. My peppers are equally as crazy. A much better year for the warm temp lovers. My green beans are finishing up. Lettuces are leafy and the zucchini is nearly as tall as me. It's a jungle out there.

I will return with pictures tomorrow!

Happy Gardening,
Michelle

Casa Blanca

2010-07-23T19:28:00.001-04:00

Amazing Caterpillar!

2010-07-18T14:25:00.001-04:00

Anybody know what it is?

Lovely Weekend

2010-07-11T19:01:00.003-04:00

Mom and Lily pulling weeds in the garden. I can't wait for the Casa Blanca lilies to open!

Tomatoes and peppers one month ago.

Tomatoes and peppers today! We just got the trellis up. A bit late but better late than never.

The Shasta's are going wild.

We did some camping this weekend at the Tippy Dam backwaters in Brethren. We spent hours sitting in the boat watching stars. I forgot how many are up there, amazing!

Sunset over Lake Michigan

2010-06-27T11:24:00.002-04:00

Mom and I headed to the beach in Arcadia last night to watch the sunset. The clouds obscured the sun a bit but it was still beautiful.

Lily enjoyed the sand. She ran around like a maniac once she realized how fun it was.

My brothers and I

2010-06-26T12:53:00.002-04:00

Justin on the left of me and Chris to the right. I'm the oldest and the shortest!

Viewtiful!

2010-06-26T12:45:00.002-04:00

The Lake Leelanau Narrows. This lake is about 14 miles long and a very beautiful one at that! The little town of Lake Leelanau sits on the narrow canal that connects the two larger bodies of water.

Another million dollar view from an orchard.

I caught this little soldier bug feasting on one of the millions of tent worms that infested our forests this year. This one should keep him full for awhile!

Hello!

2010-06-26T12:32:00.003-04:00

Misty morn.

Lily enjoying the newly planted pansies.

I think I'm being followed.

Good Rain, Bad Timing

2010-06-26T12:24:00.004-04:00

This is what rain does to sweet cherries when it's close to harvest time. They crack from absorbing the rain through their skin. The mold you see is called American Brown Rot. It's an extremely serious and fast spreading infection that is nearly impossible to control especially during rainy spells. We have been getting tons of rain the last few weeks so many of the sweet cherry orchards are starting to look like this.

Summer Time

2010-06-13T17:36:00.002-04:00

Did some planting and weeding today. Progress is slow since I only see the gardens on Saturday and Sunday. I also had a friend from high school visiting so gardening was put at the bottom of the list this weekend.

I see these nests in most of the orchards. It's fun to check back each week and see the progress they make.

These are views from a bench in Northport, staring out at Lake Michigan.

Lily is ready for her camping trip!

Iris Stem Shots

2010-06-06T14:18:00.003-04:00

Sorry I'm not including names with these. I'm being lazy.

New Fawn

2010-06-06T14:05:00.003-04:00

While scouting an orchard on Thursday, I nearly stepped on this little fawn. It's very young, about the size of a two month old child.

My mother saw a Doe giving birth in a field yesterday. Not something you see everyday.

More Lovelies

2010-06-06T13:56:00.002-04:00

Tall Bearded Iris

2010-05-30T16:48:00.001-04:00

Badlands

Road to Glory

Fogbound

Splashacata

Louisa's Song

Views from the Orchards

2010-05-28T22:45:00.003-04:00

Many of the orchards that I scout each week have views like these. There's more to come.

More Iris blooms

2010-05-28T22:28:00.002-04:00

Many of the tall bearded iris are blooming now. More pictures to come.

Raised Beds and Cold Frames

2010-05-15T22:35:00.004-04:00

My mom and I spent the day building raised beds for our square foot gardens. We have four done so far. Time to go scrounge for more lumber. The first frame was originally a picnic table. We left some of the metal on since it was difficult to take off plus it will work to support row covers.

I also planted tons of melon, summer and winter squash, and pumpkin seeds last night. Many more seeds to plant tomorrow.

Next is to build vine supports and bamboo tepees for the beans and peas.

Moms property is surrounded by a horse farm which provides endless, free manure for us. They even load it free! It's mixed with straw bedding and composted for years.

I dug out some sod to create a cold frame. We were going to build a wood framed one but I figured this is just as good for now. We have the irises about half weeded now and the garlic is growing great. You can see the garlic running along the cold frame.

Some views of the yard. It will look much different in the coming weeks.

Some new blooms

2010-05-15T22:22:00.000-04:00

A bunch of my SDB irises. I haven't had the time to go through the iris maps and label them yet so they shall remain nameless for now. Please ignore the weeds. They are coming out slowly but surely. LOL

All the new tall beardeds are sending up stalks too. This June will be much more of a show than I anticipated.

A bunch of Tulips we put in last fall. Tulips actually multiply here! I'm happy to see that I already have more tulips than I planted last fall. I will be moving them to new places when they are done blooming. We just kind of threw them in during November.

This one is Queen of the Night. Each bulb has three or more blooms!

Seeding

2010-05-15T22:14:00.003-04:00

17 varieties of lettuce. Thyme, kale, swiss chard, basil, lavender and more.

Northport, Michigan Trilliums

2010-05-15T22:10:00.003-04:00

Possibly one of the best natural displays of Trillium's ever.

I will be back!

2010-05-13T15:05:00.001-04:00

Hi everyone, I don't have Internet access during the week at the moment. I will be doing some posts tomorrow and through the weekend though. I've got lots to share!

Michelle

Backyard Bird Drama

2010-05-03T09:30:00.002-04:00

A few days ago I was able to sit outback and watch the five little nuthatches leave the nest. What a fun experience! Last year they left when I was gone so I was disappointed to miss them. Each one spent minutes looking around and then finally getting the courage to pop out and fly to a nearby tree. Soon the woods were filled with baby birds. What a joy!

Today, I made myself a cup of coffee and went into the living room. Suddenly, I heard Robins screeching in the backyard. I ran out the door and saw four or more Robins flying around one of the Robins nests. Then a large crow flies away with a baby Robin in it's claws!!! How awful! Everyone settles down after a short chase. The parents end up flitting back and forth between some smaller trees. I finally looked down and there was a little Robin in the grass, close to the porch. It must have been dislodged during the scuffle. The parents are feeding it but I wonder if it has a chance. I don't know what stage it's at as far as maturity goes. It looks pretty well feathered. I want to go out there and protect him but I know that is not the correct thing to do right?

Our neighbors have six outdoor cats that use our yard as a passage to the neighborhood. I hope they are past their hunting age. They seem to be indifferent to most things. Fingers crossed.

One More Week

2010-04-29T16:40:00.000-04:00

First, let me dazzle you with blooming irises from the local iris farm. I have all of these now, except for Dancing Dolphin, but I really want it! They don't have enough of it so they can't sell it.

Shining Armor

Rock Star

Savannah Sunset

First Movement

Dancing Dolphins

Jesse's Song

This is Andrews hop vine. It has grown quite fast. He built that crazy support for it last week. We have it weighted down just in case.

My iris seedlings are doing fantastic. There are 77 seedlings. I think they are all up now. Iris do not typically set seed on there own. You must make crosses to get seed and even then it's not a guarantee. You can find info on hybridizing at www.irises.org

I also got a couple of new gardening books. I love this one. I plan to adapt and utilize both ideas heavily in my own yard. I'm going to grow a bit for market this summer using these high yield methods. Do any of you have experience with these methods?

This book is a bit silly but it still has tons of great info. I wish he would have discussed larger scale examples. Instead, he focuses on the food supply of small families. I'm curious to know of any more commercial examples.

I hit the road for MI on May 6th. I'm shocked at how quickly the winter went. Though it was actually long and cold, it seems now, so short. My mom will be awaiting my arrival eagerly! I head straight to her house, visit and rest for the night, then drive out to dads to visit.

Friday will be spent gardening. Saturday is my youngest brother, Justin's, college graduation day so we will be at CMU all day. He is graduating with the honor of Summa Cum Laude! He has always been the super smart one. Another eight years and he will be a successful surgeon. Go Justin!

More iris pictures to come!

Iris Babies

2010-04-15T18:07:00.002-04:00

My iris seedlings are coming up great! I have about 65 up now. I'm going to have somewhere near a 90% or better germination rate which is awesome. Hopefully they turn out to be some new beauties in a year or two.

Some goodies I have accumulated this spring including many herbs, speedwell, viola, phlox, dianthus, Irish moss and more.

Woodland phlox have a lovely fragrance. I only have a tiny bit in my garden currently, so I need more.

I have been keeping pretty busy lately. I have been working at the farmers market a few days each week and helping out friends in their gardens. I will be heading up north in three weeks for the summer. I can't wait!

Harmony Ridge Farm

2010-04-14T09:26:00.002-04:00

After searching on Local Harvest I contacted a new CSA located just minutes away from me in Tobaccoville, NC. Isaac from Harmony Ridge Farm was more than happy to have a volunteer. This would be a great opportunity for me to learn more about CSA farming since it's my dream.

The drive out to the farm was beautiful. Rolling hills dotted with farms and flowering red buds made for difficult navigation as I was constantly snapping my head around to take in all of the countryside. I have been to Tobaccoville before but not this area. It's exactly how you would imagine the foot hills of North Carolina to be! Green pastures, cattle grazing, trees blooming and many historic barns complete the landscape.

I took some shots of Harmony Ridge Farm during breaks from potting up tomato, basil, sage and pepper plants.

I love the lettuces planted on the benches. They look so healthy and are easily kept pest free. Some are planted directly into bags of organic potting soil. It certainly helps retain moisture during some of the extremely hot days we had.

This is the top of the hill where both the greenhouse and barn look upon. They have planted a rye cover crop and are putting many of their lettuce and brassica crops in here. They have also put blueberries here and figs near the greenhouse.

Their brand new barn, the barn of my dreams. The upstairs is huge. They have thought of making it into a B&B in the future. A large window looks over the planting fields but there's a view from every window. I think it's a perfect place to have guests. A B&B is a great idea.

This is the lower part of the land. A creek runs along this planting area making the soil much richer and easier to work with then the red clay elsewhere. The horses are owned by the neighbors which lease some of Harmony Ridges land for grazing.

Isaac and Holly purchased the farm a little over a year ago and have been working hard to create their CSA. Holly has been very sick for over three weeks with bronchitis and possibly a viral infection. This illness has kept her cooped up in the house for most of the spring. Hopefully she is well soon.

I will be helping out more in the future. Isaac and Holly are wonderful people and they have awesome ideas for the farm. It's going to be a very successful farm and CSA.

Janelle's Garden Update

2010-04-04T17:12:00.002-04:00

I was able to run over to her house the day I left for Savannah to take these shots so they are a week old. I'm sure the daffodils are past their prime now. I new the spring blooms would be at there peak so I had to make time to get over there.

Pink Charm Daffs. One of my favorites.

The Bleeding Hearts were just getting started.

I don't care what anyone says, I love Forsythia!

Hellebores against the beautiful blue sky.

Sweet little Scilla Siberica.

Quince

Trout Lily

Bloodroot

A large clump of Trillium. This one is a native to Janelle's yard.

A wonderful place to rest.

Standing at the top of the hill looking at the beauty Janelle has created.

One of her beautiful stone benches.

Leucojum.

Beautiful Savannah

2010-03-31T19:52:00.005-04:00

We love Savannah! What an incredible city. Our hotel was walking distance to all the parks, cemetery and River Street. Friday we walked all over the place. Sadly we were a bit early for the Azalea show. A few were in bloom but the bulk are probably going wild this weekend. Everything else was blooming luckily.

These first three shots are of the cemetery.

A beautiful fountain and yellow tulips.

The historic district had many iron fences. The homes often had very ornate iron on the windows as well. I'm going to keep my eyes open for some at antique shops and salvage stores but I think the iron will be expensive.

A private garden. I wish we would have gone on one of the horse drawn tours. It would have been the perfect way to see most of the historic area. We managed to cover lots of ground on foot anyway. Wear very good shoes when you go!

One of the many beautiful Churches.

This was my favorite fountain.

I thought this building looked amazing at night. A bit spooky.

Down on River Street. We loved this area. Delicious restaurants and plenty of places to get a cold drink or some salt water taffy made right there.

Historic homes and details of Savannah.

Being only five hours away from Savannah, we will be going back!

Savannah, Here We Come!

2010-03-24T10:14:00.002-04:00

Andrew and I are leaving tomorrow for our weekend vacation to Savannah, GA. Neither of us have ever been so we're very excited. I'm looking forward to touring the Historic District the most. I think that is how we will spend most of Friday.

My favorite movie, Forrest Gump, was partially filmed on a park bench there. I'm thinking it would be hilarious if I sat on the bench with a box of chocolates and have Andrew take my picture. Actually, I am certain that I will do that! I'm sure I won't be the first, but I don't care. I could watch Forrest Gump every week and I would cry every time. It truly is my favorite film.

I hope we catch the spring blooming season. Are any of you from Savannah? Any tips? We have the Frommer's Guide to Savannah which is fantastic. It will be an excellent guide to the area and help us maximize our visit.

We are looking forward to beautiful history, wonderful people and delicious food. I'll be back with lots of pictures.

Magnolia Blossoms Close-up

2010-03-18T09:59:00.003-04:00

I stopped on my walk yesterday, to take dozens of pictures of this Magnolia. I think they will make a great photo collage on the wall.

The fragrance is light and sweet. I could smell the perfume from about 50 yards away.

Someday I will have many Magnolias in my garden!

Magnolia!

2010-03-15T16:33:00.004-04:00

Magnolias are starting to bloom all around town. It was a bit breezy today so the petals were really dancing. It made for tough picture taking but a managed a few good ones.

I just love the blooms of the maple. So cute!

This is a young Edgeworthia or Oriental Paper Bush. I don't think they grow in colder climates than zone 7. They get to be a large shrub and are covered with these blooms. You should be able to find some good shots on google of mature specimens.

This Daphne's fragrance is unbelievable!

Spring Blooms at Janelle's

2010-03-12T11:17:00.008-05:00

Janelle's garden is coming alive now. The Daffodils will be in full swing in a week or so.

Moss at the ponds edge.

The crocus somehow managed to avoid being eaten by rabbits this time.

The fragrance of this Edgeworthia is amazing.

One can never have enough daff's.

Striped squill, I think. Janelle may have told me it was something else but I can't recall.

Snowdrops

Some of the hundreds of Hellebore's in her garden.

Here is a view of the yard as of 3/11/10. I will post a shot from this point next week to see the progress.

Buy a House?

2010-03-09T10:20:00.002-05:00

We have been renting the same house for nearly three years now. For awhile we were doing some house shopping and made a few offers, only to be outbid each time. Probably for the best anyhow. We eventually stopped looking for homes to buy, not wanting to get stuck.

Recently, a house about five doors down came onto the market after sitting empty for over a year. It was abandoned and went into foreclosure. The house has an identical floor plan to the one we are renting now, which we like, with the added bonus of a large garage and storage shed. It appears to be in great condition aside from needing some new windows, kitchen updating, fixtures, a bit of drywalling and paint.

It looks to be a great deal for an asking price of $84,900, down from 94,900 when first listed a month ago. It seems like one of those properties that could be completely updated and then sold for a bit of a profit a few years down the road.

Negotiating a selling price of, lets say, 79,900 and then the 8,000 home buying credit, it would be a pretty great deal. Of course, this would all be pending a good inspection.

We are going to look at it today. I will keep you posted!

Oh, and the yard has some serious potential and that is the most important part!

Crocus

2010-03-03T09:54:00.002-05:00

I'm Starting Another Blog About Cheese

2010-03-01T16:40:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone,

Since I am learning to make cheese I figured a new blog about it would be best. Please join in if you are interested in cheese making.

Tonight I am going to try and make Mozzarella! I will post about it tomorrow.

Me, Making Cheese.

Making Cheese

2010-03-01T09:36:00.002-05:00

On Sunday I watched a cheese making demonstration on making Mozzarella. Today, I am going to try and make my own. It was pretty easy so I think it will be a success. I bought the rennet, citric acid and cheese cloth after the demonstration. I need to pick up some calcium chloride too. It helps the milk turn to curd better. It's not mandatory but it makes the over processed mild work. I should have picked up mesophilic culture too since so many cheese recipes require it.

I will take pictures and let you know how it goes.

Last week I made a very simple soft goat cheese similar to Brousse. It was very tasty!

I may start volunteering at a small goat farm a few miles down the road too. They have many Nubian and Nigerian Dwarf goats. They make goat's milk soap at the farm and also raises rabbits, Guinea pigs, Llamas, zebu cattle, beef cattle and sheep.

Should be a great learning experience for me.

Winter Will End

2010-02-20T16:01:00.004-05:00

Spring is on it's way.

Miscellaneous

2010-02-18T09:42:00.003-05:00

First, let me introduce you to my mom's new puppy, Lily. She is a Chihuahua and about 6 weeks old. I can't get over her thick, fluffy fur! Isn't she the cutest. Her parents are great little dogs so I am hoping that she turns out nice. I often don't like little dogs but occasionally one comes along that has a more independent personality and that, I love.

This is a photo of our backyard a few weeks ago. If I did garden here it would have to be raised beds!

This is Tyler. I walk him for his owner every weekday. He is a wonderful pup. He's very playful, energetic and loves people. Though it's not a ton of money, I really enjoy taking him out each day and getting us both some fresh air and exercise.

Do you see the blooms? I took this picture about two weeks ago. It's some sort of Cherry but I couldn't get closer since it was in someones front yard. I was quite surprised to see something blooming. Not sure if this is normal but either way, it has been very cold most of the time.

Working in the Greenhouse

2010-02-17T09:29:00.002-05:00

Blanket Creek Farm has put me back to work for the spring. It's part time but I sure do enjoy being in the greenhouses again. I potted up lots of herbs and 400 bare root strawberry plants. Potting bare root strawberry's is a real time consumer.

We have a ton of clean up to do this year too. All the plants that sat out for the winter are a mess. I call it job security. The owner, Fred, works full time at another job so he doesn't have much time or energy for the clean up part of the business.

Here is some delospermum. It's bathing in the sliver of sunshine that made it through the clouds that day.

That is my potting station there in the middle. The table is a bit low so it's a bit uncomfortable but we shouldn't be using that station for long.

Is this a Black Widow? I am very cautious when picking up anything in the greenhouses because spiders love to live in there. I certainly don't want to be bitten by anything dangerous.

Lot's of plugs to plant. I potted up the first three flats of artemisia. He has many more flats of seedlings started now too. We need more sunshine to get everything growing. Things are behind as of now.

Some of the work that needs to be done outside. Holy moly!

Canada!

2010-02-13T10:53:00.003-05:00

The opening ceremony was so personal and beautiful. Canadians, I am in love with your home. I always have been but now it has been intensified.

Ironically, my favorite blogs are from Canada! Teza's Garden, An Explorer's View of Life, Muddy Boot Dreams, A Majority of Two, I'm sure I have missed a few.

My father's side of the family is French Canadian hence my last name, Verville. Know any Verville's?