What My Garden Has Taught Me………………….

A dear friend and faithful reader commented on how much I must have learned this first year of gardening on the “new” property.

I did, in fact, learn quite a bit, and there is still soooo much more to learn!

I learned that I definitely need a big freezer!!! And, more shelves in the pantry – just for the canning jars!

I now know:

*Never again plant birdhouse gourds! I’ll be drying them all winter, and either turning them into birdhouses, painting them, or being totally overwhelmed and selling or giving them away!!! LOL

*Tomatoes DON’T do well if they have been exposed to fire, extreme hot weather, or are surrounded by weed reducing black plastic! And, the local hardware store’s tomato cages were waaay too flimsy- don’t buy there next year!

*Corn CAN withstand the heat of a house fire- and still be prolific and delicious! And a little mineral oil on the silk, will keep those tiny black bugs away!

*Bunnies eat your beans, and the tops off potato vines and shallots, despite your best efforts AND an electric fence! Looser soil is better for these plants- it’s not gonna be fun digging them out of this hard, rocky soil!!

*Only plant ONE zucchini plant- and even that may be too many!! Check them daily, they explode into massive 10 pounders overnite!!

*I may never figure out how much pectin it takes to make a batch of grape jelly gel- sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t! It’s all delicious, no matter what the consistancy!

*One can NEVER have too many grapes or blackberries!! MMMMMM!! But, more protective covering is needed while picking blackberries- too many invisible thorns get under your skin!

*Also, only plant one cucumber plant – there’s just so many jars of pickles and relish one can have!

*Aprons are very handy for carrying in all the vegetables you didn’t expect to find, when you forgot to bring your gathering basket with you!!

*One pepper plant of each kind is more than enough, unless you are heavily into salsa or other hot stuff!

*Plant more root plants next year – carrots, radishes, etc.

*Now that the garden is established, plant earlier, as soon as the frost is gone- and next year, lettuces, spinach, and broccoli when it’s time!

*READ the label, BEFORE buying that watermelon plant! A 50 lb watermelon is impossible for me to get out of the patch by myself!

*Learn more about preserving herbs – other than drying- for use over the winter!

*Don’t forget to plant pumpkins next year!!!

*A little farm stand might be a good idea next year………………………………………..

 

I have also gained TREMENDOUS respect for those farm wives who have gone before us, who HAD to do all this and much, much more, to feed their families!

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All is well at Mountain Meadows today, and very, very hot!!!!!!

 

 

A Little Bit of Everything…………..

What would life be like if we had no courage to attempt anything?~~~~~~~~~Vincent van Gogh

I spent an hour or two this morning blog jumping!! I did not intend to, but one blog led to another, which led to another, and you know how it goes!!!!

I found sooooo many cool art blogs, from the US, to Germany, to Australia to the UK. In the next few days, some of my favorite links will end up on my blogroll. This all started from Seth’s great newsletter linking artists, which can be found @ http://www.thealteredpage.blogspot.com  Like I need more distractions to keep me on the computer!!!

I started out looking for recipes – I picked 4 lbs of grapes the other day, and last night canned 13 jars!!! I think I FINALLY perfected the amount of pectin needed to make the jelly truly jell-like!! My last batch was delicious, but a little too liquidy. Tastes delicious – if I do say so myself – and it is great on toast and pancakes, despite it’s less than perfect consistancy! I was looking online for a recipe for dolmades – so I could use some of the grape leaves. I would love to make a bunch up and freeze them for over the winter. Next project – a bigger freezer – we have already run out of room!!!

Then I was online looking to identify some trees – I usually grab a branch of the plant in question, and run down to the corner store. The woman who works there is a fountain of info on plants- but she doesn’t work on weekends!!! So, it’s back online we go!!!

Every morning, I have to check my blog, my email, my eBay store, and respond to any inquiries – and here we still are, a few hours later!!! Sometimes, power outages can be a blessing – I can then pursue other things in life- away from the computer!!!!!!! Oh, right, we have a generator…………..!!!

My daughter and I were supposed to go for a ride with the horses this morning- but she couldn’t get moving, so of course,  I filled the time on the computer.

By the time she was semi ready – it was too hot, there were too many flies, the ride was postponed. I baby my horses – don’t believe in making them work when it’s too hot for me, and they are already catnapping in the barn under the fans!!!Daughter and the husband went out for a ride last night – to check out the fields we used to ride in, only to find one of the fields has been rented out and is now a corn field, with no safe passage  anymore thru to the woods and the trails. The only other way to get to the trails, is thru the other neighbor’s cow pasture. My horse is fine with cows, the old man is definitely NOT fine with cows!!! On hunts, he would blend into the middle of the running herd, just to get away from the bovine horrors. The only thing more “evil” than a cow, is an alpaca!! So, trying to ride past cows with only two horses is not always easy. There is ‘safety’ in numbers – LARGE numbers- in the old man’s mind!!!! We will have to work on this !! But, hunting season will be starting in another 2 months- and then riding in the woods is out of the question.

It is already September 1st, summer has gone by so quickly. I find myself  counting the days – maybe that is part of getting older- I don’t want the days to pass so quickly!!! Too much to do – not enough time!!!! And, since reading these artist blogs (again, thanks Seth and Patty!) I am feeling the urge to get back into the artsy part of my life!!!!

Since this post is sort of a disjointed ramble – it stands to reason the accompanying pictures should be the same. A post is not complete unless it has pictures!!!

Here is a little bit of everything – scenes from the life:

Scenes from the Fulks Run Ruritan celebration that happens just 2 miles down the road from me.

Ruritan

MMMMMMMM!!!!!

Local frog just hangin

Our little section of the Shoemaker River after a rain:

This sunrise is for you – Judy of http://www.apronstringsandothertiesthatbind.wordpress.com . Thanks for my award!!!! Now I have to figure out how to put it on my blog!!!

The nasty cow grate that prevents us from meandering down this scenic road on horseback (not to mention the cows and their calves that wander free there!!!)

These are now yummy jelly!!!

All is well at Mountain Meadows today…………………………………………………………….

 

What Do YOU Collect?

Good morning!!!!

Awakened at 4am by a worrisome thought now forgotten, my still tired brain began thinking. Slowly at first, the thoughts flowed. Unable to turn them off, I was forced to get out of bed!

 

It’s a little after 5am- still dark outside. The crickets are still harmonizing their soothing hum. The hounds have started their early morning wake up call! Back in our former ‘sub-urban’ world, dogs barking would result in an irate word or three from a neighbor, or a visit from the cops!  Here in the country, it’s just a part of nature’s backround music!

 

The hounds are the alarm clock for the cows, who alert the sun, who awakens the local roosters and stirs the wild bird population.

 

As soon as the sun’s morning rays start to peek from behind the mountains, the woodpecker will start his noisy and rhythmic search for breakfast, the mourning doves will coo, and the trees will murmur with the sounds of feather rustling as the birds who slept within the trees sheltering branches awaken.

Soooo, at 4:45 in the morning, what else is there to do but to hunker down in front of the computer, with a cup o’ tea!

 

This post was inspired by a newsletter from a recently discovered blog- The Altered Page. http://www.thealteredpage.blogspot.com

Artists (my friend Patty is one – http://www.bitze.wordpress.com ) were invited to share things they collect- and what a WIDE variety of collections there are!!!

 

I am relieved to know that I am not the ONLY one living in a sea of debris (to coin a phrase from a non artist friend!), artistic tho it may be!!!!

 

So, even if you are SANE and only collect ONE thing, please comment and let us know what you collect!

 

Here’s my short list:

I Covet and Collect:

*online friends

*ideas

*stories

*rocks

*hand thrown pottery mugs

*aprons

*photographs

*books and magazines

*bones and feathers

*netsuke

*teacups

*vintage gold framed mirrors

*homeless animals

*flotsam and jetsam

 

Have I left anything out? Definitely! – but this list is subject to change. Collections are a constant ebb and flow, just like life…………………………………..

 

All is well and RAINING at Mountain Meadows today – and the hay fields and I are very grateful for that………………………………………..

 

Settin’ Up Shop!!!

A couple of posts ago, I mentioned I was planning to re-open my little antiques and collectibles shop in a place not too far from here. I have been selling on eBay, but REALLY missed having an actual shop!!!! There is something to be said for human interaction and not having all the inventory in your house!!!!!!

Before we moved here, I had a nice large room, in the historic district of Leesburg, Va, in a beautiful old house, that was “home” to about 20 + antique dealers. It was the best place, but , when we moved, unfortunately, it was too far to away to keep up. Soooo, I started selling the small inventory on Ebay, and that worked well for awhile. One day, my mom got the “bug” and took a small booth in a multi vendor antiques mart not far from here. I am not sure what this building was prior to being an antiques mall – maybe a motel or a garage, but there are alot of vendors/dealers inside! 

Well, you know what happened…..when I went to help her set up her booth, I ended up renting a space of my own!!!! It is much smaller than what I had in Leesburg, but very well advertised and alot of folks come thru!!! So, I will try it out for 6 mos, and see how it goes. If it does well, I will fancy up the booth, or maybe even get a larger one!!!!

If you are ever in my neck o’ the woods, you should really stop in and visit this place!!! There are some GREAT deals here – I can’t walk out of there without buying something – occupational hazard!!!!

It’s called The Shenandoah Valley Flea Market, 3549 Old Valley Pike, (US Rte 11),New Market, Va – they are CLOSED Tuesdays and Wednesdays- Debbie is the owner – she’ll welcome ya’ at the front door!!

Here are some pix of the booth – it’s a work in progress – I DO have WAY more stuff than will fit in this 7′ x 8′ space, but it’s fun, fun, fun!!!!

The window needs a little work - and the plywood

Lace curtain to temporarily cover the lovely plywood!

More re-arranging, more stuff!

Shelving unit the husband made has a new purpose!

Well, Ooglebloop’s Treasures is open for business!!! There is alot more cool stuff still to be unpacked, re ticketed, and put on the shelves!!! It’s alot of work, but the good thing is- people are buying and the “stuff” is getting out of my house!!!

Time to get off the computer, and go find the husband. He is across the river, digging up small trees to plant along our property line. So, I am going to get my camera, my walking shoes, and take a hike!!!

All is well at Mountain Meadows today……………………………………………..

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Progression of a Zentangle……………

My 100th post winner was Kimmie of http://www.artinredwagons.blogspot.com

I wanted to show the different stages of the zentangle she won – but wanted to wait ’til she received it!! Didn’t want to spoil the surprise!!!! I am so happy that she liked the “z’- since Kimmie is a VERY talented artist – it was high praise to me that she liked it!!!

 

My favorite “z”‘s to do are my ‘temari ball’ designs – I even have some actual temari balls that I want to work on, one of these days!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And, finally – TA DA!!!!

 

The finished product!!!

I didn’t realize this final pic was a little blurry, before I popped the zentangle in the mail- so check Kimmie’s blog for a better shot!!!

All is well and beautifully sunny at Mountain Meadows today!!!

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But, in every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.———John Muir

 

The Rain Cometh!

Last night, the rain finally arrived with a vengeance! At about 11:30pm, the wind started whistling past the house (which is always a bit unnerving!), then walls of rain slammed into the front of the house with such force! The lightening preceded the storm by an hour. We do get some hellacious storms out here – but since we are surrounded by mountains, we are somewhat protected- altho it doesn’t sound like it!

It was raining most of the night and today, for which my garden is very grateful !! I just went out to check the rain gauge, and it had tipped over and washed down the garden!  I would say we had close to two inches since last night. I can hear the river flowing, that’s a sure sign.

A lot of indoor chores got accomplished today, well, maybe not ALOT- and I made some berry preserves with the 3 lbs of berries we picked the other night!!! I froze some for future fruit smoothies- mmmm!

The husband and I went out the other night, after I had picked my first harvest- he was needed to get the berries that were beyond my reach. With him along, I got a little more adventurous, and we followed the bushes into the woods thru the deer trails. We found the motherload of berries, near where the deer bed down. I was also excited to discover another patch of grape vines! My new Ball Blue Book of Preserving is going to get alot of use this year!

Surprisingly, after an hour and a half in the woods, I had no ticks on me, altho I was itching all night, sure there was one crawling around!

All is well, and well saturated, at Mountain Meadows tonite!

 

Hot, Hot, Hot…………!!!!

My vegetable garden is doing well, after the fire (see previous post). These 6 tiny little cucumber plants, have expanded to almost the full 40 foot width of the garden plot! The bird house gourd plants are even more immense, and are producing rapidly. I will have to get a trellis out there for them to climb!

After the late night berry picking the other night, I was tempted to go check on the vegetable garden, but didn’t. Yesterday, mid day, I went to the garden, and was horrified to see the cucumber plants were wilted and covered in flies! The gourd vines were in almost the same condition!! We don’t have a water source out by the garden yet, but with the rain we’ve had, and the plastic covering the garden, water has not been much of an issue.

It was in the upper 90’s already, probably 110 degrees standing on black plastic! I ran to the house and uncoiled the several hundred feet of garden hose and dragged it the several hundred feet to the garden. After turning off the electric fence, I got out the scissors, cut some more holes in the plastic and started watering like mad!!! All the other plants were fine, but these two vines needed water in a hurry. I shoved the hose under the plastic and let the water flow.

While watering, I noticed a few little piles of bunny poop!! The baby bunny we see around the yard, had found a way to scurry under the fence. That would explain the one string bean plant that was beheaded! Fortunately, the young Mr. Bun did not snack on anything else, but we will have to secure the whole length of the chicken wire again to keep him out! I wouldn’t be doing that just then, because after a half hour of frantically watering the garden, I was about ready to melt away from the heat! I coiled up the hose, hoping for the best, and retreated to the house, the couch and the a/c,  to water myself, with several glasses of ice cold water!

We have quite an assortment of bugs who inhabit the garden, (other than those dreaded flies) mostly good ones, as far as I can tell!! The one pictured succumbed to either the heat or old age, and was found on one of the vines’ broad leaves, his final resting place.

 

Later that evening, when the temps were alot more bearable, I checked back on the garden, and was thrilled to see the vines had perked up almost 100 per cent. The husband did another watering session, and I guess if we don’t get the rain promised, I will keep a closer eye on things, and keep that length of hose stretched out and ready to go!

All is well at Mountain Meadows today, and we are hopin’ for rain……………………………!!

 

Berry Picking by the Light of the Moon

I went to do my evening check on the horses, and took my berry basket with me. The husband had been out bushhogging the other day, and noticed that the blackberry bushes were up and running!!!

The raspberries have ended, and I thought it was a little too early for ripe blackberries, but there were quite a few! Tonite’s small harvest would have cost me about $5 in the supermarket! Woohoo!!!!

We have berry bushes running  along the horse paddock (about the length of a football field ). There is a wooded  area, where the deer hide, and berry bushes abound!!!

It was about 8:30 pm when I started the search – and I was hoping I could pick by the light of the full moon, but it was too overcast. By 9:00 I had to quit, it was hard to see the berries, and I was NOT about to venture into the dense overgrowth to search for more !! As it was, I was talking to myself, and whoever  might be hiding in the bushes! I did not want any deer jumping out in front of me!  I was also trying to shush my brain, as it kept thinking about stories of bears and snakes hanging around berry bushes! We are, hopefully, too far down the mountain for bears, but snakes…………!!

The horses usually accompany me on these late night forays, walking along on the other side of the fence- they are my companions, serving as a comfort AND an early warning signal, if there should be anything “lurking” in the bushes!!!

My vegetable garden is starting to produce- I gathered the first (of MANY!) zucchini and cucumbers, 3 whole string beans(!) and one pitiful tomato. The corn, watermelon, shallots, sweet and pantry potatoes, and birdhouse gourds should be plentiful, along with the herbs. But, the peppers, okra, eggplant, beans, and my tomato plants did not weather the heat of the fire  too well (see a previous post about the fire), so I will, unfortunately, be buying those from a farmstand this year!

As  today comes to a close, I look forward to having breakfast tomorrow, and enjoying the fruits (literally) of my late night walk!!

 

 

All is well, and very, very dark, at Mountain Meadows tonite………………………………………………………………..

 

A Giveaway….????

I was just “chatting” with a friend, and the idea came to me, that maybe I should have a “giveaway”!

I have seen  links to other blogs (see one in a previous post ) where you can comment and enter to win a lovely prize!!! A quilt, an altered art goodie, a book, and I’m sure there are many, many more cool giveaways out there in cyberspace!

So, I will ponder on that, some ideas already in are : a vintage apron, tea party for 1 in a hatbox, handcrafted purse, complete ready to make country breakfast in vintage picnic tin, a doggy goodie basket, an original zentangle…………………

Let me know what you think – and I will keep you posted!!!!

 

10 Things You Smelled Today

I saw this on another blog this morning- and thought it would be an interesting prompt!!!

Feel free to join in and add your own list of 10!!!

 

10 THINGS I SMELLED TODAY

1. First thing this morning, the smell of shallots, from dinner last night, that still lingers in the kitchen.

2. The dog’s breath- was she eating poop again???

3. My mint tea

4. My Burt’s Bees lemon cuticle cream…………

5. The damp earth as the sun burns off the morning dew

6. Fabric softener in the dryer.

7. Cow and chicken manure carried on the breeze from the neighboring farms.

8. Newly sawn boards from the church being built near the front of our driveway.

9. The scent of tomato plants and basil as I  jostle the leaves while watering the porch garden.

10. The horses’ warm scent- a combination of their individual fragrance,  the grasses and night air they absorbed while sleeping, and the pine shavings in their stall.