Happy Halloween!

Halloween celebrations around here these days are not much to write home about.  Being out of town and a quarter mile back in the woods, little ghosts and goblins don't usually find our house.  We used to get the little girls closest to us on the west side coming for trick or treats but now two (no longer little) of them are in college and one is married and living far away.

However, as I was preparing lunch in my kitchen today, out of the corner of my eye I saw some movement by the window box outside the window over the sink.

Slowly a pair of brown fuzzy paws and two ears came up, up, up into view.  I grabbed my camera because this bear turns up at our house every Halloween and I wanted to get a picture this year.

Unfortunately, you can't see how cute the bear was because my picture taken through the window screen leaves a lot to be desired.  (Someday we've gotta find out who that bear really is!  Hee-hee.)

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Perhaps it was because we have no Halloween candy in our house and I'm a little big (and old) to go out trick or treating, but I had a wild craving for cherry turnovers today.  I finally got around to making them right before dinner tonight.

First off, I cut the pastry rounds way too small.  The turnovers measure only about 3-1/2" lengthwise and I was envisioning something more like 6" long.   (About 100 years ago, when we were first married, Pepperridge Farm made frozen fruit turnovers that were to die for.  It was when commercially prepared items contained real ingredients.  Like real butter and very few preservatives.  And they actually  tasted good!  The pastry was unbelievably flaky and the fruit tasted fresh and not overly gloppy sweet.  Anybody but me remember them?)  Anyway, for these of mine, I'd better find an improved way of crimping the edges as much of the filling tried making an escape.  (Oiy, you should see the cookie sheet they were baked on.)  I pictured eating the turnovers out of hand, but the ooey-gooey-ness of them requires a plate and fork.  Oh well, I'm betting they'll get eaten anyway.

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One more picture in honor of Halloween.

This is what happens when you walk into the end of a 2" x 12" sticking out of the back of a truck.

Dear daughter, Chicken Mama, loaded her truck with some things to bring in to her new little cabin abode from Swamp River Ridge last Sunday.  Then after dark, she went out to do night time close up chores.  She was rushing through the crisp, cold air shining her flashlight in front of her so she could see where she was going.  Unfortunately, she didn't remember the large wooden structure sticking out of the back of her truck right at her head height.

She was very, very lucky contact wasn't made with her nose or directly into her eyeball which could have caused a much more serious injury.  She hit it hard enough that she saw stars (actually one big flash of white light, as she describes it) and the whole side of her face was swollen for a couple of days.  I'm surprised she doesn't have more of a shiner than she does.  Moral of story:  Ya gotta watch out for large pieces of lumber on a dark night.

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Boo to you all, and Happy Halloween! 

Where's My Blogging Mojo?

Ever find yourself in a period where you have lots to say but have too much rattling around in your head to sit at the computer and say it?

Yeah, that's where I've been lately.  That and getting slightly panicky about winter approaching on oiled roller skates.  And wanting to be done with "must do" projects so I can begin hibernation surrounded with fabric and yarn and lots of books.  And wanting to stay up as late as my little heart desires at night.  And sleep as late as I want/can in the morning.  Without bad (read:  guilty) feelings on either end.

Time spent at the computer recently hasn't felt good.  Not that I don't dearly love keeping up with all your blogs and continuing to yammer on my own.  It's more a sense of feeling pressure get other things done.  You know, simple things like putting a new bag in the vacuum cleaner and eradicating the dust hippos and all the other (what the heck IS all that?) stuff reproducing on my floors.  When I'm not working on move-ahead projects.  Or (still) wrapping things up outside before 1) the ground is frozen solid, or 2) covered with snow.

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Well, here's a little color to throw on the page.  Just about a year ago, I made this small wall hanging, but I never got around to posting pictures of it.

It's a pieced background with appliqued "pumpkin seeds."  The small size made it easy and fun to make.

Above you can see the background I pieced of an assortment of neutral colored 1-1/4" squares.

Then the more colorful pieces of applique went on top with some basic outline quilting added.

Last year when I finished it, it hung in this spot for only a couple of weeks before snow fell and I replaced it with a small tin sign I have (just the right size) that says, "Let It Snow."  That stayed on the wall until spring when I put this piece back up.

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I'm thinking of all of you who are experiencing difficult circumstances because of Hurricane Sandy.  Hoping you are safe and I'm eagerly waiting to hear that all is okay in your neck of the woods.    

My Brain Hurts

We spent the whole day today until a little after 3 p.m. planning, designing, measuring and figuring lumber needed for storage units in the garage.  Ugh.  Isn't it surprising how a project like that will often leave you feeling as if you've done a day of hard, physical labor?

Both Papa Pea and I felt beat up when we finally decided we had it figured out to our satisfaction, and he headed for the lumber yard to pick up supplies.

Tomorrow we'll lay the boards out on sawhorses in the garage, fire up the wood stove out there and I'll apply a finish to all of the boards before they're made into the storage units.  It will actually be easier and quicker that way.

Yup, it would have been wiser to do this job in the summer when I could have set up outside (instead of crowded inside the garage) but seems we were busy doing other things then.  You'd think being "retired" and home all day we'd have plenty of time for any and all projects, but we don't seem to be able to fit everything in.

Every now and then we kid each other about selling out, buying a condo and "living the good life."  The truth is though it wouldn't be "the good life" for us.  We're doing just what we want to do right here.  (But it definitely would be a relief if someone would stop us from coming up with new ideas and undertakings!)

Lotsa wall space for good storage.  We just have to make sure we utilize it wisely! 

Sunday, Good Day

I slept in a bit this morning so didn't get as bright and early a start to the day as I had planned.  But that's okay since the day itself wasn't as bright as I had expected it to be.  Not much sunshine to speak of, but since I had Papa Pea's promise to help cleaning up the garden, out we went.

We got rained on three times, I think, before we gave it up saying we had accomplished enough for the day. 

I couldn't have done as much without his help, that's for sure.

We dug out cornstalks and laid them to rest in a compost bin.  The 10' tall sunflowers (yep, the very same ones with the huge seed heads that didn't even come close to maturing) were whacked down with a machete.  It was either that or the chainsaw.  Most of the stalks were a minimum of 3-1/2" to 4" in diameter.  I'll never plant that variety again.  Anyone in a kinder, gentler climate with a longer growing season want over half a 1 oz. packet of Mammoth Sunflower seeds?  Speak up and I'll gladly send them along to you.

We took cold frames apart and stored them until spring when we'll haul them out again to get a jump start on early planting.

Cattle panels that were used as trellises for shell peas and pole beans and sugar pod peas were untied from their supports and taken to their winter resting places.

Pumpkin and squash vines were pulled and dragged across garden and yard to be unceremoniously tossed into the compost bin.  Ever been slapped in the face with wet, half-rotted pumpkin vines while trying to manhandle them into a three foot high bin?  It's an experience to be treasured, trust me.

When we came in, I started a huge skillet full of a ground beef/noodle dish we like a lot.  I usually make it when we have company and we still have oodles for leftovers.  But with just the two of us attacking it tonight, we'll be eating it for several days!

Once I got dinner simmering, I picked up stitches for the first sleeve of this simple sweater I started quite a while ago.  I didn't have the correct sized double pointed needles and just finally got them on Friday.  I plan on wearing this sweater over a turtleneck for a little extra warmth on an every day basis this winter so with luck I may have it finished just in time.

We both really exerted in the garden today so a good dinner and laid back evening ahead of us sounds very appealing.

You would think cleaning up the garden at the end of the season would be an easy-peasy, slap-dash project, not nearly as muscle-stretching or intensive as planting in the spring, but it's not.  Anyone who pictures me working in the garden with pristine, flower-printed gardening gloves, a flowing skirt and straw hat bedecked with ribbons needs to think again.  Even though our temperature when working outside today was only in the upper 40s, we both were shedding layers of clothing, rain or no rain.  Our morning's application of deodorant disappeared somewhere between the sunflowers and cattle panels and the mud on our boots made us look like Big Foot on a rampage.  

But ya know what?  The tired we feel tonight is that good tired that will precede a sound night's sleep.  So that we can get up tomorrow morning, and rain or shine, have another good day on the homestead.  

Still At It

In some ways, the busy summer season just doesn't seem to want to end this year.  I'm still dealing with putting up peppers, trying to avoid the dirty looks I'm getting from the apples not yet turned into applesauce, and sorting the already-ripe from the not-yet-ripe tomatoes on the counter.

We've been in a wet, gray period weather-wise which is very good in that it has brought us some much needed rain, but it has also kept me from doing outside chores in the garden before feeling I have it ready to be tucked into bed for the winter.

Our temperatures that were hovering in the low 40s during the day and freezin g at night have flipped up into the 50s and strangely, aren't fall much at night.  Great for our wood supply, but creating a vague uneasiness.

Deer come out of the woods to graze in our small hay field each night at dusk.  Could there be new growth sprouting out there in this mold spring-like weather?  Most likely they're just chowing down on what they can find before killing temperatures turn it all brown and crunchy.

The chickens, joined by a small flock of wild Mallards who have moved in for a visit, are busily out and about every day even in the rain stoking up on whatever gourmet chicken vittles are still available.

Our Golden Laced Cochin Mama Bantam and her four little ones are right out there with everyone else all day long.  I get such a kick out of her babies; they are still about the size of newly hatched standard sized chickens but they're completely feathered out.  Tiny miniatures of big birds.

Will they ever grow bigger?  Obviously, they'll make it to full-grown bantam size like their mom and pop, but in the meantime it sure is comical to watch these little wind-up toy chickens.

Our adult hens are moulting which means a drastic drop in egg production.  I incorporate so many eggs into our diet that it makes me nervous not to have several dozen as back-up.  Our eggs are also for giving to friends and neighbors and bartering so being low on them isn't a comfortable situation.  But it's the normal cycle for chickens and, as usual, we'll survive this ugly chicken/meager egg supply period with no real problems.

The forecast today is for sunshine although it doesn't look to be that way so far this morning.  I'm hoping it clears and I can get out into the garden for some clean-up duty.  Then maybe I can start to think about heading into a slower, hibernating period like a big, old bear.  I'm ready for that, how 'bout you?   

Bad Blogger, Busy Gal

Yup, I've been a bad blogger, very negligent about getting posts up regularly and even slower in reading favorite blogs and leaving comments.  My excuse is that there's been too much going on around here lately.  Take today for instance . . . 

We had to take some trees down to make way for some outside progress.  We're still working hard on the infra-structure of our little homestead and at times it feels like there is no end to what needs to be done.

On the bright side, we got some good, solid wood that will be earmarked for keeping us warm a year or so down the road.

I kinda panicked yesterday when I realized I was plumb out of chicken stock so pulled three chickens out of the freezer last night and stewed them today.

Biggest pot on the left has the chickens in it and the other one holds one honkin' big squash.

We didn't get a lot of red kuri squash this year but the ones we did get are huge.  The coloration on the outside is gorgeous . . . 

. . . but when I cooked the first one today I was a little disappointed in that the flesh wasn't as "mature" in color as I would like to see.  I'm serving it tonight with Chicken Pot Pie so I'm hoping the flavor is okay.

Here's the line-up of containers of chicken broth I got from the stewing of the chickens.  That should last for a while.

Papa Pea has help this afternoon with a project outside so I'm feeding two extra hearty-appetited men at dinner tonight.  I baked this apple pie (which is cooling on the porch as we speak) to make sure they don't go home hungry.

Last but not least, here's a picture of our daughter's lovely couch we moved from her place first of this week.   We're "storing" it for her until she has room for it again.  Since our living room remodel, we've not had a couch (just a few mismatched chairs) and I haven't had any luck at all in finding the kind of couch I have in mind.  Having CM's to use and see how the size fits into our very small living room will be helpful.  It's super-comfortable and we've decided we won't even charge her a storage fee while it's here.  (Wait.  Maybe she was going to charge us rent for using it?!)  I don't know why the color of the couch looks off in this picture.  (Some day I really should learn how to use my camera.)  It's not gray at all but rather a very attractive forest green color.

I've got a sink over-flowing with dirty dishes (again) that I need to get out of the way before dinner so I'd better end this rambling.  I'm looking forward to the end of the week calming down a bit.  I might even get caught up on reading all your blogs!