A Friday ritual.
A single photo – no words – capturing a single moment from the week.
A simple, special extraordinary moment.
A moment to pause, savor and remember.
Participating with the SouleMama blog.
[this moment]
Tag: fall
Sunday Muse
“Autumn burned brightly,
a running flame through the mountains,
a torch flung to the trees.”
— Faith Baldwin
It’s Buckwheat Time!
Fall has arrived and that means that it’s time for our county fair, the Buckwheat Festival! All over the county young and old are making preparations to enter their best – best hay, best pumpkin, best canned beans, best handiwork- competing for blue ribbons and Best of Show. 4-H and FFA club members are getting their animals ready for show and will take them to the fairground barns today. Lena will take Bella and Edward, her 4-H market lambs, this evening. She broke her wrist last week so this is sure to be an adventure; please wish her lots of luck.
The fairgrounds are being readied, and soon we will all delight in the colors, the sights, the sounds, the parades, the pageantry… delight in all that is our county fair… the Preston County Buckwheat Festival!
Autumn in Aurora
Autumn In Aurora from Bruce Dale on Vimeo.
Welcoming the Autumnal Equinox by sharing this lovely film by photographer Bruce Dale
Poseidon and His Girls
Poseidon is our 4-year old colored ram. He is a Cotswald – Border Leicester – Coopworth – Wensleydale cross. He is probably the most agressive of the rams, especially when he is in with the ewes. He growls at us when we try to come in the gate, but is usually easily distracted. The quickest lesson learned by a shepherd/ess is to not turn your back on a ram; especially when he is in a breeding group. Poseidon produces an amazing fleece with long, curly locks, and his lambs do the same.
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| Poseidon |
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| Dierdre |
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| Hera and Athena (triplets) |
Poseidon is in with a grand group of girls:
4014 – Fiona – Coopworth – Blue-faced Leicester cross
40 – Athena – Coopworth – Border Leicester cross
41 – Hera – Coopworth – Border Leicester cross
620 – Daireann – Coopworth – Blue-faced Leicester cross
817 – Dierdre – Coopworth – Blue-faced Leicester – Wensleydale cross
910 – Julie – Coopworth – Border Leicester cross
930 – Havva – Coopworth – Blue-faced Leicester – Border Leicester – Wensleydale cross
Sunny Sunday
After Saturday’s miserable weather (blowing snow, 11 degrees windchill), we were all (every one of us) searching for our spot in the sun yesterday.
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| Belladonna |
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| Pumpkin |
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| Davita |
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| Aibreanne |
Everyone, that is, except the guineas… and what were they searching for? Well they apparently were doing some soul-searching, as they spent hours (yes, hours) Sunday morning staring at their reflections in the side barn door.
Aragorn
Aragorn is our 2-year old registered Border Leicester ram, purchased last year from Sarah Beamer. He is the current wild child of the group, a little impatient with all the preparation and very anxious to do his job. He produced a high percentage of twins last season; all with lovely, long, curly fleece.
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| Aibreann and Fidelma |
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| Serenity |
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| Hestia |
Aragorn breeding group
612 – Princess – Border Leicester – Coopworth – Wensleydale
707 – Charity – Registered Border Leicester
711 – Daisy – Lincoln – Coopworth – Wensleydale
721 – Hannah – Border Leicester
722 – Jill – Romney – Coopworth – Wensleydale
801 – Patience – Border Leicester – Coopworth – Wensleydale
809 – Hestia – Coopworth – Border Leicester – Wensleydale
815 – Aibreann – Border Leicester
824 – Fidelma – Coopworth – Blue-faced Leicester – Costwald
917 – Flora – Border Leicester – Lincoln – Coopworth – Wensleydale
919 – Serenity – Registered Border Leicester
936 – Granuaille – Border Leicester – Coopworth – Blue-faced Leicester
Thanksgiving
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| Larry, the turkey, made by Lena |
“Give me the end of the year an’ its fun
When most of the plannin’ an’ toilin’ is done;
Bring all the wanderers home to the nest,
Let me sit down with the ones I love best,
Hear the old voices still ringin’ with song,
See the old faces unblemished by wrong,
See the old table with all of its chairs
An’ I’ll put soul in my Thanksgivin’ prayers.”
– Edgar A. Guest, Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Treat
Feeling very blessed and thankful for our readers and our followers… thank you for all of your comments, questions and insights. Happy Thanksgiving!
Just in case you need a quick, easy, last minute Thanksgiving recipe, here is a family favorite from “Recipes From A Kitchen Garden” by Renee Shepherd; a small recipe booklet published by Shepherds Garden Seeds in 1987. My son’s favorite Thanksgiving dessert. It has graced every Thanksgiving table since he was born, 23 years ago. We think it is best served around room temperature.
Pumpkin Cobbler
Filling:
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup evaporated milk
3 cups cooked mashed pumpkin (or butternut squash)
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon giner
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
Crust:
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1 cup flour
1 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup regular or low-fat milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Topping:
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons white sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk and pumpkin; add the rest of the filling ingredients, mix well and set aside. Then prepare the crust; melt the stick of butter in a 9 X 11-inch baking pan. In another bowl, mix the remaining crust ingredients until just combined and pour into baking pan on top of the melted butter. Spoon or slowly pour the filling evenly over the crust batter in the pan. Do not stir. Dot the top with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and sprinkle with the 2 tablespoons of sugar. Bake 1 hour. The crust mixture rises to the top during baking to form a rich topping.
Serves 8 to 10.
Liam’s Ladies
Liam (in the foreground below) is our 5-year old registered Border Leicester ram, purchased as a yearling from Kelly at Spring Breeze Farm. He still has a wonderful temperment and throws a great lamb with a long top and beautiful wool.
Liam’s ladies are kind of scattered about but a few are pictured above. He is turned in with a wonderful group.
604 – Sweet Pea – Lincoln – Wensleydale – Coopworth cross
616 – Rosey – Border Leicester – Wensleydale – Coopworth cross
716 – Harmonia – Coopworth – Border Leicester – Wensleydale cross
720 – Cassidy – Cotswald – Border Leicester – Coopworth – Wensleydale cross
802 – Prudence – Border Leicester – Coopworth – Wensleydale cross
821 – Siar – Cotswald – Border Leicester – Coopworth – Wensleydale cross
906 – Lucy – Romney – Coopworth – Wensleydale cross
907 – Ceres – Border Leicester – Coopworth – Wensleydale cross
914 – Bertha – Cotswald – Border Leicester – Coopworth – Wensleydale cross
931 – Minerva – Border Leicester – Coopworth – Wensleydale cross