Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly fly the years,
One season following another,
Laiden with happiness and tears.
— Tevye and Golde, Fiddler on the Roof
Sunday Muse
Tag: summer
Hayfield… Pasture
With the click and rattle of the bottom gate opening, our quiet roadside pasture suddenly turns into a very excited stampede of ewes and yearlings. The word passes quickly and loudly from one to another, “Baaaaa… baaaa… the gate is open to the hayfield!”
{this moment}
{this moment}
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.
West Virginia’s Wild and Wooly Fiber Festival
We visited West Virginia’s Wild and Wooly Fiber Festival at the WVU Reedsville Arena on Saturday. There were several vendors selling wool and wool products, a fleece competition, a local 4-H club selling food, and there were a lot of alpacas… so cute, so curious.
Sarah Beamer was there with her Kerry Hill sheep and in spite of a broken foot gave great shearing demonstrations.
Several farms brought angora goats.
We visited with the folks at the Peavine Hollow Farm booth, and watched a noisy angora goat shearing demonstration. Lena bought some beautiful gold and blue mohair locks.
And we bought this…
Sunday Muse
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| Dixon and Long families at the Cliffs; Grandma 3rd from left, back row |
“The men and women and children who live in Appalachia have no sourness about them and though they are shy toward outsiders, they will wave to you if you drive by in your car whether they know your face or not. Most would probably rather not meet anyone new, but once they are used to you, you will find them bringing you bags of tomatoes from their gardens and sometimes a cherry cobbler. Most of them are thinkers, because these mountains inspire that, but they could never find the words to tell you of these thoughts they have. They talk to you of their corn or their cows instead and they keep the thoughts to themselves.”
— from ‘Appalachia – The Voices of Sleeping Birds’ by Cynthia Rylant
{this moment}
{this moment}
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.
Fruity Goodness
It looks like this year’s fruit harvest will be bountiful. The harsh winter and lack of spring ice storms seems to have produced a bumper crop. Everywhere you turn the trees are full of fruit. On Sunday, we picked about 1 1/2 bushels of peaches and maybe about a peck of apples off a small new tree. We are looking forward to frozen peaches, peach preserves, peach syrup and an apple crisp. We are also very excited to try a new recipe “Gingered Peach and Blackberry Pandowdy” (from “Rustic Fruit Desserts”) with the addition of the blackberries that Megan picked from the back forty.
Here is a recipe (from “Stocking Up III” by Carol Hupping and the staff of the Rodale Food Center) for Peach Vinegar that I love to make from the peelings and pits. It is simple, delicious and looks beautiful in a gift bottle.
Peach Vinegar
Use peelings and pits from about 8 lbs peaches, to make this fruity vinegar. It’s lovely as a marinade for chicken, duck and pork, in salad dressings, or combined with mayonnaise and chicken for a delicious chicken salad.
Tie peelings and pits together in a double thickness of cheesecloth or in a jelly bag. Combine with 2 cups vinegar in a medium-size stainless steel or enamel saucepan and bring to a boil slowly, then simmer gently 15 minutes. Remove bag and let stand until cold.
Strain and pour into a hot sterilized pint bottle. Seal.
The vinegar keeps in the refrigerator for 1 year.
Yield: 1 pint
The Turkey Family
Turkey families, turkey families… they seem to be everywhere
popping out here… popping up there… crossing the road
Then… the almost perfect picture
First Light
Just had to share more pictures of the ‘First Light’ of Saturday
Catching the first light of sunrise is good for the soul
Sunday Muse
“When the first light of sun, Bless you.
When the long day is done,
Bless you.
In your smiles and your tears, Bless you.
Through each day of your years, Bless you.”
— Irish Blessing