Burbs and the Bees

Fingerless.. woo-hoo!!

2009-11-12T10:39:00.001-08:00

Meet the Project of The Month -

"Throw Down The Gauntlets" fingerless gloves! Pattern by Gabi Bolland at Posh Knits. I purchased the pattern last week at my knitting class and with thanks to Linda and Carol... I am off! Above is the cuff on the second glove that I started this morning...

This would be what I call the Hula Hoop scarf. A lesson learned in how NOT to "gauge" a circular scarf pattern. Took this baby off the circular needles and I swear it could be a hula hoop cover! Gave up after about six loop around my neck.. I like the yarn (called beeswax, although I think it looks a bit more like corn-off-the-cob), so I may take it apart and start over.

TA - DA!!

One fingerless glove down and one to go! Hope to have the second one finished today. The double pointed needles weren't as bad as I thought they were going to be sooooo...

BRING ON THE SOCKS!!

I'm ready!

Lunch

2009-11-02T09:37:00.000-08:00

So I get this phone call from my mom..

"Don't let the chickens out, your father saw the hawk."

Next thing I know...

Dad is at the back door whispering.. "Come here..."

Sure enough, perched in the tree next to the garage..

Mr. Hawk - heavily eyeing up the coop for lunch-du-jour.

When he saw us watching him, looks could kill. No chicken salad for you today mister. I am leaving the ladies in! I think he is a Sharp-Shinned Hawk? He took off shortly after he learned his lunch plans were spoiled.

Hooray for Pumpkins..

2009-10-31T06:41:00.000-07:00

PS- Chickens love pumpkin goop... Just in case you were wondering... : )

Cabin No. 23

2009-10-28T16:10:00.001-07:00

You'll know when you have reached Cabin Number 23.

There will be a smile waiting for you at the window.

Where little houses grow from the camp table.

There is a seat for you and me by the river.

Where we can knit and watch the water roll by.

Hiking deep through prehistoric woods will take us down to the beautiful Clarion River.

My heart shall rest when the day is done.

And I'll welcome the time of my setting sun,

If I only can that woodland goal

Where the fragrance of pine is good for the soul

On the banks of the beautiful Clarion

~ Irene Furman Rodgers

From On The Banks of The Beautiful Clarion

Silent Sunday

2009-10-25T16:50:00.000-07:00

Just call us the Gehrke's...

2009-10-24T16:23:00.000-07:00

We took a special little trip to Colorado this past week.

The date stamped in my Park Passport Book couldn't be any closer to my heart.

It was our 15th wedding anniversary!

West Horseshoe Park with Alluvial Fan, RMNP.

Once we made it to Rocky Mountain National Park I could think of was Margaret and Edward Gehrke (More here from the National Park series). A childless couple from Nebraska who began traveling together to the national parks in 1915. Rocky Mountain National Park was their favorite. I had to choke back the tears. How could we be in this amazing place on our anniversary?

We did some hiking on the trails that were not already closed with snow.

It was blowing snow sideways when we arrived. So much for Pikes Peak.

That's okay. It was Colorado snow..

View across Bear Lake, RMNP.

My most favorite view: Moraine Park, RMNP.

We saw Elk, Mountain Goats, Mule Deer, beautiful Trout, and a pack of Coyotes. It was all I could do to get back in the car. I found myself thinking of this passage from Margaret Gehrke's diary:

Diary entry June 24, 1934: Sunday at Rose Den. The twilight hour is here: I look out to dark clouds on the mountain sides... Towards evening we have gotten our things together for quick packing in the morning. Our stay here in Rose-Den comes to an end. Will we come back again? I wonder.

I hope we get to go back again.

Today Outside

2009-10-20T13:00:00.000-07:00

Sun!

What was that? Sun? Hooray!

Forgive me. Really. I just needed some sun today.

So did the bees.. who were quite busy and happy to be out.

So did the chicks - who were also happy to have a long run in the yard while I changed out the sand in the coop. This is our little A-Frame Woodland Coop. Forgive us. We had no idea what we were doing. The chickens were coming and they needed a coop. The run detaches and can be pulled around the yard (wheels at another time...) and the top comes off the base, if we would need to move it. Built it out of left over garage lumber. Painted the tar paper green so it would blend in.. maybe? Mission control to pine tree..

Voila! The back opens.. to get the eggs... and scoop. There is door on the bottom below where I can put in the food and water.

Fannie was worried I was messing with her nest. Decided she'd better keep an eye on me.

Just in case...

Dreary

2009-10-17T07:12:00.000-07:00

A quick snap from the back porch this morning. It is damp 34 degrees here. The trees are dark. I hear dripping from the leaves. The sun hasn't been out for what feels like weeks. The woods are quiet. I feel like I am at camp. All that is missing is the river and the rocks.

Mom had some old single pane storm windows she set up last week in the hoop bed. We need to look for some cold frame windows at Construction Junction the next time we are down that way. The lettuce seems to like it so far.

The garden is pretty much tucked in for winter. There are a few rogue beets I need to pull. A friend suggested we cover the carrots and dig them as we eat them this winter. Thought I'd give it a try? Still need to pull the parsnips. Not sure what to do with them yet?

Radishes are growing well under here. I only managed to break one window (numb fingers) before Mom drilled a hole in the frames and wired them together so they would stand.

The guys busted out the wood shed this week. I am so ready to start filling it! Shingles are next and we are thinking of maybe building a more permanent chicken coop off of the back. Wood first..chickens later! Happy Saturday to you all!!

Who knew?

2009-10-12T06:50:00.001-07:00

Knitting class was wonderful.

It is hard for me to put it into words. I felt like I had been swallowed into a soft den. A magnificent room filled with the most amazing yarns swimming in color and texture. There was my very own soft spoken teacher gently coaxing the stitches off my needles. I must have looked like a wreck in the beginning, because one of the other ladies looked at me from across the circle and said - BREATHE. Oh yea.. breathe.

I sat there in this den of women listening, learning, knitting, relaxing and before I knew it - three hours had gone by. I was off working on my first project. A little bag that will be felted. Who knew these stitches were capable of coming off my needles?

If anyone out there is thinking about giving knitting a try... go for it! Find a class, group or friend. Having someone start you off on the right foot is worth more than I can say. I can't wait to go back this week.

My thanks to all of you for all of your kind words and encouragement. I feel like I've found a long lost friend.

Knit Wit

2009-10-08T15:11:00.001-07:00

CO 44 sts on dpn.

Knitting code.

I swear - Morse Code would be easier.

That little sentence was the last straw. Pushed me right over the edge.

Cast on 44 stitches on double-pointed needles.

Who's idea was it to knit with not two, but FOUR needles at one time?

All I want to do is knit a pair of (skill level ONE) FINGERLESS gloves.

So.. a lot of you knit out there. Believe me, I've noticed. Caps, caps with patterns, SWEATERS, wool, wool spinning... my head was spinning. Dreaming of sheep. Drooling over patterns that may as well be written in another language. I dug out my needles and well.. after sitting in the orchard CASTING-ON for an hour and a half (fingers white and numb by now), I packed it in.

So tomorrow - I am going to a knitting class. I can't wait.

Maybe now someone can explain why my right index finger points like a irish setter when I hold the yarn? I'll keep you posted. At this point I am just hoping I can make it through with out injuring myself!

k1,p1 or bust!!

(I need that on a tee-shirt)

Digging

2009-10-08T14:03:00.000-07:00

The mornings have been cold and the maples are starting to turn. Actually, the weather here has been gray pretty much all week. We started working on the woodshed.

After all the work on the garage, my poor hubbie broke down and rented a machine for half a day to help dig the holes for the support posts. All was well until he hit shale shortly after he got started. We got deep enough though to set the posts and took the drill back. Same thing happened when we dug the foundation for the house. Hit pure rock. At least the house isn't going to go anywhere..right?

Learned how to mix concrete that day. It's fun!! Kind of like making cake batter.. with a hose and sand...

The posts have since been set (partially done here). Had a load of gravel delivered today for the drive. Some will go on the floor in the shed too. We borrowed a tractor with a bucket to spread the gravel... it also has a backhoe...

Oooooo...No one ever told me how much fun a backhoe is!

Snuck off with it for a bit to dig out a nice big hole in the south bank. Cold frames. Dreaming of cold frames. You know, a girl could do serious damage on a homestead with a backhoe...

Shelter House

2009-10-04T15:51:00.000-07:00

~1983~

My dad's company went on strike that year. During his time off he and my grandpa built us a picnic shelter out by the garden. My grandparents had one at their house. I can still remember all the wonderful picnics they had in it. Soda on ice in the big orange pail. Shuffle board on the drive-way. Grandma's ginger cream cookies.

26 years later...

..that little shelter house is still one of my favorite places to go. We spend time out there all year round. It's the heart of the garden.

Jars of light.

The trees have grown since then. So have the memories. Neighborhood corn roasts, pumpkin parties, apple butter marathon, birthdays, holidays, good days, bad days... ordinary days. No one wants to be the last to go in.

Nothing helps sort plans, revive memories, soothe a bad day, ignite dreams, warm your heart on a cold one - better than a campfire.

Had one this afternoon for a bit, just because....

America's Best Idea

2009-09-30T08:58:00.000-07:00

From our trip to the Grand Canyon

PBS is running a wonderful series now called The National Parks: America's Best Idea by Ken Burns. I missed Episodes one and two, but watched number three last night. It makes me want to read about John Muir, Stephen Mather, and Horace Albright. It want to jump in the car and drive to Yellowstone and Glacier. Ok.. not going to happen.. but it's made me think. What National Parks, Monuments, Historical sites have I been to? What would I like to see? Maybe see isn't the right word. Soak up, become a part of, get lost in... experience. Each one is so special. A gem in their own right.

Wish List:

Arches Park : Moab, UT

Acadia : Bar Harbor, ME

Bryce Canyon : UT

Crater Lake : OR

Denali : AK

Glacier : MT

Grand Teton : Moose, WY

Rocky Mountain National Park : CO

Yellowstone

Yosemite

Zion : Springdale : UT

National Parks visited:

Grand Canyon : AZ

Saguaro National Park : AZ (I love cacti)

Favorite National Monuments and Historical sites over the years:

Alcatraz Island, Blue Ridge Parkway, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Muir Woods, The Presidio, Sunset Crater Volcano, Wright Brother's Memorial, and a large part of Washington D.C.

Where have you been? What is your wish list? Where are your favorite spots?

Episode Four 1920 - 1933 : Going Home - is on PBS tonight (8pm EST) if you'd like to catch it. I'll be there. Mesmerized.

Jets

2009-09-29T19:30:00.000-07:00

Georgia Jets

That is the name on the nursery tag I found under the tangle of vines when we dug up the sweet potatoes last week.

Size 10 garden clog : one Georgia Jet

Total dug = 40 pounds (from 3 hills)

Plus one large garter snake and a handful of worms, which the ladies happily devoured as we dug. The worms, not the snake..

The photo below is from the garden in 2007. The ground hog ate the vines off twice last year and I can't remember if we even got any. Every year I think.. plant more sweet potatoes. Think we may have to add a few more hills next year!

Stacked

2009-09-28T18:19:00.001-07:00

I love a good wood pile.

Silly..but, true.

This work of art belongs to my parents.

Dad worked all summer (in between the bees, the garden, and of course.. some golf) refilling their woodshed. He finished packing it full in August. This should last them the winter for their little wood stove.

There has been a woodpile here for as long as I can remember. We played in it as kids. I can smell the wood in the autumn sun as I had my picture taken on the logs. It was covered with tarps then. Like mine is now...

Our woodpile is currently a major mess. Piles of bark, old tarps, and chipmunk nests. A woodshed is on the project list for the week. I am feeling some urgency as the weather here is nasty today- heavy wind and rain - reminding me that snow won't be far behind. We have a spot picked out behind the garage and I can't wait to get started. I love to stack wood!!

Fall Pasta

2009-09-24T10:27:00.000-07:00

While digging for dinner ideas the other day, I came across a cookbook in my stack called Chez Panisse: Pasta, Pizza, & Calzone. The contents were divided into Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter dishes. I went right for the fall pasta dishes and chose... Artichoke Hearts, Prosciutto and Fettuccine. After having the pasta rollers out for the crackers (thanks for all of your wonderful cracker recipe suggestions too. Can't wait to try them), I thought I'd make some PASTA. Out came the Pasta Bible..

... and after sifting through a bunch of recipes, I settled on Pasta Dough No. 2. A basic dough with fine semolina and all-purpose flour. Not feeling too brave as far as trying a colored pasta yet, although... Pasta Dough No. 4 was a close contender because it uses 7 (gasp) egg yolks and our refer is currently experiencing an egg-valanche!

The dough was easy enough to make by hand. After chilling, it went through the rollers slowly creating thin sheets (final roll: number 6 on the Kitchen Aid Pasta Roller). Lastly the sheets were fed through the fettuccine cutter and the noodles were hung on a dowel rod between the counter tops.

Fresh pasta tossed with garlic, olive oil, lemon, artichokes (wish I had fresh ones), and prosciutto, topped with buttered bread crumbs and freshly grated cheese.

I was feeling all cozy about it until I looked on the can of artichoke hearts and saw they were from Peru. That's what I get for taking a field trip to Whole Foods Market. So shell shocked and excited to be there shopping I forgot to look at the can. Hate to say it, but it was worth the air miles for this wonderful hot, savory, fall dinner... I love artichokes... sigh...

Fall First Weekend

2009-09-20T16:32:00.001-07:00

First attempt at making crackers. I've been wanting to try this for a while, but was inspired to give it a go from the recipes in this months issue of Mary Janes Farm Magazine. They look a bit.. well.. lets say... rustic? But, they were actually not too bad. Willing to try it again..

...especially after I figured out the PASTA ROLLER attachment for the mixer will make a really THIN cracker!!

First skillet berry pie with a HUGE THANKS to Bloom for posting her fabulous pictures and recipe! Really delicious.. Photo here as I popped it in the oven!

First "stick-fire" of the season in the wood stove. Most especially needed after a busy weekend.

We pulled the honey supers off of the hives for the second time this year. Another first for us. For some reason I didn't grab my camera as we left for the farm and I missed capturing a baby bee as it hatched. I've never seen that happen before either!

Wishing you all a most wonderful start to your week! I am off to bed, but first... a hot bath!!

See you on Tuesday!

Short and Sweet

2009-09-16T12:39:00.001-07:00

I almost gave up on carrots after last year. We have so much clay in our soil that once it dries out it is like concrete. Not so good for growing carrots. I found a packet of "Short and Sweet" carrots from Burpee this year and thought I'd give it one more try. Hence... carrot torpedos!

Took a shovel to the row this afternoon to dig a few up for dinner: chicken stew with peas, carrots, and potato dumplings.

Four carrots = 1.5 pounds!

Bombs away!

Jewel of a Weed

2009-09-15T18:07:00.000-07:00

There is a small patch of Jewelweed out by the road and the bees are loving it!

Little bee bottom hanging from a blossom.

Jewelweed is also called 'touch-me-not'. Once the seed pods are mature, if you touch them...

...they explode!!

The girls are coming in heavy with pollen. Orange.. yellow too from the golden rod. Soon it will be time to pull the honey supers again and start getting the girls tucked in for winter. At least they were too busy working to notice me exploding the seed pods. I'd forgotten how much fun they are!

Harvest Festival

2009-09-13T07:53:00.000-07:00

The true kick-off to autumn for me is our local Harvest Festival. We wait for it every year. The village closes the streets for a street fair, sidewalk sales, food vendors, yard sales, and two really great church rummage sales.

Our favorite rummage sale is held by the presbyterian church. The yard and basements are filled with all kids of goodies. The block around the church is taped off with caution tape. People pack the perimeter. At 10 am the bell goes off, the tape is torn down, and it is all systems go! Last year they raised around $30,000!

Book section finds. $4.50 worth of winter reading.

Table runner and some small jelly jars ($.50) too cute to leave behind.

Wool vest and cashmere scarf stuffed (among other things) into my $2 brown bag sale.

Beautiful cast iron skillet.

New journal.

I've been a bit behind in the posting due to a allergies complicated by a cold. Golden rod is good for the bees, not so good for me. The Harvest Festival was just what I needed to set me right! Hope you all are finding fun things to do to set off this autumn season! See you on Tuesday..

Bee Girl

2009-09-08T16:45:00.000-07:00

From Martha Stewart Halloween: Special Edition.

Bee Girl and Beekeeper Dad.

Probably the best Halloween costumes EVER.

Of course I couldn't resist posting this! Check it out in the latest special edition of Martha Stewart: Halloween!

You like it - You haul it.

2009-09-06T18:09:00.000-07:00

I was surfing Craig's List on Saturday morning and came across a listing for "free pavers". The listing was posted on Friday, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to call and see if they were still available.

Cha-ching!! I think there is about 128 square feet of pavers! The nice folks getting rid of them were moving and had a deck installed. I am thinking they are going to make a fantastic walkway and patio at the back door!

It only took two trips with the truck and trailer to get them home. Thanks Dad!! He's such a good sport..

At The Fair

2009-09-03T06:36:00.000-07:00

Tractors, cool fall air, observation hive, honey, room full of canning, pies, vegetables, 4H, stuffed chicken dinner, rides, carmel apples, alpacas, cotton candy, sheep, chickens, apples, pigs sleeping in the sun, children laughing, games, ribbons.

I could go back and do it all again tomorrow.

Life and Tomatoes

2009-09-02T11:20:00.000-07:00

It all starts out innocently enough. Wanting to eat less processed food. Making more things and eating at home. A few bee hives. A summer garden. Then the thirst comes. You want to read more....DO more! More homesteading, more farming, more gardening, more canning!! Next think you know.. you've smuggled in chickens and are stalking the farm section on Craig's list.

In my thirst I've started reading Barbara Kingsolver's book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (see side bar). For one year she and her family vowed they would only buy and eat food raised in their own neighborhood, grew it themselves or learned to live without it. I am still in the process of reading the book, but it has already got my wheels spinning.

I live here. Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Briefly and very quickly this morning I mapped out a few of the common items in our refrigerator and pantry. Honestly, I've never really looked a the labels before, except to check out the ingredients. In addition to our summer garden surplus, honey, and eggs our food came from here:

Items that traveled the longest:

1. Bananas - Ecuador. Never noticed it on the Dole label before.

2. Scone Mix - A gift, but from Egham, Surrey.

3. Smoked Spanish Paprika - Also a gift (one I love) from Barcelona, Spain.

4. Coffee - Tony's Free Trade Organic.

Items of interest:

1. Starkist Tuna - Distributed by Starkist Seafood in Pittsburgh, PA. I am pretty sure there isn't any Tuna in the "Three Rivers."

2. Tomato - Grown in the USA from the local grocery (missed the farm market). Went to the web site, who didn't list WHERE the greenhouse was in the USA. Had to call the 1-800 number to find my $.82 tomato came from Texas. It was parked next to the local tomatoes at the store.

3. Life Cereal - One of my favorites and without high fructose corn syrup. Distributed by Quaker Oats, but made in Canada? Again, no info on the web..so.. 1-800-Quaker... It is made in Peterborough, Ontario.

If every US citizen ate just one meal a week (any meal) composed of locally and organically raised meats and produce, we would reduce our country's oil consumption by over 1.1 million barrels of oil every week.

~Barbara Kingsolver

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.

On that note, I had an egg for breakfast.

Just food for thought...

Bench Monday

2009-08-31T14:27:00.000-07:00

In the orchard,

on a log,

with coffee,

in the sun,

with a book,

by the bees,

on two hours sleep,

bench monday.