New Link

I have added a new link to my list. I have been following this site for a while as it so reminds me of my Grandmother. Take the time to visit. I think you will enjoy it as much as I do. There is so much love surrounding Granny.

September

I am so glad that September comes only once a year. Hubby has been sick for 3 weeks of the month, grandbabies had the flu and now me. Just getting over a rough three days, but life does go on. Our bodies do not handle season changes as easy as they once did.

September leads to the season of dying back. The air cools, which is a blessing, which leads to the trees turning, the grass dying, and all the little varmints looking for a place to keep warm for the coming months. Soon the trees will be bare, but I will have my evergreens to give me sunshine and hope. I don't think I could make it through the winter if I didn't have my cedars. I have to have some green in my life. My house plants really get pampered during the winter, as that is all I have. I am getting back into my terrariums though and that is such a joy!

I get this from my Dad. At one time, everything he had was green - clothes and all. Every room in the house was painted some shade of green - Mom and Dad's bedroom was a awful kelly green - and they drove green cars - their old Toyota was baby poop green, can't miss that! When they attended the Governor's ball 40 years ago, Mom even wore a kelly green sheath - Yuck! Thankfully he has gotten past this and now has more color in his life.

Anyway, September brings on October and the first frost of the season and I have to wait until the end of February to see new life once again.

The good things about fall - a warm cozy fire, hot chocolate and a good book. So, I am getting ready to cozy up and talk hubby into building a fire. Everything will be winterized in another week and we can settle in to fall and getting ready for the Thanksgiving season.

Thanks for reading! Have a happy day!

Belle

The Rooster

Of course, it has rained for days, most of the chicken coop is mush, the water feeder is empty, the chicken feeder is upside down and the chickens and rooster are raising cane. I open the door to the coop to get the feeder upright and reset when the rooster spreads his wings, raises his feet and bumps his royal self at my head while his wily damsel pecked repeatedly at my helping hands. Yes, the big boy did take a tumble and looked rather surprised that his fighting abilities did not match mine nor did I cower in fear of his beautiful and majestic self! I don't want to inhibit his natural tendencies nor do I want spurs in my head. As for his little princess, if she doesn't start laying regularly, she is going in the cook pot. I am sure with all the feed she has consumed for the last 9 months, she will make a tasty pot of chicken and dumplings.

Henrietta is my best layer. She gives me an egg a day come rain or come shine and is mild mannered and would probably make a good pet if I spent some time with her. Miss Bessie lays when ready and ignores me as if I don't exist. It doesn't hurt my feelings, as long as the eggs keep coming. It is getting egg custard weather and I need more eggs than I am getting to keep a weekly custard supply.

My chickens do not get named until they start laying regularly. While I have no qualms to making dumplings out of the wily damsel, it really makes it easier if she has no name while I am in the process of wringing her beautiful neck. Raised on a farm, the processes of turning livestock into food does not bother me terribly. But I do rather treasure my pets.

I had a pet heifer (a female cow that has not had a calf) many years ago that had to be put down when injured by another cow while fighting over feed. The older and much bigger cow tipped Miss Blackie into the feed trough. No one was around during the process, but when found it was too late for Miss Blackie. Miss Blackie was stuck in the feed trough with four feet up in the air and no way to turn. After her untimely demise, she was processed (which I did not assist in) and enjoyed at many a meal by everyone except my sis. Sis did not eat beef for 6 months, afraid that she was eating Miss Blackie. As much as she was rubbed and petted, Miss Blackie had perfectly marbled meat that was full of flavor! I sure missed Miss Blackie, but I do thoroughly enjoy a good rare steak! Yeah, I know, red meat is bad for the cholesteral and when eating a rare steak, I am subjecting myself to all kind of germs.

Enough of the memories of youth. I could write all day on the adventures on a farm. Thanks for reading and have a happy week.

Belle

Something New

Daughter and I are interested in wool felting. We have run into some roadblocks but may be on the right track. It seems as if there is no longer such a thing as wool that has not been super washed, hence it cannot be felted. We drug out old sweaters, slacks, jackets that we thought were wool, not even the old black shawl. All were made with synthetic fibers or pure cotton. Cotton cannot be felted. It appears that felting can only be done on animal fibers.

I am old, but I am learning. Can't wait to get my hands on some carded wool! Watch out world, wool balls are coming!

My Girls

A sleep over with 3 girls of different ages - I could not imagine. My children had sleepovers which consisted of music playing all night, prank phone calls, science experiments conducted on the living room floor, consumption of more food than I could cook and sleeping till noon the next day.

I had the first ever sleep over for my grand daughters on Saturday - one of the quieter visits I can remember. They had a beautiful dress up session with a wedding dress, a prom dress, and a bridesmaid's dress. Each took turns with no rushing or arguing. They are all so wonderful! The three are so different in their looks, actions, and reactions, yet so alike in their love for each other and their choices of play. I can picture them now in their own prom dresses, but am not quite ready for the wedding dresses. At three, four and a half and seven, I think they have a little while to go and I can let them grow a bit before the wedding dress age.

The three year old is so solemn and serious, but a wonderful athlete. Beautiful eyes watching every move as she goes her own way, ignoring her cousins until they invade her space or intentionally leave her out. The four and a half with her petite self, quick as a sprite and so full of energy. Never still, always singing or dancing - she will be my vocalist or actress. The seven year old tall, graceful, and elegant with searching brown eyes reflecting much love and caring, yet shy on approach will probably be a designer.

They were early to bed and early up, which really surprised me. We had a good breakfast and everyone started on their separate ventures for the day. I want to do it again. They were wonderful to listen to and watch. Thanks to two great Mothers, I could just sit back and enjoy.

And, I now have six wonderful sun catchers hanging on my porch in just the right spot to glimpse as I write. My talented girls all painted them on Saturday night. It took the hummingbirds a little bit to become adjusted to the addition right above their feeder, but hunger won out and they are back. The cookie dough didn't make it to the oven, but is snug in the freezer waiting for the next visit when it can be shared with the only grandson who I missed very much this weekend.

I want to thank my children for knowing how to share their children with me and hubby. We love you guys!

Belle and her business

I am ready for some squirrel dumplings which should be really good with all the scratch feed they have consumed this summer. They are starting on their third 50 pound bag and I have given up trying to put a stop to their antics. They must have heard me load the rifle - they have started hiding from me rather than swishing their bushy tails in my face as they scamper across the yard. They are going in the stew pot, along with that chicken that isn't laying but loves to eat. She is good and fat, too and will be real good with some dumplings. Oh my, I am getting hungry just thinking about it.

Have you ever stopped to really look at a feather. Mr. Rooster lost a tail feather the other day in his prancing around and jumping at the neighbor's rooster. The feather is really beautiful and the colors are outstanding. The soft downy dark grays tipped with rust at the base give way to the shimmering greenish blues all the way to the swirling tip. Amazing! Even the hens rusty feathers are each unique in their colors and shape.

The change in the weather makes me change my cooking style - I must be from the old country. Cooler air means heavier meals. There goes our diets - it is not salad weather. Well, I take that back. I usually don't buy potatoes, but picked up a bag the other day and made potato salad. Yummy! Then I got carried away and made garlic mash potatoes. Believe it or not hubby can have a small serving of potatoes with his diet. Of course you need to use the fat free milk and the Heart Smart butter, but they were still delicious. I think I have finally figured out that I won't have to work so hard in the early spring to get the jelly rolls off if I don't stuff my face so much during those cold days of winter. But oh how I do love food.

I have started diligently working on my yard again. Fall temps do that for me along with the change in my cooking. I have pull out dead limbs and deadheaded all my flowers. Plan to do a light fertilizer today and contemplate where I am going to move some shrubs around. I am also trying to coordinate all my old scattered plants - lamb's ear, four o'clocks, mums, day lilies - and decide where they will be happiest come spring. My hostas did not get enough shade this year and I will be moving them. I have moved my elephant ear as it wasn't getting enough sun and it is doing great. It just needed some loamier ground and more sun. I have some trimming on the agenda also. I have waited too late to move the forsythia and still have it bloom next year, but may fore go the blooms to get them moved.

I have a pomegranate that I plan to move this fall also. It is surrounded with trees and not growing at all. It is from the old homestead that was once on the farm and is now overgrown, not receiving any light and is starved in its present location. The pears will be severely pruned this year as they have become misshapen with many dead limbs caught in the tops. The production was real low this year, but the fruit it produced was large and juicy. These trees were also a gift of the old homestead. I would love to add a couple of apple trees to my collection, but have been advised the cedars would gift them with disease. I will need to do more research on this. I cannot give up all my cedars, fruit or no fruit.

For those who don't know the history of my little farm - my Dad bought this property consisting of 98 +/- acres in 1948. He farmed much of the land until the mid 1980's. There is a wonderful creek and many wet springs on the property. When Dad farmed it, it was mostly pasture and field. It is now mostly wooded as a result of Dad planting pines. When Dad quit farming, he sold most of the land and it now has produced many neighbors and provided homes for some 14 families. Through the years we have been able to purchase surrounding parcels and add to our little farm. We are blessed with good neighbors and a relatively quiet neighborhood.

Till next time - keep smiling and share it with someone.

Belle

Out of Pocket

I have been tied up with a sick hubby for the last few weeks and unable or uninspired to write during this time. He is on the slow road to recovery and you can look for more stories coming soon. As always I appreciate your visit and will be back with you in no time. Keep reading and have a happy and safe Labor Day!

Belle