tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47696975669463861952024-03-05T02:52:42.866-08:00Brigid's GardenRuminations from a cow loving, biodynamic gardening mother of four....Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger86125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769697566946386195.post-77248364967045596102012-02-12T09:59:00.000-08:002012-02-12T10:18:53.658-08:00Crash, bang, boom.We had a wicked cold snap a couple/few weeks ago. We saw over a foot of snow followed by a serious ice storm that left a couple/three inches of ice on the branches of every tree around. Our land looks like a game of pick-up sticks with broken treetops laying everywhere...in the garden, below the house, in the woods, on the blueberries, in the orchards. It's a mess. Slowly but surely Steve (and sometimes Becca) have been cleaning things up. <div><br /></div><div>We lost the majority of a whole row of stately white birches and almost half of the gorgeous oak tree that we look out on from the kitchen. Clean up is going to be a long process. The birches smashed the grape trellis and garden fence. The ornamental cherry tree is toast but that doesn't bother me too much as it was too close to the hoophouse for my tastes (<span style="font-size: 100%; ">after years of hardly growing at all, </span><span style="font-size: 100%; ">it has grown tremendously since we put the hoophouse in). Funny, nearly all the trees that have grown so much since we put in the garden are gone. I can't think of how many times I have been disgruntled at them for shading the garden. The power of strong thoughts, eh? </span></div><div><span style="font-size: 100%; "><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 100%; ">What will remain after we get this all cleaned up is still a question. I know the garden will have sun. I know the hoophouse will have more sun (and a couple of holes in it where the oak tree punctured it as branches crashed to the ground). In the orchard, it will take years for some of the trees to come back to full bounty but others might be improved by the big pruning. The ice storm took off branches I have been wanting to cut for years but haven't had the heart to do. But what do we do with a row of gorgeous white birches that are now half their size and missing their tops. Cut them down and give up on them, or let them try to come back with bushy topped afros instead of long, straight look of the 70's? I just don't know. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: 100%; "><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 100%; ">But whatever happens, after the storm the sun came out, the weather warmed up. We've been seeing bees for a week and snowdrops are popping up everywhere. Spring is on everyone's minds.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769697566946386195.post-23371874625755303112011-10-23T13:40:00.000-07:002011-10-23T14:34:07.279-07:00The things we do....Ostensibly, I thought it would be fun to write a blog about what we do around here. But what I have found is when we are actually doing something interesting (like getting a new home ready for the ducklings or canning massive amounts of applesauce from interesting apples foraged here and there) I don't really have time to write about it. And my mind seems to be busy enough at the moment that I don't remember the little bits of funny and interest to write about these adventures days later. So that means, I either write boring things (like this) or don't write (which is what I have been doing most of the time lately). I am not sure how to solve this dilemma. So in the end, I guess what you see is what you get and I am sorry because if I was putting just a little bit more effort into this I could be doing a whole lot better job. <div><br /></div><div>This week Becca and I canned 36 quarts of applesauce mostly made from piles of little teeny, scabby and sometimes bruised apples. That meant to get that much applesauce we did a LOT of peeling and cutting and washing to get a few little apples in the pot. Becca had a lot going on so I probably did the lion's share of the peeling and burning (and subsequent scrubbing) of pots. She, however was great company and even rather entertaining as posted in her blog-- <a href="http://wp.me/p1A5YD-1J">The Friendly Moth</a> <span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" >. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" >Anyway, now Becca is off at the local Seattle Barter faire with a couple of boxes of my canning seeing what she can trade for. She's going to do a way better job of trading the goods than I would. And hopefully have a better time. I gave her all kinds of stuff that we aren't eating right now because of Aidan being on the GAPS diet...green tomato relish, pumpkin quince chutney, plum chutney, plum sauce, jams, corn relish etc etc and I am hoping she will come home with something completely novel in trade. I like the idea of Barter Faire where you bring what you have too much of and trade it for what somebody else has too much of and both of you end up feeling like you got the good end of the deal. BUT, I don't really like crowds (except my family) and I definitely don't like haggling so I never go. I was excited to give Becca stuff to hawk and not have to do it myself. Another good trade. Becca doesn't know because I wasn't clear when she left but I was thinking that for her efforts she ought to get half of what she traded for. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" >Aidan is upstairs supposedly doing homework, but I think that isn't happening yet because he just came down and said he wanted to earn $5 by doing dog poop patrol and when I tried to give him his money he said, "Oh, no. Keep it. I spent more than I earned..." Which means he was probably buying music online and not doing his homework. hmm.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" >Steve is off on some kind of marathon hike, which we are hoping he brought Charlie with him because Charlie seems to be missing...The only problem with that hope is that if he brought Charlie with him, Charlie is probably not too happy because it was a heck of a long hike Steve had planned and Charlie only likes going on medium long hikes now. 8-10 miles is good for him, but it looks like from the note Steve left on the chalkboard that Steve was thinking 18-20 miles sounded fun. Another hmm.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" >So see, now I have told you all there is to tell and it was boring. But at least I told you. Hope you all are well. </span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769697566946386195.post-10180233875595938952011-09-19T17:23:00.000-07:002011-09-19T17:23:14.407-07:00Foraging in the early fall...I love this time of year. The air smells so clean and fresh and it is warm but also cool and never hot. <br />
<br />
I love that I can snack my way around the yard while filling a bowl with goodies for dinner. Like the other night: roasted green and wax beans, cucumber salad, chicken (from the infamous chickies ruining the mud room escapade) and for dessert, melon (not from the garden) with plump blackberries cascading over the top. Everything was perfect. No fancy seasonings..just fresh taste.<br />
<br />
It always amazes me just how good food can taste when it is truly fresh. Why did people ever want to stop gardening. Did they leave their taste buds home when they started shopping at the store. I can never quite understand that.<br />
<br />
I have gotten so spoiled by homegrown foods that it is hard to buy even good produce at the store, and just forget meat. I used to think it was just tomatoes and corn that tasted better when grown at home. (That was when I mostly grew tomatoes and corn.) But then I added carrots and potatoes to the list. And then beans, and peas, and kale, and broccoli. Now I even think cabbage and beets must be grown at home because there is simply no comparing them. <br />
<br />
I believe I am becoming a food snob. I really don't mean to be. Honest I don't. It is just that I can't help noticing the difference.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769697566946386195.post-60511956922252712392011-09-01T21:01:00.000-07:002011-09-01T21:10:44.801-07:00Strike, crash, boomRemember when our house got struck by lightning a couple of years ago right around Thanksgiving. Well, when the lightning was jetting around from our house through all the electricity lines around the farm, it ended up jumping to one of our very tall fir trees and swirling up (or was it down?) the tree in a beautiful spiral.<br />
<br />
It left behind a long spiral burn mark on the tree starting thick at the bottom (this is why I think it went up) and peetering out fairly near the top. The force of the strike also split off the top of this very majestic fir and sent it flying into the pasture below where it pierced the grass like a skewer. All in all, very dramatic.<br />
<br />
And while we admired the beauty of the burn mark, and the power of the lightning, we feared it would kill the tree. All last year we watched as the tree slowly lost it's vitality. Late last winter it finally died.<br />
<br />
Ever since then, Steve's been itching to get out there and cut it down, But last winter and spring the pasture was too wet. When it dried out this summer Becca was in the middle of her daycamp sessions. And with Becca's campers around he didn't dare fall it in case it got hung up or something on the way down. Trees can be unpredicatable in how they fall and he didn't want to create an unsafe situation that he might not be able to get back to for a few days. Thank you Steve.<br />
<br />
So today, his first day out of the office since Becca finished her camps, he jumped at the chance to cut that tree down. He bought some extra equipment because the tree was so big, he didn't want to take any chances. He spent sometime on youtube watching professionals fall especially large trees. And then this morning he spent a couple of hours diddling around inside, which I later figured out was his way of gearing up because it was a big, dangerous job and he wanted to do it right.<br />
<br />
Then he made us promise to keep the puppies inside the house, shoe-ed Becca and I out of the pasture where we were picking blackberries and then asked Aidan to come out and help. I made Steve promise to watch out for Aidan.<br />
<br />
About 15 minutes after he started sawing, the chainsaw stopped and I heard this very loud CRACK. And then a louder boom. I saw the tree go by out of the corner of my eye and I knew it was down. We went outside (leaving the puppies in still) to investigate and there was the tree. Lying all the way across the pasture exactly where Steve said he was going to drop it,<br />
<br />
Good job Steve,<br />
<br />
It took the whole rest of the day (with many helpers) to clean up and stack the slash and limbs which will make good firewood this winter. That's a lot of tree to take that long to clean up.<br />
<br />
Now he is in search of a portable mill because he would really rather make some wood than firewood out of this beautiful tree. Let's hope he finds one.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769697566946386195.post-65174962725729977762011-08-30T13:45:00.000-07:002011-08-30T13:50:24.142-07:00It's knotweed seasonWe are coming to the end of bee season. All the knotweed is in bloom along the road and down by the river. It is the last sure crop of bee friendly flowers we will have until spring. <div>
<br /></div><div>I was looking in the hives today to see how they are coming along. One is doing so well. Boxes are full of honey and brimming with bees. But another hive, started the same day with bees that are supposed to be prolific producers of honey is barely going. Few bees are in the box.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Unless something weird happens the thriving hive should have no trouble making it through the winter. The other one is another story. If I want it to make it I am going to have to feed it all winter. But this brings up the question is it smart to nurse along a weak hive just to keep it alive or should I only let the strong ones live. It's a hard question.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>I think for the health of the bees, probably it is better to let the strong ones survive and let the weak ones go. But it is so sad to know you could help them along and just let them fade away. I am still thinking about what I will do. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769697566946386195.post-67479838673480916172011-07-31T11:50:00.000-07:002011-07-31T15:13:39.841-07:00Jack and the raspberries....Who knew that dogs would eat raspberries. I certainly didn't. <div><br /></div><div>Yesterday I went outside to pick raspberries. Jack and Squinchy came with me. Squinch got bored quickly and went off in search of more exciting endeavors, but Jack settled in right at my feet. Every time I would move, he would move right along with me. There were so many raspberries to pick I wasn't moving very often so he had time for a few little naps at my feet.<div><br /></div><div>From time to time the cows would wander over and look through the fence and grab a mouthful of the raspberry plants. They love everything to do with raspberries...the leaves, the stalks and the berries. They have done some serious damage to the plants right next to the fence, but they also help fertilize these heavy feeders by pooping right next to the fence. So I figure it is a fair trade.</div><div> </div><div>I often leave berries for the cows on the crossbar of the fence and they come up and lick them up. Brigid will eat them out of my hand. Mattie is a little more cautious. She wants hers from the cross bar and it takes her quite a few sniffs before she will eat the berry.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, we have been toying with the idea of giving the dogs raw food. Because of this, I have been feeding them little bits of this and that to see if they like it. Including fruit. Jack laps currents right up. Charlie is more demur in his appetite for fruit but still, he eats them. Squinch carefully ate everything else in the bowl and left his for Jack to clean up. Given this I guess it shouldn't have been a such surprise to see how much Jack like the raspberries. </div><div><br /></div><div>At first I would hand him one or two berries and he would happily gobble them up. I didn't want to give him TOO many of our raspberries so after awhile I stopped handing them to him. This apparently did not work for him. Next thing I knew he was sitting at my feet eating the low growing raspberries right off the bush. He'd stick his tongue out and delicately pull a berry right off the bush. And of course, because a tongue doesn't work near as well as fingers do, he only got the ripest ones. Lucky boy! </div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769697566946386195.post-25413572130360705922011-07-27T22:45:00.000-07:002011-07-27T22:46:06.863-07:00ducks??I am wondering how hard it is to keep ducks alive. They love slugs. Maybe I should love them. <div><br /></div><div>Just thinking this over. hmm</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769697566946386195.post-15904630980849529142011-07-24T14:27:00.000-07:002011-07-24T16:11:07.734-07:00How to fold a real diaper.....By far, the very nicest thing my mother-in-law Carol ever did for me was make 4 dozen diapers for Becca and then later for Laura (aka Grace). Now, that may not sound nice but it was REALLY nice and I loved it. <div><br /><div>Back then (in the early 80's) we lived in Utah, which by all accounts could have been called the land of babies because there are so many people having <b>so</b> many babies. Back then, especially in Utah, lots of people sewed; so sewing one's diapers was a pretty normal thing. It wasn't however something I had ever heard of having grown up in the land of eternal sunshine and waste (otherwise known as Los Angeles in the 70's). When I babysat, I seldom changed real diapers. The moms of my charges were quick to jump on the plastic diaper bandwagon. I had no idea about the joys of real diapers--real diapers, as in cloth diapers, as in the softest, most luscious flannel diapers you ever imagined.</div><div><div><br /></div><div>When Carol showed up with her beautiful, white, soft, flannel creations, I was enamored. I loved the idea of putting my soon to be born baby (aka baby Becca) in such precious softness. By this time I was more familiar with regular cloth bird's eye gauze diapers, but they were scratchy and I didn't really like them. Ok, I admit to being very picky about fabric softness. </div><div><br /></div><div>The homemade flannel diapers seemed like a cadillac version of diapers, by far. I later learned there was a mercedes version too (aka diaper service diapers, which are soft too--but not nearly as soft as flannel--but they magically wash themselves!) Unfortunately, just like a mercedes, they are expensive to have and keep up with. Carol's flannel diapers offered the additional bonus of being cheap to use. </div><div><br /></div><div>The only problem with these old fashioned flannel diapers is the folding. If you don't know how to do it, you could be sunk, which leads me to why I am writing this very long winded explanation of diapers and diaper folding. </div><div><br /></div><div>Jeremy and Bethany are having their first baby really soon. The baby (aka little peanut) is going to wear cloth diapers that are going to be washed at home. </div><div><br /></div><div>I wanted to make them a present of some diapers (I wish I could have made as many as my mother-in-law but some are probably better than none--diaper flannel is now an exotic commodity, no longer available by the bolt!). The only problem is I am not there to show them how to fold them. My solution (well, actually Steve's solution) a lesson in pictures via the blog. </div><div>So here we go and sorry up front about losing the formatting...I couldn't figure out how to fix it.</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6vogpByWzXrS4A-lew_-nMn8AyYPDDiZPDdrKAh0HEnikK0PwcmQV6_SjGBZSKXHKA_jn1xyqNVg-cnFH1vJaoQtLUBd6nAJoorp96-2p8UArePwIxIn929bMnuCHeP-TYcFV6wPKVTs/s400/IMG_6839.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633048991895825346" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 360px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Lay the diaper flat on the floor. No need to get too picky about the flat...this way is good enough.<br /></span><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div></div></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOxVumJUyxFPcqHxca7bxCKeHAntpAa7gk5Z28yPYzlA75XGQhE0nKLqNQBcDqtTJwC3NbaFDuT2J7rpzrCIuGHpkBBoCpeMf4Qp6wNfX55ogv6-V6JJlZ3Qyg6bPvtVMEI5kTpsHraw0/s400/IMG_6840.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633048996093171314" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 360px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); ">Fold an edge (I always did the right side) over towards the other side...how far you fold determines how big the diaper will be so the same diapers that fit a newborn can be expanded to fit a big ole' toddler who you wish wasn't wearing diapers anymore. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXqlLG7ApUSPl4-ELKZtWNS-m2VguyWp1tf7Wr1d4Q_9C5LUhhRpXhbe3ZB_OQwUtEUo19bnpMCFjIwwtJlrKDIww4AD9qHMFv6lxHOcUmGsq_2Z8kBdVhR4_SzgK8veTWgZbBQRt-fGE/s400/IMG_6841.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633048997256917154" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 360px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Fold the second side over to match the first. You have to make a third fold so the second side doesn't fall off the opposite edge. See close up below...</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2mIInX9Y9EmmBzNdLva0_K-bKJ6CBxFsk27-YGN0anI_Rr6Wk7gpkpOWuhNM6G-iFkWDwyteXHFppjTcpzPWmBJIDMpz0BCepSY7NNE3JjXw3SapoK-HKJtOdc1FG2GxhrU9s-xjO78g/s400/IMG_6842.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633049000305308674" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 360px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span">The sides should be relatively symetrical, but don't go getting all anal about it because it will be dirty in no time and you will be soon folding it again. Close enough works for horseshoes AND diapers.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Jraeg7utHwesEcJuFXkPQSlRXnLbcLtgayXCNEwit0G4pVlE4zNNY_WCxPOZ0s7QgGYtrSu6PQjYZ8RImT5zJ-tiuDaE9qN2wmVAY1k2S8GN7RO5-EZhBEZG-hIuXQOitRACkE9MCbU/s400/IMG_6843.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633049454281401938" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 360px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Fold the tail up. Now here is the part you can be tricky about. If you are folding for a boy, figure out how to put more of the tail so it protects the front. If you are folding for a girl, get that extra tail folded more in the middle. That way you will catch more pee where you need it. I didn't figure that one out for awhile. My mother-in-law only had boys so I folded it the boy way for a long time. Don't expect that mattered, but it was nice to know when I figured it out later. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIIZhMZKRS0_J9Qv6KfaIK8KCG55DPaDeERciJdRZ3nhE8N6DuMO9_laUj-Es6rbhcNXxvW0cGW-G2lMdOnou0YIUp-3tz7JFmSvbbfpiRf0SdrsgKHq6VkRkBFOwgCN4hOZLRJSO4sSc/s400/IMG_6844.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633049457349148930" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 360px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Last step, fold the top down and smooth it out a bit. When you are putting these on a teeny tiny baby, you can fold in the leg area to fit a bit snugger. The snugger the fit, the less the leakage of things you don't want to leak. </span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span">You put them on the baby by pinning the back right over the front right and pinning. Then do the back left over the front left. Pin snugly and cover in a plastic pants or other waterproof wraps. Sometimes the wraps have their own ways of folding diapers so you will have to figure that one out on your own. (Ok, that part was super obvious but just in case, I said it.)</span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Last hints....</span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span">use double diapers at night. This may seem way too bulky when the baby is a newborn, but it works and often lets you sleep a little more because the extra diaper absorbs more before needing to be changed. We used to not change our babies at night and it worked out just great. Quick nursing and back to sleep. </span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span">if it is tricky to get the pin through the fabric, run the point of the pin in your hair. The natural grease in your hair makes the pin slip right through.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span">don't be cheap about pins. Good pins are worth the price. It is worth replacing them when they get dull as you are much less likely to poke the baby if your pin is sharp and slips through the fabric. </span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span">put your hand behind where you are pinning, that way you poke your hand instead of the baby. You will learn not to do that really fast. If you do poke yourself, make sure to wash it so it doesn't get infected.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span">if you want to make your own diapers, google diaper flannel and buy the thickest, softest flannel you can find. It takes about 10 yards a dozen, so prepare for the invasion of fabric should you ever choose to make them. They are simple as pie to make--cut or tear a square sized block--it usually comes 27" wide. Hem the two non-selvaged edges and you are set. </span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span">Never, ever throw an old diaper away, these make THE best rags you will ever have in your life.</span></li></ul></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769697566946386195.post-9760872371613456552011-06-18T12:29:00.000-07:002011-06-18T14:04:33.176-07:00How to weigh a chicken...Did you ever wonder how to much chicken is in a chicken? <div><br /></div><div>I did because I was wondering how big our used-to-be-chickies needed to be in order to be big enough to butcher and give a decent amount of meat. So I asked a professional chicken grower I know and this is what he said: Put the chicken in a bucket and weigh the bucket. </div><div><br /></div><div>Hmm. have you ever tried to put a chicken in a bucket?? Bet not. </div><div><br /></div><div>Here's how it goes:<div><br /></div><div>First off you need: a 5 gallon bucket, a scale to set the bucket on and a chicken.</div><div><br /></div><div>Step one: Grab the chicken. Easier than you think, esp if you have as many chickens as we do because it doesn't really matter which one you get. Wear boots and old clothes. You will get dirtier than you think.</div><div><br /></div><div>Step two: Put the chicken in the bucket. NOT so easy. After first trying to put the chicken straight in the bucket I realized I would have to subdue the chicken or it would flap too much and break a wing. </div><div> Here's how to subdue a chicken and get him in the bucket:</div><div> </div><div> a) grab the chicken by its feet</div><div> b) hang it upside down by its feet</div><div> c) make sure Jack isn't nipping at it's face so it can relax</div><div> d) wait for the chicken to calm down </div><div> e) when the chicken goes limp walk to the bucket and quick flip the chicken in the bucket</div><div> f) ignore chicken noises, he will be OK but if you stick your face in there, you may not be.</div><div><br /></div><div>Step three: Weigh the chicken-filled bucket. </div><div><br /></div><div>Step four: Carry the bucket back to where all the chickens are and gently ease the disoriented chicken out of the bucket.</div><div><br /></div><div>Step five: Stand guard while the chicken gets his wits back.</div><div><br /></div><div>Step six: Weigh the empty bucket...subtract this amount from the chicken in the bucket weight.</div><div><br /></div><div>Step seven: Subtract 30% off the weight of the chicken (without the bucket). and that is how much chicken meat you will get from of your chicken.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Step eight: Take a shower.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769697566946386195.post-65581463342390865852011-06-12T12:32:00.000-07:002011-06-12T12:47:36.573-07:00Puppy heaven<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQRGHOmPFGHbfRsq2zJHL5zT5hUP7QBJmt_HsJNbQ_NydepjykxxcAbDfdYQjxpnZqNzh75rsIL_ENrKan4zH9twDoHc-ZdMxgwbVuXvFC4SUkF_FiFpSPIlUDHIirlyApYqZIyurGkgs/s1600/IMG_6776.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQRGHOmPFGHbfRsq2zJHL5zT5hUP7QBJmt_HsJNbQ_NydepjykxxcAbDfdYQjxpnZqNzh75rsIL_ENrKan4zH9twDoHc-ZdMxgwbVuXvFC4SUkF_FiFpSPIlUDHIirlyApYqZIyurGkgs/s400/IMG_6776.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617421294539135746" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Ym2aCgyFPzp3LVDIfg0TxWFpCuwzKxeCEw-p4EUfL1RgNLZ9lFRBxi8nSXxNZc06O8LQ_gJAMnoHiDcs5ucg-tSTAZEVqUrcsOXAX9Iy3oIDX_1I0IJfPiGMNgmzcgAa6SllSBBD3hM/s1600/IMG_6774.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Ym2aCgyFPzp3LVDIfg0TxWFpCuwzKxeCEw-p4EUfL1RgNLZ9lFRBxi8nSXxNZc06O8LQ_gJAMnoHiDcs5ucg-tSTAZEVqUrcsOXAX9Iy3oIDX_1I0IJfPiGMNgmzcgAa6SllSBBD3hM/s400/IMG_6774.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617421286878029634" /></a><br />Jack, the new pup, is a dream puppy. Yes, he chews. Yes, he nips our toes. And yes he gets into plenty of mischief. But still, he is a dream dog. <div><br /></div><div>He is so affectionate--kissing and hugging us with his little paws. He follows us around every chance he gets and sleeps right on my feet when he is tired. I am sure he is drawing comfort from having somebody he loves nearby, but he gives at least as much comfort as he takes.. </div><div><br /></div><div>He sleeps on Charlie too, whenever Charlie will let him. He loves Charlie with all his heart and does his best to show it. His little head cocks when he sees Charlie do something new. I think he is hoping to grow up just like Charlie. (And we are hoping that too.) </div><div><br /></div><div>This morning Charlie coughed, something Jack had never heard him do. Jack sat right up and looked at Charlie. You could see the concern on his little face. What was wrong with his favorite doggy friend. Charlie put his head right down and went back to sleep; but not Jack, he sat at attention for a good five minutes making sure Charlie was OK. Once he decided he was fine, Jack put his head down on the carpet near Charlie and went to sleep. I think Charlie has a friend for life!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769697566946386195.post-64854807790925980772011-01-08T21:58:00.000-08:002011-01-09T07:59:32.034-08:00Dud A.I. again.So sad. No baby cows. We have been waiting and watching and hoping and having NO luck. We are finally giving up and calling this a bust. After two AI tries on Mattie and three on Brigid, we are thinking we need a bull to get the job done.<br /><br />Both these mamas are proven (which means having had babies before) and both got pregnant by a bull. The problem is we don't feel qualified to take care of a bull.<br /><br />Bulls are big and they sound bad. We wonder if our fences are strong enough and what would happen if it got loose. How do you catch a bull? Most likely, they aren't as bad as we imagine but even if they are half as much trouble as we are thinking they are more trouble than we are wanting.<br /><br />So we that leaves us scheming on how to either rent a bull (now, there's a business!) and having it live here for a few weeks (kind of scary since it has the same problems as owning a bull only for a shorter period of time) OR taking our cows to a pasture where there is already a bull. The latter is our preferred option but where and how? Esp since we don't have a way to haul cows around. If we could find a pasture that would accept our cows we'd have to find a cowboy for hire to move the cows. And then once the cows were pregnant and we wanted to move the cows back home how would we persuade them to come away from the herd. They are going to like life out there with a bunch of their friends. Wouldn't that bull protect them when we were out there flapping our arms in the field trying to corral our girls? Oh my.<br /><br />No matter how I think about this, it's complicated. If only somebody would rent us Ferdinand. Then we would be fine.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769697566946386195.post-1811343497494831852010-12-14T22:59:00.001-08:002010-12-14T23:01:17.918-08:00Nope, not yet...Just so you know, no baby cows yet. I did however see the last year's baby boy calf carrying on with the goat. What was up with that? He must be very confused. The mama cows were off in the woods all day. Never did see them tonight. I hope that means something good, but I hate to get too hopeful.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769697566946386195.post-696488802146164022010-12-06T20:02:00.001-08:002010-12-06T20:22:05.533-08:00Waiting...While you guys have been WAITING for me not to be such a lazy bones and write another blog post, I have been waiting for Brigid to have a baby. She kind of looks like the Goodyear blimp--very, very round in the middle.<br /><br />Hopefully this time she will actually have a baby. Remember we were waiting last year too and she tricked us. Lots of stomach, no baby. This year we had the very best intentions to get that AI guy back out and check her to make sure she was pregnant but we forgot (again) and now here it is time for her to have that baby and we still don't know. So we are waiting.<br /><br />Everyday I go out and peek and everyday she glares at me. She is running around like a fool in spring. I am assuming that is a bad sign. The thing we have going for us is before the AI guy came this time, Steve took her aside and said 'Brigid, either get pregnant this time or you are going in the freezer." He can be pretty convincing when he says things like this. <br /><br />The other day I told Steve she definitely looked fat enough to be pregnant but he reminded me she was eating for 4....meaning that she keeps all the other cattle from eating their dinners. Quite a power monger, she has to be the boss and she has to eat first--at all four feeding stations! <br /><br />It's pretty hilarious actually. She runs from feeding station to feeding station flailing her horns around, taking a bite or two at each one hoping to keep others from eating. They look on mournfully knowing if they try to ease their way in she will whack them with her horns. Even the ones with horns give way she has them so bullied. There is nothing like being the queen bee, I'd say. Even when you are a cow. <br /><br />Unfortunately for her, this practice has made her quite portly...and the other cows quite fit. Someday she is going to look down and see she has lost her girlish figure and understand that eating first isn't all that it is cracked up to be.<br /><br />But in the meantime, she is eating and we are waiting. I will let you know if anything exciting happens.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769697566946386195.post-14555213072451064922010-09-26T12:23:00.000-07:002010-09-26T13:22:51.634-07:00Rain, and more rain<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidFEECTMzE0cY_u0ZtW516Wl60438oU3USmZPFcQyzxR7tU8rgeVWQ5HGoquLZ3U5BtHfAtR_iwbxgu3bKMid4hEmdOceyPO3wYUHuRhqVKCfDI1-mHf6-wtKGJVNfwGUDKkqGZyXuNxI/s1600/IMG_3406.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 360px; height: 216px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidFEECTMzE0cY_u0ZtW516Wl60438oU3USmZPFcQyzxR7tU8rgeVWQ5HGoquLZ3U5BtHfAtR_iwbxgu3bKMid4hEmdOceyPO3wYUHuRhqVKCfDI1-mHf6-wtKGJVNfwGUDKkqGZyXuNxI/s400/IMG_3406.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521317477607819714" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1O6q6NrKG-7TjPgcreA2tLV4yjcGhyphenhyphenVIMLyvlALTZAIxq-zsQGSdbZfwVcFBcwks707gM1WSsQSJE9ey4b34hUeeRkKQnuTlST7V0Ah25DqEsI6Xn344_KVBUAwB1QxUWkiz9NsheofE/s1600/IMG_3401.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 360px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1O6q6NrKG-7TjPgcreA2tLV4yjcGhyphenhyphenVIMLyvlALTZAIxq-zsQGSdbZfwVcFBcwks707gM1WSsQSJE9ey4b34hUeeRkKQnuTlST7V0Ah25DqEsI6Xn344_KVBUAwB1QxUWkiz9NsheofE/s400/IMG_3401.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521316835792939378" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg74NoT3bNjaX54SPtmWDCca5DIJgia8XKdnGLOR01xUU8ccAqfVKRm8Mpj3zIbSpTk8weadBgSydPqm2mo-xDZiyOoK9hbO0b4rpMls6ppyqtZb5OFO4uNvtqnccUxGzdpxPZdcvOuzqI/s1600/IMG_3373.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 360px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg74NoT3bNjaX54SPtmWDCca5DIJgia8XKdnGLOR01xUU8ccAqfVKRm8Mpj3zIbSpTk8weadBgSydPqm2mo-xDZiyOoK9hbO0b4rpMls6ppyqtZb5OFO4uNvtqnccUxGzdpxPZdcvOuzqI/s400/IMG_3373.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521316831040801122" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8mxau1uBqjehwhAGo4RiSYAVqE3F1Y36aVNNVOCKWYJPT5pARpg_G2Vjxrixx78gu8KOInk17oKceaD04xZwI6BwG2gMQi3FhF97Tyed3JkGUzHYTVcoLQSgzCUWpEQrEyUL-knh0c20/s1600/IMG_3363.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 360px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8mxau1uBqjehwhAGo4RiSYAVqE3F1Y36aVNNVOCKWYJPT5pARpg_G2Vjxrixx78gu8KOInk17oKceaD04xZwI6BwG2gMQi3FhF97Tyed3JkGUzHYTVcoLQSgzCUWpEQrEyUL-knh0c20/s400/IMG_3363.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521316821084005506" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFWVJluWpdcUOU2ge2BZWXMIqL_-cQCwIWKu06RxoR-a6l5EqBQga52Y4PIEoecyqr_3St6XxbwvQ-edVdZ1MiGINbU4a2romjuyM4rilUVkSPuy98z7BK0qRWFZ0hnwl5nhxr0fuCZR8/s1600/IMG_3354.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 270px; height: 360px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFWVJluWpdcUOU2ge2BZWXMIqL_-cQCwIWKu06RxoR-a6l5EqBQga52Y4PIEoecyqr_3St6XxbwvQ-edVdZ1MiGINbU4a2romjuyM4rilUVkSPuy98z7BK0qRWFZ0hnwl5nhxr0fuCZR8/s400/IMG_3354.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521316819842385890" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil0bA7Ud5Zt8eQo7Piy4jRuBG68KSnUVUFpvRwHDPg_sUjbM0q-9uehVhE0ShJKKf6jDunZoN1iyhmi817bvTYwrsKL5cvoobFfJGmFiuYAMXIZu34KsbGLWuLgzDtPBMB8L1FoSOMV_4/s1600/IMG_3345.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 270px; height: 360px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil0bA7Ud5Zt8eQo7Piy4jRuBG68KSnUVUFpvRwHDPg_sUjbM0q-9uehVhE0ShJKKf6jDunZoN1iyhmi817bvTYwrsKL5cvoobFfJGmFiuYAMXIZu34KsbGLWuLgzDtPBMB8L1FoSOMV_4/s400/IMG_3345.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521316810020818914" /></a><br />Yesterday was gorgeous. Not a cloud in the sky. Aidan was mostly better from his beginning of school cold. Heidi was home from college to celebrate her b'day (next Friday) and bring back Grace's car (probably the REAL reason she came home). Grace got in from China--she's here for a brief visit to gather all the wedding presents still here (as she flew away without them after the wedding). Becca and Seth came over for dinner and we had a rousing good time. Lots of food and especially lots of cake. Since it is Grace's b'day next Monday we had a combined birthday bash. Steve made a gluten free chocolate raspberry cake and I made a combo birthday girl cake--angel food cake with german chocolate pecan frosting. Cake+ice cream+ silly kids+many world problems to solve=lots of fun and energized conversations.<br /><br />Meanwhile while we were celebrating the rain came back. It drenched the laundry and brought back out the slugs. Seems like November around here only a little warmer...in the 50-60's instead of the 40-50's. Other than that, not much cooking in these parts. All these pictures are from yesterday. PS sorry the pictures are in the wrong order. I was having trouble moving them around and well, this is what you get. xoUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769697566946386195.post-14126439075189299692010-09-21T11:33:00.000-07:002010-09-21T21:50:32.946-07:00The best laid plans....otherwise known as Tomato Craziness<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgddSPjthfWPE9lA_bVaEWrVWS_663b4lxm2J-mj-YUakte5yUyDfwqUfDySv7T36p2XGK4SE6TXG9H-cEyzwCEJrfq5Z1sYsal9QlxpoO3FjXZg5HLqGr94YHc6zMu5GXU6xlQ9TAg74Y/s1600/IMG_5011.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 360px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgddSPjthfWPE9lA_bVaEWrVWS_663b4lxm2J-mj-YUakte5yUyDfwqUfDySv7T36p2XGK4SE6TXG9H-cEyzwCEJrfq5Z1sYsal9QlxpoO3FjXZg5HLqGr94YHc6zMu5GXU6xlQ9TAg74Y/s400/IMG_5011.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519595282735215906" /></a><br />This year I had plans, big plans. I was going to grow an entire year's worth of tomatoes and maybe more. I has plans to can, freeze and dry them and make all kinds of other tomato goodness out of them. I did it last year. Why not this year? But then came the summer and the rain and the severe lack of heat. And then the blight. All my happy planning, planting and tending grew luscious lively green plants and three ripe tomatoes. Pathetic. <br /><br />For awhile I moped around feeling very sorry for my tomato loving self. But then I pulled myself together and started making trips to the farmer's market and buying organic tomatoes by the lug. AFter a couple of weeks I had processed 125 pounds of these red beauties. Right after the Weston-Price buying club I recently joined had a tomato buy. A dollar a pound for 2# (cosmetically challenged) organic tomatoes. How could I beat that? So I bought another 40 pounds. And then, I got an order I had placed a long time before from our organic fruit guy and brought home another 40 pounds of the best non-homegrown cooking tomatoes I have ever tasted. Okay. I admit I got carried away...but honestly we will eat them and be glad. Already we have had two homemade pizza nights. And there will be more to come I am sure.<br /><br />I bet you are wondering what I did those 200+ pounds. It went quicker than you think.<br /><br />First, I washed and ground the original 100 pounds in my cuisinart. I put the ground tomatoes in quart ziplock bags and froze them as is for cooking. It takes less than an hour to wash and process 25 pounds. Pretty darn quick.<br /><br />Next I dried the remaining 25 pounds of farmer's market tomatoes using my tomato chip recipe which is detailed in the Fifteen Minutes of Heaven post if you <a href="http://brigidsgarden.blogspot.com/2009_09_01_archive.html">scroll down here</a> <br />It takes me less than an hour to prepare 25 pounds for the dryer and a few minutes here and there to check on them.<br /><br />After that, I started getting creative. With 10 pounds of the buying club tomatoes I made a tomato paste from a recipe shared by somebody in the club. I guess the recipe was originally created by Bruce Naftaly of Le Gourmand in Seattle. It is simple and delicious...thank you Elisabeth for sharing and Bruce for creating..<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Tomato Paste</span><br /><br />2 lbs paste tomatoes<br />1/2 c or more red wine<br /><br />start with 1/2 c of red wine. add tomatoes and cover. bring to a boil.<br />once boiling, uncover, and reduce heat to simmer. simmer about 60 min.<br />put through food mill. should yield about 1 c of paste.<br /><br />It took me a little longer to cook it down but I started with regular tomatoes and not the paste tomatoes. I suspect it took twice as long to cook. I also added a titch of himalayan salt.<br /><br />While that was cooking I sliced up the remaining 30 pounds and half dried them. This was a recipe from another friend that I tried last year and loved. It is simple to do and makes cooked tomato sauces divine...somehow the double drying and freezing technique makes the flavors extra rich. It took me a little over an hour to do 30 pounds.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Half-dried Tomatoes</span><br /><br />Slice tomatoes in four even slices and fill the dehydrator. Let them dry about half time so they are smaller but still are fleshy. I would tell you how long but each dehydrator is different. Then carefully move the half dried slices to cookies sheets to freeze solid and then put them in ziplock bags in the freezer. This extra step ensures you can just grab a few when it is time to cook. Use liberally when cooking with tomatoes. (Can't get much easier than that!)<br /><br />And finally, today I got even more adventurous by making the last 40 pounds of tomatoes into the roasted tomato sauce recipe from my new friend Heidi P. Of all the tomato recipes I made, these smell the best. Again, this is a super easy recipe that just takes time and patience.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Roasted Tomato Sauce</span><br /><br />Cover the bottom of a pyrex or other thick baking pan with paste tomatoes that have been sliced in half the long way. Make a thick pile, about as much as the pan can hold. <br /><br />Drizzle olive oil and himalayan salt over the top and then sprinkle with fresh herbs (I used basil, oregano and thyme).<br /><br />Add liberal amounts of fresh garlic cloves.<br /><br />Bake at 220 degrees until all the extra water is gone. Stir occasionally and keep cooking on a low heat until the tomatoes are the consistency that you like. You can cool and then freeze in useful amounts or can if you like. If you can remember you will need to add citric acid to acidify for safety. With the herbs and garlic and oil, I figure I would rather be safe than sorry so I froze it. <br /><br />I am sure there are many other delicious ways to preserve tomatoes for winter. What's your favorite way?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769697566946386195.post-62220922190541252002010-09-20T07:37:00.001-07:002010-09-20T07:47:21.141-07:00Queen of the FliesI love September. I love harvesting from the garden. I love pickling, jamming, jarring, cooking, and freezing all that I harvest. I love watching my pantry and freezer go from full to bursting. I love the smells. I love the colors. I just love September. But what I don't love are the flies.<br /><br />Seems like every September we have too many flies around here. Buzzing and hanging off the walls watching everything I do. Landing near me, on me. Yuck. I don't like to think about it and I don't like to deal with it. But that doesn't make them go away. And this year, because it is so cold outside we have even more than usual. I feel like Queen of the Flies (not to be confused with Queen of the Bees which is a movie you really should see when it comes to your town!)<br /><br />Usually I have a live and let live sort of temperament when it comes to bugs. This year, however, the flies have finally gotten to me. Armed with the ZAPPER (a wonderful electric orange tennis racket), I have been wandering around the house zapping all the flies I can get. It makes a horrible sound and smell and makes me feel even worse (though I suppose the fly wins in the feel bad department). I just couldn't take it anymore. I have become a mass murderer of flies. I would give you photographic proof but that would embarrass me too much. Owning up to it is about all I can take.<br /><br />So welcome to my life this monday morning....amazing tomato paste simmering on my stove and me ducking the fly bombers.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769697566946386195.post-23984652612809688702010-09-18T08:56:00.001-07:002010-09-19T14:35:03.244-07:00I'm back--hopefullyWell, I admit it. I disappeared from the blogosphere. Completely. It has been months and I haven't even opened this blog page once. I didn't even know how long it had been. I have been busy. Honest. And maybe not in the mood. But today, I am back.<br /><br />Let me explain...the last time I posted it was right before Aidan's birthday. So there was the birthday. And that happens at planting time, so there was planting, digging and hauling of compost to be done. And then I went to Brazil for a couple of weeks so there was the getting ready for the trip, the trip and the recovering from the trip. (It's a big trip!) And then right on the heels of Brazil was THE WEDDING. The wedding took weeks to get ready for and recover from. And in those weeks there was also the family reunion--FUN. Loved that. Though I did feel SUPER guilty about how hard the wedding ended up working everyone. I really didn't get that in advance and I apologize in reverse.<br /><br />And then there was catching up from the wedding and reunion and the trip...meaning my garden went to hell from neglect. And then there was a busy summer full of day camp (not that I do any of the work but it does mean a LOT of extra people in my space all the time). And then school started and I was still trying to salvage my garden and fill our pantry and freezer. Did the latter two but the garden is just a mess. One big pile of buttercups. (See the previous post if you want an explanation.)<br /><br />So that leaves me here, today. Ready to be back. And with not much to say except one big whiney apology. Can you forgive me? Hope so. <br /><br />The most exciting thing that has happened lately (besides everything I was whining about up there) is the cow went on walkabout. Steve went to feed her yesterday morning and NO Brigid. Now this is a girl who LOVES her food. I have seen her literally charge down a pasture to get a handful of greens that are dangling over the fence. She loves to eat.<br /><br />So let's just say she has never, ever missed breakfast before. When she didn't show up, Steve was alarmed. He trekked all over heck and gone (meaning through the blackberries and woods) as fast as he could (he was rapidly getting late for work) and couldn't find her. Naturally I was appointed relief chief cow catcher.<br /><br />I wasn't too worried for some reason and I had a LOT of things already on my list so I decided to let her wander home on her own and give her a few hours to do so. I adopted this attitude partly because I know how hard it is to get her to do anything she doesn't already agree to and I figured if she was dining in the woods, she wasn't going to leave until she was done. <br /><br />After I got back from my 347 errands and things to do on the official 'things to do list', I ate lunch and went a looking. First I looked from the car because before when she has jumped the fence she has found her way through the woods and onto our neighbor's lawns. I don't think they like that too much. These neighbors are also far enough away it is much quicker to look by vehicle than on foot. She wasn't anywhere to be found on the road back through the woods, so I came home put on my big blackberry-proof boots and headed out into the woods to look. First of course, looking to see if she was back. She was not.<br /><br />I traipsed through all kinds of thickets and brambles and open spots of woods (ahhh). But of course, NO COW! I had visions of search and rescue teams fanning out in the 2 million acres of woods that are adjacent to our house and of never finding the cow. My imagination was going wild. The more arduous the walk through the blackberries became, the more dramatic my imaginings were. Let's just say I came up with some pretty amazing scenarios...including rescuing cows by helicopters for one. <br /><br />After a LONG time, I was just about to give up. I went back to the barn to give Mattie a great big hello (she was standing in her stall quite happily) when who should poke her innocent nose out of the other barn door and peer at me with those big brown eyes of hers--Brigid.. And to tell you the truth she was looking much more ornery than innocent. <br /><br />I guess I can say alls well that ends well but honestly cows can be worse than goats sometimes.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769697566946386195.post-22713670414123927902010-05-23T10:27:00.000-07:002010-05-23T10:45:07.223-07:00A meditation in Gold<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLmI0gRKI0grhBZHXfX9Qp_iWLHltY8qYmsmT4U_beWfyNVenCszWqP2g-K1b6-y_sqRDumK8RgndL3aetbicNHGnY7tGVemfREl3xPJDsfcegpGEZ9NIyiLZNl89We6Hfz-tG_RGPmJo/s1600/IMG_2967.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 360px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLmI0gRKI0grhBZHXfX9Qp_iWLHltY8qYmsmT4U_beWfyNVenCszWqP2g-K1b6-y_sqRDumK8RgndL3aetbicNHGnY7tGVemfREl3xPJDsfcegpGEZ9NIyiLZNl89We6Hfz-tG_RGPmJo/s400/IMG_2967.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474521087528173666" /></a><br />I wrote the following a few years ago after a particularly long spring of digging buttercups. I just came in from hoeing down those golden beauties and thought I would share what I wrote so long ago. It is surely still true today. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">A Meditation in Gold</span><br /><br />I am drowning in a sea of buttercups. Each spring their fecundity catches me unaware. By summer, I’ve spent untold hours digging them out of my gardens. When autumn comes, I throw up my hands in defeat as they spread their seeds with joyous promiscuity.<br /><br />An occasional wildflower where I was raised, buttercups now rule my visual world. Left untended they stake their claim across my farmstead. Buttercups are surprisingly domineering. One summer of weeding left undone and an entire flower garden disappears. <br /><br />“It’s only because the soil is too wet,” the nurseryman says. <br /><br />Hmm, I think. That spot wasn’t filled with buttercups when we moved in. Did they bring their water with them when they grew?<br /><br />Once my garden-loving aunt came to visit when we were new to our farm. Seeing all the buttercups she marveled at their sun-crested beauty. “I’d let them grow, they’re such pretty little things.” she said as she fawned over their yellow fairy cups. <br /><br />“Maybe,” I hesitantly ventured. “But don’t you think there are an awful lot of them?” <br /><br />Little did I know. The previous owners must have struggled to remove every trace of buttercups from all cultivated areas before they sold the farm. What harm could a few (hundred) stragglers cause? And so, I let them be. <br /><br />Now seven years later, the tide has truly come in. Hundreds became thousands and thousands became -- dare I say -- millions. The lower pasture, once filled with lush grass, is now a golden meadow of delight, except the sheep would much rather eat grass than buttercups so what am I to do? The buttercups steadily encroach upon any area of disturbed or wet ground (like my vegetable garden, where I can pull ten gallons a day week after week and not make a dent). <br /><br />I rail against their bright spirit as they haunt my days with their ever-present vitality. Their sheer numbers render me helpless. How can I rid my garden of them? And yet, if I stop flailing against this tide and relax into the flow, something mysterious happens. They throw me a lifeline. Instead of me subduing them, their passionate wildness reaches out to buoy me along. Buttercups become my meditation<br /><br />Like early morning sirens, they lure me from my bed. I find them wherever I wander with my trusted fork and a five-gallon bucket in hand. Each morning I gather bucket after bucket of these golden weeds. The buttercups are my excuse to be with the green, growing earth beneath me. The peace of the land penetrates my cells as I silently work the soil. I place each plant into my bucket with care, an offering from the stillness of my heart.<br /><br />Buttercups have taught me the power of surrender as they alternately yield to and wrestle with my fork. They cling to their home with tenacious intent. Roots of steel, I have often thought. Yet, there is a sense of knowing when and how to pull that gently persuades them to relinquish their earthly connection. If I fight them the stalks snap in my hand, and the buttercups re-emerge with vigor. But if instead, I soften, melding myself to their essential nature, I know just where to pull and how. They literally slip from the soil into my hand. Their surrender originates in mine. When we meet as one, the plant yields and soon my bucket is full. <br /><br />I give thanks for this practice as I bring my chickens their daily breakfast of fresh greens. The hens happily devour their morning treat, graciously transforming the weeds into eggs with yolks as rich and golden as the flowers. Unlike me, my chickens have no difficulty with their profusion in my yard. They welcome every buttercup they meet.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769697566946386195.post-35886924472557786762010-05-22T16:43:00.000-07:002010-05-22T17:28:41.839-07:00Apple socka and late frostsI just came in from the orchard with sad news. The late frosts kept most of our fruit from setting. There are a few cherries, some apples and some plums but there are MANY trees with no fruit at all. Very sad. <br /><br />I was investigating the trees so closely because I went out to put little tiny nylon socks on the baby apples. This sounds goofy I know, but I was doing it to prevent apple maggots. We had a few last year and I decided to nip this problem in the bud (so to speak). <br /><br />Apple maggots are as common as apples in this part of Western Washington. So, it isn't surprising we got them, but I still want to figure out how to help them not choose our apples for their homes. I decided to try a two pronged approach of ridding the orchard of them. <br /><br />First approach are the goofy looking little nylon socks. Buying them in bags of 300, it is a project to put them out. Climbing on ladders and searching under leaves, you place one of these socks over each baby fruit when they are less than an inch big. Then the apple grows into the sock providing the apple maggots with a physical barrier that supposedly prevents the maggots and coddling moths to boot. I have never done this before so I can't tell you from experience how well it works but my gardening friends love them. It is a bit tedious to put all the little socks on the fruit babies, but it is also pretty nice being out there in the gentle spring sunshine listening to the creek all full of water from this morning's rain. Charlie stayed with me the entire time hunting things in the grass. We had a good time.<br /><br />Apple maggots are a huge problem where we live. But like all pests, they are a sign that the vitality of the plant is somehow compromised. For this reason, I am planning on brewing as much biodynamic compost tea as I can and spreading it in the orchard as often as I can manage. I have heard of many people doing this and experiencing a dramatic increase in the health of their fruit trees. I figured I would give it a try. I certainly have the compost to make the tea with...thank you Kaitlin!<br /> <br />It is easy to brew this tea. All you need is a 5 gallon bucket, a fish bubbler and some tubing, some compost and a zippered net bag and lastly some micronized endo powder. Fill the bucket with water, turn on the bubbler and stick the tubing down under the water (I hold my tubing in place with a rock). Then put some compost in the zippered net laundry bag and float it in the water. Add the micronized endo powder (which helps the good bugs grow in the compost tea) and let it all brew for a day. Spread like you were watering the trees. Easy as pie. You can buy a fancy compost brewer for hundreds of dollars or you can make one of these for $20-$25. Either way, the brew is mighty powerful stuff, especially when made with biodynamic compost.<br /><br />We already painted the trees with biodynamic tree paste mid winter. And if we get a chance we will dig the grass out from the base of the tree and put a good layer of compost around each tree. Hopefully, all this will be enough to stop those pesky apple maggots in their tracks. I like apples too much to see them get wormy.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769697566946386195.post-38959455635079955692010-05-02T07:52:00.000-07:002010-05-02T07:56:13.914-07:00Busy weekend....We are full to the brim with people around here. Fun!<br /><br />Amanda the wwoofer from Hong Kong is still here and still weeding. The dear girl has weeded the biggest pile of weeds (buttercups!) I have ever seen. Becca and Seth are here for a few days before they take off for the pilgrimage walking trip in Spain (5 weeks--hundreds of miles...it is called the Camino, you could google if you are interested). And our friends Jacqueline and Joseph are here and we are having a weekend of biodynamic classes here...yesterday was Bees-The Other Way and today is Biodynamic Basics where we will be showing people how to stir and spray preps and make a biodynamic compost pile. Fun. But I have to run. Lots to do this morning.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769697566946386195.post-30041458885162939372010-04-16T08:35:00.001-07:002010-04-16T08:37:34.642-07:00buzz, buzz, buzzThe bees are coming today. I ordered two nucs (which are a bunch of bees and a queen for them to love) and they come in this afternoon. Nice! Only sad part is the man who started the bee business died a couple of weeks ago so his widow will be passing out the bees and I am sure just the thought of doing his work will make her even sadder. I hope the bees themselves will help her. They are SUCH the essence of love. Tomorrow some folks are coming over to watch while I hive the bees. Maybe I will have pictures or something to post. I love bee season.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769697566946386195.post-24882569991883961382010-04-14T19:34:00.000-07:002010-04-14T19:35:02.960-07:00OverwhelmEver look at the list and feel immobile instead of activated. That was me today. Nothing useful has gotten done so far (except a trip to the dentist, which hardly counts). Oh well, maybe tomorrow.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769697566946386195.post-40594270599717346012010-04-13T12:34:00.000-07:002010-04-14T19:33:55.576-07:00Home again, home again Jiggity JigI just have to say, if you are going to go away, you ought to have Becca and Seth come live your life for you while you are gone. Seriously, we came home to clean house, a cleaner barn, happy animals and fresh CHEESE. I mean, geez, that is something I always mean to do but seem not to find the time for. Yippee. <br /><br />Becca had even redone all the strawberry beds--the old ones are weeded and refilled with new plants and the new ones are now not crawling out into the pasture. Yes, mam she did a good job. Yea for Becca. <br /><br />Now it is rainy and cold and I can stay inside relatively guilt free and put all facets of our life back together by getting the laundry done and the fridge cleaned out. Sweet deal. Thank you Becca (and Seth!).Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769697566946386195.post-24177104797426402882010-04-11T09:32:00.000-07:002010-04-11T10:09:54.826-07:00Aloha<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK4CwTQjw3IFo8EaWXg9EyySHKCMhfk22I0OUM7q6TpfMzbhyphenhyphenCx5uUsOGkBwttmVGgAnnvfMe0q16Q2eNLv7b838CTjboufcSer5L2dbyQy5Ikpss4xNthKKGqjd8HsHj8dubt0Xaa3EY/s1600/P4100033.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 360px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK4CwTQjw3IFo8EaWXg9EyySHKCMhfk22I0OUM7q6TpfMzbhyphenhyphenCx5uUsOGkBwttmVGgAnnvfMe0q16Q2eNLv7b838CTjboufcSer5L2dbyQy5Ikpss4xNthKKGqjd8HsHj8dubt0Xaa3EY/s400/P4100033.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458924061446192594" /></a> Knowing yesterday was our last day before piling on the airplane and flying home inspired us. We got out early for a short walk on OUR beach and then hopped in the car to go back to Tunnels beach for another round of snorkeling. The surf was up, as were the currents so it was good we went early when it was relatively calm. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5k8jErVayCyRMzoBMftoYdvL0h90V_Bb1SiMThaJhylLtXFvxJJcKp6zGl1CGs-3vsthHxXBWe5Xt8xnUNlO_5dnAsMhbpSDQFzD3G0cEYrQqDjShFJtJIxzN66M93Cgxt39eon0ONZA/s1600/P4100036.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 360px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5k8jErVayCyRMzoBMftoYdvL0h90V_Bb1SiMThaJhylLtXFvxJJcKp6zGl1CGs-3vsthHxXBWe5Xt8xnUNlO_5dnAsMhbpSDQFzD3G0cEYrQqDjShFJtJIxzN66M93Cgxt39eon0ONZA/s400/P4100036.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458924346964603842" /></a>We saw many of the usual suspects but also saw a gigantic moray eel that was half in and half out of his hole in the rock. We looked him up on line thinking that we could find out what kind he was. Since he was spotted, we thought it would be easy to tell. But alas, there are three spotted moray eels. We think he was a snout eel but he easily could have been a whitemouthed one, esp since the inside of his mouth was very white. Steve tried to take a picture but it didn't come out because we stayed a very comfortable distance above him in the water. I liked that. The last time we were in Kauai, a moray eel struck towards my face when I was looking at some fish near his hole. That was way too close for comfort. But I suppose he felt the same way about me! <br /><br />After Tunnels we headed into Hanelei to produce the long promised Shave Ice for Aidan. Clearly a winner with him, as he was lamenting that he should have been having this all along. Me, I am not a fan of shave ice...way too orange or blue or green and way tooooo sweet. Steve and Aidan happily ate theirs in the shade on a bench while I walked around. I wandered into this cool store that sold handmade Polynesian things...phew, they make some really nasty weapons like the one that is designed to poke out both eyes of the enemy at once. Geez, I hope if I ever go to that island I mind my p's and q's. Wouldn't want to be on the wrong end of that puppy.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghMgmZGrxfG8QHS5cmrHOBIN7V3N6JO9RVO8nHf1tbZpcth3931Ls946IiGzISH5OeebamnS1T1-JJ8_DOxQticiiglK-0vkgbW0BEMRVNp4g5SP0F17ng8R90H0twbvDwx9MKetcRC8c/s1600/P4100044.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 270px; height: 360px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghMgmZGrxfG8QHS5cmrHOBIN7V3N6JO9RVO8nHf1tbZpcth3931Ls946IiGzISH5OeebamnS1T1-JJ8_DOxQticiiglK-0vkgbW0BEMRVNp4g5SP0F17ng8R90H0twbvDwx9MKetcRC8c/s400/P4100044.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458923641682949090" /></a>Then we came home for a very quick lunch and to reapply sunscreen because it was SUNNY and HOT and BEAUTIFUL and we headed for the Queen's bath again...of course because we spent so much time snorkeling by now it was 2 o'clock and we were worried about getting back in time for our last Banana Joe's so we had to stop there before the Queen's bath just to make sure. They are closed today so we can't get one on the way to the airport, but I may start looking for a champion juicer on craigslist. I can only imagine how delicious that concoction would be made with berries from the garden...Yummy and good for us too!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogsaETFjVDlV4jAxFelWtXRfhTYv9VxuQy-IAfZOjQE3CZOAXQx5wJ8yEH7wHAkizjXCGMaV-xo993qEBPQYSjHAllwmHs3sR4VNRe6NkxAPyqPr3R865gpD2cT1aqL_bj13Xml9YMy0/s1600/P4100056.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 360px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogsaETFjVDlV4jAxFelWtXRfhTYv9VxuQy-IAfZOjQE3CZOAXQx5wJ8yEH7wHAkizjXCGMaV-xo993qEBPQYSjHAllwmHs3sR4VNRe6NkxAPyqPr3R865gpD2cT1aqL_bj13Xml9YMy0/s400/P4100056.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458924845458047474" /></a>Then we dashed off to the Queen's bath where it was one big party. The surf was crashing over the rocks and into the pool which made it very fun AND we saw an entire little tide pool full of baby eels. They were eating each other for food. : (( Guess it was just an eely kind of day. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKvfW6P5rRSX7sVYk4zZYMbJdzXHnMqGODPSl95KyLYJ73ezERoN3THJ4WkLzYQThhGhla0rwNDQmrBS7QVpWY6wg2KTvIAlxJ4BAYLA0g5lac_aTU5xC0hMSZrE2ogX2dHaVRv8vu25Q/s1600/P4100052.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 360px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKvfW6P5rRSX7sVYk4zZYMbJdzXHnMqGODPSl95KyLYJ73ezERoN3THJ4WkLzYQThhGhla0rwNDQmrBS7QVpWY6wg2KTvIAlxJ4BAYLA0g5lac_aTU5xC0hMSZrE2ogX2dHaVRv8vu25Q/s400/P4100052.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458927970225341922" /></a><br /><br />After this we went back to the fish market for one last round of fresh mahi mahi and came home for a movie. Aidan finished off the Kauai made sorbet that was in the freezer making it a great end to a great day. Oh, did I mention that we got an ice cream too when we went to the fish market?. By the time Aidan went to bed he had had 4 frozen treats in one day. (We tried hard to make his last day memorable! And NO, the parents didn't do that. We have a little restraint!)<br /><br />Now it is packing and off to the airport we go. Aloha Kauai, we love you!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769697566946386195.post-86189756580493747372010-04-10T09:45:00.000-07:002010-04-10T11:22:23.547-07:00Bali Hai<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHzmFhfRXndwl3Ll6ofYFFfQuF8TsDtjB-greQwVgO3FCmbPwVUrzS3kuKrgtZW3oZimQKrtmGYcV3Q9fkMP-wPpFoF7FfJVXaVW9UBGmcW7NdYfnuZ-tr-rM-2tQ9ufQiQLRXEebmP6I/s1600/P4090005.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 270px; height: 360px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHzmFhfRXndwl3Ll6ofYFFfQuF8TsDtjB-greQwVgO3FCmbPwVUrzS3kuKrgtZW3oZimQKrtmGYcV3Q9fkMP-wPpFoF7FfJVXaVW9UBGmcW7NdYfnuZ-tr-rM-2tQ9ufQiQLRXEebmP6I/s400/P4090005.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458555166762283538" /></a> The day started off with a double rainbow, how could it be anything but perfect!<br /><br />The weather was gorgeous, the seas calm(ish), and the boat within walking distance of the house. We wandered down towards the dock at 7:15. Just as we got there the van was pulling up with all our other boat buddies coming in from Hanelei and then we all watched the boat as it was launched into the water. It wasn't long before we were all aboard and heading down to the Na Pali coast. The boat's name is the Seabreeze and truly, the day (well, morning) was as perfect as the name implies.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2hU_M9QrzSWW7Shr6vi1Txrq1hURtp56B2feM_tIKkxV2B3puL0nLzRsL1drqDRhyphenhyphenSmGvtnjCaSSACrdHlMLuQ2osiymM1IiH_wl0DCnHMEvPkc8A3yru715kZ0Kkc8kfwyYuyuYtu2s/s1600/P4090097.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 360px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2hU_M9QrzSWW7Shr6vi1Txrq1hURtp56B2feM_tIKkxV2B3puL0nLzRsL1drqDRhyphenhyphenSmGvtnjCaSSACrdHlMLuQ2osiymM1IiH_wl0DCnHMEvPkc8A3yru715kZ0Kkc8kfwyYuyuYtu2s/s400/P4090097.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458554864424122162" /></a><br />Isn't that a great picture! Don't thank the parents, Aidan took that one. His photography class skills have shown all trip. There were 14 of us aboard and two captains. The Seabreeze had it's annual Coast Guard inspection immediately after our trip so our Captain Bob<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGtnbYml-F7QiOL8BtJf7Lq5Q9xAgBt48TjLh1-CeKpSTujNdLQvKTEOc5UKf84rB_GLz2UqEYxgqMBqEnE4-_1krRNyMsD9G-yWIDY53-BacBP2ZRdeeDsRiSGsVZ1IeYIr0RGCOIIlI/s1600/P4090034.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 270px; height: 360px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGtnbYml-F7QiOL8BtJf7Lq5Q9xAgBt48TjLh1-CeKpSTujNdLQvKTEOc5UKf84rB_GLz2UqEYxgqMBqEnE4-_1krRNyMsD9G-yWIDY53-BacBP2ZRdeeDsRiSGsVZ1IeYIr0RGCOIIlI/s400/P4090034.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458554698348122754" /></a> had his friend Capt. Rick there to help. That way we had two very knowledgeable tour guides and the trip was the better for it. Each had their own take on the tour and since Steve and I were sitting in different parts of the boats we heard both. Capt. Bob focused on the history and land forms, while Captain Rick made sure we knew exactly which celebrity lived where. I can now somewhat confidently say that Julia Robert's house has a green roof and is is NOT on Anini beach but is still close by. <br /><br />The sea was full of swells on the way down the Na Pali coast, otherwise known as Bali Hai. From the sea, we saw the beach where Mitzi Gaylor washed that man right out of her hair and the scenery that National Geographic considers the second most beautiful coast line in the world. You have to admit, it is pretty spectacular, even with our amateur photography skills. The water is at least this gorgous.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbauDHt5NUTW1dsqdffSxHBlKFUfQZjzL7OJevWx9xrQSMTZLaC7OxpuQzWY4G7M7ly56foYTOOwuf1D41GGSxy6NCbqSYuo5qp79JkxOvs7_qObpu1rJFjEboh-tFfdOyYU09f_O77Xw/s1600/P4090051.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 360px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbauDHt5NUTW1dsqdffSxHBlKFUfQZjzL7OJevWx9xrQSMTZLaC7OxpuQzWY4G7M7ly56foYTOOwuf1D41GGSxy6NCbqSYuo5qp79JkxOvs7_qObpu1rJFjEboh-tFfdOyYU09f_O77Xw/s400/P4090051.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458554355850629026" /></a> And every bit of the scenery breathtaking. We saw valleys that looked virtually inhabitable they were so steep and rugged, and yet thousands of ancient Polynesians lived there for centuries. We saw the 'warrior' cliffs where the young boys would train for their lives as warriors diving off one cliff and swimming up to a virtually unswimmable beach only to have to reclimb a cliff for some other test of their manhood. Impressive stuff. As Capt. Rick said, this was when men were men! Speaking of that, I forgot to mention that Captian Rick (easily a man in his 60's) makes a yearly swim/run down and back the Na Pali coast in some kind of race...8.5 mile open water swim (with flippers and mask and snorkel and then an 11.5 mile run back up the Na Pali coast trail where parts of the trail are 18 inches wide and if you misstep once you fall down a very tall cliff! The swim part that sounded okay to me.....<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfExwi0XmROYHUTTExNg0UUz_4Zjz6nue_csmzNBRSu_LSNEhYPKvcdlbGLgaOZ5_oCeA8CMcUKZvEbEUvcW-4bvklTVCac5NiY0GLbaZvG9YIWovplxqfWd9QXqtxvWx_F5HTm66d_38/s1600/P4090099.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 360px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfExwi0XmROYHUTTExNg0UUz_4Zjz6nue_csmzNBRSu_LSNEhYPKvcdlbGLgaOZ5_oCeA8CMcUKZvEbEUvcW-4bvklTVCac5NiY0GLbaZvG9YIWovplxqfWd9QXqtxvWx_F5HTm66d_38/s400/P4090099.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458553622176679922" /></a> When we reached our lunch spot, we immediately saw some turtles swimming in the waters around the boat. Yea! I love turtles. Capt. Bob declared the waters calm enough to swim so we donned our snorkel gear and jumped off the boat for an hour long snorkel. We saw plenty of fish and another monk seal sunning itself on the reef. We also saw a few of those beautiful turtle friends up close. Thanks again to Aidan for capturing them with the camera. It is much harder than it looks to get beautiful underwater shots.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisfBrC3-WJYO0zxBnRwtc2LL5R3ITmnL4ejI3K5B5L6tVhtBa5vdjVCnowjH33QMWVfzeun1NmhLjwoqrPLhpkfZ2upwm1Zixmw9jz-bh_tw_4LwoW6_fvBDK5NTR8UO7uD2KKZki8nfU/s1600/P4090134.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 270px; height: 360px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisfBrC3-WJYO0zxBnRwtc2LL5R3ITmnL4ejI3K5B5L6tVhtBa5vdjVCnowjH33QMWVfzeun1NmhLjwoqrPLhpkfZ2upwm1Zixmw9jz-bh_tw_4LwoW6_fvBDK5NTR8UO7uD2KKZki8nfU/s400/P4090134.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458552178818534162" /></a> On the way back we saw an entire pod of dolphins swimming along side the boat, jumping and playing. Quite a sight. I even saw a baby swimming right in tow with its mama and a friend. So cute. And then just as we were about to head in over Fringe Reef (the reef surrounding Anini beach that happens to be the largest living coral reef in Hawaii) we saw a baby humpback whale surface. Capt. Bob stopped the boat and we waited and watched until mama and baby came up to the surface again. Quite a sight to see them so close. The water over the reef was shallow the mama whale couldn't flip her tale when she was surfacing and diving because that would have taken her deeper than she was able to go. All in all, it was an amazing morning. Steve however was raring to go more, so as we are walking back up the beach he's planning our next big adventure--hiking above Princeville. Aidan and I stayed home savoring the last one while Steve went by himself and took this picture of some interesting tree he saw on the hill. That boy can go and go forever, Just like the energizer bunny!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0