Garden, summer 2014

I was a little more ambitious this year with the garden, adding zucchini and squash to the usual mix. They have done well, but have been crowded, and have crowded out other things like the cabbage and cucumbers. I'll have to move them next year. I also tried onions again, and they did next to nothing. I think maybe the dirt is too compact for them. I put in a bunch of potatoes and they have done well. Now that I am bringing them in, I am putting green bean seeds where they have been in the garden. I missed the prime time to plant lettuce seedlings, so I had to start lettuce from seed; it's just now starting to look like something. Nothing to harvest yet though. Here are some photos of veggies and meals from the garden so far this year.

Lentils with zucchini and beef satay, a very tasty dinner.

Three varieties of potatoes: purple, Yukon gold, and white. I've used them to make fried potatoes for breakfast and potato salad.

First little cabbage: I picked it small so none would go to waste. Reds are right behind the whites.

Sauteed vegetable medley: zucchini, squash, tomatoes and onion.

Pumpkins early in the season. They are now beginning to turn orange.

Rockmont, 2014

Both Eli and Briggs have been recipients of incredible generosity bestowed by Camp Rockmont, and the director there, Dan Davis. They have been given 90% scholarships since the second summer we were in Black Mountain, to attend two weeks of camp. Eli attended six years as a camper and this year is working in the kitchen. Briggs attended overnight camp last year for a week, after attending the day camp for a week in 2012. Libby reports that when she was dropping Briggs off this year, Calvin said he wanted to attend overnight camp next year. However, he would only attend if he had his purple bunny (a favorite stuffed animal) go with him! So, maybe day camp for him next summer.

One of the nice things about this camp is that they send a "report" of sorts on how each boy is doing. These reports strive to remain upbeat and put the best possible spin on everything the boys undertake and experience. Briggs' report for this session arrived today. His cabin leader, a college student from SC, ended the report stating Briggs "epitomizes the rejection of passivity." While I might have phrased it differently, I get the sentiment. Briggs does nothing in small ways. His cabin-mates have obviously been getting the full brunt of that exuberance while at camp.

Eli has been working in the kitchen, running the dischwasher after meals. He got his first check this week and remarked, "Wow, that's a lot of money!" Perspective is everything I suppose. He very often works split shifts, so he has a couple of hours of down time. Having attended camp before, he knows the ropes, and managed to score some canoe time last week.

Bunny

I spotted him (or her, I have no idea) first a few weeks ago, as the weather began to warm. He would be in the grass mid-morning, after everyone else had left for school and work, and I was heading to church. He was very brave, sitting in the middle of the lawn, but would scurry, usually to the flower bed when he spotted me. I finally had my phone in hand recently and was able to get a couple of shots. He darted to a smaller escape area, and I was able to get closer than I would have in the flower bed. Still no great shots, but as good as one can expect, I suppose, for a wild bunny. Though it's not visible here, he does indeed have a white tail.

He's just above and left of center in this photo, about 1/4 below the white standpipe. Raven in the bare patches to the left.

Caught up with him in this smaller plant bed. He was desperately trying to hide, so I didn't persist too hard for the picture. You can see the fur of his back in the middle of the shot, under a couple of branches.

Sudden rain shower = instant fun

It started raining this evening without warning. No thunder nor lightning, but it rained rather heavily for a while, then eased off. This led to much frolicking.

The one good thing about leaky gutters.

 

The one good thing about that bare patch in the lawn. Mud.

 

Can they get any more "in" the water?

Short jaunt on the Parkway

We wanted a nearby trip on the Parkway today, but as we set off north from the Folk Life Center we saw it was closed a mere 8 miles ahead. South, I knew already Graveyard Fields was closed for improvements, so we didn't want to head down that way. So we stayed VERY close. We went to the parkway headquarters and visitors' center. There we took a mile-long loop hike and saw these flowers. (Plus Calvin near the trailhead.) Then we came back to the Folk Life Center for a picnic lunch. We trouped around the gallery a while and then headed home. It was picture day for the current baseball season, and both Calvin and Briggs had mid-afternoon time slots. It was a nice short outing. And a good day for spring flowers.

Plus some fiddlehead ferns in memory of my dad.

Apples 2013

It's been a great year for our apples! Last year we barely reaped anything from the two trees. To make up for it, we can hardly keep up this year. Local folks tell us this is a common progression. We've made applesauce, apple butter, and apple turnovers, and I've carried two cat litter boxes full up to church, and let three folks from church and the neighborhood pick their own. And there are still more waiting. I picked some apples tonight for another round of apple butter. The recipe I found takes 22 hours (!!) but is pretty much worth it. Here with a photo-essay of part one. I'll get a picture of the trees and the final steps in a second post.

Rinsing apples in the sink. Ours are 100% organic, which means we don't do anything to them, which means we take them as they come off the tree. Yellow jackets like them, and so do birds and squirrels, and so we have to clean up everything that comes along with that.

Peeling. A few years ago we invested in a peeler. It never has seen much action until this year. In fact this is probably the best year in 7 in terms of yield. We didn't loose many to insects, animals, blight, freezing, drought or anything. The first time I made apple butter and applesauce, I let Eli and Briggs work the peeler. They were at a football game tonight. It wasn't too bad on my own.

More of the peeler. Being organic, our apples come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. I had to do just a little bit of trimming up after the peeler this evening.

I think I used about 40 small and medium apples this evening; I forgot to count ahead of time. This is their condition after peeling.

Using the corer and slicer. This works great. I chop off the tops and bottoms and then use this tool to core and slice them. Some slices need trimming of leftover peel, or sores, and some have seeds. This part of the process goes pretty quickly.

The current batch as they begin in the slow cooker. Twenty-two hours later will be something quite different! The only other ingredient besides the apples at this point is apple cider vinegar, so the house has a distinctive aroma about it!

South Mountain State Park, Summer 2013

The Friday after the 4th of July this year found me at home with all three boys and rainy weather in the offing. It had been raining quite a bit for most of a week, so everyone was kind of edgy with boredom. On a whim I decided to take everyone to South Mountain State Park. We had been in 2008 also. I figured Eli and Briggs would remember it a bit, even if Calvin didn't. Herewith some before and after pictures. In 2008 the weather had been "normal" so the river was what one might expect. The contrast with the state of the river after a month of rain was quite remarkable.

Briggs in 2008. We spent most of our time on the 2008 trip near the parking area. There is a picnic area, and the water in 2008 was pretty, perfect for exploring.

 Calvin in 2008, about 9 months old.

Eli near the falls in 2008. Notice the flow level.

 

 The falls in 2008. Pretty enough, and tame enough.

At the falls in 2013. Gush-a-licious. Sorry it's a little blurry: the spray in the air, and the general cloudiness of the area gave the camera on my phone fits.

Calvin in 2013. He hiked the whole way up to the falls, around the top and back down, in pouring rain for the last 45 minutes. He was not willing to call it a "great adventure" until long after we had gotten home! But at this point the sun had actually broken through for a few minutes; true "calm before the storm."

Briggs in 2013, about half-way up to the falls. We knew the water level was up, and got a good indication of that here. Many places we had walked around on in 2008 were completely submerged this year.

 

There is a sheer rock face along the way up to the fall. Usually it's dry; water was pouring around it this time around. Above, Eli in 2013; below in 2008.

Calvin at the falls overlook. Standing there for just a few moments led to total drenching. There was no rain at this point, but the effect of the water coming off the falls was as if it were pouring.