What a sight for sore eyes! Over the past few days, the bluebirds have been arriving and taking up residence in the many bluebird houses we have on the farm. Even yesterday’s snow storm didn’t deter them. Spring may be just around the corner… let’s keep our fingers crossed!
While the spring equinox is just around the corner, winter refuses to completely give up its icy grip in this part of the country. Although the weather has managed to creep up above freezing during some of the days, nights are still filled with unseasonably cold temperatures and raging winds. Even as I sit here…
May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow, and may trouble avoid you wherever you go.
The never ending winter continues with temperatures hovering around zero and another snow storm on the horizon. I have contracted an EXTREME case of cabin fever, for which I have found no immediate cure. I have begun to send the weather forecasters hate mail and I have officially placed a bounty on the head of…
The weather around here has been officially breaking records. This morning my thermometer registered fifteen BELOW zero. The only relief for this nonsense is soup! One of my favorite soup recipes is Martha Stewart’s Mushroom Barley Soup. The original recipe calls for 1lb cremini mushrooms and 3 strips of bacon. I use 8oz of mushrooms…
I have to thank my neighbor for this recipe! This is a SWEET pickle brine, which brings out the wonderful taste of the peppers. I use a mixture of green and red bell peppers from my garden. They’re delicious with Italian hoagies, tuna sandwiches, omelets or just straight out of the jar. Pickled Sweet…
More snow is predicted for tomorrow {sigh}. Fortunately, the cattle don’t even bat an eye at the snow and colder temperatures. They constantly turn down the opportunity to be in the barn and choose, instead, to bed down by the round bale feeder. The donkeys tell you what they want: outside when there is…
Tommy: “What you do, is you put your shoulder into her and you push.” Paul: “And?” Tommy: “They fall over!” Paul: “This doesn’t strike you as kind of… dumb?” Tommy: “We’re family. We’re going to be doing lots of dumb stuff together. Wait ’til Christmas.” Tommy: “You keep your feet shoulder width apart. Stay between…
Woke up to a spectacular sight this morning – two bald eagles sitting in the tree right off my front porch. They are a pretty regular sight around here, flying by as they follow the river to the dam up the road. However, very rarely do they stop and stay like this pair did this…
Mother Nature gave us a little reprieve yesterday. The days was filled with blue skies, above-freezing temperatures and plentiful sunshine. The girls enjoyed it immensely, munching hay and soaking up the sun. Some of them were so content, you could almost get close enough to hop on their backs, before they opened their eyes to…
Another winter snowstorm is upon us. Most of us have gone from BRING IT ON to Dear Mother Nature, if I have to be stuck in this house one more day with these kids, I may seriously lose the little bit of sanity that I have left. So, in a salute to warm days of…
With the temperature hovering around zero and the winter wind whipping fiercely enough to take your breath away when you step outside, I decided that there’s nothing better to do than to can some carrots. I stored some carrots in a friend’s root cellar back in the fall which were a mixture of Saint Valery,…
Groundhogs are usually cute. However, this winter, I have taken a particular dislike to the one they call the “seer of seers, the prognosticator of prognoticators” – Mr. Punxsutawney Phil. As we sit here and await the arrival of the fourth winter storm in two weeks, I have decided that Phil needs to apologize. He…
The Farmers in the Dell 