Monday, September 30, 2013

The Gray Barn


A barn hidden by the trees that are now growing up around it and through it.



Its easy to drive by this barn and never notice it as it is neatly camouflaged by the trees and grass.
I was walking on the road and noticed it.

A small apple orchard sits nearby and at one time this barn held cows, milk and apples.



This barn is empty and falling down and probably will disappear from the landscape within the next few years.

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Foggy Field Work


On my way to church this morning I just HAD to pull over and watch this field crew harvest their corn amidst the fog and autumn colors.













After church I drove around to admire the rural backroads and the autumn colors that are creeping this way.




Color should be peaking here in Northern Vermont by next weekend.
Come on up for a visit!

How is the tree color where you live ?

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Harvest Update


The days are getting cooler and there has already been one frost.

Its time to bring porch plants in and start to harvest everything that is ready.

 Soon the tress surrounding my coop will be orange.


 The house is over 200 years old and I always marvel at the intricate details on the outside of it.



The hens dug a dust bath pit under the fire bush. I didn't realize how deep it really was until Marilyn almost dissapeared into it.



Many neigbors walk this 3 mile stretch of rural road.


My colorful carrots are delicious.


The turkeys have been grazing on crickets across the road in the big field.


Only a few sunflowers left to bloom.


My friend Mev and I discovered a tall pear tree that was bearing lots of beautiful pears.


 What a treasure we found of ripe, perfect pears.
They were falling off the tree onto a grassy area, so hardly any of them were bruised.



We filled our bags.

and have gone back several more times.



Mev made pear salsa and we made applesauce with pears. Yummy!

I picked buckets of fresh produce from the Community Garden and brought it to the local library for people who need food.
 We have 15 varieties of tomatoes in the garden.
The purple ones are the most unusual and taste the best.


I picked delicota and sweet dumpling squash last night and have many more that will be ready by the weekend.

Pole beans are getting ripe.


Every morning has been very foggy and the deer have been coming out to the fields to eat.


I am in the process of digging up my potatoes.  I have a long way to go.
I planted 4 kinds.

Green Mountain, Kennebec, Yukon Gold and .....  cant remember the fourth....


Every day I will be harvesting out of my garden and 3 times a week harvesting from the Community Garden.  Not much time left to get the food out and close the gardens up for the winter.
Weeds and all the vegetable vines need to be pulled up and out, plastic mulch covers need to be dried out and rolled up and all the fencing taken down, cleaned off and stored away.  It will be a long process.

How is your garden doing ?
Got a plan to put it to bed ?

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Different Kinds of Flocks

Birds of a feather flock together.

Here are a few other flocks I noticed:

Motorcycles by the hundreds drive thru my tiny village and stop for lunch or for a delicious ice cream cone at the Main Street Big Cones store.



My own flock is full of feathered friends.



The comets are teenagers now and growing swiftly. They should be laying eggs in a month or less.
They have not incorporated into the flock, so they are a flock of their own.



The main flock has a habit of trimming all my flowers on the side porch.



Another flock are my summer squash.

I get a few every day and love the flavor.


The hens think the squash are funny looking eggs.


They always check out my garden harvest.


When I go inside to make dinner the hens jump on my chair or look in the windows.

They should have their own comedy show.


I have recieved flocks of black berries and have really enjoyed them.


Also received a flock of potatoes.  


I have flocks of flowers all over my yard.





I pick a flock of green and yellow beans every day.



And........ I know where there is a tiny flock of new ducklings.....


This is your flock lesson for today.

You got a flock ?
~