a foggy morning on the farm...

As the sun began to lighten the early-morning haze, it played with the shadows on my favorite view from our kitchen...the kids' tire swings.

I couldn't resist and took a few steps outside to enjoy the morning...everything was so peaceful and quiet. 

After a look around, I soon discovered that the spiders on our farm had been quite busy during the night. It was as if they dressed-up each tree, flower, leaf, and even our old pump with a string of pearls.

 

Maybe, 
just maybe, 
there was a Fairy Ball last night...don't you agree?

snapshots of summer...

It was 49 degrees yesterday morning...summer is fading. And while we may resist this notion, something inside tells us it's time to move on. There are gentle reminders...cooler mornings, the slant of evening shadows, shorter days, the first day of school.

Yes, we're teetering somewhere between summer and autumn...it's a bittersweet time.

And so, before it disappears completely, here are a few photos of our summer. Some taken here on the farm, some on vacation, but all filled with sweet memories.

a busy bee from our new hive...

an adorable llama...look at those ears!

flamingos at the National Zoo...

a roadside stop on our travels...

columns in the Jefferson Memorial...

a cool sip of water for butterflies & bees...

a painted barn on a country road...

Soon our kitchen will be filled with the sweet aroma of grape jam, followed by simmering pots of savory tomato sauce. We'll dig potatoes, plant fall lettuce (mostly for the chickens to enjoy!), and stack a wood pile close to the door.

The kids will look for woolly worms to see if they predict a cold winter, and the last county fair coming up is our very favorite.

Yes, it's a time of change...but as the we've heard before, to every ending, there is a beginning. Let's savor it all...gathering, putting by, cool mornings, and lovely evenings with a coppery glow. Yes...life is good.

practical preparedness...

Only a few weeks ago, these were the weather warnings appearing for our area of the Midwest...

"Destructive thunderstorms carrying a punch with gusts of 80-mph
will pepper residents with significant power outages left in their wake."

"Potentially destructive thunderstorms will be the center of weather chatter.
Dangerous, even record-setting, heat will remain a daily battle
for the Eastern U.S. for the next few days."

If you read here you'll find the tale of our vacation and the storms that caused so much damage. It's still hard to imagine 3 million people were without power.

After that incredible storm, we decided it was time to double-check our food & water storage, and rethink our emergency preparedness supplies. I also decided it would be a good idea to have a frequent post and share some ideas...things we've learned along the way, what works (and hasn't worked) for us, and ask you to share your ideas as well.

So today is the first post for Practical Preparedness...

Emergency Water Purification

One of the biggest needs when an emergency hits is the need for safe drinking water; however, making water safe for your family is truly quick & easy.

Boiling is the best way to purify water. Bring it to a rolling boil and keep it boiling hard for one minute. Add one minute of boiling time for each 1,000 feet above sea level.

Unscented liquid bleach will kill bacteria and also provide you with pure drinking water in
5 simple steps.

     1- pour water in a clean container, allowing particles to settle to the bottom
     2- pour clear water into a clean container; use an eyedropper to add
         liquid bleach, following these guidelines...

2 drops for one quart of water

8 drops for one gallon of water

1/2 teaspoon for 5 gallons of water

     3- mix well

     4- wait 30 minutes...water should have a slight bleach odor

     5- if there is no bleach odor, repeat dose, wait 15 minutes

Keep an eyedropper taped to your bottle of bleach, along with the guidelines above, and it will always be at your fingertips should you need it. Bottles should be replaced every 3 months to ensure the bleach is at full strength. For some terrific information from the EPA, click here.

I hope this information is helpful...and if you have any hints or how-to's to share, please feel free to leave a comment. We can all learn from one another!

 

fabulous French bread!

This bread is so good and so easy to make, I had to share the recipe!

Farmhouse French Bread

2 c. warm water (110 to 115 degrees)
2 T. sugar
2 T. dry yeast
1 T. salt
2 T. oil
6 c. flour, divided
1 egg, beaten

Combine water, sugar, and yeast in a bowl; set aside 5 minutes, or until foamy. Pour mixture into the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with a dough hook. With mixer on lowest setting, add salt, oil, and 3 cups of flour; mix thoroughly. Add remaining flour; mix well. Let dough stand 10 minutes; mix again. Repeat this process, letting the dough stand 10 minutes, then mixing, 5 times.

Place dough on a lightly floured surface. Add only enough flour so that dough is easily handled; divide in half. Roll one half of dough into a 9"x12" rectangle. Beginning with the long side, roll up jelly roll-style. Moisten seam with a little water and pinch to seal. Repeat with remaining dough. Place loaves, seam-side down, on a well-oiled baking sheet; cover with a tea towel for
45 minutes.

Glaze loaves with beaten egg, then use a sharp knife to make 3 slashes across the top of each loaf. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Makes 2 loaves.

Not only are slices terrific topped with butter, we've been enjoying them like this...

toasted under the broiler until golden, adding a spoonful of homemade ricotta, then a mixture of chopped tomatoes, basil, and olive oil. Wonderful!

Give it a try...truly, this recipe is a keeper!

smitten with bees...

After one month, our bees are buzzing away happily in their new home, and our family is excited at the idea of having our own honey.

One of the most important lessons I've learned is that keeping the smoker going is a must...and that can be quite a challenge!

Now, maybe everyone knew this little secret but me, but just in case you haven't heard, adding wood pellets (the kind used in heating stoves) will keep the smoker going long enough for you to complete your hive inspection with no worries.

Here's what I did...I added crumpled newspaper, about the size of a tennis ball, to the bottom of the smoker and topped it with kindling. Then I lit the paper and waited for the kindling to begin to crackle. Once that happened, I added a couple of handfuls of wood pellets. What I got was a cool smoke that burned for nearly two hours!

And so, with all the excitement of beekeeping, and even more to learn, who can resist linking up to a bee party? Join me, and meet some fascinating beekeepers here, at...

Homestead Revival

late summer...

Since August has arrived in the Midwest, it seems happy to continue July’s sweltering, humid, rainless days. This summer has seen record-breaking high temperatures and a drought that has parched fields, yellowed gardens, and turned once green backyards to dust.  As these summer days continue to unfold, no matter how hard I try, it seems I’m continually moving in slow motion.

However; last night brought the rumble of thunder and distant flashes of lightning…perhaps the promise of rain was coming. Too many times we’ve watched darkening clouds filled with rain pass just to our north, leaving us without a drop. This time it was different…soon we were filled with grateful hearts as we watched the rain begin to fall. It fell steadily most of the night, continuing well into the morning.  At last, a break from the sweltering days…a blessing of 3 inches of rain had come bringing with it a cooling breeze and beautiful sunset of robins’ egg blue and shades of orange.

Even during these dog days of August, there are simple pleasures all around the farm. Our garden is overflowing and just-picked tomatoes are one of my husband’s favorite summertime delights.  The kids each have their own little gardens to tend, and they’re filled with juicy watermelon and cantaloupe, sunflowers, zinnias, cosmos, and marigolds.  The new beehive is buzzing with activity and our little flock of hens cluck with delight over treats of cucumber, lettuce, or zucchini. Yes…life is good.

And while it’s been a summer filled with family fun and sweet memories, I’m sensing these summer days are numbered. Maybe it’s because the cicadas are humming throughout the heat of the day, while at day’s end I notice the sky darkening just a bit earlier. Maybe it’s the back-to-school advertisements in every paper, or maybe it’s because, even though the heat is intense, I really don’t want summer to end. 

So while there's still time before school begins, we’ll keep having as much unplugged play as we possibly can. We’ll can tomatoes and grape jam, splash at the local pool, catch fireflies, stay up late, and make as many memories as possible.  These days only come once…just a few special years, and I don’t want to miss a single minute.

there's nothing like a day at the fair!

Sun-drenched, but with welcome relief from the heat & haze of recent days, Saturday morning had finally arrived. What made this day special? Well, Sweet Girl and her llama spent the day at the county fair! (And when I say day, I do mean day!)

An early arrival to set-up the arena and unload llamas began at 8:30 a.m. Pens were in place, and soon each was filled with straw, topped with mats, and water buckets filled. There was excitement as 4-H kids were busily taking time to look over their llamas and giving each a quick last-minute grooming. Soon it was time to change into the expected black & white dress for showmanship, halter, pack, and obstacle course testing.

Before we knew it, 7 hours had passed until the judging was complete! And while it was certainly a long day (rest assured we enjoyed lots of the best fair food in-between events!)
our family had a really good time.

Way to go Sweet Girl...definitely a picture for the scrapbook!

the dog days of summer...

The recent weeks here in the Midwest have been hot & hazy, with only an occasional breeze that teases us into thinking it might stay, or better yet, bring with it much-needed rain. However; all too soon the breeze is gone, and the stretch of rainless days continues.

Many mornings have been overcast, which is a blessing as chores have been done early to beat as much heat as possible. Summertime has certainly settled in, and trying to keep cool has become a daily adventure.

Today; however, we were surprised with welcome breezes from the north. And while they teased us as they came and went throughout the day, they settled in and stayed for the evening.

So, as I found myself relaxing in one of those springy, vintage-y chairs (to me there's nothing better!) I decided I'd take a few snapshots to share. 

Here's a little walk around the farm in late July...

 

The honey bees & birds often visit the fountain I was gifted with for Mothers' Day.

I love it too...it's so nice to relax to the sound of water.

 

A gift from my mom, this wind chime makes me giggle!

A close-up peek...I think she's just too cute!

This spring we moved the cold frames from beside the garden to  behind the chicken coop...
the girls love getting fresh lettuce each morning!

It seems the herbs are about the only ones flourishing in this summer heat. Soon it'll be time to make herb vinegars.

This funnel-topped birdhouse always reminds me of the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz!

  
And so it's true...while we may be found complaining about the summer heat, there are certainly summertime joys to be found...

the taste of a just-picked tomato

fragrant herbs for homemade vinegars

slices of juicy watermelon

frosty glasses of lemonade

fresh corn-on-the-cob topped with real butter

and the best-ever homemade ice cream

Yes...there are many summertime delights.

llama-mama...

Travelers, there is no path.
Paths are made by walking.

-Antonio Machado

Here's the path we're walking lately...learning about llamas!

Who knew you could "lease a llama" for 4-H?!

The kids have been crazy about llamas for quite some time, so we joined a 4-H club that's also a llama farm. The farm allows 4-H kids to take care of a llama, learn about him/her, and train together for the fair.

While Little Man is too young to "officially" be a part of 4-H, he's tagging along as Sweet Girl has been hard at work learning to sheer and groom her llama, practicing on obstacle courses, and prepping for showmanship.

The fun of fair week begins next Saturday!

vacation & preparedness...

Our family recently came home from a much-anticipated vacation to Washington D.C.!
Little Man's teacher spent a lot of time with her class studying our nation's monuments and memorials. Those lessons really fueled his desire to see them...we agreed it was a terrific idea!

As we prepared to leave, we knew storms were coming, but that's nothing new this time of year...the heat and humidity here often bring strong thunderstorms. Packed and ready to go we headed out, knowing neighbors & friends were keeping an eye on our home and animals.
As we drove, we found ourselves traveling under or just barely ahead of the storms. 

Photo taken as we were driving.

After a few hours on the road, we began receiving text messages about the damage in our hometown. Many homes had trees down and power outages were widespread. With heat at or above 100 degrees, it was a difficult time for many families.

Although a tarp is covering the front of the home on the left,
a day earlier, it appeared as a dollhouse...a tree had taken off the
front and we could see inside the rooms.

Neighbors checked on our home, and we had only two large limbs down. One had fallen beside our home, the second one was at the edge of our backyard...we were fortunate, no damage was done. We were keeping in touch with friends, and while we considered returning home, we were almost to D.C., and so decided to continue traveling. 

Once there, we found our nation's capital had an estimated 3 million people without power. Within a few days, gas stations were out of gas, stores were without ice and running low on food. We were fortunate...our hotel was one of the the few with power, and so we were comfortable and able to enjoy our time there.

And while we had a terrific vacation, visiting sites that made us pause and think...

pondering the beauty of the earth...

and discovering sites that made us smile,

traveling home, I began to think about our family's preparedness...food & water storage,
light sources, our generator & chainsaw, etc. Once home, it would be wise to inventory our supplies again and make sure our equipment was in working order. We were fortunate, our power was back on in 3 days, and we came home needing only to clean out the fridge, cut and move tree limbs...that's not so bad.

Yesterday is was 80 degrees at 7 a.m. and 96 degrees at 8 p.m. as Sweet Girl and I left our local feed store. It's not even August yet...typically our hottest time of year.

And so, what's the point in this long post? Well, I'm going to pull my information together and have a weekly preparedness post...I'll share with you what I have learned over the years,
what works for us, and ask you to share your ideas as well.

These words seem truer than ever...

“The little gardens and a few trees are very valuable.
I remember when the sisters used to say,
`well, but we could buy it at the store a lot cheaper than we could put it up.’
But that isn’t quite the answer, is it?
Because there will become a time when there isn’t a store.”

- Spencer W. Kimball

bee update...

Our adventures in bee-keeping continue!

I've (kinda/sort-of) mastered the smoker, so I suited up and have taken a peek inside our hive twice since it arrived. Because ours began as a small nuc (only 5 frames of a queen, brood & worker bees), the bees are working hard to fill out the frames in the larger hive. So far these girls are doing a terrific job...they've filled out 16 frames, and I needed to add a third box last week.

While we'll really enjoy our own honey, because our hive was set up in summer instead of spring, our goal isn't to harvest honey, but to make sure the bees have plenty to survive the winter.

We've also needed to provide them with a water source. Our neighbor uses a shallow pan to provide water for her bees, but I've noticed it evaporates very quickly. A little more reading and I found that a chicken waterer is a great way to provide water for bees, so we set one up.

 

Filling the tray with small rocks gives the bees a spot to land while they drink, and the waterer stays filled for several days.

And so the learning continues...

Happy Monday!

a bee-utiful day!

(Okay, it's a corny title...work with me!)


Sunday evening, under the cover of darkness, this was delivered...

Yay, the bees are here! 


And yesterday, with our beekeeping mentor unavailable and beekeeping neighbors on vacation (drat!), I donned my beekeepers suit and dared to step outside alone (resembling the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, too, I might add) because sugar-water was needed in the hive-top feeder.


There was a lot of activity outside the hive, and the smoker wouldn't smoke well (tips on that problem most welcome) but I did it! The feeder is in and I'll check on their progress tomorrow.


Here's a little peek at what we're enjoying today...

 And so the newest adventure on the farm begins!

a postcard from the midwest...

Yesterday brought a welcome drop in temperatures, with an almost chilly northwest breeze...perfect for taking care of outside chores.

For our neighbors; however, their chores were a bit more on the larger side...
it was an ideal time for them to harvest wheat.

Just sharing a few postcards from our part of the Midwest...

farm livin' is the life for me...

I couldn't help myself...the theme song from Green Acres is floating through my head this morning. I really hope you didn't miss this comedy growing up...
it's priceless!

Can you hear the music?

Green acres is the place to be
Farm living is the life for me
Land spreading out,
so far and wide
Keep Manhattan,
just give me that countryside.

There, now you'll be humming it all day...not a bad way to end the week. Somehow, the music seemed perfect paired with snapshots from a nearby farm...Happy Friday!

I'm pretty sure that's a smile!

another barn...

As I continue trying to capture old barns, this is my newest find...

Sure, she needs some TLC; however, to me, she's still a beauty. I love her cupolas and upper windows, and off to the side her silos are still standing tall and proud. 

Not only is she still in constant use on this large farm, but if you listen closely, you just might hear the laughter of children...sure to be found in the hayloft having the time of their lives!

Whenever we see these old wooden barns, they are a continuing reminder to us of our agricultural roots where history still holds strong. I can't help but slow down to ponder their past...and, if I'm very lucky, capture and preserve their images on my camera.

old barns...

This old barn is the most recent to catch my eye. It sits next to an empty farmhouse that looks as if it was a lovely home once upon a time. A large two-story house with loads of character...tall windows and two separate, yet side-by-side front doors. It's the kind of place I'd love to take a peek inside; however, a very large, very impressive "No Trespassing" sign keeps me in line.

Back to the barn...with bees in my bonnet lately, what really caught my eye are the stacks & stacks of white bee supers in the lower right corner...see them?

It makes me wonder what the old homestead was once like...with a barn this size and the others behind it, this must have been a busy, thriving farm in its day. For me, it's sad to see these empty homes & barns...I find it hard to believe there wasn't anyone in the family who wanted to claim it.

Yep...I have a soft spot for old barns, old houses, old things, old ways. Some might think I'm out of step with the goals and ideals of the modern world. That's okay...
I couldn't agree more with the quote below.

 

"For my part,

I'd rather admire the
ample barns of one
of our opulent farmers...
than study the dimensions
of the temple of Ceres."

-Hector De Crevecoeur 

starting a buzz...

First, a friend gifted me with this lovely tea towel...

then, Little Man gave me some sparkle for my birthday...

and I've been reading, re-reading, and marking up these books for over a year...

 

and then I thought about it...it was a sign.

No, that's silly, it wasn't a sign...so I hesitated.

I thought about it some more...

did even more reading and talked to beekeeper friends.

I continued to hesitate...for several weeks.

 

Then this morning, brain in a fog from lack of sleep and still bleary eyed, I placed an order for an English Garden Hive (at least I think I did...as I said, lack of sleep was a big factor!)

It will look like this...

photo source: Brushy Mountain Bee Farm

but of course, I have dreams of it (and our yard) looking like this...

photo source: flicker.com ell-r-brown

I'm sure it'll completely transform our entire backyard into an English cottage garden; right?
I'll be asking the kids if they'd like "a spot of tea" (herbal, of course) and calling my mom,
"Mum"...I'm sure of it.

Oh well, a girl can dream...here's to our next big adventure on the farm!