Cabin Crafted

Author: Cabincrafted1

  • Sunday Thankfulness/Week on the Farm – September 8,2013

         This is a combined version of two of my weekly posts.  This week just got by me somehow.  We did get a weekly horseback ride, looked at and rode a gaited horse as a potential buy, mowed the yard and cleaned the house in preparation for weekend house guests.  

         Yesterday, we made our semi annual visit up the Blue Ridge Parkway to show our guests Mabry Mill.  This is always fun as they have an old restored water wheel mill that served to grind grain and as a saw mill, a blacksmith shop, a cabin with a loom and several spinning wheels, a cabinet maker who demonstrates building chairs using only non powered hand tools.  There are short walks through the woods back and forth across the creeks feeding the mill.  Our fall trip always allows me to stock up for the winter on locally ground grits, corn meal and buckwheat flour. The photo is of the mill, but an earlier trip with our daughter and two grandsons instead of this weekend’s guests.

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         From there, we ventured to the Poor Farmer’s Market in Meadows of Dan for our annual apple purchase for the freezer.  Peaches, white sweet potatoes, and cheese we also purchased.  We made a stop at Chateau Morrisette for a wine tasting, purchase of a few bottles of wine then back to the town of Floyd, we stopped for a light late lunch at Dog Town Wood Fired Pizza and tap house for a shared pizza and a pint of their own brew.

         Because of our previous night discovery that our grill no longer works, our dinner was all prepared in the oven, roasted veggies, pork chops and we were supposed to have beans that we had purchased at the farmer’s market earlier in the week, but they proved to be old and tough, a disappointment as they came from one of our favorite vendors.  We ended up pulling a package of the beans I had frozen and subbed them instead.  One of the bottles of Chamboursin was opened and enjoyed with our meal.  After a busy day, the evening was spent visiting and playing with the pups, but otherwise just chilling out.

         Our guests had requested that we make reservations for brunch today at Mountain Lake Lodge.  A bit of strolling the grounds, some photos for them to show that indeed, Dirty Dancing was filmed here, we found out that with the new management,the weekly brunch has not been held this year except for Mother’s Day and was just being re-instituted this week.  The spread was much reduced from prior years, but the food was varied and delicious and none of us left hungry.  Our guests left after brunch to return to the coast and I moved on to prepping the goodies for the freezer and getting some of the other neglected tasks accomplished.

         Just prior to their arrival, we realized that the 15 three and a half week old meat chicks had seriously outgrown the brooder box they were in.  They really are too young to put outside as they aren’t fully feathered and the nighttime temperatures are dropping to the upper 50’s, so a decision was made to move them to the chicken tractor anyway, but to hang their heat lamp inside and drape a tarp over the structure during the night.  So far they seem to be doing ok with this and seem to like the added space.  Early this week, I am going to make a temporary pen of 3 foot fencing and poultry net surrounding the chicken tractor, so that they can get out into more space.  

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    The hens and rooster wondering why they can’t get to those chicks.

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    Eighteen cups (a peck) of pared, sliced apples, vacuum sealed for the freezer.

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    More diced and crushed tomatoes, peeled and vacuum sealed also for the freezer.

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    The winter’s supply is looking better each week.  The beans are blooming and we should soon begin getting a second crop for enjoying and freezing.  The peas are ready for the trellis and hopefully will give us more to eat and freeze.  I haven’t lifted the row covers over the cabbages, broccoli and chard, but they seem to be developing well.  The potatoes are dying back, so they will soon be dug, the sunflowers are ending their season and the little birds are flitting around the garden enjoying the seeds.

    Life is good on our mountain farm and we are enjoying the cool early fall weather.

  • Best Laid Plans

    This weekend we have house guests. They arrived last evening in time for dinner.  I like to cook, I especially like to cook for guests and had planned my menu with care, HA!

    We had made a Wednesday trip to the Farmer’s Market for beef and pork, for corn, squash and beans with the two dinners in mind. I already had sausages from the Farmer’s Market in the freezer and local buckwheat for breakfast pancakes. 

    The plan was for drunk beef kabobs with our, onions and peppers, and the purchased squash, grilled to perfection. A side of corn on the cob and a platter of our just picked sliced tomatoes and this years dill pickles.  For dessert I was making an apple pie.  The meat marinated all day. The first snafu came when I peeled and sliced the apples and they didn’t fill my smallest pie pan, hmmm…
    That crisis was solved by making a large apple tart by folding the apple mix in one crust, sealing the edges and baking it on the pizza stone.  Veggies were cut in chunks and the corn shucked and washed. The skewers were threaded. Guests arrived and we sat around visiting a with crackers, cheese and a beer or glass of wine.  Finally time to grill thd kabobs and cook the corn. Hubby went out to light the old faithful gas grill and snafu number 2. 

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    We had noticed that her inner working had gotton a bit rusty this summer with all the rain, but she worked fine a week or so ago. I guess moving her to mow jiggled some rusted part on the burner pipe, so instead of a burner of flame we had a fountain of flame.  Plan 2, turn on the broiler in the oven, but wait, this high end GE marvel didn’t come with a broiler pan.  A bit of improvising and dinner turned out quite delicious, enjoyed on the back deck, only the third time this summer because it was always raining or the cushions were wet every time we planned on eating there.

  • HUMP DAY

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     We have all seen the commercial of the camel, yeah, that one.  Yesterday, one of my hubby’s acquaintances posted an obscene version of it on Facebook.  No, I won’t share it here. I dislike the commercial on television, in fact, I dislike most commercials on television and the insurance ones are the worst offenders.
    Today is hump day by definition and we had a very full schedule. Because I was away last week and did not get home until afternoon on Saturday, we missed the farmer’s market. There is one on Wednesday afternoon too, not quite as many vendors, but enough to take care of most of what we needed. We are having guests this weekend and needed meat in quantity for 4 instead of 1 or 2 and veggies as we are currently in a doldrum with only a few tomatoes and peppers ripening, the peas, beans, cabbages and broccoli are still growing and maturing. Wednesday is the day I get my bouquet from the flower share and that also involves a drive to town to pick it up from one of the two Natural Food stores. Wednesday evening is knit night and since I was away all last week, I had 5 extra dozen eggs to share and those ladies are generally ready for some fresh country eggs, so even though I had flowers and farmer’s market goodies that needed to get home, I stopped by for a short visit and sold some eggs.
    As we have seven weeks at home before any more travel, babysitting, or other reasons to tie up our schedule, we requested some riding time this week and our instructor suggested today at 2 p.m. We accepted the schedule and that meant that the rest of the afternoon’s errands that couldn’t be done until after 2 would have to be done sore and dirty. We are currently looking for our first horse, and our first appointment to look at one was also supposed to be this afternoon, but we postponed it so that our instructor could go with us to look at the horse.
    Every Thursday, we have training for the big dog beast, and that is mid day, messing scheduling much else, as we have nearly an hour drive each way from training. Tomorrow will include a grocery store run for coffee, cream and a few non farmer’s market items and then the house needs cleaning after a two week without one.
    I did get some more tomatoes in the freezer for winter, enjoyed some stuffed peppers, the hens are consistently producing 6 or 7 eggs each day with two still not laying. We did get the yard and orchard mowed yesterday and this morning, most of the front bed weeded, but after we bring the dog home tomorrow, we will have to venture back out for fresh mulch for that bed. The wet summer has encouraged, clover, oxalis, smartweed, horse nettle, purslane, dandelions, and anything else that could gain a foothold in the garden beds.
    Now, I’m tired, a good tired, but tired just the same. Time to lock up the chickens for the night and get a hot bath and some rest.

  • Sunday Thankfulness-September 1, 2013

    This week, I am grateful to my hubby, who stayed on the farm to care for the dogs, 10 big chickens, and 15 two week old chicks. They aren’t cute anymore. In my week gone, they have tripled in size and become feather growing eating machines.

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    My son will enjoy the protein they provide on their 3 student budget.

    I am thankful for the opportunity last week to help them out with laundry, cooking, and grandson time so they could settle into this year’s schedule with less stress.

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    Together, we explored 4 museums, the zoo, and the aquarium. Got in a pool afternoon, lots of reading and snuggling as we sat together in a big chair. He is a lefty, as am I, so I also taught him to tie his shoes.

    For my garden, though the seaon is drawing to a close, I did harvest an 8 quart bucket nearly full of tomatoes and peppers that will be processed later for the winter fare.

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    And for my chickens who filled several dozen cartons while I was away. Two more of the girls finally figured it out and now we are getting green and pink eggs too.

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    Hopefully my knitting group will be in the market for some eggs this week.

    Life is good on our mountain farm.

  • Kid time

    A few weeks ago we had Florida kid and grandkid time.

    This week, I have Northern Virginia kid and grandson time, helping out between kids starting school and grandson. Yesterday was Metro rides and two Smithsonian Museums.

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    Today the National Aquarium in Baltimore.

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    Tomorrow, I rest by the pool with a picnic and book and rest my feet, back, and budget. He is fun, but at 8, his energy level far exceeds Grandmom.

    October brings a cruise with the Virginia Beach kids and grands.

  • Kid time

    A few weeks ago we had Florida kid and grandkid time.

    This week, I have Northern Virginia kid and grandon time, helping out between kids starting school and grandson. Yesterday was Meyro ride and two Smithsonian Museums.

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    Today the National Aquarium in Baltimore.

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    Tomorrow, I rest by the pool with a picnic and book and rest my feet, back, and budget. He is fun, but at 8, his energy level far exceeds Grandmom.

  • Sunday Thankfulness-8/25/13

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    Our moutain farm and the beauty it provides for peace and thoughtful work and pleasure.

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    My hens and their daily presents, and my loving hubby who indulges me this project, the time to work the birds and gardens, and his willingness to take over their care while I embark on a week of childcare in Northern Virginia.

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    Our gardens for their food to nourish us and their flowers to provide color and beauty indoors and outside.

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    For our two healthy, playful pups who entertain us with their antics and offer unconditional love.

    For my loving family who keep us in their lives with calls, pictures & visits, allow us to be occasional care givers to their precious children. To my sibs who both blessed me with their generous nature recently.

    Life is good on our mountain farm.

  • Sunday Thankfulness-8/25/13

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    Our moutain farm and the beauty it provides for peace and thoughtful work and pleasure.

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    My hens and their daily presents, and my loving hubby who indulges me this project, the time to work the birds and gardens, and his willingness to take over their care while I embark on a week of childcare in Northern Virginia.

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    Our gardens for their food to nourish us and their flowers to provide color and beauty indoors and outside.

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    For our two healthy, playful pups who entertain us with their antics and offer unconditional love.

    For my loving family who keep us in their lives with calls, pictures & visits, allow us to be occasional care givers to their precious children. To my sibs who both blessed me with their generous nature recently.

    Life is good on our mountain farm.

  • An Anomaly

    Our mountain life began almost a 9 years ago when we began looking for 10 acres of wooded mountain property on which to build our retirement home.  We began our quest in November, found our piece of heaven in December, three times larger than we were seeking and basically open fields. We closed in January just as snow began to fall, walked the perimeter in flurries then headed home a day early in real snowfall to avoid getting snowed in. The following November the house was begun and almost two years later we moved in.
    Our home is surrounded by farms. Each of these farms has rock piles where the past generations have painstaking hand collected them from the fields and gardens and piled them out of the way of mowers.

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    Because this county is so rocky the primary products are animals. Many raise beef cattle, a few sheep, pigs or goats, and horses. Fields of hay are mowed for winter feed and provide pasture for the cattle. Few have chickens for meat or eggs.
    While each homestead has a vegetable garden and most households put away some produce, almost none of them harvest their grass fed beef for their own use. They sell to a fedlot where their beeves will be fattened on grain for commercial sale. It amazes me to see our neighbors in the grocery purchasing eggs, canned ir out of season fruits and vegetables and feedlot meat when we pay a premium at the farmer’s market for grass finished meat from one of the few who do eat and sell their own grass finished meat.
        If this is something you have never considered and holds any interest, read Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.

  • A Week On the Farm-August 22, 2013

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    The chickens are getting supervised free range time these days. The nine pullets are laying 5 eggs each day now, 4 of the girls still haven’t figured it out yet. Once they are all laying, we are going to have many eggs to share with friends. Selling a few dozen eggs will help with feed costs.
    The summer is winding down, the weeds in the garden have the upper hand, the flowers are fading, the evening temperatures are getting cooler. We have had a couple of days reprieve from the rain.
    Since hubby started the summer off with knee surgery, we aren’t planning our usual week of skiing this winter, instead will take a week long cruise with our youngest and his family this fall. This means that the fall mowing is being done a bit early this year. The task was started this afternoon and it was a challenge because the rain has resulted in a very thick stand that has grown tall quickly.
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    Some of our neighbors have just gotten their hay in, they will not have to do a fall mowing. Our hay was done in June, between rains and our fields will require a fall mow. One of the plants that we fight constantly is an invasive imported plant called Stickweed. It is a fairly attractive plant, but neither cows nor horses will eat it. It is a perennial and comes up anywhere in the yard that isn’t mowed at least once a month.
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    Mowing in the late afternoon has benefits and hazards. Our farms seems to grow rocks. Areas that are mowed regularly have been cleared of rocks or we know where the rocks are, so we can avoid them. When the ground is damp, sometime a rock that has been level with the ground will be flipped up to the surface by the tractor tires which results in the brush hog picking it up on the next round and either throwing it out or rattling it around the brush hog housing. Each mowing results in the collecting of more rocks being removed to safe piles.
    One of the benefits is having a deer wander out into the yard, stopping to see what is going on, then moving on to a safer location. The evening skies are lovely to watch as each round is mowed.
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