First Snow

It was below freezing this morning - and we had our first dusting of snow.  It did not accumulate, and was melted by noon.  Still, it the start of things to come.  I love the snow.  Bring it on!

Further Adventures at Packrat Pat's

We went to Indiana to visit our daughter and her family for Thanksgiving.  We had a great time.  Our daughter set out a wonderful meal!  We also got to spend a lot of time with our granddaughter.  She looks just like our daughter did at that age.  What a treat.

We also did a quick trip to Packrat Pat's antique shop.  I dug through the racks and piles, and found a few things.  The most interesting was a mid / late 20th century hand-thrown vase signed by a someone named John Patterson.  It had the same color palette as a previous crock I bought there.  However, the form and hand was quite different.  We liked the colors and the uniqueness of the piece.

The proprietor said that it, like the other piece, was made by a local pottery guild in the South Bend, IN area.  It was known as the '100 Club'.  I'd like to find out more about it.

Walking Up Spook Hill

It has been grey, wet and windy the last few days.  I took a walk up the road over Spook Hill.

It's been very mild lately, yet the grey skies and steady winds really make it feel somber.  Wood smoke and a light fog hang around the ridges.  A crew was working on the hillside cutting timber and hauling out some logs.  The whir of chainsaws seemed to drown out the wind, but as I moved up the road, the sound of the chainsaw was muted.  I had to make sure I stopped once in a while to just listen to the dried leaves rustling.  It was somewhat eerie as I heard no birds.  A storm was coming in and I sensed they were getting ready to wait it out.

I came across an old sickle bar mower right by the side of the road.  I could tell it was there a long time as trees were growing through its frame.  The thought crossed my mind briefly to look it over closely, but it is not my property.  Though it isn't posted land, one must always respect boundaries.

I continued up Spook Hill.  I was getting hot walking up the steep grade (10% or better).  I took off my sweater.  As I got to the top I turned around.  Only then did I realized that we had a strong southerly breeze.  As I looked out over the valley, I could see a storm coming in.  The air was heavy with mist.  Periodically, a stray raindrop came down.  I walked down the hill.  With the wind blowing on me, I got cold.  I put my sweater back on and walked down the road.

By the time I got back home, it was starting to drizzle.  It was a quiet, retrospective walk - a good one for gathering your thoughts.

Winter is not far away.  Once it hits, I will cease my walks up Spook Hill.  I await our first snowfall . . .

Old Water Works

On a ride yesterday, I noticed the remnants of an old water works near the road (on Route 79 east of the town of Richford, NY).

(Sorry about the picture quality - I had to splice a couple of cell phone photos together...)

A small stream follows the road, and a man-made foundation for a water wheel of related water works was evident.  The grade of the stream on this section is around 7%.  I assume it was for either an undershot or breastshot wheel.  You could also see where the channel was lined / surfaced with concrete.   I'd love to know more about this structure. I need to ask the local historical society for more info. Any thoughts?

World Diabetes Day

Though this is not normally the type of blog entry I would post, it is a topic I care about.

Sunday, November 14th is World Diabetes Day.  As you may have read in the news, the rate of late onset (Type 2) diabetes is increasing in the Western World.  Both my parents suffered from Type 2 diabetes.  They both were heavy smokers.  My dad developed heart disease, and passed away over 8 years ago as a consequence of cancer.  My mom suffered a series of strokes, and ultimately lost both her lower legs due to her diabetes.  Mom also died 8 years ago.  They were both young.  Dad died at the age of 68, while Mom was 65.

Type 2 diabetes is not a death sentence.  It is very manageable, and can be avoided with proper diet, weight management, and exercise.

I hope you consider your lifestyle choices each and every day.  Today I rowed my first marathon of the year.  I usually row 1 million meters a year, love to cycle, and just keep active.  I know I need to keep active (as both my parents suffered from Type 2 diabetes, I am at a higher risk than the general public).  I want to be around a long time to give my grandchildren (and future great-grandchildren) tractor rides!

Take care.

Thanks!

On this Veteran's Day, I thought I'd take a few minutes to thanks those who have helped to keep us safe.

My Son-in-Law

My Dad

My Father-in-Law

My wife and I are very proud of these guys.  Please take a moment to remember your family, friends, and neighbors.

November

We went back to standard time last Sunday.  The sun appears to rise 1 hour earlier, but it sets 1 hour sooner.  As the days get shorter, I'll be going to work in the dark soon.

When I left for work this morning (about 7:15 AM), the sun was up.  As I made my way to work, I could see that the world seemed to have turned brown.  The leaves were off the trees, the plants were all brown.  The stands of goldenrod stood beaten down - their golden tops withered and tan.

When I left work at 6:00 tonight, it was dark, cold and rainy.  What a depressing feeling.  A long day at work, cold, wet weather, poor visibility for my commute home.  What an unpleasant evening.  It was good to get home and see that my wife put the porch light on for me.

This is one of my least favorite times of year.  We haven't hit the holiday season.  There is no snow to enjoy (yes my southern readers - some of us actually like the snow!).  It is dark when I get home, so I can't get a ride on my bike.  The world is shutting down, getting ready for the coming winter.

Like I always say:

No Sun,

No Snow,

No Color,

November!

What do you think?

I Smell A Conspiracy...

I was about the yard doing some cleanup. I raked out the shade garden and few other flower beds, moved some old annuals to the compost bins, dropped the mower deck from the tractor and put on the snow plow blade, wheel weights and chains.

While I was working by the shade garden, I noticed a lot of spruce bough tips about the yard.  We are not talking just a few, but dozens and dozens and dozens.  I've raked them up several times already.

Yeah, I know branches and boughs fall of the trees from time to time, but I think the varmints are up to something.

A few years ago we had dozens of spruce cones piled up against 2 of the spruce trees in the front yard.  It seemed very unnatural.  A pile of cones right at the base of 2 trees (not all the trees - just 2 of them) - and only on the south side of the trees mind you!  Well, that year we ended up having a family of red squirrels in our basement.  The cones were a food stash they had created.

Now, I see tons of spruce tips about.  I sense the varmints are up to something . . . but what?

Ideas anyone?

I've Been Tagged

Mr. Simpleton from Living a Simple Life blog posted a list of things he wished he could do.  Surprisingly, we had a lot of common wishes.  He challenged a number of his readers to post their list (this included me).  So...

I accept his request!

My List:

Learn to blacksmith

Get proficient in making wood block prints

Sculpt something in stone

Make a doll house for my granddaughter

Recognize more than 8 types of ducks and waterfowl

Grow cilantro so that it doesn't bolt and go to seed

Know the constellations

Know more about mushrooms

Make beer

Mr. Simpleton had a number of items on his list that I also would like to learn, including:

Learn a foreign language (French, Italian or German are at the top of the list)

Know all plants (including weeds) in the area
Wilderness survival

If you want to learn some old-time knowledge, I recommend the Foxfire books.  They have recently been reprinted, but you can find them used.

(Though I want to learn all this stuff, you have to leave some stuff so you always have a goal for the future).

I now tag the following people to post their lists...

Regan at A Day in the Life
Mountain Woman at Red Pine Mountain
Ga Farm Woman at Life on a Southern Farm


Keep it going!

Wooly Bear Forecasting

You have heard the rule that you can predict the severity of the winter by looking at the amount of black coloring on the wooly bear caterpillar.  The rule is that the more black, the colder the winter.

Judging by the caterpillar I saw today, it looks like a warm winter.  We did have a warm summer and a rather mild fall.  Last year we had an appreciable snowfall on October 16th.  This year, we have had nothing.

What do you think?  What are your wooly bear caterpillars doing?

Red Newt

I was doing some late season yard work. We had another hard frost overnight.  It was very cool and breezy outside. I did the last mowing of the year, trimmed the arbor, and put away odds-and-ends.

I moved a few paving stones, and I uncovered 2 red newts.  They were sluggish in the cold of the morning.  I ran into the house to grab my cell phone to snap a few pictures. When I got back, there was still one newt.  After snapping a few photos, it scrambled off.  These were the first newts I have seen on the property.  What a thrill!

Catching Up!

It's been a while since I posted anything. Fall has been a busy time.  We went to Gettysburg last weekend.  We enjoy visiting the battlefields and taking in the history.

We escaped the heavy rains.  There was localized flooding.  The river was up quite a bit.  The creek finally had water in it.  The heavy rains knocked a lot of the leaves from the trees.

Yesterday, I raked the yard, filled the compost bins, and mowed the yard.  Most of the leaves are off the trees in our yard.  I expect all the leaves will be down in a few more weeks.

We had our first hard frost this morning.  It has hit the knotweed pretty hard.

Frost on the Deck Chairs

The day is beautiful.  Sunny, light winds, temperatures around 70 degF.  Enjoy!

Creek in Fall

Autumn Leaves on Spook Hill

Fall has Come

Though the fall equinox came earlier this week, I always said fall starts when the sumac turns red. . .

. . . and it has!

The  leaves are starting to change.  The maples are already changing.  The maple by the barn is near peak.  I've already started to rake leaves and put them in the compost pile.  The temperatures are steadily falling.  We'll see frosts in a few week.

I finished the puffin decoy.  Overall, I am pretty happy with it.  The hardest part was the bill.  I need to give it a coat of wax or a coat of epoxy.  On to the next project!

Puffin Decoy Before

Puffin Decoy After

Caress of Steel

In a previous post, I mentioned I had picked up a 2-man crosscut saw at our local auction house.  I finally got around to cleaning it up this past weekend.

The saw was in very good shape.  The handles were sturdy and well-fastened.  The blade did not appear to be too rusty, and the teeth looked to be in good shape.

I sanded the blade first on both sides with 100 grit paper, and then rubbed it with steel wool.  A good coat of WD-40 was rubbed over both sides.  I was happy with the surface.

I then looked at the teeth.  There are a number of tooth patterns for saws.  This saw is set with a champion tooth pattern.  Two triangular teeth are set slightly out of line of one another, while a smaller 2-pronged tooth (known as the raker) is set in line.  The triangular teeth do the cutting, while the raker help to clean the shavings out of the cut.

I checked the height of the rakers.  They should be just below the cutting teeth.  If the rakers are above the level of the triangular cutting teeth, it will be hard to saw.   Luckily for me, all the teeth were in good shape and at the correct level.  I then mounted the saw in a vice, and proceeded to sharpen the teeth with a file.  I still need to check the set of the teeth (i.e., the offset angles between the teeth) to make sure that they are properly aligned.

I'll have to get the wife out soon and give the saw a try.  I am sure we aren't a matched sawing team.  Hopefully using the saw out won't cause a big fight!

One Year Passed

I can't believe its been a year since I started this blog.  I thank my daughter for being my inspiration.  Our blogs allow us to keep in touch even though we are separated.

The Moon Setting over Spook Hill

 Another year has passed by.  Summer is waning fast.  There are still a few of the plants which are in their peak splendor. The silver lace clematis on the arbor is splendid.

Silver Lace Clematis

However, the tomatoes are fading fast.  The wife collected 12 dozen this week.  She has also put away 6 dozen which we picked last week after we let them ripen.

I look over my blog to see what I've done.  There are lessons to be learned.  When might I expect our first snow, when do the plants flower, what project was easy, what is the hard way?  I look forward to another year (as we all do).  I hope this journey brings me (and my followers) new insights.

Giant Puffballs!

The end of the summer has come.  We have been to reunions and parties the last three weekends.  We had a great get-together this past weekend here at our home.  My cycling as been erratic, but I did get a chance to get a few rides in this past weekend.  On one ride, I saw a large white ball sitting in the woods about 15 feet from the road.  When I was riding back, I pulled off the road and went up to the white ball.  Was it a bag of trash, a mushroom, a deflated toy ball?

I pushed it gently with my hand (no, I did not think it was some alien life-form preparing to turn me into a blob).

It was a giant puffball mushroom (Langermannia Gigantea).  I took some pictures of it (in one photo I have a water bottle next to it).  The puffball was about 12 inches (30 cm) at its widest.  It was the largest one I had ever seen!

Just yesterday I saw 2 more nearby our house by the historic Bement-Billings homestead.  It must be puffball season.

A site I frequent states these are edible when newly emergent.  I like mushrooms, but think I'll pass on picking some myself.  It would have been nice sliced and sautéed with a little butter though...

Dragonflies

One day last year I was lucky enough to see a swarm of dragonflies chasing each other around in the late afternoon.  They were large dragonflies.  It was quite a sight.  I could walk right into the center of the swarm, and the dragonflies would rush all around me, oblivious to my presence.  It was truly magical! 

Today, I saw more dragonflies chasing each other around the yard.  I ran inside and grabbed the camera.  It was quite a chore trying to snap a picture of a moving dragonfly - but I did get a few.  I will keep on the lookout to see if they will swarm again!

Great Auction Deal

We stopped by the local auction house last Friday.  We put in a few bids for a few items.  We were happy to find out we got 2 boxes of Christmas ornaments (around 60!) for just $20.  What a bargain.  If you follow my blog, you know my wife and I are nuts about glass ornaments.  Anyway, almost all are glass.  They are mostly smaller ornaments (1 - 2 inches in diameter).  What a deal.

Just think.  Christmas is only 4 months away . . .

Rainy Day Chores

We finally got a good rain.  It started sometime after midnight and has been going steady.  I expect we will get over 1 inch.  This is good. It has been dry this month and the plants and rivers could use it.  Our creek was nearly dry (just a few puddles), but it is now flowing again.

Dry Creek

Wet Creek

We picked up our corn yesterday.  We get it from a local farm-stand.  It was picked around 8:00 in the morning, and by 3:00 we had it all shucked, wrapped, and in the freezer.  We put way 160 ears!  This will keep us in corn-on-the-cob for most of the coming year.

Our plum (roma) tomatoes have been coming in.  We peeled and froze 4 1/2 dozen this morning.  We have a few more dozen we picked yesterday, and will certainly pick many dozen more in the coming weeks.  We use frozen tomatoes in our spaghetti sauce, chili, soups, etc.  We put about 8 tomatoes into quart size freezer bags after we peel them.  Each bag is roughly equivalent to a 10 - 12 ounce can (no salt, preservatives, and better flavor).

I'll be making pesto today.  We blend our basil with grated parmesan cheese and olive oil.  We divide it into small portions and also freeze it.  We can take some pesto out any time and whip up some pasta, etc. in a snap.

I spent a few ours in the workshop catching up on a few projects.  I had picked up a few hand drills at auctions that needed some cleaning up.  Most needing some lubrication, while one needed its handle glued.  I also worked on the puffin decoy.  Most of the sanding is now done.  I've glued the bill in, and filled some of the big cracks with wood putty.  The decoy will get one more finish sanding and then I'll paint it.

Swiss Cheese Barn

We went to visit my sister yesterday (yea!).  I decided to ride to her house (~ 54 miles).  It was a beautiful day, but I did have a few headwinds (luckily not too strong).  My wife went by car, and passed me by mile 34.  The bike rack was on the car, so I did not have to ride home (whew!)

Summer is peaking.  The corn is in strong, our garden is yielding tons of tomatoes, and the final wildflowers of summer are in bloom.  As I was riding, I could see the creeks were low (the river by our house is very low, and our creek is nearly dry!).

As I would ride past the farms and fields, I could see the corn.  More interesting were the fallow fields.  I particularly like the fields of purple vetch.  This little member of the pea family does grow wild.  Its little purple flowers are a pleasant surprise in late summer.

It is surprising to see some color on the maples.  It has been a hot summer, and some of the trees are probably distressed and getting ready for the fall.

My ride was through farmland and very small villages.  I especially like all the barns.  One of my favorites is somewhat neglected.  I think the building is still used, but it is full of openings.  I cannot imagine what all the openings were for.  I call it the Swiss Cheese Barn!

Enjoy!

Summer's Peak

Though we still expect some hot days, summer hass seemed to change course.  The last few nights have been cooler and pleasant.  The cooler nights have seemed to signal the tomatoes to ripen.  We finally picked a few today, and many more are starting to change color.

The robins that are nesting by the windows of the workshop have a brood of 2 or three young birds. This will probably be the last brood of the year (robins can lay up to three clutches of eggs each season).

The farmers are making hay.  The warm, dry days are perfect for the hay.

Our gardens are looking spent, especially the white garden.  Luckily, the Black-Eyed Susans are at their peak.  I can't get enough of them (and they oblige as they seem to take up more space every year).

This is the time of year for the late wildflowers.  The chickory, Queen Anne's Lace, teasel, hawkweed and goldenrod are bursting forth.  I really like these wild stragglers.  I keep a bunch of goldenrod and Black-Eyed Susans growing in the white garden just to keep something flowering.

Soon enough, fall will be here.  I consolidated some of my compost bins.  By October, I'll be down to one bin which I'll be putting into the garden for next summer's tomatoes.  The cycle goes on.