Take Back the Orchard.. a Beginning

You have to start somewhere, on the most daunting projects, and that is what we found ourselves faced with as we stood and viewed our "orchard" a couple weeks ago.

 We had discovered, on one of the earlier trips to the property before we bought the house, that there were 10 fruit trees behind the house. 3 of them were staggered out closer to the pole barn, but then there was this expanse of scrubby brush ground, that when you looked carefully contained 7 more fruit trees.

 Our first prerogative was to find the orchard. It had been obviously "let go" and was overrun with brush, Autumn Olives, twiggy baby trees, and even a few good Oak trees as thick as my forearm or  thicker!

So armed with various clippers, saws, and other implements of destruction, we set at the first few trees hoping to free them for pruning at a later date.

Some of us simply had the job of dragging away the brush that was cut down. Mom and I at one point worked on the Grape Vine which was a story all in itself!!

 Shine, who was visiting for the day, supervised, while Moby and Sadie ran hither and thither, stopping every once and a while on their rambling to "check in" on us.

 Josiah has a personal vendetta against Autumn Olives. They're invasive.. destructive, and quick growing. They tend to crowd out and kill some of the native bushes and trees, and have been known to invade and sweep through a innocent empty field, taking over and filling in the once open meadow.

 Well his encounters with them in the orchard, did nothing to "sweeten" his opinion of them.

 They, along with a grape vine and other various menacing plants, succeded on strangling and suffocating the life out of this unfortunate Apple Tree. It's tortured dead remains casting a depressing silhouette against the barren landscape. But all is not lost, we can and will plant a new apple tree to replace and carry on the standard of the unfortunate one. And the new one will be kept free of any marauding Autumn Olives, if Josiah has anything to do with it.

 Some of the other trees had to fight different battles like this one that Kitten found fun to explore. It had so overgrown and intertwined it's top most branches, creating a living umbrella, that it had succeeded in shading out it's lower limbs, cutting them off from sunlight, the vital life line, and causing them to perish in the darkness beneath. Though I don't have photos of it yet, this tree went through a strict disciplinary pruning to bring it under control and help it to live in a more productive manner.

 Josiah, our talented ax man, took care of the bigger trees, while the rest of us took care of the more manageable sized items.

  This is a "before" photo. And the after is yet to come. 

It was a productive day in the orchard. There have been a few more that I have not been a part of, but we are making good headway in preparation for spring. Operation "Take back the Orchard" is in full swing!

~Chs

Silence

It's been quiet around here. And this is why.

Our "dear" Laptop, decided to expire on us, the Laptop that just happened to hold all my thousands of photos....  And for a photographer that is devastating!

We have since then purchased a new laptop, and I have been able to download current pictures from my camera on to it, but all the ones I was planning on posting are currently locked in the hard drive of the old one.

The good news is, that it's getting fixed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, the silence shall soon be broken! :)

~Chs

Our Connoisseur of Comfort

It has been said that "Cats are connoisseurs of comfort" ... and "Kitten-Lottie" is absolutely NO exception.

Her favorite place to be since moving is stretched out (or curled up) in a chair near our fireplace.

Yes, a little Kitten can take up an entire easy chair! :)

It gets nice and cozy in the family room!

{Cute little toes.}

If the big chair is taken, our "drying chair" does just fine for a nap. And she likes it even better if there is something like socks, mittens, or newspaper on the chair for some reason! :)

Silly Kitty, glad you're comfortable!

~Chs

The Farmer Boy's Birthday

 January 23rd marked the 20th birthday of our Farmer Boy!
Josiah has always been very particular and creative when it comes to his meals on his Birthday, and this year was no different.

Almost all of the food consumed that day, came from the "Farmer Boy" book (from Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House series).

For breakfast that meant: Oatmeal, with "as much cream as you wanted" and maple syrup...

Sausages, Buckwheat pancakes, and coffee (for those that wanted it. :)

It was delicious! And filling. :)

After lunch, Josh, Theresa, "Baby-Nephew" and Mr. Reiche arrived, to go on Josiah's annual Birthday walk.

Baby-Nephew, stayed home with Charity, while the rest of us bundled up (it actually was rather mild that day!) and headed out to the great outdoors.

Since we had moved north, we decided to try a different hiking spot, from our normal haunts. This particular place was one that Josh had hunted at frequently, so he acted as our guide.

The Witch Hazel was cheerfully blooming; the only fresh color visible in the cold, nearly mono colored landscape.

{The intrepid adventurer}

Despite his insistence that he knew where we were going, our guide found himself a little confused, and was compelled to resort to consulting with 21st century technology for assistance. :)

One of the goals for Josiah's birthday hikes, is to "walk on water," which we did. Actually on it and in it at the same time! :) The sun had melted the top layer of snow resulting in a slushy puddle covering the whole of the still solid frozen lake. Nevertheless, we didn't tarry to long or stand to close together... just in case! :)

A fascinating sight in the marshland right off the lake, were these curious mini little pine cones. They are about the size of a thumb nail, and hang in little clusters on its tree, alternating with long sausage like looking catkins.  A little research found them to be on a Speckled Alder tree.

{Why?} :)

The hike was successful, and we made it back to our vehicles and homeward, refreshed and invigorated.

Dinner was also out of the "Farmer Boy" book. Chicken Pie (very different from what you are thinking, this chicken pie included bacon and hard boiled eggs, apparently a given in chicken pies back in the 1800's) Baked Beans, Rye 'Injun bread, Pickled Beets, and Pumpkin Pie.

We questioned Josiah on wanting Pie and Cake! But he insisted it would be fine! And hey when you're 6'7 and built like a string bean why not? ")

His cake this year, highlighted some of his many interests. In the shape of a barn of course, including the logo for the Polyface Farm, where he will be interning this summer, Answers in Genesis logo (one of his favorite magazines/website, this organization focuses on biblical creation and beyond!), an Eric Sloane book (his favorite author on all things Americana) and of course an Ax (his weapon of choice) and barefoot (his foot wear of choice) :)

His gifts kind of followed the theme. :) He was thrilled to get the remaining Joel Salatin (owner of Polyface Farm) books that he did not own, as well as a knife sharpener, among other things.

We are so proud of Josiah and the incredibly gifted man that he is. He is our go to guy for multiple things, his thirst for knowledge is unquenchable. He is patient, and humble, and very persevering (get him started on a project...). He is detailed, caring, compassionate, and I might add handsome. :)  He is a man who seeks to glorify God and find and follow his will, and we are so grateful for him.

~Chs

If You Feed Them, They Will Come (Our Feathered Friends)

One of the first activities that Faith occupied herself with upon arriving at our new domicile, was to put the bird feeders to right.

Just outside our lovely bay window in the front, a stately Maple stands sentry, and as this was where the previous owners had left their feeders, Faith decided to keep it as one of her stations for satiating our feathered friends' appetites.

It didn't take any time at all for the little bright eyed creatures to discover, and spread the word about the banquet hall. Now if you glance out our front window at almost any given time of the day, you will discover multitudes of flighty delights, bits of color dancing about the Maple tree like bright pieces of fabric making a charming quilt. Only this quilt or picture is living and moving, never the same each moment. Sometimes a group of crimson Cardinals (both the saturated male, and the tipped female) grace us with their presence. Cardinals, though eye catching, tend to retain a air of demure sedateness, with occasionally a dash of haughtiness. But we forgive them for it as long as they let us see their cheery colors.

A male Red Bellied Wood Pecker, full of confidence and bravado, has quite approved of Faith's new suet feeder, which just happens to be shaped (as you can see) like one of our domestic feathered friends.

Speaking of bravado, Mr. Blue Jay and his jumble of relative look-a-likes (to this day I cannot tell Blue Jays apart) are the most boisterous, bluffing, attention getting birds that visit our feeder. They don't arrive without a commotion of announcement, that inevitably makes you smile.

The sassy and flighty little Chickadees also dominate our view. They might be small, but they make up for it with personality and speed. Darting here and there, rarely sitting still, and cheekily scolding and mocking the other birds as it goes.

Some birds seem to come in groups or at least pairs, (the Cardinals for instance) while others are a bit more of loners. I don't think we have more than a total of 5 Titmice at the "castle" and they rarely show up all at once. Like the Chickadee these darling little Peter Birds, like to comment on the goings on, chipping in disgust of "peter-ing" in the top most branches. I think they look simply dashing in their simple grey coats, dark bright eyes, and just the glimpse of a peach waist coat for contrast.

The little Junco sports no Peach colored Waist Coat, nor fancy feather top hat, neither does he announce his comings all that much. In fact, come to think of it, I personally can't remember the Junco's call. But despite his calm and retiring demeanor, they hold a special place in our Maple Tree of course, for being our winter birds!

I love to see them all hopping around (we get quite a few at a time) on the ground, solemnly picking up the seeds that the other birds spilled in their dashing about. They're quite the thrifty little things, as becomes a winter bird. :)

Another fan of our Suet holding Chicken, would be "Mr. Elvis". Which is our personal family nickname for the handsome and suave White Breasted Nuthatch. "Elvis" always seems a bit suspicious of everyone, flicking his way cautiously down the tree, darting glances that way and this, peering out of his beady black eyes at his surroundings.

But don't let his tentative attitude fool you. Nuthatches are some of the bravest and daring birds. In fact at our old, old house we even had some that would eat out of our hands, with the more vocally brave Chickadees and Titmice.

In fact almost all of our birdies at our "castle" are confident fearless creatures. Even the dainty little Tree Sparrow, wouldn't be quick to fly away when you walk by, as long as you don't get too close.

These little neighbors at least, seem to have accepted our presence here, and maybe even enjoy it.

I am sure we do theirs!

~Chs