Wondrous Weather

These first 2 month of 2015 have had their share of unique, and yes plenty of freezing, weather. I had taken some random photos documenting this since our move, and thought I would share them with you all! 

{One of the very first snowfalls at the "castle"}

{One morning we woke to everything coated in ice}

{Visually stunning for sure}

After a snow-less December, and a pretty gentle January as far as monumental snow went, we finally got a good dump on Feb. 2nd. I can't remember the exact amount.. 11 inches maybe?

Josiah spent all morning (literally clearing our 800 foot driveway with the lawn tractor. Perseverance.. that's what that man has! :)

Fan was visiting at the time (see here to find out about her) and loved going down the long freshly cleared driveway with me and her momma Sadie.

Despite the negative temperatures, we have managed to get quite a few outdoor projects accomplished, or at least started in on. One goal for Josiah was clearing the "south slope". I spent one late afternoon helping him clear and haul wood as he chopped the felled trees into proper lengths. :)

So how about you? Surviving this weather? Looking forward to spring? :)

~Chs

God's Handwriting

Dog Days

The last couple months have seen quite a few canine comings and goings here at the castle.

Grace had found herself a new job, and was preparing for a move, so Shine and Moby would come up for visits.

Moby thinks it is SO much fun to chase his mom around the back acreage! Crazy energy that boy has!

Miss Shine tags along, at her own good pace. Never taking anything too seriously, always sedate and good tempered..

The dogs seem to think that our 10 acres exists simply for them to explore (if only they kept to just our 10 acres....). Sadie is constantly begging us to go outback for a run.

Shine could do without the extended adventures, but she's a good sport for a "stay-on-the-trail" hike. :)

The other furry friend that made an appearance, was another one of Sadie's puppies. I received a call from one of the families that had bought a puppy. They loved Miss Fan, but due to some behavioral issues on her part, couldn't keep her, and were wondering if we could re-home her.

So beautiful, loving Fan came and spent a week with us. She is a gorgeous, lithe, energetic, affectionate ball of energy!

She LOVED playing with the basketballs in the yard (in fact the balls now proudly bear some very large holes, in remembrance of dear Fan).

She was a very good girl when I took her and Sadie down the driveway to get mail, sitting and waiting in pained patience while I crossed the road to retrieve the miscellaneous letters, bills and ads.

But all good things must come to an end, and after a week of stealing our hearts (and ripping holes in our balls and socks..) it came time for Fan to find her new home.

And that new home, actually ended up to be with one of her brothers!  Hobbes' family just lost their older dog, Hobbes companion and playmate, and so it was the perfect fit for Fan, who needed another dog to take out her energy on. Hobbes and Fan, are fast friends and we were thrilled at how it all worked out.

But we aren't permanently puppyless.. yet.  Moby has taken up residence for the time being, because Grace made a move, and while it's a wonderful place for her (and hopefully Shine) there just isn't a place for Moby. So Sadie gets to have a buddy for a little while.

Well there's the stories of our dog days! :)

~Chs

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