Rest Area

 My family always picks on me about having to stop at every rest area while we are traveling.

 I found this cute little rest area on highway 19. We drive past it on our way to Rugby.

 Have you herd the story about the lady that took so long to arrive at her destination?

  She saw a sign that said clean rest rooms next 100 miles.

  She stopped and cleaned every one of them.

 

Carrots, Carrots everywhere

 
We've had a few hard frosts. Gardening season is over. 
 We dug the last of the carrots today.

Some of them will be stored in the shop in sand so we can have fresh carrots all year long.

 I used my salad shooter to slice a bunch of them thin and froze them in quart size zipper bags. They are delicious cooked and smothered with butter and a little salt.

 Today Dawn and I grated a five gallon bucket of them to freeze, so we can make cakes, muffins, cookies and bread.

 For some reason the soil in our garden is great for carrots. It produces gigantic carrots that are very sweet and tasty.

Halloween Poem 2011

The trail through the woods beckons me.

Come on in.

You never know what you might see.

A peaceful world awaits

in the deep woods, under the tree's.

I wander around from here to there.

Feeling the leaves crunch under my boots

and breathing in the nice fall air.

A deer snorts and runs away.

Flashing his tail as if to say,

What are you doing invading my woods?

The gnarly tree's are a sight to see.

They always seem to fascinate me.

A flock of geese fly overhead.

But now I must hurry to get back home.

It's getting dark, and I'm all alone.

A change is coming in the woods.

A spooky change, that isn't good.

I look at a tree and see a face.

The branch's are arms

trying to grab and hold me in this place.

People will wonder where I've gone.

What has happened to the girl

they haven't seen in so long?

Someday another soul

will be enticed to walk in these woods.

Mine will be the face they see

hidden in this big oak tree.

Beware, beware, don't go wandering around in there!!!

Apple Butter

It's Apple season!

 I made apple butter last week and it is delish. I got the recipe out of the old stand by cook book "Better Homes and Garden"

Apple Butter

6 pounds tart apples

6 cups cider or apple juice

3 cups sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

 Core and quarter unpaired apples. In 4-to 6-quart kettle, combine apples and cider. Cook about 30 minutes, or till soft. Pass through food mill. Boil gently 30 minutes: stir over low heat till sugar dissolves. Boil gently, stirring frequently, till of desired thickness. Ladle hot butter into hot jars, leaving 1/2-inch head space. Adjust lids. Process in boiling water bath (half-pints) 10 minutes. Makes 4 half pints.

Toot-a-loo now I'm off to make apple sauce.

The Great Pumpkin

October is here and the Great Pumpkin is rising out of the pumpkin patch.

Linus: On Halloween night the Great Pumpkin will rise out of the pumpkin patch.

            He flies through the air and brings toys to all the children of the world.

            Each year The Great Pumpkin rises out of the pumpkin patch that he thinks is the most sincere. He's got to pick this one. He's got to. I don't see how a pumpkin patch can be more sincere than this one. You can look around and there is not a sign of hypocrisy. Nothing but sincerity as far as the eye can see.

 Yes, I have planted a row of pumpkins again this year. They have grown, spread and produced some huge pumpkins. I'm sure I haven't enough strength to lift these gigantic pumpkins out of the garden.

 My practical husband says no more pumpkins.
 I have told him I am a witch and need my pumpkins. I have promised to plant smaller ones next year. Something I can pick up and tote around instead of these huge monsters.