Another Foggy Morning

Apple Sauce Using a Squeezo

 I made apple sauce with my friend Shelly.  She has a second hand Squeezo church memebers bought for her at Shipshawana.  The Squeezo is a wonderful machine that seprates the skin and seeds from the apple pulp.

The most difficult task was cutting the apples into fourths, and removing the stems and blossom ends. Also, these apples needed a little more work to remove bruises.

 The same church member that bought Shelly the Squeezo also carved her a plunger made from a maple branch.  The end of the plunger is beautifully stained by the apple juices.  It is a real treasure from the heart of a wonderful man.

I got twenty six jars of sauce.  I feel so rich!  The apples were organic!  They came from yet another church member.  There were Granny Smith, Macantosh, and (we think) Ida Reds.  The sauce is sugar free and has a pretty pink tinge.  

It has been a remarkable year for tree fruit.  I'm sorry I missed out on canning peaches and pears.  The March warm stretch and subsequent frost to blossoms in 2012, was nature's way of pruning for vigorous growth in 2013.  Prosperity!

I asked for an early prayer of thanksgiving for God's blessing of this years harvest.  My pastor was happy to give that prayer. 

Things I See

                                                           The Venus of Tomato'

                       "Commit to the Mitt" eat Michigan local produce (fingerly potatoes).

                              Blue Eyed Pig at Albers Apple Orchard. Could it be a changling?

                                         A happy bird house and feeder painted by Sonija.

                                    Flying Steve and recovering the hoop house after the hail.

Disapproving Papa

Spiders Art Colony

These photos were taken on our way to the farm one hazy moring.  I consider this sight a "consolation" veiwing.  The first time I saw this patch of webs clearly was in September.  Just as Evelyn and I were coming up to the farm with entered a thick cloud of fog; the dew was heavy and with the sunlight at the right angle and degree of brightness the typically invisable webs were now visable.  The event was startling, eerie, and beautiful.  I didn't stop to take a photo and I regretted it because it seemed like we would never be able to see the webs in such beautiful and rare conditions again.

Finally, one morning, the webs were visable again.  Evelyn popped a few photos for me.  The webs are made by common garden spiders (the big black and yellow type). 

Downtown Art Festival

Market Flowers

We cut the flowers and put them on the wagon.  We strip the leaves and create bouquets.  We enjoy our work.  We are enthralled by the designs that evolve and often we name our floral creations. 

The customers at market tell me that they can tell we put love into our work.  The process makes me think about Diego Riveras series of flower sellers.  According to art critics Rivera's intention was to emphasize a cast system.  The workers sell flowers to the rich, reaping earnings that barely sustain them.

It's true today.  It's true for me.  Still, I feel like the lucky one to be among the mud and flowers.  I don't mind the stains and cuts on my fingers.  It gives me joy to build a beautiful bouquet; I hope it brings joy to the person that buys it.     

Last week Friday at 730 am

Flowers express love

At the end of July Randy and I took a quick trip to Mississippi to help move Jeff.  We had lunch in Oxford at Ajax’s which serves up big portions of tasty southern food. 

This is me with the Faulkner statue.   

The Butterfly

This year I have had many encounters with butterflies.  One day I met this lovely fellow.  Another day I helped a damp Tiger Swallowtail laying on the ground, and on yet another day I helped an injured luna moth.  I like it when I am helpful to nature.

Cypress Swamp in Greenville

Just down the street from where Jeff lives is a lovely little preserve of cypress trees.  It's location within city limits makes it a southern treasure. 

My art photography

These are my Through the Viewfinder photos I took of the barns on farmer Steve's new property.  The huge barns were joined together, but a tornado came through many years ago and tore off the connecting corner.  I love the top photo because I feel like I am looking inside the belly of a great fish. 

  

It is difficult to geat a good photo using the Ttv technique.  This is how it is done.  I have a Brownie camera onto which I have attached a black cardboard "contraption" which makes like a chimmney above the viewfinder.  I put my digital camera at the top of the chimmney and take a photo of the Brownie viewfinder/lens.  Voila!  The photos have an instant nostalgic quality.   

Wyandot Art Fair

Kadie, Mikki, and Dan and the butter dish Mikki gave them for a wedding present.
Me and Mikki



I went with my friends Gwen and Mike to the Wyandot Art Fair. My other friend Mikki, from Virginia, was there selling her ceramics with her guild “Twisted Sisters.”


On the way to the fair we stopped in Allen Park to go to the Hungarian Streusel shops. At the second shop the gentleman told us the story of his career including that he once worked on Zug Island.

I saw many interesting things at the fair including photography of decaying Detroit landmarks. I met a man who started wood carving at age 65. He carves charming little houses out of Cottonwood bark. I found a photography who takes pictures of tiny toys. I bought two original cards of a Skelton saying “No one knows what you know. Own that shit!” Paintings of 1960’s television cast done in a very flat Atomic style. There was a lady who interpreted the bottle tree with her original glass blown bottles in beautiful flowing and oozing color. There was a woman who made amazing paper clay ikebana flowers.

The thing I loved the most (but couldn’t afford) was a photo of the Queen of Zug Island, by Patricia Izzo. The photo is of an elderly woman in a lovely prom dress. She holds a bouquet of roses, wears a tiara and a sash that says Queen of Zug Island (yes you can find the picture on the interwebs). The woman once was the Queen of Zug Island in the 1940’s. She had a relative who owned property on the island. From the photo you can tell she was once beautiful.

What are the chances that I would hear about Zug Island twice in one day when I had never heard about it before?

I went home and did a search of Zug Island and found all sorts of spooky information regarding the Zug Island HUM. It is not a true island. On the north and west sides a channel was dug to allow freighters access around: Detroit River, to the Rouge River, then back onto the Detroit. In its early history there was hope it would become prime real estate for wealthy folks, instead it became prime real estate for industry.

Today the island is highly fortified by homeland security and Canadians across the river in Windsor claim a hum radiates from the machinery that is so disruptive that it is a detriment to the health and overall wellness of the people.  What makes the noise?  An investigation is underway.

By the way we did buy streusel and it was so yummy.

Nesting Robins

The robins have been gone a few weeks now. They’ve moved to the wooded areas where the food is more plentiful.  I miss hearing their singing in the dark moments before dawn.


At the end of June a pair made a nest on the arbor over the gate leading to the front door.

The nest looks comfortable and nicely constructed. There is a little step on the underside. The builder supported the main part of the nest on the large vertical post and partially supported the side on the lower horizontal slat. It is a fine and clever foundation.

I considered it auspicious and a compliment to have the robins nesting there. They trusted us enough to take up residence in an area where folks often pass by.



  

WHOA!!!

WHOA! WHAT DO YOU MEAN I'M RELATED TO THEM?

The new pulse

I know.  A lot has changed in my world, more than you realize.  I am guarding my feelings and thoughts as I try to digest this change. 

Thinking about . . .
I haven't been posting much.  While the recent enteries show my busyness, it doesn't begin to give 
       enough detail.
I have projects that need finishing.
Andy reclaimed his amazing hoe.  It looked like an ancient tool, but on interwebs search I found the 
       "Prohoe" (that's the name) that costs fifty dollars. 
I need to finish painting my sewing cabinet.
I want to remodel the garden.  I recently purchased a yellow peony for the garden.
I want to write a list of ten things I like about me. 

Doing . . .
I finished making another sign for the Goetz Farm.
I am made ricotta thumbprint cookies filled with stewed rhubarb and cherries.
I drew the plan for a Mastodon Farm market sign.

Strange occurances . . .
I have an old picture of a stranger that I bought at an antique store.  It picture is of a middle aged-woman in a wool coat and fur collar.  Just this week, by a very odd and weird chance a name of a place came up in conversation.  It was a God smack!  Because I got on the internet and found the exact location of the photo.  I don't want to say where this place is because I am secretly wishing to go there.

I have been meditating on the word "wholesome" for a year or so, but lately I have had some strong thoughts on what this means to me.  Heaven was listening to my inner conversation because I came across some important writings on the subject. 

Cherry on top . . .
I have read books one and two of A Series of Unfortunate Events.  I am taking a break from the series in order to read Cold Comfort Farm. 

At a sale I bought four pairs of embroidered and crocheted pillow cases, two lovely doilies, a pink crocheted edged hankie, a brocade table cloth, and a child's table cloth.  I bought it ALL for 3.50. 

OH NO! DON"T TAKE THE HOE!!!

We ended up with Andy's hoe.  I use it when I go to my client's garden.  It is sharp on three sides and has a 2" by 5.5" head.  I don't know if it's an antique or new, or something sentimental and fabricated by Andy's grandpa, but this is a really efficient hoe.  I understand why Andy went searching for it. 

I looked on the internet for something comparable.  I found the "Prohoe" (don't you love the name?) for 50 bucks.  That is way more than I can afford at the moment. 

Anyway, the hoe is gone now and  I feel sad about it.

For Father's Day

 Arianna's  (very creative for one so young)

 Dominic's

 Mekayla's

Brandy's

Brandy and the kids came over to make garden stones for Jacob on Father's Day.  Jake has put in a really nice raised bed vegetable garden.  He made the frames out of pallets. 

Another Farm Market Sign

I made another market sign in barter for flower arranging services for the wedding.  This time is did wood burning.