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