kittycafe

Adventures in Elder...

... which one are we on now? 3? 4?

Okay, let's call it this:  

You Know I Had to Try It. 

I've done elderberries, jelly making and syrup along with the foot-soaking, mosquito-biting foraging. 

Elder flower cordial? Check.

Elderberry wine?  Not yet but I'm still hopeful!

And now,  I happened upon a use for elder bark: a salve.

And since I found those bushes hiding on my own property, well,  You Know I Had To Try It.

Of course I did. I'm me, after all. They were just sitting out there waiting for me for discover something new to do. 

I peeled the bark and let it dry out for a few days. I only took smaller branches as I only had a little saw. Peeling the bark I was surprised to find it had the same scent as the berries.

Then the olive oil infusion, twice. Oops. Camnesia. Picture bark swimming in olive oil on stove, strained and then infused again. (Gotta love these illustrated tutorials!)

Beeswax was then melted and added to the re-warmed infusion (1 oz to *8oz oil or until you have the consistency you like) and a little lavender essential oil and voila!

It looks greener in real life. In fact, it matches the green walls in our living room. How about a paint chip called Salve Green?  Not so enticing?

Elder bark salve is good for bruising and inflammation.

I'm going to give some to my mum, who has thin, elderly skin that bruises very easily.

I've asked my immediate family members  to check for bruises so I could anoint them!  None so far and I'm not hoping to see any soon but I am curious to try it.

Meanwhile, if you are interested in a more thorough tutorial, I found the salve here at Comfrey Cottages and it's companion post, all about bruising and how it worked here.

 

 

 

Two Weekends

I've been very remiss to show and tell my afternoon blogger meet-up with Lynne of Wonderfully Made

I drove south, she crossed the border and drove north and we met in Niagara wine region, at Jordan Village.

It's funny when you meet bloggers in person because it is very like catching up with an old friend, you already know them so well. We share many interests and she has an uncanny knack of picking the same knitting patterns that I want to knit! It is much nicer to be face to face of course and we had a wonderful, if too short afternoon. Lynne, did I ever mention that there was a huge outdoor flea market around the corner when I drove home? Next time!

I was surprised when I got home and found I had a little camnesia and only got this photo of this colourful yarn shop we visited in the village. Lynne did better and you can read her very thoughtful post here.

The reason I was so neglectful in blogging this?

I was preparing for a show and sale at Carrot Fest at Everdale Farm

Long time readers may remember when I first visited this farm and their sustainable living tour before we moved to the area. Alas, we did not build a straw bale house or any eco-house for that matter as this green living? Unfortunately very unaffordable. I never thought I would be living a stone's throw from this organic farm, though.

Again with the camnesia (so unlike me) and only have this one photo of my table and the pottery was turned to the end at this point.

Behind me was this view:

Not exactly convention centre walls, right?

In front of me, there was many child-friendly activities changing throughout the day.

 

It was gorgeous and warm and really, I don't think I've had such a chance in quite a while to sit and chat and relax as I did this day.

I always marvel at the comments I get at these events.

I was asked many times, "You made these pots? All by yourself?" 

"You made all the pottery? And the soap?"  pause "And the calligraphy? You're very right-brained, aren't you?"

 

Most fascinating is how people perceive the scents of the soap. One woman was certain the floral one was grapefruit scented. Another could not smell the lemon grass at all, though her friend raved about it and so on. One person walked away when I mentioned that one in the middle basket that she had picked up was unscented. Everyone, male and female seemed to like the more masculine scents, cedarwood, patchouli, and the beer soap. I should be documenting this for a study!

Best of all was today,  when I finally got a chance to sit outside and pick the leaves off the basil plants (frilly purple basil on the left) to make pesto and enjoy the last very warm days of September.

I let others do the busy work.

 

 

 

 

Corner View: Homeplace

I'm joining Francesca and the other corner view participants today for the first time.

For this relocated city girl, my home place is defintely here now in the country.

I love the city and sometimes I crave it. Every time I am there I want more of it. But when I think of home,

 It is here:

 

I was hoping this wasn't going to be another fruitless rhubarb hunt...

So,

 because just about everybody was showing off their lilacs I thought I would head down the road to the corner where "my" lilac bushes are. They are not mine. This is a little no man's land patch of wilderness that doesn't seem to belong to anybody.  I appear to the only one availing myself to it's bounty.

 

This is what I found. Not much in the way of flowers yet but a bit better than searching for the well hidden, slower-than-most rhubarb in the grass. Like the rhubarb, I'm just a bit early.

I always wonder if I'm going to meet anyone on this journey, with wellies on feet, secateurs in hand, camera around my neck and my magnetic-to-cat-hair fleece hoodie (it was a chilly morning)
 

I did meet these girls, who followed me home. The smaller black one is missing a paw but had no trouble keeping up. I have no idea who they belong to; halfway Ms. Three Paw headed back for home (I assume) but Ms. Friendly followed me all the way to the door. I could see she wasn't adverse to coming in, either.

I went out a couple of hours later and Ms. Friendly was waiting outside, ever so happy to see me. uh-oh.

I read her dog tag, Molly was her name. I took Molly back up the lilacs, hoping she would get the idea and head for home. We were at the corner so I chose to go right, as there are a few more houses in that direction. She happy went along and up the first driveway. I was hopeful but the elderly man at the door just shook his head.

At the next house we met Ms. Three Paw waiting on the porch. After a cursory warning bark she bounded up to us and preceded to roll around on the grass with Molly. I knocked on the door but there didn't appear to be anyone home. 

Back the two dogs ran towards the corner again. They both followed me home this time. I couldn't help but notice what a great amount of fun dogs in the country have. They played and chased each other, came back along side me on the road and then bounded off in the woods, only to appear again ahead of me. 

They assumed they were coming in. I started to feel a little guilty; it looked like it was going to rain. I passed the kitchen door and there they were right there looking hopeful.

Sigh.

Eventually they must have left for home. I asked the postal carrier when she drove up and she said she thought Molly lived on the farm closest to Ms. Three Paw. So I had stopped short by two properties.

I thought I had had bit of a walk already (everything is farther than it appears out here) but I was determined to find a little orchard I had seen on a winter walk on a kindling fetching expedition. I started in the woods along the somewhat sketchy property line at the far end. I'm pretty certain this little orchard isn't mine either; I'm sure the previous owner would have mentioned it. 

This is the entrance to the woods here.

The trail changes as does the woods. For awhile you can follow in the old ATV tracks but eventually they disappear too.

 In other spots it's dark. Doesn't it look like there are claws coming out of the ground?

And the trees change a lot. 

And then, the orchard or what was once an orchard.

 It was definitely abandoned, although there were a few signs of life

So I headed back. It is easier in the winter to do this when you can follow your own footsteps (and the coyotes tracks) in the snow. I'm always a little nervous about getting lost. There is 27 acres of woods here but I try to keep to the back boundary line at first and I'm okay once I see the farmer's field again.

 

I stopped at the pond on the way back and almost didn't notice Mr. and Mrs. Mallard as I was surveying the low water line on the rocks at the edge of the pond, a sign of the lack of snow this year.

The wild turkeys, who scoot into the woods here when I come out of the house were hiding in the woods. I see them every morning.

This Tom:

  is trying his darned-est to capture the attention of the two females, strutting and preening. They (pretend) to ignore him. I don't know if he's gotten lucky yet.

 
 He's very dignified and elegant moving slowly around so they can get the full effect of his beautiful feathers. This is in high contrast to the comical high speed Road Runner scoot into the woods if you come too close. They are fast and can disappear before you can, say, get your telephoto lens on.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mother's out there. 

I hope you are pampered tomorrow.

 

 

November Transforming

After that riot of wonderful fall colour, a gentle muting begins. The yellows are all that remain from the palette, and they can glow like gold in the sun.

These were for the most part taken on roads to the grocery store, how romantic is that?

I had to take some of these home for a big floor vase, as they are nearly 5 feet tall.

But November is rarely sunny for long. It is rainy and cold and dark. Storms brew.

And then the rain comes.

(Please excuse my fixation with barns)

And then one morning (this Sunday) you wake up to this:

And the route is transformed yet again.

This is my favourite farm in any season, a little ramshackle cluster of buildings, nestled down in a valley.

I tried to keep these photos small so they would not get automatically cropped width-wise, as that seems to happen. You can click for bigger. They are completely un-retouched, partly because I am always in a hurry posting, partly because of laziness, hence the water droplets and smudges from the car windshield. Truly drive-by photography.

I sometimes leave my shopping list at home but I rarely forget the camera.

Autumn

 

It is here.

Autumn is my favourite season but it is a bittersweet love.

It is not long lasting and then comes...you know.

I'm not so fond of the You Know.

We've lit the fire some nights to take the chill out of the air.

The leaves are starting to turn.

I try to enjoy every moment.

And a-foraging we go...( er, went)

I found that we have a walnut tree.

I remember one Thanksgiving weekend in my teens, sitting outside with a friend all afternoon releasing the walnuts from their casings and staining our fingers black black.

My friend in berry picking, F called to say she found another elderberry spot and the picking was easy, no streams or nettles or mosquitoes. Since she was off to host an eco-tour in the Brazilian rain forest (I know, I know), they were all mine.

I gathered enough for four jars of jam..

and an elderberry pie. Actually apple pear elderberry pie.

We have 6 apple trees on this property but only 3 are bearing fruit this year. And slim pickings at that. Everyone is blaming the wet spring. Not one on the golden delicious tree and a gala type apple tree not on the property but not far away, proved bare of all fruit. And that one I knew was full of apples. Somebody had beat me to it. I did snag a few windfalls earlier though.

If I don't decorate my pie with the leftover pastry bits, I usually make some cinnamon crispies. Just roll out pieces of pastry, sprinkle them with cinnamon and sugar and bake for a few minutes with the pie. The kids devour these. I am guilty of raising pastry fiends.

Even knitting goes autumnal.

It's time to think scarves and mitts and hats.

This one the Bainbridge Scarf by Pepperknits, with mods by flintknits.. It  is a great stash buster and I think I will make a few more for gift giving this year.

There is an annual neighbourhood ritual we were invited to, just after school started.

Imagine coming through a corn filled to a clearing between two properties. There are two long tables set up, complete with white tablecloths and candelabra. There is one of those old fashioned looking popcorn machine carts. A movie screen (a large tarp rigged on scaffolding) rests between cedars. Lawn chairs are set up three rows deep. A large bon fire is blazing .  We are offered martinis and margaritas by the host's wife. (There is power for the blender coming from somewhere) 

The first movie is for the kids (they had a cooler of pop) and then an intermission, which was some downloaded vintage advertisements from theatres and television (remember the dancing hotdog? There was also a very non-PC Flintstone's ad for Winston cigarettes! Oh, how times change)

It got dark very fast, that darkness you only find in the country. 

It also got very cold and sleeping bags and blankets were snuggled into. A  dog was playing fetch with corn cobs from the field with anyone  who would throw one.

That's how we got to meet the neighbours.

 We were very wobbly walking home with flashlights through the corn fields. Although that could have been the martinis...

L is for Local

Or, The Idiot Gardener, Revisited

We were half way through eating dinner the other night when I realised the meal was almost entirely local, without conscious planning.

I had picked green beans earlier, after rejigging my homemade trellis which was leaning dangerously under the weight of the pole beans. I discovered actual beans on it quite by accident while fingers twisted twine, master gardener that I am... snort.  This veggie growing gig still amazes me.* I have been so intent on the box and soil and planting that the vegetables seem more like a happy bonus, than the actual purpose of the whole enterprise.

A roast was in the oven, natural grass fed beef from a local farm, with potatoes from my garden as well.**

Carrots were requested and the fridge bin came up empty so I went and pulled a few of those.

Littlest wanted Yorkshire pudding, the only part of a roast dinner she likes, with lots of gravy.

So fresh eggs, purchased roadside, were put to use and I buy organic flour from Hockley Valley (which has no website and I threw away the bag, dang it). Also in my neck of the woods.

And there you have it. I can say 'neck of the woods' now and really mean woods. Small things amuse... well, you know.

Also local and still a wonder that I have these things in my backyard, the heron (pictured above) has come to the pond several times this week, no doubt eyeing the rainbow trout that is stocked therein.

The Husband took this photo while lying on the grass from the other side of the pond with the telephoto lens, obviously.

I had a bigger treat later when I came out of the house to call the kids in. Unaware that the heron was perched on the roof of the house at the time, my shouting startled him into flight and the view of the massive wing span as he flew over my head was amazing. Much larger than you'd think.

* I do not feel so bad when things like this happen:

 A friend came to stay for the weekend and he was very keen on a garden tour. He was most impressed with the squash/pumpkin patch. He pointed to a small green orb on a stem. "What is this?" he asked.

"A pumpkin."

" Wow. I've never seen one so small!" He exclaimed.

"Well, they've got to start somewhere"  said the dh, with a chuckle.

** The potatoes were not planned as part of this growing experiment. 

But due to an unfortunate and mysterious problem with tomato plants and wildlife in that spot, I picked up some seed potatoes and nilly-willy, pushed them into the soil.

The potato plants were getting very large, very fast and I worried they were going to crowd out the other plants. And when are they ready? And how do you know, what with them hidden underground?

I consulted my one and only gardening book which stated that the early varieties could be harvested when the plants flowered and the later ones, well, much later, like September.

Well, crap on a stick, which kind did I buy?

The plants were flowering so I gave one the heave ho. They were mostly small, but a few were, you know, grocery store-size (go ahead, laugh) and they were delicious. So I still really don't know what kind I bought.

So you see, even those who don't know what the heck they are doing can manage to grow veg and eat well. 

Still can't quite get caught up on the ABC Along but I do have 'Z' planned.

Z is for Zucchini! Can someone save me from the zucchini?

A Week in Pictures

After all the kvetching about winter, we have a week of summer! Particularly the weekend. Everything is rapidly greening and coming alive, myself included.
Gardening is top of the list these days, with plenty of this:

Our new property is a bit of a blank slate landscaping-wise but I did find some of these under the apple trees:

I've also done a lot of equine photography for portraits:

So now I have a lot of this to do:
I love my wicker paint box. It makes me fell very Beatrix Potterish.
Work is always unfortunate when I started two new knitting projects:

The wildlife are back. We watched 6 deer come to drink at the smaller frog pond, 20' from the house last night. No one went for the camera, we just watched quietly. And they watched us.
New visitors included raccoons, which strangely enough we didn't see all winter.
Btw, he's not looking to jump down here. I tapped the window and he was shooting me a 'look' over his shoulder.

Mr and Mrs. Canada Goose have chosen our larger pond as their own. They gave me a very good talking/sqawking to as I followed them around the pond before they had had enough.

Unfortunately, they aren't the only ones using the pond this weekend. The Littlest wanted bragging rights as the first to jump in the pond. Now, it was a very warm weekend (25'C) but there is still a little snow in the shady parts of the woods. But then, I think determined is the word for my girl.

I had a little chat with Lynne this morning on her first day back to work. It was nice talking to you, Lynne.
I am getting to work now , really I am...