I'm In Love With A Bird

I'm smitten. I'm bitten. It's full blown love. I can't keep my hands off this bird. Would it be wrong to keep her away from her chicken friends and keep her with me all the time? Would it be ok to have a lap chicken, and get a cute bag to carry her around in, and get her some bling?

I don't think there's a thing wrong with that.

She's my baby girl birdie sweetie pie.

Chicken love.

It's sweet.

Showin' My Face Again....

Is it safe to come back here? WOW! Thanks for ALL the wonderful comments....I have to say, that was big fun for me to come here and read everything, makes me feel like a genuine blogger. Thank you thank you, from the bottom of my heart! I appreciate each and everyone.....now...would you like to hear my opera rendition of 'Wicked Coon"? :-)

It's 11:01 pm and I'm just in with the groceries. It's been a heck of a few days. Got up at 5:30 this morning and just haven't stopped. Housework, laundry, homeschooling, yardwork, work work at the BMV, cookin', visiting friends, and grocery shopping. I'm a tired farmgirl.

Just a random pic of chicks. This one cracked me up, like they are all gossiping around a water cooler.

I've got so many things to share with you! I've had TWO cooking clubs, and haven't posted them, I'm making jam, and haven't shared my beautiful strawberry pics with you. I have a few new babies in the house.....imagine that. Helen is doing fantastic. She is eating on her own, thankyoujesus, cause that was time consuming. She's getting a little meat on her bones, and walking around pretty good.

There will be my first giveaway here at The Coop Keeper over the weekend, or perhaps on Monday. Make sure you know how to leave a comment. I will be drawing from the random comments. I will let you know when it is all goin' down. Stay tuned.

I'm hoping to share this wonderful recipe with you before strawberry season is over. Perfect for a summer party. 4th of July perhaps? Throw a few blueberries in and you have your red, white and blue theme!

I'm trying all sorts of new recipes this week. Whilst (a favorite word of mine) I was shopping tonight, I remembered a few years back that I'd decided to cook a different meal every day for 365 days. NO REPEATS. I had the recipes, Lord knows, I have the recipes. I got to about month four, and just MISSED having certain foods. I'm toying around with the idea again...wonder if I could pull it off. Do you think you could do something like that?

Well friends, a big thank you again for being here, and commenting. It shore 'nuff makes it fun.

Night night.

Happy Things.....

Since there's been so much carnage here, I thought I'd do a post about happy things. Things that made me happy this week, as opposed to the things that broke my heart. Here is a picture of my backyard, as viewed from the Squirrel, which is where we often do school, just to break things up. It was right before it started raining this afternoon, so it is a bit dark. I like it.

Good grief this kid makes me happy. And worries me. And frustrates me. And makes me proud. I think he makes me laugh more than anything. Not a day goes by without deep belly laughs, tears rolling down our faces kinda laughter. Today he ALMOST wet himself while he was drying dishes. I don't know why we are so goofy, but we just are. We were singing the National Anthem as loud and obnoxious as we possibly could. Please note his lips in this picture. He imitates a black woman a lot, and it's HYSTERICAL. I'll have to figure out how to make a video, and then post it here. I could post my 'Wicked Coon' song that I wrote! Thanks for that idea Jennifer! I'm sure you'll never come back to the blog if you see it!

A hungry baby bird makes me very happy. She's doing well. She even stood up by herself a few times today, and walked about 10 steps. This is the first time she's moved since I found her. I really didn't think she was going to make it. I've been giving her physical therapy. Bicycling her legs, massaging her feet and legs. Aaron made a sling for her, with two leg holes, and we've been walking her around like a marionette. It's quite comical, but it seems to be working! I still sing "Survivor" to her. I think she's liking it now. One eye is completely open and the other halfway. Maybe I should rename her Beyonce now.......

Here's a picture of that sage that bloomed. What makes me happy about this is the bee. #1 - I love bees. I don't know why. Bee Club is this coming Sunday. I can't wait to get my own hive. I'm excited, I'm scared, I'm petrified, and I'm so looking forward to it, all at the same time. I didn't really realize that I'd have to TOUCH the bees. Guess I thought there was a spigot on the side of the hive. Kinda like a self serve. #2 - I actually got a still shot of the bee. It's small, but it's there, and it makes me happy that I'm figuring out my little $100 point and shoot a little bit better.

The view out my backdoor makes me happy. The door seems like a little frame, framing my little world.

The sun hitting my variegated weigelas.

My tree peonies. Flowers from heaven I tell you.

The strawberries are ready. I've picked about 3 gallons so far. I be jammin' soon.

Plant shopping. I need a bigger vehicle. It's hard to stop. Aaron had to hold some on the way home too.

This pic makes me a little sad. This is the 'scene of the crime' so to speak. But, it's a cute little coop. We are still working on making it alot more secure.

Does this photo really require an explanation? Beanage and plants. I think I passed out right after this photo.

My scarecrow garden angel. I dress her every year with fresh clothes from Salvation Army. You might be a redneck if your scarecrow is better dressed than you.

Last but not least, my five dollar manicure. They are press on nails from Walgreens. I think they are called 'Real Nails', or something like that. They hide a multitude of sins. At work, I have to type on a keyboard with my hands inches from the customers. I always feel homeless when my hands are all grungy from the garden. Even with gloves on, the dirt just gets ground in. I feel like a proper lady with me nails on.

Well there you have it. I'm done blogged out.

One Sick Chick

Just a quickie post for now. I've gotten rained out of weeding this morning. Bummer. :-) I'm going to go out and do some errands while it's raining, so that I can work in the yard as soon as the rain is over. So many things on my mind today, so many things that need to be done. It's hard for me to prioritize, as evident by me sitting here blogging!

Helen is a sick little chick for sure. She still hasn't really moved at all. She just sits. See that pic on the top? That is her in the yard while I was doing yard work. I kept her with me for company. I kept talking to her, petting her. I've been singing Beyonce's "I'm a Survivor" to her, and dancing, trying to cheer her up.....good thing that her eyes AREN'T open!!! That red stuff on her chest isn't blood, it's strawberry juice, that is about all she has been eating. I crush up some strawberries for her and feed her. I've tried oatmeal, etc, things I've read about on chicken forums, but she won't take it. Last night I picked her up, and she felt like she was on fire. She was SO hot. She was so lethargic, laying on her side and breathing a bit heavy. I decided to put her down, and I was saying my goodbyes to her, and well, I just couldn't do it. I decided to give her two more days to see if she recovers at all. My friend brought over some Amoxicillin and I gave that to her twice, and I'll be darned if she didn't seem a BIT better this morning, looking around a little, peeping, and eating well. I'm holding out hope. I know some of you may think I should take her to a vet. I don't mean to sound cruel, but we just wouldn't do that.

I carry her around like this alot. I'm not sure if it is good or not, maybe she isn't getting the rest she needs like that. So now I've left her be on the front porch in a cozy chair. I had to separate her from Anne, because Anne wouldn't give her a minutes rest. She kept forcing herself under Helen, and chirping. It's almost like Anne has had a nervous breakdown. Sometimes I sit Helen next to Anne, outside the cage, and it seems to settle Anne down. I must say though, that today, Anne seems like a normal chicken. She's calmed down.

I still shudder to think what's happened to these poor birds. The horror they've seen! Those stinkin' raccoons coming in there like a thief in the night, stealing them one by one. The only thing I can think of being scarier is if they were dressed like Colonel Sanders. Pure EVIL I tell you! We set the trap again last night, but didn't catch anything. I thought for sure one of my knuckle headed cats would be in it.

I've been writing a coon killin' song. Imagine me out in the garden, pulling weeds, edging, with a sick chicken on a towel next to me, singing a bluegrass song about killin' coons. Oh ya, that is how I roll.

Thank you for all your sweet comments and emails. I'll respond to them all just as soon as I can.

Got Coon?

Good morning! I'm going to type a bit of text before I post any pictures, so that you can be forewarned. Sigh. Well. Day 2. Let me back up. After I posted my Killin' Time post, I was packing my lunch and getting ready to leave for work. I went out behind the chicken coop to show Aaron where to hook the hose up so he could water the veggie garden while I was gone. Out of the corner of my eye, I just saw this little black spot. I'm squinting, looking....why it's my little black hen! I ran over to her, and she never moved, she was just sitting there. I was right at her now, she was still. I bent over and picked her up, and she sqwauked a little. Her eyes were closed, and well, still are. Yesterday one opened up half way, but this morning, it's closed. Her head showed signs of slight trauma, nothing major. April, at Coal Creek Farm gave me some great advice for trying to nurture her back. I hope she makes it, I hope she will be ok, and not blind. It was really hard to leave her after just finding her. I don't know how women with babies go to work.

Came home after work and Aaron pointed out to me a dead hen on the top of the chicken coop that I did not see before. It was one of the Aracauna babies, and it kinda blended in. When my sister got home, she set out to looking around and noticed one up in the tree! It was horrible!!!! Who would do such a thing?! I'll show you.....this is who....

He was a big 'un. I'm not even sure how it all happened. But we were out in the camper til about 10pm (I like having a glass of wine in there after it gets dark) and when we were coming out, we heard a rustling. Sure enough this fat thing was in there scouting around. HOW IN THE HECK DID IT GET IN? It must be able to squeeze through very small areas. I've a lot to learn. Glen ran in and got the shot gun, and then BAM, THUD. It was over. Just like that, justice had been served. I feel pretty confident that this is the raccoon that did this:

And this....

This morning I woke up to this little guy in the trap. I really can't look at him, because I feel guilty. It's kinda little. It wouldn't hurt anything would it? *Slapping myself* YES! It's a raccoon! Guilt by association little fella. You are on death row and this is your holding cell.

It's just heartbreaking to lose your chickens. I do love those little girls. Recently I read in the local paper where a pack of wild dogs killed about 13 of this man's sheep. There was a picture of him standing in a field of dead sheep. Life in the country is cruel.

So now there are two. I've named the blind injured one Helen Keller, and the little baby chick that won't leave her side now, I've named Anne Sullivan, after Helen's teacher. (I know I'm ridiculous, you really don't need to tell me). I'll probably be going to the Poultry Auction on Monday. That is an event. It overwhelms me. I think I'll get some big birds, maybe even a rooster. I'd like some banty's too. But first, this weekend must be spent securing the coop. I'll be setting the trap everynight this week. Will be interesting to see what I get.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some things that need tending.

Killin' Time

Well folks, it's killing time here. This morning, I woke up to only ONE HEN. Yes. They are all gone. I've cried. I've wailed. I'm sad as sad can be. I didn't even want to post about it. They spent their first night in the coop last night, and they are gone. No sign of a struggle, only one feather left. One little baby is left, traumatized, walking around lost.

I know I said I've learned how to move on, but right now, the only moving I can think of doing is to a condominium that I can't have a garden or a chicken in! Aaron comforted me, patting me on the back as I was crying on his little shoulder. Glenco said we'd start over and work more on the coop trying to figure out what happened.

I'm out for blood folks. I'm thinking it was this raccoon that I've seen around here. My neighbor across the street has been complaining about a big fat male raccoon destroying her bird feeders. I have a Have A Heart trap on it's way over from another neighbor. Here's the clincher though. I'm not gonna have a freakin' heart. I'm going to trap it and riddle it with bullets. One for each hen. I'm going to dismember it and nail it's body parts all over the trees for the other raccoons to see and fear.

Oh I say that now, and when I see that raccoon, I'll want to make a pet of it.

Signing out for today, feeling beat.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

I absolutely love to bake yeast breads. Don't fear the yeast people, it's not that difficult, well, not difficult at all. Sure, you may have some flops, but everyone does. How else can you learn? This is a wonderful recipe. Oh my, so wonderful. The texture, the taste, the homeyness of it all. It's almost too much to bear. I've made this twice now this week, because Aaron can't stay out of it!

If your anything like me, I've not the time to make bread during the day, so what I've been doing, is making the dough, and letting it have it's first rise in the fridge overnight. I like waking up and seeing that big puffed bowl of bread. Then, I form it, let it rise again, and bake it. It's much better time wise for me to break it up like that, and if I'm not mistaken, I do think it improves the texture of the bread.

This is a recipe out of the Amish cookbook I referred to earlier...Cooking from Quilt Country by Marcia Adams. So far there have only been a couple of recipes I've NOT liked from that book.

Still need to tell you how the Amish are responsible, well the Amish and mainly Harrison Ford bear the responsibility of me living where I live.

Here's Aaron enjoying a slice of warm Cinnamon Swirl Bread while studying Political Science. You don't get that in a school cafeteria baby!

Enough babbling...here is the recipe:

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

2 cups of milk

2 tablespoons of butter

1 cup warm water

1 packet of active dry yeast

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon of salt

1 tablespoon of vanilla

2 eggs, slightly beaten

2 cups of oatmeal, not old fashioned (although that is what I've been using)

5 1/2 to 6 cups of all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

In a small saucepan, combine the milk and the butter. Warm, melting the butter. In a large, warm mixer bowl, combine the warm water and the yeast with a fork; set aside in a warm place to proof, until the mixture starts to bubble, abut ten minutes.

To the hot milk, add 1/4 cup of brown sugar, the salt and the vanilla. Mix. Add to the yeast water mixture, then stir in the beaten eggs and oatmeal; blend. Add half the flour and mix well. Gradually work in the rest of the flour. Knead until smooth and elastic, about five minutes. Return to a large oiled bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk, about one hour, or a bit more (This is when I put it in the fridge, covered in plastic wrap).

After the dough has risen, punch down and divide in half. On a floured board, roll out each half into a 13x8 rectangle. Combine the remaining 1/2 cup of brown sugar and the cinnamon, and sprinkle half of it on each rectangle. DO NOT BUTTER. (Avoid the temptation to put on more brown sugar, you will not be happy). Roll tightly, beginning at a short edge. Pinch the edge of the dough to seal well;, press in the ends of roll. Place loaves, seam side down in two well greased loaf pans. Brush lightly with oil. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake loaves for 10 minutes, lower heat to 350 degrees, and bake 30 minutes longer, until deep golden brown and make a hollow sound when tapped. Immediately spread the top with a little butter. Remove from pans and let cool.

Let me know if you try this!

Tales of Carnage...Tales of Woe

"There's been an accident", she said as I stood on the other end of the phone, bracing myself for the extent of the bad news. I'd assured her when she took the chickens home with her that I would understand if anything happened, because I know, keeping chickens, things happen. I just didn't really think they WOULD happen. Not this time, not to my sweet baby girls.

"Something attacked the cage in the middle of the night. One chicken is missing, another one had her toes chewed off". I gulped. Please God, not little Peggy Sue. Not the one that I'd nurtured. Can't this chick get a break? She continued talking, but I didn't hear her anymore, I just felt numb, and my mind was racing. Could she heal? Would she heal? Would the other chickens welcome her back to the flock? Do I need to fashion a little wagon and pull her around like a Fisher Price toy!? Well, enough talking, thinking and wondering. I drove over to see what I could see. I was REALLY afraid to even look. I don't like carnage. I don't do well with carnage. I can't even look at my own cuts, let alone see one of my birds with no toes.

My friend was so traumatized by the whole thing. She felt incredibly bad, and I just kept trying to reassure her that if she hadn't watched them I'd probably have no hens left. She had two baby chickens herself, and she ended up giving me those. I left with 6, and I was coming home with 6. Well, I came home with 5, because we decided that Stubs (I know, I'm just SO original with animal names) would be better off in ICU at her house. My friend is an animal lover that should have been a vet. She has taken care of Stubs, now called Baby Stubs all week long. I was going to take pics of poor Baby Stubs, but I felt I'd respect her privacy. (That sounds good doesn't it? Truth be told, I never had time to make it back over to take the pics of carnage!) My friend is now going to keep Baby Stubs as her own. I'm happy to tell you that Baby Stubs is doing well. She's healed almost completely, and is able to walk long enough to get up and eat, and drink. She will be well taken care of. I on the other hand, will miss her terribly, and never be able to order Chicken Fingers at a restaurant again.

This has just been a week of carnage. Carnage. It's my new favorite word. Carnage abounds here. Take a look at that fifty pound bag of chicken feed. SOMETHING tore it completely open last night and spilled half of it on the ground. It had to be pretty strong. Three layers of heavy paper. I shudder to think what did that, and what it could do to the chickens one night. I keep hearing the music from "Psycho" playing in the background.

If there's one thing I've learned since I've moved from the big city is to move on. I moved on. I bought two new baby chicks! I swear I could buy a hundred and it wouldn't be enough. If they would just stay little!!

Look at these little cuties! These are the chickens that lay the blue and green eggs. The original breed is called Araucana, but these are like mutts, they will lay the Easter Egg colored eggs, but aren't a true full breed Araucana. Like my $5 manicure? So do I. I just can't type worth a crap.

Cue the "Psycho" music again. I'm not kidding you, every morning I wake up to carnage like this. Dead mice. Dead birds. Perhaps the photo below is the most disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised.

I suppose the heads aren't tasty. I find it disturbing to wake up to a mouse head. Sometimes it's nothing but the mouth, nose and whiskers. See the little teeth still in it's mouth. Yeek! I have the goosebumps.

Well, now to the untrained eye, this might look like a hole in the ground. But it's not. It's a deer track. It's about 6 inches away from my corn that is three inches high. It gets better.

Deer scat. Scat is the official Park Ranger talk for poop. At this point, I feel the deer are taunting me. It's a slap in the face. Oh, but I have plans for them. Evil plans.

I went out and got this. Hopefully I'll make time to put it all up before they can totally desecrate my garden. I've never had deer troubles before. I'm losing sleep. I'm counting deer, and they are all laughing at me.

Don't worry little girl. I'll do my best to protect you.

Mouse heads. Mouse guts. Chewed off chicken fingers. Deer scat. This is scarier than them all. Aaron backing up the car in the driveway. Two years, six months and fourteen days til he gets his drivers license. Or at least he thinks so. I work at the License Branch, remember!!! CUE THE "PSYCHO" MUSIC!!!!

Camping Recipes

The Long Awaited Recipes......

Yes. Those are canned biscuits. Don't hate. Aaron still hasn't forgiven me. I just wanted to make it a lil'bit easier this time. The sausage gravy recipe that I'm about to share is from a book called 'Cooking From Quilt Country' by Marcia Adams. It's an Amish cookbook. Many don't know, but it was all because of the Amish that I live in the house I do. I'll have to share that story sometime.....This is my favorite gravy. I make it the day before we go camping and then just reheat it.

Sausage Gravy

1 lb sage-flavored bulk sausage, as lean as possible

2 T finely chopped onion

6 T flour

1 quart milk

1/4 t. ground nutmeg, rounded

1/2 t. poultry seasoning, rounded

Dash of Worcestershire sauce

Dash of Tabasco

Crumble the sausage into a large saucepan, and saute over medium-low heat, breaking the meat into small pieces while it cooks. Do not allow it to brown or get crisp. When meat is about three-quarters done, add the onion and cook until the onion is transparent.

Drain off all but 2 T of the meat drippings, you don't have to be too precise about this. Stir in the flour with a whisk and cook over medium low heat for six to seven minutes, or until the flour turns golden and bubbles up. Pour in the milk all at once. and add the seasonings. Cook and whisk until the mixture thickens. Place biscuit halves on each plate and top with sausage gravy.

Here is the recipe for Diva Don's great Italian Breakfast Strata. It's also a cook aheader and reheat. Hey, there are better things to do whilst camping than cook!

Italian Sausage, Bell Pepper and Fontina Breakfast Strata

INGREDIENTS

• 6 large eggs
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• 2 cups sliced green onions
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 cup finely grated Romano cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound hot Italian sausages, casings removed
• 1 large red bell pepper, halved, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch wide-strips
• 1 1-pound loaf rustic French bread, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 2 cups (loosely packed) coarsely grated Fontina cheese

PREPARATION

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch ceramic or glass baking dish. Whisk first 7 ingredients in large bowl; sprinkle generously with pepper. Set aside.
• Place sausage in large nonstick skillet; push to 1 side. Add bell pepper to other side of skillet. Sauté over high heat, breaking up sausage with fork, until sausage is cooked through and bell peppers are brown in spots, about 7 minutes.
• Arrange half of bread slices in prepared dish. Pour half of egg mixture over. Sprinkle with half of cheese, then half of sausage-pepper mixture. Repeat layering. Let stand 20 minutes, occasionally pressing on bread to submerge. Bake strata until puffed and brown, about 1 hour. Cool slightly.

You'd think I'd have some pics of the food that actually came out of this ashpile! It looked and tasted pretty darn good. I made a chicken and rice casserole in the large dutch oven and a basic yeast bread in the small top one. It's been years since I'd seriously done any dutch oven cooking, and I felt it time to dust off ye olde pots and do it again. I'm getting into it again, and will cook in the backyard alot this summer like this. It's hot. It's dirty. Why would I do that with a perfectly good stove in an air-conditioned house? I dunno.

Here is the bread recipe that I made. I really doubted it at first, with just a quarter of a teaspoon of yeast, but it worked! It had a nice texture and taste. It has to rise for 18 hours, so plan accordingly! Please note that I did not preheat my dutch oven, nor did I let it sit for an hour after baking!

No Knead, Dutch Oven Bread

1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting. You may use white, whole wheat or a combination of the two.
1 1/2 tsp salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran for dusting

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add the flour and salt, stirring until blended. The dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at least 8 hours, preferably 12 to 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
2. The dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it. Sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest for about 15 minutes.
3. Using just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface or to your fingers, gently shape it into a ball. Generously coat a clean dish towel with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal. Put the seam side of the dough down on the towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another towel and let rise for about 1 to 2 hours. When it’s ready, the dough will have doubled in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
4. At least 20 minutes before the dough is ready, heat oven to 475 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in the oven as it heats. When the dough is ready, carefully remove the pot from the oven and lift off the lid. Slide your hand under the towel and turn the dough over into the pot, seam side up. The dough will lose its shape a bit in the process, but that’s OK. Give the pan a firm shake or two to help distribute the dough evenly, but don’t worry if it’s not perfect; it will straighten out as it bakes.
5. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake another 15 to 20 minutes, until the loaf is beautifully browned. Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and let it cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Why do I have a black chicken?? Find out, and hear all about the carnage on the next blog post from.....Tales from the Coop Keeper!!!

My Favorite Day Camping

I've got to preface this post saying I'm disappointed. Disappointed that the pics just do not 'capture' the feel I had that day, that, and the photos that I got from Donna are too small to post here. She's going to try to get me a larger file. OK...

The day started with a good hearty breakfast from the cooking Diva Donna. (Recipe to follow in next post). I actually slept pretty good in the Cramper. The showers were nice and warm and clean, and my coffee, well, my coffee...it always tastes better when camping, was delicious.

We decided to drive to town, because we'd see a couple little cute places on the way in. We found this place. It simply had a sign out in front "Rhubarb" We pulled in, and this little old man met us. He asked how much I wanted and then proceeded out to the field to get it. I don't know why, but to me it just doesn't get any better than that. There is something about little old people and gardens that just slays me.

He brought it up in the wheelbarrow and then his wife came out and helped him cut all the leaves off. They didn't seem to mind that I was taking pictures. I'm sure they thought I was crazy. I'm used to that.

I love this picture. So simple. So lovely. The lovely green leaves against the red wheelbarrow. There is so much beauty in the simplest of things. On they way out he asked if I'd like some asparagus that he'd picked that morning. I got 5#. It's the most tender, beautiful asparagus I've eaten. Makes me kick myself that I've never gotten a bed of it established here.

We stopped at a farmstand. It wasn't local produce, much too early for that, but it was beautiful nonetheless, and I did get a mighty tasty watermelon. The lady that ran the stand was from Spain, and had the most beautiful accent.

Misc. pic....My sister Cindy, Aaron's mother enjoying a darn good cup of Joe. Oh where is Aaron? Where are all the teenagers at anyway? Kayla? Aaron? Kyle?? Assshhhllley? Where are you? Sleeping in the popup? Ohhh, that is right. Only saw you at meal time!

Trailer Trash Dave. (Donna's husband) Serving us scrambled eggs.

Peeking at my bread rising in the camper. The recipe will be shared in the cooking post.

There was another vintage trailer at the park. This one is from 1965. The people that owned it were kind enough to let me in and tell me all that they've done to it to fix it up. I asked to take their pic, but they declined. I didn't think they'd appreciate me taking pics inside. They were quite friendly and told me a about a Yahoo group that is all about Vintage Trailers. They came by and admired The Squirrel.

That is one of the things I like about camping the most. Meeting different people. Hearing their stories. Finding out where they are from.

The pictures that I'm missing are from this little place we'd found called Bonnie's. What a delight this place was! I'm going to post the pics as soon as I get them. I desperately need a new camera if I'm going to do this blogging thing! Bonnie's was a little road side place that sold Hosta's for $3, a dozen brown eggs for $2. I was really hoping to see her hens, but no one was home, and there was just a little cash box sitting out to pay. I bought one Hosta, a variety that I didn't have, and a dozen eggs. They were so beautiful!

The day ended with a nice supper cooked over the campfire in dutch ovens. It was such a nice laid back day. I think what I enjoyed the most about the day is that it reminded me so much of my beloved Aunt Jean that passed away nearly two years ago. These are the things she loved to do. She had such a wonderful connection to the earth. The way she lived her life was so simple. She loved and lived freely and deeply. She could cook you a wonderful meal with a chicken carcass and a potato. I loved her. LOVED HER. I miss her terribly. I worry that our generation of iPods and Twittering has lost the connection with the earth. In a fast paced world, where everything is at our fingertips, gone are the days for most, where life clicks on at a simple pace. The chickens are laying, the strawberries are ripening, we pray for rain, and we know our neighbors. There is no rushing a garden. My heart cries out for a simpler life. A quieter life.

And then I came home. HA! You aren't going to believe what I came home to. Stay tuned......