Short and Sweet

No, I am not describing myself although I am short but sweet has rarely been used to describe me.   In this case I am talking about my short and sweet walks to the garden.  Through the lawn, over Clara Creek/crick and across the barnyard to the garden.  It is one of my favorite times of the day and usually happens after the sun drops behind the hill.  Today it was quite a bit earlier because.............of a perfect day, cool temperatures, cool steady breeze and enough sun to make it comfortable.  The sound of the wind blowing through the poplars and pines made for my a perfect day for me.  The sweet?  The raspberries are still ripening along the way and stopping to pick a handful is just what I do.  It just so happened today not only did the beautiful deep red of the raspberry catch my eye but deep in the bushes the dark blue/black of blackberries.  They are bigger than my thumb nail, plump, juicy and tasty.  I picked about a pint but had to eat the biggest ones just because.  From the looks of them there will be lots of picking going on for the freezer.  Then on a cold fall or winter day it will be jam and jelly making.  Short and sweet, what a great walk.

Like everything around here, the berries
are right on schedule.

The beans will be ready for their second picking Sunday night and canned Monday morning.  During the day we will take a long walk to our favorite blackberry patch.  It is about a mile back but so worth it.  The only others that walk back there are the.......BEARS........  I hate to brag that I have never seen one there, just their poop full of blackberry seeds because sure as heck I will!  We always take a pistol plus I hang close to the hub.  There is no sense in me carrying because fear would get in the way of pulling the pistol...I would freeze in my tracks for sure.  I guess you can see how much we like blackberries.  I wear long sleeves, jeans, socks to my knees and sneakers.  Jeans and long sleeves are for the prickers, socks and sneakers are just in case a snake is around. 


If you live in our area remember Saturday night is "Music in the Park", compliments of the Oswayo Valley High School Class of 1967.  All you need is a lawn chair or blanket and the want to hear some fantastic music by the Generations from Olean.  The play some toe tapping music plus some that reminds you of the slow dance you danced to for the last dance of a sock hop, prom, Christmas Ball or Sweetheart's Ball.  Come on out, the weather is suppose to be beautiful.  What better way to kick off the Potter County Fair (Millport Fair, as we use to call it).  Hope to see the park filled with Valley residence and graduates from OVHS.  The music is from 6-8!

Perfection

Today was a day of green beans, 7 pints and 7 quarts.  The kitchen was delightful, it was moved to the back deck.  Several weeks ago I bought a 4 burner countertop propane stove.  It was bought to take camping with us and for times we have family and friends here for an outdoor supper.  One of those middle of the night "wake me up" great ideas happened a few nights ago.  I will be able to use it to can with on the deck!   Yes, I can and yes I did.  It was so nice not having the steam from the pressure canner filling the house with humidity and heat.  Three loads in the pressure canner and I sat finishing up a book a friend lent me, a little knitting and a little just enjoying a cool breeze that moved in by 2 pm.  My kinda day!  The outdoor humidity took a big drop, temperature dropped to 73 degrees and that cool refreshing breeze made today's canning the best ever. 

Perfection..........canning in the great outdoors.

You know I have a tendency to day dream, think of the past and just enjoy what life has offered me when enjoying the view.  It never changes but for some reason it is like looking at it for the first time.  I watched a doe and her fawn grazing through the field.  They like the breeze and coolness too, it probably knocked down on deer flies bothering them.  Usually they are shaking their heads, jumping around trying to get the flies to leave them alone.  Not today, they were just taking their time, no hurries, no worries.  Just about how I felt, no need to wish the time away, the canner was doing it's little jig-idy-jig tune and staying steady at 11 pounds for 20-25 minutes.  This will be the hot spot for canning in August and September at Cook'n by the Creek.  Never to old to think of a better way to do something. 

Along with picking beans and canning comes hunger.  Tonight the 73 degree temperature allowed for a chicken and dumpling night along with fried zucchini from the garden.  Nothing better than fresh picked veggies.  I had 4 chicken thighs thawed and was seriously thinking of grilling them.  Dumplings won the pick.  Don't think it is tough to fix, just simmer the chicken covered in water, add chopped celery, onion and garlic.  Take the chicken out and add back just the meat.  Throw in some diced potatoes, carrots, peas, corn, beans, whatever you like.  Tonight I used beans and peas from the garden.  Once the veggies are done, thicken the broth with a few tablespoons of flour.  Salt and pepper to taste and bring to a simmer.  Mix 2 cups of flour with a tsp. of salt and 4 tsps. of baking powder, cut in 4 tablespoons of shortening.  Add enough milk to make a stiff batter and drop by spoonful on top of the chicken mixture.  Cover and simmer about 15 minutes or until the dumplings are light, fluffy and done on top.  That's it!  The zucchini was sliced thing the long way, dipped in buttermilk (that is what makes the crispiness) rolled in flour, fried in oil (I use grapeseed oil) drain on a rack and salt and pepper as soon as it comes from the oil.  Summer/farm supper is a memory grabber. 

Remember....any veggies you like make a good chicken and dumpling gravy and buttermilk
gives fried food the crunch.

Fruits of Our Labor

The last five evenings have been busy picking blueberries and green garden peas.  One night peas, next night blueberries.  Why at night?  The sun has dropped behind the beautiful tall hills of Potter County.  Plus Clara is a very narrow valley with high hills on both sides.  We do have a view of Old Baldy, which by the way is no longer bald.  Kinda a reverse from old men, it grew a cover crop in it's old age :)  Now there is no difference from the hills to Old Baldy.  That is another blog...........on to the fruits of our labor. 


At night we pick before the dew has set in.  Never pick veggies when the plants are wet.  Why you ask?  I have no idea other than my dad, Uncle Orville and Bill Stavisky said so.  I will take their word for it.  So, that leaves early morning picking out because this time of the year we are laden with fog and heavy dew in the mornings.  If not..........then we will surely be in for rain.  Remember, dry grass in the morning, rain on the way.  Pick at night and in the morning we shuck peas, make sure there are no little bugs or stems in the blueberries.  The blueberries head straight to gallon freezer bags and then the freezer.  The peas are blanched in salt water, drained and spread on paper towels to get rid of the moisture then they are off to the gallon bags and freezer. 

The fruit was so heavy we had to tie up the branches.

Ready to clean and freeze.

One gallon of sweet tiny peas headed for the freezer.

I noticed little green beans starting which means next week beans will be added to the rotation.  They are not as quick and easy to put up.  We like canned beans and only put up a few frozen bags for soups and stews.  So far so good on the deer finding the garden.  I probably shouldn't have said that!


For the last week my true love, the zero turn lawn mower has been feeling quite under the weather.  It has been one thing after another with it.  First the bolts that hold the deck on pulled through the bracket on the front.  This caused the deck to swing around and end up under the right hind wheel.  I thought surely it was going to tip over but thank goodness stopped dead in it's tracks.  Well the hub was a little more than upset.  Nothing I dread more than saying, Dick, something is wrong with what ever I am running! Good thing I was brought up on a farm with 3 brothers, I understand the language. Seems like if something is going to go wrong with the power equipment around here, I am on it!.  The McCleaft boys did some fancy welding and got it going for me.  Sorta.....I was skimming across the lawn and thought I was in heaven, (that is how much I love a zero turn)  fast and furious with little to none weed whacking and trimming.  About 8 swipes and bam!  The thing started blowing smoke and lost power.  Off I jump, raise the seat and there is oil all over the place.  Gahhhhhh, why oh why?  His first response, it's done for........that was out of frustration.  Then he saw the look on my face and changed his tune.  Dick thought it maybe a plugged oil filter or some kind of a valve.  He started simple with an oil change, new filter and air filter.  Nope, it was something else.  Off to Kerry Mulkins he went.  Kerry knew exactly what it was, now my zero is at his shop and should be done by Saturday if all goes well.  Until then JD and I will take care of the lawn, slow and steady.


With all the things we needed fixed, ordered and bought the last few days it really has me thinking of how helpful so many are and most of them grew up right here in the Oswayo Valley area.  For instance, our 50th class reunion will be July 29th in the Shinglehouse Park.  The food will be prepared by a store owned by Tim and Natalie Harvey, Vickie Good Dietze is in charge of the deli and will make sure everything is perfect.  The band that will play on the 29th is from Olean but one of the members grew up in Shinglehouse, Cecil Voorhees.  The Shinglehouse Boro secretary is in charge of reservations for the park and she also grew up in Shinglehouse, Deb Voorhees Resig.  The McCleft's auto garage, they grew up here also and played Little League for Dick.  Kerry Mulkin, grew up here and his dad and mom were Dr. and Shirley Mulkins.  Many visits to his office in our early years.  We actually had 3 doctors in our little town for many years.  I love Sprout's Drug Store.  Joe Sprout was a wonder asset when he took over the pharmacy and now his son Ray has carried on the tradition for many years.  Life is pretty darn good in this rural remote area. From getting our hay each summer to buying gas and anything else it is great to have everything we need close at hand and offered by people we grew up with.  One more person entered our list of we need help.  My tablet charging port malfunctioned and needed replaced.  I took it to Roger Enstrom yesterday.  He summers at the home he grew up in on Water Street.  By accident last summer we saw him and he mentioned he repairs "techy" stuff as I call it.  Off I went and he said it would be a week or so and should be no problem and inexpensive.  If you are around my age or older you will recognize the Enstrom name.  They owned the Shinglehouse Show on Academy St. across from Freeborns and Chat and Chew.  Fun times, a movie theatre right in our little town.  As you can see, this has been a few weeks of calling on the locals for repairs, food, etc.  Love the Oswayo Valley people and area. 

35.....How Could It Be?

96% humidity and the choice was work outside in it or take an hour trip to Wegmans in Hornell with a stop at my favorite coffee shop the Terra Cotta, in Alfred.  Actually no choice at all we both agreed and off we went.  The Eleven Mile is closed about 5 miles up, right around Crystal for a bridge replacement.  We can go to Shinglehouse and up Honeoye, Oswayo and Pinneo Hill or Eleven Mile and chose between two side roads.  No matter what way they are beautiful rides.  The hills are green, fields are high with corn and the streams still have a good flow of water for July 12th.  Soon they will be low and what we call "dog days" will set in.  I can remember my mom threatening me with, stay out of the crick/creek.  She never really explained why other than it was "dog days".  I assume now that means germs floating in the water. 

For the trip up we took the Honeoye and past Alma Pond.  I have always loved Alma Pond. In our area we don't have a lot of nice sided ponds that can be enjoyed with canoes, kayaks or fishing.   Just enough water to set by and relax, watch a fish or two jump, the great pair of Bald Eagles soar above or just set in a dead tree watching the water waiting for a fish to get close to the surface.  A few years ago we watched a mature Eagle swoop down and grab a fish!  Unfortunately an Osprey was waiting, watching and attacked the Eagle which eventually lost hold of  the fish only for the Osprey to grab it from mid air.  Pretty darn exciting to catch something so awesome out in the wilds so close to home. 

The return trip was my turn to drive (we both like to look around) and I decided on a side road off the Eleven Mile.  The road is called Butter Creek which has a couple turns to the left that will take ya back to the Eleven Mile and below the bridge constructions.  Off the Butter Creek I took Healey Rd.  It is a beautiful deep wooded forest all the way.  Wild blackberries and Elderberries should be plentiful this year, at least along this road.  When they grow deep in the shade it means those berries will usually be big and juicy.........no hot sun all day long to dry them up.

About a mile before the road meets Eleven Mile was quite the "remember when" for me.  Even driving I was looking at a beautiful big farm with fields and barnyards well maintained, even flowers planted everywhere.  There is one small old barn that had the doors open.  I grabbed a quick glance through it and quickly looked away.  It was close to a spitting tears moment.  I could here cows mooing, milkers pumping, cows chewing their grain, kids laughing and adults talking.  Heck, I could just about smell the cow shit!  It was a time when our kids were young, cut off jeans, barefoot and loving to visit the Hoffmans.  Thanks to our son and their sons going to school and playing baseball together we had quite the friends to enjoy.  We would stand and visit with Dale and Carol even though they were milking, it was a great place to be.  Visiting their farm always made me feel at home, like back on our farm from so long ago.  The famous Tandy Cake Recipe came from Carol  and is still a big request around Cook'n by the Creek.  It is in "Della's Daughter" cookbook.  Back to that feeling, it never goes away when a memory is so full of love and runs deep.  Close my eyes and see all those kids, life was very special for all of us.  Now those little ones are married with children of all ages.  Some close to 30 years old and some just a couple years old.  Life is full circle, just sweet memories.  35 years ago how could it be?

Remember the little barn I mentioned looking in?  The stanchions are still down each side.  35 years ago that little barn looked much bigger with 3 big silos standing by it.  Today it looks very small compared to the huge modern barns that house milking cows, a milking parlor, young heifers, offices and what ever else.  Gone is the small farms and in with the large farms that employ several people, machinery that the old farmers would never believe.  Air conditioned tractors........gps.........radios..........that is way beyond anything the old timers would have thought considering gps and air conditioning wasn't even invented!   Along with all this comes more work, more land, laborers and expenses.  Check and see what milk was going for a pound 5, 10, 15, even 40 years ago and what it is today.  You will be shocked!  Thus the farmer keeps our country living because they are very special and dedicated to a farm life.

Thanks to all the farmers and especially right here in our neck of the woods, the Hoffman Family.

The Summer Place

We have been so happy to see all the honey bees working our flowers, they especially
like the poppies!

We have 5 of these beautiful male Rose Breasted Grosbeaks  this year. 
As usual, the females are drab.

We have finally decided on the name for our little 400 sq. ft. cabin.  "The Summer Place".  With all the ideas for a name with none of them being what we wanted it was quite by accident that the perfect name (at least we think so) came to mind.  As always we work, then take a break and set on the porch to relax or just to settle down and avoid the "fight".  The other day when it was so miserably hot and humid we worked inside the cabin which was really staying cool.  Even on the porch it was nice.  Dick said, we will have to winter at our house . The "winter sun"  shines in all three of our big windows heating the house and rarely will the furnace come on when the sun is out in the winter.  Then in the summer we will move over here where the sun is not on the cabin all day and there are beautiful Maple and Apple trees to shade the lawn.  Bingo!  I looked at him and said, "The Summer Place".  Soon the sign will go up, no more trying to find a name we both agree on. We can set back and enjoy "The Summer Place".  Once the work is done of course.

The Summer Place will provide a one bedroom, one bathroom, kitchen and living room combined, porch with a view and the shade of the trees.  By fall the garage should be cleaned out and ready to house an ATV, kayaks, bicycles or motorcycles if our guests bring them.  Heck, we also have a barn and green pastures if horses are their choice of riding.   Our land borders the PA Game Lands and our township is ATV friendly.  They might even convince me for a breakfast, dinner or pizza from the outside pizza oven.  I have plans!   We are excited to have family and friends visit to enjoy our little project as much as we do. 

This is the not so liked week for me in the summer.  The weeds are just right for picking, garden has to be hand weeded and that is either bend over, 3rd world squat or on bended knees.  I prefer the 3rd world squat anything else is not good for the knees or lower back.  Since a cool breeze and much more enjoyable temperatures moved in this morning we went to the garden and got down low to the ground.  Dick did the corn and I did the peas, onions, carrots and beets. Only the peas were a full row, the rest was 1/3 of a row, it just sounds like I did more.  Since I am already closer to the ground than the 6'1" guy it is easier and faster for me.  This is one of the few times I am thankful for being 5'1", most of the time I would like to be 5'8".  Funny, why that height I have no idea, it just seems in between short and tall.  Well there is no chance of getting taller so I will stick to worrying about other things and stuff, I like to worry, I thrive on worrying........ Every spring we worry about what is and isn't coming up in the garden.  Right now it looks like every row is showing signs of coming along for a good harvest.  Beets are a little sparse but that's ok we can buy them by the basket at the Amish.  Maybe even Peck's Produce on Kings Run Rd. in Ceres will have them.  Tonya and her husband have had some beautiful flowers and the strawberries were delicious.  Although we only got a taste of the flat I bought.  They went to the freezer for a quick desert if company shows up and I have nothing made to offer.  Buttermilk biscuits, strawberries with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.  Easy, easy, easy and so delicious.

Dick has been playing the mad chemist this morning!  The two part epoxy that is going on the countertop at "The Summer House" is a little tricky.  We have pieces of the pine used for the countertop to test the correct mixture of epoxy.  The first test run is setting up and we already decided we put it on too thick.  Next a little thinner.  Kinda like how tall I would like to be, not short, not tall but just right.  The epoxy will have to be not too thick and not too thin.  Now that reminds me of the story, The Three Bears.  Everything has to be just right!  That is the story of life.  Never settle for less than you want. 

Before I left the kitchen this morning I made 3 loaves of date bread (recipe in Della's Daughter Cookbook), a potato, carrot, peas and onion scallop and marinated two pork tenderloins.  That is a lot of food but half of it will go to our friend.  I love cooking and baking for family and friends. 

Summer is upon us, the lush green of hills and fields, blue sky and those big fluffy white clouds that drift slowly over head. They are all part of a take and deep breath and enjoy the view.  You know the clouds I am talking about, the ones that remind us of something and then it changes shape and something else appears.  How many days I spent laying on my back on our farm house lawn watching the clouds roll by.  It was my country life entertainment along with a Nancy Drew book or other favorites.  Then of course there was a blank tablet to draw my favorite animal, the horse.  I can almost completely relax thinking of how simple, quiet, loving and peaceful it was on the Horse Run Road.  No hurries and no worries.  That is the way a kid's young life should be.