Trowel-making date

I've been hankering for a trowel ever since I dug back into gardening this Fall. Hand-smithed tools cost around 30 or 40 buckeroos and M suggested that we "make our own" (his most oft stated phrase).

He has access to 'shops' of his family/friends where there are machines, tools, and welders at hand. So under his relaxed tutelage, I cut out the spade from scrap steel with an oxyacetylene torch, and then, after practicing, laid a bead of weld to attach the handle. M did the heating and bending of the spade part. Then we ground off the rough edges and voila!

Welding is quite scary because there is so much electricity and the face shield allows you only to see the light from the arc and the molten metal, once you begin.  I had to face into fear and frustration to keep going until I got the arc to start, but in the end, it was really fun. Now we have one of the sturdiest trowels ever made, and so ugly that no one would ever think to steal it. And it digs like no body's business!

White white white!

In short order yesterday afternoon, our deck became a play ground. First came dense fog and then fell a layer of sleet ice and then chunky, piles of snow to the tune of 9 inches in 5 hours.

Birds are better than cartoons! They have us laughing out loud and glued to their antics. The white mound in the picture is a wood stack covered by plastic and the birds were sledding down, if you can see their track.

This morning I moved our Christmas decorations out onto the porch, to have more greenery to attract the birds. I felt like I was setting up our home entertainment center.

I'm pleased as punch that winter is finally here.

By Word of Beak

After she handed it to me, I admitted to Mom that I'd been hoping for a bird magnet of some kind this winter. The cake of suet actually reminded me of some stuff M's made for us once, for hiking fuel.

Sure enough, several days after hanging the little cage of food on our back deck, a flutter of tufted-tit-mouse birds had found it and were having a ball.

As good ideas often do, the success of luring birds to my window only made me want more and soon there was a bag of black oil sunflower seeds in my kitchen. I spurned all the plastic feeder options, figuring someone in some far-away country did not need to make something for my birds to eat from. I figured I would just spread the seed on some old bucket lid.

Then as I was convalescing last weekend and M had some time to 'putter', this is what happened:

Okay, so I can be very easily tickled. But I think this feeder made entirely of old junk is the coolest thing, easy to fill, and well, makes use of junk!

The birdies like it too. In a day or two, news that free seeds were hanging on our deck had spread by word of beak and a steady flit and flitter brought cardinals and Tit-mice (so far) to our window. 

Between the mesmerizing fire, a back-deck bird show, and a piano and a djembe, I'd say we have all kinds of winter entertainment!

Celebratation

Celebrating is a great way to kick off winter and in December we certainly made merry! This included many-a-birthday, the first good snow, coming babies, solstice, Advent and Christmas, New Year, and relatives in from far.

One warmish day, we dug up a little cedar and brightened her boughs with natural decor snatched from along our road.

Each Sunday, at home or visiting friends, we gradually lit the Advent candles and savored the mysterious but real coming of God present with us in human blood, sweat and tears. We had the piano tuned and sang loud.

Spending time with so much family was a luxurious element to the celebrations. After recent travelsome years, being 'home' after being 'away' still holds a novel comfort (and re-entry). And now, having a family of my own is a real gift.

During all the festivities, I didn't use the camera much. But one we captured was one of our nieces in her first pile of leaves. I raked them in October and we dumped them on a blanket in our living room for her present. The Fall season where she lives doesn't include colorful and falling leaves, so I thought we should introduce her to that fun.

window frames

I snapped photos of what I saw through window panes this week.

We try to hike every week.

And in this frigid weather we went to the highest spot in GW Forest and when we summited, the sky was big, the wind was wild and the moon was rising.

 The gate was, um, open and we climbed up the fire tower...

...and the view back into the valley where we live was long and gorgeous.

And a frame of the western view towards WV.

Some game hunters had built a fire in the path and we gratefully warmed on our shivering hike down. The whole day was in the 20's.

Uncovering my cold frames from fallen snow, I verified that all my plants still at least have a pulse.

And I uncovered exquisite ice art on the underside of the panes in the windows keeping them warm (okay, not so warm).

The marvels of creation leave me stammering.
Welcome Winter! 

Grape Harvest

The grape harvest in the eastern coast came three weeks early this year.

 M&I became seasonal workers in a vineyard just over the hill, owned and operated by his kin. For three crazy weeks, we plucked fruit by the bushel (for market) and ton (for the wineries).

 I gained much respect for the hard work of harvesting by hand and bringing in undamaged goods.

 During the harvest, we celebrated the anniversary of one year since we'd started dating.

 We mostly picked Concord's but here are some Niagra's.

 Sometimes we started at sunrise, trying to beat the blazing heat. After a break, we worked until dark.

It was fun to be a farm hand, eat with the workers at lunch, bringing in your boxes and baskets to be weighed.

 These grapes are widely known as some of the best in the area. 

Reaching under the leafery, there was a delightful thud as a clump of grapes, bursting with intoxicating summer, fell into my waiting hand. M might add to this idyllic picture the swarm of tipsy bees that relocate to your personal space with a vengeful souvenir.

 A view of one section of the vineyards.

Grapes were sold in by the farm house. Workers of course were allowed to eat as much as we liked as we picked, as long as our work was still fruitful.

Picking grapes is only one part of the process and we had chances to help in different areas.
Most memorable was seeing what really goes into wine. Yes, sweet juicy grapes, but also yellow jackets, stems, grape leaves, grass...and more!

All in all, an estimated 110 ton came off those vines in three weeks time and I was glad for the chance to be part of it and do something I'd never done before.

Magic

Now you see it

Now you don't

I am gleefully (I confess) enjoying the quiet and spacious kitchen without a fridge. Since the nights have become consistently cold, we've shifted to storing stuff in a cooler on the porch at night and using a deep freezer, home-canned and dry goods (milk) as our food storage. And otherwise we eat what we've made. My months in Cameroon taught me a lot about a kitchen without a fridge and last winter I did the same. Summertime might be a different story.

So far it hasn't stifled our palette or our menu. In fact it is probably is satisfying a special element of my creativity that likes restraints and challenges. Last night, we had a version of Mexi tapas and I only set off the fire alarm once. Today, since we're going away for 4 days, I made lunch out of everything left.

Here's what it became:
a round stack of rice
then crispied cornmeal crumble
then a 5 pronged star of previously baked squash
with pie wedges of left over potatoe/parsnip mash in between the prongs
sprinkled with chopped parsley from last night
Over it all I added some salmon, pre-cooked and from the freezer.

We're both happy to have the big thing off our electric bill too. We've been sleuthing to find out why our bill was ridiculously high last time.