Fri 4 Nov 2011

First Mountain Snow

Posted by Bob under Chickens, Nature, Vegetable Garden
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We were spared the recent nasty nor’easter that blanketed much of the northeast with snow and (thanks to our country’s antiquated infrastructure) knocked out power for almost three million people.  But a light snow did fall on the Blue Ridge around us, even though we’ve yet to get any where we live.  We’ve had a few light frosts, but no real killing frost yet.  We’re still getting collards, kale, chard, turnips, parsnips, kohlrabi and hardy herbs from our vegetable garden, with rutabega (a new crop for us) coming along.  When our pepper plants died back, our chickens were happy to gobble up the several dozen large but immature peppers still on them.

 

Thu 27 Oct 2011

500 Eggs and counting…

Posted by Bob under Chickens
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Our 14 hens have been averaging 10-13 eggs per day for the past several weeks, and today our cumulative total surpassed 500!  Since we can’t watch the laying boxes inside the coop all the time, we’re not absolutely sure if all the hens are laying (we think that one black australorp is not yet ready) and which eggs come from which hen, although we’re pretty sure that the darker brown eggs come from the Barred Rocks.   Monika continues to spoil her “babies” rotten with special treats, which they gobble up with great gusto.   I guess cold and dark winter days may test us down the road, but so far we enjoy the routine and structure that caring for our flock gives our life here.  And they remain fun and fascinating to watch!

Below, some recent pictures and a link to more…

   

    

click here for more (annotated) pictures

p.s. We haven’t been eating all these eggs.  We’ve been sharing them with friends and neighbors.

 

 

Thu 27 Oct 2011

Return to Spy Rock

Posted by Bob under Hiking/Sauntering, Nature
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Above: Views along Route 56 en route to the Spy Rock trailhead.  Note: Nelson County has more cattle than people: roughly 19,700 vs. 14,500.

   

With hunting season only days away (which effectively closes most hiking trails around here), I returned yesterday to Spy Rock, which I’d last climbed with Nic, Felix, and Cally last May.  While there were still nice fall colors and views of The Priest  on the way up route 56, most leaves had fallen on the trail up to Spy Rock and on the surrounding mountains.  Still, as always, I was struck by how wild and beautiful Virginia looks from this vantage point.

  

 

Mon 24 Oct 2011

Piney River Reflections

Posted by Bob under Hiking/Sauntering, Nature
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Recently I took a walk along the rails-to-trails path along the Piney River, which marks the southern boundary of Nelson County.  I was pleased to observe that several benches have been added along the section between Rose Mill and Route 29, and by one of them these reflections caught my eye.

 

Sun 11 Sep 2011

Visitor Scrapbook

Posted by Bob under Family and Friends
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Early August through Labor Day was busy with a steady flow of visitors (family, friends, former students)–and a trip north for a wedding.  Guests provide a great excuse to share the things we love here–the Blue Ridge Parkway, the AT suspension bridge, Crabtree Falls, The Plunge, local breweries, garden-fresh food, our chickens, and much more.  Some fond picture memories may be accessed below.

Late Summer Scrapbook

 

Mon 5 Sep 2011

First Eggs!

Posted by Bob under Chickens
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At an age of 18 weeks and four days, the first of our fourteen hens laid an egg in one of the egg-laying boxes in the henhouse!  A second egg appeared the next day, and another two days later (today).  Left: Monika holds the first egg–now with the insides blown out and preserved for posterity.  As it happened, we had company arriving that day, and Raymond can be seen proudly holding the second egg below.  While first eggs are typically small, they have firm brown shells and deep-orange yokes…. and they went into an omelet this morning.  Monika’s loving care seems to have produced happy and productive chickens!

click here for more pictures!


 

 

Mon 29 Aug 2011

Goodnight Irene…Good Morning Mt. Pleasant

Posted by Bob under Family and Friends, Hiking/Sauntering, Nature
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While Hurricane Irene wreaked a lot of havoc along the Virginia coast this past Saturday, we were only mildly affected in Nelson County.  By evening the off-and-on rain showers and winds were gone, and Sunday was a beautiful day.  Nic and I headed off for a 5.5 mile hike in neighboring Amherst County, where we follwed the Henry Lanum loop trail up to the two peaks of Mount Pleasant, and then on over Pompey mountain.  Thanks to the spector of Irene, we had the trail and the summits mostly to ourselves.  The views from the east and west (windy!) summits of Mt. Pleasant are among the most spectacular in the region.  Above: fortunately this tree that Irene’s winds had blown down across the forest service road left enough space for us to get past.

click here for more pictures

 

Tue 23 Aug 2011

Earthquake!

Posted by Bob under Nature, Our New Home
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In 2009 we moved down here just in time for the biggest Virginia snowstorm before Christmas since 1936, and today we experienced the biggest Virginia earthquake since 1897!  While rating a respectable 5.8 on the Richter scale, the experience at our home in Nelson County was memorable but modest.  We were standing on our back deck on a lovely summer day when the deck began to shake and a strange noise which Monika aptly describes as an off-balance washing machine emanated from the house.  We went inside and could feel the whole thing trembling, then went to the kennel building in the back, where the glasses vases on the counter were shaking sufficiently to clink musically against each other.  The chickens disappeared from sight—presumably to the security of the hen house.  It was all over within two minutes or so.  We were about 75 miles from the quake’s epicenter in Mineral, Virginia.  We went back to enjoying an absolutely beautiful day.


Garden views front and back on an otherwise lovely day

 

Fri 29 Jul 2011

A Gazpacho Link

Posted by Bob under Recipes, Vegetable Garden
1 Comment

If I suddenly seem food and recipe obsessed, it’s because once all those garden vegetables start pouring into the kitchen, one has to do something with them!  Some are being frozen or canned, but the best eating is fresh and here and now.  Right now, we’re getting lots of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and squash, which along with onions and garlic harvested a month ago, constitute the key ingredients for gazpacho!

Until two years ago, I never could understand why gazpacho recipes always seems to call for commercial tomato juice, and so it was a liberation to come across a discussion and recipe at the Farmgirl Fare blog that pointed out that tomato juice–apart from that in the tomatoes–was actually completely unncessary.  Ever since, I’ve followed the following gazpacho recipe, altering it occasionally to include tender squash and fresh basil and other herbs.  It’s great!

click here for Susan’s Quick and Easy Gazpach0 at Farmgirl Fare

 

Mon 25 Jul 2011

Two Recipes for the Squash Deluge

Posted by Bob under Recipes, Vegetable Garden
[3] Comments

It’s that time of year when, as country folklore goes, you’re likely to find your front seat filled with zucchini if you leave your car unlocked.  If you grow your own, you’re likely to be somewhat desperate about what to do with all the stuff.

This year I grew two types of standard green zucchini (Ambassador and Dark Green), two kinds of yellow squash (golden zucchini and lemon squash), and a quite amazing zucchini that was new for me: Zucchini Rampicante (also known as Tromboncino).  Zucchni Rampicante is the best-tasting, fastest growing and most prolific squash I’ve ever seen.  It curls around in all sorts of ways, but often looks like a swan to us.  It’s hard to find in markets, but it’s amazingly easy to grow–just be prepared for it to spread………..

Sautéing squash with garlic, onion, and other vegetables is always a good option, as is of course zucchini bread, which freezes well.    Below, however, I’m providing two  less-familiar ways to use up excess squash and at the same time eat very well:

Yellow Squash Pancakes are quick and easy to make and are nutritious and tasty.  They also freeze very well.

Zucchini Timbale can be a main dish or a vegetable side dish and always gets rave reviews.  It is excellent leftover cold as well.

click below for the recipes

(more…)

 

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