Hill Spring

Keeping A Simple Eye

2010-02-15T13:02:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to simplify my life ... but then I tried to bake bread. I purchased hundreds of pounds of grain and a hand crank grain mill (just in case the electricity went out.) Then came the bread machine, followed by an electric grain mill. I can now grind large quanitities of fresh flour, but my bread machine doesn't seem to like it. It does a beautiful job with store bought bread flour, but it gives me bricks when I use my whole wheat. I obviously don't know what I'm doing. Aren't we women supposed to know how to do this sort of stuff? How come I can't even bake a simple wholesome loaf of bread - the staff of life - for my family?

(1)

Time to haul out the books, watch YouTube videos, and get down to basics. I've got a stone for the oven and my 'peel' is on order. (I love throwing this word about. I didn't even know what one was. They're those big wonderful wooden paddles that you place your bread or pizza on to slide them into the oven.)

So, I've decided to venture into the world of 'Artisan Baking'with whole grains. I love my food storage and all those lovely buckets of grain, but you just can't stand there forever gazing fondly at your oat groats. You need to use your food storage. I am rather pleased at the prospect of being able to bake bread under any set of circumstances though, especially if you can't get to the store BECAUSE OF A SNOWSTORM THAT JUST WON'T GO AWAY!

Here's my first batch of goop.

7 1/2 cups white hard winter wheat flour (fresh from my grinder)

1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast

1 tablespoon Kosher salt

1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) vital wheat gluten

4 cups lukewarm water

1-2 tablespoons of whole seed mixture for sprinkling on top.
Flax and Sesame seeds are good.

Get yourself a nice big bowl and mix all the dry ingredients together first. Then add the water, which will form a very wet dough. Cover it with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for a couple of hours or so. Don't punch the dough down or deflate it. You want to try and keep the gas from escaping. Refrigerate and use over the next 14 days. When you're ready to bake, just tear off a grapefruit size section of dough and shape it into a loaf. Since it's pretty sticky, coat your hands with flour. You and your wedding ring will be a lot happier. Note: It seems like I get a better lift on my loaves if I let the dough set a few days.

This is baking day. After I pull off a section of dough, I round it and tuck the edges under as I rotate it in my hands. Kneading is not necessary. This I like! I let it rest on the pizza peel or parchment paper, and let it rise for about 90 minutes. TIP: Sprinkle your surface with cornmeal. It prevents the loaf from sticking.

I've already placed a baking stone on the middle rack of the oven, and a rimmed cookie sheet on the bottom rack. Then I preheat the oven to 450 degrees. With my serrated knife I gently slice the top of the loaf with 1/4 inch deep cuts. I slide the loaf onto the hot stone, then carefully pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the cookie sheet below to create a nice steamy environment for the bread to cook in.

Here are the results from my first try. After the bread cooked for 30 minutes, I took it out and placed it on a rack to cool. I didn't get much of a rise this time. Apparently whole grains need a longer rest time than white doughs. It's not your pretty puffy store bread, but I tell you, I am more satisfied after eating one slice of this bread than the bread I buy at the store. What's more, you don't have the chemicals found in single acting baking powder, nor the aluminum salt found in the double acting baking powder which may be harmful to one's health. (2)

Practise makes perfect. Here's a picture of a loaf I baked after I let the dough set in the frig a couple of days. It seemed to hold a better shape ... or maybe I was just starting to get the hang of it.

(1) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en
(2) "Baking powders are available both with and without aluminum compounds.[15] Some people prefer not to use baking powder with aluminum because they believe it gives food a vaguely metallic taste, and because of a possible (but controversial) link between aluminum consumption and Alzheimer's disease (see Aluminum).[16]"
SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baking_powder

Shenandoah Valley Snowstorm - Feb, 2010

2010-02-13T21:14:00.000-08:00

I don't think an explanation is necessary. These shots were taken after the first storm hit us. Our 4-rail fence looks like a 2-rail fence here and the horses are getting downright stir crazy.  Will spring ever arrive? Frosty ponies, hens wanting to sit on frozen eggs, and little "hunka munkas" trying to squeeze into warm places - like my house - are just as impatient.

BradyCat has proven himself the ultimate mouser this year though. He spends long periods of time staring between the refrigerator and dishwasher, listening for little scratching sounds. He eventually pounces, I scream, we scurry around the room - me trying to save the mouse and Brady trying to kill it. Then Cody Bear has to get in on the action. It's quite a commotion.  If I succeed, hunka gets a free ride to the woods. If Brady wins, its little body is placed in the garage for our screech owl to find. I'm pathetic.
Oh well. At least my garden seeds have arrived.  I ordered them as soon as the garden catalogs began to trickle in. I was finally able to find Candy Roaster Squash seeds, but I've missed out on the True Red Cranberry Pole Dry Beans and the Mennonite Hyacinth Color Pole Bean seeds. They were sold out for the season.

I can't wait to see and taste the different varieties of heirloom tomatoes I've chosen.  Amazon Chocolate Tomato, Grandma Josie's White Tomato, the Sabre Ukrainian Heirloom Tomato, Chalks Early Gem (one of the few great tomatoes listed in 'Slow Food USA Ark of Taste'), Amish Canner and Riesentomate aus Siebenburgen are new for me. I've decided the Amish Canner will be my main canning tomato and the San Marzano will do nicely for sauces. And just for fun I've ordered Dinosaur Kale for the grandkids.

I swear I'm going to chart everything carefully this year!! I've plotted rotations, estimated dates for spring, summer and fall plantings, and dedicated raised beds for polycultural plantings. I'm trying hulless oats, corn, and wheat in the upper garden. This will also be my first year working with soybeans and a combination of rye & vetch for biomass.  I still need to find some more space for herbs though.

Don't you just love the planning stage? I'm a great planner, but the doer in me can tend to get hung up on the little things and gardening can turn out to be downright costly if you're not careful. I mean, when 5 seeds can run you $2.50 you want to be sure you know what you're doing. So it's time to get serious. This is a year for making gardening count.

Our First Snow

2009-12-05T07:35:00.000-08:00

It's Currier & Ives time! Our first snow of the season is softly falling over the land, as well as, the last of my purple pansies. I will miss them.

The garlic beds have been mulched ...

and my plans for a new cobblestone path down to a covered well is hidden from sight. Perhaps it's for the best. I don't think my husband can handle the idea of another project right now. You can see the main hen house and raised condo's in the back. I think the girls deserve some nice warm oatmeal with bugs on a day like today.

Next year I'll be 60 and I'm beginning to feel the extra steps and deeper bends more than ever. I'm also in the process of removing everything permanent from the upper garden. It's such a mess. I'm just going to have it plowed under. Well, at least it got it's year of rest. From now on it will be dedicated to cover crops and grains.

The two raised beds I had in the main garden have been hauled down to the back yard. A total of ten 4x15 ft. raised beds will be set up close to the house. No chance of out-of-sight, out-of-mind happening here. They will be so much easier to water, too. The first two beds (shown above) are filled with sheet composting. I've used this method in the past following the directions found in the book "Gaia's Garden, A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture" by Toby Hemenway. You wouldn't believe all the life I found in my garden soil the following spring.

Well ... time to give the girls their warm oatmeal ... I'm sure the dogs will want to go with me ...

UPDATE: 6:30 p.m. - 5 inches of snow on the back deck railing.

Group Horseback Riding

2009-11-01T13:50:00.000-08:00

What a beautiful time of year to go horseback riding - no flys or sweltering heat. Neighbor George had a Trail Ride Extravaganza this year and I wanted to make sure I got some photos even though I missed out on the ride itself.

Misty and Jerry on matching buckskins, Mike on Peaches, Steve on Lakoda, and Jared bringing up the rear on Waco.

(photo courtesy of Neighbor George)

Saturday, October 31, 2009: It's so great to have access to trails right in our own backyard. George was good enough to volunteer Lakoda for me and swore they'd put me UP on him and take me OFF. Lakoda is probably the steadiest of all, but it's still a matter of what could happen in between. It was SO tempting though. Next year for sure!

I managed to get some shots after everyone came back. The guys were just finishing up bathing the horses when I arrived.

Here's Lakoda drying off.

And Mike finishing off his little mare, Peaches. She's only 4. Combination Paso Fino/Quarter horse.

A pretty little BLM mustang.

And a downright irritable looking herd after all was said and done.

So next year, Major and I are going to give it a try ... with a little help from good neighbors.

Sunday, November 1, 2009: Everyone was off for the big trail ride over at Andy Guest Shenandoah River State Park in Bentonville,VA this morning. There were about 15 riders in all. Some decided not to show up due to the rains we had early this morning. The park borders the Shenandoah River and has some really nice views. Since I didn't make it, George is going to let me use some of the shots he took today. You can find more information about the park by going to www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/and.shtml.

(Here are some of George's shots of the trailride.)

Steve holding Shiloh, and here's Neighbor George (middle) with his son Jared (right) who just turned 16.

Breaktime. This part looks pretty easy to me.

Even the wooded trails seem manageable.

Trailriders Denise and Dorothy. Looks like so much fun. Thanks George for the photos!

* * * * *

So, I'm waiting back at the ranch ... No mishaps that I know of. It looked like everyone had a great time.

Here's the old gentleman of the herd, Lakoda. They just finished unloading him. Looks like he's anxious to get back to the barn.

Isn't it about time to eat?

Horses come first.

I must not forget ... Neighbor Tammy (George's wife) layed out a terrific spread. She's such a good cook!

Black Walnuts

2009-10-08T19:02:00.000-07:00

What a glorious morning.

You want me to get up now???

After booting BradyCat out of bed, I decided to take advantage of the weather and start collecting various nuts around the property.

Black Walnuts and Hickory Nuts

I have just begun! I stagger a bit (ankle still giving me fits), but I have great hopes that I'll be able to master this new HUGE nut cracker I purchased from Lehman's last year. I'll continue to update my progress on the nut harvest here.

I may even try acorns. Our neighbor has some nice White Oaks. Since acorns were a staple of the Native Americans, I'm curious about how they processed and cooked these little nuts.

2009 Whobrey-Knight Family Reunion

2009-09-26T07:15:00.000-07:00

Every year the family gets together for a small family reunion. For some of us it's the only time we get to see our cousins, hug our aunts, and try to figure out who all the little ones belong to. This year there was a 50's theme with period costume, a hula hoop contest, small auction, and lots of good food. Here are a few highlights.

Christie Eblin welcomed everyone at the front door.

Gotta have that classic Green Beans and Potato dish. Carol Martin made a delicious batch of Settlement Beans, and Paula Whobrey brought a pasta dish and a decadent dessert. I wish I could remember who brought what. I do recall chicken and dumplings, homemade chocolate cake, brownies, a refried bean salad, and so much more. In any event, we ate too much. Carol, please post the recipe for Settlement Beans in the comment section!

l. to r. Carla (Webb) Fleener, Doris (Whobrey) Web (my aunt), Virginia (Whobrey) Walker (my mother), Sharon (Whobrey) Finney (my cousin). Mom was 85 this year and Aunt Doris a remarkable 90.

Cousin Gayle (Martin) Eblin worked behind the scenes manning the sound system. (I think I see her way back in the corner in blue.) And here's some more cousins! David Webb, Becky (Webb) Hahn and Carla (Webb) Fleener.

Even the little ones apeared to have fun. I think this is my cousin Janis' grandson. I don't know ... I can't keep them straight anymore.

I'm afraid the hat didn't win any prizes. Here's my sister Debra (Oathout) Stocker and her husband Gene.

But our family auction did! We had one of the biggest hauls ever. Does anyone know where Christie lives?

I'll be looking for more family photos! E-mail me. You know who you are. :)))

Tomato Bruschetta - For Lack of a Better Title

2009-09-13T18:25:00.000-07:00

What a busy weekend! We started off power washing the back deck only to be diverted into a horse roundup. Neighbor George's herd of red horses found an open gate and decided to visit our herd of horses. (Very exciting!) In addition, there was an air show down the road, a classic car show downtown, and a "Dancin' Downtown" event scheduled for later that evening.

Dearest Friend and I decided to catch a matinee at the little theatre on Main Street though. I had heard such nice things about the movie "Julie and Julia" that I wanted to see it before it left town. It's about a young woman who decides to blog her experiences as she tries to master ALL the recipes in Julia Child's cookbook, "Mastering The Fine Art of French Cooking". We are also given a glimpse into the life of Julia Child, played by Meryl Streep, and how she became a chef extraordinaire. I must say I loved it, but thank goodness for chocolate raisenettes and popcorn. To sit through this movie with no sustenance would have been sheer torture. One of the first dishes we had to endure up on the big screen was fresh Tomato Bruschetta. Our ooohs and awwws no doubt disturbed the other 2 people in the theatre, but we didn't care. I whispered to Dearest Friend, "I have a recipe for that at home."

Our theatre feels like it's straight out of the 50's. I find a great deal of comfort in that. There's no scooping the mall looking for a parking space, no long lines to wait in while the damp night air ruins your hairdo, and no fear that just as you get to the window the cashier tells you the show's sold out.

You just walk in and pay Megan at the cash register, and Cheyenne gets your hot buttered popcorn for you. It's all very civilized.

Historic memorabilia and movie posters adorn the walls. Here's a photo of how the theatre used to look.

And of course the original "Going My Way" guy, Bing Crosby is not forgotten.

After the show, we made our way out through the lobby. There was no one in sight so we took our time looking about.

Plenty of daylight still left ... guess we'll mosy on down Main Street and see what's going on.

There's the old "Weavers" building. I heard it used to be a fine clothing department store. Not everyone could afford to buy their clothes there. If you did, you had money.

And this is where you kept it.

A local barber shop.

Plenty of seating. Looks like they have two chairs.

The Feed Mill is just beyond the Visitors Center. My husband and I stop in occasionally for their seafood bread bowl and sweet tea.

Heading down towards the Commons.

They were beginning to block off the street for the evening festivities so we thought it time to head back to the car. I dropped Dearest Friend off at her house and after I got home the phone rang. "What's that recipe for Tomato Bruschetta?" The next day I asked Dearest Friend how the Bruschetta turned out. She said it was delicious. *sigh* It was such a lovely weekend.

Since I don't happen to own a copy of "Mastering the Fine Art of French Cooking", here's the next best thing ... although Julia would probably beg to differ.

TOMATO BRUSCHETTA

Source: Mother Earth News, April/May Issue 2008, p. 109

12 slices of whole wheat bread, about 1 1/2 inches thick. (They used a baguette loaf in the movie.)

4 cloves garlic

1/2 cup virgin olive oil

2 cups red tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 Tbsp. capers

1 Tbsp. sweet basil (or more to taste), chopped

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Parmesan cheese, grated

Make your bread slices small enough to hold easily in your hand, about 3 to 4 inches wide, and toast them golden brown on both sides. Mince the garlic very fine or force it through a garlic press, then combine it with the olive oil in a work bowl. Add the tomatoes, capers, sweet basil, lemon juice and seasonings. Spread the mixture on the toasted bread and sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top. Serve immediately.

Stocking Up

2009-09-02T06:47:00.000-07:00

Since my garden was nonexistent this year, I've been concentrating on stocking my pantry in other ways. A few extra things here and there can quickly add up to a good 3-4 months supply of foodstuff. Granted, this did not happen overnight, but only in the last few years have I realized the value of being prepared. When I had to make a last minute run to the store before a hurricane hit (unusual for our area), and found there were no batteries to be had in our main supply stores, did I realize we were caught scrambling like everyone else. I finally found some at a small gas/convenience store where they charged me 3 times the amount they normally sold for. Never again!

I wanted shelves that could withstand the heavy weight of canned goods. The 1x8 boards and concrete blocks are wonderful. It may be a bit over the top, but I don't have to worry about sagging boards giving way under all my hard work.
This year I was able to pick up quite a few canning jars. Big Lots had a very good price, better than Family Dollar or Wal*Mart. I definitely have enough jars now. Seasoned canners advised me to buy my lids early this year rather than waiting for our harvest season when they might be more difficult to find. I also purchased some hard red winter wheat to add to my food storage. It cost me almost $20 more this year than it did last.
And even though we're hearing a lot of hype about the H1N1 flu virus, one should be aware of the plans that are in place should it reach serious epidemic proportions.
http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/individual/index.html

Q: Are you able to be on your own if you have to stay at home?

Porch Project (After)

2009-08-21T03:59:00.000-07:00

FRI., AUG 21, 2009: After the joist hangers were secured to the frame this morning, the composite was ready to be laid. I should add there were a number of sinkholes under the porch. The guys sunk in 1 1/2-2 ft. deep in reconstructed earth.

Light pencil lines guide the placement of screws.

The steps are also composite. This piece will have a slice cut out of the top edge so that it becomes a tongue and groove type of installation. It's then slid under the riser and tapped into place, giving a nice snug fit.

Here's Fred, owner of High Quality Construction out of Luray, VA, lending a hand. The workmen, Bobby and Keith, are locals. I must not forget to mention Bill. He came in and helped finish the job. The last two days have been terribly hot and humid. Looks like we'll be getting some much needed rain over the weekend though. I hope that helps cool things off a bit. The project should be completed on Monday.

TUES., AUG 25, 2009: No work on Monday, but Fred dropped by to let us know. What a beautiful morning we have! Misty, cool and dewey. A rash of webs popped up overnight. Thought I'd take a picture of one on a yew by the house. We have a good population of funnel-web spiders and here's one of their webs. He's back down in the hole waiting for breakfast. This spider will make only one web during its entire life. He's not poisonous, just a little scarey looking. The males are about an inch long and females a little larger.

Blocks are nailed into place for added stability of decking material.

Wed., Aug 26, 2009: Another hot day. Supposed to reach 90 degrees. You'll find the hand railing on the steps is more narrow than the top porch railing. This gives one a better hand grip when going up and down steps .. especially important for small children.
They took great pains with the lattice. Stone work will replace the lattice when we complete the extended porch section. And they did a good job cleaning up. Note the neatly stacked lumber we were able to salvage. It's finished! You know, this company was absolutely great. I would recommend them in a heartbeat. Check them out. They have lots of project photos on their website. Just go to www.twothumbsupconstruction.com!

Porch Project (Before)

2009-08-19T18:02:00.000-07:00

WED., AUG 19, 2009: The boxwoods and yews have been removed and now we get a real look at Hill Spring's front porch. *yawn* We originally wanted to extend the porch across the front of the house, but that will have to be done at a later date.

The steps show signs of decay plus they didn't have any handrails. I don't understand why they were never installed. Apparently it's illegal to not have them. We were very lucky no one got hurt.

The major support post for the overhead truss was floating in air. This post originally met with the top decking material. Under that another post was sunk into the ground, but it looks like someone shimmed it with blocks of wood to raise it high enough to meet the bottom of the deck. We'll use one long beam and sink it in a 3 ft. hole filled with concrete.

Instead of wood, we'll be using a composite material that won't need painting. The old wood will be salvaged to make seedling and work benches.

THURS., AUG 20, 2009: The workmen arrived this morning and wouldn't you know it, they discovered a gathering of wasps hiding UNDER the floating post. Or rather the wasps found one of the guys. For a moment I couldn't think of the treatment for a wasp sting, but then I remembered I had purchased a first aid kit for stings. I like to have one on hand if I'm out in the woods, or in one of the parks around here. Grandma used to make a baking powder and water paste which was then applied to the affected area. I've heard it gives relief as well.

The guys were pretty careful when they tore down the porch so we'll be able to reuse the lumber. They're even going to pull the nails out for us. The old railing will make a dandy perch in the chicken house. The girls will love it.

By the end of the day we had the support post in and the frame up.

August Update

2009-08-14T07:06:00.000-07:00

What everyone's garden should NOT look like. Waist high weeds, starving corn, and a scarecrow about to lose its pants. I should be swimming in vegetables to can, have well-trained horses to work and most of my projects completed, but here I sit, healing ever so slowly.

I am out of the "boot" and wearing an ankle brace now. The dogs have been constantly underfoot,and when they're not, they are climbing on top of me. Here's Miss Dana with her "buzz cut". This is the first time we've ever had to shave a Keeshond, and it certainly is not recommended that one do so, but our groomer took pity on her and decided the pondwater/horse manure mats were just too much to contend with. Cody is looking rather suspicious. I suspect he doesn't know if Dad should be trusted with that cellphone or not.

I did manage to make it to the District Assembly in Richmond, VA this month. There were people helping me up and down stadium steps, carrying my baggage, taking me to dinner, etc. I was truly grateful. Of course my garment bag didn't make it to the car so I had to shop for clothes to wear. Dearest Husband complained I had not handed it to him to take to the car. I guess crutches are no excuse. The duffle bag with my unmentionables and supply of black knee-highs to keep my bare white toes from drawing attention to my boot did make it though. I was going to be the utmost example of modesty.

After three spiritually uplifting days in Richmond, it was time to go home. I felt brave and ventured, "I can make it to the car. You're not parked that far away." Dearest Friend offered to carry my bags and I must say, it was amazing. She had become perfectly balanced with bags draped over her entire anatomy. She looked like a pack mule ready to descend into the Grand Canyon. I felt it my duty to not hinder her progress and kicked my crutch into high gear.

In a sea of sisters and brothers we headed toward the parking garage. In a sea of sisters and brothers I felt my other ankle twist as it hit the uneven concrete sidewalk. In a sea of sisters and brothers my dignity was lost, but thankfully, not exposed. As I lay on the ground I heard gasps and a rushing of people to help. I struggled up onto all fours and suddenly, an outreached hand from one of the black brothers came into view. I looked up into his smiling brown eyes and welcomed his help.

After a quick check to see if I was still in one piece I looked down at my boot and there was - oh no! - the ugly glare of white toes. My knee-high was literally shredded to pieces and blowing in the breeze. Dearest pack mule stood there and laughed. Since then we've had numerous discussions about this serious character flaw of hers.

Our District Assembly theme this year? "Keep On The Watch"

At least I have Bee Balm

2009-07-20T13:21:00.000-07:00

MAY, 2009 - Such great aspirations this Spring. The Cornish Rocks were coming along nicely and the wisteria was in full bloom. We managed to get the corn planted, along with the christening of our new scarecrow before I broke my ankle. I'm hard pressed to find either now because of the wicked Johnson grass.

JULY, 2009 - Despite the weeds, I have a profusion of Bee Balm this year, mixed in with the lilies, butterfly bush and wormwood. I really should cut back the Wisteria on the gazebo. It's getting to be a bit much, although it was loaded with blossoms this year.

Me and Sotomayor

2009-07-18T15:03:00.001-07:00

Seems that I have a bit of time on my hands. I have broken my ankle. I don't know how Sotomayor broke hers, but mine is courtesy of the wildlife we enjoy. We look up at the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains with Skyline Drive on one side, and the George Washington National Forest on the other side. There are deer, fox, bear ... owls, blue herons, vultures ... possum, turtles and groundhogs - or should I say grrrr-roundhogs.

A couple of months ago I decided my blueberry bushes just HAD to be planted despite the fact it had been raining on and off all day. Our faithful Keeshond, Cody Bear, kept me company and didn't seem to mind the rain. All of a sudden, I heard a commotion in the barn. I knew I had closed the door and that the gates were locked. I could also see most of the horses had taken shelter. I thought I better check it out. Cody was not one to be left behind, so he made sure I was not alone. As I slid the door open, there, pretty as you please, was one of the biggest groundhogs I ever saw. It must be ol' Woody. His hole is right under the barn door so I thought "Trying to raid the horse bins again, huh? You better get back in your hole before Cody sees you." A "No, thank you very much." was what I got. Woody came running toward me and failed to notice Cody lurking behind my right knee. It was chaos! Ever try to get out of the way of a spitting groundhog and red-eyed Keeshond while trying to keep your balance in the mud and muck? Doesn't work.

I heard the cracking of my ankle and down I went. There's nothing quite like an eye-level view of a life and death struggle. I rolled over in the mud and got up on all fours only to find that I had placed myself squarely between the two. Woody had his teeth bared and was gasping for air. Cody was stunned to see me down on the ground with him, and for a brief moment there was peace in the valley. I stole a look back at Woody and he seemed to know this was his chance to beat feet. He quietly slipped off into the underbrush.

Needless to say, the garden didn't get finished this spring and what I had put in is now drowning in waist high weeds. The newly planted orchard remains unmulched, and the grass and weeds are taking over my beautiful rows of apple and cherry trees. I hobble out to the deck and try not to look at all the work waiting for me. And occasionally I catch a glimpse of Woody down by the barn, no doubt looking for his favorite new human. I wonder how Sotomayor is making out?

You're Invited

2009-07-16T08:42:00.001-07:00

Bear with me. I'm new at this sort of thing. I'm hoping you will receive this personal invitation to drop by and check on my new blog. Me blogging???!! As if I don't have enough to do already. For prevous articles, click on Home at the end of this article and don't forget to mark your address book with http://www.hill-spring.com/. Welcome to our home.

Do Chickens Have Feelings?

2009-07-15T11:50:00.000-07:00

I guess it all began with my grandparents; my love for animals, that is. Here's my grandmother Edith Knight, who married my grandfather William Whobrey. Grandma always had a flock of chickens, and Grandpa always had a collie dog. So I always wanted a flock of chickens. (I suspect the ones in the photo are Rhode Island Reds.)

As a young child I couldn't wait to explore Grandma's chicken house. I'd grab a couple of ears of corn and scatter the kernels onto the ground in an attempt to get my hands on those lovely, wiley hens. Didn't work. I love the 'Rhodies', Hamburgs, and Wyandottes, but above all, my favorites are Buff Orpingtons - in particular, one called Rose. She taught me much about her kind.

Here's where I should probably back up. My sister and I use to look forward to our annual vacation at Grandma and Grandpa's. Who knew what surprise awaited us. There could be chicks out on the back porch or in a cardboard box by the coal stove. Or kittens up in the loft of the old garage. But here I have to confess, that more than anything, I couldn't wait to see Lassie. Yes, I am a product of the 50's, and like so many others our age, we were introduced to the wonderful life of "Lassie" which aired every Sunday night. I might add this was about the only night Dad was with us so he would have to wait until we girls were satisfied that Timmy was once again saved by the smartest dog in the world. Gunsmoke and Maverick would have to wait.

Our Lassie was the sweetest dog ever. She greeted you with just as much love and excitement as Grandma and Grandpa would after our long, hot, challenging car ride to southern Illinois. (Remember, no air-conditioned cars back then.) I say challenging in respect to my folks. We girls were crammed into the back seat among pillows, new coloring books and crayons, and whatever else mom could think of to keep us busy. Inevitably, the fussing would start and the "Mom, she's looking at me." or "Mom, she's touching me." would start. Oh, did I forget the "Are we there yet?" Then before you knew it we were in Grandma's big soft hug, secretly bracing ourselves for Grandpa's poke-poke in the side.

After Lassie died, Laddie became the guardian of the farm. Grandma would write to me about his adventures; how he killed a snake in the back garden, how he patrolled the farm every day, and how he never seemed to gain any weight because he was so busy running everything off. Dinner for him was leftovers from the kitchen table with hunks of torn up Bunny Bread covered in sausage milk gravy. Today our animals are fed gourmet food produced in large factories and they are cared for as diligently as a physician would his own child.

While we spoil our animals at Hill Spring, we've TRIED to strike a balance. And that brings me to Rose. Rose is a lovely Buff Orpington that I purchased at a local county fair. She runs to greet me and often jumps up on my arm to fuss at me about the latest cache of grubs, worms and that nasty old rooster Hank (who she hates). Last year she hatched two beautiful little chicks. She was the proudest mama. I watched how she showed them to scratch the earth, preen their feathers, and cluck "no no ... BIG bumble bees are not good to eat."

I was down by the horse stable one day when all of a sudden my husband hollered that our dog had something yellow in his mouth. I ran to the hen house where I found to my dismay one of Rose's babies had accidentally slipped through the fence. I was heartbroken. Even though she saw us remove the body, Rose refused to stop looking for her chick. I felt so awful that I just sat down in the chicken yard. Then a remarkable thing happened. She came over to me, crawled into my lap and rested her head on my leg, being ever so still. She let me console her by allowing me to pet and talk to her ... or perhaps she was consoling me. I'm not sure which, but at that moment I began to wonder, "Are chickens more perceptive than we give them credit for?" I told my husband about what happened that day and he said, "You know, it's a chicken. Maybe you shouldn't tell anyone. They're going to think you're losing it, hon."

Keeshonden

2009-07-13T09:54:00.000-07:00

Here are our kids. It's true when they say Keeshonden are not for everyone. They NEED to have a routine. They know when it's time to check on the chickens, when it's time for my husband to come home, and definitely when it's time to eat! Unfortunately, all that hair can be quite a challenge. Miss Dana loves to go for a swim down by the pond and follow it up with a nice roll in the horse manure. Then it's back to the pond. (Our incentive to remove all indoor carpeting.) Dutch has since passed on, but Cody Bear is more than able to take over. He's our ratter. He patrols the stable and chicken house diligently. Forget the cats ... he'll make sure not a mouse is left standing.

I do believe in fairies!

2009-07-12T14:55:00.000-07:00

I often dreamt that some day I would be enjoying the peaceful solitude of the country, drinking in clear blue skies while sipping a cup of Earl Grey ... by a roaring fire, of course. The animals would be fat and content, trees heavy with fruit, and you'd be able to see the stars to eternity. Too much?? Well, one can dream.
I had come to the conclusion I was not cut out for city life. Dirty brick walls of Chicago bungalows and booming radios from constant traffic had me just plain worn down. Where were the overalls and the big straw hat that should have been in my closet? The only time I got to see wildlife was when I sat out on the front stoop about 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning. The occasional racoon would wander up and down the sidewalk under the orange glow of city lights. Cats would yowl at each other in the back alley. And then it happened. My husband began muttering something that sounded like "early retirement". WooHoooo ... Now what? Where should we go? This required the help of a good fairy.
We had traveled to Wisconsin, Texas, Missouri, southern Illinois, and Kentucky looking for a place to build our retirement home, but we always ended up in Virginia. My family had its ancestral roots here. Some of the Whobreys, Norvells, and Buggs of Mecklenburg Co., VA could be found in the public records as early as the late 1600's. It was a possibility. The countryside was nice, but my husband had one important requirement. He wanted to see mountains, or big bluffs - anything but flat land! That's when we found the Shenandoah Valley. It was everything we wanted and more.
Hill Spring is our place, our home, and part of our life story. I'm hoping to drag you along with me and that you will share your expertise with me. I certainly would appreciate some country wisdom, know-how, and foot-stompin' inspiration. I'm going to need all the help I can get. Thanks for dropping by! I just know we're going to have a great time.