spring has sprung!

I arrived home from a breakfast meeting and upon going to the barn to check on everyone, this is what I found! The first daughter of Rosebud and William, and the very first lamb ever born at Tulip Tree Hill! I must have come home literally minutes after she was born because she was still wet and figuring out how to use her feet. Very precious. 

I knew Rose was due any time, but other than her udder becoming large, you would never have known she was pregnant. And so I guessed - correctly - as it turned out, that she was going to have a single lamb rather than twins. But that's okay because this little girl appears to be quite healthy and robust. 

So now, a name has to be thought of. Since it's the second day of spring and since all my sheep's names will be botanically oriented, I'm thinking of something along the lines of spring flowers. I've always wanted to name an animal Daffodil. Anyone have any better ideas?

And by the way, this little girl will be for sale, as will Mayapple's lambs when they arrive later this spring. So if you're in the market for a registered Olde English Babydoll Miniature Southdown lamb, shoot me an email.

he was me

I happened across the most wonderful little animated short. Poignant, wistful, slightly sad, yet hopeful at the end - you should watch it...

"He Was Me", by Peter H. Reynolds

(you'll need Quick Time to view the movie)

Mr Reynolds also has a most thoughtful and book/art loving blog. He is a children's book illustrator and author as well as co-owner of a bookstore called Blue Bunny, and a media company called FableVision. Reading his blog just makes me feel good.

Oh, and here's his web site.

go red

I was asked, and agreed, to donate a sculpture for the American Heart Association "Go Red For Women" luncheon and auction on May 8, 2009. The piece at left, "Soaring Heart" is the one I chose. It is a mixed media sculpture about hope, joy, possibilities, and living life with a heart freely shared. The dove is soaring from a heart which has grown rich and full, and attached to the base of the tree is the key to the heart.

Go Red For Women is the American Heart Association national campaign to raise awareness that heart disease is the number one killer of women (more than the next 14 causes of death combined), and women's greatest health threat; almost 1-in-3 will die of heart disease.

oh the indignity of it!

Yesterday the shearer came and gave all the sheep their yearly haircuts. They are half the sheep they used to be without all that wool. Poor Jack looks pretty scrawny next to the rather "robust" babydolls, and William is cuter than ever with his big fat legs and ever-sweet expression. Jack is in front with William the ram right behind him. Mayapple is to the left, trying to get into the picture, and Rosebud is heading out at the top left. You can see all the different colors, very beautiful.

The shearer agreed with me that both ewes look pregnant. Rosebud will probably lamb first, maybe by mid-April and I'm estimating Mayapple's due date to be the end of April.

the maple trees are blooming - can spring be far behind?

With the spring-like weather we've had for the past couple of days, the silver maples have burst into bloom - and so ends maple syrup time. But that's okay, because out of the 8 trees I ended up tapping, 5 quarts of dark amber maple syrup were produced! Slightly less than my previous estimation, but certainly plenty for one household. French toast has been on the breakfast menu several times already. My favorite way to make it is to dip thick-sliced sourdough bread into a lightly-beaten egg (no milk, cinnamon, etc.), fry it up and serve drenched in warm buttered maple syrup with a hot cup of strong coffee on the side. Now that's breakfast!

dreams of flight

So I don't think we're really in the winter doldrums anymore, but if by now you are really feeling the need for green growing things and fresh blooms, take yourself off to one of the many home and garden shows that are going on this time of year. Maryland puts on a good one at the Timonium Fairgrounds near Baltimore. I'd say it's about half garden and half home type stuff, but mostly I just go for the garden displays. Some really wonderful landscapers compete for awards and go all out for this show, turning the "cow palace" into an indoor garden complete with water features, flowers, and seriously large trees. There are also vendors selling any number of garden related items, from orchids, african violets, and bedding plants to statuary, gazebos, and everything in between. 

This year, Diddywopps and Keeffers was asked by last year's winning designer to provide art for their focal display garden, and I am proud to have provided a piece that was included! The piece is titled "Dreams of Flight" because although this woman is bound to the earth and incapable of flying away, her heart is pierced by longing, her thoughts are filled with dreams, and her very being is enriched by creatures of the air. (once again, please excuse the poor photography!)

The Maryland Home and Garden Show is being held March 6-8 and 13-15 at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, Maryland. Find out more by going to their web site.

goose eggs and custard

Griselda and Teague, my American Buff Geese, have set up housekeeping in their stall in the barn, and Griselda has begun laying eggs. And what eggs they are! Simply beautiful. I've had these geese going on 4 years now, and I'm still not tired of seeing their eggs every spring (well, almost spring, anyway). 

Once egg-laying begins, I usually leave a few marked eggs in the nest to encourage continued laying, but will check daily for fresh eggs for my own use. Then in mid to late March, I'll allow a clutch of about a dozen eggs to collect in the nest, which will usually prompt her to start sitting on them. Once she's sitting, the eggs will take 31 days to hatch. If all goes well, goslings will be here sometime around the first of May.

For those of you unfamiliar with geese, here's some trivia...

Geese generally mate for life and can live 20+ years.

They are very family oriented and form strong bonds.

Seasonal breeders and layers, they will usually mate, nest, and lay eggs from February through late spring or early summer, generally laying between 20-30 eggs per season.

A typical large chicken egg weighs in at 2 ounces. A goose egg is about 7 ounces.

Since goose eggs are much higher in protein than chicken eggs, they are great for baking.

My all time favorite goose egg recipe is egg custard. With the higher fat and protein content, what is usually considered a delicate recipe is a breeze. Here it is...

Baked Goose Egg Custard

2 goose eggs

1/2 cup sugar

4 cups milk, scalded and cooled to room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

nutmeg

- preheat oven to 325°

- beat eggs slightly

- whisk in sugar and vanilla

- add milk slowly while whisking

- pour into a lightly greased casserole

- sprinkle with nutmeg

- set in larger pan with 1" hot water

- bake 50 minutes or until firm to the touch and golden

Enjoy!

love is in the air

Jack with his friend.

This morning while feeding the animals, I looked out in the pasture and witnessed the strangest and yet most endearing display of affection. Jack, the shetland wether and this young, previously unattached goose have apparently taken up together in a gentle, though odd love affair. Nuzzling and rubbing each other, they seemed quite content to let others of their own species go about their business, while they kept company. When I went back out with camera in hand, Ms. Goose seemed a bit shy of flaunting their relationship in front of the paparazzi even though Jack had no such qualms. And you can see him here gently rubbing his face against her shoulder while she coyly looks away. Very sweet.

winter doldrums suggestion #8: visit the American Craft Council show in Baltimore!

suggestion #8: look at great art!

One of my favorite things to do in the last couple of years is to go to the American Craft Council show in Baltimore. The largest juried indoor craft show, it is held at the Baltimore Convention Center and this year will run from Friday, February 27 - Sunday, March 1. Over 700 artists will be exhibiting jewelry, furniture, clothing, home decor, mixed media, and more! Materials range from glass to ceramics, wood, fiber, metal, and almost anything you can imagine.

Check out the web site for more information, and if you have a free day this weekend, GO!

seed-buying for 2009

Okay, so I went a little crazy. My only defense is that I kept finding more interesting plants to try. I mean, how can you not love a Thai Golden round melon that's supposed to yield six pound fruits that look like a pumpkin but taste like a combination of pineapple and papaya? Or Chinese Red Noodle Beans, the pods of which are 18" long and deep red; a cucumber that looks and tastes like a lemon; and a pumpkin shaped like Cinderella's coach? Then of course there are so many wonderful heirloom tomatoes in all shapes, sizes and colors who can resist them? Not me. And what about mustard? Several years ago I found a recipe for and made my own grainy mustard. Now, I've found three different varieties and hope to try out that recipe once again, but this time with seeds I've grown myself. Then of course, there is lemongrass, basil, dill, hot and sweet peppers, lettuce, spinach, beets, cabbage, and carrots.

My real downfall was when I decided to pick out just a "few" flowers to plant. Of course I had to have sunflowers (do you have any idea how just many varieties of sunflowers there are, for crying out loud?), sweet peas, bachelors buttons, hollyhocks, cosmos, and zinnias.

There's more, but it's ridiculous.

My only hope is that I can keep up with the garden this summer.

winter doldrums suggestion #7: visit the tropics

suggestion #7: go see the tropics show at Diddywopps & Keeffers

Tami of Diddywopps has arranged a group show of about 20 artists centered around the theme of the tropics. It runs from February 19 thru March 30. An opening reception will be held Saturday February 21 from 6-9 p.m. Everyone is welcome and invited to come and join us for the opening - it should be fun and a good break from the cold weather while being surrounded by tropically-themed art*. 

*(I also hear there may be caribbean-themed music and umbrella drinks, but it's an unsubstantiated rumor.)

maple syrup

Today I am boiling down my first ever batch of maple syrup! Wahoo! I am using a standard grill-type propane tank and an outdoor cooker (like a turkey fryer). I started it outdoors because apparently the steam contains quite a bit of sugar and that's not really something you want all over everything in your house. Unfortunately, it wouldn't boil. Maybe too cold out there, or too much wind, but anyway I brought the whole contraption into the garage, and so now we have boilage! Yeah, the garage might suffer from a coating of sugar, but really, who cares? It's a garage. I started out with 10 gallons of sap and am down to three. By the time it's done I expect it to yield about a quart. A side benefit of doing it in the garage is that now it is warm, steamy, and smells slightly sugary out there. Sort of like a confectionery sauna. Mmmmm, nice.

Perhaps next year I'll do it out in the wood shop. After all, there is a small wood stove out there that really cranks the heat out. I could fortify myself with a thermos of coffee, a good book, and some sculpture projects to work on. You know, that sound so incredibly appealing that I may just have to do it next weekend!

happy valentines day!

winter doldrums suggestion #6: grow something

suggestion #6: grow some sprouts!

What's not to love about fresh sprouts? I especially love alfalfa sprouts. The problem is finding some in the grocery store that are fresh and not half wilted or dead looking. Taking the matter into my own hands, I decided to try to grow my own, because seriously - how hard can it be? There's a great resource online to get you started. The company is called "The Sprout People" and their web site address is www.sproutpeople.com. You can get everything you need there from seeds to containers in which to sprout them. More seeds than you can imagine. I decided to start with some that I knew I liked (alfalfa and mung beans) and also one that would be new to me, at least in sprout form (peas). I also got three lid/screen combos that will fit on wide mouth jars to do the sprouting in. You could also go to your nearest health food store for the seeds and just use canning jars and rings with some cheesecloth. This doesn't have to be an elaborate or expensive proposition. 

So hit back at winter and give it a try - truly fresh alfalfa sprouts on a salad or sandwich, or mung bean sprouts in a stir fry are great!

First Friday In Lancaster

Not to belabor a point, but if you get a chance, try to get out to First Friday tonight. Galleries are having openings and shops are staying open late. Many times there is street music and everyone strolls down the sidewalks talking and laughing. It's like a giant block party. I'll be at City Folk so stop by and say hello!

the making of a toucan

Diddywopps is having a multi-artist show in February with a tropics theme and so I decided to create a piece called "The Toucan's Flight".

Please excuse the poor photo, but I finished him just in time to deliver him, but without leaving myself any real time to take a good photograph. However, along the way I took photos of the various steps taken to create him and so here is a little photo essay...

Several pieces of tulip poplar were glued together to make a block of wood thick enough for the bird's body.

And another piece of wood was planed thinly for the wings. The drawing was transferred onto the wood.

The rough shape was cut out on the band saw,

and further shaping was done on the belt sander.

A dremel was used for final shaping and to add the wing and feather texture as well as other details.

A base coat of gesso was painted on and sanded, then wire legs and feet were attached with epoxy. After the epoxy cured for a day, the bird was painted, then given a hand-rubbed wax finish. 

Now onto the tree which will hold the suspended toucan in mid-flight...
Holes were drilled in a branch and heavy aluminum rods were inserted and epoxied in place. The rods were then wrapped with multiple aluminum wires which make up the smaller branches and leaf outlines. About 17 wires were used.

The wire branches were then almost totally covered with epoxy to add stability, thickness, and texture.

Then the leaves were covered with old dictionary pages using matte gel medium, wrapping the wire with the paper.

One of the last steps, and the last one that I took a photo of, is wrapping the branches with matte gel medium and tissue paper. This completely covered up the wire and epoxy, providing a nice texture and smooth surface to paint on.

After that, the branches and leaves were painted with multiple layers of acrylic mixed with matte medium and matte gel medium to achieve the look I wanted.

Finally, the toucan was hung from the tree with thin black wire to give the look of him swooping through the branches.

winter doldrums suggestion #5: go antiquing

Suggestion #5: spend some time in an antique mall

Winter is the perfect time to go antiquing because there's absolutely no guilt about being indoors on a perfectly nice day. Yesterday morning I went to Renningers Antique Mall in Adamstown, PA. The place is huge and I knew I'd be able to find good stuff there. That's my haul in the photo above. Not sure yet what I'll do with most of it, but it'll get used somehow. I especially like the red-painted turned wood knob-type thingy. 

I did end up using one of the watch faces for "The White Rabbit's Mirror". I made a new heart - this time out of wood - and painted it red, then attached the watch face to it and hung it by a chain to the frame. Much better than carrots and the ceramic heart that I originally had. Still a bit sweet, but not quite so cute. 

oh my ears and whiskers!

"Oh my ears and whiskers how late it's getting!"

Do you know that line? It was uttered by the white rabbit in Alice in Wonderland because he was late for a meeting with the Duchess. In the spirit of all things Alice, here is a looking glass I did for the show at City Folk which will open Friday, February 6 - just one week from tomorrow. For a tiny little preview, check out their web site. The opening reception is from 5 - 9 p.m. And don't worry about being late, the Duchess won't be there.

Addendum: After having this hanging in my house since yesterday, I couldn't stand it anymore and I took off the carrots. They just caused the whole piece to veer dangerously close (maybe/probably even crossing over the line) to a "ducks-in-bonnets" aesthetic, which makes me vaguely nauseous. For now I'll leave on the heart, but what I think the piece really needs is a scruffy vintage pocket watch. I may have to go to an antique store tomorrow or Sunday to see if I can hunt one up.

winter doldrums suggestion #4: visit a conservatory!

Suggestion #4: visit a conservatory on a sunny day

A wonderful treat for the senses in the middle of winter is to take a day and go to Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA. They have the most wonderful conservatory. According to their literature, it shelters 20 indoor gardens with 5,500 types of plants within 4.5 acres of glass-enclosed space. 

I hope you enjoy the following photos nearly as much as I enjoyed being there!

the lawn in the main building - sort of makes you want to take off your shoes and walk on it

the silver garden

phalaenopsis in the orchid room

a collection of orchids and bromeliads

a display of spring flowers

hydrangea

the tropical room

carnivorous plants, beautiful but deadly if you're an insect

Doesn't it feel more like spring already?

making bread

"Without Bread all is misery." —William Cobbett, British Journalist (1763-1835)

My Aunt Ruth makes the best bread ever. Amongst all my aunts, uncles, and cousins, no one else can touch her. Several years ago she gave me her recipe and I've been making bread off and on ever since. It still doesn't quite match her level of deliciousness, but it's pretty good. It's your basic soft white bread, good with just butter or some home made jam - especially when it is still a bit warm from the oven. And since this recipe was freely given to me, I thought I'd pass on the love.

I use my KitchenAide mixer with the dough hook, but Aunt Ruth sure never did. So feel free to mix and knead the traditional way.

Aunt Ruth's Bread Recipe

Into a large mixing bowl, add 2 cups warm water (about 110°F).

Start the mixer on low speed and add the following:

1 3/4 tablespoon shortening (butter, lard, or crisco [ick])

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon yeast that's been dissolved into 1/2 cup warm (110°F) water

6 cups flour, adding just one cup at a time.

Add only enough flour to keep the dough from sticking excessively to the bowl. I'll usually add 5 cups and as it's kneading only use as much of the last cup as needed. The dough should be soft and shiny and elastic. It's probably better to add too little flour than too much. Too little just means it will be a bit harder to handle. Too much and you'll ruin the texture of your bread.

When finished kneading, place in greased bowl and turn over to oil the other side. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double. Punch down and let rise until double. Using oiled hands, divide into two, shape into loaves and place in greased pans. Let rise again until double. 

Bake at 375°F for 10 minutes, then 325°F for 15 minutes.

Remove from pans and allow to cool on racks.

If you're feeling feisty, you can exchange honey for the sugar. Also consider adding some crunchy wonderfulness to the mix. You'll want to add this stuff right before the flour. I've used as many as four or five of these at once. It turns a simple white loaf into something rich and hearty. But take note: these are my own additions, if you don't like them, don't blame Aunt Ruth. It's not her fault. 

Here are some ideas:

1/3 cup sunflower seeds

1/3 cup old fashioned rolled oats

1/3 cup red and/or golden flax seed

1/4 cup white and/or black sesame seed

1/4 cup poppy seed

1/3 cup wheat berries (soak overnight first)

city folk

Great news, folks! Starting in February, I will be represented in Lancaster, PA by the City Folk gallery. Gaye Cox is the proprietor and I have long admired her style at City Folk. She has the most wonderful mix of folk (and other) art, french antiques, and garden art and accessories. It's always a pleasure to look at the latest treasures she has found and displayed so artfully. 

Lancaster will be celebrating First Friday on February 6, from 5-9 p.m., and I hope many of you will come out and enjoy the festivities! I will have about eight pieces at City Folk, one of which is a mirror which will be a part of a special "Alice's Mirror" display Gaye has planned featuring several artists that she represents.

In the meantime, check out her web site at www.cityfolkonprince.com.

City Folk is located at 146 North Prince Street in Lancaster, on Gallery Row.

what it was...

For all those of you just dying to know what that thingamajig was from last Wednesday's post, it is a tap to collect sap from maple trees. There are eight maple trees here on the hill and it occurred to me that I could try my hand at making maple syrup. So after researching it on the web, I decided to go for it. All I had to buy was the taps and so am able to start out small and affordable. My best estimate is that I can expect 6-10 gallons of sap per tree, which should boil down to about 7 quarts (combined total). This estimate might be off because most of the trees are not sugar maples, but silver maples which have a lower sugar content and therefore will need to boil down further. This is all an experiment and a learning experience and I could fail miserably, but we'll see how it goes - I'm pretty excited.

Congratulations to Margie of Resurrection Fern, who was the correct guesser. She'll be receiving a bottle of syrup as soon as it's ready. BUT, for being good sports and playing along, Bonnie and Michelle will also receive a little something.

a new kiln!

Okay, so it's used, and it's on the smallish side, but it's new to me and bigger than I've ever had before, which isn't too hard since it's my first one. Tami at Diddywopps offered it to me - for free - since that's how she herself came to have it. Apparently it's been handed down several times from artist to artist, and somehow that makes it even more special. 

What's really great is that I'll be able to experiment with ceramics without having to conform to any one else's schedule. I can fire as much and as often as I like rather than having to wait weeks to see results. Good times!

Thanks, Tami!

winter doldrums suggestion #3: bring home cut flowers

suggestion #3: buy yourself a bouquet of flowers

Do this for yourself! A simple bunch of flowers - or even just one - can brighten a room and your whole day. When I was a college student, my apartment was right across the street from a florist and so fairly regularly, I'd go and buy the cheapest bunch they had. For several years after graduating I'd treat myself to fresh flowers, but unfortunately somewhere along the way, the habit died. Too bad, really.

So let's not let practicality rear it's sterile head and interfere with the joy of fresh blooms! Go out and buy some flowers!

*the pot above was made by Amedeo Salamoni, a neighbor, potter, artist, and fellow participant in the southern lancaster county open studio tour.

do you know what this is?

Can you guess what this is and what my next hare-brained plan might be? I ordered a dozen of these today and hope to start using them in mid-February. Make a guess in the comments section. I'll select randomly from the correct guesses and the winner will receive a free gift that relates to the above item (if all goes according to plan, that will probably be in March - if my plan fails and nothing comes of it, I hope you'll be understanding.)

Amendment: Since almost no one is guessing due to probably not having a clue what this doohickey is, here is the new deal - if there are no correct guesses, then the winner will be picked from all those who've given any guess at all.

Further ammendment - Margie of Resurrection Fern guessed correctly and so the game is over.

new at etsy

I just finished adding the honey dippers to my etsy store. Botanically-inspired, they are just a bit of fun and whimsy while still being practical. 

winter doldrums suggestion #2: visit the pennsylvania farm show!

This is one of the friezes on the older portion of the farm show building complex.

Suggestion #2: visit farm animals and eat good food

What's not to love about going to a farm show in January? Until Saturday, January 17, the Pennsylvania Farm Show is being held in Harrisburg. As stated on their website, more than 400,000 visitors are expected, with the chance to see almost 6,000 animals, 10,000 competitive exhibits, and 270 commercial exhibitors! Every year there's a giant butter sculpture, a sheep-to-shawl competition, and a huge food court that showcases some of the state's most delicious products. My favorites in the food court would have to be the chocolate milkshakes, the deep fried mushrooms, and the lamb stew. The potato donuts are pretty good, too.

Of course, I enjoyed all of the animals being exhibited, especially the poultry. There were, of course, also cows, pigs and sheep - the sheep that were there on Sunday were just the market lambs - who looked like supermodels compared to my rather short and stout babydolls. Even Jack the shetland bears little resemblance to those long-legged ladies. Apparently the wool breeds will be there later in the week.

I also got the chance to watch part of the draft horse hitch competition - very impressive. Can't begin to imagine what it takes to feed animals of that size. 

So if you live anywhere near Harrisburg, PA, I'd encourage you to get out there this week and immerse yourself in the agriculture of Pennsylvania!

*Photo montage above: Narrangaset turkey, draft horse hitch, the crowds, frieze detail, canned goods in competition, angora rabbit, bee display, market lamb, red deer, historical display, old english game hen who was the supreme grand poultry champion, boer goats.

look at what I found in a seed catalog!

Now you know what this means, don't you?

a trio of little paintings

I just uploaded these three folk-style paintings to my new etsy shop. So far, there's not much in the shop, but I'll keep adding items as I get a chance. The etsy shop is meant to be an outlet for the small things I make - ornaments, little paintings, etc. However, the galleries will still be the only place (other than my annual open studio) where the mixed media sculptures will be available. I have a real good relationship with each of the galleries that represent me and they work hard to promote my work, so I won't jeopardize that by competing with them online. However, if you're curious, you can always see recent work on flickr, and if you can't live without something you see, let me know and I'll put you in touch with the gallery. 

At any rate, in between the larger, more intricate and detailed pieces, I like to do small things that don't take a lot of time and are a break, mentally, from the mixed media sculptures. This gives me a chance to explore new color combinations, techniques, mediums, and subject matter. This isn't serious stuff, folks, just good fun.

making it through to March - suggestions for the winter doldrums

Winter seems to me to be a dead sort of time. Almost like everyone and everything is in a kind of suspended animation. People and animals huddle in their homes and shelters, sleeping more, going out less, some just trying to get through it. Certainly, I start to miss the life and vibrancy of growing things - green grass, blooming flowers, budding trees. Warm thunderstorms, humming bees and the trilling of spring peepers. It all seems so far away.

January is the worst, in my estimation. At least in December we have Christmas and New Year's to look forward to, and in February, you can almost convince yourself it's nearly March, which means it's almost spring. Know what I mean?

In January and even February, I look for ways to brighten my outlook so starting today and in the next couple of weeks, I'll be sharing them with you. If you're like me and can hardly wait for spring, perhaps you'll enjoy some of my suggestions.

Suggestion #1: start planning your garden!

To get through these coldest months, an enjoyable activity is to start planning the spring planting. Seed and nursery catalogs have arrived, so armed with graph paper, pencil, and lists of desired plants, I sit down and spend a quiet evening or lazy weekend afternoon making planting plans. And for all too brief a time am transported to a place that's warm and sunny, where the air smells of freshly turned dirt and the birds are singing with the joy of being alive.

the "crow" rocker

I found this rocker at Joy's Antiques and snapped it up because I'd been looking for either a chair or a rocker to work with. After cleaning it up a bit and adding the green and yellow bands of color, I topped it off with the thread-pulling crow and spool, then finished it all with a hand-rubbed wax. Right now it's living in my kitchen next to the wood stove and it makes a nice place to sit when you want to warm up. 

a foretelling or predestination?

I've been thinking about what makes us like the things we do. Perhaps the things we're drawn to were ingrained in us at a very young age. This photo of my brother and I was taken when we lived in Michigan. Growing up, we would travel to Indiana to spend summer vacations at my grandmother's farm. I adored the sound of roosters crowing in the morning, flowers growing alongside vegetables in the garden, and playing in the barn. After moving here a few years ago, one of the first things I did was get my own poultry, with sheep following soon after - and I still love the smell of a barn full of fresh hay.

So, do I enjoy chickens and sheep so much because I was exposed to them at such an early age, or did I love them from the first, because that's just how I'm made? 

I could go either way on this one. 

new year's day with pork and sauerkraut

I don't know about other areas of the country, but here in southeastern PA, it's the tradition to have pork and sauerkraut on New Year's Day. Supposedly it will bring good luck in the coming year. But for me, this year, it's symbolic of much more. The pork comes from one of the pigs raised last year here at Tulip Tree Hill, and the sauerkraut was my first foray into cabbage fermentation. I am oddly proud of my freezer full of meat. Canning and freezing produce is sort of old hat for me, but raising my own meat is still a kick. It feels wholesome and right.