Alaska

The end of May and the first week of June is the perfect time of year to visit Alaska.Snow is melting from mountain tops creating water falls everywhere.Temps are comfortable (56-72F)and mosquitoes,which grow to mammoth dimensions,have not yet emerged from their prehistoric lairs.We took a cruise from Seattle along that tail of land that dangles below the main body of Alaska and borders British Columbia.We explored fijords, coastal towns and museums and dined every night with the extravagence rivaling King Nebuchadrezzer's table.


While we were sightseeing, we were told that Alaska is only going to allow cruiseline tours 4 more years due to the receding glaciers.I suppose they aggravate the situation.I was very surprised to see how far back they diminished since the 1950's, according to a forest ranger's memories when she was a child.

One of my favorite movies is "GOOD MORNING, MISS DOVE", with Jennifer Jones . One of those wonderful black & white nostalgic movies of the past that made us all remember our 3rd or 4th grade teacher's stern hold on the classroom! I have a mama duck, just like Miss Dove. She puts up with NO NONSENSE from her little brood.Her peeps are only a few days old, yet they fully understand rules & regulations...such as standing on line in a perfect row."No talking on line" and ..."Follow me".

How is it that a baby duckling, only a few days old , can grasp complicated concepts? They have a brain the size of my pinky fingernail, yet they grasp the concept to forage for food at only a few days old. Hummpf! Amazing!

Baby Lambs

Well, our 2 baby female lambs are sold off to a wonderful family who will not eat them. (:> I'm happy about THAT!! I have tried now, for the past several years, to turn one into leg O' lamb but have failed miserably. You see, sheep & lambs have a perpetual half grin on their faces.They love to have their chins scratched and they are just ,down right,like pet dogs.Therefore, my sheep will be lawn mowers,their sheared wool will become blanket yarn and bedspreads or just plain garden mulch (GREAT STUFF to retain moisture in crappy ground!)
I was expecting the buyers to arrive Friday in an RV. It turned out to be a quite a large RV,a company borrowed apartment building on wheels.It tottered from side to side as it negotiated it's way into my down hill driveway then came to a stop next to the barn. A multitude of childhood smiling faces peared out of the windows to checkout their new destination. I thought it must be a school.Except, all their faces matched and some were identical. An expectant mom & the daddy driver hopped out and introduced themselves."WOW!!" ,I said,"How many kids you got in there?". ..."Ten". HAH!! This was up my alley.I loved it!! (:> I said,"Yep, my Grandma had 13 kids.(My mom was the baby) Do you homeschool?"..."Yes' was the answer. I wanted to hug them.They blessed my day.Then I thought she said 3 more were at home, watching over things.So, after tagging their ears they evicted their German Shepherd from his kennel cage, shoved the 2 lambs in and all continued their journey back to North central PA. ,about another 2 hours drive.Everybody was smiling.Everybody was happy! God bless big families (:>

Winding up the HArvest

Harvest time is all encompassing.The vegetables get canned or frozen or made into tomato sauce.There's also the hay harvest that occurs 3(hopefully) times over summer & early fall and if you're especially lucky a 4th cutting.Don't forget the wood harvest for wood burning stoves.It's a beautiful thing to see hay stacked up to the peaks in the barn and wood stacked under the over hang in the back of the barn.We'll be warm this year & our animals well fed. Thank YOU, thank YOU LORD!
October & November are also butchering months.We don't like to think of that, but the reality is that WE LIKE TO EAT !! (sorry (:< ) So,October I had butchered
the last batch of meat chickens and this past week(November) turkeys and a pigger.I didn't raise the pig, this time, but a fellow in a neighboring county did.Today I picked up the meat,all labeled & beautifully packaged.I also picked up 32 lbs of loose sausage that I packaged up myself into 2 lb bags. WHY?? Well, I have many sausage mix recipes that I like for sweet Italian, Hot Italian links,Country patties & breakfast links,plus just plain sausage for 'whatever'.. So, that's my reasoning.
I am at the tail end of the harvest ingathering and every day that I'm off work is all encompassed with it.I'm sure the Pilgrims CLAWED ,with exhaustion,their way to the Thanksgiving picnic table
This past night, my son was in a play ("THE GOOD BODY") at his University.So, after I picked up the pork chops,hams & sausage and finished rationing out lard (YES!!! LARD!!!) into 1/2 cup portions to freeze for future pie crust, I hopped in my car & raced to the school and looked for "Corinthians pillars"~~ All I saw was the Library Pillars and raced in for directions to the theater and the restroom(first priority). These kids amaze me with their mental capacity to retain huge scripts for their lines plus prepare research papers for their majors and study for upcoming tests.My nickname is 'Dementia'.I can't even remember my badge for work that's hanging and swaying in front of me from my rear view mirror before I hop the parking lot bus that takes me to the hospital entrance.
Yes, it's a long night for me. But~~ my son is more important.This play was important to him and also to his friends who worked VERY hard, long hours to put on this production.Not all things that were said I agreed with.Some issues I take a hard right challenge with .But I went to listen.I certainly agree with a good deal that was said and had a really good laugh numerous times throughout the play.I enjoyed myself and they gave me ICE CREAM!!! YESSS!!!! (:>

Things to be proud of ! A well colored scarecrow & a clean locker ! (What will it look like come winter?)

I Love Grandparent's Day

I love Grandparents Day at the school my grandchildren attend.They always do such a nice job and it's a pleasure to visit the classrooms to see what they've been up to.Of course, one class will read a poem that will make my eyes sting and my face crunch up trying not to cry.(:< I never remember to bring tissues .

Pumpkin' Gathering!

Great stuff happens in the Fall! Pumpkins and multicolored fall leaves, yard sales and hunting breakfasts,apple butter and bow hunting festivals! Turkey hunting (all day!!) apple cider making, apple sauce,and FINALLY wrapping up canning for the year!! But then comes butchering season~~ piggers,8 month old lambs, the last of the meat chickens~~ well,soon I can look forward to winter. My sabboth rest.(:>