Little Thief

January 13, 2014January 13, 2014 / handmadebyjo / 2 Comments

The finches love this seed sock filled with a combination of nyjer seed and sunflower chips. They flock to it in droves.

It was hung on an S hook on a line going across the patio in full view of the kitchen window. I would drink my coffee with camera waiting. Well, last week we had snow, then rain and ice. What was on the roof came down and the feeders on the line were bounced off when the snow came to the ground. Yeah, yeah, not the best plan for hanging feeders but hey, live and learn. I arrived to all the still hanging feeders empty and went out to gather them in to clean and refill. The sock was nowhere to be found – gone. The S hook was laying on the ground. There were telltale tracks though and I thought it was the little red squirrel that I had seen the previous week.

I filled the feeders and brought out the fruit and nut mix for the top of the pine stump. The jays really love it there and it keeps them from bugging the other birds on the feeders. Once they were all filled and hung back up the birds returned. All the time I’m out by the feeders you can hear them singing, just waiting for me to get far enough away to feel safe. The chickadees don’t wait long.

Back indoors I made the usual cup of coffee and sat by the window. Guess what I saw?

Yup, and so innocent looking too. I don’t usually see gray squirrels here. I know they are around but they aren’t the huge, pesky hoard I have in Enfield.

So now I know who the culprit is and I’ve ordered another sock that I will attach to the line in a different way. I will also put it up as high as I can.

This is What Happens When Americans are Asked to Label Europe and Brits are Asked to Label the US

January 10, 2014 / handmadebyjo / Leave a comment

I want to like this 100 times. If I had to name all of the countries in Europe now I couldn’t. Before the breakup of the USSR I knew them all.

TwistedSifter

At the end of last year, the BuzzFeed team asked students and co-workers to label a map. Those in the UK were asked to label a map of the United States, while those in the US were tasked to label a map of Europe.

Yes there is a difference between labelling states of one particular country versus labelling countries in a continent. Sure some people were probably goofing around and not taking the request too seriously. And while many of the attempts will make you chuckle, some of the maps are quite commendable! Before you snicker too hard, maybe quiz yourself and see how you fare?

If you’d like to test yourself, I’ve included blank maps at the bottom of the post. Or you can just click the links below:

Click here for a blank map of the United States
Click here for a blank map of Europe

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Garden Dreaming

January 10, 2014January 10, 2014 / handmadebyjo / 11 Comments

This is the time of year when the grand garden dreams begin. It has been bitter cold out and I’m sad to say the only outdoor adventures I have had in the past month is taking the dogs out twice a day. The snowshoes are waiting in the shed for another good snowstorm.

Like every project I have I start with truly unrealistic plans and then pare them down as the time grows shorter. The list of seeds is pretty long this year with the hope that the spring weather will be decent and my plants will get a better start. I plan to start everything at home rather than buying starts anywhere, including my onions. In years past I just bought onion sets but last year I was unable to get Walla Wallas and was disappointed, this year I won’t leave it to chance.

There has been so much in the news lately about GMOs that I’ve decided this is the only way to go for me. I can’t source anything anymore, you just have no idea where anything comes from and can’t trust what you’re told for the most part. I never thought I would have to work so hard at knowing where my food came from.

I am fortunate to have grown up in a family that always had a large vegetable garden. We canned, froze or otherwise put by most of the food we ate. We always grew our own beef, had chickens for a spell and raised a couple of pigs one time. Having my food source close to me is nothing new but now there seems to be more of an urgency to it. I thought it was just me being a little paranoid but having talked to a couple of medical professionals who are seeing more cancers in much younger people I’m thinking I’m not being over cautious. When someone tells me they know of a 26 year old with breast cancer my first thought is their diet. We have had decades now where our protein sources are laced with hormones and antibiotics all in the name of increasing production. The same goes for our GMO crops. Corn is in everything – every thing. Even if you are trying to do right by your family if you are not reading labels (and reading into them) you simply don’t know what you are getting anymore.

So the grand plan is to plant a large variety in quantities that will get me through to the next harvest. Things that will keep in a root cellar, are good canned or dehydrated. In reading over the long seed list it would seem that my experiment for this growing season will be Dinosaur Kale and a savoyed cabbage. Spinach will be in the mix as well. I’ve grown it before but haven’t in a few years so it made the list. The garlic and asparagus are in the ground both of them are experiments in themselves albeit really long term ones.

This weekend I will spend some time sitting by the wood stove, drinking coffee, plotting out my garden space and ticking off the seed list to see what stays and what goes. I will also do a viability test on some of the seed I have just to see what I really need. I’ll try to sprout some of my popcorn as well because that was one experiment that worked particularly well.

Something New

January 7, 2014January 7, 2014 / handmadebyjo / 1 Comment

I received a reminder this morning that it has been a year since I migrated from blogspot and began to blog in earnest. With that in mind I decided to change the look of the blog. Next year, or maybe next summer I may do this again. Until then it is what it is.

A Hogwarts Inspired Dessert

January 7, 2014January 7, 2014 / handmadebyjo / 1 Comment

At our little gathering last weekend one of the sweets I made was Pumpkin Pasties. These were far more delicious than I expected and were incredibly easy to make.

For the filling I made my regular filling for pumpkin pie, baked it until set and then just scooped it out of the baking dish as I filled the pastry.

The dough couldn’t be easier although it requires some work. It’s 1 1/2 cups of four, a stick of butter and 8 ounces of cream cheese. The butter is cut into the flour as you do when you make a pie crust. Once that is done you add the cream cheese and mix until it sort of holds together. Dump it out onto a floured surface and knead it until it holds together. This takes quite a bit of work, I honestly didn’t think it would ever hold together but eventually it did. Wrap it in plastic wrap and chill it for a minimum of an hour – I left it overnight.

I rolled the dough out (quite a bit of work in itself) until it was about 1/8″ thick. Using a 4 inch round cutter I cut the dough. This dough is very pliable, easy to roll out and fill. Putting each round in my hand I filled them with about a tablespoon of filling. I had beaten an egg with a little water and used my finger spread a little on the edge then pinched the edges together to seal. After putting them on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper I brushed them with the egg wash and sprinkled them with sparkling sugar. Then I cut a couple of vents in the top of each one.

Bake them in a 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. They will be a nice puffy pastry when they come out of the oven, quite beautiful.

Everyone thought these were delicious. The pumpkin filling was something unexpected in a tiny turnover. I think I will make these again deviating from the Hogwarts Express pumpkin thing and make them with an apple or blueberry filling. Maybe we just like our fruit better than our vegetables.

End of the Season

January 6, 2014January 6, 2014 / handmadebyjo / 5 Comments

As quickly as they ramped up the holidays are now over. This is an occasion for me to breathe a sigh of relief. The last of the gatherings was this past weekend with all of my family together in one spot. That’s a rare event but a most welcome one. The preparations were made in the week before – I researched and made some Harry Potter themed food for my sister’s girls, my sister and my youngest. Yes, they are all well into adulthood but there is nothing more exciting than experiencing some of the foods that you’ve only read about. If I could have turned the living room into the great hall at Hogwarts I would have but alas my wand was nowhere to be found.

The traditions around the holidays for us center around food. This being the first time in 15+ years my brother and sister have been together for a holiday celebration lead me to bring out the suet pudding recipe with the two sauces. This is a dessert my kids have heard about their entire lives yet had no recollection of having tasted it. The recipes and mold came to me from my aunt when she passed the responsibility of making the dessert on to me. I diligently made it year after year until the girls were little and we began spending a good part of the holidays with Bill’s family. The Alixes were scattered and no one else even considered eating something with the word suet in it.

My sister and brother were ecstatic to see it as dessert and my brother ate three helpings. It greased the wheels of reminiscing about food and we talked about our comfort foods in exquisite detail. It amazes me the power of taste and smell to bring back memories from so long ago. It was also wonderful to have my siblings and their families all together to share in the stories even though they find some of the things we eat on the line of disgusting. You know, it’s never going to stop us from eating it. I think next time we get together I will make mac and cheese with tomatoes and serve a side of sliced onions and cucumbers in a bowl of cider vinegar and the three of us will sit around the table and talk about childhood. I’m not sure what the rest of the family will do for food.

First Blizzard of the Year

January 3, 2014January 3, 2014 / handmadebyjo / 2 Comments

Last night on my way to bed I decided to take this photograph while looking out the back window upstairs. I had taken the dogs out earlier and couldn’t believe how light it was outdoors. Sophie didn’t need the light on her collar because it was almost as bright as late afternoon.

The light pollution in Enfield is ridiculous, especially in the winter when it snows. Years ago Caitlyn had to do a project watching a constellation for a period of time for a science class. In our back yard on the clearest night the only thing you can really see is Venus (and the moon). Last week in Rowe we were commenting on how amazing the night sky is. There you can see everything including the Milky Way which is fantastic in itself.

Although I like being able to see where Sophie goes at night I would much rather walk out my back door and be able to see the stars.

FATAL BOXER ATTACK

January 2, 2014 / handmadebyjo / Leave a comment

As an owner of multiple dogs and no stranger to dog fights I found this to be informative. The biggest surprise came in the knowledge that the household had 5 dogs. Honestly, it’s difficult enough with 3 – 4 when Malcolm visits and they are all vying for the pack leadership. You need to know your dogs and be vigilant. I know what situations could lead to a fight and try to diffuse them before they happen.

LeightonBlog

Understanding and avoiding this happening to you.

By Leighton Oosthuisen
Dog Behavior Expert
NBC Channel 12 EVB LIVE Dog Consultant
www.Partners Dog Training School.com
blog@partnersdogtraining.com
Follow on twitter: @LeightonPhoenix
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UPDATE
Jan 2,2013 3.15 PM MST

All FIVE surviving dogs to be euthanized.
It would appear there were six dogs involved in this tragedy, including what is described as a “Shepherd Mix”. We are being told that the survivor, Diane Vick, has instructed that ALL five remaining dogs be euthanized. The cocker spaniel died during or after the fight.
Thomas Vick, the husband fatally wounded, died of blood loss. There is also an unconfirmed report that it was NOT the boxer that caused the fatal wound.

I contacted Captain Tad Appleby of the Bullhead City Police Department for clarification. He referred me to the Information Officer, who had no knowledge of the incident, but said…

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A Year in Review

December 31, 2013December 31, 2013 / handmadebyjo / 1 Comment

January was spent trying to finish my thousand cranes – a resolution I make every year and never quite finish. I figure a couple more years and they will be done. I do recommend this to any and everyone. It’s simple to do and is one of the most meditative things I have ever done.

The weather was wintry and exquisitely beautiful. Each and every storm left behind a landscape that screamed to be walked through on snowshoes and photographed. The quiet that goes along with weather is restorative and I always look forward to a snowstorms aftermath.

St. Patrick’s Day will be one of the most important days of the calendar year to me now, not because I’m Irish but because it was the day I talked to Scott for the first time. Given up for adoption in 1972 I had come to regard this moment as something that may never happen. I had left information on a website and through a convoluted chain of events was contacted through an intermediary. The rest of this year has been spent with each of us getting to know our new family members, a blessing in so, so many ways.

Sugaring this year was amazing although the snow was rather deep in the beginning. A lot of work gathering those buckets without the aid of snowshoes. It makes up for it when we boil and smell that hot maple goodness wafting through the sugar house.

Spring came in its normal time this year, no hot spells or odd cold snaps and the pear tree was happy.

I made my first overshot throw in wool and discovered a passion for weaving that far and away exceeds any other handwork I have ever done. My grandfather had wanted me to weave I think, I have a faint recollection of receiving a small, plastic kids loom when I was very young but without someone to teach me. This has been a special journey with a connection to just about every member of my family.

Every morning the weather cooperates this is what I look at as I drink my first cup of coffee. There is nothing like walking out the door in your pajamas and sitting in an Adirondack chair overlooking your land. Day to day the view is different, each having its own beauty. I feel very, very blessed to have this be such a big part of my life. It’s grounding.

The end of summer brings with it the fairs. I took full advantage this year. Heath Fair is one of my favorites with something for everyone. I also had some validation with winning a blue ribbon for my weaving.

Wood, wood, wood, we cut and split a lot of wood. It’s best when it’s like this – family all gathered to make it all go quicker and easier. It’s also more fun. Everyone pitched in and Chester thought is was awesome.

Chester started swimming this summer. He is a very hot dog when the weather is warm but loves playing fetch more than anything. This was the perfect solution. He was a bit of a panic swimmer the first day but after that he looked forward to coming to this spot each and every day we were in Rowe, sometimes twice a day. He is an amazing animal.

My garden had its issues this year but my popcorn, the experiment of the year was a complete success. There is no better feeling than finding out there is something new you can grow that’s beautiful and functional.

I went to Belfast, Maine to Fiber College this year and spent quality time with old and new friends and ate lobster every day. It was a fiber weekend for some but for me it was more about photography. I need to be alone to do my best work and I came away with images that were everything I wanted them to be. It was also a time to reminisce about childhood, we spent many summers up this way while I was growing up and I hadn’t been here in a good 30 years.

This autumn the foliage was more beautiful than I had seen it in years. So many of my friends shared exquisite images of scenes right out their front doors that were breathtaking. Photography slows me down and forces me to look at the details. The photograph above of the red tree was taken almost at dark. I drove by it in the center of town, said wow to myself and kept driving. By the time I got to the bottom of the hill I turned around to capture this. In my head I initially said “Oh, just take it tomorrow” but a few hundred feet down the road I realized that it wouldn’t be there. Those are the best photographs, the ones that catch that fleeting moment.

This fall I saw some of the most amazing sunsets ever. Enfield never looked so good under these vibrant skies. This particular evening it seemed that everyone I knew posted a photograph from a different place. It was like the sky made everyone stop whatever they were doing to watch. It’s comforting to know that the people I love were all looking at the sky at almost the same time and then sending what they saw to others.

Thanksgiving weekend was about family, our immediate family. What is usually a crowd was just Bill, me and the two girls, our nuclear family. It was the first time in so many years that it was just us and it was wonderful. It’s probably the most difficult thing to experience – the loss of your children to adulthood. The best time of our lives was raising our girls and they have both turned into amazing, remarkable women. It was good to have the opportunity to have them all to ourselves. For a treat Bill built an amazing bonfire to share with them and a couple of their cousins.

Christmas has come and gone, although the remnants are still in the house. A few decorations will return to their boxes in a week or so and life will begin its new cycle. There aren’t any resolutions this year for me other than to absorb the gifts around me. The time seems to go by so fast each year it leaves me breathless. I will spend the winter months planning the garden, weaving and cooking for the people I love. I will follow in the rhythm of the seasons and work the way I do for each year. It may seem a little dull but planning my life around what’s growing or the weather is the most comfortable way for me to live at this moment in time, you just roll with it. I take every moment spent with the people I love and savor it like a fine wine. Those times of love and laughter are what sustains me through any other trials that come along. The simplicity of it is all I need.

A Finch Obsession

December 28, 2013December 28, 2013 / handmadebyjo / 1 Comment

Okay, this has become a bit of an obsession. Honestly, who can blame me? Look at how beautiful the light is shining through their wings.

I have been adding to the feeder array to attract more birds – I was thinking different types of birds but the early morning visitors are the finches. The woodpecker was on the feeder very early this morning and the jays come and go. When the finches come it’s a crowd. They all tussle for a spot on any one of the four feeders that are out there now.

Photographing them like this allows me to watch their interactions frozen in time. It’s as close as I can get to examining them without looking at a dead bird. It also is great seeing them stopped in flight.

Of course we now have a new visitor. He’s just scavenging around the base of the feeders so far. I’ll throw him some seed on the stump today and hope that’s where he continues to eat.

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Understanding and avoiding this happening to you.

UPDATE Jan 2,2013 3.15 PM MST

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UPDATE
Jan 2,2013 3.15 PM MST