~NESTING~

Today's weather, dare I say was down right CHILLY. The "nip" in the air however, has sent me into a housekeeping mode where I prefer to remain at home and nest. I organize, re-arrange, get a jump on Fall decorating, stroll through the woods, plus fit in a little ironing and baking. The many chores that now need to be addressed became piled up due to the long stretch of heat and humidity. So, this morning I started my Fall decorating by adding this little primitive owl to a trencher along with dried sunflowers and birds nest that I have gathered over the years. Do not be concerned all nests we found on the ground no homes were taken by eminent domain. Speaking of owls, a Barred owl has decided to take up residence in a pine tree outside our bedroom window. Let me just say it is not so easy to fall asleep when the repetition of "who- who-cooks-for-you" is being sung all night long. I don't believe the girls care for it much either. Nothing says Fall like a crow, this little guy finds a home in a wreath made of wheat. I reached for my Tasha Tudor cookbook, donned my Tasha like apron and located the recipe for Blueberry cake. Not only are the recipes in this book mouth watering, but the book itself is filled with memories and antidotes about Tasha's life and family. Also included in the book are illustrations that Mrs. Tudor is famous for. After baking forty minutes here is the end result. Let me just admit I have no will power when it comes to this cake. Hot and right out of the oven with a big old glass of milk is pure delight.

Blueberry Coffee Cake:

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup shortening

1 farm fresh egg, at room temperature

1/2 cup milk

2 cups unbleached flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, not thawed

Topping:

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup unbleached flour, sifted

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 stick butter unsalted softened

1/2 pecans chopped (optional) I did not add them.

Preheat oven 375 degrees

grease and flour a 9x9x2 inch pan

In a mixing bowl, cream sugar and shortening

Stir in egg and then milk. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and mix quickly.

Carefully fold in blueberries.

Spread the batter in the prepared pan.

Combine all of the topping ingredients and sprinkle

the mixture over batter.

Bake in a preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes.

Tasha suggests serving warm with butter.

* I did not use unsalted butter, as I had none.

I fetched a warm egg from under Gladys, thank you Gladys
I find no need for butter when consuming, it is perfect just plain

and I bake for forty minutes

I find 45 to 50 minutes is just to long in my oven as the cake becomes dry when cooled.

I hope you try Mrs. Tudor's recipe, you will not be disappointed.
Thank you Tasha, you will always be remember and sadly missed.
(9-28-15)to(6-18-08)

AN AFTERNOON STROLL

Fall is announcing it's presence... the signs are subtle... a distinct vibrancy to the afternoon sky.... Perfect weather for a stroll....

through the orchard, my later father in-law's pride and joy....

where apple trees proudly show off their bounty....

a Fuzzy Bear caterpillar....

Bittersweet....natures offering for decorators everywhere....

into the wood....where squirrels and chipmunks scamper helter- skelter preparing for the long winter months soon to come....

the iridescent "rag weed".... a nemesis of country dwellers everywhere....

a gift left by a feathered friend...

ferns hidden by the shade of the woods...

around the bend...where leaves begin to softly carpet the forest floor... and if you tread oh so lightly.... you might have the good fortune to stumble upon fairies in their magical setting...

" If you see a faery ring

In a field of grass

Very lightly step around,

Last night faeries frolicked there,

And they're sleeping somewhere near.

If you see a tiny fairy,

Lying fast asleep

Shut your eyes

And run away,

Do not peek!

Do not tell

Or you'll break a faery spell".

~William Shakespeare~

TIME TO MAKE THE JAM

Monday's offering of picture perfect weather was the ideal opportunity to head to the berry patch. I enjoy berry picking, I find it soothing as well as satisfying. "The weight of the world just melts from ones shoulder's". It also gives me a feeling of connection to the pioneer women of long ago. The only hitch of the day, one orchard offered raspberries with no blueberries and another offered blueberries with no raspberries. So DH and I hit two local orchards. First stop, blueberries. We picked twelve pounds of berries in such a short period of time the bushes were "loaded" and the company few and far between. The conditions ideal, sun shining and a lovely breeze. The berries juicy, sweet and plump. Yes I admit I got a little carried away, but blueberries are my favorite (shhh...and my girl's). It is so rewarding to be able to whip up a fruit smoothie while a Northeaster is howling outside. The girls certainly enjoy a few berries sprinkled on their warm oatmeal during the winter months. Gotta keep my girl's happy and healthy-blueberries, nature's antioxidants. Next, raspberries. Not as abundant as the blueberries, but certainly worth the effort and oh so juicy and sweet. So, once back home I dusted off the canning kettle and set to work.

By the end of the day I had produced three batches of blueberry jam and one of raspberry. Future Christmas offerings for friends and family. Tomorrow I hope to make a favorite blueberry cake, the recipe found in Tasha Tudor's cookbook "Recipes and Reminiscences from Corgi Cottage." Many of Tasha's recipes call for a "farm fresh egg" and again so rewarding to be able to head out to the coop, grope under one of my girl's and snatch that fresh egg. Thanks girls. Berry picking, it's a good thing! If you have the opportunity head out and pick local!

A DAY AT THE SPA

Good morning Winslow Homer, do you remember what today is? Oh come on now put a smile on your face, it's not going to be that bad. There will be lots of eye candy and remember how lovely you smell after a day at the spa. Okay, "manly". No, I promise you don't need to have your nails done. Good boy.... Come on lets get you in your seat belt. Hum, seems a little tight, yup you can ride in Mama's new car, just don't touch anything, keep your nose of the windows, no changing the radio station and remember NO EATING or DRINKING!

This afternoon I noticed a larger than normal amount of noise and activity going on in the hen yard, (usually the girls only carry on like this when I do something stupid like lock myself in.) What's up girls, I ask?

My younger girl's Fern and Pheobe were curious too. Nope, there is no one new at Dog Trot Farm. Nope, I haven't noticed anything or anyone strange.

Gladys I ask, what is going on with those sisters of yours? I swear I noticed a grin on Gladys' face along with the distinct cackle of hens behind me.

Now girls that is not very ladylike....

A face that can only melt a mother's heart, oh, and he smells like lemon verbena too! Girls, get that smirk off your face!

SEPTEMBER 2, 1978

September 2, 1978 was a beautiful sunny Saturday. At 2:00 pm on that day I became a Mrs. So today, 32 years later I would like to wish the Mr. A Happy Anniversary. I do believe this card says it all.

COME TEST THE WATER!

Okay, so we experienced another day of heat and humidity. I'm sounding like a broken record I know. Nope, I am not going to complain as the end of such weather is in sight.Well, then I suppose, we are going to have to deal with a storm named Earl. My personal feeling is people who reside in Maine really don't get to worked up over such things, especially a storm named Earl. For the most part people who call Maine home are quite self reliant, we don't "rile" too easily over this weather hype. If you can survive the ice storm of "98" (we were without power for 11 long days) without evacuating your home you can pretty much handle any situation the weather has to offer. Fortunately for us a wood stove is our main heat source and along with generous friends who shared their generator with us we survived the winter weather ordeal. Enough talk about winter- lets get back to the heat. Hearing that today was going to be hotter than yesterday, I decided to let the girls out for an early morning romp. I offered yogurt with blueberries for breakfast, filled the girl's water with ample amounts of added ice and left them with scratch and grain. I joined some friends and we headed to the family camp in Denmark, Maine. It was oh so hot, not a bit of wind moving nor a cloud in the sky. Did I complain, nope not once....

you see I was to busy floating in the lake, a lake who's water was bath water warm....

and have planned a repeat for tomorrow. Wishing all you wonderful blog friends could join me, how about next year?

BABY IT'S HOT OUTSIDE!

Warm days and cool nights are now but a faint memory here at Dog Trot Farm. The weather has changed yet again to" HAZY, HOT and STEAMY". I just knew the minute I purchased those Fall Mums this would happen. So, Sunday I headed out to the Island looking forward to sitting on my parent's deck waiting for the cool southerly breeze to embrace me, however not a breath of cool air was to be found. The Islanders are all abuzz about these strange weather conditions we are experiencing this summer. It is most unusual not to find a cool breeze somewhere on the Island, never mind that the temperature rose to eighty-nine degrees today-simply unheard of! It is a standing joke between my parents and myself, I am usually sweltering here at Dog Trot Farm while they have donned sweaters, closed windows and doors due to the cool damp air. It is not unheard of to wear flannel pj's and have an electric blanket on during the summer months. With all that being said, my dad and I went out and about searching for that allusive breeze. We did not discover one, but we did see this lovely Lilly pad.... which we discovered in the large pond Islanders refer to as the "marsh". This is the local skating pond for the Island community in winter. While admiring the Lily pads, watching turtles laze in the sun, far off in the distance we spied....

A Bald Eagle patiently waiting for his lunch....

We watched this majestic bird for quite some time, hoping to see him fly off in order to admire his wingspan however, the dining must have been quite prolific as we never saw him depart. But speaking of departing.... today I headed back to the mainland.

The water appeared so cool and inviting.... the water temperature today was sixty-six degrees.

The haze is hanging off in the distance.

Lobstering....

As we entered Portland Harbor a cruise ship was docked in port for the day. The size of these ships simply amazes me, it is it's own floating city.

You can get an idea of the ship's enormity when sized up against the sail boats below.

As I entered Portland the temperature showed ninety-four degrees on the time and temperature building. It is hot and humid and I have had my fill of this weather (remind me of this post come December). You may be wondering why I did not extend my stay on the Island, well to be truthful it was due to this lovely lady....

I was worried I might discover "fried chicken" in the hen yard. But alas all was well here at Dog Trot Farm. Now tomorrow is another story, more heat and humidity will be arriving and I am out of here heading to the lake!

WARM DAYS AND COOL NIGHTS

I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as Autumn sunshine by staying in the house.
So I spend almost all the daylight hours in the open air.
~Nathaniel Hawthorne~ I do realize it is not officially Autumn yet, but my mindset is already there. The days are warm and the nights cool, darkness arrives at 7:30 and the crickets serenade us with their soothing night time song.

There is little time to be indoors, wood to stack, a house to paint, gardens to weed and produce to harvest. There is still time for berry picking with jam to be made. To me Fall is the most magical time of year, a season which never disappoints.

And yes it is true, if you listen closely you can hear the corn grow. I hope you all take advantage of these late summer days- how swiftly they do pass.

I DO BELIEVE...I DO

My sense of wonder never wavers.... A lady with whom I was riding in the

forest said to me that woods always

seemed to her to wait, as if the genii

who inhabit the wayfarer had passed onward;

a thought which poetry has celebrated in

the dance of the fairies, which breaks

off on the approach of human feet.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson~

If you see a tiny fairy,

Lying fast asleep

shut your eyes

and run away,

Do not stay to peak!

Do not tell

Or you'll break a faery spell.

~William Shakespeare~