2009 Barley~Giving Thanks~
~We wish you all a blessed Thanksgiving~
It's Monday........
3 hours ago
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Last Hike Before the Snow...Part 2
These are the final photos of our last hike.
Photo above:
This photo is looking down into another ravine. There is a small pond that is frozen below. I told my husband, 'I'd sure like to climb down there, to get a closer look'. He said we should not, as it was quit steep and icy.
Photo above: Crossing the ridge top.
Photo above: Evidence of harsh weather conditions.
Photo above: Looking off to the west from the ridge top.
Photo above: Endless mountains. Road to summit.
Photo above:
On the otherside of this grassy area is a deep ravine. The mountains continue on and on, as far as you can see. Some of the mountain peaks are 8,000 feet tall.
Photo above:
This photo is looking down into another ravine. There is a small pond that is frozen below. I told my husband, 'I'd sure like to climb down there, to get a closer look'. He said we should not, as it was quit steep and icy.
Photo above: Crossing the ridge top.
Photo above: Evidence of harsh weather conditions.
Photo above: Looking off to the west from the ridge top.
Photo above: Endless mountains. Road to summit.
I hope you enjoyed a part of my world.
~Kris
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Last Hike Before the Snow...
The first weekend in November, my husband and I decided to spend a day in the mountains. There was a winter storm arriving in the next few days. This would be our last opportunity to hike in the sunshine, on bare ground.
We packed a homemade lunch of baked beans, coleslaw, pickled beets, bread, trail mix, and a jug of water.
We drove about an hour to our destination, which is at an elevation of 5200'. The temperature when we arrived at the summit was a cool 33 degrees.
Once reaching the trail head, we would hike another 525' in altitude. Whew! It is hard to catch your breath in that thin, cold air.
The day was perfect, with all peaks and valley's visible; the colors were glorious!
We packed a homemade lunch of baked beans, coleslaw, pickled beets, bread, trail mix, and a jug of water.
We drove about an hour to our destination, which is at an elevation of 5200'. The temperature when we arrived at the summit was a cool 33 degrees.
Once reaching the trail head, we would hike another 525' in altitude. Whew! It is hard to catch your breath in that thin, cold air.
The day was perfect, with all peaks and valley's visible; the colors were glorious!
Heavy frost covered some of the higher areas. Although my photos do not do justice to the heavy frosted scenery, it was very eye catching to view.
We were blessed with a beautiful day.
Thank you for stopping by.
~Let me live that I might praise you, and may your laws sustain me. Palms 119:175 niv~
Monday, November 02, 2009
Another Discovered Talent...
About the second week in October, our final harvest of the vegetables
was being done. The counters in my kitchen were full of tomatoes, zucchini,
cauliflower, broccoli, and basil all waiting to be processed for storage.
For several days in the early morning before going off to work, and then again in the evenings, I was elbow deep in vegetable processing.
During that time, my husband spotted my knitting needles sitting next to several yarn balls. He decided to test the yarn out.
Wow! Was I ever surprised! This was his first hat!
This two-tone brown and gray hat is his second. It is knitted with 100% Peruvian Highland Wool.
was being done. The counters in my kitchen were full of tomatoes, zucchini,
cauliflower, broccoli, and basil all waiting to be processed for storage.
For several days in the early morning before going off to work, and then again in the evenings, I was elbow deep in vegetable processing.
During that time, my husband spotted my knitting needles sitting next to several yarn balls. He decided to test the yarn out.
For several evening's after work, he knitted and knitted.
Then he asked me, "What do you think?"
Wow! Was I ever surprised! This was his first hat!
This two-tone brown and gray hat is his second. It is knitted with 100% Peruvian Highland Wool.
Now he is on his third hat.
I think he is addicted! {grin}
Have a great day!
Kris
If you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. Proverbs 2:3-5 niv
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Reflecting Back... a Blessing
After not posting for so long, I find it not easy to make an entry. It is not that I have nothing to share. Much has been accomplished towards our progression to making the move to a self-sustainable lifestyle.
Rather, my mind questions, 'How does one enter back into posting after being gone a while?' I can continually begin my entry with the reasoning of why I have been gone for so long, yet it is another reminder to myself, of my personal struggle with not having enough time and energy to accomplish things.
In my absence of not blogging, I have had time to think about various things which have been laid heavy upon my heart. One topic has been my blog. It has been about a year since I began this blog. I can honestly say blogging has gone just as I envisioned it and just as I had not.
Thank you for the opportunity to have met you, and to have been able to visit your part of the world. It has been a blessing.
Enjoy your day!
Kris
May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other, and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 1 Thessalonians 3:13 NIV
Rather, my mind questions, 'How does one enter back into posting after being gone a while?' I can continually begin my entry with the reasoning of why I have been gone for so long, yet it is another reminder to myself, of my personal struggle with not having enough time and energy to accomplish things.
In my absence of not blogging, I have had time to think about various things which have been laid heavy upon my heart. One topic has been my blog. It has been about a year since I began this blog. I can honestly say blogging has gone just as I envisioned it and just as I had not.
Towering Burgundy Hollyhocks, Summer 2009
Thank you for the opportunity to have met you, and to have been able to visit your part of the world. It has been a blessing.
Enjoy your day!
Kris
May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other, and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 1 Thessalonians 3:13 NIV
Friday, August 28, 2009
Just checking in...
Greetings Everyone!
I'm sorry to be gone so long! And I certainly appreciate your patience and your continued kind comments in my absence.
We have been keeping plenty busy with our normal daily duties around this small farm, as well as doing a few painting tasks around our home, organizing our food storage area, tending our growing plot, all the while continuing our duties at our off farm job.
There is alot of catch up to share. I hope to begin to start doing that soon. September is going to be the heaviest work month for us here on the farm. With most of the vegetables coming to harvest, processing for winter store will be top priority, as well as getting some final winter preparations done, before the weather turns cold.
Before I close this entry, I thought I'd quickly share with you something we enjoy eating from our garden. The foods we eat are not fancy. They do not come pre-made from the store. Our food is simple. Ingredients are plain, used in their natural form, without chemicals or any genetically modified ingredients. My foremost thought about the food we eat is that it must be nourishing to our bodies.
For a refreshing noon meal at work on this sunny day, I gathered the following from the garden early in the morning: Tomato (7 small cherry size), Red Onion (approximately 1/8 cup), Cucumber (1), Basil (6 leaves), fresh Garlic (1 clove).
I diced everything small, tossed it together into a glass jar, added salt and pepper to taste, put a lid on and let the flavors mingle for at least three hours. I found the longer it sat, the better it tasted.
I'm sorry to be gone so long! And I certainly appreciate your patience and your continued kind comments in my absence.
We have been keeping plenty busy with our normal daily duties around this small farm, as well as doing a few painting tasks around our home, organizing our food storage area, tending our growing plot, all the while continuing our duties at our off farm job.
There is alot of catch up to share. I hope to begin to start doing that soon. September is going to be the heaviest work month for us here on the farm. With most of the vegetables coming to harvest, processing for winter store will be top priority, as well as getting some final winter preparations done, before the weather turns cold.
Before I close this entry, I thought I'd quickly share with you something we enjoy eating from our garden. The foods we eat are not fancy. They do not come pre-made from the store. Our food is simple. Ingredients are plain, used in their natural form, without chemicals or any genetically modified ingredients. My foremost thought about the food we eat is that it must be nourishing to our bodies.
For a refreshing noon meal at work on this sunny day, I gathered the following from the garden early in the morning: Tomato (7 small cherry size), Red Onion (approximately 1/8 cup), Cucumber (1), Basil (6 leaves), fresh Garlic (1 clove).
I diced everything small, tossed it together into a glass jar, added salt and pepper to taste, put a lid on and let the flavors mingle for at least three hours. I found the longer it sat, the better it tasted.
I enjoyed this straight from the glass jar, scooping it with a spoon, along with a couple slices of raw milk cheese. My husband put this mixture on homemade whole wheat bread with the raw milk cheese.
We feel considerably blessed for the experiences and knowledge this way of life brings. It is alot of hard physical work, especially after putting in a days work in town. Many nights we are totally exhausted. We won't quit! We praise the Lord!
From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. John 1:16 NIV
Have a wonderful day!
Blessings!
Kris
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Homegrown and handmade only deepen our appreciation to this way of life.
Our continuous work in the growing plots are finally beginning to pay off. Everything is growing and beginning to produce. We slowly move from one type of vegetable or fruit to the next for harvesting for winter store.
We have had thunder and lightening off and on for the past three days. Today, the rains finally showed up. The sky was dark from morning to evening. I thrive when the sunshine is out. However today, I had a hard time trying to get just a few things accomplished.
Yesterday, I completed everything on my list, except for cutting some fresh flowers for the house. What better way to make a dark cloudy day bright I thought, as I was beginning to put these flower bouquets together.
Many people have a misconception about living a self-sufficient way of life. Some people think we are deprived of many things in society. Our thoughts disagree with their words. Take for instance these bouquets I made myself. I did not purchase any of this plant material from the store. All of it grows here each year, except the sunflowers, which I plant annually.
We have heard people say, you can't grow or make things like you can buy in the stores. How true that statement is. However, what these people were implying is that what is homegrown or homemade is less quality. What we have found is that what we grow, make, bake, or cook is 150% better than you can find in the store.
He built the table with the bottom shelf so I could place this clay crock on it. There is an antique rolling pin in the crock right now.
We are very grateful for this way of life. We have learned so many different things, in which we would have never learned if we would have stayed the course of societies ways. I never thought I could put together a bouquet of flowers, much less grow them myself. My husband was not a wood worker in the beginning. Over time he has found a hidden talent he never knew he had in working with wood.
Have a wonderful Day!
We have had thunder and lightening off and on for the past three days. Today, the rains finally showed up. The sky was dark from morning to evening. I thrive when the sunshine is out. However today, I had a hard time trying to get just a few things accomplished.
Yesterday, I completed everything on my list, except for cutting some fresh flowers for the house. What better way to make a dark cloudy day bright I thought, as I was beginning to put these flower bouquets together.
Many people have a misconception about living a self-sufficient way of life. Some people think we are deprived of many things in society. Our thoughts disagree with their words. Take for instance these bouquets I made myself. I did not purchase any of this plant material from the store. All of it grows here each year, except the sunflowers, which I plant annually.
We have heard people say, you can't grow or make things like you can buy in the stores. How true that statement is. However, what these people were implying is that what is homegrown or homemade is less quality. What we have found is that what we grow, make, bake, or cook is 150% better than you can find in the store.
I also wanted to share a photo of the table my husband built for me in the early summer. I plan to set it in our dining area. I have a hand grain grinder that will sit on it.
He built the table with the bottom shelf so I could place this clay crock on it. There is an antique rolling pin in the crock right now.
We are very grateful for this way of life. We have learned so many different things, in which we would have never learned if we would have stayed the course of societies ways. I never thought I could put together a bouquet of flowers, much less grow them myself. My husband was not a wood worker in the beginning. Over time he has found a hidden talent he never knew he had in working with wood.
Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'
Have a wonderful Day!
Kris
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