And They Are Off!



 The Little North Carolina Family are heading home!  Last night Kelly discovered she could not find the Munchkins' birth certificates...so thanks to her wonderful N.C. neighbors' the morning was spent emailing, phone calling, scanning and faxing!  Ain't technology GREAT (tomorrow I will hate it)!  We spent the a.m. watching the weather channel...oh my what's with the crazy weather?  Got an email from a dear friend that is stranded in North Dakota...spent 17 hours in the airport, was in the air 5 minutes when they turned around...so she's spending a few more days with her family and the new grand baby!  She's ok with it.  Hopefully Kelly, Adam and the kids don't have any delays...really tough traveling with babies...I don't envy them...or their seatmates on the plane!

Grandpa Already Missing the Babies

Kelly's Ready!

Locked and Loaded!

Here Comes The Sun

Today we had sunshine!  The last few days have been wind and rain...limbs down in the orchard, on my garden fence and the bee's storage box!  But today: beautiful SUNSHINE!  I fed the bees and pulled weeds in the garden. I then planted the rooted cherry, apple, loquat and currant cuttings in bigger pots. I will plant them in their permanent homes next fall...but for now they are so tiny I need to baby them in the *nursery*.  I harvested turnips, beets, celeriac, new potatoes and chard. Checked on my tiny lettuces and onions.  Built a bed for my asparagus crowns and more strawberries.  I will not be buying seed this year, I have plenty left over from last year and I saved a bit from last year's garden.  I will thumb through all of the seed catalogs...but this year I will save my money.  I won't be buying much of anything...I have plenty of organic mushroom compost, my worms are making lots of castings, I saved the seafood guts from the cioppino for a *fish emulsion* (stinky), plenty of chicken poop, alfalfa meal and elbow grease.  Yeah, I'm set and just maybe my garden will pay off this year...hopefully!  No more $750 tomatoes for me in 2011!



Limb on the Fence



Beets

Rainbow Chard

 Tonight will be the last dinner we share with my youngest daughter and her family before they fly back to Chapel Hill.  It's been two months and they are so ready to go home and I'm ready to get back to my old routine...but I will miss them very much.  I don't think I'll ride with them to the airport... I get too emotional.  I never took any of my five kids to college....my husband was the one to take them...I stayed home and cried.  I was so proud they were starting their journeys of independence, but I was always so lonely and missed them terribly even before they got out of the driveway...it was better for me to stay home...and it hasn't changed.  I will stay and put my guest rooms back in order, bake some bread, clean some windows, prune a couple roses and then fix a tiny little dinner for Bill and I...maybe a grilled cheese sandwich and homemade tomato soup...just the two of us reminiscing about this holiday season and the past year...we'll be asleep in our chairs by 9:00 p.m. After a couple hours, we'll both wake at the same time, smile and wish each other a quick *Happy New Year* before trudging up the staircase to catch another few hours of much needed sleep...and with the dawn of a new day and year we'll start all over again.

See you all in 6 months little munchkins!  Grandma and Grandpa are really going to miss you!

I'm Ready to DO SOMETHING!

Christmas was great.  The kids and grand kids got everything they wanted.  The food was fantastic and the mess has been cleaned up and everything is in order...and I'm ready to start working in the garden...but it's too wet!


Jack and Camera

 We spent the day in Old Sacramento today...it was a nice day to get out...we had lunch at Fannie Anne's and then to the Train Museum (AGAIN)...my husband's favorite *go to* place.  Unfortunately he is a smoker (ick) and in Cali you cannot smoke at State Parks...even outside...he did anyway...that's just how they make old farmers...they do as they damn well please...and he does!



The North Carolina kids are still here and heading home on Friday...they are in for a big surprise...SNOW in Chapel Hill!  We are going to miss them very much...but I'm looking forward to getting back to normal or at least MY kinda' normal.  I have an electric poultry fence to put up, a shed to build, another hoop-house to put together and fertile eggs to hatch.  I want to paint the kitchen and prune the roses...and I can come up with another 10,000 things that should get done before March...I will be lucky to start 10 and finish 1!

I thought my chickens s-l-o-w-e-d way down on their laying because of the rainy over-cast weather... but look what I found:


Look Close You May See Them!

And There They Are!

 I took a walk out to the new coop in the evening...and as I approached 3 feral cats came flying out: so now I know why the hens are no longer laying in the coop or sleeping there.  Tomorrow I go pick up the electric poultry netting and get to work.  I also lost one of the hens I hatched my self this morning...she actually got hit by a car while *trying to cross the road*...my daughter was horrified...I was p.o.'d.  I need all the eggs I can get...we have customers!  Any way, it's the law of the land...you lose animals, but I don't like losing them to neglect and I really should have had the fence up.  I will still free-range them, but just when I'm out and when I'm not they will be behind the fence.  I'm fencing the whole orchard: about 2 acres so they'll have plenty of run-around room and they will be very happy and I will be relieved they are somewhat safe.

Wishing ALL of Us a Merry Christmas!

In my house you never know: Some Christmases are the BEST and some I just want OVER.  This Christmas four of my five children will be celebrating here at home...last year we only had the three home...maybe next year all five!  We have a new daughter-in-law celebrating her first Christmas with us.  My brother and his family will be having dinner with us.  My house looks fabulous, the shopping is finished, the baking is done, there are cookies and candies over-flowing the dishes, the Cioppino is ready for tonight's gathering and the prime rib for tomorrow is prepped and ready to go, AND my cold/flu is completely gone...not even a tiny cough!  I think this Christmas will be another of the BEST...

Wishing All a Joyous, Happy, Awesome Christmas!   Lynda



So Far So Good

The River and Boat Dock

Well, this is where my mobile kitchen is being used and as you can see the building and deck have been sandbagged.  No worries...the River still has a long way to go before it reaches flood-stage...it won't happen with this series of storms.  This is my first time out to the restaurant since the remodel...and they've done a great job!  Rain or no rain...it was packed and everyone was having a good time.  My friend Nancy and I had a great lunch, checked things out and headed back home.   I hope my friend Ed's new venture is a success and the water stays within the banks of the River.  Ed's a neat guy, when I asked him about the sandbags, he said he was just being prepared...*No way the water will get up here!*  Nancy and I told him we were going to buy a houseboat to keep at the landing so we could use it to sneak off to when we needed to run away from our families...he said we were more than welcome to have a slip...he thought that it might be fun having us out there!

The Dining Deck with Sandbags

The Front of the Lodge with Sandbags



The Boat Dock



The Boat Ramp

Rain-Rain Go Away!

Should I really wish the rain away?  We seem to always be wishing for it to come or wishing it away!  But at this moment I want it gone until after the holidays.  I've been damp mopping muddy footprints all morning.  If I don't catch them at the door they DON'T take their shoes off: come on is it too much to ask?  It's not too much to ask: TAKE YOUR DAMN SHOES OFF!

We knew this 5 day storm was coming, so even though I was running a fever and felt like crap, I checked on the garden, added bedding to the chicken's coop and the worm bins and picked several of the cauliflower for freezing.  I have new batteries in the flashlights, candles ready, and fresh sterno cans under a couple chafing dishes (to heat up canned stew/beans) and two 10 gallon water containers filled and ready to go.  If the storm get really hairy, I have all the camping gear in the basement: cookstove, propane lanterns, cast-iron cookware.  I have 20 milk jugs spread among the freezers to keep things nice and cold if the power goes out.  We also have several generators we can hook up to if a power failure is long term.  Except for the mud, I enjoy a nice storm...I like cuddling up with a good book and my favorite blanket and a hot cup of chocolate...no television, phone or computer...kinda' nice.

UPDATE: Well, the River isn't at flood stage yet, but it's getting close...they're letting water out of the dams up stream. At the moment we're at 52 ft... tomorrow we're suppose to be in the mid 60 ft. range and flood stage is 70 feet.  I'm going to grab my camera and take some pictures.  My mobile commercial kitchen is being rented and used at Steelhead Lodge Bar and Grill in Colusa...thank goodness it's insured!  I just got an email from the co-owner telling me they're sandbagging it right now!  Holy Smokes!  Stay tuned!

KARMA!

I'm sick and it's because I told a bit of a white lie.  I was invited to a Christmas party, but I just didn't want to go.  It's a yearly family thing we've been doing forever and I really should be going...but, I'm tired and just plain worn out.  I recently found my thyroid medication needed to be dramatically increased and I've been on a bit of a hormonal roller coaster...so I kinda' added that *problem* to my RSVP excuse to not attend: not feeling well this year.  Well today I woke up with a burning sore throat, runny eyes and a raging headache: KARMA!  I'm sick!  So, I'm taking my elderberry syrup, chamomile tea and honey and crawling back into bed.

My Lovely Lunch

Yummy!  Home Grown and Delicious!

How Clean Is Clean?

Isn't it funny how one thing just leads right into another? How a small project mushrooms and then takes on a life of it's own?  I'm right in the middle of cleaning nightmare.  I don't do house...HATE it...so for years I've been blessed with *help*.  One of our employee's has a wife that has helped me with the house for over 28 years...yes you've read that right: I have house-help.  When the kids were growing up it was great having Alicia's help: we worked hand-in-hand.  When I started my real estate career (17+ years ago) I turned the house over to Alicia and started working my 80 hour work weeks.  Well, Alicia is a surface cleaner...not a deep cleaner.  So I gave Alicia two weeks off and went to work on DEEP cleaning.  OMG!  My house is over 5,000 square feet and it's an old home, built in 1923...I believe I have cleaned areas that have not seen the light of day since 1924!  But everything looks so nice.  I threw out truck loads of saved junk...tons of STUFF.... and I donated just as much usable stuff to the local Thrift Shop and Homeless/Drop-In Center...what a chore...but what a relief...I feel so good!

Here's the old (14 yrs) Sub-Zero

The New GE...

       



During my cleaning frenzy the Sub-Zero fridge bit the dust, the dishwasher quit working, the downdraft fan took a nose dive and the trash compactor died!  Yes this all happened with days of each other...replaced the Sub-Zero with a smaller energy efficient GE...repaired the Bosh dishwasher (it was only 6 months old) and I'm still waiting for the new downdraft and compactor to be delivered...Merry Christmas to me....we have a cabinet maker coming in to re-do the fridge built in area...looks way funky at the moment!

The carpets (3300 sq. ft.) will be shampooed on Wednesday and then we decorate for Christmas: minimally.

I've spent so much time inside I've completely neglected my winter garden, so I took a bit of time and went out this morning to meditate...I love my yard and my garden.  I started getting my seed catalogues during my cleaning rampage and had to set them aside...I think I'll spend New Year's Eve gobbling them up!  I'm thinking of investing in one of the new online garden planner sites...don't know if they are worth the money, but I'm intrigued!

I still have the outside of the house to do...56 windows to wash and I need to pressure wash the front of the house...do you think when I'm done I can wait another 17 years!?   

Break Time

Busy next couple of weeks.  We've had our first frost...very early, so I'm out of the garden and in the house...this is when I do my *Spring* cleaning...watch out!

Babies and Butternut

How wonderful, the baby girl is feeling better...she danced to Tom Petty on the I-Pod!  I have never seen such a sick little girl...finally took her to the local Doc and he prescribed some magic syrup and lo and behold...she's a dance'n machine.  I missed that smile!

                                    
 Jack insists on playing king of the mountain on the two big mushroom compost piles...they are a favorite scratching/pooping ground of the chickens...Jack stinks!  The Farm is proving to be a favorite place for the City Grand kids...they're getting the hang of it...getting use to the rhythm of the farm.  Up early, big breakfast, lots of little chores, some big chores, big lunch, nice long nap, little snack, work in the garden, back to the house, Grandpa's home, big LOUD family dinner, clean up, wash up, read a book and off to bed...it's different for them, but so exciting.  They love the California cousins and are so happy they can see each other everyday...they will be going back to North Carolina after Christmas, they will be greatly missed.

   

                                                       

The first of the yearly Winter storms is on it's way.  We still have lots of crops out in the fields.  Cotton, squash, almonds, pecans and a bit of rice...we may loose the almonds, pecans cotton and rice...but I think we can save the butternut...it's the nature of the beast...that nice hard outer shell. I took a nice quite drive to pick up some persimmons from a friend and made a side trip out to the butternut field...I threw about 50 in the back of the Land Rover...I'll add some to my squash storage and the rest I'll put out front on the produce stand for those folks looking for something nice on their Thanksgiving table. I make a killer butternut pie and butternut bread... I'll put the recipes in a basket on the stand next to the squash.

Shhhhhhhhh!

Grandma's heading out to the garden to water, decant some compost tea and reflect...no one say a word: the wee munchkin is finally sleeping.

In Defense of Dirt

Dirt grows wonderful, delicious fruits and vegetables and really healthy kids.  My country grand kids are raised in and around my dirt and are never sick.  The city grand kids have been here a week and have been sick since they got off the plane.  NONE of the Local family has a sniffle or a sour stomache...but the others: OMG! I'm running around with a spray bottle of diluted vinager wiping up you-know-what: both ends are working overtime! I think I'm going to mix a tablespoon of good old fashioned compost in their juice, put them to bed and pray for a cure!

My Two Compost Heaps: Wonderful Dirt!

Great Do-Nothing Weekend!

It was a perfect time for me to get away.  The wedding was over, the grand kids still sick (I felt a tiny bit guilty) and I needed some ME TIME!  Threw my sewing supplies and a bit of food in the back of the *Little Pickup* and put'er in drive...lead-footed it to Chico...stopped to take a couple of shots of the cattle and chicken tractor at the Chico State Farm: LOVE IT!

After my brief cattle/chicken fix I made my way to Joann's to pick up yardage for my daughters' and daughter-in-laws' aprons.  I'm going for the I-Love-Lucy Retro look...they will each get two.  One set will be all matching but in different colors and the other set will be complimentary to their kitchens.  I love aprons...don't know if they do...who cares:  I do what I like to do!  They're great young ladies, I'm sure they will love them!

I really thought I would have made at least a couple of the aprons, but alas...I cut out the paper pattern pieces...set up the machines...and promptly put my feet up grabbed a huge stack of magazines and that was that!  My cabin does that to you...the view of the creek from every door (they're glass) and window...and you just can't beat the mountains in the Fall...just plain ol' lovely!  It was cold and crisp...the fire kept us cozy...we had plenty of comfort food and chocolate.  Watched two episodes of the PBS Mystery favorite: Miss Marple and talked, and talked, and talked...and SLEPT long deep sleep...and I even managed to throw in a couple naps. 

It all ended way too soon.  Paula had to leave Saturday for a grand child's birthday and Nancy left early Sunday for her long drive home.  I packed up and headed down the hill later Sunday afternoon...wish I could have stayed longer...much longer.  I drive the speed limit and sometime faster on my way up the hill...going home I drive way under and never over 50 miles an hour...I pull off the road and let traffic pass frequently...I take in the sites and smells and usually take plenty of photos...it's my time.



Fall Colors in the Chico Canyon

On my drive home I noticed the persimmon tree I've had my eye on has ripened, so of course I had to go check it out.  The tree is absolutely full of beautiful, huge, ripe fruit.  I could hardly contain myself.  This tree sits off the highway in an empty area next to a cultivated field.  I have never seen anyone in the area, although this year there are a few bee hives.  I love persimmon pudding with hard sauce and my mouth was watering.  I took several pictures, trying to be inconspicuous and not so much like a thief, and in the end I couldn't do it...I just couldn't steal those persimmons.  I know, I know, I am like the best forager there is...but I follow the rules: has to be on un-cultivated land...ask permission if near a home...you know what I mean...this was just too iffie...so I drove up the road a couple miles and bought persimmons at a local produce stand...and I'll have my pudding this evening...after I cut out those aprons!

The Fully Loaded Persimmon Tree

Just Too Beautiful!

Came home and everything was the same: sick kids (are you kidding me)...groceries and laundry to put away.  My chickens were very happy to see me (I don't know what that's all about) and I have lots of emails waiting for me.  My Monday's are always crazy...no change there.

Cabin Time...AGAIN!

I'm out'a here!  Sick grand kids for the last couple of days and rain during harvest...too much stress for me! Called the *Elephant Women* and we're heading up the hill.  I'll be back the first part of the week....