My "Pop" Knew an Awful Lot

My Pop's Wisdom

On August 14th I wrote:

"Well, the goldenrod is not in full bloom yet, but we have had an early first bloom of the wild flower and while my grandfather would remind me that we don't have a sign yet, I think it is looking pretty promising that this long hot summer may end in an early fall.  I first noticed the first blooms on goldenrod while driving down my long driveway on August 1.  That is at least two weeks earlier than I normally notice its brilliant golden / yellow flowers decorating our passage to and from home. If this viewing turns into a sign, it could mean that our first frost will take place the last week of October and not early in the second week of November as our almanacs tell us to expect."  I guess there might be something to the words my Pop passed down to me.  We had our first frost last night in Florence and we would have had one the night before if it hadn't been for the wind blowing the moisture away.

If that sounds at all like an "I told you so," it shouldn't.  This little bit of knowledge came straight from my Pop even though he passed away close to half a century ago.  My father's father was a County Agent for the extension service, a 1910 graduate of MSU...actually Mississippi A&M and one of my greatest confidants during my younger years.  He played football and  studied agriculture while at State.  By the time I came along he had retired so he was able to share a lot of the knowledge and above all wisdom he had gained through the years with me. He taught me to whittle, identify birds and trees and weeds and at least a million other things through the years.  He and my Granny took care of me during the day while my Mom and Dad both worked and, from the two of them I learned volumes of the useful knowledge I have today.  From time-to-time I will mention them in this blog because they still mean so much to me.

On Saturday, we were rushing around taking care of potted plants and our raise bed gardens.  I built two little simple structures to extend the growing season and I will post photos of them and let you know how they worked.

Thoughts and Prayers

With hurricane Sandy closing in on the northeastern United States I want to offer up  prayers for the millions of people who will feeling the force of her winds, rain and fury over the next several hours.  Having seen the results of several of these storms through the years doesn't do anything but strengthen my respect for their fierce power. I am praying for the safety of everyone in her path in the upcoming hours and days and have our neighbors to the northeast in my thoughts.

Until next time...John

It Is Definitely Good Weather For A Bowl Of Stew

October Ends In An R...It Is Oyster Season

This weekend the temperature is supposed to take a dive.  There will be football games, soccer games and lots of outdoor activities. not to mention the World Series. I don't think you need a better reason to fire up the stove and make a great soup or stew.  

I found this recipe in the Old Farmers Almanac and I can't wait to try it this weekend. I thought I would share it with you.

This delicious old-time recipe, which first appeared in an 1832 cookery book with the very long title "A Boston Housekeeper, The Cook's Own Book, Being a Complete Culinary Encyclopaedia", differs from the standard recipe for Oyster Stew used today only in the beneficial inclusion of flour and marjoram.

• three pints of large fresh oysters
• two tablespoonfuls of butter, rolled in flour
• a bunch of sweet herbs
• a quart of rich milk
• pepper to your taste

Take the liquor of three pints of oysters. Strain it, and set it on the fire. Put into it, pepper to your taste, two tablespoonfuls of butter rolled in flour, and a bunch of sweet marjoram and other pot herbs. When it boils add a quart of rich milk--and as soon as it boils again take out the herbs and put in the oysters just before you send it to the table. Be sure to let the soup simmer for 3 minutes after adding the oysters.

The Old Farmers Almanac http://www.almanac.com/

Until next time...John

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Won't Be Long

Morning Glories

It won't be long before the first frost puts an end to the morning glories flowering on our mailbox at the end of our driveway. For now we can enjoy the early morning dash of color they provide us as we make our way out into the work-a-day world.   

A Few Ramblings About the Weather, Life and Whatever Else Crosses from My Mind into My Fingers and on this Blog

Anyone who knows me knows that I would rather spend my time outside than cooped up in some stuffy room.  The change of seasons always excites me while I anticipate the unknown that lies ahead. I read a weather forecast on the internet this morning and basically it said the low temperature this morning would probably be equal to the high temperature we will experience on Saturday.  Yes, fall is on the way.

That reminds me. Our Aussie friend Vanessa didn't know what we were referring to when we mentioned fall.  We talked for several minutes and then finally, only after we mentioned fall and winter in the same sentence, her light bulb lit up brightly and she exclaimed, "you mean autumn!"

Radar looks like he is dozing but
 he is always on duty guarding
the fields.
Photo by: either Logan or Holden

Anyway, fall is on the way and I am ready for it.  The leaves this far south are very slow to change but they have begun in earnest to progress through the spectral colors of the season.  Acorns have begun falling, much to the delight of Scooter our Vietnamese potbelly pig.  Acorns are his favorite natural treat.  His house is located under a huge old oak tree and as they fall they clatter on his roof.  I am certain that as he lies there resting he hears them raining from above and, when he can't take it any more he rises from his sleep and goes about the yard searching for and finding hundreds of little "midnight snacks."   Our horses and our donkey have all put on their winter coats of thick hair.  It is not as thick as it will be when winter arrives but it is plenty thick to keep them warm during the cool days and nights immediately ahead.

Not my photo but wish it were.
Gotten from the WWW and there was no credit .

A walk the other morning alerted me that many of our migrating raptors have arrived.  As I walked about a half hour after dawn I could hear the call of the red tail hawk high above.  We have had a mating pair that has wintered near our house for the past several years. I am hoping that some of the calls are coming from one or both of  "our" hawks. I have caught a couple of glimpses of one here and there in my travels around the place but have not yet seen two at the same time so, I am not sure they are both here yet.

Along the road on my commute to work I have seen several deer; most of them miles from our house in a creek flood plain between Richland and Jackson. They seem to have consistently darker colored coats than in years past.  Occasionally I see a lighter tan one but, they seem to be, on average, darker than they usually are.  I don't know if that means anything at all, but I thought it was worth making note of and mentioning it in my ramblings today.

Casting a Vote for the Next President

Last among these ramblings.  We are less than two weeks away from the Presidential election.  I don't figure I am any more or less qualified than anyone else to give out advice as to whether a person should vote for one candidate or another. In fact, when I look back at some of the decisions I have made in my life and the consequences that have resulted from those decisions, I wonder sometimes wonder about myself in general. So, I won't give out advice as to which candidate you should cast a vote for.  Rather, I will say, by all means vote on the first Tuesday of November.  Cast a vote for the candidate you think will represent you better over the next four years and cast that vote with sincere conviction.  Know exactly why you are voting for that person and why your are not voting for the other one.  If you cast your vote honestly, based on your beliefs, convictions and in good conscience, you will have done your part to preserve this constitutional republic we call the United States of America.

Until next time... John

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The Flying (Fleeing) Lizard

Another Foggy Morning

Into My Own

by Robert Frost 

One of my wishes is that those dark trees, So old and firm they scarcely show the breeze, Were not, as 'twere, the merest mask of gloom, But stretched away unto the edge of doom. I should not be withheld but that some day Into their vastness I should steal away, Fearless of ever finding open land, Or highway where the slow wheel pours the sand. I do not see why I should e'er turn back, Or those should not set forth upon my track To overtake me, who should miss me here And long to know if still I held them dear. They would not find me changed from him they knew-- Only more sure of all I thought was true.

Until next time... JH

Here is a little something for you..

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice

I don't know if you have been to the store looking for pumpkin pie spice this year or not.  If you have you may have discovered that stores are really "proud" of it this year.  A small tin of it was about $9.00 at one store where I looked for it so I decided I would do a little online research to find a recipe for it.  You know this is the seasoning that makes the pumpkin pie, sweet potato casserole or maybe even a special beverage taste like the Holiday Season has arrived.


2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 Tablespoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice

makes about 1/4 of a small spice bottle

Another Foggy Fall Morning

Morning breaking through the pines to the west our house.

It was another foggy morning here in the woods.  Temperatures going down to the low 50s F. at night and the warming to 80s F in the day provide the moisture and perfect atmospheric conditions to create hauntingly beautiful morning sunrises, complete with a misty fog.  This morning was one of those mornings.  I captured this view of the woods to the west of our house while out on my morning walk.  

Our small family tractor waiting for
its next assigned task.

I have often said that those of us lucky enough to be born in Mississippi stay here because of the perfect weather we have during the months of April and October.  We endure long hot, humid summers and short but relatively cold, wet winters so we can enjoy the spring and fall months. These months are well worth the wait.  

By this time of  the autumn, I should be gathering firewood in preparation for the cooler months ahead but have had at least a thousand reasons to do almost anything else but that.  This weekend I will have to take the time to add to our stockpile of firewood.  The task will entail tuning up and sharpening the old chainsaw so the work will go quickly and safely.  In all we will use approximately two cords of wood and as of now, there is about a half cord in the wood pile.  Since Logan is playing in the High School Soccer Jamboree at FHS my time will be limited but, before the weekend is over I will put in a few hours of cutting, splitting and stacking of some of the downed, already dried timber around the place. Once this is done we will have a start on creating our store of firewood for the winter.

Until my next post...

Brief Notes from My Morning Walk

Highlighted in this photo you can see the first flight
of over 50 geese heading south
high in the clear autumn sky.

There was definitely a chill in the air this morning.  The thermometer on my front porch read 42 degrees F. at sunrise.  When the sunlight reached its arms over the trees the entire area glistened with the heavy, cold dew that had settled on the earth during the evening and early morning hours.

Yesterday when the clouds blew south, the sun quickly warmed the country side.  I stood in my driveway and heard geese far overhead.  They were not the four or five local geese that I see almost everyday flying from pond to pond but thirty or more flying high in the autumn sky, heading south to whatever destination their primal instincts and tens of thousands of years of internal memory drives them.

The oaks are beginning to show signs of fall color in the field in front of our house.

Observations of Children

Everyday on my commute to town I have a lot of opportunities to "people watch."  Considering I am in the Jeep for the better part of an hour and a half every day I am able to observe a lot of different behaviors while sitting behind the steering wheel of my old Jeep.  For the past several weeks I have been paying particular attention to the many young children I see either riding in the family vehicle with one or both of their parents on the way to school or sitting in their lofty perch inside a bright yellow school bus while on its morning route.

It is my observation that there are two distinctly different types of children.  Those that sit back in the seat and watch the world coming at them through the windshield as they move along their planned route to school and then, there is the other type.  They sit with their face almost touching the side window of their vehicle, peering out the glass, watching as they pass the sites along the way.  Considering my vast experience in the psychological and psychiatric fields--I have none in either field--my theory is probably very lame but, here it is.

I think the two distinct types of kids are, simply put, those who are content to watch and casually experience the world coming at them and those that don't want to miss a thing as they barrel headlong into the future.  I am making no judgement here. I think there is a place for every personality type in our great big world. In fact, it is probably the differences that keep us on track as we go spinning around the sun.  

Content to Move Casually Down Life's Road...

From my vantage point behind the wheel of my Jeep, I watch as children, from as young as three or four to as old as 15 or 16, ride by in cars, SUVs, pickup trucks and school buses, not to mention the occasional van.  The docile ones are resting comfortably, relaxing along the way as the driver of their vehicle delivers them to their destination.  They are involved in deep conversations about math and English, who "likes" who and what may or may not be on the lunch menu today. They don't bother to look from side to side because they know exactly what is along their way.  They have been down this path scores of times and there is no need to look at everything again.  Content that life is as it should be, today is no different and they move quietly through this day just like they do everyday, waiting for whatever is coming their way.

Living Life to the Limit, Embracing Every Day...

And then, there is the other type.  The type that I was and maybe still am.  The kid who sits up in the seat, stretching their seat belt to its maximum length, with his face glued to the side window so he can see everything along the way to where ever it is they are going.  Once at this destination he knows others are waiting to there to compare notes on their travels and he wants to be ready for the ensuing discussions.  It is almost like he has never been this way before when in fact, he has been this way scores of times, but the scenery is always changing and if he rests he knows he will surely miss something important as he passes it along the road to school.  It is almost like he is studying his surroundings so he can give a detailed report at the "debriefing" that will inevitably take place when he gets to school.  That kid, the one plastered to his window as his transporting vehicle passes me in the morning isn't about to miss a thing.  Nope, he is living life to the limit and if he could he would jump out of that car and join in the fun he is watching.  If I had to guess these children are a little difficult to awaken on school mornings, but are wide awake by sunrise on weekends.  They move slowly and mope and complain about being tired, but once the door opens and they move into the great outdoors and they realize the whole world is waiting for them, they embrace the day and take it on with gusto.  The world is theirs and they are not going to miss a second of  the fun it has to offer.  

The Days Are Getting Shorter

An early morning view where our driveway crosses the railroad on its path to the highway.

Sun rising over the trees as seen through the
Crepe Myrtle at the edge of our front porch.

My early mornings sitting on the front porch with a cup of coffee in hand are little cooler these days.  As I quietly sit and wait on the sun to rise in the east I have time to count my blessings and say thanks for my family, life and friends.  With the shorter days come the migrating birds and if we are lucky a rare glimpse at the migrating Monarch butterflies as they seem to float and swirl southward to their winter home in southern Mexico. For now I am content with the the occasional howl of a coyote in the distance and the arrival of the birds that are beginning to visit our feeders.

Peppers in our small raised-bed garden are ready to
be picked and turned into old fashioned pepper sauce.

Last night we had fresh collard greens, field peas and corn bread for dinner.  Good old southern comfort food seems even better this time of year.  Tonight we will be welcoming a traveler to our home.  Vanessa Kersting, our friend from Australia will get in tonight. She is already in town but will be coming to stay whit us, in her home-away-from home, for a little less than a week. I already know we will not want her to leave when she goes back to Australia.  I will write more about Vanessa later but so you will have some idea who I am talking about,  she is a Australian Christian music recording artist and now a member of our family.

Fall Gardening 

My simple welded wire greenhouse frame awaiting the first frost when it will be draped
with clear poly sheeting to protect my tender plants from the onslaught of cold and the
winter winds.

Our small fall kitchen garden  has been planted and beginning to show some signs that it might actually make it.  I am still having to water it regularly but I have late season summer squash blooming and actually coming to fruit.  There is broccoli, collards, mustard greens, artichokes (that are too late to make now) and spinach growing there.  If all is well, we can harvest squash until about Thanksgiving and the greens will produce throughout the winter months and into the early spring.

I have made a very simple greenhouse to cover the plants and protect them from the frost when it arrives in about three or four weeks.  I have done this in many different ways through the years and it always seems that that keeping the poly sheeting on it in the wind is the major problem. This year I made it very simple.  It is constructed of two pieces of 48 inch welded wire that I tied together with wire ties in order to make a tent-like structure out of it.  For now it is just keeping the deer and rabbits out of my tender green plants, but when the first threat of frost arrives I will drape it with poly sheeting which will be secured to the wire.  If my plan works, and it should, the plants will be protected from the killing frost for four or five weeks.  When the temperatures finally remain too cool, only the leafy greens will survive. It is my attempt to delay the inevitable coming of winter and the end of the 2012 gardening year.

Until next time...

October Mornings

Cool October mornings sometimes ride on a whisper of fog.  This morning did.  As the sun rose on our little place in the woods the clouds fell from the treetops and settled softly on the predawn landscape.  As quickly as it arrived it was gone taking the night with it.

Autumn Weather Has Arrived

With the weekend came autumn and all that goes with it.  A look at the calendar a couple of weeks ago would have confirmed that it was officially autumn but it wasn’t until last Friday that the weather verified it.  Friday evening the wind shifted to out of the north and clouds rolled across our little bit of the country and that is when the temperatures began to drop.  The sumac bushes have begun to take on their cloak of red leaves as a harbinger of the changing weather.  Saturday could not have been considered cold in the middle of the winter but for the first cool snap of fall it was pretty chilly.  The temperature dropped down into the upper forties (Fahrenheit) and remained cool all day. 

Fall flowers are everywhere but some are small and require
a little looking  to find.

This time of year is nice to pass away a few moments on the front porch, sipping coffee and watching the leaves change.  From there we can watch the hummingbirds feeding like there is not tomorrow when in fact it may be tomorrow that they decide to head south to Mexico or Central America or where ever it is they spend their winters. I am continuing to fill their feeders but know I should stop soon in order to let them go south soon.

 

On Saturday I moved some of our bird feeders, cleaned them out and got them ready for the all of the birds that will be migrating into our area with the change of seasons.  We have a small store of firewood stacked for winter .  I have found three or four downed trees to cut and stack to get us through the winter.  We primarily heat our home with wood and only supplement with LP when we absolutely have to.  Today, I have taken the day off to be with Logan and Holden and handle a few things around the house and none of which are getting done while I am sitting here banging on this computer.

I hope all is well in your “neck of the woods” and that you are enjoying the change of seasons as much as my family is.