and to conclude kidding

Little Ginger kidded this afternoon, a little buck. Since its mom and dad-in-laws anniversary today, they got the privilege of naming him, and so here we have "Doc." He looks really similar to Piper, we think.

I've been learning about cheesemaking, and have made some chevre and also some different flavor combinations to add to the chevre. My favorites have been garlic and chive, and pineapple and walnut. The garden, children, kids, grass and weeds have all been growing. Not much else to add at this point . . .

and just where have you been?

Spring is in full swing at Amon Eruanna. Hubby and I have been busy, he tilling and I planting. We have planted zucchini, tomatoes, peas, radishes, onions, spinach, beets, chinese cabbage, cucumbers, potatoes, green beans, lettuce and carrots. Quite a bit of the cool weather stuff went into earth boxes on the back deck, along with a couple of cherry tomato plants and two jalapeño plants and one habanero plant. Hubby tilled up a patch in the barnyard and put a cattle panel fence around it. E1 planted gourds, watermelon, pumpkins, cantaloupe and let me stick in a few winter squash plants in her patch by Shep's pen.



Also, we removed the landscaping gravel from the little bed south of our front porch and put actual dirt in there, nice barnyard mulch and black dirt . . . the good part being that we were able to preserve and keep that nice climbing rose bush in the process. I want to plant a climbing honeysuckle vine on the opposite side to compliment it, and the children have all picked out a plant from Reha's greenhouse to plant in that bed as well.



Of course, before the past week's flurry of tilling and sowing, there was the call of the timber and the precious morsels to be found there, more valuable than truffles around these here parts. We found some little grays, which we incorporated into a sauce for a tender venison loin that we roasted. The big yellows were dipped in home-cultured buttermilk, flour, and fried in canola oil and butter. Oh, yummy!



All of this pictures in this post are of the wildflowers and choice fungus that can be found in our prairie and woodland here at Amon Eruanna. I took a couple of blissful afternoons to take it all in while 'shrooming.

Keeping busy

Our cousins from Des Moines were over this past weekend, and we kept busy in the kitchen, as well as fit in time to fix a water leak at the rental and problems with the well over there as well. We also managed to fit in some time for knitting and Guitar Hero. There is just never enough time in the day . . .

Here is A's secret blend of spices and good things he used to make his tasty smoked venison sausage. Mmmm, it turned out good!



And here are some of the links drying on the rack before being hung in the smoker:


Then, on Monday we awoke to this crazy pheasant in the neighbors' yard; he spent nearly an hour wandering up and down the fenceline before A went out to get a closer shot of him, then he flew up and away.



Then yesterday, E1 was home sick with a fever. We were in the kitchen and saw a commotion in the front yard. I think this is a broad-winged hawk, that's the best guess I have anyway. Felt kind of bad for the dove, but I figured the hawk needs to eat too. The impressive part was that the dove was nearly the size of the hawk, and yet when I got too close for comfort, the hawk was able to pick that dove up and fly away with it!

movie I'd like to see

Those who really know me won't be shocked by this, but I really want to see the Ben Stein movie that just came out: Expelled

Usually around here there is little time for movies, but this one looks really compelling. The only other things I've been watching lately are the Jane Austen movies on Public Television that I've DVR'd.

I'm late for milking, but I wanted to get that in for the day. I just watched the trailers online for Expelled and they are funny and intriguing.

I also wanted to say that the barn swallows and the house wrens are back. It is truly spring now. The barn swallows are favorites of mine. The house wrens are nice, but are aggressive little buggers. Yesterday was the first that I have seen of the swallows, and this morning I hear a wren singing.

Earthquake

Well, I have to give my account of this morning's earthquake. I figure if Bonnie Lucas on 1040 WHO from Des Moines is able to give a creditable account, so can I.

The epicenter was 240 miles south of Chicago, near West Salem IL. So we are closer to this location than Des Moines is. It was in the range of 5.2 - 5.4.

I awoke to hear Eddie, the pet parakeet, flapping frantically around his cage just shortly after 4:40 our time this morning. Then it sounded like something was running across the roof, or rolling across it. I got Eddie settled back down and went back to bed. Then this morning I read of the earthquake, and it all made sense. It was a relief to realize that there weren't huge raccoons or possums or Heaven knows what else chasing each other across our rooftops!

I wonder what the barn dwellers thought. I wonder how my friends farther south fared, or what my brother and his wife in Chicago experienced. Earthquakes in the Midwest are so rare . . .

It will rain tomorrow, but

We've had two whole days of dry roads! The photo above was from the last round of thunderstorms we had last week; there were even tornado warnings for closeby communities, but we just got a bit of rain and wind. Doesn't sound like there was much damage where funnel clouds were reported either. I just wonder - I never remember this many tornadoes when I was younger growing up in the area. I think maybe there are more sensitive technologies available to detect and track these storms.

I'm feeling blue like the reflection in the road today. No particular reason, I guess. There's plenty to be thankful for, just have the blahs. It was in the mid 70's today at Amon Eruanna, but the wind was terrible. Wind just grates on my nerves! Gentle breezes are tolerable, but this was constant strong wind, rattling everything!

My mom went back to work yesterday, just over a month after having her hip replaced. Isn't that amazing! Proves the power of prayer, something that is proven time and again I know, but its just cool when its reaffirmed in a so tangible and obvious way. She has healed up with no complications, and is moving around better than I've seen in a couple of years.

We now have two milk stands running in the milking parlor, and have cut chore time down considerably. The does like it because they get their udders empties and bellies filled without having to wait as long.

Switchfoot is playing in a nearby city tonight; as nearby as any of my favorite bands have ever come, and we can't go. Maybe that explains my blues. I had the chance to see them in a city a bit farther away this past fall, with my pal Roxanne, and they put on such a good show, and they have the best rapport with the audience as I have ever seen at an event like that. They were touring with Relient K and Ruth, all good, good music. Hopefully they will visit a town near Amon Eruanna again soon.

winter melt, spring sprung

This past Sunday we took a family trip to Galena, IL. One of our favorite places in the whole world is Abe's Spring Street Guest House. We wanted to stop in and say hi to Sandy and Charles, and to show the 4E's where A and I went for our honeymoon. They had a cool marionette exhibit in the Stone House Gallery, and of course we couldn't visit without purchasing some mugs that Charles had crafted.

What better place to encounter spring than on Spring Street? Above is a neat, melty snow tunnel. Below, a melty pumpkin. I wonder if seeds from the pumpkin will wiggle out and leap off, and if Charles will then have a pumpkin plant there this summer, winding its way around the stone bench?A and I had a great time with the 4E's, and after the visit to the Stone House, a peek in the window of the Annex, we went downtown in search of some lunch. A tasty lunch was had, as well as a trip through a few favorite shops and the candy store.

I'll leave you with milkweed and crocus: