I cannot believe this summer has gone so quickly. It has flown by indeed.
We had the grandchildren here again for another week and took them home on the weekend. So it seems very quiet here tonight Spent the weekend in Guelph,attending a Civil War reenactment event at the Milton Heritage Museum. Lots of fun and Aidan had a good time watching the battle.(they re enacted the battle of Bull Run) After that we stayed in Guelph and visited with our children and Grandchildren...reason I am pointing this out.
While staying at Vivians we noticed a couple of things .First the noise, of tv's and cars and just plain noise,noise,noise. Secondly we noticed the brightness of the lighting. I guess we have gotten so used to the softness of candle light that electric lighting seems so harsh and bright to our eyes. I ended up on sunday night with a headache. I am sure it was from the light.
Driving around the city especially at night one realises how many lights most homes have going at the same time . Most homes look like they have every light in the house on . I wonder how much electricity we would save in Ontario if we all, (and it would have to be everyone) would take one day and not turn on any lights. You wouldnt have to shut off your freezers or fridges ,just no tv,radio,computers or lights...wonder how much we would save. Oh well ,just a silly idea as one could never get everyone to participate. Well for sure we have lost all of our tomatoes with the exception of some herlooms that are just starting to get fruit now. I am going to bring some plants into the house and see what happens.But lesson learned , never assume !!
We have lots of squash and they are lovely. And Aidan has committed to return as soon as the cantelope is ripe to have his fill. Our grapes our turning and I cannot wait to taste them. We are thinking about our wood supply for the winter and that is our next project. We have a bunch now but between the kitchen stove and the furnace we use alot. Well I think that is it for now . Hope everyone is enjoying the cooler weather.I certainly am, one thing about this project ,if one asked me to describe my summer it would start with the word "hot" and end with the word "hot"
Talk to you soon
Margaret
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Our buggy
Brian and Danute took this picture of our buggy. Have no idea how to add this to our pic section but thought you might like to see it.
Margaret
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Another week.
Well we ended our week this week with a film shoot here at our home in Dutton. A good friend of ours has a production company and used our grounds and home to do a short film for Sharpcuts. Was cool to have everyone here. Rained part of the day so the woodstove was welcome today as it kept people warm and the tea hot.
The chickens and cats certainly kept everyone amused especially when we ate outside under a canopy. I believe the outside beasts thought it had been all especially laid out for them.
Was funny watching the kids from the city interacting with the chickens. By kids I mean the 20 somethings...everyone learned something, our guests learned that roosters crow all day long and will eat your dinner if you hold your plate low enough and the chickens learned that not everyone will share their food ...just cause you are pecking at their shoes.
We had another usual week this week. I am busy trying to get canning done & we dug potatoes from the front garden and got a nice amount. Our tomato plants are I think beyond repair , we keep finding more huge tomato bugs, interesting cratures they are for sure. But wow can they do in a plant quickly.
Our peaches are turning beautifully. And we may not get alot if peaches this year but we are looking forward to tasting them. I am looking forward to the apples that are coming also . Lots to do before all this summer goodness is gone.We have the grandchildren here again this week . All three of them, so should be a very busy week ahead. Interestingly how easily they adjust to the candle only enviroment. And taking a traveller with them into rooms.
Well that is all for now ,think it is time for little people to go to bed....and the kids too
Night
The chickens and cats certainly kept everyone amused especially when we ate outside under a canopy. I believe the outside beasts thought it had been all especially laid out for them.
Was funny watching the kids from the city interacting with the chickens. By kids I mean the 20 somethings...everyone learned something, our guests learned that roosters crow all day long and will eat your dinner if you hold your plate low enough and the chickens learned that not everyone will share their food ...just cause you are pecking at their shoes.
We had another usual week this week. I am busy trying to get canning done & we dug potatoes from the front garden and got a nice amount. Our tomato plants are I think beyond repair , we keep finding more huge tomato bugs, interesting cratures they are for sure. But wow can they do in a plant quickly.
Our peaches are turning beautifully. And we may not get alot if peaches this year but we are looking forward to tasting them. I am looking forward to the apples that are coming also . Lots to do before all this summer goodness is gone.We have the grandchildren here again this week . All three of them, so should be a very busy week ahead. Interestingly how easily they adjust to the candle only enviroment. And taking a traveller with them into rooms.
Well that is all for now ,think it is time for little people to go to bed....and the kids too
Night
Monday, August 8, 2011
Garden Scourges
Greetings, Ken here. We have been visited by garden scourges! Margaret found tomato caterpillers today. We were wondering what was eating our tomatoes and now we know. I picked them off, 6 in all of various sizes and fed them to the chickens. They had great fun with them and five minutes later ... no more tomato caterpillers. We also have something eating the potato plants and the brussel sprouts so tomorrow we are going to douse them witha 40 to 1 solution of water to dish soap and do the little scourges in as well.
We dug up a potato plant to check out our potatoes and found a good variety of sizes, I expect we'll get about 1/2 a bushel from one patch and maybe the other half from the side garden. The pumpkins are doing well, a couple of them are a chewed but otherwise good.
Our first rooster, Henry is feeling his age I think and one of the younger roosters is making a play to become Henry the Second! Ah, to be king and loose it all! Such is life.
Margaret is painting the foyer to freshen it up. The new paint makes the old paint look positively grotty! It should go well with the colour we have on the front door which is a soft yellow, a few shades lighter than butter I think.
I spent the day catching up on spring clean up chores, it takes no time at all to make a mess, but a long time to set things right again. I hope to have the shop and the outside cleaned up by the end of my time off. Then we can get on with doing the framing inside and get things set up inside. I want it all done before the snow flies.
Margaret here ..when we discovered the caterpillars on the tomato plants it made me realise what that might have meant in the time period we are trying to live/portray...1865, a loss of opportunity, a winter without tomato sauces and preserves. And possibly hunger for my family.
In my defense..
Had this been 1865 I would not be working out of the home and my gardens would be a much more serious endeavour. Not that we are not serious but we also have the comfort of knowing that if we screw up we can drive into town and buy what we need. But regardless I should have paid better attention when I first noticed the tomatoes were being eaten. I origionally thought that the chickens were having a snack, then I thought perhaps the racoons. But I should have had a closer look.Next time I will.
I have given the grapes the 40 to 1 treatment and it worked wonders . Have done the brussel sprouts, the cauliflower,cabbage and the egg plants ...I am not sure what has happened to the potatoes, perhaps they are just ready to dig. This has been an odd summer for rain or lack of .
Looking forward to the film crew arriving this weekend to shoot a short film on our property. A period ghost story...
And our Grandchildren are coming this week, I am excited and looking forward to them coming..
That is all for now folks ...thanks for reading!
We dug up a potato plant to check out our potatoes and found a good variety of sizes, I expect we'll get about 1/2 a bushel from one patch and maybe the other half from the side garden. The pumpkins are doing well, a couple of them are a chewed but otherwise good.
Our first rooster, Henry is feeling his age I think and one of the younger roosters is making a play to become Henry the Second! Ah, to be king and loose it all! Such is life.
Margaret is painting the foyer to freshen it up. The new paint makes the old paint look positively grotty! It should go well with the colour we have on the front door which is a soft yellow, a few shades lighter than butter I think.
I spent the day catching up on spring clean up chores, it takes no time at all to make a mess, but a long time to set things right again. I hope to have the shop and the outside cleaned up by the end of my time off. Then we can get on with doing the framing inside and get things set up inside. I want it all done before the snow flies.
Margaret here ..when we discovered the caterpillars on the tomato plants it made me realise what that might have meant in the time period we are trying to live/portray...1865, a loss of opportunity, a winter without tomato sauces and preserves. And possibly hunger for my family.
In my defense..
Had this been 1865 I would not be working out of the home and my gardens would be a much more serious endeavour. Not that we are not serious but we also have the comfort of knowing that if we screw up we can drive into town and buy what we need. But regardless I should have paid better attention when I first noticed the tomatoes were being eaten. I origionally thought that the chickens were having a snack, then I thought perhaps the racoons. But I should have had a closer look.Next time I will.
I have given the grapes the 40 to 1 treatment and it worked wonders . Have done the brussel sprouts, the cauliflower,cabbage and the egg plants ...I am not sure what has happened to the potatoes, perhaps they are just ready to dig. This has been an odd summer for rain or lack of .
Looking forward to the film crew arriving this weekend to shoot a short film on our property. A period ghost story...
And our Grandchildren are coming this week, I am excited and looking forward to them coming..
That is all for now folks ...thanks for reading!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
August has begun...time to think of fall
I am at the library for a while today. Just said Good - bye to my lovely husband as he goes away for "another" 2 days for work. I am missing him already .
Have been busy preserving for the winter months and soon our gardens will be giving us the gifts that we will use for the winter and spring. We are hoping to have a large harvest and from the looks of things we will. Especially squash. I think I may have goon a bit overboard witht he squash planting. But they do last well and will almost certainly get us through the winter. Our potatoes are doing well and I am going to perhaps dig a plant and see where we are as far as size. I have preserved a ton of raspberry jam and if my Grandson Aidan does not eat it all it might last through. The blueberry jam is down and I am making chutneys this week. I am being blessd with a copy of Mrs Beeton's book of household management, an origional copy rebound. Ken has seen it and held it in his hands, I have not and can hardly wait to see it. I have over the years referred to it only on line and it is fantastic. But to own a real copy wow...I can hardly wait.(oops did I say that already?)
I am sure I will be busy in the next few weeks as everything will be coming out of the garden at once as it is want to do. the tomatoes ae ripening and will be turned into stewed tomatoes. Good for soup and wonderful to poach eggs in for our breakfast.
I have planted a ton of plum tomatoes for tomato paste and sauces for pasta too. So I am sure to be busy Ken will be busy expanding our chicken coop. Our growing family of chickens needs more room . And with the arrival of our quails we will need extra housing . We are a little concerned as we have 4 roosters and they are quite active, which I think is a bit stressful for our hens. So if anyone wants a beautiful bard rock rooster please let us know . Not for the stock pot though. I will close for now as the computer here is telling me my time is almost up..Oh I have forgotten to mention that our home will be used for a short film set in the Victorian era. So that will be exciting.
For now I will say good bye and I may add to this later .
Margaret
Have been busy preserving for the winter months and soon our gardens will be giving us the gifts that we will use for the winter and spring. We are hoping to have a large harvest and from the looks of things we will. Especially squash. I think I may have goon a bit overboard witht he squash planting. But they do last well and will almost certainly get us through the winter. Our potatoes are doing well and I am going to perhaps dig a plant and see where we are as far as size. I have preserved a ton of raspberry jam and if my Grandson Aidan does not eat it all it might last through. The blueberry jam is down and I am making chutneys this week. I am being blessd with a copy of Mrs Beeton's book of household management, an origional copy rebound. Ken has seen it and held it in his hands, I have not and can hardly wait to see it. I have over the years referred to it only on line and it is fantastic. But to own a real copy wow...I can hardly wait.(oops did I say that already?)
I am sure I will be busy in the next few weeks as everything will be coming out of the garden at once as it is want to do. the tomatoes ae ripening and will be turned into stewed tomatoes. Good for soup and wonderful to poach eggs in for our breakfast.
I have planted a ton of plum tomatoes for tomato paste and sauces for pasta too. So I am sure to be busy Ken will be busy expanding our chicken coop. Our growing family of chickens needs more room . And with the arrival of our quails we will need extra housing . We are a little concerned as we have 4 roosters and they are quite active, which I think is a bit stressful for our hens. So if anyone wants a beautiful bard rock rooster please let us know . Not for the stock pot though. I will close for now as the computer here is telling me my time is almost up..Oh I have forgotten to mention that our home will be used for a short film set in the Victorian era. So that will be exciting.
For now I will say good bye and I may add to this later .
Margaret
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
A Week of Chores
Greetings, Ken here, suffering through a miserably hot day in Upper Canada. I have the week off, and that means catching up on all the chores and jobs that were supposed to be done in the spring. That's right ... spring tasks in July! The spring monsoon we had this year co-incided with time off I had booked to get things done before the heat of summer. A good idea if the weather co-operates!
That being said, I have a list of tasks to complete before I head back to work and I am only slightly behind. Todays task was to make screens for the kitchen windows. Cat proof screens I might add and I was able to complete one of them. I find the first time I do a particular thing it always takes longer than subsequent efforts. I hope to finish the other screen tomorrow as well as tomorrows scheduled clean up job. Thursday's task is a new roof on the chicken run and Friday's task is picking berries and other odd jobs.
The lawn growth has slowed down considerably, but we did get a large amount of grass for bedding the birds and for the gardens. I suspect I'll have to cut the grass this week and then not again for two weeks unless we get some serious rain.
Rain, we need it desperately. There are cracks in the soil a foot and a half deep (45 cm for the younger crowd) There's a lot of clay in the soil around here and it really shows in the dry weather.
Despite the lack of rain, the gardens are doing well as are our fruit trees. The birds got all the cherries again this year but we should have a good crop of pears.
Margaret has been slaving away in the kitchen, making raspberry jam and mango chutney. The heat has been even worse in the kitchen, another reason I want to get the screens done so there's air movement in the kitchen.
That's all for now. Stay cool if you can.
Thanks, Margaret & Ken.
That being said, I have a list of tasks to complete before I head back to work and I am only slightly behind. Todays task was to make screens for the kitchen windows. Cat proof screens I might add and I was able to complete one of them. I find the first time I do a particular thing it always takes longer than subsequent efforts. I hope to finish the other screen tomorrow as well as tomorrows scheduled clean up job. Thursday's task is a new roof on the chicken run and Friday's task is picking berries and other odd jobs.
The lawn growth has slowed down considerably, but we did get a large amount of grass for bedding the birds and for the gardens. I suspect I'll have to cut the grass this week and then not again for two weeks unless we get some serious rain.
Rain, we need it desperately. There are cracks in the soil a foot and a half deep (45 cm for the younger crowd) There's a lot of clay in the soil around here and it really shows in the dry weather.
Despite the lack of rain, the gardens are doing well as are our fruit trees. The birds got all the cherries again this year but we should have a good crop of pears.
Margaret has been slaving away in the kitchen, making raspberry jam and mango chutney. The heat has been even worse in the kitchen, another reason I want to get the screens done so there's air movement in the kitchen.
That's all for now. Stay cool if you can.
Thanks, Margaret & Ken.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Has it really been 2 weeks
Margaret here to start...
I apologise for not posting for so long. Had a couple of very busy weeks. Had 3 of our Grandchildren here for a week. Was slightly apprehensive about the kids being here with us doing what we are doing, but soon realised that they are used to our lifestyle . So things went along as they normally do, with a few exceptions.They had to get used to absolutely no lights in the house. They flicked on switches only to discover no lights.Then learned to take a traveller in with them when going into a dark room. I do not have to worry about them touching hot wood stoves or playing with the candles, as they are Aidan 11, Zoe 6 and Jude 5, so lot's big enough to understand about fire. Plus I have cooked with wood for so long it is same old, same old for them. They did have lot's of fun this trip dipping candles though. They learned about how the ice box workes in it's simplicity. Freaked them out a bit,but they soon learned it was just as cool there as it is in a fridge if you do things properly. The kid's know we do not watch tv so that was not an issue. They spent lots of time in the gardens and discovering all the wonderful wild berries nature has to offer...oh and Zoe discovered the pea patch and now there are none for dinner...she ate all of them. Good thing I have started another bunch.
As an aside ...these are our 3 grand children who live in Guelph. We have another who lives in Mass USA, Thor who just turned 3, July 3rd. He is getting a new sister who will be named Freya ...exciting news for us to share with whomever will listen.
We have received wonderful imput here on our blog and got a new letter from the South Bay Ladies Tea guild...gave us valuable information on tea and how it was packaged during our time period..so if you have a minute read the comment in the Potables post.Very informative . I thank them again for the information and will be doing further research on this ..It is easy to assume ..
I guess I could summarize these past couple of weeks as "hot", I now truly understand the need for a summer kitchen. It gets brutally hot in the kitchen with the stove going all day. I have been trying to do extra research on summer meals .But am surprised how little is available here in this part of the world for information.But I am still looking .I have some fantastic books but always looking for more information.
What I have experienced so far in our little project is the satisfaction of what we are doing here together. The satisfaction of dipping candles and using them, of building a fire and making our meals. Realising how easy these things are in reality. The beauty and quiteness of a room lit by candles and simple conversation or a word game. Watching chicken tv.... watching the chickens be chickens..
We have been working in our gardens and enjoying our bounty. It is raspberry season so we have been collecting lots of raspberries and making this years jams. The house smells wonderful. I will be canning everything I can get my hands on this year so we will be busy.
Forgot to mention we have our buggy, picked it up when the kid's were here. So it has been well welcomed by all. In touch with someone for the horse to go with it ,but that will have to wait a while.
We got some new chickens and their chicks from our friends Sue & Dave and they are happily mixing with the rest of our chicken crew. Haven't convinced them that inside is best at night but I am sure that will come. Dave and Sue leave them out day and night so they are not used to a chicken coop at night. I am just afraid that racoons will get them , but these chickens are pretty smart.Or seem to be. And it is lovely to see these moms with their little ones cruising around the yard munching on everything that moves.
I am going to leave room for Ken to write a few lines so for now I will say "keep cool"
I apologise for not posting for so long. Had a couple of very busy weeks. Had 3 of our Grandchildren here for a week. Was slightly apprehensive about the kids being here with us doing what we are doing, but soon realised that they are used to our lifestyle . So things went along as they normally do, with a few exceptions.They had to get used to absolutely no lights in the house. They flicked on switches only to discover no lights.Then learned to take a traveller in with them when going into a dark room. I do not have to worry about them touching hot wood stoves or playing with the candles, as they are Aidan 11, Zoe 6 and Jude 5, so lot's big enough to understand about fire. Plus I have cooked with wood for so long it is same old, same old for them. They did have lot's of fun this trip dipping candles though. They learned about how the ice box workes in it's simplicity. Freaked them out a bit,but they soon learned it was just as cool there as it is in a fridge if you do things properly. The kid's know we do not watch tv so that was not an issue. They spent lots of time in the gardens and discovering all the wonderful wild berries nature has to offer...oh and Zoe discovered the pea patch and now there are none for dinner...she ate all of them. Good thing I have started another bunch.
As an aside ...these are our 3 grand children who live in Guelph. We have another who lives in Mass USA, Thor who just turned 3, July 3rd. He is getting a new sister who will be named Freya ...exciting news for us to share with whomever will listen.
We have received wonderful imput here on our blog and got a new letter from the South Bay Ladies Tea guild...gave us valuable information on tea and how it was packaged during our time period..so if you have a minute read the comment in the Potables post.Very informative . I thank them again for the information and will be doing further research on this ..It is easy to assume ..
I guess I could summarize these past couple of weeks as "hot", I now truly understand the need for a summer kitchen. It gets brutally hot in the kitchen with the stove going all day. I have been trying to do extra research on summer meals .But am surprised how little is available here in this part of the world for information.But I am still looking .I have some fantastic books but always looking for more information.
What I have experienced so far in our little project is the satisfaction of what we are doing here together. The satisfaction of dipping candles and using them, of building a fire and making our meals. Realising how easy these things are in reality. The beauty and quiteness of a room lit by candles and simple conversation or a word game. Watching chicken tv.... watching the chickens be chickens..
We have been working in our gardens and enjoying our bounty. It is raspberry season so we have been collecting lots of raspberries and making this years jams. The house smells wonderful. I will be canning everything I can get my hands on this year so we will be busy.
Forgot to mention we have our buggy, picked it up when the kid's were here. So it has been well welcomed by all. In touch with someone for the horse to go with it ,but that will have to wait a while.
We got some new chickens and their chicks from our friends Sue & Dave and they are happily mixing with the rest of our chicken crew. Haven't convinced them that inside is best at night but I am sure that will come. Dave and Sue leave them out day and night so they are not used to a chicken coop at night. I am just afraid that racoons will get them , but these chickens are pretty smart.Or seem to be. And it is lovely to see these moms with their little ones cruising around the yard munching on everything that moves.
I am going to leave room for Ken to write a few lines so for now I will say "keep cool"
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