Meanwhile, Across Town

Our Daily Bread.

Ryan — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 21:16:06 +0000

So I’ve been thinking about my few and far between blog posts and it seems that right now I just don’t have the mental fortitude to write some interesting entry every couple days. As a a compromise though perhaps a picture and a few words will suffice. So for now we are going to give this new format a try and we’ll see if there is still any spark left in the relationship between the Internet and myself.

Today’s photo is Corrie’s mega batch of bread for the week. Six loaves and two pans of buns which should last us until next weekend! All in all I believe the final count was somewhere in the neighbourhood of 21 cups of flour.

Soda-licious. Since we bake all our own bread and there are...
Home Cooking. Another day, another big pot of delicious soup. I actually...
Idle Threats. Mother Nature simply threatened us all day long. Dark clouds...

Seasons End.

Ryan — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 12:14:05 +0000

I supposed it isn’t entirely over just yet but we are certainly closing in on it. The nights are cooler and the sun sets just a bit earlier each evening. It all seems like it goes by too fast but in retrospect we had a great summer. First and foremost the garden was and continues to be a great success. We had our first winter squash of the year and I have to say it is probably at the very top of my list of favorite veggies. The girls attended two different art classes, one in painting and one in pottery just last week. These classes we at the Haliburton School of Arts and since it is close to Corrie’s dads they stayed in the guest cottage for the entire week. I did head up to visit with them for a day so we could poke around the town and see some sights. One of my favorite sights that I have been meaning to take a picture of is the shoe tree. Now I’m sure there are lots of these all over the world but when you come across it on a deserted back road it always brings a smile to my face.

Now thoughts turn to fall, next years garlic, bringing boxes of kindling up from the woodshop and things of that nature. Each season holds it’s own special joy but fall always seems to be my favorite. I’m sure before we know it there will be snow up to our hips and then summer will be upon us again.

Up From The Earth. Nothing of any significance to add right now but the...
The Great Outdoors. With all the new things going on this summer there...
Send In The Plows. So our trip to Winterlude is in jeopardy once again....

Slave To The Grind.

Ryan — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 00:05:13 +0000

Oh what a grind it is too. You would thin for someone who works a seasonal job in the summer they might be smart enough to have a hobby that isn’t centered around backbreaking amounts of summer chores. Since Corrie is less tethered to a baby this year the garden has been a rousing success with her help. The garlic is once again spectacular, there are more beans than you can shake a stick at, not to mention the carrots, beets, potatoes and tomatoes as well. Heck there are even zucchini, pumpkins and winter squash on the vines as well. Our meat birds were victims of a raccoon earlier in the summer when about half of them were killed for sport but the survivors grew big and they averaged about eight pounds each which is not too bad if I say so myself. Our pig raised by our neighbours is currently at the butcher and soon it will be time to order our freezer beef and then our meat needs for the coming season will be all taken care of. Luckily we still had enough pickles left over from last year that I only needed to do one batch for our friends which made the 4 days of canning shrink to just one. There is still tomatoes to can and of course elderberry jelly to make but the things to do before the snow flies list is shrinking.

The kids are growing faster than the produce and it is downright shocking how much help they have been this year. They’ve piled firewood, picked veggies, washed veggies, weeded the garden and cut peaches for Corrie’s peach jam. It is so nice to know that with each passing year they will be able to help that much more. Don’t think that it is all work around here as Corrie and I are taking Molly to go visit our good friend Bill and finally see he brand new shop. I really can’t wait for a whole day of grownup conversation and a few tattoos as well. Talk to you all in the fall!

Garlicky. With all the craziness going on inside right now the...
It’s A New Year. I thought with the dawn of the new year and...
23:50 “Cheer up. The world’s about to end in ten minutes...

Someone’s In The Kitchen.

Ryan — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 23:39:45 +0000

Actually there were a whole bunch of people in there this weekend. As the rain continues (let’s not think about garlic and potatoes rotting in the ground right now) we took full advantage of the cool day to catch up on some baking. I of course required some of Corrie’s patented giant muffins and whipped out two batches, one oatmeal chocolate chip and one lemon and red currant. The cookie jar was bare as well so there are a full batch of slightly undercooked (just the way I like them) oatmeal chocolate chip and raisin cookies too. We also had an abundance of eggs as our regular buyer was away and didn’t require her weekly delivery so we baked up a giant (and I mean giant) batch of pound cake. Using a whopping 24 eggs, 12 cups of flour and 12 cups of sugar among other things we produced 7 large loaves and 7 mini loaves. Not pictured below was Saturdays efforts of two batches of strawberry jam and one strawberry pie. The pie didn’t last long and was still warm when it disappeared and the jam has made it’s way into storage. Our weekend of cooking all began from an abundance of eggs and our favorite veggie vendor at the local market having too many strawberries and not nice enough weather to sell them all so we got one heck of a bargain. And now the oven has been switched off, the dishes washed and once again the freezer is full to the brim.

Choco-Banana Goodness. Once again an overstocked freezer leads to other things. When...
Our Daily Bread. So I’ve been thinking about my few and far between...
Easy As Pie. Perhaps that isn’t entirely true as we have attempted pies...

Washed Away.

Ryan — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 21:36:18 +0000

I’m not sure it the title is referring to the crazy amounts of rain falling on us right now or my enthusiasm for posting to my poor neglected blog. On one hand the garden, rain barrel and the well give thanks for the rain but on the flip side when you only get two days off every two weeks a rain day certainly puts a damper on things. Not to fret though as there is always plenty to do inside as well as out so it looks like today will be filled with cutting and painting trim and perhaps a second coat of paint on Corrie’s new bathroom cabinet. Work outside has been progressing nicely with two cords of wood split and stacked with many thanks to Olivia for her help with the stacking and my neighbour for lending me his 3 pt. hitch mounted log splitter. On the horizon there is more wood to pile and new this year there is hay to cut. Rather than watch the pastures grow and grow only to be hacked down with the bush hog in the fall we’ll be cutting and baling it this year with already two potential buyers for it. Heck it’s like found money growing right out the back door. The meat birds are doing well and getting fat, the layers are laying and the berry bushes are heavy with berries ready to ripen. All is well.

The Cycle Begins Again. With temperatures in the 20′s over the last few days...
Five. Six. Pick Up Sticks. Wood equals heat and the pile of wood stacked out...
Additions. Despite my best efforts I’ve once again gone far too...

Fire Storm.

Ryan — Sat, 08 May 2010 12:19:18 +0000

Well there was no fire involved but we certainly got one hell of a storm. Several of them actually. After a relatively sunny and warm month of April, May has rolled in with a vengeance. We’ve been treated to several days of torrential downpours as well as a couple days of wind that seemed like they would never end. It’s not to say that I’m working on an ark or anything of that nature but we were certainly lulled into thinking that summer was here already. With the rain comes green grass and that is certainly worth it after months and months of shades of greys and browns. The apple blossoms are out and the strawberry plants are growing in leaps and bounds and if only we could get a couple dry days we’d work on getting the garden in.

Since it is Saturday once again perhaps a trip into town to the farmers market or the sale barn and see about picking up this years meat birds. Best to make the most of the day since tomorrow is Mother’s day and each of the girls have drawn, painted and crafted about a hundred items each for Corrie the entire day could be spent doling out the artwork. And on that note I’m off and running with coffee in hand.

Garlic Glory. The weather this time of year can really throw you...
No Additives Saturday is farmers market day here in town which we...
Masters Of Their Domain. Cold. That’s what it’s been. What is has also been...

Hello Ladies.

Ryan — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 11:48:09 +0000

Spring is in the air and once again there are fresh eggs to be had. Our last layers were nearing the end of their laying cycle and once winter was upon us we figured they would serve us better as soup stock than as non layers freezing their butts off all winter long. The girls are immensely happy to have chickens to look after once more and are old hands at the wrangling of chickens and collecting of eggs. With spring comes a multitude of projects that need to be completed all with varying degrees of effort required. So far we have built a sandbox for the girls, turned over the garden with the tractor and plow, busted up the furrows with the rototiller and done a whole bunch of yard clean up. The yard clean up is a never ending struggle as we are entering the third summer here and still we are trying to erase the multitude of flotsam and jetsam left by the previous owners. If I take a step back and look we have made plenty of progress so far and things are really starting to look like we want them to. The next big task will to be get the garden in and luckily my Mom has offered to come up in a couple weeks to help with that task.

As you’ve probably noticed that with spring and summer upon us the frequency of the updates will slow to a trickle as all the waking hours will be spent at work or outside. Hopefully you all are also enjoying the wonderful weather and not staring at a computer screen too often.

On The Loose. Patience is a virtue I was always told but when...
Double Trouble. One of the joys of newly laying hens is the...
The Home Stretch. It certainly feels like this is the home stretch of...

It Lives!

Ryan — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 23:10:15 +0000

So begins year number two of growing garlic here on the homestead. The girls helped me plant the bulbs last fall with me manning the dibber and marking the distance between bulbs and them pressing the seed into the earth and covering it over. Then a nice healthy blanket of leaves appropriated from the around town during fall clean up. The leaves work wonders as they keep things a little bit warmer over the winter and the garlic grows right up through them. You pretty much put it down and forget about it and if you are lucky it will also keep the weeds down for most of the growing season. This years batch is grown entirely from our own garlic bulbs saved from last years harvest. With only a small outlay the first season we saved enough from the first harvest to ensure a perpetuating cycle of garlic. Yum! We have about a 100 plants this year it looks like which is a nice amount for us with a little extra for friends and of course saving some for seed. The growing season is upon us and the yard work is underway.

Garlicky. With all the craziness going on inside right now the...
Can You Dig It? Perhaps I was a bit overzealous when planning out the...
Garlic Glory. The weather this time of year can really throw you...

The Cycle Begins Again.

Ryan — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 12:00:50 +0000

With temperatures in the 20′s over the last few days it seems the wood burning days are done for the year once again. Those of you that heat your home with wood know what that means right? Time to start cutting, splitting and stacking once again for the next winter season. I got an early jump on things the other afternoon after work and was lucky enough to have a couple helpers with the small stuff. Of course we had to take a break so they could all try on the safety gear and pretend they were using the chainsaw. We have also been hard at work at other springtime tasks as well like edging gardens and general yard clean up. The girls and I also put together the birdhouses I had made for them over the winter. I had all the pieces cut and ready and they helped nail them together and pick a good place to mount them. Now the watching and waiting begins as they hope some nice bird family moves in soon! This reminds me that I must also get the new bat houses hung as well.

As you can tell from the lack of updates the golf season has begun once again so between early morning work and playing outside there is precious little time left for the interweb. That’s not to say that there isn’t lots going on so I hope you continue to check in every once and a while and catch up with all the goings on around here.

And Snow It Begins. A little late but I finally retrieved those pictures of...
Harvest Begins. I’m tickled pink as we just recently harvested the first...
Stacked. Perhaps the most important task of the fall is done....

Time For A Break.

Ryan — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:39:01 +0000

It’s that time of year once again when kids rejoice that the rigors of school have eased and parents scramble to find things to fill the time. Our week is actually pretty low key with no real over the top plans like vacations or things like that. We’ve had a play date with a couple friends of ours and their kids and later this week are going to visit Grandpa who happens to have a guest cabin and stay there for a few days. The plans so far include a trip to the sugar bush and pancake breakfast and a trip to the art gallery in Minden. The biggest selling point so far though is the presence of bunk beds in the cabin and the debate is raging on as to who gets the upper loft. It doesn’t happen very often but Sidney did play the “but I’m the oldest” card right off the bat thinking that will ensure her the highest perch. I guess we’ll see how things play out when we are actually there, perhaps a cage match or something like that. The older girls have already had their how did they get so big moment for the month but Miss Hannah is smack dab in the middle of hers. She’ll come whipping around the corner and I’ll just catch a glimpse of blond hair and wonder where Sidney is headed in such a hurry. Then I’ll catch myself and realize that it isn’t Sidney at all and the former littlest girl at our house is indeed getting bigger and developing her own personality. That isn’t to say that she hasn’t inherited Olivia’s fashion sense as evidenced in the picture below. That’s our Hannah kicking butt and taking names.

Bits and Pieces. It’s a grey morning out there but I have a...
School Daze. With the first week of school almost behind us it...
Nothing But Net. It’s September and that can mean only one thing. Birthdays....