Day Two---Kitchen Remodeling Continues...
Wow...Day two and much progress. The old post and beam are done and I think it looks great. Next comes some electrical work before the cabinets can be brought in and assembled. I thought I should post a picture showing the company truck. Great comnpany, workers and ideas that helped the job evolve well as it is done.
Kitchen Remodeling Begins!
On Easter Monday the work began on the new kitchen. The wall between the old kitchen and the living room is disappearing to open it all to the glorious southern sunlight exposure as well as gain the wood heat benefit in the kitchen as well. A big island will be added thanks to the openness. A huge amount was accomplished on day one and the pictures below indicated. On day two some old barn beams are to be added as two support posts. The ceiling beam made on site will be covered in old barn floor planking as well.
Expect a burst of blog posting now even if no significant garden news. I can say that the spring flowers are now bountiful even if the cool weather and April showers limit the pleasure of warm weather and garden work.
Expect a burst of blog posting now even if no significant garden news. I can say that the spring flowers are now bountiful even if the cool weather and April showers limit the pleasure of warm weather and garden work.
Finally...SPRING!
Yes, I think I can finally announce the arrival of spring in Saco Maine. As of today, April 15th all traces of snow are gone from my property. I still used the wood stove last night as the temperature dipped to 32 degrees but most days are sunny, fairly warm and beautiful...except for the now more frequent rainy ones. When the ring of crocus aroung the lamp post is in bloom I know spring is here to stay. Below that photo is my garlic bed with the 168 of them growing well. Most of the flower beds have now been raked clean of their winter's blanket of leaves and mulch and there is good growth of the emerging perennials everywhere. The daffodils will be the next to bloom followed by the hyacinths and tulips.
My main project outside besides yard and garden cleanup is the hard work on the wood pile. I try to have almost all of next winter's 3-4 cords of wood cut, split and stacked before the hot weather makes such work too grueling and the garden projects get too demanding. The two pictures below show that I am almost half way there now. I have several piles of wood pieces that need to be cut into stove lengths and split to add to the covered piles as these below. I am on track though because the cooler, slow to arrive spring of 2011 compared to 2010 has limited the garden work that can be done as of yet. Grass cutting is still weeks away as is any outdoor planting of the first crops of peas, potatoes, lettuce and the like.
I am also busy getting ready for the kitchen remodeling project that is to start on Easter Monday, now just ten days away. While the crew is busy tearing up the place I expect to be outside gardening and working on the wood stash....and watching the new look inside the house unfold.
My main project outside besides yard and garden cleanup is the hard work on the wood pile. I try to have almost all of next winter's 3-4 cords of wood cut, split and stacked before the hot weather makes such work too grueling and the garden projects get too demanding. The two pictures below show that I am almost half way there now. I have several piles of wood pieces that need to be cut into stove lengths and split to add to the covered piles as these below. I am on track though because the cooler, slow to arrive spring of 2011 compared to 2010 has limited the garden work that can be done as of yet. Grass cutting is still weeks away as is any outdoor planting of the first crops of peas, potatoes, lettuce and the like.
I am also busy getting ready for the kitchen remodeling project that is to start on Easter Monday, now just ten days away. While the crew is busy tearing up the place I expect to be outside gardening and working on the wood stash....and watching the new look inside the house unfold.
April Fool's Day -- What a Joke!
Well...I guess winter decided to play an April Fool's Joke on us today. The pictures below were taken this morning simply by opening the doors and snapping the images. The first one is almost a duplicate of the shot from the deck door taken in February and the front door image shows the temperature this morning as well. It is a heavy wet snow that is expected to bring 3-6 inches of it right along the Maine coast but then turn to rain. I refuse to shovel it so will await the transistion of warming, melting weather over the weekend. I put my snow blower away weeks ago!
I have started some seeds indoors already but not too many as there clearly will be a slower arrival this year of good gardening weater compared to last year. The temperatures of late have been fairly brisk, only 30-40 degrees most days with a fair amount of sunshine. Before today's snowfall there were only a few snow piles remainig to melt. I have been focused on wood cutting, spliting and stacking...for next winter's supply. This is the right kind of weather to work on that strenuous task. Very little other outdoor work has been attempted yet other than some raking on parts of the lawn, removing debris from the winter. I have still not uncovered the flowerbeds of leaves and mulch as it is just too cold to expose the beginning flower growth. Only a few crocuses are blooming and the daffodils and tulips have a long way to go before they bloom;.spring is sure slow to greet me this year!
I have started some seeds indoors already but not too many as there clearly will be a slower arrival this year of good gardening weater compared to last year. The temperatures of late have been fairly brisk, only 30-40 degrees most days with a fair amount of sunshine. Before today's snowfall there were only a few snow piles remainig to melt. I have been focused on wood cutting, spliting and stacking...for next winter's supply. This is the right kind of weather to work on that strenuous task. Very little other outdoor work has been attempted yet other than some raking on parts of the lawn, removing debris from the winter. I have still not uncovered the flowerbeds of leaves and mulch as it is just too cold to expose the beginning flower growth. Only a few crocuses are blooming and the daffodils and tulips have a long way to go before they bloom;.spring is sure slow to greet me this year!
Waiting For Spring to Arrive
I write this a few days before March begins yet there is certainly no hint of spring on the horizon here in Saco, Maine. The pictures below were taken today, February 26th, a day after the latest snow storm brought six or so inches of heavy, wet snow to Saco. Another storm may happen tomorrow and even if some days next week reach the 40 degree range as predicted, the nights will continue to be below 32 degrees. This winter has not set any records for total snowfall but these pictures show as big of piles of snow as I have seen in my eight winters here. The diference this year has been the fact that there has almost been weekly snowstorms since Christmas and the weather has stayed cold so melting between storms has rarely occured. I certainly hope the spring, when it finally arrives doesn't bring a steady deluge of rainstorms and flooding!
No serious garden planning has occurred yet even though the seed catalogues continue to arrive in the mail. I have tallied my seeds on hand so I can soon place an order though. The greenhouse is set up in the basement for some indoor planting that should get started in early March.
The wood pile is rapidly shrinking as the wood stove continues to have a voracious appetite for logs. I certainly will go thought the three cords I had split, cut and stacked for this heating season. If there is some decent snow melting in early March I may be cutting more wood for this season in addition to beginning the process of working on the stockpile for the winter of 2011-2012. Ideally the following winter's wood piles are prepared in the spring and neatly stacked and covered to dry over the long summer and fall months.
There really hasn't been much to report on since my last posting in December. The Christmas gathering of the family was fun and festive as always. I have made two more New York trips for Cotton babysitting duties, or as he would say, "I am not a baby, I am a boy." I have endured two long, lingering winter colds, read a lot and made a lot of soups and crock pot stews. Much time has been spent planning for the big news here on the homestead this coming spring, namely a complete makeover of the kitchen. Cooking, canning, freezing and endless food preparation of the harvest has been challenging in my current kitchen. Soon a wall comes down to open it up to sunlight from the south facing deck glass doors, to allow the warmth of the wood burning stove to better reach the kitchen and to have a big island and lots of counters to handling all the work needed for my Schlaver Seed Farms operations. The new cabinets are now being made and the actual construction on site will begin in late April. I bet I will do a mid to late May posting on this blog of the results!
No serious garden planning has occurred yet even though the seed catalogues continue to arrive in the mail. I have tallied my seeds on hand so I can soon place an order though. The greenhouse is set up in the basement for some indoor planting that should get started in early March.
The wood pile is rapidly shrinking as the wood stove continues to have a voracious appetite for logs. I certainly will go thought the three cords I had split, cut and stacked for this heating season. If there is some decent snow melting in early March I may be cutting more wood for this season in addition to beginning the process of working on the stockpile for the winter of 2011-2012. Ideally the following winter's wood piles are prepared in the spring and neatly stacked and covered to dry over the long summer and fall months.
There really hasn't been much to report on since my last posting in December. The Christmas gathering of the family was fun and festive as always. I have made two more New York trips for Cotton babysitting duties, or as he would say, "I am not a baby, I am a boy." I have endured two long, lingering winter colds, read a lot and made a lot of soups and crock pot stews. Much time has been spent planning for the big news here on the homestead this coming spring, namely a complete makeover of the kitchen. Cooking, canning, freezing and endless food preparation of the harvest has been challenging in my current kitchen. Soon a wall comes down to open it up to sunlight from the south facing deck glass doors, to allow the warmth of the wood burning stove to better reach the kitchen and to have a big island and lots of counters to handling all the work needed for my Schlaver Seed Farms operations. The new cabinets are now being made and the actual construction on site will begin in late April. I bet I will do a mid to late May posting on this blog of the results!
The Garden is done for 2010
Everything has now been harvested for this gardening season except a few leeks that have now been mulched and can be pulled as needed. There aren't enough left to worry about beyond the holiday season but certainly enough for some good pots of potato-leek soup! The garden beds are mulched with chopped leaves or straw for the winter. The strawberry and asparagus deserve the special straw treatment.
It was quite a garden year in 2010...the best ever. The larder is full with canned, frozen, dried or fresh stored items in a cool corner of the basement. It was a bit tramatic for me to now visit the supermarket produce department and not just smile and only buy bananas as was the case since July. If I want lettuce, cucumbers or tomatoes I need to buy them now. The seed catalogues are arriving for my winter enjoyment but I am not thinking about or planning for the next season yet.
I am due for some down time finally and some resting for my weary bones after many vigorous months of garden and yard labors. The only outdoor work now involves carring wood to the house for the wood stove and some cutting and splitting of logs and branches already gathered this year in anticipation of next winter's use. I need about three cords of wood each year for my stove and would like to have most of next winter's wood all cut, split and stacked for seasoning now before a lot of snow falls. I do have most of that amount in various piles awaiting that processing. It is sure satisfying to see the small amount of oil added to the tank each time the truck arrives each month, for the price is steadily jumping with each delivery. I end up saving nearly $1,000 per year by using my own wood. I manage to gather the wood for no cost from my neighbor's acerage or other opportunities that present themselves. So the only cost for wood gathering is a lot of sweat labor.
After a great trip to NewYork and Richmond VA for Thanksgiving I now look forward to playing host for Christmas here for my family. The tree is up and will be decorated this weekend. Some friends have decided to purchase many jars of my canned goods this year for some of their gift giving. I also had a few sucessful public sales events thorugh my social groups at Union Church and the Saco Bay Garden Club so can report a good year of sales as well. I made a donation of a portion of my sales to the local food bank and am kept busy with my envolvement with the Mission Committee of Union Church that does a lot of great charitable work on the local as well as international level. I am now the treasurer of the Garden Club so have some new duties with that organization as well There is plenty of jam, salsa, pickles and tomato sauce though to get me through the long winter and spring.
The winter will not be boring for me at all with my local activities and much desired down time to rest, read and enjoy the fruits of my harvest. I now want to send my best wishes to all my blog readers that their holiday season and winter months are also filled with rest, good company and hopeful thoughts for the new year.
It was quite a garden year in 2010...the best ever. The larder is full with canned, frozen, dried or fresh stored items in a cool corner of the basement. It was a bit tramatic for me to now visit the supermarket produce department and not just smile and only buy bananas as was the case since July. If I want lettuce, cucumbers or tomatoes I need to buy them now. The seed catalogues are arriving for my winter enjoyment but I am not thinking about or planning for the next season yet.
I am due for some down time finally and some resting for my weary bones after many vigorous months of garden and yard labors. The only outdoor work now involves carring wood to the house for the wood stove and some cutting and splitting of logs and branches already gathered this year in anticipation of next winter's use. I need about three cords of wood each year for my stove and would like to have most of next winter's wood all cut, split and stacked for seasoning now before a lot of snow falls. I do have most of that amount in various piles awaiting that processing. It is sure satisfying to see the small amount of oil added to the tank each time the truck arrives each month, for the price is steadily jumping with each delivery. I end up saving nearly $1,000 per year by using my own wood. I manage to gather the wood for no cost from my neighbor's acerage or other opportunities that present themselves. So the only cost for wood gathering is a lot of sweat labor.
After a great trip to NewYork and Richmond VA for Thanksgiving I now look forward to playing host for Christmas here for my family. The tree is up and will be decorated this weekend. Some friends have decided to purchase many jars of my canned goods this year for some of their gift giving. I also had a few sucessful public sales events thorugh my social groups at Union Church and the Saco Bay Garden Club so can report a good year of sales as well. I made a donation of a portion of my sales to the local food bank and am kept busy with my envolvement with the Mission Committee of Union Church that does a lot of great charitable work on the local as well as international level. I am now the treasurer of the Garden Club so have some new duties with that organization as well There is plenty of jam, salsa, pickles and tomato sauce though to get me through the long winter and spring.
The winter will not be boring for me at all with my local activities and much desired down time to rest, read and enjoy the fruits of my harvest. I now want to send my best wishes to all my blog readers that their holiday season and winter months are also filled with rest, good company and hopeful thoughts for the new year.
The Last Rose of Summer.
The last rose of summer is now blooming. The main colors left on the farm are the fall colors of leaves and some berries as on the bittersweet vines that are plentiful around here and fun to use as decoration by the front door as well as inside the house. The ordeal of gathering all the leaves, mulching them for compost, adding a winter cover for garden beds and the mulching of perennials is a major annual task but now about done. We have had some windy rain storms the last few weeks and it has hastened the fall of leaves. At this point I can report that most of the garden chores are now done, everything needing a protective cover for winter has it now, especially the strawberry and asparagus beds.
My final tally of canned products has hit 400 jars! Nearly one third has been sold and the shelves in the basement are buldging with the rest. I have my wood stash for the winter all covered and in place in a few accessible locations and the snow blower is now in position in the garage. I am ready! A few veggies are still in the garden: Brussels sprouts; leeks; kale; some carrots; Swiss chard and turnip greens.
I want to share a fun video with you, faithful readers of the blog. In late October Cotton and his parents visited and he had a chance to help make apple cider in the old cider press and also enjoy the Saco Fall Festival downtown. I think the video speaks for itself as to how much fun Cotton had as well as his parents and I. Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fFPCpSOA9Q
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