March comes in like....

This week winter decided to come back with a vengeance in certain parts of the country. The shot below is one taken through our back door.

I love how its branches twist like old arthritic fingers. These trees are quite abundant in our forest near the house. I did hear that the CCC -- or the Civilian Conservation Corps may have planted the locust trees and pines as part of the reforestation project. I cannot prove or disprove it. The locust tree log once debarked makes a great wooden fence post. They last quiet a few years. 

The shot below is one of the Red pines that still live on our land. We have three left. When we moved here, there was a stand of Red pines where one of the sheds now resides.

These trees are old. I mean old old. I took 4 down last year that were dying and am grateful that they won't fall on the house. However, their shade when they were in their glory days was wonderful. Plus, the wind sighing through the needles make a most calming sound.

When I had to go retrieve mail in the last ice/snow storm this week, I thought I'd take the slightly longer way through the woods. It was pretty. However the gusting winds kept things creaking above my head so I returned to walking up the driveway. 

You know I had to walk Charlie and take my camera at the same time. When I got to the ridge and stopped to look, I figured out what was causing all of the creaking above me. 

We had rain that became ice before the snow hit. The trees were heavy with it. 

Since I'd left hubby napping, I didn't take much time to scout around like I usually do when I get the mail. I generally take a round about route to tour my favorite part of the forest.

However, we are trying to establish a new routine of sorts.

Sorting and resorting the medications and the medication changes are quite the chore. 

I'm also trying to master some indoor photography. I had a bit of fun. Mostly though I have been too tired from the week to do a whole lot.

Nina took her goats for a walk and had to have a dog help her keep her goats together.

[The fake foliage is actually a cheap pack of plastic fish tank plants! The green is a green fake grass mat. The rocks are what the fake plants were stuck in. How fun is that?]

I've got an idea or two to work on this week. It is so muddy and windy outside that I gave up on trying to set things up right close to the house in the yard.

Hello March. What a month you already have been!

Take a walk on the Wild side

Do dee do dee do do do...
Say hey babe, take a walk on the wild side!

Between the huge flush of Chicken of the Woods and the Wild Apples, it has been a booming wild week. 
I took some C.O.W. to Olive along with some wild apple jelly and got an apple pie from a wild apple tree in return.

There are two places that have wild grapes that are easy to get to. One is on the side of the gravel road and one is a huge grape vine that has been growing up the metal section of an old hay rack that leans up against our busted up garage. [See? the junk pile serves a purpose!]

The shots below are from the grape vine alongside the road. It is intertwined with a sugar maple and so the colors right now are very bright. See those little grapes?

I thought I'd taste some this year and they are sweet! So.
Since I'd made apple jelly from wild apples, I thought I'd see how hard it was to make grape jelly from tiny grapes!

Apparently Concord Grapes are very expensive these days [I used to have access to concords when a relative grew some on their farm]. They are the best grapes to use for jelly.

These are free! It takes a bit more time to pick enough, but I thought I'd give it a go.

 

I washed the grape bunches and then started picking them over and inspecting them. The process is tedious but with the help from music and ...

a bit of help from my friends...

[you know I can't help but bring my Lego Minifigures into the kitchen for help!]

This is what the process looks like.

From my first picking, I got nearly 2 1/2 cups of juice without putting the skins and seeds through a food mill. I had to go out and get some more but with 5 cups of juice, I can make a batch of Wild Grape Jelly.

While I was cooking up the grapes, I was also working on some not wild food. I'd purchased about 4 lbs of carrots at the Farmers Market. They were super sweet and delicious. I needed to get some frozen and vacuum sealed for winter veggies.

Farmer Bob came to the rescue and helped haul some of the larger carrots. It seems that they were too large for his little trailer! Fortunately, Bob seems to never get upset over difficult situations.

I need to be more like Bob.

I got a huge pot of them cut up and blanched.

I ended up with 7 servings of carrots frozen and ready to eat this winter and two half pints of dehydrated carrots mixed with onions, green beans, and tomatoes. Those half pints are what I dump into a broth I'll make out of the mushrooms or a beef broth for making soup this fall and winter.

I figure if I spend the day prepping food for future use, it will give me more time to explore and love the outdoors.

I can take more time to Walk on the Wild Side.

When I grow up...

 Maybe I'll be a landscape photographer. 

And go to cool places.
Literally.

Perhaps I'll even start photographing wildlife.

Or I can try to hide in places with my lens hoping to see exotic birds...

Or seek exotic creatures in ice caves....

Here kitty, kitty!
I like Wild Life. I mean life that is Wild. 
I mean....well, you know what I mean.

Sometimes, Wildlife even likes me!

Have a great weekend. 

I'm heading out to Explore some forests and bluffs tomorrow.

Meanwhile

I keep enjoying the weather. It is cold, and earlier this week it was wicked. The Winds were blowing hard and this light and beautiful snow was falling.

I decided to take an early morning walk with Charlie. We hadn't been out in the woods for over a week and my feet were getting 'itchy' to wander.

The winds were so brutal in the open areas that I wore a balaclava and a pair of over the glasses goggles to keep my eyes protected from the cold winds. We made it to the Creek and enjoyed our time just wandering about and enjoying the fresh air out of the fierce winds.

There we are in our safety vests. I'd made some adjustments to Charlie's vest and now it doesn't impede his running or jumping. He and I are ready for winter hiking.

I took some of my characters with me. Big Foot wanted to find a nice tree for the village so he took one of the Polar Bears along. It looks like they found one!

Hobby, the photographer went along too. Gosh, it looks like her hair is getting grey just like mine! She always has her camera. [I painted her hair...]

[Hubby says she is me. She always has a camera in hand and is searching for something little to take photos of.]

I'd promised to make chocolate chip cookies for us [ewwww...baking!] so after shooting snowflakes on moss sporophytes, I headed towards home.

When I started putting together the cookies, I decided to see if my Lego folks could help. I discovered that I'd left Hobby in the forest! 

I was sort of elated that it would give me a second chance to head back out.

I know. I am crazy.

It was amazing that I found her exactly where I left her.

It seems someone needs to keep an eye on the Lego Village....

Uh oh, no one is watching the 
bears!

Looks like everyone is

gathering candy cane

decorations.

Snow Warrior and

a snowperson watch

And so it goes. Hope you are all having a good weekend.

I am a clean freak....

Nah....don't 

believe 

that!

I brought mud and leaves into the house Friday after hiking with Olive at the KVR. Can you believe it? I didn't take out my camera once! NOT once! We just did the girl thing, we talked and hiked. -- I know my son would NOT believe this at all -- but it is true.

Besides, it was a trail I'd just recently done. Charlie, Olive, and I got our feet properly muddy and enjoyed the fresh air. She left Aiden at home with her hubby and enjoyed a walk without her little one.

So Saturday arrived and I decided that it was going to be a 'business' day. That means I move all the things around in the house in the East Wing [it's a joke guys, my house is tiny!] and scrub the floors after sweeping and vacuuming.  I moved to the West Wing and did the same thing. Sweep, vacuum, and scrub on my hands and knees.

I was done by noon. See, my house is so tiny I can scrub floors and be done in an hour or two. I don't have big shelves, I have old crates that I stack up or take down. I can move them easily. Our living room has a love seat to sit on. That is it.

Generally I do a really great cleansing of the house when I am really irritated. I wasn't irritated other than with myself. When I'd gotten Charlie a new bright yellow squeak toy, it turned brown from him mopping the floor with it and doggy saliva. 

Here it is brand new. He adores squeak toys
but generally destroys them in a few minutes.
10 seconds

Anyway, I got the floors spic and span and then moved on to moving the old trunk. It takes up space but makes a good folding table when I am not using it for toys or decorations. I made quick work of folding the laundry. IN my opinion, laundry should fold itself and put itself away. This is one job I would forever put off and just have a revolving laundry basket. Take the clean stuff out of the basket and wear it, then put it in the wash....and repeat.

While making homemade chicken soup in the crockpot, I decided to mess around with the Lego people.

How could I create a neat backdrop for photography?

Hmmm. So I decided to use a bit of AI Art and create a forest scene with mushrooms.

Then I put Acorn Dude on a book and covered it with a scrap of black felt.

It sort of worked. A few more efforts got me this:

That was fun. But I'd have to think about how to create more scenes. 

So I decided to put everything away. Ooops.

Mistake. I stopped by the little A frame stick house I'd built two years ago. I'd meant to toss it, but it is kind of cute.

What happened if a Lego person wandered off his Lego land place and ended up somewhere he shouldn't? Lego land is such a nice happy place, right?

But what lurks outside of Lego land?

A fast thinking Elf thought of this. 

Cookie? Sit BuBu, SIT!

What to do when you meet an Alien?

Why simple! Serve cookies and coffee!

The photos didn't turn out great, but it was a nice distraction from the cold weather and all the chores I'd done.

I even washed his little toy. It is yellow again.

Fun stuff

 The Gritty Girls

This is just going to be ...

the Fun Stuff. 

Why not? 

Mirth is out picking mushrooms. I think she is looking for those psychedelic ones!

We TOLD Harriet NOT to play with the food!

Hobby enjoys wandering the woods looking for cool fungi. She found Scrambled Egg Slime Mold aka Dog Vomit Slime Mold. Real name: Fuligo Septica 

Hobby and Susan stop to cool off in the creek after hiking.

Garden Gargoyles discussing the Welcome Friends sign. Obviously they are not impressed.

It is obvious that some of the gals need a bit more education on how to carry a load on a skid steer...

No one was injured.

This weather has been bad for mowing and some outdoor activities. But if one likes fungi and slime molds, this is absolutely great weather.

More on that soon.

Sneak peek:

Howz it going?

Mental Battles are the hardest.

I find the mind is an interesting thing to deal with. About 6 months ago I had a bone density test which revealed severe osteoporosis. It came as a shock to me and to say that it hasn't messed with my head would be a lie.

After all, I'm taking some new meds every evening that reminds me about my diagnosis.

BUT

How have I let things change? 

Does my body feel any different than it did 6 months ago? No! I wake up with the same stiffness in my body parts as I did a year ago when I knew I was invincible.

I have good days and bad days just like anyone else. 

But I am letting this vision of bones cloud my vision. I don't feel any different than I did a year ago, I don't even look any different than I did a year ago [well, perhaps a few more grey hairs and age wrinkles!]. So why am I letting this mess with my head?

The bone density predicts the severity of future breaks and injuries. 

I'm not going to analyze things other than to say that I need to remind myself that I need to keep up with what I did before. Hiking, exercising, and doing what I love. 

Letting the vision of a skeleton mess with my head is not acceptable.

I'm going to climb that rock outcropping, I'm going to keep hiking and dream about camping and traveling. I'm going to greet each morning and marvel in each new day.

I'm going to take an Attitude Adjustment. 

Sometimes I use photography to express how I feel. I'm sure you may have figured that out.  Rabbit and Bear is how I expressed feelings regarding all the medical issues my husband had one particular year. I became an expert at driving to the VA's ER with him. I found it to be an interesting way to express thoughts.

And with that said.....

My Life in Lego Land

Coming to terms with Skeletal Issues....

Learning to deal with it...

And I found some of the guys busy helping with the laundry!