We couldn’t help ourselves…we made cider again. The tree in our yard with beautiful yellow translucent apples finally reached prime ripeness, and obviously we needed to taste what kind of cider they made.
My family came to join in the fun.
This batch will probably end up as hard cider, fermenting in our basement this winter. So it wasn’t completely off-base for me to choose the Punch Brothers’ song “Rye Whiskey” as the tune for this little video:
Look who loves pasta covered in homemade pesto!
While I was away at a friend’s wedding this past weekend, Mike was here at home babysitting our niece. He said he couldn’t believe how much pasta she put away at dinner. This little girl already knows the two secrets of a happy life: Lots of naps, and Italian food.
I wonder how Mike’s first experience with changing diapers went……
{Alternate title: Kurplunk!}
It’s the tail-end of blueberry season ’round these parts, which means the bushes are loaded and the berries are tastier than ever. The plants can sense that fall is closing in, and they think, “Crap! Must procreate!” and they put all their energy into beautiful fruit. Yum.
My aunt, uncle, and two cousins were visiting from Chicago and we got the berry-picking itch. Blue Vista is one of my favorite places to pick because their farm is gorgeous- perched on a hill overlooking Lake Superior- and they’re organic, so we headed north with visions of blueberry pancakes and muffins and pies to come.
Blueberries here, raspberries behind us.
A blue heron overhead, the big lake below.
Whole handfuls of berries coming off the bush all at once.
“She picked three more berries and ate them. Then she picked more berries and dropped one in the pail-Kurplunk! And the rest she ate.” -McCloskey, R. (1976). Blueberries for Sal. New York: Viking Press.
What beautiful girls my cousins are…
And yet they can make the weirdest faces…
Hmmm, yes, I do believe we are related. Except, why are they so tall and I am so short? Unfair.
Amelia’s mommy snapped these pictures of her enjoying the toy we made. This is what we call a day-brightener. There’s no chance in being crabby afterward.
Giiiiiirl. You need to tone-down the cuteness before someone gets hurt!
My name is Tonia. I live on a rural homestead in Northern Wisconsin with my husband and dog and write about living life with my hands in the dirt.
