all of Bowerman Road smells like lilacs

O were my love yon Lilac fair

Wi' purple blossoms of the Spring

- Robert Burns

a drumroll please....

Today is my last day at work:  

I quit my day job

Boss Mouse, full steam ahead!

sunk

Terrazzo sink installed underneath the well head near the house - will serve as a vegetable washing sink, and Cozy's summertime infinity pool

Memorial Day

Raquel's antler brings all the boys to the yard

Gabey with well-done marshmallow - s'more night bon fire

Kelly chose sensible shoes for the weekend

I love my bestie

Kelly + Cozy

tis the season

Michigan asparagus

I can pickle that

Summit City equine

I drive past these guys every time I go to Traverse City, so stopped to get their picture.   They were super friendly and came right over.  I love the pony's hair style.

soul of the 70s

I found another awesome infomercial for a box set featuring old funk and soul music from the 70s.  Just like the soft rock one, the videos are beautiful and I love the music. 

rabbit vantage point

When I fee range the bunnies, Blackie often makes her way to the very front of the property, lies underneath the lilacs and will stay there for hours just taking in the scene.  Sometimes Licky joins her, (above) and when I am rounding them up at the end of the day I can always be sure that's where I will find Blackie.

found in the grass

dirt heart

tillin' it

awesome neighbor Jerry tilling my vegetable garden to ready for planting

farmers market green

Braising mix from Birch Point Farm, 2 bags of spinach from Provident Farm, arugula and nettles from Spring Hollow Farm, and arugula from Old Hundredth Farm

stinging nettle butter

sky study #108

Rain sky on the way home from Traverse City Saturday, May 17, 2014

guest centerfold

Cousin Lucky in Scottsdale, AZ strikes a sexy pose for the ladeez...thanks for the pic, Agnes!

the fleet

Dad was doing Spring service on all of the equipment that keeps the farm mowed, tilled and plowed

mushroom time

1.5 pounds of morel mushrooms gathered on the Mission Peninsula on Wednesday.  I sauteed them in some smoked butter.

compost

This is last year's chicken coop clean-out, which fermented and composted down for a year

I put piles of it in the garden, and the chickens helped spread it out

with a gangsta lean

Cozy chillin'

Cater Leelanau

My chef friend Cammie posted a great tour of Boss Mouse Cheese on her blog here - come for a visit:

http://www.caterleelanau.com/blog/

 the event barn at Cherry Basket Farm in Omena, Michigan where Epicure Catering is located

canine excavation

For Mother's Day, Max dug up Mommy's daffodils

Holman Farm Spring Update

I visited my close friend Laurie at glorious Holman Farm over the weekend

Rabbit assassin Jenny

Akita

Laurie's new greenhouse

This year's plantlings - Laurie always gives me all of the vegetable starts for my garden and this year she typed out an organized list of them with the most amazing names:  Green Doctors tomatoes, Graffiti purple cauliflower and Dragoon mini romaine lettuce, just to name a few

The cathedral of the woods - we looked for mushrooms but they aren't quite up yet

Jar of Laurie's beautiful pickled vegetables

Happy Mother's Day!

soft rock

I love that Soft Rock infomercial that's been on TV this year - I love the music and beautiful 70s videos

names of the full moon

  

Full moons have great names.  Thank you Dahlia - I never knew about these!

farmer's market trades

Bread from Old Mission Multigrain, spinach and parsnips from Providence Farm, baby lettuce mix from Old Hundreth Farm, and goat cream fresh from Idyll Farms

beer & cheese love child

Brewery Vivant in Grand Rapids is an awesome brew pub that I am doing a cheese project with

It's in an old church and they kept all the architecture and stained glass windows

Co-pilot Jeanette hanging in the kitchen - we delivered some cheese to them and they let us sample some brews in the back

They filled up a bucket with 4 gallons of their Undertaker Stout that I made a brine with, to make a signature cheese for them.  Great place, excellent food and super nice folks

all for $3

The Traverse City Public Library had a book sale, and I scored the beautifully illustrated World of Birds from 1964, a VHS tape of Beatrix Potter cartoons and a book of Animals Poems.

jumper, tartan, tartan

Central Methodist Church rummage sale haul:  vintage pullover and two wool skirts.  Tags read 

Joyce Sportswear and Paddle & Saddle.

new gates for the orchard

Hand crafted & custom sized - the orchard is on a small slope, so the fence had to be higher on one side

Mom & Dad hangin' 

sky study #107

just after the rain storm, April 29, 2014

Rollin' Thunder

in a parking lot at Chums Corners, Traverse City

Happy May Day

me new green bench

sit with me