rockers

5 of my barred rock chickens, including Roosty, the alpha rooster of the flock (in the very back against the fence.)  He is just beginning to cock-a-doodle-doo, and sprout beautiful teal and yellow tail feathers.  I did not have good luck in years past with my first couple of roosters, but I think there are at least 3 out there this time, and so far, they are behaving themselves.  That there is more than one rooster has changed the balance for the better:  Roosty is more concerned with maintaining his position of dominance over the other roosters rather than taking his aggression out on the hens.

and now a little poetry

eat a...

peach butter

wall of milk

My milk supplier asked if I wanted some extra milk this week, so which I said yes, and now I have *so* much cheese to make.  The milk cans below each hold 14 gallons of milk, which weigh over 125 pounds.

They also gave me 20 more in gallon jugs.  I am the cheese slave.

meet Licky

Before picking up the little white rabbit (who I have named PINKY) last week, I committed to giving a new home to this beautiful bun.  There was an ad on Craigslist from a family who couldn't keep her, so now there are 3 rabbits at the farm.  They are all adjusting to their new surroundings, each other, and the chickens just fine.  Licky looks a lot like Blackie, but is bigger and fatter.

more Holman love

Cozy approves of my box of Holman Farm white peaches

Laurie's eggplant rainbow

I sing tomatoes electric

It hasn't been a great season for tomatoes in Michigan, but here is a plate full I picked in the garden

farmer's market awesome

Some scenes from the Traverse City Farmer's Market, where I spend my early Saturday mornings

Esther, Russ and Abbey from Shiloh Farms are right next to us each week, and I love their family. Russ (pictured center) the Dad knows a lot about rock n' roll.  Abbey (pictured right) plays flute busker style at the market, and one time I took a chance and said said, "hey Russ. does she know any Tull?", to which he immediately replied, "Aqualung".  WOW.

beautiful hand made soap

Mt friend David's stand

Hall's sweet corn trailer, which sells out in about an hour

more cheese deciples

I had the pleasure of working with two aspiring culinary world young people who wanted to see what goes on at Boss Mouse Cheese.  Aiden and LJ are smart, interested kids who are bound for glory.  They generously helped me in the cheese room brushing wheels, packaging and doing dishes, bless their hearts.

Aiden cuts the cheese

LJ cuts the curd

dressy Susie

I love vintage dresses, and need more like I need a hole in the head, but I couldn't pass these up at an estate sale I attended recently.  From the left:  a scallop edged green linen number, a cherry print cotton dress, and an almost western calico print one with nice ruffle detail on the front.  Timeless style for pennies.

meet (insert name here)

A local school was looking for homes for their litter of bunnies, so I picked up Blackie's new companion last night.  She's very cute and used to being held, doesn't know what to make of the chickens and is exploring the barn and hen yard.  I have not named her yet - please send suggestions! 

dukka

Dukka is a middle Eastern condiment - a mixture of toasted spices and nuts, you sop it up with olive oil soaked bread, and it is hearty and delicious.  I made a whole meal out of it.  Here is a recipe for the dukka I made this past Sunday:

Toast in a pan:

1 cup of shelled pistachios

Then toast:

1 Tablespoon cumin seeds

1 Tablespoon coriander seeds

3 Tablespoons sesame seeds

Put all of this into a food processor with a teaspoon chile flakes and 1 teaspoon of salt.  Pulse until coarsley ground.  Serve with crusty bread and olive oil.

Absolutely divine.

I love Detroit

because my friends are so much fun

host dog Kelly is so pretty

The Black Crowes rock

here's proof

sky study at the show

sky study #95

Sunset Tuesday, August 13th, 2013

Old Hundredth Farm

Fellow Kingsley farmers the Scott family, from Old Hundredth Farm.  They are also my neighbors at the farmers market.  This is 4 of their 10 children, and they are the nicest people you'll ever meet.

what should we name the boat?

photographed in the parking lot at Sam's Club, Traverse City, Sunday, August 11th, 2013

it's a dilly

Gigantic bowl of fresh green beans traded at the farmers market

dilly beans!

my heart is heavy today

Bunny Lee died yesterday of natural causes.  She was approximately 8 years old.  Bunny Lee came home with me from Maine when I was farm sitting in 2009.  She was a sweet, gentle little spirit who enjoyed 3 years of sun, grass and farm life in Michigan.  I loved her very much.

I am a fruit hoarder

20 pounds of sweet cherries

cherries in syrup

fresh apricots on dehydrating trays

dried into delectable little gems that taste like green apple Jolly Ranchers

I'll have a cherry flip

cherry infused vodka

Agricultural deciples

A group of agricultural students from Baker College in Cadillac visited Boss Mouse headquarters - they were touring several local small ag operations - we ate the delicious and stinky Taleggio cheese project!

These pros also helped me identify my insanely obese BYS in the garden:  the concluded it is a hybrid yellow squash-hubbard, perfectly safe to eat.  At last measure, it is 42" inches at the withers.

long live the mix tape

I recently purchased a small cassette to MP3 converter and have been rediscovering the few dozen old cassettes I've hung onto for decades.  Mix tapes that my brother made me (High Yield Turf Mix and Son of Vindaloo Radio, to name a few), tapes of late night radio shows I would record when I was a student in London in the 1980s, and best of all, the hilarious telephone answering machine messages my friends and family left me over the years.  I am so glad this audio is immortalized now as I am so sentimental about all of it - yeah technology

sky study #94

sunset Friday, August 2nd, 2013

summer treat

what's better than roasted corn on the fire?

Wally Gator agrees

my lovely nieces

Liani on the barn swing

and way up on the ladder in the big barn

Anaje just finished 2 weeks at Interlochen Arts Camp

Cousin dog XiuXiu (Mom kept calling her Sushi)