Farewell Peterson Prairie Guard Station

A few weeks ago we received a call that our reservation to Peterson Prairie had been cancelled.  

"The cabin has burned to the ground," they said.

The news is extremely sad, but particularly so for the many families like ours who have made a tradition of coming to the cabin annually.  We decided to drive out to see it last weekend.

It did, indeed, burn to the ground.  They believe a hot ember landed on the roof and started the fire after the previous renters had departed.  It is remarkable that the surrounding trees, out buildings, and even a nearby picnic bench were untouched.  This year has been a remarkable year for forest fires and I imagine that the Forest Service is very thankful that this incident was contained.  

There are many things we will miss, but at the top of the list would be having an adventure to which we look forward in the middle of winter.  The planning and preparation each year was a fun exercise -- factoring weather conditions, supplies, food, coordinating with friends, and tweaking things to accommodate children.  

We will miss anticipating the arrival of visitors, lighting the gas lamps at dusk, melting snow on the stove, skiing from the doorstep, the laughter, games, and discourse which build lasting memories, and enjoying the solitude and beauty of the winter woods.

I will also miss the irreplaceable hand tatted curtains, the original single-pane wavy glass, and the little clock that a guest made for the cabin. 

We left some flowers from our garden on the mantel.  And a note that read:

Farewell Peterson Prairie Guard Station

We will miss you!

(1926 - 2012)

In memoriam....

Itsy Bitsy Garlic

What happened to my garlic?  Last year, I decided that growing garlic was soooo easy, and this year half of my heads were itsy bitsy.  I guess gardening is like that.  I believe the size issues were a result of not enough water during April and May (because I didn't hook up my drip irrigation until the end of May).  I also didn't fertilize them.  They were already in the ground and growing when we added compost and tilled it into the rest of the garden soil and I forgot to give them a special tea elixir to help them plump up.  Oh, well.

I harvested our garlic back in July and while all the heads were a little smaller than I was hoping for, I did end up with a large batch of usable bulbs.  Not bad considering the degree of neglect!

You might remember from a previous post that I was going to compare growing garlic right from the supermarket to the special garlic sold at our local nursery.  As you can see from the photo above, even with my marginal growing conditions this season, the Safeway garlic did just as well if not a tad better than the nursery garlic and my garlic from the previous season.

One thing I am taking to heart when I plant my next batch of garlic next week, is that the size of the clove you plant is directly proportional to the size of the bulb it will produce.  Since my bulbs from this harvest are small, I opted to buy huge planting bulbs from a new local source called Grow Organic.....and I may throw in a few big Safeway cloves too for fun.

Pool Time!

This summer has been delightfully sunny and warm...which has meant lots of days at the community pool.  This is the very same pool that I grew up swimming in and it hasn't changed a bit!  The solar-heated outdoor pool is clean and it is a favorite among the local parents because it isn't over chlorinated so your skin doesn't reek like chemicals after you get out.  We signed Jonah up for Parent/Tot swim lessons.  We went to the pool Monday through Thursday for two weeks....and in the process turned our baby into a fish!  

Jonah loves the water.  The swim classes just got him more and more comfortable.  His skills now include: hanging onto the side of the pool unassisted, blowing bubbles, holding his breath for a dunk, kicking, climbing out of the pool, and jumping back into the pool on the count of 3. 

The pool happens to be right across the street from Jesse's office, so a few times we have gone for a quick swim during his lunch break as a family.

He just can't get enough splashing around in the water....

After we finish dinner every night, Jonah says "Bath?" and signs "Please."

Why, yes, of course.

We're off to the pool now!

Farmer Jonah

A good farmer isn't afraid to jump right in, get a little dirty, experiment, and, of course, sample the fruits (and veggies) of their labor.  

Jonah and I were thinning the carrots when I paused to see what was keeping him so quiet.  I realized that he had helped himself to a mature carrot and was eating the root, dirt and all!  

I'm so proud of him. 

He was munching on a hybrid variety from the Territorial Seed Company in Oregon 

called Sugarsnax 54.

Nutritious and sweet.

We also planted a hybrid variety of cream-colored roots called White Satin.

Carrots for everyone!  

I love to see Jonah out in the garden, comfortably walking the rows, and foraging for treats.  Like hiking, gardening keeps me grounded to nature.  I'm very attentive to what's happening outside when I have plants in the ground.  Checking the sky, listening to forecasts, fretting over birds and bugs, fiddling with irrigation and fertilizers....nurturing little seed specs into tasty food for family and friends.  I think I'm often amazed at what is produced. Jonah's joy and wonder of nature echo my own admiration for plants in the garden.  I love being able to share this life with him.

xoxo