Wednesday was awesome! I drove to the Valley- first to Sun City to visit family, Sharon, Bob, Shawn and Don. Sharon had surgery 10 days ago, and I wanted to see her and meet her daughter Shawn. We were talking about how we're related, and it goes something like this- Sharon's married to Bob, and is Don's sister. Shawn is her daughter, so she's Don's niece. And me, well, my Dad is Sharon and Don's first cousin. That makes me their 2nd cousin, and Shawn's 3rd cousin. We were laughing about it, and later it reminded me of that old joke- "Who's on first".
Evidently Shawn and I met at a Balmes' family reunion that was held at our ranch in Prescott, somewhere in the 1960's. We lived up in the mountains then, and Shawn's main memory is that her brother Roy got lost. It created quite a concern, he was only about 7-8 at the time. I vaguely remember looking for him, wondering why everyone was so worried, it was only a 60 acre pasture, and the whole darned thing was fenced, he could just follow the fence back down the hill. OK, I was only 9, and I'd grown up on that mountain. I didn't realize that they were from the valley, where everything is flatter and more wide open. Looking back, that had to be so scary for their family, who had spent little or no time in the rugged, mountainous country we called home. Anyhow, in general the reunion was so much fun, there were actually 3 girl cousins my age: Shawn, Gini and Robin, so we played and ran all over the apple orchard. I lived so far out of town, it was a real treat to have girls to play with!
After I left Sharon's, I stopped by my friend Julie's and met her new husband Ken. Actually we went to school with Ken, back in the 70's, in Prescott. They reconnected last summer, and now they're married. They took me to the local Costco and helped me load the truck. The nearest Costco to Cottonwood is 50 miles away in Prescott Valley, or the one just off the 1-17 and 101 freeways in north Phoenix. If I'm going to the city, I usually can't leave without at least one errand, it's too far to drive not to. I loaded up the truck, braved the evening traffic and headed home. Luckily the traffic was only bad for the first 1o miles or so, after that it thinned out and speeded up nicely. All in all, it was a great day, and I love my family and friends!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Great moments
We had a great visit with Jana, Dave, Cody and Logan Funk today. Jana is our niece, and they stopped by here on their way back home from visiting the Polar Express railroad trip. They had a great time there, and we really enjoyed seeing them again. The boys are growing so fast!
They enjoyed playing with the dogs and watching the chickens. I let the chickens out just for them, and the boys helped chase them off the porch while we were visiting. Even though we live in town, the place looks more like a farm now, with the chicken hutch, dogs, etc.
Gina is here visiting as well, so she and Nic helped entertain the Funks today. We watched Hancock this afternoon, well, I watched bits and pieces while I cooked dinner. I'll have to watch the whole thing, it's a pretty good show.
Our yard is a wreck, we've had a construction crew here for a few weeks, working on the sofits and facia board under the roof. They've been cutting the old facia board off, and rebuilding the whole edge again, so there is all kinds of debris floating around the yard. Add that to the weeds, puppy toys, etc., and our yard is pretty ragged looking right now. I had a big pile of branches and stuff that had been raked up, ready to burn, but the chickens and dogs have scattered that around too. It's going to take some serious work to clean up just the front yard, and there's also the side and back yard too. Makes me tired just thinking about it. The work crew had to move all my plant pots away from the house so they could to the roof and patio in the back. I have lots of plants, large and small, and now they are stacked out in the gravel, off the patio. I had them all set up with drip systems, and the drippers are drooping around, with no plants to water. That means I have to water everything by hand. At least it isn't so hot, and I don't have to water every day right now, but it's sure a mess!
They enjoyed playing with the dogs and watching the chickens. I let the chickens out just for them, and the boys helped chase them off the porch while we were visiting. Even though we live in town, the place looks more like a farm now, with the chicken hutch, dogs, etc.
Gina is here visiting as well, so she and Nic helped entertain the Funks today. We watched Hancock this afternoon, well, I watched bits and pieces while I cooked dinner. I'll have to watch the whole thing, it's a pretty good show.
Our yard is a wreck, we've had a construction crew here for a few weeks, working on the sofits and facia board under the roof. They've been cutting the old facia board off, and rebuilding the whole edge again, so there is all kinds of debris floating around the yard. Add that to the weeds, puppy toys, etc., and our yard is pretty ragged looking right now. I had a big pile of branches and stuff that had been raked up, ready to burn, but the chickens and dogs have scattered that around too. It's going to take some serious work to clean up just the front yard, and there's also the side and back yard too. Makes me tired just thinking about it. The work crew had to move all my plant pots away from the house so they could to the roof and patio in the back. I have lots of plants, large and small, and now they are stacked out in the gravel, off the patio. I had them all set up with drip systems, and the drippers are drooping around, with no plants to water. That means I have to water everything by hand. At least it isn't so hot, and I don't have to water every day right now, but it's sure a mess!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Goodby Puppies
Well, we have all the puppies adopted now, exept the one that David insists is his. He fell for the cute little fawn-colored female, and has been 'keeping' her for my Mom. Luckily for him, when Mom came up Friday and spent time with the puppies, she decided that 'Bruiser', the biggest, stoutest of the bunch, really needed to be hers, even though she thought she wanted a female and he's all boy. She took 3 pups home, two for her and one for a friend.
A couple came by Saturday evening, looking for a female also, but one look at the long-haired puppy of the group and that all changed. "Fluffy" went bounding up to them, and the husband was a goner, when I came out he was cuddling that pup, and never let him down. He was a good choice, because they have two little boys, and Fluffy is energetic but very loving. He will play with you, then flop down right next to your feet and lay there quietly, he's just so cute!
Some friends of ours decided to take two puppies home, a male and female. They picked one of the Lab-looking males, with white back paws. He is very aggressive, and they want a watch dog, but also want another one to keep him company. The female has a blaze down her face, and is energetic but not as aggressive. The two of them are very compatible, and already hang out together a lot, even with all the other puppies around.
If asked, I'll deny it, but the truth is I'm a little sad to see them go. They mobbed me every time I walked out the door, jumped all over me and followed me everywhere. I stopped going out the back door when they were in the back, and was reluctant to venture into the front yard while they've been there, but come on, they are so cute! We still have 3, until the Stewart's come for their 2 this week, but by Friday it will only be Cara and David's new dog, he hasn't figured out a name for her yet. Hmm, maybe I'll be able to let the chickens out again, I haven't dared for the past 2 weeks, with the puppies, a hungry Mama Cara, and a construction crew running around working on the roof.
A couple came by Saturday evening, looking for a female also, but one look at the long-haired puppy of the group and that all changed. "Fluffy" went bounding up to them, and the husband was a goner, when I came out he was cuddling that pup, and never let him down. He was a good choice, because they have two little boys, and Fluffy is energetic but very loving. He will play with you, then flop down right next to your feet and lay there quietly, he's just so cute!
Some friends of ours decided to take two puppies home, a male and female. They picked one of the Lab-looking males, with white back paws. He is very aggressive, and they want a watch dog, but also want another one to keep him company. The female has a blaze down her face, and is energetic but not as aggressive. The two of them are very compatible, and already hang out together a lot, even with all the other puppies around.
If asked, I'll deny it, but the truth is I'm a little sad to see them go. They mobbed me every time I walked out the door, jumped all over me and followed me everywhere. I stopped going out the back door when they were in the back, and was reluctant to venture into the front yard while they've been there, but come on, they are so cute! We still have 3, until the Stewart's come for their 2 this week, but by Friday it will only be Cara and David's new dog, he hasn't figured out a name for her yet. Hmm, maybe I'll be able to let the chickens out again, I haven't dared for the past 2 weeks, with the puppies, a hungry Mama Cara, and a construction crew running around working on the roof.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
God Bless America
I'm watching Ugly Betty, whose star is named America, seems pretty apropo for the week, a great show about following your dreams, and to be yourself no matter what. This has been a momentous week, and we are so fortunate to be able to vote our conscience in relative peace.
No matter who you voted for, and I hope you all voted, I just want to say publicly- GOOD FOR YOU! We can go to the polls without fear, or vote by mail, trusting that our votes will be counted. We can disagree, or be completely united, it doesn't matter, we can each have our say at the polls. When all is said and done, I think we can all agree that we each want what's best for our country, and even though democracy can be sticky and brutal, just by casting our vote, we have a say in the outcome of any election. GOD BLESS AMERICA!
OK, on to other things- my broccoli, cabbage, peas and onions are doing very well. It dropped to 24 degrees here last night! Luckily I had covered the tomatoes, but the basil got zapped. I should have picked it all yesterday, but it wasn't supposed to freeze. So much for weather reports. Bucky has been crowing like a fool, I'm worried about the neighbors! We still haven't had eggs, hopefully the girls will start laying soon. I'm craving fresh eggs. We have all but 3 puppies spoken for, with a couple more possible takers. They are so cute! They've been running, playing, even Cara is playful with them now. She gets to be more than just a milk jug, I think she's enjoying the romp. Today they were using a board like a teeter-totter. One would climb onto the top board (propped onto a 2X4), then another would jump on the end, and they'd both fly off, it was so funny! I watched them do it several times, it was just like little kids at a playground.
No matter who you voted for, and I hope you all voted, I just want to say publicly- GOOD FOR YOU! We can go to the polls without fear, or vote by mail, trusting that our votes will be counted. We can disagree, or be completely united, it doesn't matter, we can each have our say at the polls. When all is said and done, I think we can all agree that we each want what's best for our country, and even though democracy can be sticky and brutal, just by casting our vote, we have a say in the outcome of any election. GOD BLESS AMERICA!
OK, on to other things- my broccoli, cabbage, peas and onions are doing very well. It dropped to 24 degrees here last night! Luckily I had covered the tomatoes, but the basil got zapped. I should have picked it all yesterday, but it wasn't supposed to freeze. So much for weather reports. Bucky has been crowing like a fool, I'm worried about the neighbors! We still haven't had eggs, hopefully the girls will start laying soon. I'm craving fresh eggs. We have all but 3 puppies spoken for, with a couple more possible takers. They are so cute! They've been running, playing, even Cara is playful with them now. She gets to be more than just a milk jug, I think she's enjoying the romp. Today they were using a board like a teeter-totter. One would climb onto the top board (propped onto a 2X4), then another would jump on the end, and they'd both fly off, it was so funny! I watched them do it several times, it was just like little kids at a playground.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
What's to Eat
Saturday, November 01, 2008
Boy, I’m really moved by this book, Coming Home to Eat. From the subtle nagging thoughts in the back of my mind have come a full blown fear and realization, that I, indeed most of the inhabitants of this country, could not survive in our own homelands without food products from other regions and even other countries. My staple food is rice, and as far as I know, rice is not indigenous to the desert southwest. What would I do if the trucking industry were crippled for 6 months??? I have enough food storage to last that long, but as I read the labels on the foods I’ve stored, few of them are actually grown in Arizona, and the foods that grow here naturally are practically unknown to 95% of us. I have a forest of mesquite trees around me, and I can easily harvest the pods, but I have no idea how to make flour from them, nor do I have recipes to use it well. I’m not even sure yet where to find a grinder to use. Sorry, but I don’t want to hand-grind, I’m just not that strong. I have a lot of work to do if I want to be able to live a sustainable life on this arid land I call home.
I’m a 3rd generation Arizonan, raised on a ranch by children of farmers. We grew cattle, sustained by wild grasses and natural spring waters. In the 1960’s through the late 1990’s, homemade and homegrown had a pretty negative connotation. My mother and grandmother made most of our clothing, while most of my friends’ wore store bought. We ate ‘organic’ beef before the word even existed, along with venison, home-butchered chickens, homemade applesauce, apple butter, currant jelly, even prickly pear jelly. We weren’t considered an important part of the food chain, we were considered country-cowboys that couldn’t do any better.
Indeed, one sign of affluence in many cultures is the ability to buy goods from other cultures and countries. Why were teas and spices so expensive throughout the ages? Because they grew well only in certain areas of the world. Wisely, the people of those regions protected their crops and knowledge, ensuring that the world would keep calling at their door. Every culture and most countries consider themselves wealthy only when they control materials valued by others, and glory in the ability to buy exotics from the world over. It is that mindset that has fueled our obsession with Japanese, European, Chinese and Indian foods, religions and other products. There has historically been a disdain for local grown foods, locally made clothing or products. This has created such a lopsided economy that we can’t even sustain ourselves without outside help. The corn we buy in the grocery stores has little similarity to the corn that has been grown in the Southwest for millennium. I grow a garden every year, but most of the seeds I have used in the past are hybrids of European vegetables, and they are poorly equipped to survive the arid, hot summers here. In fact, it has been extremely difficult to find seeds for the southwest, and after reading this book I understand why- there are only a few commercial seed companies left in the WORLD, and they have no interest in providing local seeds that they can’t patent.
Anyone interested in growing seeds well adapted to their own areas have to search deeply- typically in local natural food stores or through local organic farmers. Thank heavens there have been grass-roots harvesters deeply committed to saving heritage seeds from all over the US and parts of Mexico! With the internet it’s become easier to find them, and I plan to buy native seeds this year, and start growing locally adapted squash, beans and maybe even corn. Now it’s time to get off my soapbox, and get on with gardening!
Boy, I’m really moved by this book, Coming Home to Eat. From the subtle nagging thoughts in the back of my mind have come a full blown fear and realization, that I, indeed most of the inhabitants of this country, could not survive in our own homelands without food products from other regions and even other countries. My staple food is rice, and as far as I know, rice is not indigenous to the desert southwest. What would I do if the trucking industry were crippled for 6 months??? I have enough food storage to last that long, but as I read the labels on the foods I’ve stored, few of them are actually grown in Arizona, and the foods that grow here naturally are practically unknown to 95% of us. I have a forest of mesquite trees around me, and I can easily harvest the pods, but I have no idea how to make flour from them, nor do I have recipes to use it well. I’m not even sure yet where to find a grinder to use. Sorry, but I don’t want to hand-grind, I’m just not that strong. I have a lot of work to do if I want to be able to live a sustainable life on this arid land I call home.
I’m a 3rd generation Arizonan, raised on a ranch by children of farmers. We grew cattle, sustained by wild grasses and natural spring waters. In the 1960’s through the late 1990’s, homemade and homegrown had a pretty negative connotation. My mother and grandmother made most of our clothing, while most of my friends’ wore store bought. We ate ‘organic’ beef before the word even existed, along with venison, home-butchered chickens, homemade applesauce, apple butter, currant jelly, even prickly pear jelly. We weren’t considered an important part of the food chain, we were considered country-cowboys that couldn’t do any better.
Indeed, one sign of affluence in many cultures is the ability to buy goods from other cultures and countries. Why were teas and spices so expensive throughout the ages? Because they grew well only in certain areas of the world. Wisely, the people of those regions protected their crops and knowledge, ensuring that the world would keep calling at their door. Every culture and most countries consider themselves wealthy only when they control materials valued by others, and glory in the ability to buy exotics from the world over. It is that mindset that has fueled our obsession with Japanese, European, Chinese and Indian foods, religions and other products. There has historically been a disdain for local grown foods, locally made clothing or products. This has created such a lopsided economy that we can’t even sustain ourselves without outside help. The corn we buy in the grocery stores has little similarity to the corn that has been grown in the Southwest for millennium. I grow a garden every year, but most of the seeds I have used in the past are hybrids of European vegetables, and they are poorly equipped to survive the arid, hot summers here. In fact, it has been extremely difficult to find seeds for the southwest, and after reading this book I understand why- there are only a few commercial seed companies left in the WORLD, and they have no interest in providing local seeds that they can’t patent.
Anyone interested in growing seeds well adapted to their own areas have to search deeply- typically in local natural food stores or through local organic farmers. Thank heavens there have been grass-roots harvesters deeply committed to saving heritage seeds from all over the US and parts of Mexico! With the internet it’s become easier to find them, and I plan to buy native seeds this year, and start growing locally adapted squash, beans and maybe even corn. Now it’s time to get off my soapbox, and get on with gardening!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
