Cold Time/Renewal Time 2025

A warm fire

We have indeed had some cold and very windy weather here during Cold Time. We haven't had very much snow at our house, but we did have snow on the ground for the 25th. It actually came just in time for the Solstice.

Snow came on the Solstice

The weather that day wasn't the nicest, so we relaxed at home: played a game, watched a movie, had some nice healthy food and some less healthy treats as well. We don't celebrate the Solstice so much as a return of the sun, but as a joyous time of rest.

Taughannock Falls on the 25th

A few days later on the 25th, the weather was still cold, but better, so we walked at Taughannock Falls State Park in Trumansburg.

The garden rests, but the work is never really all done.

The 2024 bean harvest

I finished threshing out the beans on the 24th.

Straw on the strawberries

And I got out to put straw mulch down on the strawberry beds once the ground finally froze.

New Year's Day is my traditional time to inventory my seeds and make my order for the next garden.

The seed inventory begins

The garden has been plotted, the seeds ordered and they're on their way.

We've both been busy working on the bathroom remodel and it's really coming along.

Tub surround bracing in place

We hired a younger man with more muscles and expertise to help Bob get the new shower surround up and cemented to the walls.

Resurfaced tub

Then Bob resurfaced the cast iron tub. It would have been impossible to get the tub down the stairs, or a new one up, for that matter. We suspect that it was installed either before the reconfigured stairway and hall were finished, or before the old large window was replaced with a new, dinky one. Either way, our only options were to resurface or live with the dull blue one. 

The new finish was mighty stinky for a few days, but that has all dissipated now. We're letting it cure for a while before Bob caulks the tub and surround.

In the meantime, he's been laying the new flooring.

Laying the new flooring

He just finished it before lunch today and it looks good.
Here's what it looks like right now (before his mess is cleaned up).

Bathroom on Jan 13

Next, he'll begin to install the trim work which I have been busy painting.

Closet door trim

I'm still working on the entrance door and have yet to do the window and entrance door trim.

Our evenings have been used to pursue renewal.
I have been knitting.

Sweater in progress

I finished Bob's sweater in December and am working on one for myself.

Often Bob reads aloud while I knit. We're reading a volume on daily life in early America in this way.

We also have our own books that we read. Bob's currently reading about a naturalist that lived in Maine. I'm reading a guide to North American fossils. It shows me how much of my college geology I have forgotten!

Of course, I've always got my harps to challenge my brain power and my patience. And we're nearly finished watching the David Attenborough DVD set, The Life of Birds. Very interesting.

We wouldn't mind if the sun took a little bit longer to return, but we can't stay the cycles of the universe. In the month ahead we'll slowly begin the transition to more activity and preparation for growth ahead. But there's still some time left for renewal.

We hope this finds you all well, safe and feeling soul nourished.
Till next time,
Kathleen and Bob

Lower Falls at Taughannock State Park 12/25

This is the big falls 215'

Long Nights Time 2024

Sunchoke crock ingredients

The time of long nights is upon us. We hope you have been able to find relaxation in them. Our nights have been spent in reading and knitting by the fire or watching some of our classic holiday movies (1930s-1950s).

We haven't had any of the heavy winter weather you heard about, just a couple of light snows. We are too far south of the Great Lakes to be much affected by the lake effect snows.

A cluster of turkeys in the yard

We have had frequent company this season. A large group of turkeys have strolled up from the ravine on our property several mornings. It appears to be two large flocks totaling 24 birds.

A wild turkey for your viewing pleasure

 
They investigate thoroughly, especially the neighbor's truck, eat our fallen acorns, posture and fuss with each other. After a while they all filter back into the woods.

During the daylight hours, we have occupied ourselves with our projects.

Bob fills the crock

On Thanksgiving Day, Bob ground four quarts of horseradish root while I prepared the ingredients for our crock of sunchokes. Bob gets to pack the 15-liter crock because he's tall enough to reach inside easily. After sitting in our warm pantry for a couple of weeks to begin the fermentation process, it has now been moved into our cooler root cellar. Now it will continue to "work" at a slower rate.

Two crocks and horseradish "chillin"

I've been intermittently working on Bob's sweater. I've just finished all of the component parts. Next, I'll press and assemble them.

I'm almost finished threshing out the dry beans. Only three more bushels to go. I hope to finish by Christmas. Certainly, by New Years.

Together we've been working on the bathroom.

Priming begins

 

I spent a week priming and painting the ceiling and walls.

Topcoat going on

Now I need to get going on painting the trim work down at the workstation in the cellar.

Medicine cabinet installed

 
As soon as the painting had cured a bit, Bob began installation work. The medicine cabinet and toilet are in. (No more midnight trips downstairs!)

The reason for regular chiropractic

We hired a couple of strong guys to haul the vanity upstairs from the cellar (two flights of stairs, one with a sharp 90-degree turn). The brute weighs 160 pounds and was just too much for Bob and me to handle. Thanks to them, it's up there and Bob is installing it right now.

One sturdy vanity

We've still got quite a way to go: flooring, tub and surround, trim and fittings, but we're finally progressing.

That's what we've been up to. I'm afraid that we haven't taken time this month for any outings. We've been focused on these jobs. We'll have to be more deliberate next month with regards to taking time for ourselves.

Yuletide 2024

We have family and friends of many different races, religions, cultures and practices. We recognize your right to observe this season in any way that's meaningful for you.

As for us, we wish each of you joy, peace, contentment and restfulness now, and always.

Till next time,

Kathleen and Bob

Be at peace

 

Seed Fall/Frost Time 2024

Milkweed seeds

The leaves are all down, with the exception of our large red oak. We've had a decent frost, but no hard freeze yet. It's been dry, quite breezy and generally, warmer than it should be.

The nice weather allowed us to finish up our outside chores on schedule - October 30th to be exact.

Laying out garlic bulbs

I have planted the garlic and shallots for next year.

A filled wood bin

Bob has filled the wood bin in the cellar.

Bob and his compost stash

He's covered all of the beds with a layer of fresh compost.

A pretty new compost pile

And our compost pile has been restacked for a proper balance of green and brown material. We tend to get out of balance with too much green until the leaves come down. Now it's as it should be.

The garden is now at rest.

Nature's perfect solar collector

This is one of our porch cats. We call him Marmalade because we have no idea what his real name is. He, at least at one time, belonged to someone in the neighborhood, because he wears a collar. It appears that he's been on his own for quite some time, but we don't know for sure. He spends a good deal of time at our house. If we are in the garden, he's generally there, too.

This is Bob being busy

He's really attached to Bob. As you can see, it can be difficult for Bob to get work done. (Work other than petting and warming up a cold cat.) 

On cold days Marmalade not only cries at our kitchen door but knocks on it trying to lure Bob outside to sit with him. Mind you, he has five different warming boxes available for his use.

Scarlet Runner beans

Now that we're inside, I've begun my bean threshing. I got two bushels done earlier this week.

Time to remove the toilet

Bob has resumed work on the bathroom. He finally had to remove the toilet so that he could finish taping and mudding. He didn't want to take out this fixture for two reasons; it's a yucky job, and he hasn't been looking forward to making trips to the downstairs bathroom a couple of times each night. Fortunately, so far neither of us has fallen down the stairs in a drowsy stupor.

The drywall work is now nearly finished, and I should begin priming and painting next week. This needs to be done before installing the shower surround, vanity ...

Our book sale haul

We went to the Autumn book sale in Ithaca and stocked up on reading material for our winter rest time.

Future sweater

I have also begun Bob's winter sweater.

We went on two outings with the fine weather we had this month.

Cornell's Sapsucker Woods

Early in the month we walked at Sapsucker Woods on a sunny and warm day. Tee shirts in the beginning of November?!

Salmon River Falls

Samhain marks the halfway point between the Autumnal Equinox and the Winter Solstice. We celebrated the day by traveling north and visiting the Salmon River Falls in Orwell. 

The Salmon River bisects the village where I grew up. Because my family had no car, I never saw the falls, despite their close proximity. Now I have seen them, and they are quite nice. We stopped off to see Lake Ontario (Selkirk Shores State Park) on the way home. We had a very enjoyable day. By the way, our new electric car took us there and back comfortably and without a glitch.

Settling in

We continue to try and balance our projects with restorative pursuits. Some days we're more successful than others, but we keep at it. Each day is a new opportunity to pursue balance.

Sunrise on November 10

We hope that you may achieve a desirable level of balance this season, especially heading into the season of holidays. Here's something to ponder. Take time to consider what you do for the holidays and what you would like to do. Traditions can be comforting or confining. Don't be afraid to step out toward what you would like to do. Holidays are meant to feed the soul, not drain it. Pursue what feeds, not what drains.

Till next time,

Kathleen and Bob

Supervisor Marmalade

Full Beaver Moon

Song Time/Falling Leaves Time 2024

 

Autumn Greetings

Song Time/Falling Leaves Time was ushered in with the September Harvest Moon.

An interesting moon shot

Bob got a shot of it when the heavy cloud cover briefly parted.

This month has been very busy with the garden. Until this week we had warm and beautiful weather. It was ideal for finishing the harvest and cleaning up the garden.

Beet harvesting

Beets and carrots have been pulled and stored. The potatoes are all in the root cellar.

Three kinds of potatoes

The beans are all in the cellar waiting to be threshed (13 bushels worth). Threshing begins in about a month.

Applesauce making

I made applesauce and both freezers are now full.

Bob helps dry apples

Right now, we're dehydrating apple slices.

Bob's shiitake logs had one final flush for the season. These mushrooms were dried for tasty soups this winter.

A good mushroom harvest

All that remains to be put up are horseradish and a crock of spicy sunchokes. We typically do these on Thanksgiving weekend.

Shoveling compost over straw

While I was finishing the harvests, Bob began weeding and amending the empty beds with compost.

Pulling off bean vines

I helped by pulling out the tomatoes, eggplants and peppers and cleaning off all of those bean trellises.

The upcoming week is supposed to be dry and warmer again, so our goal is to have the cleanup and amending all done by the end of October.

Firewood assembly line

Bob cut his medium wood today. This is wood that is too large to break by hand, and too small for the chainsaw. He's come up with a handy way to cut it into stove length pieces. He sets up his compound miter saw and has the bin filled in no time at all. 

On a warm day next week, he'll fill the wood bin in the cellar with regular stove logs which are already cut. We had our little "seasoning" fire in the stove just a couple of nights ago, so we're all ready for the cold weather.

Cayuga Lake

We got away for one walk this month. We went to Cayuga Wildlife Management Area (formerly known as Bell Station Preserve). It was peaceful with nice views of Cayuga Lake.

We are now in the season when we readjust our balance. We shift from a focus on providing for our physical needs, to a focus of providing for our inner needs. From growing, harvesting and preserving, to rest, creative endeavors and activities to feed our inner selves.

So now we gather the books, and I pick up the needles and we sit by the fire. We take time to think and to listen. A pot of tea and good music will be our companions. Nature rests and so do we.

We hope all of you can practice at least some of this, for your wellbeing, as well as for those whose lives you touch.

We bid you peaceful rest.

Till next time,

Kathleen and Bob

Happy Shiitake log

At Cayuga Wildlife Area